Page 35 of The Dragon's Warlock

“The earth is going to speak to me?”

“It helps clear your mind,” Gideon said. “Just for tonight, do what Ethno says, because if it doesn’t work, we will be back here again.” The words came out a little harsher than he’d planned.

But seeing her get sick the night before was one of the worst experiences he’d been through. He wasn’t sure he could take another experience like that. Especially if something went wrong.

“I can do this—not fight the medicine, let the earth in,” she said.

In the distance, he could hear the drums of the earth. Gideon was always close to the surface of the earth—his magic came from the elements around him. The previous night, he hadn’t been focused enough, but that night, he would let the world around him in.

The same woman as the night before walked over and handed them each a glass with the dark liquid. The air was cooler tonight than the previous night but not cold enough for a long-sleeved shirt.

Unlike the first time, he could feel the effects of the drink within twenty minutes. Diem was next to him, staring up at the stars, and he wondered if she was looking for the bears again. The woman walked over and handed him another cup. He wasn’t sure how far he wanted to go. Ethno wouldn’t do anything to hurt Diem, but Gideon still worried about her and wanted to protect her.

A distant voice cut through the fog. “Don’t think—drink.” His hands felt strange. The woman placed the cup to his mouth, and he tilted his head back to take the liquid.

Colorful streams of light came out of the earth, all meeting at one point. And at that point was someone he never wanted to see—someone who was supposed to be dead. The person’s face twisted into a snake. The form of Kael stood there—the man who’d controlled Gideon’s mind for a hundred years, making him do things. The worst part was the fact that he didn’t know all the things he’d done.

The image of a lab flashed through his mind. Diem was in a cage, and someone who looked just like her stood on the other side but not behind bars. The harder he tried to see, the farther away the vision was. He was forcing it, not accepting what the spirits wanted him to see.

A cry next to him brought him out of his vision. Diem was on her knees, hunched over, bawling. Gideon tried to stand and get close to her, but his legs felt like they were cemented into the ground. Kael stood above her, laughing at him for failing again. He would never be enough for her.

For another few hours, he watched Diem cry and laugh. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t do anything. His body was frozen.

When Diem fell asleep on the ground, he finally started to regain the feeling in his legs. He stood and took her into his arms and walked back to the room. Gideon went straight for the bathroom and pulled them both into the shower. His visions hadn’t proven anything except that Kael had won.

After they were clean, he drew back the covers and tucked Diem into his side. When he closed his eyes, Kael came back to him, promising to seek vengeance by taking Diem away from him.

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