Legends of Darkstalkers and Nightriders

Chapter 20: The Book

Sadie's POV

A few days later we were in the woods enjoying the cool breeze that whispered through the leaves and the warm sunshine. I hung back most of the time, watching Blaze and Emma mess around and have fun. Every once in a while I'd join in for a few giggles from Emma.

At the moment they walked ahead of me, talking softly to each other. I looked up through the branches as the breeze picked up for a moment then settled down again.

I frowned curiously. I'd told Emma when we first met that my abilities included being able to fly and controlling the air around me. What I'd neglected to mention was that if I asked, I could also get the wind to tell me things. By concentrating I could see and hear everything that was going on with anyone, even if they were miles away. I could also use it to carry my voice directly to someone's ear. It was an ability I rarely used, but lately I'd been using it to keep tabs on Hiccup. Not all the time, but I'd try to find him on occasion just to make sure he was okay. Now though I could sense there was something wrong.

I flew up above the trees, leaving the siblings to one of their levitation games and closed my eyes, blocking out everything else as I focused all of my attention on Berk. As I did so, the wind picked up considerably, whipping around me anxiously.

Slowly an image took shape. Drago was there, attacking Berk with a huge bewilderbeast as Hiccup tried desperately to stop him. Turning my attention from Hiccup, I focused on his house, searching for the book beneath his bed. Sure enough, there it was. I knew we could easily get in and out with it and never be noticed.

I opened my eyes. "Em! Blaze!"

The siblings' conversation paused and they looked up. "Yeah?" Emma asked.

"If we go now we could get the book from Hiccup and be out before they even know we're there."

"How do you know?" Blaze asked.

"Call it a sixth sense," I said. "Come on, before it's too late!"

"Alright," Emma said. "Nova!"

I whistled for Stardancer as I waited for them to mount up and join me in the air. We took off for Berk. When we got there, we saw the bewilderbeast attacking, spitting spikes of ice. We watched for a moment as we went past it and to Hiccup's house.

As I'd suspected, no one noticed us as we slipped inside and grabbed the book. As we were leaving I heard a woman scream and turned just as Hiccup and Toothless were encased in some ice.

I took a step toward him before I stopped myself, watching the woman beat her fists uselessly against it. Just then a light seemed to come from inside and the ice exploded and I saw Toothless, a blue light glowing from his nostrils and along his spine, Hiccup held protectively under one wing. I felt my shoulders slump in relief at the sight of him unharmed.

We watched for another moment before Blaze's voice interrupted. "Let's go, before we get caught."

I nodded and forced myself to turn away, quickly mounting Stardancer before taking off. I looked down at the book in my hands as we flew away from Berk, most of it in ruins from Drago's attack.

We'd done it. We'd gotten the book. All that remained was to hand it over to Alvin in exchange for my locket.

But despite everything, I couldn't bring myself to feel happy about it. Hiccup had nearly died protecting his home and now I was handing the very thing that could destroy it to his enemy. The thought put a heavy feeling in my chest that wouldn't let up.

"Guys, stop," I said finally.

Emma paused. "Sadie? What's wrong?"

"I can't do this, not to him."