Once upon a Dragon Gift (Once Upon a Dragon Series Book 4)

I got back from my flight around seven, just before breakfast. George and Becky sat around the table in the library with Adolph. They were busy with one of their sessions.

I traipsed closer, trying not to disturb George, and then turned around and walked out as my stomach grumbled.

They didn’t come for breakfast either, and they were missing from a couple of classes too as our day progressed.

We had Art of War with Lakon, the same instructor that got King Albert back in action.

They were in a session as we entered and sat on the seats in the arena, looking down on the fight between the two.

I wouldn’t mess with King Albert. He might look scrawny and fragile, but what he’d shown us was the opposite. He was lethal.

They fought with weapons and spells. The king was fast on his feet. Kept us glued to the edge of our seats as he kept dodging the spells Lakon threw his way.

Lu chuckled, as he couldn’t stop watching.

“Tranqite Demonerous,” King Albert yelled, and all of us gasped.

He didn’t own magic, but the shape of a silver dragon protruded from his body. It distracted Lakon, and the trainer fell on his ass as the king got the upper hand.

The dragon retreated as laughter spilled from the king’s lips. “I’m so sorry, Lakon.” He lent a hand, and the trainer grabbed it. The king helped him to his feet.

“Never apologize, my king. I’ve only heard about the dragon lingering inside of you. I thought it was a figure of speech.”

King Albert laughed again. “It’s the only magic I possess.”

My gaze flickered to Dad, who sat a few steps away from us. His grin couldn’t have been wider.

“You sure are getting the hang of becoming a Dragonian again, Al,” Dad called out. “Maybe in another month, you will tame me again.”

Laughter elicited as the king just stared at Dad.

“What are you talking about? I had you at hello,” the king replied.

Lucian leaned closer to me as Dad rushed down the steps. “What the hell was that?”

I shook my head. “I’ve never seen anything like that. I was under the impression he owned no magic.”

Dad and the king messed around with one another. He was trying to get my father to fight him, but Dad just looked at him as if he was some sort of small-breed dog yapping at him. “I fight when I have to fight. Today is not one of those days.”

The king mocked him, and Dad walked away with a smile.

We applauded as the king bowed and called it a day while the instructor beckoned us forward to start with our class.

Halfway through, George and Becky arrived with Adolph behind them.

“Lakon, can you please give us some time? We have something important to start with immediately.”

“You sure about this?” George asked.

“I’m positive.” Adolph couldn’t contain the grin and joy that sparkled in his eyes. “I’ll be there to guide you, and so will Lakon. He is great with spells.”

George looked at me.

My lips twitched. “You saw the spell?”

“Yeah, I’m just not as hyped as Adolph about all of this, Blake.”

He handed me a piece of paper, and I read through the words.

I’m inquiring about the four elements to help me with thee.

Fire, whose flames have put herds to flee.

Water, who gives life for free, and earth, who gives life through her seeds. And last but not the least, air with whom we cannot live without, whom we all need.

I beg the elements to join forces with me.

My gaze jumped from the spell to George. “I have to say this?”

“They become one with you, Blake,” Adolph remarked.

I could feel George’s anxiety. It weighed a ton.

I looked at Adolph. “What if I can’t release them?”

“Oh, you think you are going to succeed on the first try? This I have to see.”

Everyone laughed as the king and Dad returned.

I looked at the words again.

Adolph explained, “George has seen it. Meaning that it’s going to happen. Most of the spells are the strongest, as we know the outcome. It’s not whether the spells work, but the confidence of the one speaking them. Knowing the outcome, Blake, will make you succeed with this one.”

“That is a lot of pressure.”

“Buff up, you are the Rubicon,” King Albert hollered.

Everyone laughed, and I looked at all of my friends who waited eagerly to jump into me.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“You guys ready to try this?”

They all nodded.

We stood in a circle, a similar one to what George has seen.

“Fire is first, and it’s Brian and Brit who are the closest to you,” George said, and Brian and Brit stepped into the spots on my right. “Then it’s Lucian and Tabitha, followed by Becky and me.”

I nodded.

I read the words a few times for myself.

I’m inquiring the four elements to help me with thee.

Fire, whose flames have put herds to flee.

Water, who gives life for free, and earth, who gives life through her seeds. And last but not the least, air with whom we cannot live without, whom we all need.

I beg the elements to join forces with me.

I needed to speak these words as if I’d done it a million times before.

I spoke the words out loud, and Adolph covered his ears. “We are not deaf, Blake.”

“Sorry, just nervous. Nobody has done anything like this before.”

“Take a deep breath and try again.”

I did what Adolph instructed, and I spoke the words again, this time controlling the volume of my voice.

Nothing happened with Brian and Brit.

“It’s not working.”

“Then try again until something happens, Blake. You need to want it,” Adolph said.

“What if I don’t want it? This is insane.”

“Blake, do you want to fulfill the true purpose of the Saadedine, or are we going to leave those poor wyrms to stay useless for eternity?”

Lucian lifted his hand. “I doubt they are useless—”

“Lucian,” Adolph warned.

“Sorry,” he spoke.

“Okay, fine. Let’s try this again,” I sighed.

I spoke the first rule, trying to mean it. Still, nothing happened. Brian and Brit were both waiting patiently.

We practiced for the entire day until my tongue tied up and the wrong words came out. I didn’t want this, and the spell could hear and feel it.

I doubted if I ever would want this.

The days grew, and we kept on practicing, but I didn’t come further than Brian and Brit.

It was a useless situation.

“You don’t want it enough!” Adolph chastised.

“You think?”

“Blake. We will not become Garrison if the host that carries all of us doesn’t want to be Garrison,” George said.

“Why am I the host?”

“You are the strongest. I’ve seen you in the visions as the host, big guy. None of us can carry that responsibility.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not ready for this.” I chucked the spell to the floor and walked out of the training area.

I would never be ready for this either. I wasn’t built like that to become the one with not one person but six others. They would be able to see my past, my shit, and my secrets.

George had seen wrong; I wasn’t the host.

Lucian tried to become the new host the next day.

“The one with earth has to speak the spell. You are water, Lu. Elena isn’t here.”

I grunted at George’s words.

“Fuck Garrison. I don’t care. The Rubicon will be enough,” I said.

My patience was up with this Garrison idea. It was insane to think that seven people could merge into one. I would not give up my friends just because of what I really was and instead tried to shy away from them. I knew I wasn’t that Blake anymore, but to share that intimate detail with all of them, they would treat me differently, maybe fear me even. These were my best friends, and I would have them for the rest of my life. I couldn’t be the host.

I went for a flight to clear my head, but even that didn’t work.

Lu waited for me as I came through the landing in front of my room.

I shifted and entered my room, grabbing my jeans and pulling them on.

“What is going on, Blake? You were crazy about the idea in the beginning. What’s changed? Is it because you struggled with the spell?”

“It’s because I don’t mean it. I don’t want it, Lu.”

“What don’t you want? To become Garrison?”

I sat on the edge of the bed.

“You guys physically merged with me. You will hear my thoughts, see everything that I’ve done. They will know that Elena isn’t just my rider,” I whispered the last part.

“You are scared her dad is going to find out?”

“I’m not afraid of that. Lu, I have a dark past. I’ve done things I told myself I’d take to my grave. You are asking me to show you all of that.”

“Bud, I don’t care about your past.”

“This is not just about you. It’s Brian, George, the girls. We have to be a team for a fucking long time. Building a foundation on that is not the way forward. I can’t be the host. I have too many secrets that I’m trying to shield you all from. Why can’t you get that? I’m not built to be vulnerable.” Tears glistened in my eyes.

Lu sighed. “Okay, at least we discovered the true use for the Saadedine, and hopefully that horrible ritual will die.”

“It will. I think it’s why George didn’t see us as Garrison, but others.”

“He saw others as Garrison?”

“He said it was a documentary or something we made for the future generation. I think it’s because we won’t be Garrison. He saw the Garrison that is going to be made up by the four Dents after us.”

“Make sense.”

“I’m sorry. I know you are disappointed, but I can’t lose any one of you as much as I can’t lose Elena.”

“I get it. It’s okay.” He got up and walked to the door. He paused. “You are wrong about that foundation, though, Blake. It’s secrets that tear bonds apart, not the truth.”

A part of me knew he was going to say that. It was who Lucian was. It wasn’t who I was.