Healed by Fire (5 page)

I scoffed. “I’m great. I’m being lied to by
someone I thought was my best friend. I discover a man who may or
may not be my mate who may or may not have abandoned me. And now
one of my sisters foretells a prophecy that I think talks about my
death.” I flopped backwards onto the bed and growled. “Life is
great.”

“Let’s go outside and play,” Theseus
suggested.

I shook my head. “No, I think I just want to
sleep.”

“We could fight if you wanted. I might even
let you win once.”

I smiled despite my mood and sat up. “You’re
on.”

We walked out of the house with my sisters
staring after me with solemn expressions. I gritted my teeth and
followed Theseus out to the garden. Theseus stopped and turned to
face me, his face serious as he stretched his legs and arms. “Are
you ready?”

I smiled and charged forward, trying my
hardest to hit him. He dodged left and right, keeping me at bay. I
managed to clip his chin and then he was attacking me. I dodged his
attacks, but my concentration was wavering as I watched him attack.
His style was familiar. I had an extreme case of déjà vu as I tried
to remember who fought like him. My head throbbed in pain from the
effort, making me stumble and drop to my knees. I clutched my head
as the pain increased.

Theseus dropped down beside me and rested
his hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me, and as he did so, we
heard a noise above.

Blu roared overhead and wind pressed me down
to the ground as he landed over me. I heard Theseus growl, but I
was in too much pain to tell him to shut up. Blu placed his snout
against my head and hummed, vibrating my entire body. After a
moment the pain in my head eased and then disappeared.

Blu growled again at Theseus and then
nuzzled me gently. “Are you alright, Hatchling?”

I stood up slowly and nodded my head. “Yes.”
I remained silent until I was sure that I could stand on my own.
“Did the Council give you a decision?”

He muttered as his stomach growled hungrily.
“First, do you have you any meat?”

Two witches who had been watching our garden
play brought out a cow and Blu gulped it down greedily. I waited
until he was done licking his lips before asking again, “What did
the Council decree?”

Blu looked at Theseus who was standing a few
yards away. “How long will it take for your leader to make the
journey to the Lair?”

Theseus answered quickly, “Two days.”

Blu huffed. “Then you best notify him now
that he needs to start his journey.

Theseus bowed and hurried into the house.
“Blu! What is going on?” I asked in exasperation.

Blu flicked his tongue out in annoyance.
“Your agitation is understandable, Hatchling, but you best remember
your place when meeting the Council.”

I bit my tongue and bowed my head, “I
apologize, Draco-Blu. I have been in pain lately.”

Blu pressed his nose against my head and
exhaled. The sweet smell of his breath surrounded me as he used his
magic to quickly view my memories of the time since he left. He
snorted and pulled his nose back. “I see. Well, you and I will
begin our journey to the Council and assuming all of the conditions
are met, they will assist you in regaining your memory.”

They’d agreed! I was finally going to find
out who I was! “Wait, what conditions?”

Blu shook his head. “They are not conditions
for you so you need not worry until we arrive. Pack your things and
let us head out.”

I wanted to argue, but there are two types
of beings you never argue with, vampires and dragons. So, I hurried
up to my room and packed what little clothes and things I had.
Theseus came into my room and watched me silently. I finished
packing and turned to see him looking sad and fearful. “What is it,
Theseus?”

He swallowed and smiled. “Just worried that
once you regain your prior memories that you won’t remember your
time with me and we won’t be friends.”

I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his
cheek. “You will always be my friend. You are the only one like
me.”

Theseus rubbed the back of his neck.
“Actually, there are quite a few others like us.”

I gaped at him. “What?! When were you going
to tell me?!”

He shrugged. “I was told not to tell you too
much. You’ll meet the others once your memory is back though.”

“How many others?”

Theseus whispered, “Hundreds.”

Hundreds of wolf halfbreeds?! How come I had
never seen them? How come I didn’t know they even existed?

“Let’s go, hatchling!” Blu called from
outside.

I pointed at Theseus. “You and I are going
to talk about this later.”

He smiled. “Of course.”

I walked down the stairs into the main
living room and found all of the witches gathered. The children
were teary eyed and the adults seemed more worried than sad. “This
isn’t goodbye. I’m still a part of this coven and will return. I
promise,” I said to the gathered women.

The children I’d grown to love took their
turns giving me hugs and kissing me goodbye. Each of the witches
bade me farewell and wished me luck. Selene stood at the exit and
handed me a talisman. “This will hide your scent and Theseus’ long
enough for you to make it to the Lair. Be strong, Chandra, and
return to me whole.”

I hugged her and kissed her cheek. “I love
you, Selene. Thank you for helping me regain my humanity.”

Blu set me on his back and I slipped the
talisman on. I watched in shock as the designs on my skin faded and
my hair turned blonde. She had to have put an extreme amount of
power into the talisman for it to change my appearance so
drastically. I looked at Theseus who was climbing onto Blu’s back
behind me and blinked in shock. The markings on his skin were gone
as well.

Blu roared farewell to the coven and took us
up into the sky. The press of wind on my body felt wonderful. I
leaned into it and lifted my arms beside me. I looked back at
Theseus to find him sitting with his eyes closed and a smile on his
lips as he enjoyed the wind on him as well.

“How long will it take us to get to the
Lair?” I asked Blu.

“Two days. I will travel as far as I can the
first night. I fear staying on the ground too long with two
halfbreeds, even with Selene’s talisman on you.”

Theseus sighed longingly. “Someday the
vampires won’t have the power to make us hide in fear.”

Blu laughed. “Yes, little halfbreed
hatchlings, someday soon you will restore the balance.”

We flew in silence until the sun rose and
brightened the sky. Blu landed near a river and we all slurped
greedily at the water. My nose twitched as I caught the scent of a
deer, but before I could turn to chase after it, Theseus was
already bounding into the forest.

I growled, yanked my clothes and talisman
off and then charged after him. He stood in wolf form over a large
buck, his muzzle stained red from taking it down.

I changed forms and walked forward, growling
softly.
Step aside
.

Theseus dropped his head and backed away
slowly.
Of course. I simply wanted to take it down for
you
.

I turned so that I could watch Theseus as I
ate then tore into the deer and ate until I was full. Once my
stomach was full and my anger sated, I walked a few feet away and
lay down to lick my muzzle and paws clean. Something seemed
familiar about this situation, but during the years I’d spent as a
wolf I’d gone on many hunts with the small wolf packs, so I pushed
the thought away and changed forms. “I’m going to the river to
bathe.”

I jogged back towards Blu and then past him
to the river. I shivered at the cold water and Blu plugged one
nostril, snorting a jet of fire into the river around me, warming
it instantly. I sighed happily and then started tossing him the
fish which he’d killed in the process. I washed my body thoroughly
and then caught a few more fish for Blu before walking to the
shore. I closed my eyes and called to the flame of power which
resided deep within me. The flame brightened and then purple fire
covered my body. I held the flame around me long enough to dry my
body and then dressed and put the talisman back on.

“Your control over your fire has improved,”
Blu said as he used one of his large talons to pick at bones in his
teeth.

I finger combed my hair and smiled. “I had
been working on it daily. The last thing I need is to offend the
Council by accidentally shooting a flame at them.”

Blu laughed. “Yes, that would be considered
a grave insult.”

I smiled. “Fira didn’t like it much when I
shot his nose with my fire yesterday.”

Blu laughed loudly, shaking the ground and
me. “It was a good tactic, but it’s never pleasant to have foreign
fire on you.”

“Have you learned to use your fire to
deflect another’s?” asked Theseus as he walked to the river and
cleaned the blood from his body.

I watched him as he cleaned and grew angry
at my incapacity to be interested in him. “Yes, I have. Have
you?”

Theseus stood up and red flames surrounded
him in a mini tornado. “As you can see.”

I envisioned fire covering my hands and
purple flames covered them instantly. I formed two giant streams of
fire from my hands to his body and watched as the blue and purple
flames swirled together and then my purple disappeared from his
body. Theseus inhaled as he prepared to attack me back, but Blu
snorted two twin jets of blue flames between us. “That is enough,
hatchlings. We must rest.”

“I was just playing,” I grumbled.

Blu sighed at me and lay down. I climbed
between his leg and body, underneath his wing and curled up into a
ball. Theseus cleared his throat and I smiled at him. “Come on. Blu
won’t mind if you lie with me here. He’s large enough.”

Theseus smiled and climbed beside me,
curling around me.

“Good night, hatchlings. May your dreams be
pleasant,” Blu whispered as we drifted off to sleep against
him.

The rain poured like a giant waterfall down
my face as I scanned the forest. I wiped at the rain, but nothing
helped. I put my hands over my eyes and screamed in frustration. I
tensed as a wolf howled nearby, answering my scream. I walked
backwards into the cave, pressing my back against the wall. My
heart hammered against my chest, threatening to break through. I
wiped the water from my eyes and stared at the black opening of the
cave. Lightning flashed allowing me to see outside and my entire
body stilled. A large black wolf stood in the doorway smelling the
ground. The wolf turned its head towards me and sniffed three times
quickly. I tried to slow my breathing, but the adrenaline was
pumping too quickly to allow it. The wolf walked into the cave and
whimpered. I shook my head and closed my eyes. The sound of bones
snapping and popping echoed in the cave. I hugged myself tighter,
fear consuming my rational thinking. A familiar male voice
whispered, “It’s alright. I won’t hurt you. I’m your mate.”

I woke up gasping for air and my head
throbbing in pain. Theseus whined beside me and I realized he was
now in wolf form.

“Are you alright, Hatchling?” Blu asked. “I
feel that you are in pain.”

I groaned. “My head…hurts.”

Blu placed his nose against my head and
exhaled. In a matter of seconds the pain was gone and I relaxed
against Blu and Theseus.

“Thank you,” I said as I fell back
asleep.

Morning came faster than I wanted. I felt
drained emotionally and physically. The pain in my head was still
present as was the pain in my entire body due to the connection
with the werewolf prince. I felt it stronger than ever and knew I
needed to see him soon or I felt as though I would break.

Blu and Theseus ate quickly and after I
forced down a few bites of food, we set off into the air again. Blu
sang softly in the language of the dragons as we flew and after a
few minutes I started to fall asleep again. Theseus wrapped his
arms around me to keep me from falling off and I let Blu’s magical
song put me to sleep, healing the parts of me that it could.

* * *

I woke up when Blu started rumbling beneath
me. I recognized his angry growl and was instantly alert. Theseus
stood on the ground beside Blu in wolf form, his fur puffed out as
he snarled at something in the distance. I started to climb off of
Blu’s back, but he snapped, “Stay there.”

I frowned. “What is it?”

“I landed to get water for you both and a
group of strange vampires surrounded us,” Blu said.

“Why don’t we just fly away then?” I asked
softly.

“Because we have archers with us,” said a
melodious voice which sounded vaguely familiar. A man with white
skin and golden designs stepped out from the tree line. I didn’t
need to be near him to recognize that he was Sidhe.

“What do you want?” I asked. “And why are
you working with vampires?”

The man smiled and there was something
nagging at the back of my mind about him. He looked familiar
somehow. “I was sent to intercept you.”

Theseus changed forms and let his wings out.
“You will not take her, traitor.”

Blu roared angrily and shifted his back
foot. The signal. Blu had taught me this signal the first day we
met. I screamed in rage and used all of the power I could without
draining myself to send a ring of sunshine outwards away from my
body. Vampires screamed and disintegrated in fifty puffs of ash.
The Sidhe roared in anger and jumped up to come at me, but Blu and
Theseus shot him with their fire, forcing him to protect himself
and drop to the ground.

Theseus jumped onto Blu’s back as Blu
continued to spray the man with fire and then we took off into the
air and zoomed away. I looked back, but the man did not follow us,
though we all knew this wasn’t the last that we’d seen of him.