Luna's Reckoning

19

LUNA

We quietly moved through the woods, our footsteps almost silent as we walked over the forest floor. I kept glancing over my shoulder, expecting to see Dominic or any of the other sorcerers or sorceresses coming after us but they never did. I walked close to Tori and Trevor. I felt the safest being close to them.

Fortunately, Sarafina was telling the truth when she said the Temple wasn't far. Before I knew it, we had made it out of the woods and before us loomed a tall, white, marbled temple. Intricate designs of dragons and other creatures such as dwarves, fairies, and horses were drawn into the stone. Power radiating from the building in waves, causing my breath to catch in my throat.

The clouds shifted slightly and the moonlight shined down on the building, highlighting all the details that were carved in the stone. I narrowed my eyes, noting another detail in the carvings.

The dragons were killing every other creature that had been carved. My eyes widened as a wave of nerves shot through me. For a brief moment I wondered if we should turn back and leave before we encountered the dragons, but I forced myself to calm down. I reminded myself that this was the way Lauren said for us to take in order to get back to Earth.

We stood outside the Temple in silence, waiting. . .for something, we didn't know what. I expected the dragons to immediately come out and try to attack us all but nothing ever came out of there.

"Stay here," Sarafina whispered to us before starting to slowly walk inside the Temple. The clouds shifted again, this time completely covering the moon, cloaking the Temple and Sarafina in darkness. I was still able to see her as she continued to make her way inside thanks to my heightened eyesight.

I held my breath, feeling as though if I even breathe it might wake up whatever was waiting for us in that Temple. Sarafina's warning about the dragons had spooked me and I kept waiting for the worst to happen. When Sarafina disappeared completely into the darkness, to the point I couldn't see her anymore, I began to get more nervous.

It felt like an eternity before we heard something. It was two voices whispering to each other. They were so low and quiet that I couldn't make out the words that were being said, but I could make out Sarafina's voice along with an inhumanly deep voice that sent shivers down my spine. Somehow, I knew that was the dragon talking.

They talked for a few minutes. I had to release the breath I was holding. My muscles were so tensed and rigid as I braced myself for what was about to happen.

"Hybrid. . ."

I jumped and spun around at the low, deep voice that spoke right near my ear. I looked around at the group but it didn't appear to be any of them that said it.

"Who said that?" I asked aloud anyway.

"Said what?" Flynn asked, frowning.

"That word, hybrid. Someone whispered it in my ear."

Flynn looked at the others and they shook their heads. "No one said anything."

"Then what -"

"Young hybrid, sorceress and shapeshifter, come into the Temple."

It dawned on me. It was a dragon speaking to me.

"It's the dragon," I whispered to Flynn.

His eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"It's one of the dragons talking to me. They're telling me to come inside the Temple."

"It's not a good idea," Jamal said, his voice gruffer than usual, his amber eyes glowing eerily under the moonlight. "You can't trust what's inside. We'll come in with you and if there's even the slightest hint of danger we're to get out of there."