Through the darkness she fell, and fell, and fell. She could feel him nearby but saw nothing beyond the spinning shadows and stars as they enveloped her. Amerie squeezed her eyes shut, her stomach churning from the endless tumbling. She wanted to cry out for him, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. Just when she was sure she was moments from breaking into pieces against the ground, two strong but delicate hands caressed her face, a hand on each cheek. The nausea subsided, replaced by a sense of unease and alertness. Muffled whispers echoed around her. She opened her eyes and bit back a scream. It was not Asmodeus’s face she saw, but a faceless queen with a crown that looked as if it had been plucked from the night sky. Golden brown waves framed the Queen’s pale, blank face. Orange and gold light danced along the waves of the Queen’s hair making her glow. Heatless flames encircled them, blocking out the swirling darkness. The flames whispered to Amerie, called to her. “P
She knew those eyes. Had gazed into them for months, wondering why she did not want for more with their owner. Had watched the light leave them as his blood soaked her hands. A sob escaped her as her gaze fell on the bright white scar sliced across the beast’s dark abdomen. The dragon rumbled and dipped its enormous head to her in greeting. Dark wings scraped the ceiling of the cave sending small pebbles tumbling down and splashing in the shallow water. The beast was nearly too large for the outcropping it had tucked itself into, but it made no effort to move despite being free of chains. A spiked tail flicked in anticipation. “This is Vinterion. He was meant to be Everett’s dragon.” The gentle sympathy on Asmodeus’s voice did nothing to dull the pain of the loss. “The scar?” she whispered, her eyes tracing the thin line that perfectly mirrored the killing blow. “As rider and dragon, they were connected. The only thing that saved Vinterion’s life was that they had not yet met, so
Amerie sighed as she set the box she was holding on her old wooden kitchen table. Her heart felt heavy, yet free. She’d made it.She couldn’t help but smile to herself as she looked around at the partially unpacked boxes scattered throughout her new home. It had been a real effort to scrape together the money to buy this cozy house near the lake. The house was rather small, only two bedrooms and one bathroom. Behind her, dark cabinets and a gray slate counter accompanied a small sink, electric stove, and old fridge. To her right, a narrow hallway led to one of the bedrooms, the bathroom under the stairs, and a small office space near the front of the house. To her left, large black paned windows allowed her a view of the glacier blue mountain lake past her wrap around deck. Her living room contained a tan leather couch under a set of bay windows which was currently covered in a plethora of pillows and half folded blankets. A small coffee table and broken entertainment stand were the on
The next day, Amerie drove the twenty minutes into town to pick up some groceries and explore the shops in the town square. The small town of Luna Park was even more magical in person than it had seemed in the pictures online. It looked like a post card with its white and brick buildings with dark brown roofs against the tall mountains and blue sky. Yellow flower bushes were scattered on street corners and the yellow and orange fall leaves of the Aspen trees lined the roads. The Main Street had lights strung overhead along with a pumpkin themed banner proclaiming the approaching Fall Fest in three weeks. The smell of fresh bread and pastries wafted in through Amerie’s half down windows. The town looked alive with people milling from store to store. Children flocked to the farmer’s stand with pumpkins to taste the kettle corn and caramel apples. People noticed the unfamiliar car and looked at her curiously, but they all smiled and waved a welcome. She smiled back and flipped her long
On Saturday morning, Amerie sat out on her deck, coffee in hand, watching Milo play in the yard. Amerie had gone back into town to explore the other shops a couple times. She’d even bought herself a new entertainment stand and taken the broken one to the dump. She had met a few more people, and everyone had been kind and welcoming. It was starting to feel like home. Tonight, she was meeting Blaze and her sister at the bar, and she was somewhat surprised to find that she was excited. She smiled and sipped her coffee.Milo ran up and dropped his ball at her feet. She proceeded to play a few rounds of fetch with him, until Milo halted halfway back to the deck. He whipped his head towards the woods and dropped the ball. His tail was straight and high. Amerie’s heart skipped a beat as she followed his gaze towards the line of trees closest to them. She saw something move and squinted. Milo whined and dipped his head just as the head of a white wolf became visible. Amerie froze. She calle
Amerie parked just down the street from the bar and climbed out of her car. It was a couple minutes before seven and the sun had just set, painting the sky in deep purple and orange hues with strokes a pink highlighting the few clouds that hung in the sky above the mountains. A navy midnight crept in from the east, pulling the blanket of shimmering stars and glowing crescent moon with it. Amerie walked to the bar, the heels of her boots clicking on the cobblestone sidewalk. She was surprised to see that the town was just as alive as it had been during the days. There were families leaving restaurants, kids running around and tossing coins in the fountains, and couples walking hand in hand under the glow of the buzzing street lamps. A small line had already began to form at the bar. Amerie craned her neck to look for Blaze and spotted her short black hair just as Blaze turned around. “Tennessee! You made it!” Blaze clasped her hands together. She had foregone the round glasses and cu
Amerie dreamt of a snarling white wolf covered in blood and something black. Red dropped from the trunks of the trees. It looked like the trees themselves were bleeding. The hawk that Amerie had seen earlier was strewn out on the forest floor, its wings bent at unnatural angles. Lightning illuminated the sky, but no rain fell and no thunder sounded. A sinister laugh echoed. A man’s voice screamed her name-Amerie awoke with a start. She was breathing heavily and covered in beads of sweat. Her hands were tightly clutching the sheets. Milo sat up and looked at her, whining. Amerie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then patted Milo on the head. “I’m okay, boy. It’s okay.” He whined and licked her face, then laid his head on her stomach. Amerie ran a hand down her face and grabbed her phone to check the time. It was just a few minutes before seven. She groaned and rolled over. It had been after 2:30 when she got home this morning, but she already knew she wasn’t going to be able to
There was so much blood. It was on Matt’s truck door. A large puddle was on the floor by his front wheel. The mess by the door to the building looked as if Matt had tried to fight back. Claw marks littered the outside of the door. What the hell had happened?Some rangers jumped into their vehicles to scour the forest and check nearby roads. Allen had three remain at the office to man the phones and radios. A request for assistance was sent to the police station. Others, Amerie included, followed Allen into the forest armed with guns and gear, tracking the paw prints.“Keep your eyes peeled,” Allen commanded. Tyler’s eyes were wide beside Amerie. “Anyone else notice there aren’t any drag marks?”“Or footprints,” Maya added quietly.The team continued pushing into the forest. A black eagle landed on a pine branch just ahead of them. It turned its golden eyes toward the group and screeched. A freezing wind smacked into the group, sending three of their hats tumbling into the underbrush