The Reunion of Loved Ones

26. Lana's Hellfire

Dana nervously twisted her wavy hair and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. This couldn't be true! They had just talked about him, and she had praised him for kidnapping Seithre. And now this masked figure would kidnap Ivana? What drove this ominous newcomer? Was he a vampire hunter? Was that why he was after Seithre and now Ivana, thinking he had caught Lana? Dana bit her nails as she had a fearful vision of Ivana with a stake through her heart.

Lana and she had been searching in the bushes for a sign of Ivana or the masked figure. The last thing Dana had heard from her sister was a message through her thoughts, in which Ivana briefly explained that she had started the chase. But neither Dana nor Lana had seen which direction Ivana had run, so they didn't know where the rocky plain was where Ivana now lay petrified.

When the search took too long, they sent the dragons, who, with their enhanced sense of smell, would surely find Ivana in no time. They were still waiting for their winged friends, and Dana began to pace, ignoring the persistent rainfall. Lana leaned tensely against the tree where they had slept and listlessly bit on a new blade of grass.

Several times the two witches heard rustling in the bushes, prompting them to draw their swords in unison, expecting Ivana's attacker to return to finish the job by taking Lana. When the sisters felt a gust of wind, they both looked hopefully at the sky, hoping it was their dragons who had found Ivana.

For the fifth time, Dana felt a shift in the air, and she almost didn't look up, afraid of another disappointment. This time the gust was followed by a huge shadow circling around their heads and Prudentus' roar as he tried to get their attention. Dana looked up and saw her black dragon circling impatiently. When he was seen, he flew westward.

'Come,' said Lana, and she ran into the bushes. Dana didn't hesitate and ran after her. They soon realised that running in the bushes was more difficult. Both their dresses and cloaks got caught frequently, creating annoying obstacles. Moreover, they couldn't see far ahead because of the many plants, causing Lana to trip over an exposed root. Dana lifted her worriedly and looked at her sister.

'I'm fine,' Lana said brusquely.

'This isn't working. We'll break a leg before we reach Iva.'

'My gift is useless here, Daan. I'll set everything on fire, reducing us to ashes before we reach Iva.'

'But at this pace, we can't go on, because you'll transform before we leave this place.'

Lana smirked. 'More vampire jokes. Come on, Daan. You can do better than this.'

Dana rolled her eyes and said, 'We actually need Iva's gift.'

'I once read a spell that lets you jump as if there's no gravity.'

Dana raised an eyebrow. 'And you say I'm the one making jokes?'

Lana grinned and said, 'Volitant salire.' A baby pink hue enveloped Lana as if she were wrapped in a pink cloud. Her sister moved hesitantly with her nose, took a running start, and jumped out of sight. Dana's mouth fell open. 'Lana?' she asked hesitantly.

Lana's pinkish figure floated through the air and landed lightly in front of her. Lana's eyes shone with childlike enthusiasm. 'That was cool! Give it a try. Bushes and branches are no longer a problem!'

Dana shook her head as Lana jumped further. Reluctantly, she also said, 'Volitant salire.' She saw her body take on the same pink hue as Lana's. Dana shivered as she felt as light as a feather. It was as if she suddenly weighed nothing; as if the strong wind could blow her away. 'Oh, gods,' she murmured, and she pushed off. She shot through the air in a wide arc and landed lightly in the foliage twenty feet away. Though she felt as if she had left her stomach behind, she understood the thrill Lana had felt. She felt like she could fly herself and now truly understood how Prudentus must feel every time he was in the air.