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Relief washed through me. Maybe all of this could be fixed. Jack and I could be normal human beings without this terrible responsibility. Our relationship had taken such a battering recently. This would give us the chance to find our way back to each other. “Okay, so how do I do it?”
Thomas frowned at me, scratching the back of his head. “Actually Sophia, I don’t think you can do it.”
I shook my head in confusion. “What do you mean? I’m the guardian? Aren’t I the one who is meant to control the stone?”
“Not as such. You’re the guardian, but you aren’t the creator. Hereti was. Only the creator can destroy the stone.” Thomas began riffling through one of the books in front of him, the yellow pages rustling under his fingers.
Doubt began to creep back into me. I already knew I was going to do anything I could to get Jack home safe. Even if that meant giving Fallon what he wanted.
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The Alpha's Desire and the Dragon's Fire 49
On the drive there I tried to think of some ingenious plan to trick Fallon into destroying the stone. Nothing came to me though. Nothing. I could tell Thale was trying to do the same thing, his brow permanently creased in thought.Shortly before arriving, I reached out for his hand. He looked up at me.“Thale, if we can’t think of something, you know I’m going to have to do what he tells me. Don’t you? No matter the cost. My brother comes first.”He nodded and squeezed my hand. “I know Sophia. I will stand by whatever decision you make.”I exhaled heavily, allowing him to pull me against his chest as Louis drove us the rest of the way in silence.Fallon’s home seemed even more imposing than it had before, but I did at least feel an element of hope at the prospect of being able to see Jack again.As we stepped out of the car, we were greeted by two burly looking men with dark suits and glasses.
The Alpha's Desire and the Dragon's Fire 50
I tried to pull myself together as I was led back down the marble steps. I didn’t want Thale to see me like this. Not when there wasn’t anything he could do about it. As soon as he saw me though, my resolve failed. He ran to my side, holding my face in his hands. “Sophia? What happened? Is Jack hurt?”I cried into him, not able to stop now that I had started. “He’s different…just… he’s been made to use the stone…when he shouldn’t.” My words came out between sobs.Thale’s face darkened. “Danny?” He whispered, so only I could hear him. I knew he was worried about the same thing I had been.“No. Mack,” I spat.Thale embraced me, stroking my hair and trying to comfort me. I wished for this all to be over. I wanted to got back home with him and Jack to Ashdown.“Come now Sophia. It’s not like he’s dead,” Fallon&r
The Alpha's Desire and the Dragon's Fire 51
Just like the last time, I sensed her. The familiar scent hit me, along with the memory of her gentle smile. Invisible arms reached out to pull me in, bringing me deeper into the kaleidoscope of colours. The more I let it overtake me, the more the room I was in faded from existence. I was now suspended in a womb of colour and light, my pain and anguish dissipating into the air. I gazed around dreamily, trying to distinguish the direction in which I was going. However, I quickly realised it was not me that was controlling my journey.Her scent became stronger, and all of a sudden, I was no longer in the kaleidoscope. I was in the park I’d loved as a child. Songbirds chirped merrily above me, hidden by the branches of the towering cedar trees. I smiled at their green foliage, consistently evergreen throughout the year. I realised I was sat on our favourite bench, the wood lovingly sanded down to ensure splinters were never a concern. It overlooked the du
The Alpha's Desire and the Dragon's Fire 52
My whole body ached. My limbs were as heavy as concrete, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get out of the chair without help. My heart hurt too. My physical and emotional energy was all but gone.“Well?” Fallon asked impatiently.I had already decided to tell a half truth. That would be easier to maintain than a full-blown lie. I rested backwards in the chair, using my fingers to rub my temples to relieve my sore head. “My mother, or at least, a part of her, spoke to me in the stone. She was the last guardian. She will act as my guide.”Thale came to my side, kneeling down on the floor so he could look up into my face. “That must have been hard Sophia. Are you okay?”I inclined my head, trying to communicate to him with a look that I finally had a plan. He seemed to understand and stood up to address Fallon.“I think it would be best if Sophia rested before her next session.
The Alpha's Desire and the Dragon's Fire 53
“GET UP! The boss wants you outside in 10 minutes!”The booming voice of one of Fallon’s henchmen made us both wake with a start. In seconds, Thale was out of bed, still naked, striding towards the door. He ripped it open, and although I could not see the look he gave the burly bald-man, I could see that it was making the recipient cower. Perhaps he had forgotten that he was waking up a dragon.The man scurried away with his tail between his legs, and Thale shut the door with a slam. He rested his forehead on the wooden panel, trying to take a deep breath.I padded over to him and placed my hand lightly on his shoulder. “It’s okay. It’s time to get this over with.”We dressed quickly, knowing that it was not wise to keep Fallon waiting. Not when we were about to try and trick him. He had to be as congenial as possible.Just before leaving the room, Thale pulled me in for a final kiss. “Whatever
The Alpha's Desire and the Dragon's Fire 54
I had never seen Thale shift properly, so I was not completely prepared for what I observed next. Fallon’s skin seemed to bleed into onyx scales, causing him to look as if he was being savaged by a terrible disease. Like with Danny, his bones began to break. His ribs tore from his back, stretching out into deformed wings. His head went under, elongating in an unnatural way. Talons sprang from his hands and feet, the appendages growing and lengthening. Minutes later, he was the size of a bus, his human form all but eradicated. He continued to expand, far surpassing Thale’s stature. However, the process seemed to take longer. Against my will, my hand clasped over my mouth as he now reached an incomprehensible size. Surely, we were now small dots to him, the stone, a mere spec.“How…how will he know where to breathe?” I whispered to Thale, recoiling in horror as the creature’s enormous tail thrashed behind it.Thale pulled me in
The Alpha's Desire and the Dragon's Fire 55
I scrambled over to him, grabbing his face and shaking it.“Thale! Thale wake up!”I put my ear to his chest, I thought I could hear a heartbeat, but I couldn’t be sure. I frantically racked my brain on how to conduct CPR. Why didn’t I know how to do that?I began to make an attempt, pressing my hands down on his chest, and intermittently bringing my mouth to his to blow air into his lungs. Nothing. He wasn’t stirring. Was I doing it wrong?“Thale! It’s Sophia.” My voice began to break. “Don’t you fucking leave me. Don’t you fucking dare.”I banged on his chest. Still nothing. I screamed out into the darkness. I collapsed sobbing onto his chest, crawling beside him.“Please wake up,” I whispered. “Please.”The sound of tires approaching made me look up. Through the fog of the ash, I could see the truck coming towards me. The light blo
The Alpha's Desire and the Dragon's Fire 56
A gentle hand rested on my shoulder, and I woke with a start, looking to see if Thale was awake. But he was in exactly the same position as before. His face was relaxed, and if it hadn’t been for the wounds and burns covering his profile, I may have been able to kid myself that he was simply sleeping.“Miss Bell, sorry. You asked me to tell you when your brother was awake?”I turned my face to see Mrs Elliot’s face. Her hair was not as neat as it usually was.“Yes, thank you. Can you take me to him?”She stepped back so I could get out of bed. I pulled away from Thale reluctantly, but I knew I needed to see Jack.Mrs Elliot led me to a room I vaguely remembered Thale showing me. It faced out onto the grounds, the same view my art room did. I briefly hoped that I would get some time in that room again, and not because I was mourning…Jack was sitting by the window, curled up with one of Ashdown&rsquo
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