Moonbreeze (The Dragonian Series Book 4) (52 page)

I DIDN’T DREAM at all and when I woke up, Blake’s spot was empty. It was still warm, which meant that he’d had to have woken up minutes before me.

He’d stayed. I closed my eyes and felt slightly different about him this morning. I grunted. Slightly different was an understatement. He was making me crazy again.

I blew out air and my lips vibrated as I thought about that night again.

I fucking hated that dream, even more now that he’d seen it. He knew what Billy looked like and I felt disgusted with myself again.

More and more Billy looked nothing like Blake.

I got up, got dressed and went downstairs.

Blake had shorts and a top with long sleeves on with his sneakers.

He’d stayed when I’d asked him to and the dream hadn’t come.

He’d woken me up. It was the kindest thing he had ever done for me.

“Good morning Princess, are you ready for today?” David had a huge smile on his face.

I nodded and stared at Blake.

“Take that order back, Elena,” he said without looking at me.

“You know I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.” He sounded pissed off and looked at me. “Now take it back. I’m not letting you go alone to Etan.”

“I’ll be in and out, I promise.”

He bit hard on his jaw, I could see his jaw muscle jump slightly.

“I guess this is now or never.” I looked at David. “Do you mind taking me to the Creepers?”

“Of course.” He sounded worried.

“May I come too?” Blake sounded sarcastic, and I didn’t want him so close to them. But I also didn’t want to order him around anymore.

I nodded.

I had a backpack that I’d packed late last night, after I’d spoken to him and went to bed.

Everyone started to wish me good luck as Blake followed David to the parking area. We got into one of the lodge’s trucks and Blake just stared out the window not looking at me.

I wanted to explain more, but I’d told him why he couldn’t come with me.

It was about a fifteen minute ride and I gasped as the Creepers came into sight.

I closed my eyes and tried to just be okay with it. I’d gotten through them twice.

“Take back the order, Elena.”

I opened my eyes and looked at him.

“I can see it in your eyes, you are scared, now take it back and let me come with you.”

“No,” I said, sounding stern and looked away.

The Creepers moved slightly, like they were breathing.

David stopped the SUV and we all got out, Blake included.

They walked until one moved and then they stopped.

“This is a safe distance.” David smiled but concern still lay heavy in his eyes. He didn’t know what it was like for dragons on the other side, he couldn’t come with.

“So tell me again, if I go through here, I will be in Alkadeen?”

David nodded.

“Alkadeen is right behind those snatchers.” He smiled again.

“Thank you David.” I flung my arms around his shoulders.

He stroked my back. “I know it has nothing to do with me, but you are not just scaring your dragon here to death, Princess, you are scaring us all by doing this alone.”

“I’ll be fine.” I smiled.

Connie smiled too. “Please take care and if you see Charles, give him this. I know it’s extra luggage, but he will know it’s from us.”

I took the bag. It wasn’t that heavy. “I will.”

Blake didn’t look at me, his eyes were on the ground and his arms were folded, and he was kicking the grass softly.

“I’ll be back before you know it. I promise.”

His jaw muscle just jumped and I looked at him for a few short seconds and turned around.

I really hoped that it was a bloodline thing, I really did. I took a couple of steps toward the Creepers and they did nothing.

A couple more and I saw one starting to move. I could hear two gasps, Blake was silent.

When I took the next step, one struck and I covered my face.

It hissed frantically but didn’t hurt me. When I moved my arm, I looked at a round vicious mouth with hundreds of teeth. Its tongue came out but lingered inches from me.

“Elena, get the fuck away from it now, or I swear to you…”

“Shhhh,” I said and I could feel my emotions getting stronger, it was mixed with fear, fear I had of this thing.

He started to pull back and I could breathe again.

I didn’t know if I could take another step and when I was ready to take one, I felt a grasp around my arm again. I spun around and Blake’s lips were on mine.

His kiss was soft but hungry at the same time. It was nothing like yesterday and a part of me wanted to pull back as images of the woods jumped into my thoughts again. The hissing sound behind me didn’t help much but another feeling was more powerful than whatever was going on inside and around me.

It was kindness, mixed with something so peaceful that I couldn’t put my finger on it. It was a feeling of home, the same kind I’d experienced with my dad, Herbert, not the royal one.

My feet lifted from the ground and they twisted around his waist. The noise of the Creepers was barely audible but I could still hear them hissing softly.

It felt as if my insides wanted to explode. I felt drunk, I felt weightless, all at the same time.

Who would’ve thought kissing this arrogant ass who wanted nothing to do with me, could make me feel all of these things?

“We have company,” I murmured against his mouth as David and Connie’s faces jumped into my mind, and I could sense that he was smiling too.

“They don’t mind,” he said and I opened my eyes.

We weren’t in front of the Creepers anymore. We were surrounded by roots upon roots, making a funny humming noise. I looked up and saw the most beautiful pink and purple flowers canopied above us.

I’d seen them before, when I’d entered into Etan.

Then I realized what was going on and I wanted to shove him off.

“Don’t, if you let go of me, I will die. You are literally protecting me from them, so I beg you, don’t.” He held my arm in place.

I grabbed him tighter and I could swear I heard a chuckle from his lips.

My heart pounded again as I rested my head on his shoulder and felt how he took his time walking through the Creepers.

A bit faster wouldn’t kill you, please just get us the hell out of here.

I closed my eyes as I couldn’t watch.

I didn’t want to watch us walking to meet our doom.

I didn’t care about him breaking his promise anymore either, as I knew this time, if I died, Blake would be there too. I wouldn’t have to face anything alone, ever again.

Then it hit me: I’d ordered him to stay.

I looked at his face and he looked at me with a blank expression. “How did you manage to follow? I ordered you to stay.”

“I guess my Dragon Oath is much more powerful than a stupid order, Elena.” He smiled softly. I hated that so much. “I pledged with my entire being that I would never let any harm come to you. And this, this was danger that you could smell from a mile away, so you better find a way to deal with this, because now I know that your stupid little orders will not affect me.”

I just glared at him.

“It’s not going to make me feel bad. Believe me I would’ve felt worse if I hadn’t come. So glare as much as you want.”

I wished I could just leave his ass here, but I couldn’t. I would never forgive myself if he got hurt. He’d nearly died on numerous occasions when he’d come too close, and yet, he’d still taken this leap.

My heart melted again. I was never going to be able to stay mad at him.

I lay my head back on his shoulders and drew in his scent. The scent that was going to be with me forever, or so I hoped.

LL SORTS OF things went through my mind as we took our stroll through the Creepers. I sort of hated myself now.

I felt so weak for doing this to myself again, for trusting him again, knowing it would only break my heart as he always disappointed me in the end.

I watched as the stupid idiot exited the Creepers, carrying me into the night.

“This doesn’t make any sense.” Blake looked up at the moon.

“They don’t know what time or day it is, Blake. I doubt if they even know what year it is.”

  I could hear a few Creepers close by hissing as he passed. He was scared but he didn’t show it, I could see it when he closed his eyes. I kept staring at a Creeper as its mouth came close toward Blake.

I put my hand between Blake’s head and the Creeper’s mouth and it retreated.

He put me down when we were a good distance away from the hissing plants and the idiot fell down on the ground and kissed it.

I wanted to laugh thinking that he was being over dramatic but when he sat back up with tears lingering in his eyes as he looked around, I knew it wasn’t a joke.

“I’m home.”

“You lived in Etan too?”

“My father owned almost half of Bolivia. We had some ground here too, but leased it out because we didn’t know shit about farming.”

“WHAT?”

“Don’t look so surprised, we weren’t always poor.”

“That wasn’t what I meant,” I said and stomped off, walking past him when I suddenly remembered what he had done.

He’d followed me and we walked in silence toward Alkadeen, away from the Creepers. I was glad that it was night time.

Blake kept up, no surprise there, and after a while, it was like he’d picked up on my mood. His hand grabbed mine softly and he pulled me back. I hid my tears, the ones I’d badly wanted to shed.

“What is going through that mind of yours?”

“Nothing, I just didn’t want you to be here, Blake. You seriously do not grasp what they do to dragons this side.” I walked further, and found the fields where they grew corn. It was not far from the Benson’s place.

“I do, Elena. But this is what we need to do, together.”

I stopped walking and turned around. “And if they catch you?”

“They have no idea what I look like,” he said bluntly as he passed me.

“Goran does, Blake. Or have you forgotten that day in the woods?”

He stopped. He’d forgotten. He turned around. “Relax, okay.” He put his hoody over his head which made him look extra beautiful and mysterious. I closed my eyes and lowered my head again.

His fingers touched my chin softly. “A princess never lowers her head, Elena.” He pushed my head up so that my eyes were looking straight into his.

“This feels wrong Blake. What if something goes wrong? What if you find one of them?”

He closed his eyes.

“You can’t attack, not without backup. They will put you down, Rubicon or not and then everything will be for nothing.”

He nodded. “Then I’ll play nice, pretend, if that is what you want, Elena. Just say the word.”

“I’m not like that. I told you not to come with me.” I sounded upset and walked past him again.

He grabbed my arm again and pulled me gently back. “And I told you that I would never let you do any of this, ever, without me again. This is my destiny too, not just yours.”

Just then we heard a gun cock and Blake froze.

“Don’t take off your hoody, or we’ll both die,” I said softly.

I walked past Blake with my hands in the air.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” I heard Tom’s voice.

“Tom, lower the gun, please. It’s me, Elle.”

He lowered his gun immediately and moved fast. His one free arm wrapped around my shoulders and brought me to his chest. “Elle, what are you doing here? How did…” He stopped. “Who is this?”

I looked at Blake’s back and then at Tom. Blake turned around slowly, with his hands in the air.

“Don’t be mad, okay.”

He lifted up his gun again as I said those words, and almost touched Blake’s chest. “Tom, don’t be stupid and put down the gun. He won’t hurt you, I promise.”

“Speak, who is he?”

I swallowed hard. “It’s my dragon.”

Tom glared at me. “You said…”

“I know what I said, I was wrong.”

The gun was still at Blake’s chest. “Tell him to lower his gun or he can kiss it goodbye.”

“Shush,” I said to Blake. “Please, Tom. Just lower your gun.”

“Is he sane?”

“I’m not the one with the gun, now please, lower it before someone gets hurt.” Blake sounded so calm but still had a warning in his tone.

“Please, Tom.” I couldn’t go through losing Blake again.

Tom looked at me and then at Blake before he lowered his gun.

“You have plenty of questions to answer, young lady.”

“I promise.”

“Let’s go.”

I blew out some air and looked at the sky. No stars. This was my nightmare.

Blake wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his body.

“Keep your hoody on please.”

He nodded.

We walked past the barn that I’d woken up in six months ago and walked into the house.

“Look who I found.” Tom barged through and Gertrude, who was sitting on the couch, looked up from her sewing.

“Elle!” She put it down and ran toward me. Her motherly arms wrapped around my body. “You are safe.”

“It’s a long story, but yes, I’m safe.”

Marcus smiled at me. He still looked so much like Herbert. He hugged me too. “We were so worried that day they took you.”

“They found the facility.” I felt so guilty about that. “I’m so sorry. I did what I could.”

“Shhhh, you kept them safe.” He looked down at me but there was a sad look in his eyes.

“What happened?”

“We lost Nicky and Max.”

“NO!” My hands cupped my mouth. “How is August?”

“He had started to experiment with his ability.” I knew what that meant. He’d tried to save Max. “I’m so sorry Marcus.”

“It’s okay, you are okay.”

“Elle.” A voice that shouldn’t be here came from the direction of the kitchen. I looked past Marcus and saw her.
How was this possible?

“Annie!” I yelled and we ran to each other. Our bodies crashed together as my arms wrapped around her fragile frame, and squeezed her tiny body so tightly.

“What are you doing here, what happened?” I pushed her arms- length away and only then did I see it. One side of her temple and left eye was burned. It deformed her face slightly and the beautiful brown eye with a splash of grey was hardly open.

Tears filled my eyes as scenarios popped into my head. “What did they do to you?”

“It doesn’t matter, I found my way back.”

“No, tell me.”

“Shhh.” She hugged me again and she gasped. “Elle, who is this?”

I’d forgotten that Blake was here too. I was so overwhelmed seeing all of their faces. I turned around, he was still wearing his hoody, standing by the door.

“Tell them Elle,” Tom said in that ‘tell them you were lying to everybody’ tone of his.

“It wasn’t like that, Tom.”

“It’s her dragon,” Tom told everyone

“What?” Marcus said.

“I thought he died, he didn’t,” I said to Marcus.

“Your dragon is not dead?” Gertrude had a much kinder tone and I smiled at her.

“No, he’s alive.” They all stared at Blake and then back at me.

I sighed. I wanted to start explaining that he looked like Billy but my thoughts were cut off.

“You lied.” Annie looked hurt.

“No.” I flinched. “Yes, but not about that. I thought he was dead, Annie.”

“How did you find out he was alive? Where are Zack and Derick?”

I froze when she asked me that. “My fire came back . . . and I killed them.”

I could feel Blake’s eyes on me. He’d never seen that, because I never dreamed about it. He knew what I did now.

“Elle, what did they do to you?”

“It doesn’t matter, Annie.”

She had tears in her eyes this time. “I swear I will kill them.”

“No you won’t,” Blake said. “Killing them is my job.”
So apparently he wasn’t that disappointed that I’d killed some people.
It was a relief.

“So you are a Sun-Blast too?”

Blake didn’t answer.

“No, I lied about that.”

She looked at me.

“Elle?” August’s voice came from the hallway. He looked tired, sick, as if he had the flu.

He ran over to me and grabbed me. “Where the hell were you? When Pop found Annie, almost dead…” He just looked at me. “Where the hell were you?” he asked again.

“I’m so sorry about Max.”

He didn’t say anything.

“Elena?” Blake asked and everyone gasped. I knew then that he had taken down his hood.

Three pairs of guns cocked again and August’s hands filled with chloroform.

“Where is my girlfriend?” August yelled.

I ran over to Blake to protect him. August didn’t care and tried to push me away. I pushed back. “Back off, August.” He hadn’t expected that.

“What are you doing with this low scum, Elle?” His jaw was clenched. I’d never seen him this angry before.

“It’s not who you think it is, please.”

Everyone started toward the couch softly but they kept the guns on Blake.

I touched Blake’s arm and felt an electric current prickling my fingers softly. I looked down and saw small sparkles forming on Blake’s fingertips. My eyes found his. “Don’t, please. They won’t hurt us.”

“Speak for yourself,” August said.

“What are you doing with him?” Annie yelled too and let out a cough. August was going to kill every one of his family members if he didn’t calm down.

August released a chloroform ball without thinking as the guns were still pointed toward Blake.

Blake yelled an incantation and an invincible orb trapped the chloroform.

“Stop this!” I yelled and stared at the green bubble that was floating in the air. Everyone was staring at it with wide eyes. They still coughed, but at least the air was still breathable.

“It’s not him, Annie.” I spoke fast. “It’s not him.” I looked at August and all of them. Then turned to Blake again. “I told you not to take off your hoody. What didn’t you understand?”

Blake ignored me and stared at Annie. She was petrified. The guns were still pointed at us. My heart beat so fast that I couldn’t even think properly. Gertrude was missing. I hadn’t even seen her leave.

“Who do you think I am?” Blake asked Annie, stepping from behind me with his hands held up in surrender. I tried to push him back, but he just moved forward.

Annie retreated. “Just stay away from me.” Her eyes were wild.