Force of Magic

Shadow of Doubt

Chapter 18

A/N: hey guys! Welcome back for the next chapter! Hope y'all're doing well. Anyways, the OCs belong to Gabeherdon308, I'm just the writer.

"PANCAKES!" Claudia exclaimed walking over to the table with a plate full of stacked food. She began walking around, setting one on each person's plate.

Rayla cut hers nervously, sniffing it before taking a reluctant bite. "Mmm. I have to admit, these are good."

"Yeah," Trezac nodded in agreement.

"Impossibly fluffy right?" Claudia smiled.

"How do you get them so light?" Ellis inquired between inhaling bites of her breakfast.

"The secret is separating the eggs, and beating the whites into a stiff meringue, and just a hint of dark magic," she smiled winking at her brother.

Callum, Rayla, Ezran, and Trezac froze between their various stages of bites. Glancing at each other Rayla and Ezran set their forks down while their companions hurriedly wolfed down their last bite before pushing the plates away.

"Well, now that we know you're not kidnapped, you guys should come back home," Claudia continued. "With the egg of course."

"Egg? Eggs would go great with these pancakes," Soren grinned as his sister facepalmed.

"Actually, there is no egg," Callum replied.

Claudia leapt to her feet, and shot of fear and rage going through her. "What happened to it?!"

Trezac raised a brow as Ezran ran off, "Gee what do you think?"

"YOU BROKE IT?!"

"No," Ezran replied walking back over and holding up the baby dragon. "Meet Zym!"

Claudia screamed, "IT'S SO CUTE! IT'S A BABY DWAGON!"

As Claudia appoached the hatching, Rayla stepped between them, crossing her arms. "Whoa! What happened to the 'It's not an egg, it's a powerful weapon'?" she reminded.

"Oh, still true," Claudia answered. "Someday it could bring death and destruction reigning down on all of us. But right now, he's so widdle!"

"Well get a good look because we're heading back to Xadia to return him to his mother," Rayla replied swatting the dark mage's hand away from the hatchling.

"Rayla's right," Callum spoke up. "We can't go home yet. This mission is too important."

"They're right," Trezac agreed. "This is the best way to end the war. Don't you want peace?"

"Of course—"

"Then we have to do this. Getting Zym home is our best chance at ending this war."

"You all do need to come home," Soren said. "Because the King, you dad, really misses you. And Trezac, your big sis, she's back at the palace waiting for us."

"My what?"

"Your sis, she's really worried about you," he repeated.

"I don't have a sister—that I know of I mean my parents could've had another kid after I was taken into the order—but an older sibling? I never had one!" he growled crossing his arms. "I'm guessing she came with the inquisitor I eliminated last night."

"Twelve...you...eliminated him?" Claudia spoke slowly, her eyes going wide.

"He was a user of the Dark Side, sent by a traitor to kill me and enslave everyone here! Of course I got rid of him!" he snapped.