Chapter Three

Fighting through the dark, dense abyss all around her, Willa continued to reach for the wounded, roaring man. Wrapped in a massive shield of fury and resentment, surrounded by a miasma of dark swirling rage and ferocious strikes of lightning, she saw not only the rough, rugged cut of the man’s cheekbones but the deep, sunken sullenness of his dark eyes that could only come from overwhelming anguish and unadulterated wrath. They spoke of the torment she felt slashing him apart from the inside out, a psychosis trapping him in the dark, refusing to release its captive.

Holding tight to the metaphysical tether growing stronger every time he touched her mind, Willa felt herself being sucked into the torrent of his rage. Spindly, gnarled fingers, icy as the grave and strong as iron tore at her soul, hungrily salivating for her magic, tunneling into her mind trying to sow the seeds of madness.

Refusing to turn away, sure she’d find the answers she needed at the core of his being, she wove her own magical shield using potent earthen magic and the light of her ancestry, wielding it like a battleax to battle her way into the depths of the man’s psyche. The farther she trekked, the more the black, inky quicksand of a primordial unrelenting black magic that had to have come from the Devil himself snatched at her soul and stabbed at her mind.

Summoning more of the mysticism of her heritage, Willa’s arm shook with command as fire flashed before her eyes transforming her shield into a huge scimitar, bolts of flame shooting from the curve of its razor-sharp blade. Holding on for dear life, she watched in amazement as the sword slashed its way through the dense layers of evil, decimating the darkness, pulling her into the deepest depths of the man’s soul.

Running headlong into what initially felt like a concrete wall, Willa fought to catch her breath as she was slurped through the barrier like a thick chocolate milkshake being sucked up a thin, plastic straw. Falling out the other side, coated in a thick, viscous jelly from head-to-toe, she’d barely gotten to her feet before being overtaken by the scent of iron and brimstone. Accidently biting her tongue as she fought the bile rising in her throat, blood filled her mouth, her eyes watered and her legs felt like jelly. Spinning towards the offensive stench, the mystical ground shook beneath her feet as a, ominously menacing growl enveloped the space around her.

Reaching for her sword but coming up empty-handed, Willa stood absolutely still. Paralyzed with fear, her heart racing, she was caught in the deadly stare of the fierce, glowing eyes moving dangerously close to her position. Holding her breath, praying to the Goddess to wake her from the nightmare of her own making, Willa fell to the ground, prophecies of certain demise overwhelming her consciousness.

Mirroring her, tracking her every movement, he also dropped. Their laser focus burnt through the skin and bone of her chest, burrowing into her every cell, seeking her light. Rolling to the side, Willa struggled to stand, snarling, “I’ll not meet my Maker curled in a ball like a coward.”

Sliding her feet one way and then the other, zigging and zagging, defending her position in every way she knew how, Willa faked right then went left. “Son of a bitch,” she spat as her nose and cheeks smashed against yet another metaphysical wall.

Airborne, new inventive curse words flying from her lips, the air was thrust from her lungs as her back slammed into the ground. Gasping for air, she threw her arms and legs under her, frantically crab-walking backward, trying to escape the black elliptical pupils of the predator pulsing with fire. 

Crashing into yet another barricade, Willa froze with fear as her back again hit the floor. Holding her breath, her eyes watered as a sultry gust of black, billowy smoke, dusty gray ash and orange cinders engulfed her entire field of vision. Popping and cracking, embers flying about like shooting stars, it seemed to go on and on before finally, blessed the final spark fizzled out.

Rapidly blinking, she swiped at her eyes, desperately trying to clear her hazy vision just as the ground beneath her shook with renewed vigor. There was no warning growl, no further signals, absolutely nothing that could have prepared her for what was coming. From one heartbeat to the next, the glowing eyes became an absolutely mammoth, ferocious Ruby Dragon, the biggest of its kind she’d ever seen.   

Have I ever seen a Dragon? What the hell is wrong with me? I’m about to become a Romani shish-kabob and all I can do is talk to myself?

Curling into a fetal position, preparing to her Maker, Willa could only pray as the ginormous predator launched its massive body at her. The world she’d been thrown into shuddered and quaked as if caught in a tsunami, had it been anything close to real earth and rock, she had no doubt it would break apart. Holding her knees so tightly to her chest that breathing was simply impossible, she counted the seconds, waited to be eaten, but nothing happened. Instead of becoming an hors d'oeuvre, Willa found herself screaming like a Banshee as what felt like hot, wet sandpaper ran up her arm.

Throwing back her head, her eyes flew open as her fists flew upward. Crying out in pain when her knuckles hit the impenetrable surface of the sparkling ruby scales covering the underside of the Dragon’s jaw, she snarled, “Son of a bitch! Just eat me already. Get it over with will ya’? The suspense is killing me. What the hell’s wrong with you?”

Unfortunately, she never got her answer. Icy waves of salty sea water rushed over and around her. Strong hands gripped her shoulders to the point of pain as they shook her upper body until her teeth rattled and her eyes bobbled.

Thrashing and fighting, clawing at the hands holding her hostage, she was snared between the sweltering air in her mind and the frigid waters beating at her body. Bursting out of her dreams, Willa slammed her palms against Mars’ chest and with a single blast of magic sent her best friend hurdling through the air.

Springing upward, spitting and sputtering, her vision blurred as the world spun around her like a top, forcing Willa to scream, “What the fuck, Mars? Were you trying to drown me?”

On his feet, sprinting towards her, Mars slid to a stop on his knees at her side, his hands once again grabbing her shoulders as he looked into her eyes and bellowed, “No, you stupid ninny, I was trying to save you. I thought you were dying.”

Opening her mouth to issue another insult, Willa’s lips slammed shut as the devastated look in Mars’ eyes and the desperate words finally registered in her soggy mind. Taking a deep breath then slowly letting it out, she tried to come up with a way to accurately explain what she’d experienced. Nothing even close came to mind, as usual, she got straight to the point.

“No, I wasn’t dying. Yes, I was scared shitless. No, I have no clue what happened. All I am sure of is what we have to do next.”

“And what is that?” Mars’ voice was still shaky and his hands trembled where they gripped her shoulders but thankfully, the look in his eyes had turned from frightened to inquisitive, spurring on to keep explaining…after giving her best friend his late warning.

“This is your last chance. Back out now, or don’t bitch when you don’t like how I handle things.”

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Mars’ groaned, “Oh, for the love of all that’s holy will you please just get on with it? You know damn good and well I’m not going anywhere but with you.” Giving her a final shake before taking his hands from her shoulders, he added with a sigh, “Just promise me you’re not going to scare the shit outta me anymore.”

Raising her eyebrows and looking him dead in the eyes, Willa waited until she was sure her best friend was truly all in before declaring, “I make no promises, Love. The man we have to save is a Dragon.”