Chapter 14 #2
“If you honestly think a shape-shifting werewolf is anything like a Transylvanian Vamp, you’re setting yourself up for failure.”
Dewey shot him a glance over the top of Paige’s head. “This is what I deal with every day.”
“Hey, come on. I’m right here. And I’m not stupid.”
“No one is saying you are. But if you go into this thinking Drucinda is your worst enemy, you’re going to end up dead,” Devon argued. “And by the way, again, I’ll say Drucinda is not your enemy. Quite the opposite.”
“Yeah, yeah, and my mother’s alive, too. I know, I know. How much further is this stupid cave? My stomach’s really starting to hurt. I need to sit down for a minute.”
“No sitting. It’ll make it worse,” Dewey warned.
“I’m not sure it can get much worse,” Paige groaned as her stomach twisted into a knot. She hunched forward to ease the pain. Sweat ran down her face, getting caught on the welts and pooling.
“Ugh,” she moaned, swiping the back of her hand against her forehead. The motion caused a few of the blisters to burst open, spewing thick goo everywhere.
“Watch it!” Dewey shouted as he fluttered into the foliage of a tree.
“You watch it. I’m sick!” Paige said, doubling over. “Oh, this is the worst. I think they’re coming up. My stomach feels like it’s going to explode.”
“Do you feel a prickly sensation in the back of your throat?”
“No?” Paige said, her voice questioning.
“Then you’re still good,” Dewey answered, fluttering back onto her shoulder.
She straightened and puffed out a breath. Her eyes went wide as pink scales began to appear on her arms. “I’m not good. None of this is good. Where is Devon?”
He popped up from behind a large leaf. “I don’t want that goo all over me again.”
Paige narrowed her eyes at him. “Like I wanted any of this, including the vomiting of a bush.”
“Yeah, but you’re kind of stuck with it,” he said, clapping her on the shoulder. His lips formed a grimace as he lifted his hand from her soaked shirt, a trail of slime snaking between his fingers and the fabric.
Paige gagged as she stared at it. “Please don’t touch me.”
“Come on, Paige,” Dewey said, fluttering in front of her. “Let’s keep moving before those bushes get any bigger. It’ll be better to make it to the cave anyway. Then you can vomit in peace.”
“Great,” Paige said, dragging herself forward through the foliage.
“Don’t sweat it, Paige. Soon, this will all be just a memory, and we’ll laugh about it.”
Paige grimaced at him as she trudged along, her skin turning more scaly with every step. “Somehow, I don’t think I’ll be laughing about it. You flying or riding?”
“Flying. I don’t want that goo all over my feet.” Dewey frowned and shook his head. “Come on, it’s not much farther.”
Paige dragged herself along as the discomfort grew in her abdomen. Her lips tugged down at the corners when salty saliva poured over her tongue.
“Ugh. It’s coming up soon. I feel awful.”
“You can make it, Paige! It’s just up here!”
Paige shook her head, collapsing down to her knees and grabbing her stomach. “Can’t make it. Can’t do it. It’s coming up. My throat is prickly. Ugh.”
Dewey fluttered back to her and patted her head. “Best thing you can do is just relax and let it come up.”
Paige tipped onto her side, curling into a ball. “You relax!”
“Easy, Paige, easy,” Dewey said, landing on the ground and stroking her hair.
Paige twisted toward the ground, gagging and choking with heaves. “Ugh, this is the worst. I feel like Dickens with a hairball. I keep trying, and it just won’t come up.”
Devon shoved a lock of hair from her face, pinning it back behind her. “It’s okay, Paige.”
“It’s not okay. Stop saying stupid things. It won’t come up.”
“Try harder,” Dewey said, with a shrug.
She shot him a red-faced glare.
“Well, you said not to say stupid things, so I just said what makes the most sense. Give it your all. Really push with everything you’ve got to move those bushes.” Dewey pumped a fisted paw in the air.
“I hate you. I hate you both so much,” Paige sobbed as her stomach twisted again.
Dewey bobbed his head up and down. “That’s it, Paige, use your hate to fuel your vomiting.”
Paige coughed and choked as another round of dry heaves bubbled up.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as the prickly sensation turned into burning.
A second later, her mouth opened wider than she thought it could, and a fully-formed, fist-sized bush popped out.
It flopped onto the ground, roots flailing in the air before it righted itself and ran away.
Paige grimaced at the bush as it high-tailed it away from them.
“Do you feel any better?”
“Uh-uh,” Paige said as her features pinched again.
“Got another one coming.” Dewey patted her head again. “Just let it come up.”
“This is disgusting,” Paige groaned before another bush worked its way up her throat and popped from her mouth. “Ugh, I feel like I’m throwing up gremlins.”
“No, those are way worse to throw up, trust me,” Dewey said, with a knowing nod.
Paige crinkled her nose and clutched at her stomach again. With a groan, she leveraged herself on her hands and knees as a third bush made its appearance. She collapsed onto her side with a sigh as it toddled off into the jungle.
“I think I feel better.”
“You should feel it almost immediately once they’re all out of there,” Dewey said. “Give it a minute or two. Even the welts will start to fade, and your scales will disappear.”
Paige lay on her back, staring at the canopy above her, and sucked in deep breaths. Her brows furrowed, and she rose to sit.
“Wow. I do feel better.”
“Told you. It doesn’t last long.”
“I mean like, amazingly better.” She held her hands out in front of her as the purple, red welts began to slough off her now-normal skin. They left behind purple-red dust that scraped off with her finger.
Paige grinned and shook her head. “Outside of a sore throat, I feel fine.”
“Told ya,” Dewey answered, with a smile. “Now let’s go. I want to find my mom.”
“Seriously? I nearly died, and you only gave me like two minutes to recover.”
Dewey flitted into the air and motioned for her to follow him. “There’s no time for drama, Paige. You’re not dying now. And we have things to do.”
Devon pulled her to her feet. “Feel better?”
“Yes, I do, but still an extra minute could have helped.” She brushed the powder off of her arms and took a step forward when Devon pulled her back. “What?”
“You’ve got red stuff all over your face.” He brushed it away, scattering most of it on her shirt.
“Thanks,” she said as she flicked it to the ground. “Okay, let’s go find these dragons. I swear, if they’re all just sitting around a campfire telling stories, I’m going to be so mad at you, Dewey!”
“Moment of truth,” Dewey said. They pushed past a few more trees and found a cave entrance. Dewey’s features pinched. “I don’t hear anything.”
Paige shrugged. “Maybe they’re really quiet.”
Dewey frowned at her. “Do you really think an entire town’s worth of dragons is really quiet?”
Paige lifted a shoulder again in question as they approached the yawning opening. They stepped inside. Coolness washed over them as they left the sun behind.
“I don’t see anyone,” Dewey said as he buzzed forward. “Hello? Hello!”
His voice echoed off the walls as they moved from the opening further into the cave.
“There’s a cavern up here used for the celebration.” They followed the flying dragon into the massive underground chamber. Dewey gasped as he entered, his eyes going wide as he stared at the scene. “Oh, no! They’re frozen!”