Astray, book 2

Part Two Chapter 3

*Anne Poppy Sallow above*

Sara's Pov

"I may actually known someone who can help,"  Marc smiled at everyone.

"What?" Anne said confused, "we just got back how do you already know?"

Marc shrugged. Damn he was dreamy. I get it, he's old. But doesn't mean he isn't dreamy. I feel like Sebastian could read my thoughts because he was staring directly at me.

"I've been talking to someone for a while. It's going to be hard to get to where she is though. Are you kids ready for this?"

"How dangerous?" Sebastian asked.

"She lives past a pretty active dragon cave."

Older Poppy gasped from the kitchen, "lucky..." I heard her whisper.

"I Can do it," Anne said proudly standing up from her seat.

Marc chuckled and gentle pushed her back into her seat, "I know you can. I meant your friends."

They looked at Sebastian and I a little worried. "I Can do it," i said, "I defeated Ranrok."

"So did Mum..." El said guiltily from where he sat on the couch.

"El..." Anne warned.

"Well it's true," he shrugged.

"I Can do it too," Sebastian nodded.

Marc smiled at us giving me butterflies, "great. We'll leave in the morning."

________

Later in the evening as I got ready to sleep in Anne's room I noticed Sebastian walk into the back of the cottage. I excused myself and went to join him as he stared at the sunflowers.

"My mum always wanted to plant some," he said softly. "Before she died."

I held his hand tightly, "this is a crazy experience, huh?"

"Oh yeah," he sighed and kissed the side of my head making me blush. "Goodnight, Sara." He smiled and went inside.

I hesitated a bit listening to the crickets chirp before heading inside myself.

Marc woke everyone as the sun rose into the sky.  El was the hardest to wake up. He just kept grunting and at one point even made his eyes glow to try to make his uncle stop but it didn't work.

"Alright! Head count, Anne, El, Andre, baby Sallow, and miss Sara, wonderful." Marc clapped.

"What about us!?" Giselle snapped as she and little Andre stepped outside with backpacks on. "We wanna help!"

"Nope, go in or I'm telling mum,"  Anne threatened.

Both twins scoffed and went inside. "Alright. Everyone touch this when I say," Marc tossed a scarf from his pocket on the floor.

We all waited and when he gave the signal we touched it and we're transported somewhere else.

As we landed everyone stood still for a moment as the room spun. I never get used to that.

"Where are we?" Andre asked.

"Bulgaria. Or a forest in Bulgaria." Marc said as he started walking down a dirt path.

"What have you been doing in Bulgaria?" Anne asked skipping to keep up with her uncle.

"Seeing a friend," He said in the same tone as her, teasingly.

"What kind of friend?" She asked back teasing more.

"It's not like that, I found her on accident, I just visit sometimes." Marc patted Anne on the head. Anne pouted as he shut her down.

"I'll learn about your social life one day, Uncle Marc." She said in a taunting tone.

"Maybe when I die," he says with a smile. "How you doin' back there Little Sara?"

"I'm a sixth year," I pouted.

"Oh uh... big Sara?"

I tried to hold in my laugh, "I'm good."

As we rounded a corner Marc froze and we all bumped into him one after another. The only two who didn't was El because he stopped and Anne because he stopped her.

"What is-" Sebastian started to say but got shushed.

"A dragon..." Marc whispered and pointed.

Directly in the middle of the path was a Bulgarian Horntail asleep on its back like you'd expect from a big dog. It was almost as big as the one that attacked the carriage.

I hid behind Sebastian who looked more like he wanted to hide behind me. "What do we do?" I whispered.

"Well we cant go over it... or under it.. so we,"

"Have to go through it?" Anne asked recalling the Childrens story.

Marc rolled his eyes, "around, Anne, around it."

As we crept around I kept getting flashes of me and Poppy saving a dragon. And memories of ava and poppy running from what looks like a dragon.

My grip tightened of Sebastian's sleeves as we crept around. He smiled at me almost in a cocky way as I help on.

But because he was doing that he stepped on a twig and it snapped. Everyone froze and held our breaths as the dragon opened his eyes and turned to face where we were.

"Oh....fuck," Anne whispered as she grabbed El's hand and aparated out of the dragons view.

Sebastian grabbed my hand and quickly aparated us away as the dragon began the breath fire. As we landed we both rolled to the ground.

"Ow," I mumbled as I laid on the ground.

"Alright... everyone check in," Marc said as he also laid on his back. "Sallow kids,"

"Yup," El said somewhere his voice echoing a bit.

"Andre,"

"Yeah," Andre sounded a lot closer to me.

"Little Sara and Little Sallow,"

"I'm okay," I called out.

"I am too," Sebastian said laying next to me.

"Why is it so dark?" I heard Anne ask. I sat up slowly and realized it was pitch black.

"I think we are in a cave...." Marc said sitting up.

I looked up at the ceiling and saw long pieces of stalactite dripping down from the top. Tiny drops of water echoed through out the cave as no one spoke.

I got up and held my hand out to Sebastian. He took it slowly and I helped him to his feet.  I felt him drag his hand gently up my arm before resting it on my cheek.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm okay,"

"Whose there?"  A female voice asked suddenly making me jump.

"Who is that?" Andre asked.

"Our host, lumos," Marc sighed.

Why did that voice sound so familiar... as the cave lit up I turned around and the ghost of Isadora was inches from my face.