her like a fire, centering all of her rage and despair on Gideon. A deep trembling shook her body. She just barely held on to her last vestige of control.
“Alex! Freeze them all now!” she screamed. Knowing Alex would act immediately, she waited only a second. And then, she knelt to the ground.
Her form appeared to shimmer in mirage-like waves, wavering as if the air around her was distorting. In the span of moments, she shifted, so fast that it was difficult to make out more than just flashes… scales replaced skin, a tail whipped through the air with a massive crack of the air, claws each the size of the largest wolf gouged the earth, powerful jaws snapped, the shadow of massive wings unfurling blanketed the clearing in an eerie kind of shadow, and a deeply ominous snarl reverberated through the forest. In an instant the girl no longer stood before them, replaced by a form that was midnight black and shimmering, obsidian scales gleaming, and violet blue eyes blazing.
“Oh shit, she did it!” Nate found his voice first, as they collectively backed away from her.
“Oh… my… god!” Lila and Adelaide exclaimed together.
“Whoa! She really wasn’t kidding about the whole dragon thing, was she?” Alex muttered to Griffin who stood beside him.
“And you thought your sisters could cause trouble,” Griffin muttered back, a grim set to his mouth. He couldn’t hear his sister’s thoughts.
She unleashed all of the rage and hatred built up inside her on Gideon, who was suddenly frozen in place, his face still a comical mask of arrogance. Gideon had just started to unfreeze, fighting Alex’s hold on him, when she attacked. She used her great jaws to crush the enormous black wolf, killing him instantly. In a display of years of rage and pain being unleashed on the perpetrator, she dropped his limp form to the ground. Using her talons to pin him there, she ripped his body to shreds, flinging each rag-like piece at the pack that he’d led in such sinister and villainous acts. With an intense roar more terrifying than anything the measly wolves could produce, Ellie took to the air.
The human part of Ellie registered that her family’d instantly regained their powers and stood ready to defend themselves. The wolves didn’t move, still frozen in place by Alex’s mental commands. But the rage of the dragon overrode her humanity, and she bore down on the pack, ignoring the fact that she was also bearing down on her own family.
Violet blue fire the color of her eyes erupted from her jaws. However, none touched the wolves or people on the ground, hitting an invisible barrier above them. Griffin was shielding them all from her. Then the flame went out completely. Some part of Ellie realized that Ramsey was using his powers on her and she roared her mighty wrath, consumed with rage. The dragon remained in control now and would show no mercy to anyone or anything.
“Ellie,” she heard a whisper. She shook her massive head.
As she made to dive again, she felt a sudden force stop her. Alex had frozen her in mid-flight. Showing incredible strength, he slowly lowered her to the ground, pinning her there. The wolves also remained like statues.
Furious, Ellie tested the strength of Alex’s hold on her and found that he was struggling to control the fire inside her. She gathered the fire deep in her belly and unleashed it at the humans standing before her. The deep blue flames hit an invisible wall and bounced back on her. Griffin was obviously using his shield, but now it surrounded her. Then she felt the inferno in her go out, like cold water had been poured down her throat. The small human part of her applauded Ramsey. That couldn’t have been easy for him.
But the dragon in her still ruled. Her massive body heaved with loathing and unfulfilled purpose. Ellie vaguely registered the form of a small girl approaching her. Lila laid her hands on Ellie’s side, and a feeling of total peace engulfed her. She felt the embers of rage and hatred slowly extinguish.
With a nod from Lila, Alex and Griffin came over to her. They bravely moved directly to her head where it lay immobile on the ground.
Ellie could see Alex shaking from the effort. As they lay their hands on her, Ellie heard Alex’s voice in her mind. “Come back to us, Ellie.”
She snorted, the dragon part of her still very much in control.
“Come back