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“We’re finally close,” Rai grinned and grabbed me for a kiss. I hadn’t bestowed him with a kiss during our break.
Henry charged ahead of us toward the cornfields, and Sybil flew over him, chirping, before alighting on the shoulder between his heads. She was hitching a ride after her long hours of flying.
We traversed through the large path dividing the columns of corn, joking with one another. Our hearts lightened. We’d soon reach the mountains. But when we exited the cornfields, we didn’t see the green plain and silver trees. We’d returned to the barren hill where we’d started.
We cursed, puzzled, and tried again. We ended up at the hill again.
“What the fuck?” Blaze said. “It isn’t even a maze. Who’s fucking with us?”
We tried another route and another. Over and over, we were sent to the starting point at the hill.
We detoured, avoiding the acres of the cornfields, and in the end, we still stood at the base of the hill.
“It’s like some force keeps shifting us back,” I said. “And we can’t see how it was done.”
Even Henry panted, his tongues hanging out and looking at me for answers.
Sybil chirped furiously.
We sent Sybil out to fly across the cornfields and see if she could find the path out, but even she found no path.
Whatever lay before us wouldn’t let us pass.
We put our heads together, discussing and debating and cursing, and we were out of ideas. Iokul and Blaze spat insults at each other, every word growing increasingly offensive. At this point, I had accepted that when my three mates were together, it was impossible for them to have complete silence and peace. It was against their nature.
So, I trained myself to block out their arguing if the subject matter didn’t require my input. At least, I took comfort that they weren’t stabbing each other in the back. And I was certain if and when danger came upon us, all my dragon mates would watch each other’s backs and defend me. Perhaps that should be enough.
I took a deep breath, remembering how the land had responded to my blood. With a determined sigh, I pulled out a dagger from the sheath in my boot and cut my palm again, my former wound still fresh.
My dragon blood dripped to the rocky soil beneath my feet.
“I’m Daisy Danaenyth, the last of the bloodline of the Danaenyth dragon royal house,” I said. “I’m seeking a safe path for my companions and me in order to continue on Goddess Arianrhod’s quest. You shall not keep us here and anger the goddess.”
A breeze whizzed through my mind, then the awareness of the land seeped into my entire being. I was getting better at reading and responding to the elemental magic. As its power traversed in me, I probed further to see what force was stopping us from reaching our destination.
As I pushed forward, I sensed moving lines, forms, colors, and all life forms pulsing in an abstract fashion, and they were all connected. The magic of the realm vibrated beneath me and in the air. As I kept calling for it, a giant beast rose from the land.
It sat in front of us, blocking the entrance of the cornfields.
The nine-foot-tall creature had a man’s face, a lion’s haunches, and a dragon’s wings.
And it was sightless.
As one, my mates andChiron stepped between the freak of the beast and me with battle growls, their lethal swords raised.
Henry barked in fear and rage.
Sybil withdrew and landed on my shoulder, her claws clinging to my outfit.
“Don’t fight him,” I said, pushing between Rai and Iokul. “I summoned him.”
The creature sniffed and laughed in delight.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“You are Daisy Danaenyth, the dragon heir to the throne of the Danaenyth dynasty,” he said, “but you aren’t the Keeper of the Dragon Realm yet.”
“I intend to be,” I said. “I’m on my way to earn the privilege, and you’re in my path.”
