Chapter 18
Puff, Mateo and Atticus were flying through the air with the General beside them.
He was teaching the three of them to work together, flying at the same pace, turning and spinning when they needed to, using the same airflow. Flying side by side and inches above each other.
The general would occasionally try to attack them by flying close and messing up the air currents, or flying directly at them, to see what they would do.
Barden and Salvador were determined to protect Bob, and Bob was determined to protect them both. It made for chaotic protection.
“You need to decide who is protecting whom. The three of you are a mess at the moment.” The general cautioned.
“I’m protecting both my mates,” Bob said.
“I’m protecting Bob and Salvador,” Barden said.
“And I’m protecting Bob and Barden,” Salvador added.
“And that’s why the three of you are creating chaos,” The general said.
Brook was outside working with Oz, learning more about being a dragon. Sure, Silver was teaching him as they went along, but Oz was filling in the gaps.
They stopped and looked up, watching Puff, Mateo, Atticus and the General flying.
“I love the way their colours blend together,” Brook said, watching them loop around each other.
“They do look impressive. If people didn’t believe Puff and Bob were the dragon king before, they would when they see their dragons together. Only the true dragon king, his guardian and grounding force, have blended colours.”
“Their colours underneath those black clouds make them really stand out, almost like a picture,” Brook commented.
“Just think, you can fly like that as well, Brook,” Willow said, walking to his side, Demi, Forest and Tobin with her.
“Well, Silver can. If I tried to fly, I’d probably go splat.”
“Silver would save you,” Demi told him.
I will always save you. Silver said to him.
“He will, and I will do whatever I can to protect and save him as well,” Brook replied.
Thank you. Silver said.
“So amazing,” Blake commented, walking to their side, Frederick and Ash with him, all watching the dragons flying above them.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Brook screamed out in pain, grabbed his head, and fell to the ground.
“Brook!” Demi exclaimed, dropping to his knees beside him as Brook let out another cry of pain. The twins and Tobin knelt beside him.
Silver’s in trouble. Bob said to his mates and the general. We need to land.
Quickly changing directions, the four dragons flew fast and landed quickly.
Bob rushed forward with the others moving out of their way.
“What’s happening?” Willow asked in a scared voice. Forrest and Tobin hugged her as they watched their brother.
Demi was holding Brook close, as he writhed in pain.
“Someone is trying to strip Silver from Brook,” Bob told them. “Brook, you need to shift. It’s the only way to save Silver from being taken.”
“Okay,” Brook managed to get out and tried to shift, but Silver was struggling too much to manage it. “We can’t shift.”
“Family come,” Bob demanded and the next moment Peyton and Paris appeared, as did Greyson and Chase. “Shift into your dragons. We need to help Brook shift so we can save Silver. Everyone else move back.”
As the wolves moved back, the dragons shifted, then stepped forward, and joined Bob, Mateo, Atticus and the General surrounding Brook.
“Demi, children, you need to move as well. My dragons, send your magic into Brook to help them shift. Once Silver appears, keep using your magic to hold him here.”
Demi pressed a kiss to Brook's forehead, then moved to stand with the children.
“Start now,” Bob ordered. A golden light encased Brook as the dragons sent their magic. “Brook, this shift is going to hurt as we’re forcing the shift.”
“Do it,” Brook said, looking straight at Bob, his eyes filled with pain but determination. “Save Silver.”
“We’re going to save you both.” With that, Bob sent his magic into Brook as well.
Brook fell to his side, curling up and crying out in pain. Please hold on, Silver. Be strong. I know it hurts for both of us, but you must shift.
I’m trying. Silver said.
As everyone watched, they saw Brook start to flicker as Silver tried to break through.
Brook screamed in pain.
Demi stood with his arms around the twins and Tobin. Willow was crying into his side.
Ares and Jason appeared next to them and wrapped their arms around them, offering silent support.
“Oz, what can we do?” Blake asked in concern.
“Unfortunately, nothing but watch and wait.”
“How could this happen?” Frederick asked generally.
“We need to know who is trying to strip Silver from Brook,” Saxon said, as he and his mates joined them. “It has to be a spell. If it is, then we can stop the spell from the source.”
More of Silver was showing, but with each flicker, they could all see the toll it was taking on them both.
Brook felt the dragon’s magic anchoring Silver and him together, but whatever the dark magic spell was being used against them, it was strong.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Brook completely shifted, and Silver appeared. As soon as he did, he fell to his side, exhausted and still flickering.
“Maggon is trying to get Silver back using dark magic,” Bob said, distractedly, still sending magic to Silver and Brook.
“How do we stop the magic from taking Silver?” Ash asked, glued to Morgan’s side.
“I’ll stop it,” Ares said angrily, stepping away from his family and pulling a sword from the ether.
“I’ll come with you,” Wynter said, drawing his sword.
Ares nodded. “We’ll be back.”
“Bring him back alive,” Bob said. He sent a message to Lord Woodcott, asking him to locate Maggon.
Ares nodded, and they both vanished. They reappeared on an island with dragons dashing around.
A man ran over to him. “I’ve located Maggon. He’s in the woods over here,” the man said and started running in the direction of a clump of trees.
They found Maggon, and another man sat chanting.
Ares could feel the dark magic in the air, and before anyone could move, he beheaded the dark witch.
Wynter held his sword to Maggon’s throat.
Maggon stopped chanting and smiled. “It doesn’t matter. The spell is complete. Soon Dragon will be back with me.”
“That’s what you think,” Ares said, grabbing Maggon by his top and pulling him up. Wynter quickly put his sword away.
Wynter looked at the dragon standing with them. “This section needs to be burned to erase what happened here and to destroy the residue of the dark magic.”
“I’ll do that now,” the man replied.
“Good,” Ares said. Then he, Wynter and Maggon vanished.
Arriving back at the pack grounds, Ares slammed Maggon onto the ground and stood up.
Since they had been away, no one had moved, but Ares noticed that they had an outer ring of guards surrounding them, with more of the pack standing with Blake.
Maggon groaned and then laughed as he slowly pushed himself up. “Soon Dragon will be back inside me, and I will kill you all,” he said, standing up, almost bent double, an arm around his waist. He stared at Bob with hate-filled eyes. “Starting with you and finishing with Peyton.”
“That will never happen,” Ares said, and lifting his sword, split Maggon right down the middle.
“I think I’m gonna throw up,” Forrest said, slapping his hands over his mouth and closing his eyes. Willow and Tobias both slammed their eyes shut. Jason moved to stand in front of the children, blocking their view of the bloody mess.
Everyone watched Silver as the flickering slowed down and finally stopped.
“Ares, Wynter, I’m guessing you killed the magic user,” Saxon said.
“I did,” Ares replied.
“Because they’re both now dead, the spell failed, which is why the flickering has stopped,” Saxon said.
“Pull your magic back, my dragons,” Bob ordered.
They watched as the golden ball got duller and duller until it vanished. The dragons started to shift into their human selves. They looked pale and exhausted.
Peyton was the first to collapse, falling into Cade’s arms, followed moments later by Paris.
Ash caught him as he fell. Chase, Greyson, Atticus, and the General fell next.
Mateo shifted and collapsed straight away.
Bob finished pulling his magic back. “Both are ... safe ... now,” Bob told them tiredly.
He shifted back, and Puff collapsed as well; Donovan caught him as he fell.
“What’s happened?” Ash asked, laying Paris down, making sure Paris’ head was on his legs.
Cade was doing the same with Peyton.
“The amount of magic they all used exhausted them,” Oz said. “There is no telling how long they will be asleep while they recover.”
“We should move them all to the hospital. I’d rather Ajax and Gary watch over them while they rest,” Blake said.
The unconscious men vanished.
“They’re now in the hospital,” Ares said. “Cade, Ash, I’m sending you as well so you can be with your mates.” They too vanished.
“What of Silver and Brook?” Demi asked, kneeling next to Silver and stroking his nose, the children kneeling close.
“I’ll create a healing dome he can stay under while he recovers,” Oz said. “All those that aren’t staying in the dome, please step back.”
Everyone except Demi and the children moved out of the way. The next moment, a dome appeared surrounding them.
Saxon looked at Maggon’s body parts and the mess surrounding it and clicked his fingers; everything disappeared.
“Thank you, Saxon,” Blake said.
“I didn’t know you could actually split someone apart like that,” Nick said, looking at Ares.
Ares shrugged a shoulder. “I wanted to make sure he was dead. I should probably apologise to Bob later. He wanted Maggon alive.”
“I think that was more so Bob could kill Maggon himself,” Blake said. He looked around and saw the ring of guards around them. “Thank you for guarding us.”
A dragon guard stepped forward. “I’m Charles Delinga. Can I go and sit with my father?”
Blake nodded. “You can indeed.”
Charles bowed “Thank you, sire,” he said and vanished.
The guards all left.
“So that was completely disturbing,” Dane said, having come out with everyone earlier.
“It was. I didn’t know stripping a dragon from a human was possible. I mean, I knew Bob and Puff could do it, but not spells,” Blake said.
“Dark magic at its finest,” Baylan said.
“I’m glad Tudor didn’t see this,” Donovan muttered to Dane.
“Me too,” he agreed.
“As if we don’t have enough to deal with,” Blake muttered. “I’m going to check on them, see you in a bit.”
Baylan took his hand, and they walked off in the direction of the hospital.