Page 69 of Dragon Compelled
Assholes.
They will pay for taking me from my friends—from Aries—if it’s the last thing I do.
“I will kill you for this,” I say, drawing on the well of magic inside me that I know now has nothing to do with the library’s bond and everything to do with whoever—or whatever—I really am.
It responds instantly. Powerfully. And I jump a little as thunder cracks overhead, followed quickly by a burst of lightning that illuminates the cloudy sky.
“Many will die, little mage,” Constantine says, his words confusing me enough to give me pause. “But it won’t be me. Not here, not in this memory world.”
“What are you talking about?” I demand. “What’s a memory world?”
He flashes his teeth in a smile that looks more like a snarl. “One of my newer talents, thanks to you.”
“What—”
“Your portals only lead to other worlds,” he says. “Mine now lead to moments in time. And it’s all thanks to the delicious meal I’ve made of your magic.”
My mind reels at what he’s suggesting. Delicious meal? Has he been using my magic against my will and without me knowing—even after I’ve been so careful to keep it locked up tight? How? And what the hell is a memory world?
“I don’t know why you’ve brought me here, but there’s nothing I want to see,” I tell him. “Take me back. Now.” My heart hammers at how helpless I am in this moment. If I can’t conjure a portal, it’s up to him to get me back to my friends. To Aries.
I don’t like those odds.
Even Oliver looks content and smug as he watches me process the reality of my situation while Constantine continues to play his game.
A sound from overhead distracts me, and I look up to see a large flock of birds sweeping out of the darkening sky. Their wings beat furiously as they seem to race ahead of the black clouds creeping toward us from the horizon.
“You don’t remember this place?” Constantine asks.
I jerk my gaze back to his, and his expression sends a shiver of unease down my spine. Even though I don’t want to let on that he’s getting to me, I can’t help glancing around at the scenery in sudden suspicion.
We’re standing on a hillside beneath a large tree with branches as thick as my thighs. The ground slopes away toward a small village nestled in a beautiful valley. The air smells vaguely familiar though I can’t quite place why. In fact, the whole view feels like a dream I’ve had many times before.
Familiarity seeps in, making my breath catch.
“What world is this?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
“It was called Eldevain.”
Eldevain. The word rings in my ears, and my memory strains to place it.
“Whoseworld is this?” I ask.
“Ours,” he says simply.
I whirl on him. “Ours? What does that mean?” Fear claws its way up the inside of my throat.
Without responding, he gestures toward a village. “See for yourself, little mage.”
Even though I want to demand he press on, I turn. It’s the animals I notice first. Horses, cows, goats—even sheep—all running at full speed up the hillside toward where I stand. Behind them, the village is still and quiet.
I squint, confused, trying to understand what has spooked the livestock so badly.
Then I see it. And my stomach plummets.
Darkening clouds have descended, coating the ground as they creep toward the village. The air booms again. More thunder. Then lightning.
A figure emerges from the darkness.
