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I thought back to the night he almost killed me. “After he stabbed me, I told him to just take the necklace. He said he couldn’t. I had to give it to him.”

  Misty frowned. “I don’t know how I feel about this. Ash will not be happy to see you there.”

  “And I won’t be happy if he gets himself killed. They’re trying to get to me. And they’ll use him to do it. If we get there before anything happens, we can stop any unnecessary…complications. No one will get hurt if I willingly hand it over.” I folded my arms and stared her down. Ash was right. I was stubborn. Almost as stubborn as he was.

  We stared at each other a moment longer before she turned her attention to Glade. I watched their expressions as they spoke silently to each other. I wished he could talk like a normal person.

  After a few minutes, Glade frowned and looked at me.

  I met his gaze and tried to look intimidating. “You can’t possibly think you’re leaving me here,” I said.

  To my surprise, he smiled. It never crossed my mind.

  “I’m glad we understand each other.”

  “You’re seriously taking her with us?” Cornelius asked.

  I rounded on him. “Us?”

  He folded his muscular arms. “Well, you’re not leaving me here. I’m the only one out of the four of us who knows how to fight.”

  Excuse me?

  He turned towards Glade. “I mean, I guess Glade could kick my butt, but other than that…”

  I rolled my eyes. Ash had told me centaurs liked themselves a lot. He was right. “Let’s get going. We’re wasting time.”

  Glade nodded. Just stay hidden or Ash will kill me.

  “You and me both,” I said.

  He smiled.

  I knew I’d have to face the wrath of Ash, but I didn’t care. He was in trouble again. Because of me. And no matter what happened, I was going to bring him and my sister home.

  I grabbed Glade’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Let’s do this.”

  ***

  After I shook the dizziness off from teleporting, I looked around. All I could see were a bunch of trees. We were obviously in the middle of a forest, but which one? “Where are we?” I asked.

  We’re in a different part of our world. Far away from the Academy. Glade grabbed my arm as I tripped over something. No wonder Ash couldn’t ever find Dax. No one comes here. Not even dragons. At least the good ones don’t.

  Great. “So, disadvantage for us then.”

  Unfortunately. He paused and sniffed the air.

  “I don’t know any centaurs who have ever set foot in this particular forest,” Cornelius said. “I can feel the evil seeping into my skin.”

  I looked over at him, surprised to see half a horse walking next to me. He had a bow in his hands with a quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder. I have no idea where they came from, but I was glad he had them. “So…uh…you change back to a centaur in your world.”

  He chuckled. “I’m always a centaur. I just don’t have to hide it here.”

  “Makes sense,” I said. “I’ll admit I’ve always found your kind fascinating in stories.”

  “Well, we’re fascinating creatures.”

  Glade made a strange sound like stones being crushed together.

  I looked over at him. “Was that supposed to be a laugh?”

  He shrugged, but I didn’t miss the grin on his face.

  “Is that why you don’t talk out loud?”

  No one could understand me if I did.

  “Interesting.”

  We wandered around for a while and the sun began to go down. I was afraid we would have to turn back, until Glade stopped. He put a finger to his lips and cocked his head as if he was listening to something.

  Up ahead. He closed his eyes and sniffed the air. Definitely Ash and Sam. There’s a djinn as well. And a fairy. He frowned. Dax as well.

  Cornelius strung an arrow and edged forward. “Stay behind me,” he said.

  Kendall. Stay here.

  I looked at Glade. “But—”

  He turned toward me, his expression serious. Stay here.

  “Fine.”

  “Don’t worry,” Misty said. “I’m not leaving you.” We edged forward a few more steps, being as quiet as we could.

  Glade walked a few feet in front of us and turned around, his eyes glowing slightly. Before I knew what he was doing, he shifted into a huge dark blue dragon. His long neck turned to look at us. Stay here.

  I gulped. How could something be so beautiful and so deadly at the same time? I wasn’t about to argue with a dragon. “Yes, sir.”

  Chapter 25

  Ash

  Glade was near. His urgent thoughts were getting closer and closer with every second that ticked by. I don’t know how he found us, or what he was doing in this part of the forest, but I’d take it. And then I’d owe him one for saving our lives. Again.

  “Ash. I’m in no mood to play games,” Linkin said.

  I turned my attention back to him, wondering how I could stall him a few minutes longer.

  “Sounds a lot better than what’s going on right now,” Sam muttered.

  “Quiet, elf,” Linkin said. He glared at him a moment and turned back to me.

  “I was just wondering something,” I said. “How do you know you’re my father anyway? I’m pretty sure Dax and I don’t have the same mother.”

  Shenelle, who stood a few feet away, inched closer to Linkin. The look on her face was a mix between anger and terror. “I wouldn’t claim you as my son if you—”

  Linkin raised a hand and she stopped. “You want to learn the truth about your heritage?”

  I hesitated. Did I? If it would stall him a little longer to save Ellie’s life, then yes. I gave a slight nod and braced myself for whatever he was about to tell me. “Sure.”

  “Your mother was a fool,” Shenelle said. “There. The truth hurts, doesn’t it?”

  Linkin shot her a look again to shut her up. “Your mother was a fairy. She left you because she didn’t want you.” He smiled. “But you already knew that didn’t you? How she felt weighed down by the burden of having a child? A half fairy, half djinn? Who ever heard of someone like you? It’s no wonder she was ashamed.” He laughed. I wanted to point out that Dax was just like me, but refrained. “I wasn’t ashamed, Ash. A son with two different types of magic? It was fascinating. If Logan wouldn’t have taken you to the Academy, I could have raised you. You would have grown up very different indeed.”

  “I thank Logan every day for that,” I said.

  He frowned and moved toward Ellie again. “Enough stalling. This is your last chance. Call for your girlfriend. Bring her here and give me the necklace and I will spare your friends.”

  Brace yourself.

  I smiled at the sound of Glade’s voice in my mind. “You can go to—”

  A roar sounded through the trees just as a blast of fire shot through the woods and struck the top of the cave. Rocks flew in every direction. I felt Linkin’s hold release me and Sam and I both dropped to the ground. I scrambled to my feet as Linkin grabbed Shenelle and pulled her away from the fire.

  Dax stood where he was, looking confused. He didn’t try to stop me as I reached for Ellie’s hand.

  “Ash?” She whispered, shaking her head. “Where am I?” She blinked, her eyes wide.

  “You’re safe now. Come with me. Hurry.”

  She gave me a strange look before taking my hand. Before we could move, she saw Dax standing there. His face paled and she whispered his name under her breath. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew we had to get out of there. My grip tightened on her hand and I pulled her along with me. We ran to the edge of the trees, where Sam and Cornelius waited. Glade was there too, in his dragon form.

  Ellie squeezed my hand so hard I thought she might break it. “Um…Ash? That’s a…a…”

  “Dragon. Yes, I know. Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you.”

  She let go of my hand and backed up until she stood behind
me. “Now I’ve seen everything.”

  “Not quite,” I said. I turned my attention back to Glade. He opened his mouth, sending a plume of smoke right into my face. I coughed and waved it away. “Thanks for…you know…”

  He shook his huge head and changed back to his human form. His dark eyes appraised me. Why do you have to be so stubborn? I could have been here sooner, but you never ask anyone for help. Even if you need it.

  “Yes, I realize I need to get over that.”

  “Speaking of over, I doubt this is over,” Cornelius said. He had his bow out and arrow strung as he searched the clearing for movement.

  We glanced around. Fire still covered most of the clearing around the cave and I didn’t see any sign of Linkin or Shenelle. Dax seemed to be missing as well.

  I thought we were in the clear until another blast of fire shot through the trees. I dove on Ellie, flattening us both to the ground. Glade caught the fireball in his hands, but it threw him off balance and set his shirt on fire. He backed up, chucked the fireball back in the direction it had come from and put out the flames with his hands.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  Good thing I’m fire proof, he said with a grin.

  Something whistled through the trees, and instead of another fireball, a burst of light flew over me. Before I could do anything, it hit Cornelius in the chest. He gave me a strange look as his whole body started to glow. The bow and arrow fell from his hands.

  I jumped to my feet to help him, but it was too late. His expression was pained, and his eyes rolled back into his head as he fell to the ground.

  “Cornelius!”

  I dropped down next to him and tried to find a pulse. Sam did the same. A few minutes went by and Cornelius’s body shook slightly before turning to ashes.

  I stared at the grass, turned black from Cornelius’s body and looked over at Sam.

  “He’s gone,” I whispered. I knew our kind turned to ash when they died, but had never witnessed it. It was horrible. Much worse than I’d imagined. Cornelius was my friend.

  My pulse started to race and I closed my eyes. They killed him. I didn’t think they would actually kill someone. I looked back at the place Cornelius had fallen, feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt. And anger.

  I heard Glade roar as he turned back into a dragon. He curled his tail around us, protecting us from another spell.

  Heat coursed through my body as my hands curled into fists. Rage filled my entire being and I fought to keep myself under control. Magic simmered at the edge of my fingertips, but I held it back. I was like a bomb about to go off. They had no idea what they were messing with now.

  “Ash…”

  I looked up as Sam trailed off, and followed his stare. Linkin stood only a few yards away, Shenelle on one side with Dax a few feet behind them. Shenelle had a triumphant look on her face and had her wand at the ready. Dax looked angry.

  I stepped over Glade’s tail, ignoring his voice in my head. Magic pulsed through me as I met Linkin’s eyes. The wind picked up and a smile spread across his face. It took every ounce of strength to keep my emotions steady.

  “Now that you know I’m serious, shall we continue our little chat?” Linkin folded his arms, his dark robes blowing slightly in the breeze I knew I was creating.

  “You killed him.” My voice was harsh. Scratchy. The wind blew harder and I couldn’t help but smile as Shenelle’s face fell. She was afraid of me. I think I always knew she was. She put a hand on Linkin’s arm, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  “One less centaur to worry about,” he said. “Dax. Bring the girl to me.”

  Dax looked surprised. “What?”

  “The girl with the golden hair. Bring her to me.”

  I heard Ellie whimper behind me and I stepped in front of her, shielding her from view. If anything happened to her, Kendall would never forgive me. “You won’t touch her.”

  “Enough of this.” He let out a frustrated breath and turned to Dax. “I said, go get her.”

  Dax took a step forward and looked Linkin in the eye. “No.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I said no. This was not part of the deal. Ellie shouldn’t even be here.”

  “You dare tell me no?”

  Dax planted his feet, his eyes shifting to where Ellie stood. I couldn’t describe the look he gave her, but it confused me. I’d have to process it later.

  “Very well then.” Linkin raised his hands and blasted Dax with something dark. He flew across the clearing and into the trees. I didn’t hear him land.

  Ellie screamed Dax’s name as I turned to Glade. “Ellie, go with Glade. Get to safety.”

  I looked at Glade as he changed back into a human. “Get her out of here.”

  He nodded and pulled Ellie back into the trees. I’ll get her somewhere safe, but I’m coming back to help.

  I turned my attention back to Shenelle and Linkin. They were yelling at each other. Shenelle looked furious and kept pointing in the direction Dax had gone. I looked at Sam. They were distracted. We could possibly take them on. He nodded and turned to face them. I focused my energy on Linkin and felt the magic rush to my fingertips.

  My djinn magic rose to the surface and I welcomed it for once, raising my hand to the sky. The clouds above us swirled and turned dark. An electric pulse filled my body and I smiled as a bolt of lightning rained down from the sky. It struck right between Linkin and Shenelle, sending them flying in opposite directions.

  Shenelle’s clothes were on fire and she screamed as her wings burned. She managed to put them out, but the tips were black and one looked broken.

  “You’ll pay for that!” She yelled and shot a streak of pink at me. It missed me by inches and slammed into a tree. I jumped out of the way as the tree fell to the ground with a crash.

  “Sam, now!”

  Sam raised his hands and vines shot out of the ground around her, wrapping around her legs. She cried out as she fell to the ground, her wand clamped tightly in her hand.

  I had to get that wand or she’d just untie herself.

  I started toward her and froze as I sensed something to my right. I turned to block whatever came at me, but was too late. The mass of darkness hit me with such force that I should have been blown to another century. Instead, my body absorbed the darkness. I stumbled backward and gasped as my arms slowly started to turn black.

  Linkin walked out of the trees, smoke and fire swirling around him.

  He looked pissed.

  “Ash!” Sam yelled. He ran over to me but Linkin hit him with something that froze him where he stood.

  “You should have listened to me, Ash.” One step closer. “We could have worked together. Used the power of the necklace to be the most powerful beings on earth.” Another step closer. My whole body ached. I forced myself to stay focused, ignoring the fact that my arms felt like they were on fire. “I didn’t want things to come to this. You’re my blood. My son. I don’t want to kill you.”

  “You don’t care about me,” I said. “All you want is power.” I didn’t know what to do. All I felt was darkness. My body was weak. I raised my hands, determined to use all the magic I had left to bring him down. If I died, then I was going to take him down with me. At least Kendall would be safe again.

  Kendall. I wouldn’t get to say goodbye to her.

  His expression hardened. “You’d pick death over power?”

  I squared my jaw and nodded.

  “So be it.”

  He stepped closer, the look on his face filled with pure hatred. He lifted his hand just as I forced my djinn and fairy magic to combine. As darkness flew from the palm of his hand, light shot out of mine.

  “No!” I heard someone scream.

  I tried to pull my magic back, but it was too late. Someone jumped in front of me, shielding me from Linkin’s spell. Our magic struck her at the same time causing a burst of light, so bright I had to shield my eyes. I heard someone screaming. I didn’t realize it was me
until she fell to the ground unmoving.

  Kendall.

  Chapter 26

  Kendall

  I thought death would be different. Peaceful. With white clouds and golden gates. I never expected it to be like this.

  There was no pain, which was good. My side didn’t even hurt. But when I tried to move, I couldn’t. My limbs felt like they weren’t attached to my body anymore. My eyes could move, or eyeballs I guess. I could see a light and it took me a while to realize it was coming from me. My skin was glowing. Which was weird, because I wasn’t magic.

  I guess maybe I wasn’t dead, but under some sort of spell. The worst kind of spell, since claustrophobia was one of my worst fears. And not being able to move was doing a pretty good job of it.

  Voices swirled around me, but I couldn’t see any faces. Just a dark sky filled with stars. It was beautiful. I didn’t know what would happen when I jumped in front of Ash. All I knew was he would not die because of me.

  “Kendall?” Ash’s voice crept into my mind. His face hovered above me, surrounded by light. I was surprised to see tears in his eyes. Maybe I was dead after all. I wanted to tell him I was fine. That everything would be all right. I wanted to take the pain I was seeing in his eyes away, but all I could do was stare.

  I tried to say something, but my mouth wouldn’t move an inch.

  Kendall.

  The voice. The one I’d been hearing for months now. It was soft and melodic, like before.

  Thank you, Kendall. You’ve set me free.

  A bright light filled my senses. My whole body tingled, and then it was over. I saw nothing.

  Chapter 27

  Ash

  I could never describe what I felt when I saw Kendall’s body lying on the ground. It was as if my whole soul had been sucked out and ripped to shreds. As I held her and the tears fell, I wondered if I should have even met her. None of this would have happened. I shouldn’t have fallen for her. I shouldn’t have given her the necklace. Stupid necklace. It was the reason for this whole thing. The reason Kendall was dead.

  “Ash?”

  I ignored Sam’s worried voice. I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t look at anyone. All I wanted to do was hold Kendall. Feel her in my arms one last time. Memorize her scent and relive our memories together until I had to let her go.