A dragon's second chance

A memory

Aurora's pov

I walked into kitchen and found dad already having breakfast, “good morning dad” I said joining him on the dining table and Elizabeth served me some eggs, bacon and bread with orange juice. “Morning sweetheart” he responded while biting on some toast. “I hear there isn’t much to pack” dad said breaking the silence, “yeah” I said in an almost inaudible whisper. “I guess you and aunt need to do some shopping, there’s a lot that needs to be replaced, we need to leave early then, hurry and finish your breakfast so we can hit the road, it’s a long drive” he said patting my shoulder.

“Ummm dad, can I go somewhere before we go, I’ll be quick I promise” I said a little nervous, he looked at me with curiosity dancing in his eyes. Giving him my cute puppy eyes, he reluctantly agreed only if Elizabeth accompanied me wherever I was going. Grateful that he let me do what I had to do, I finished eating my breakfast in silence. Elizabeth and I left right after I finished eating and dad went to call Aunt Caroline. I walked into the forest surrounding Blood haven with Elizabeth trailing behind me. Once we reached the tree line looking out to the river, Elizabeth asked what we were doing and I just told her to follow me.

The lush green scenery around us hypnotic, the water fall raging was all that could be heard but the most amazing thing is that the water was only rough on the fall but the river was flowing in an abnormally still manner. The rumors of this place enchanted weren’t really far-fetched, this place stayed green all year round, throughout all seasons, almost like it came out of a Disney movie, but then again what would you expect from place filled with witches. I walked towards a bush of wild flowers and knelt in front of them, breathing in their beautiful scent. I took the shovel and started digging right in front of the flowers. I kept digging until I hit something, putting the shovel down, started digging it out with my hands.   

I pulled out the little golden chest and held in my arms. “What is it?” asked Elizabeth, “it’s a time capsule Laura and I buried here when we eight years old, we were planning on digging it out when we turned eighteen but it since we won’t be able to do anymore, I’ll take what she put inside for me and leave what I pit inside for her, hopefully she’ll remember it and dig out” I said with a sad little smile. I opened the chest and took out the bracelet that had my sister’s name on it and put it on my wrist, Xavier had gotten us those bracelets on our eighth birthday. The memory of the bracelet reminded me that I wasn’t only leaving my sister but my friends as well, just thinking about all my friends and the memories we shared together in this heaven like river brought a new wave sadness.

I felt a light tap on my shoulder, I looked up and I was greeted by a gentle smile from Elizabeth, her smile was not only beautiful but it was contagious as well, “how about we take a little stroll around the river before your father calls us back, we don’t know when you’ll be back or if you’ll ever be back here again” she said holding her hand out for me take. I took her hand happy that aside from my dad, there was at least one person in the coven that cared for me. We walked along the river banks in silence just listening to the water crashing on the rocks from ahead. I took my shoes off so I walk in the calm waters of the enchanted river for one last time, though I was hoping it not to be the case but a part of me knew that I would never return to Blood haven, so I wanted this moment to last.

This was always my favorite part about sneaking to the river, I was always playing in the waters, and I’ve always been so drawn to the water, why? I don’t know either; all I know is that I want is to feel the cool waters of the river. The little fish swimming past me and some curious ones trying to nip at skin made me giggle. Slowly reaching fall with Elizabeth still walking with me along the river bank, strangely the water started getting warmer, it puzzled me how the water could warm all of a sudden but then remembered, witches, they must have cast a spell on the river, I mean the name did kind of sense now, I had never been up stream before as it was forbidden and dangerous.

“Alright, you’ve had your fun now out of the water, you’re getting too close to the fall, the waters are getting rough.” Elizabeth said warning me. I didn’t want to leave just yet, it felt so good in there and honestly, I felt a little peace just standing in the river but even I knew I couldn’t go any further no matter how temping it was, I’d drown in the strong current around the fall and I was getting a little too close, the water around me was coming in little waves. Sighing, I looked down at the water one last time before deciding to get out. Just as I took a step in Elizabeth’s direction I head deep grumble, the ground beneath my beneath my bare feet shook slightly and the little waves around me got bigger. I stood there, frozen in place as I tried grasp on what just happened, must have been an earth quake, I thought and as I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I looked at the water once more just to be sure that the earth quake had stopped but what I saw had my breath hitch. A strange orange glow was coming from the water and it was begging me to reach out and touch it.

I walked towards it trying to reach it but it moved further away from me, towards the fall. I knew going after it was dangerous, I knew I would probably die, I was a good swimmer but against the strong current of the fall, I didn’t stand a chance. My mind was in a haze, it was like I was in a trance and I couldn’t stop my legs from walking towards the glow. I could feel the current getting stronger as I got closer to the fall and it was getting harder to walk, and the water was rising quite fast but I kept going anyway. The deep grumbling came again and the earth shook beneath me, only this time it was louder and the earth quake was more violent, so violent that I lost my balance and fell in the water.  

Elizabeth’s pov

“Alright, you’ve had your fun now out of the water, you’re getting too close to the fall, the waters are getting rough.” I said watching her closely, she seemed to be enjoying the water but the fall was dangerous, even a grown up could survive that so what of a ten year old. I saw her turn in my direction, knowing she was coming out I turned to look at the scenery. You could never get tired of the view here; it was out of this world, breathtaking. I closed my eyes breath in the sweet natural scents of this hypnotic heaven but my I snapped my eyes when I heard a deep grumble and a slight earth quake followed after it.

“Aurora get out of the water!” I called to her but it was like she didn’t hear me, instead she stared straight into the water, not even sparing me a glance. “Aurora get out now!!!” I screamed trying to get her attention but like before she didn’t react to my voice, panicking I rushed towards the river to get her out of there but just as I was about to go into the river I hit something hard and fell back. Rushing to my feet to fight whoever would dare stand in my way of getting that little girl out of the water, but there was no one there. I reached out my arms and that’s when I felt it, a barrier. Someone had put a barrier up so I couldn’t reach Aurora. Before I could question what was going, my face paled at the realization of what was happening, and only one culprit came to mind, the coven.

I should have known they would try to kill her; no mag children are either cast out into the human world or sacrificed to the ancestors, those that are cast normally grow crazy when they mature but Aurora wasn’t just a no mag, she was a royal and because of that, she wouldn’t just go crazy, she would become murderous, dangerous to anyone near her, the last no mag royal killed an entire village of humans risking exposure of the coven to the hunters. They wanted her dead before she matured and lost her mind. Casting a spell of my own I tried to break the barrier but it was too strong, I was a strong witch so whoever was behind this had to have some powerful magic. I tried again and again but the barrier was just too strong and Aurora was walking closer and closer to fall, the water rising higher too.

I had to think of a way to get her out of there and fast, I could never live with myself if I let that sweet girl die. Another grumble, almost like a growl echoed throughout the river but this one was louder and the earth quake was more violent than the last. I struggled to keep my balance but Aurora couldn’t and she fell into the water. My panic now rising, I couldn’t focus on anything but her, feeling helpless tears rushed down my face at the thought of watching her drown, “think Elizabeth think” I scolded myself for losing focus when every single second lost was increasing her chances of dying.

Like lightening, it struck me, my mate! He was one of the strongest warlocks in our generations, so strong that his family came second to the royals. If I channeled him using the bond that connected us I could break the barrier. Closing my eyes I centered myself connecting to him, when I felt his power rolling off of me in waves I began to chant. Aranathna hekilium santas, I chanted over and over again and each time my voice got louder. The wind picked up around me throwing my hair all over the place as power surged from me, pushing myself harder and harder over my limit, I finally broke the barrier. I fell on my knees from exhaustion but I knew I wasn’t done yet, I had to get Aurora out of there. Finding whatever strength I had left I got up and ran to her, I grabbed her just as the water was rising to her waist. I pulled her out with a little struggle since I had depleted my energy and her struggling to go back wasn’t making it easy. Succeeding in pulling her out of the water, I cradle her and whispered for her to come back to me, breathing deeply she came out of her trance like state and shivered in my arms. I felt relief flood over knowing she was ok but my relief was short lived.

I felt a pair of strong arms grab me from behind and my body tensed, knowing I didn’t have the power to defend us both. I felt tingles and sparks from where the stranger had touched me and I sank into his arms as my body relaxed into the hands of my mate.