"Go on, it won't bite."
Yeah, but it might be oozing saliva, and other disgusting dragon... stuff, I thought, standing above it.
Abernathy chuckled, his eyes twinkling merriment. "Go on," he prodded.
Cautious, I picked it up. It was warm, and thankfully slobber free. It looked like a topaz gem, shaped like a teardrop. A grey-black substance swirled within. Holding it between my thumb and first finger I peered at it more closely.
"What is it?" I asked, hearing the wonderment in my voice.
"That, dear Silindra, is a piece of my soul."
I gasped, and almost dropped it. "Why?" To give away a piece of one's soul was a travesty.
"In order to save magic you must combine my soul with six other magical elements," Abernathy answered.
A vibration began within my body, and I knew he spoke the truth. "And they are?" I asked, pressing the gem into the palm of one hand.
"The horn of a unicorn, the strength of a troll, the heart of a fairy, the essence of a vampire, and the blood of a Hunter, but not any Hunter. When the time comes, you'll understand what I mean."
I nodded.
A shriek came from the nethermost part of my mind. I sucked in a breath, surprised. I hadn't made the noise. But who had? Shaking my head, I tried to rid myself of the clutter. After a thousand years of living I thought I'd experienced everything, but there was something new happening inside.
Abernathy spoke, "Do not fight what is meant to be. You have a young vampire within. She will be the one to restore the magical balance to the Earth when the time comes." Without waiting for my response, he lay down, curling his back toward me. Within seconds he was snoring again.
With the gem firmly in my grasp, I retreated from the cave. A part of me worried about keeping the dragon's soul safe. In the wrong hands, it would destroy lives. With the elements combined, whoever wore the gem would possess more power than all others combined, including the dragons.
Excitement shot through my heart.
I would be the most powerful creature in the world.
"Pops, I noticed Kenmei is back. What did he find out? Does he know why the Seal of Gabriel disappeared? Why she's red?"
"He discovered little more than we already knew. Abernathy believes the magic within the gem is binding with Snow. The dragon said if that's the case, she'll be unstoppable, a force more powerful than any of us has ever seen."
"Including the Vampire Queen?"
"Yes."
"Holy crap. Let's wake her up then."
"Try a kiss, numnuts. It works in fairy tales."
"Back off, Salvatore. I'll do it."
"Dorian, I swear to St. Valentine, if your lips go anywhere near hers, I'll kick your ass."
"You're such a baby, Gabe." ...
Chapter 3
I exited the dragon's cave, and was met by Ryden, my most trusted friend. The pixilette had transparent wings, and hair the color of daisies. Gabriel, one of Sharra's Hunters, and my secret lover, was also there.
I sucked in my breath at the sight of him. "Gabriel," my insides sang. It still shocked me that I had any kind of physical reaction to him. He wore his long, black hair in a braid. Several strands had fallen out and framed his chiseled face. His eyes were emerald green, and seemed to overflow with serenity and goodness. He wasn't tall, about my height, and muscled. He wore black pants, fur-covered boots, and a matching black shirt without sleeves. On his back two swords crisscrossed. His sensuous lips were puckered with worry.
Gabriel was a vampire, but didn't look anything like me. No wings and no fur-only our faces were similar in shape, and color. Gabriel had been a human first, before my sister turned him. She used her magic, and her blood to make it happen. Although I was more than offended with what she'd done to him, I couldn't help the strong feelings-the desire-I felt for this Hunter. My feelings went against everything I stood for, but I couldn't deny them.
Flying off Gabriel's shoulder, Ryden asked, "Did you find Abernathy? What did he say?" She spoke in a high, barely audible voice as she flitted around my head.