Page 5 of The Healing Dragon
“Wow,” I say in amazement. “Thanks,” I add when she says nothing in return.
Janelle just gives me a small smile, lacking all the warmth the previous one had held.
“I got one here too.” I point at the cut in my head. “I got it from a hanging branch on my escape route.”
She steps closer into my space and lifts to her tiptoes. She holds her hand inches away from the cut and, just like the other one after a flash of light, it’s gone.
I run my fingers over the healthy skin. “How do you do that?” I ask.
She’s far too small to be this good at magic already. It also doesn’t feel like magic. Her lips don’t move when the flash comes. I’m older than her and even I have to say my spells out loud.
Her shoulder lifts to one side. “I just can.” She looks down at her hands with furrowed brows. “Is it weird?”
“Cool-weird,” I say with a smile.
Her smile returns at my comment. This time I can tell it's a real one.
Without saying another word, she climbs a few rocks down to the river’s edge. I follow her and see her set up. No wonder she heard me but I didn't see her. She has a blanket on the ground with a backpack nearby. An open book and a box of snacks on the side. She doesn’t turn back to look at me as she settles back.
I don’t wait for an invitation as I sit beside her. The sun is behind us, and the rocks above provide the perfect amount of shade. We still have a perfect view of everything in the lake, and the sun is not in our eyes.
“You found the perfect spot,” I say, looking around. “How did my brothers and I miss it?”
They will love this. I look down at the edge of the lake. We are still slightly higher than the water, but not by much. I would have toinvestigate the water level here, but it would be perfect if it’s high enough to jump.
“I like to read here,” she says in a soft tone. She doesn’t look at me. “It’s close enough to be here in a short walk, but out of sight enough that people walk above and never see me. It’s my favorite place to be.”
As I sit there listening to the water and the few people who pass above us, I realize how sacred it is. It’s silently peaceful yet not secluded. I look at Janelle and decide I never want to take anything from her. I promise I’ll never tell a soul of this place to keep it only ever hers.
CHAPTER THREE
JESSE
Istand up and lean back against a cold stone wall of the temple. I squint my eyes and touch my head. Thankfully, the headache is only a subtle ache now. I’m only a few feet inside the temple, but it feels like miles, as every step I take is shaky and unstable.
Finally, outside the temple, I sit on the steps and lean back. Rays of sun break through the tree branches, making me flinch at their directness. I focus on my breathing as I feel my breakfast coming back up. Something tells me the strength I used to run into the barrier wasn't enough to cause this level of damage. The Fates are teaching me a lesson.
“There you are,” Roman says. He stops when he notices the state I’m in. His eyes move around us as if expecting someone or something to jump out unexpectedly. “Who the hell did that?”
I point behind me with my thumb. “I had a few choice words for them, but they denied me entry.”
His eyes move from the temple to me. “Go on,” he says.
“I tried to barrel my way in.”
A burst of laughter rings from Roman. “You tried to force your way in?” He bellows louder. “You were looking for a fight, so they beat you black and blue.”
“I look that bad?” I join in laughter at the absurdity of it all.
“Did you get what you were looking for?” Roman looks between me on the floor and the temple.
Slowly I tilt my head back to look at the structure. I don't think I needed to verbally express to the Fates what I wanted. The all-knowing creatures surely saw me and my rage coming. I look at my hands and wonder where the urgency for answers fled. The simmering anger that pushed me to seek answers is not gone but somehow calmed. Whether it was the beating that did it or her voice in the edges of my mind, I don't know.
“Something like that,” I say, trying not to laugh.
“You look awful, but maybe this is what you needed to clear your mind.” He looks out into the forest. “You need to realize that this plan has merit. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. I have two trusted soldiers in mind for the mission. They will not harm Janelle. They’re willing to help her if required. We don’t plan to send her to her death.”
“That is exactly what she will walk into if she’s back in her father’s sight,” I say with a lot less determination.
