Page 17 of Dragonrider Academy: Episode 9

Was this his way of ensuring that I’d make sure I saved him? What if I failed? I’d be stuck with this thing forever?

“Does it prevent healing?” I asked him, that being one of my primary questions. Ever since I’d put it on, I’d stopped healing. The sharp pain in my side had become a constant scrape on my senses.

“It does,” the vampire confirmed as if that was obvious. “It pauses life. That’s what it does. Healing would be something you do when you’re alive.”

I frowned. “But I have a heartbeat.”

He nodded. “Yes, your body is alive, but your spirit doesn’t know that. It’s more vampire-like in this state. It wants to flee, because it thinks its time.”

Well, that explained a few things.

I shared glances with Killian. “Would that impact someone I’m mate-bonded to?”

The vampire thought about that for a moment. “Yes, I suppose it would, since that’s a spiritual bond. That’s why the bracelet will work for your dragons, as well. Your bond with them will share the effect.”

Great.

Killian’s gaze faltered. The reason his burns weren’t healing was because of me.

I ignored the new stabbing sensation inside my chest that felt a lot like guilt.

“Do you know my uncle? His name is Bastion,” I asked.

The vampire didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.

He was undead, after all, but the eerie stillness he was capable of still creeped me out.

“I do. Not a fan,” he curtly replied. “That explains why you’re wearing a royal bracelet, though. Only vampires descended from powerful magical lines are part of the Shadow Realm’s court.”

My eyes widened. So, my uncle wasn’t just a vampire. He was a royal vampire.

“Although,” he continued. “it seems he’s reuniting with his soul, somehow. Which doesn’t make sense since he is unable to leave the Shadow Realm currently, so I doubt he’ll be alive much longer.” He nodded to my bracelet. “Which means that’ll break when he ceases to be. Probably. Or it might just leave you stuck that way forever; it’s hard to say.”

Well, that was comforting.

Vern stepped forward and reached for a bracelet, then slapped it on his wrist. The sharp points dug in and drew blood, making him wince. “Then we better get going.” He turned to me. “I’m not going to let you be stuck this way, Vivi.”

I gave him a sharp nod.

I wouldn’t let him sacrifice himself, either, but I’d demonstrate my intentions when the time came.

Because being here, surrounded by loss and sacrifice, reminded me that there was too much suffering in the world already.

I was going to put a stop to it.

No matter what it takes.

CHAPTER 6

With our bracelets in place, the vampire worked a portal of shadows.

His fingers moved in a flurry, weaving together the threads of night and moonlight.

As he worked, an image began to appear in the air. It was a bridge of swirling stars that spanned across a void of darkness.

A gateway between realms.

The vampire raised his hands, finalizing his work, and stepped back with a long sigh.

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