Luna's Reckoning

21

LUNA

I gaped at Sarafina and the dragon, unable to believe what he just told me. Sarafina stared up at me pleadingly, her eyes filled with fright and tears. Her face was swallowed and bruised with nasty, deep gashes that were an angry, vibrant red.

The dragon's words echoed over and over in my head, causing my vision to grow blurry as my head spun. My heart started to race fast as my anxiety spiked to the point it was crippling. Nausea burned in my stomach to the point I thought I was going to get sick.

The dragon stared at me with cool, unfeeling eyes as I did everything in my power not to freak out.

I stared back at the creature, appalled. There was no way he could be serious. There was no way he actually expected this from me. I couldn't do this - wouldn't do this.

"You must do this," the dragon said coolly. "This is the only way you and your friends will be able to go back to Earth."

My mouth hung wide open as I stared at him. "You aren't serious."

"You have a choice to make. This decision will impact what direction your journey will go on next."

"I can't do this," I said to him, my voice shaking. "You can't make me do this."

His eyes narrowed. "You dare defy me?"

"There must be another way. You can't expect me to just kill someone like this."

"Blood must be shed for you to have access to Earth."

"I'm shedding her blood. No way." Despite my fear, I met his gaze steadily, letting him know that I was not going to do this. I had no idea what he was thinking, expecting me to just kill this girl right in front of him, to just take her life.

"There is no other way. You must do this."

"I will not." My hands clenched into fists as anger shot through me. My fear and nervousness were starting to evaporate, replaced by rage at the dragon's request.

"Then you will fall."

The dragon raised his claw and brought it down abruptly, his sharp talons getting ready to slash me to shreds.

I screamed and covered my hands over my face, cowering as I braced myself to be sliced in half.

There was a loud crash overhead and I looked up to see a huge chunk of the ceiling crumble and fall on top of the dragon, causing him to roar out in shock as huge pieces of stone fell on top of him, one huge piece crashing down on his head, causing him to reel backward.

For a second, I just stood there, gaping at what I was seeing before my instincts kicked in. I ran towards Sarafina, carefully dodging the pieces of stone that was crashing all around me as well as the dragon's long, sharp talons. I grabbed Sarafina by the arms and pulled her to me. With strength I had no idea I had, I threw her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and ran towards the door.

I almost reached it when something hard and strong wrapped around my midsection and lifted me into the air. I screamed as strong fingers squeezed my torso, drawing all the oxygen out of my lungs and causing a rib or two or three to crack, pain shooting through my body. I lost my grip on Sarafina and she fell hard to the floor, staring up at me in shock as I was lifted into the air.

I was turned around and was met with two fiery red orbs that burned with immense rage as they burned into mine. I could only stare back, horrified at what I was seeing. Everything inside me was screaming at myself to cast a spell, to do something that could fight back against the dragon, but I was frozen stiff, a fear I hadn't experienced up until this point making me almost cripple and wither under this creature's stare.