Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Alexa began to sway as her consciousness left her body. Both Levi and Mikah moved for her, but Mikah was closer, having been standing right by her side.
“Alexa?!” Mikah scooped her up into his arms as her body went completely limp. He looked down at her, holding her protectively.
“Take her to her room so we can lay her down.” Reiya quickly pushed past everyone and opened her daughter’s bedroom door. The fairy royals often had premonitions but never lost complete consciousness. They would become simply unresponsive.
Mikah moved into the room and sat on the bed, keeping her in his arms. He didn’t like how fast her body temperature was dropping.
“Is it a premonition?” Lee turned to look at Reiya.
“I think it is, but this seems different.” Reiya grabbed her daughter’s hand. “She’s unconscious.”
“Should I get mom?” Brody asked as he shifted his weight from foot to foot.
“Let’s just wait a moment and see what happens.” Reiya was trying to remain calm, but she was growing more anxious by the second. Especially with the chilling temperature of her daughter’s body. It was dropping rapidly, which didn’t make sense.
“Alexa. Hey, Lex. I’m right here,” Mikah said in a soothing tone. He cradled her head against his chest. She was completely still. Her eyes remained closed, her breathing slow, and her body was chilled. “I can’t warm her with my own heat. That’s strange. I’m her guardian …”
“Let me try.” Brian made his way over to the bed but waited for Mikah’s approval. He was like a feral animal, and it was best to wait for his permission before acting.
“Please.” Mikah nodded and Brian sat down, taking Alexa into his arms.
Brian immediately began raising his body temperature to combat the cold. Her skin was responding to his warmth but barely. Even the intense inferno radiating from him was barely regulating her. What was happening to her?
Alexa saw a figure up close for a split second, there and gone, too quick for her eyes to hold.
She turned, searching the dreamscape, and the figure slowed just long enough for her to see it clearly.
Her breath caught. It was shaped like a dragon, and it was like no dragon she had ever seen.
Its scales were crystal, clear as cut glass, and each one caught its own small piece of light and threw it back in soft colors, though there was no sun here to explain it.
And no dragon had a mane, but this one did, white as the first snowfall of winter, drifting around its face as if it never meant to settle. For one still moment, it watched her.
Then it shot into motion. It raced around her in a blur of white and crystal, faster and faster, wrapping Alexa inside a tornado of wind and light.
The pull hit her a moment later. It felt like her insides were being drawn out of her, every part of her dragged toward a single point, as if the storm had found something buried deep and meant to have it.
She fell to her knees and clutched her shoulder, which began to throb in pain.
She turned and saw a blackness covering her shoulder.
It felt like it was incinerating her skin.
The rushing wind around her stopped, and with it, the pain ceased.
She looked up to see the white-maned dragon in front of her.
“I’m sorry. I’m not strong enough to help you in the dream world.” She looked at her with sadness in her eyes as the dream wind tossed her mane around.
Alexa furrowed her brows in confusion as she rose to her feet. “Help me? Where am I? Who are you? What were you trying to do?”
“You are in the dream world. I’m a dream jumper. I can hop into dreams, and sometimes I can help with curses that are put on someone. I’m sorry, but I can’t help with yours. At least not in the dream world. But come find me. Once I’m fully rested, I can help you.”
Alexa shook her head in confusion. This wasn’t making any sense to her. “I don’t understand. Curse? I’m cursed?”
“I wasn’t sure at first, but it’s there. Just like the Moon Goddess said it would be.”
“Selene said I’m cursed? How? When?”
“Erebus planned on you cutting him. He’d prepared his blood in order to curse you. It isn’t a regular curse. This one is meant to hurt those around you once it takes full effect.”
“I’m fairy royalty. Can’t my family remove the curse?” Alexa's family has dealt with curses before. She didn’t see why they couldn’t help her out with this one. Maybe she could even purify it herself.
The dragon shook her head, her mane dancing in the breeze.
There was a beautiful elegance to her that was simply breathtaking.
“This was done with blood. But … as you can see, I’m not a normal dragon.
I am referred to as a crystal dragon. I can purify your blood, but unfortunately, you’ll have to come to me. ”
A blood purifier? That would be a powerful dragon to have around.
She imagined this dragon was heavily sought after by many, to be killed or kept for their own greed.
No wonder she usually just worked through dreams. Someone like her would be hunted.
Just like how Ciana was in hiding because she was a light dragon.
“How do I find you?” Alexa watched the dragon take a step closer to her. Then she breathed a blast of warm air on her.
“I instilled the memory in your mind. When I’m fully rested, it’ll guide you.”
“You won’t just tell me?” Alexa watched as the dragon turned her head slightly.
“I don’t want to risk it. Even having you come to find me is terrifying.” The crystal dragon shifted her gaze back to Alexa.
“Thank you for doing this for me. I’m very grateful for your help. My name is Alexa, by the way. What is your name?”
“Bella.”
“So, Bella, how exactly does this work? You’re telling me I will know when the time comes? And then what? I can just start walking and know where to go?
“Precisely. You’ll feel a gentle tug that will lead you in the direction you need to go.”
Alexa chuckled and shook her head. Of course that bastard would curse her. Because obviously, that’s how you love someone, right? Headline news: Ladies don’t want flowers and chocolates. Nope. If you want to show them you love them, you act crazy and place a curse on them. That’s all the rave.
There was one more problem she had to think about.
She was under lockdown. She would have to travel with a full escort in order to find Bella.
But that wouldn’t be fair. Bella was obviously scared about having others around, and the more that traveled with Alexa, the more attention they would attract.
She would need to think about what she wanted to do with this information.
And for now, it looked like she would have a little time to think, since she needed to wait until Bella was rested enough.
“How long do I have with the curse? Before it starts taking effect?”
“Well, for anyone else, it would have already started. But your body has trapped it. It won’t be able to hold it for more than a month, I’d say.
I should only need a few days to a week to recover.
It drains me to jump into dreams, but I don’t stay down long.
” Bella looked at Alexa and nodded her head.
“But it is time to send you back now. I’ve already kept you too long in a forced dream state.
Your body is handling it very well, though.
You must live in a volcano to keep your body so regulated. ”
“I live with a walking volcano.” Alexa chuckled. She figured Brian was probably heating her up during all of this.
“Well, because of that, we had a few extra moments. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to tell you anything after trying to remove the curse.
Oh, one more thing. It may take you some time to recover after this.
Your energy is being drained too. I don’t know how it will affect you, but I often lose touch with my dragon.
Don’t panic. It will come back with time. I will see you soon, Alexa.”
A strong breeze shot over Alexa as the dragon flapped its wings.
The next moment, everything was dark again, and warmth radiated over her.
She knew who it was but she couldn’t smell him, not like she should be able to.
Her eyes opened slowly. Her head was on Brian’s lap while Mikah held her hand tightly.
She met her parents’ blue eyes, and relief washed over them.
“Alexa, how are you feeling? Are you okay?” Reiya knelt beside the bed as she smoothed her daughter’s hair back.
Alexa slowly nodded. She couldn’t feel her connection to her dragon form, or to Yuki. It seemed the link was exhausted. The dream state had put a lot of strain on her.
“What happened? Was it a premonition? What did you see?” Lee leaned down beside Reiya as he rested his concerned gaze on his daughter.
“It wasn’t a premonition,” Alexa whispered as she tried to sit up.
Brian helped her up and she gave him an appreciative smile.
She looked up to see her parents’ expectant eyes on her.
She decided she would only give them vague details, because they would know if things didn’t add up entirely.
She wasn’t trying to outsmart a child but a deity and the fairy queen.
“I was in the dream world. I met a dream jumper.”
“And?” Lee asked as he raised his brows.
Alexa looked at her hand and summoned a small ball of ice.
She was relieved she didn’t lose that power.
“It looks like I’ve lost my connection to my dragon and wolf temporarily.
I think they have both been drained to exhaustion.
” She was trying to throw them off the scent.
She glanced up and could see her parents weren’t jumping from the topic.
“And that is all I can say about this for now. I promise to tell you all about it soon.” Soon, as in as soon as I get back from meeting Bella.
Alexa could see her parents were not pleased hearing this, but they couldn’t force her to speak.
They could be upset about it, but it was better for them not to know.
“You are okay though, right?” Reiya finally sighed in defeat as she straightened up, followed by Lee.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just a bit tired.” Alexa watched her mother nod slowly.
“We’ll let you rest then. And when you’re ready to talk, let us know.
” Reiya grabbed onto Lee’s arm, who didn’t look like he was ready to back down from the subject.
But with some gentle persuasion from Reiya, he slowly followed behind her.
Brody and Chelsie left last, shutting the door to her room.
“So you want to tell us what really happened?” Mikah asked, pinning his gaze on Alexa.
“I haven’t decided yet.” She gave him a cheesy grin, and he snorted.
She looked up to make sure the door was really closed.
Her room was soundproof like most rooms, thank goodness for that.
With her sensitive hearing, the last thing she wanted to hear was her parents’ happy time or anyone else’s.
She looked back to Mikah and Brian, who were waiting expectantly.
She knew she didn’t have to swear them to secrecy.
And it was best to at least let a couple of people close to her know.
“So, the thing is … I’ve been cursed.”