Page 68 of Spike

Even though I didn’t know anything about his plan, knowing he had one ignited a flicker of hope within me.

"I'm getting bored of this, Clive," Jack's voice echoed in the tense silence.

Clive shoved me forward, my breath whooshed out of my lungs, and I stumbled to my knees.

Panic surged within me, but I dared not show it. Instead, I braced myself for whatever would come next.

Clive’s hand pressed warningly against my shoulder, but I remained down, choosing to submit rather than risk further aggression.

"Spike, don't," Nitro's voice rang out, a desperate plea to his friend.

I glanced up briefly to see Nitro restraining Spike, preventing him from rushing to my aid. The sight sent a pang of guilt through me.

"Do you finally realize I hold all the cards here, you dumb bear?" Jack taunted Spike.

"Draven, burn him," Jack commanded, and Draven stepped forward, but hesitation clouded his features.

Perhaps our earlier conversation had planted a seed of doubt in his mind. Maybe, just maybe, there was still hope.

"What are you waiting for, you useless reptile?" Jack's voice dripped with disdain as he produced a necklace from around his neck.

My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the symbol on the pendant—an exact match to the rune tattooed on Draven's chest.

This necklace was the source of Jack's control over Draven.

Draven let out a scream as Jack clutched the pendant, the symbol on his chest glowing ominously.

The air crackled with tension, and I seized the opportunity to act. I bolted from my position, sprinting back towards Spike.

His warm embrace enveloped me as I reached him, providing a fleeting sense of comfort in the midst of chaos.

"You shouldn't have done that," Jack's angry voice cut through the air.

I turned, dread coiling in my stomach, only to see Draven, now transformed into his dragon form, hovering menacingly above us.

"Finish them all," Jack ordered, sending shivers down my spine.

The symbol on Draven's chest blazed with an eerie violet light, and my heart pounded with a mixture of terror and resignation.

As Draven let out a growl, not of challenge but of torment, I knew this was it—the end of the line.

At least I wouldn't die alone; Spike held me tightly, a silent promise of solidarity and love.

Gazing up into Draven's pained eyes, I found my voice. "You can choose not to do this! Take back control of your own body!" I shouted to Draven.

"Gray, what are you doing? You'll make yourself a target," Spike said, but I shook my head.

"I've only spoken to him once, but Draven isn't the monster you think. There's a tormented, lonely soul in there," I argued.

"Even if there is, I don't think anyone but his own kind could reach him," Spike replied.

"His own kind?" I wondered aloud, my thoughts racing.

Suddenly, a brassy roar pierced the air from the trees behind where Spike stood. Another dragon's call—Colin's, perhaps?

The sound was enough to distract Draven, who immediately flew towards the source of the noise, leaving us all behind.

With Draven momentarily diverted, Spike gently released me, turning to face a visibly angered Jack.

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