Page 32 of The Healing Dragon
“Have you done it yet?” Calaca asks, nodding at the book. “Have you uncapped anyone’s magic?”
“Not yet, but very soon we will.” Lord Duelo looks at everyone that has gathered. “We will meet in due time to take over the Black Castle and destroy King Oscuro.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as a man moves to the edge of the circle, then back into the forest. His slight steps are going unnoticed by everyone in the gathering. I look around the faces of the men in the circle. One face is evidently missing in the crowd.
The dog.
I rush after him quietly. He’s quick to make it back to the house. He is diligent about watching the halls for servants. Something tells me to hurry after him. He passes the side of the hall where the soldiers stay and I know I was right to think so.
A maid steps out of her room down the hall but at spotting him walking rushes back into her bedroom. The lock clicks into place quickly after.
“I’m not here to see you today, Leah,” Ernesto says with a chuckle. “Someone needs to learn some respect.”
He passes her door and walks to the last hall of the floor, the one I know only hosts one person.
I’m about to cross the maid’s door too when it flies open again. She looks in his direction, then rushes towards the opposite side of the hall. I’m so preoccupied watching him I don’t move before she slams into me. I take a step back, and she lands before me on her knees. Her wide eyes search all around us to explain what had just happened. After a second, she quickly rises, then turns on her heels and runs out.
I stand there frozen in place as I watch him reach the door across the hall. My feet hit the ground with loud stumps as I close the distance. The cape drapes over and behind my body as I carelessly let it fly. My focus is only on making it across the hall as soon as possible.
His body disappears behind her door and my heart beat skyrockets.
My breaths are coming short and shallow. I throw my shoulder to the door and thrust all my weight on it. The door flies open and bangs against the wall with enough force that a lamp across the room rocks from side to side.
Ernesto is holding Janelle by the neck against the wall across the room. His eyes instantly travel to me, and shock paints his expression. Janelle takes this opportunity and knocks him to the ground. Her knee strikes his stomach and her elbow hits his throat.
The man falls to the floor coughing until she deals him a kick to the side of his head. We both stare to see if he’s getting up again, but he stays on the floor completely out. Janelle stands before him. Her breathing is heavy, and a hand is holding her waist with a pained edge on her face.
“Are you okay?” I take a step inside, dropping the cape by the door.
“I expected him to be you at first. I was not ready.”Her eyes reach mine and then the room, like she is making an account of everything around us.
She hurries to the door and closes it. The man on the floor grunts and turns to his back, holding his throat and stomach. His eyes open and they narrow on me.
“Jesse Oscuro. You will never stay away from her, will you?”
I think it's funny that even the dog knows the answer to that question.
“Jesse,” Janelle says in a stern tone.
Her eyes tell me there is no other way. He has seen me and knows who I am. After telling Lord Duelo this piece of news, it will not take long for him to conclude I am aware of his plan involving the forest creatures. He wants me and my brothers dead. He will not stop until we are no longer an obstacle to his plans.
Lord Duelo thinks he will bring war to us. He doesn’t know what is coming to him. War begins today. I focus on the man on the floor, then gaze at the woman standing in front of me.
I hold her gaze as I extend my hand out and allow a dark cloud of smoke to flow down from my hand into the floor. Before he can think to scream, it surrounds him and his senses. There is no disgust or judgement in her eyes. There has never been. This is not the first time Janelle has seen what I can do, and I am sure it won't be the last.
“We are leaving tonight,” I say when it's done. “I know where the Red Book is.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
JANELLE
We wait for the guards to return from the meeting. Only those on duty are left patrolling the grounds by the time we step out. Thankfully none of the night patrols take place inside the house. We silently make our way down the hall. From the sounds coming from behind the doors, the men have just turned in for the night.
I know whatever Jesse saw and heard in tonight’s meeting is the reason we’re acting on the spot. I’ve never been one to ask too many questions but given the circumstances, I would like to know. However, Matias doesn’t have time. He is going to be subjected to that torture again if we leave him here. I need to take this opportunity to get him out.
“We need to make one stop before we go,” I say and gesture for Jesse to follow me.
I walk past the stairs and head towards the soldiers’ bedrooms. Jesse doesn’t argue with me, which means he knows whose room we are going to visit.
