Page 82 of The Healing Dragon
“I’m not here to give her a hard time,” Jesse tells him.
“Sure.” Matias crosses his arms.
“Grr,” Santiago mocks. “You two are adorable.” He gestures between Jesse and Matias.
A blank expression takes over Matias. His arms drop to his sides. At first I think his reaction is because of Santiago’s comment, but as seconds pass, a shock of awareness fills me.
Something is going on and I would bet it has something to do with the entity living inside him. Jesse is staring at him too, his book long forgotten. Santiago, on the other hand, is deep into his food plate.
“What is happening?” I ask, slowly reaching for his hand.
The second my hand touches his, Matias gasps loudly. His breathing is erratic and eyes are wild. I’m on my feet and rounding the table to his side. Jesse is next to me instantly.
“Are you okay?” Santiago asks, finally clued into the situation at hand.
Matias looks between us, then to the door.
“Calaca,” he whispers. “It’s back and wants to speak to us.”
He gets up and takes a shaky step forward. Jesse reaches for him and offers him his shoulder. Matias leans on him as they make their way out of the room.
“Calaca?” Jesse asks me.
“Yeah, it has a way of talking to him in his head. We sent it after my father.”
Maybe it found him. I look over my shoulder to find Santiago following us with his plate of food in hand.
“Santiago,” I say in disbelief.
He stops chewing long enough to ask, “What?”
I shake my head. Am I even surprised?
I make quick work of taking the cursed book with me. If my plan works this might be exactly what we need to get all the answers we have been searching for. It doesn't hurt to take a shot in the dark.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
JANELLE
We avoid taking the hallways that lead to the dining hall. They are the busiest at this time of the day. A few groups of soldiers send us curious looks, but nothing too alarming about the fact that we are all walking into the forest together.
When we reach the edge of the border, we all slow down. Just like last time, every step feels like it’s underwater. The full force pushing against us is not enough to stop us, but enough to weigh us down. After we make it through, the air feels freer. The load on our limbs goes back to normal.
“I can walk now,” Matias says and steps out of Jesse’s hold. “I was just caught off guard and I felt dizzy, but I’m fine now.”
“Are you sure?” I ask him.
He shoots me a scowl. I raise both hands in the air. He is being testy.
“Calaca?” Matias calls.
The clearing is empty, and the forest is quiet. The thought that this could be a trap crosses my mind a second before Calaca steps out of the treeline.
At the sight of the creature closing in on us, Jesse moves to my side. His hand takes mine and I don’t fight it. I don’t fear Calaca and I doubt he does, but it feels nice to know he is here.
I don’t need magic to feel powerful when he is by my side.
“I come with news,” Calaca tells us in a deep voice.
