Candescent (The Opalescent Collection Book 1) (17 page)

I
just needed to get through the woods and I would be free. The traveling got harder as the snow came down in thicker flurries. Without rest for the whole night, I managed to cover the ground I lost from when Sebastian brought me back. I knew by the morning I would be nearly half way there and Taj’s cave would signal my three-fourths way there. I touched my Dragon’s Soul as the traveling became harder. At least I could cope with the weather.

It was only when the flurries turned to a blizzard that I was forced to seek shelter. I made shelter out of a pile of brush and sticks. I packed the snow around it and I was able to make an igloo out of it. I dug in the snow until I hit the ground. It was then that I found myself protected by the wind. I opened my bag and the gargoyles hissed at me. I nudged the meat in my bag and once they discovered it, they were content. They allowed me to pet them and as they became cold, they longed for the warmth from my hands.

I didn’t have anything to make a fire and the wind was too violent to even risk having my shelter burn down. The gargoyles had become so cold that they came out of the bag to seek warmth from my body. I felt just as cold as they did, even causing me to clutch the bag in hopes for it to offer more protection. I knew my tattered clothes could not help me and I remembered that one of Sebastian’s shirts was in the bag. I eagerly put it on and at once I felt a difference, feeling warmer at last. Pressed under the shirt and my own tattered shirt, the gargoyles too were getting warmer. It seemed like forever before the blizzard had slowed enough for me to go back out. By then the sun was coming up, hesitantly breaking over the horizon. I had lost so much time from the storm.

I put the gargoyles back inside of the bag and I started to walk again. The little warmth from the little sunlight that could pass was just enough to keep me going. Even the gargoyles savored this warmth by poking their heads out of the bag.

They soon became restless and I let them out, hoping they would follow me. For a moment they played in the snow and then exchanged glances as though they were about to take off.

“Come on, follow me.”

They raised their heads and once they saw me moving they eagerly followed. I was glad they would follow me though I feared they would get cold since they kept sinking in the snow.

“The Frozen Waterfalls aren’t very far from here. I can sense it,” I reassured them.

They made noises, almost as if they responded to me. I quickened my pace and they continued to follow. It was when their noises stopped that I could hear noises in the woods. There was shouting, a loud crunching of snow. I looked around nervously and listened. Something told me that this was a hunt. Sebastian must have sent his army to hunt me down. I knew it.

I grabbed the gargoyles, stuffed them in my bag and ran. I had gone too far to be caught now. I wouldn’t be caught. At least they couldn’t catch me if they couldn’t see me.

I kept running and I didn’t stop until I spotted a wolf. He stood before me, his teeth bared, prepared to launch. This wolf was Glen, the wolf I was sure Marzipanne had killed. I could hear the search party coming closer and I ran, avoiding the wolf. I knew I was close to the Frozen Waterfalls. I just needed to keep myself from stopping.

Glen jumped, trying to grab the bag on my back. I was sure he could smell the gargoyles.

“Stop!” I looked back for a moment, compelled to go faster.

              The wolf still jumped, disregarding my words, and his powerful jaws clamped shut each time he missed. I struggled to swing the bag off my shoulder so I could hold it in front of me. In doing so, I felt a tug on the bag and a deafening ripping sound filled my ears.

              I looked back, tried again to move the bag from my shoulder. I found a rip at the bottom of the bag and dared to look back. Glen had stopped running. He held a gargoyle in his jaws, without a peep to escape from the small creature’s mouth. I held the bag close to my chest and I felt the other gargoyle was still inside. I had to keep running, especially since the wolf had stopped chasing me.

              Through the brush, I saw that I was coming to the clearing of the Frozen Waterfalls. I ran faster, hearing the pounding of footsteps behind me. Glen was chasing me again. I looked back, hearing a yelp. The gargoyle twisted in his mouth and bit his lip. Glen skidded to a stop, dropping the creature that came after me and clung to my leg.

              I bent down, still managing to run and grabbed the gargoyle. Remarkably, it looked fine as it scrambled back into the bag.

              There they were, the Frozen Waterfalls. I ran across the icy pond and made my way to the hidden cave. I stopped dead in my tracks at the sound of voices. Cautiously I peeked into the cave and spotted several people. I couldn’t tell if they were members of Sebastian’s army or not.

“She’s in these woods,” one of them said, “and it won’t be long until she comes here to rest.”

              I couldn’t believe it, they
were
members of Sebastian’s army. Quickly, I turned on my heel and ran. They heard me and ran from the cave. I took the path in the woods where I knew it wasn’t safe. I was sure the woods were teaming with army members, all hunting for me. I couldn’t believe how they had covered more ground than me, and I had gotten a head start too.

              I ran faster and faster, hearing the shouts behind me. The sound of footsteps, crunching leaves, and breaking twigs, all rang in my ears and my fright kept me going.

              I couldn’t allow myself to be caught, not now. I was almost there. I just had to keep going straight and I would reach the hideout. I imagined the sounds of my wolf family calling me, but it was really the army members who demanded my surrender.

“You’re surrounded!” I heard someone yell.

              I braced myself, continued headstrong, ready to smash into anyone who was in front of me. My hands tightened, my arms squeezed the bag I held, causing the gargoyles to go up onto my shoulders. I held the bag, found a bottle of plumeberry juice and threw it at someone who stood in my way. I threw the bag itself at someone else.

              With my hands free, I could just concentrate on running and nothing else. I held my Dragon’s Soul and felt its strength. I was close, I could feel Minx was near which meant the hideout was near.

              I hopped and leaped over the fallen branches as they came into view. The snow became soft and then subsided. The shouts told me to stop, to give up, and I kept going. The hideout was nearby and I knew I was getting closer with every panicked step.

              Strangely, as the hideout came into view the footsteps stopped and the shouts that once sounded so close vanished. The gargoyles flapped their wings as they kept their balance on my shoulders. They peeped and squeaked as if they tried to tell me to slow down. They were the only things I heard other then my own footsteps. The hideout was close now and I sprinted toward it, unable to stand another minute running, another minute in the cold snow. I waited for a wolf to come out of the cave and struggled to smell the dying embers of a smothered fire. There were no voices of rejoice or even breathing, not even quiet breathing or silenced breathing of holding one’s breath. There was total silence as I neared the hideout.

              When I finally came to a stop I put my hands on my knees, breathing in the cold air that hurt my throat. I lifted my head, still waiting to see a familiar face. I straightened up, swallowed hard as I took another step in the direction of the hideout.

              “Dad, I’m back. You can come out. I don’t hear the army. Dad? Calvin?” I peeked into the dark cave and couldn’t hear a thing. I stepped back. They  had left without me.

              I hung my head in devastation. At least they were safe from Sebastian’s army. To my defeat there would be no one fighting for me, no one looking after me as my father had promised me. I was alone to hold my own ground, not even looked upon as a queen but as a captive – Sebastian’s captive. I looked back into the cave hoping I was mistaken.

              “Father!” I called again desperately. “Father it’s me. I came back.”

              I strained my ears to hear anything, even the slightest breathing only to be accompanied by a dreaded stillness.

“Someone say something,” I begged. “Someone come and show yourself. I am back. I came back for you.”

              I shook my head convinced now that I only spoke to darkness when a noise caught my attention. Footsteps echoed off the cave walls, making me freeze.

“So you have returned.” These words echoed off the cave walls and filled my ears with excitement and then fright. As the footsteps became louder I was faced with the decision to fight or flee. No, I was not prey. I would not run from this figure.

              My hands balled at my sides and all I could hear was my own shaky breathing. I stared with suspicion as the figure made its way into my view.

“I knew you would come back.” The figure held his head down and his eyes met mine in a single striking movement, as were his words that followed. “I knew you would come
here
.”

              My knees became weak with fright as the figure smiled wickedly. A handsome coat dressed his body, hid the wounds underneath that I regretfully cared for. Yet, he was the same. His eyes were no longer filled with compassion that drove me to sickness but instead with vengeance that I feared. How my plans had been ruined so quickly - this was my own fault. If only I’d kept my mouth shut in the silence I would still have a chance to cover everything up. I could cower at his feet and beg forgiveness, but it was too late now.

              Now I would be faced with punishment. I would be faced with the punishment of a captive – the punishment I so righteously deserved. I would deserve any punishment now, for I was the one to officially start the war.

“What will you do to me Sebastian?”

              He raised his head high, looked down at me as his captive. “There are many punishments I could give you. You disobeyed me, lied to me. I should have known better. I heard the stories claiming that you were a traitor. And you still are. You will be forced to stay with me. You will watch this war unfold under my careful eye but you will have no part of it, for you have already done enough.” He paused, looked me over, touching his chin thoughtfully. “Come here.”

              I took a hesitant step toward him, watching his eyes. I tried to read him, tried to figure out what he was planning.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said stiffly.

              His hands remained at his sides as his eyes focused on my face and cast down to my neck. His eyes then wandered and returned back to my throat. He licked his lips in anticipation, making me come to an abrupt halt.

              I knew what he wanted. My eyes filled with horror and I wondered if I could fall to my knees and beg him for mercy. He saw my fear and his jaw tightened.

“Come!”

              My head shook slowly and my hands flew to it to stop it. My hands then flew to my Dragon’s Soul. This was what he wanted. He would hold me still and touch my Dragon’s Soul. I knew Minx would come and Sebastian would more likely cut the chain from my neck and hold the silver dragon in his hands. My dragon’s insanity would also hurt me and Minx would not trust me anymore. Seeing the Dragon’s Soul in another person’s hand other than mine, he would launch to attack Sebastian. And Sebastian, I knew, would kill him.

              I cried at the very thought. I knew that was what he wanted. That was the worst thing to do to a dragon owner. It was said to might as well be strapped down and have their heart cut out of their chest. A dragon’s bond with their Master or Mistress was so powerful that the killing of one could lead to insanity or death for the other. Fitzray saved Minx from that. He kept my dragon alive and I would not fail him. I would not give in to Sebastian. I would fight Sebastian as long as my dragon had faith in me.

“Come here Chenille.”

              He put out his hand and when I refused, he ran up to me and held fast to me. He pushed the gargoyles off my shoulders and stared at me.

“You could have made this a lot easier.” His hand held my face so my eyes met him when he spoke or else I would still be avoiding his eyes. “Do you know how much dragons mean to me?” He questioned as his fingers slid down my neck slowly, painfully. He found the chain and he held it tight, choking me, and pulled me close so his voice hissed into my ear. “They don’t mean a thing to me.”

              My hand flew to his that clutched my chain. “You will have to pry my Dragon’s Soul from my cold, dead, reincarnated hands,” I said hoarsely, still choked.

              A wicked smile crossed his face and a low chuckle formed at the back of his throat. He blinked slowly, looked at my enraged, helpless face and neared my ear again to speak. I felt his body brush against my own, the epiphany of keeping your enemies closer than your friends. His grip remained tight as I listened to his pulse, waiting for him to speak to me. He breathed in, his other hand pressed my face so close to his lips that I could feel them brush against me as he spoke.

“I just might have to.”

              I wished I had a knife. I longed to reach for the one beckoning to me at his belt, though I feared he would break my hand if I tried.