Page 13 of The Healing Dragon
“I guess this is where we part ways,” I say.
He chuckles. “I don’t think so.”
I look back at him. “What kind of spell do you have up your sleeve that will allow a long-term concealment?” I shake my head. “You need to stay here and I will try to sneak you in once I get the layout.”
“You cannot be trusted.”
I roll my eyes. That line is starting to sound cliche.
“So what, you will make yourself invisible?” I ask, half amused.
“Exactly,” he says.
I’m not surprised to see Jesse pull out Brandon’s invisibility cloak. He must have brought something to conceal himself if he so boldly demanded to accompany me to supervise this mission. What I wasn’t ready for was the emotions that surfaced at the sight of it. Memories of us as children flow through my mind.
The image of a young Brandon and Jesse fighting over the cloak almost makes me smile. They would pull it from end to end until the material stretched thin. My hands would be on my cheeks, dreading the noise of ripping thread that never came. Roman was always the authority around. He would use the threat of taking it away as leverage to make them stop fighting. Those moments when the cloak would bring us midnight snacks and late-night adventures on long summer nights feel so fleeting now. In the blink of an eye, duty pulled Brandon away and Roman quickly followed. Jesse was the one who never left. He never became too mature for my friendship.
I wish I would’ve told myself to stay up longer during those summer nights. To be more patient and appreciate the way things were. I was in such a rush for things to change that I never imagined I was in the good part.
We never know how good we have it until we’re looking back and the moments have become memories.
“You look at it like you’ve never seen it before.” Jesse drapes it over his shoulders.
In the blink of an eye, he is no longer there. He is gone, and I don’t bother correcting his assumption about my expression. Instead, I clear my throat and watch the front door of the farm. I’ve been thinking of how I plan for this to play out, but the simple route might be our best bet. My father needs to think I’m coming here seeking him to take me back. Therefore, we need to stop sneaking around and just come right out.
“Stay vigilant,” I tell Jesse as I step out of the woods.
I walk out of the tree line. The second I step out, I expect one, if not more, of my father’s men to have seen me. If they were doing their jobs, my father would’ve learned of my return by my seventh step.
I’m closing the distance between the treeline and the front porch of the farm when the door opens. A human man steps out. He is hunched over due to his old age. From the frown on his face, I conclude he is not thrilled to see me trespassing.
The old man raises one hand in the air. “Get out of here, girl. There are no jobs if you plan on asking for one.”
“I’m here to see my father,” I tell him in a calm voice.
“What?” he asks.
“I’m here to see my father.” I try again.
“What?”
It is obvious he cannot hear me from where I’m standing, so I take another step forward. At my step, the man pulls a gun from the back of his pants and points it directly at my head. I stare at the weapon in shock. I’ve seen many since living on the outskirts of Paz. But I’ve never had one pointed at me. Jesse’s body moves closer to me, close enough that I can feel his warmth.
Ordinary humans use guns for protection and crime. They’re not used by magical creatures, as the magic we possess is far more deadly and easier to wield.
“That is enough, Jill,” says a man who exits the front door of the farmhouse. The cocky smile on his face is familiar. “Forgive him, Princess Janelle, for he has never met your highness before.” He turns back to the old man. “This is the lost daughter of King Duelo.”
The title my father has given himself almost makes me laugh. Of course, he would start calling himself that. The King who’s fighting for his rightful throne. His men have been calling me princess for so long that I’ve grown accustomed to the taunt. But that is all it ever was, a taunt. I never took it seriously. It was meant to point out my privilege and status amongst them. In front of family and in polite company, they always used my correct title as a lady.
I always found the secrecy to be cowardly. If my father truly felt he could take on Brandon Oscuro, he wouldn’t need his little army of men. He wouldn’t have sent me and my brothers to fight his battle.
“Take me to my father, dog. Is he already aware I’m here?” I say to my father’s soldier and don’t make eye contact like meeting his gaze is beneath me.
His smirk falls as the nickname falls from my lips. I refuse to learn his name because he is nothing more than a follower of my father. Jumping on his every whim without a single original thought to himself.
“Everyone is aware you are here.” He looks around the land. “You cannot set foot on this property without me knowing. I’m the head of security.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I roll my eyes. He surely doesn’t know of the man standing just a few steps away under a cloak. “Well, quit wasting my time and take me to my father.”
