Talon the Black (Dragonwall Series # 1)

Chapter 11 - Choosing Heroism

Battle Ground, Indiana

Claire cringed every time she saw the blackened skin on Cyrus. The poison was spreading too quickly. It crept up his neck to just below his chin. She tried not to look at it or think about how much pain he was in. He hid his hurt like a champion, finding other things to distract him, like talking about Kane.

After hearing about the evil sorcerer, she'd hardly slept. Her mind was too preoccupied with the alarming details Cyrus had given her. She often found herself pacing back and forth, going back over every aspect of Cyrus's retelling. Kane had three Dragon Stones. No one knew anything about him or his existence. No one knew of the dangers that awaited Dragonwall.

Worse than her lack of sleep was her increasing paranoia. She had taken up Cyrus's habit of checking the windows to ensure the yard was quiet. Her face could often be found peeping out of them, especially at night.

It was midafternoon on the seventh day of his stay when things took a turn for the worse. The sun was still hours from the horizon. She had convinced Cyrus to sit outside with her on the porch swing overlooking the west field—the one she had found him in. They sat side by side, sipping sweet tea with mint leaves, just like her mom made it. The humid afternoon air was less stifling as they swung back and forth.

"What else did you see in Kane's mind?" she asked. When they spoke of Kane, she often picked his brain for more information. Cyrus was a Mind Bender. She had discovered this when she realized how strange it was that he knew so much about his attacker's plans. After putting two and two together, she discovered that he had read her mind as well. He did it their first morning together. It had infuriated her to discover it, but he'd since apologized.

"Well, you already know about the wild dragons," he said. "Have I told you of the additional Vodar wraiths Kane plans to summon?"

She nodded. It was a frightening idea—more Vodar. A few were bad enough. Someone needed to stop him.

"And you already know about the Gobelins."

She did. She knew all about the frightening creatures Dragonwall faced. Wild dragons were cousins to the Drengr. According to Cyrus, these blood-thirsty creatures disappeared thousands of years ago. Somehow they had returned to Dragonwall and were ready to do Kane's bidding.

Like dragons, Gobelins weren't much better. These were green-skinned creatures no taller than a man's waist, who loved gold and riches more than anything in the world. Where the dragons were large, Gobelins were small. Their size easily fooled people. Gobelins had pointy black teeth perfect for ripping flesh apart—which helped explain why they smelled so badly. The most important thing to remember was they were quick.

"Never try to outrun a Gobelin," Cyrus had warned her. She had no intentions of doing so. It was a blessing the creatures were stuck in his world, not hers.

"What about Kane's Nasks?" he asked. "Have I told you about them yet?"

"Yes, but I'll hear the story again if you don't mind. Maybe there's a detail we missed."

Cyrus had grown very forgetful in the last day, many times telling her things she already knew. It was a sign of the poison's increasing hold on him.

"Tell me again," she encouraged. It helped distract him from the pain.

"Kane's Nasks are puppets. He uses them to do his bidding. It is impossible to tell who is possessed and who is not." Cyrus shook his head.

He blamed himself—she knew it even if he didn't admit it. Kane's Nasks had fooled everyone including him.