Page 67 of Awaken the Dragon
“Let’s just get this over with,” he said and turned down a corridor that brought them closer to that green light.
About twenty feet away from the direction in which they were headed there was a winding rock staircase leading up to the brightest part of the light. The steps went up at least fifty feet, and she groaned at the thought of ever having to walk all the way up there. But that definitely wasn’t where they were going, she knew, because in that moment she saw that glossy metallic sludge easing over the floor in front of them. She wiggled and slammed her arms into Warrick’s chest again, but to no avail. When he didn’t bother to laugh or taunt her this time, she figured it was a waste of energy. She needed more power than she possessed on her own. Were her other powers really stalled, in wherever this place was?
“She’s here. The ceremony can begin now.” Warrick spoke, but at this point, there was still no one there.
He came to a stop, and just as Shola was about to attempt pushing away from him again, he let her down so that her wobbly legs barely held her up when her bare feet touched the cool ground. She stumbled, but tried to hurry and put distance between them. Her arms were cold and she looked down to see that she was wearing the oddest outfit, a sheer white shorts jumper. Her feet and legs were bare, her mouth parched.
“Welcome,” an eerie voice echoed throughout the cave.
The sludge once again swirled upward until the hooded man appeared five feet or so in front of them.
“I do not need a welcome because I will not be staying here,” she snapped.
Seconds after the words were out, she thought about her position, where she was, how she was dressed, who was around her, and decided she needed to regroup. Taunting this particular duo might not be the smartest action. Instead, she needed to find her balance, search the air for her connection and pray that these things would bring her power.
“You will do as I say,” Hoan stated. “Your creator is very powerful. She has given you great energy. I was grateful for the tip on your true identity.”
She didn’t respond but tried desperately to focus on the great energy he’d just mentioned.
Her legs were feeling stronger, but her arms were still heavy, and it made her shoulders weary with each attempted motion. She could wiggle her fingers, but there was no feeling at the tips, no power waiting to be utilized.
“We’re ready for the ceremony,” Warrick stated evenly.
“Are we in a rush, Lord Camden?”
It grew colder with Hoan’s question. A gust of frigid air swept over her legs. If Warrick noticed, he didn’t show it. Instead, he stood with his back straight, legs parted and hands folded in front of him.
“Ready to get this agreement taken care of,” Warrick said.
Hoan nodded, and Shola found herself wondering what the spirit would look like if the hood were suddenly taken away.
“The agreement, yes,” Hoan said. “You were going to marry Shola as a result of the deal I made with her father years ago. The deal would begin to bring that part of the Human Realm under my control.”
“It would be under my control,” Warrick added. “Burgess and the town of Mobo would be mine.”
“But that was never going to be enough for you, young lord. Was it?” Hoan asked.
Something was happening. Shola could feel it stirring in the pit of her stomach. It was a slow churning that was different from anything she’d experienced before.
“We had a deal,” Warrick argued.
“That you were going to break,” Hoan replied with a lethal edge to his raspy voice.
Warrick remained silent.
The cold air continued but Shola didn’t shiver, she just noticed it was damn near arctic in this place at this moment, but it didn’t bother her at all.
Hoan lifted one long arm. “Come to me,” he commanded.
Shola looked in the direction his arm was pointed and felt a rage so strong she wanted to growl the way she recalled hearing Theo’s dragon that night in the alley.
Monife walked out from behind a rock wall. She no longer wore the uniform of the Odò Guard but was dressed in skintight brown leggings and an equally tight red vest. Her toned arms were bare, showing off her honey-brown complexion. Her cornrows hung down past her ass as she held her head regally, shoulders back, small smile on her lips.
“He would attempt to deny the plan you told me about,” Hoan said once Monife stopped a couple feet from where he stood.
She looked directly at Warrick. “He lies. He was going to make a play for the convergence. Using the vampire army he planned to build in Mobo, he was going to expand his power throughout the African region and use the combined forces to take down the Royal Capitol.”
“Bitch!” Warrick yelled at Monife.
