99: Change in Command – Pt. 3

“GET UP!” Rowan shouted as Victoria lay sprawled on his floor, huffing for a breath. Sweat poured from her face and her heart felt like it would explode at any minute. “I said get up!” The iciness in Rowan’s tone fueled the anger boiling inside her and she growled as she struggled to her feet.

Her chest heaved with every breath, but she dug her heels in, refusing to give up. The day started with a test of magic that moved into hand-to-hand combat but now evolved into Rowan turning her into his personal punching bag. When he insisted on having Marcel participate in a two versus one situation, she thought for sure she was gonna break beyond repair. 

And yet, despite the number of times he’d put her on her ass, it still felt as though he was holding back. He hadn’t caused any serious damage or pain; like a snake toying with its prey before swallowing it whole.

But now, they were entering the top of the fourth hour in this cramped vault, the heat of the tiny space created a blazing storm of internal rage that she used to her advantage. He wasn’t making this easy for sure. But if he wanted to play dirty, she was game.

Standing in front of her opponent, she moved into fighting position and prepared herself for Rowan’s next attack. “Good girl.” Without a moment’s hesitation, he charged, striking her in the chest and watched as she flew back toward the cushioned floor once more. Victoria landed with a heavy smack and felt the wind go out of her. “Again, Victoria. Defend!” His voice was grit and steel.

“I think you’re enjoying this a little too much,” she sighed aloud, slapping her hand against the pads beneath her. Pulling herself up, she glanced at the smirk on Rowan’s face and thought for a moment.

Balling her fists, she conjured a fire ball, aimed it directly at his face and let it loose. Victoria watched as Rowan easily dodged, the smile on his face never fading. With a shrug, she sank down onto her knees and took a deep breath. “I don’t know what you want from me, Rowan. I’m not a vampire. I don’t have the speed to match you.”

“You don’t need speed, Victoria. You just have to anticipate my moves and cast accordingly.”

“Anticipate your moves? Like you’re not reading my thoughts. You’re cheating! How do you expect me to anticipate that?” Lowering himself to come eye level with her, Rowan gently brushed her hair out of her face and shook his head.

“Victoria, if you think for one second the creatures, you’ll face out there will have any sort of mercy or empathy for you, you’re dead wrong and then you’ll just be dead. This is exactly what the elders were talking about. You and Derrick have become complacent. You know his moves and can predict what he will and won’t do. Now you’re facing an opponent that is much stronger, faster and more experienced. I told you I wouldn’t make this easy. But you are perfectly capable of besting me. Now, up. Show me the fire I know is inside you, Little Witch.” 

Climbing to her feet, Victoria took a moment to settle her thoughts. If Rowan wanted to cheat, she’d just have to lie to him. Feinting right, she waited for him to react before hurling a jagged line of electricity left. The muscles of his arms flexed as he closed his hands into fists, taking the full force of her magic. Victoria watched as the sparks fizzled out on his very defined stomach and he glanced down at the place he’d been struck and back toward her. “That’s more like it! Now, let’s harness your dragon’s flame.”

Rowan gave her a cocky smirk as he brought his hands up, readying for another round. Victoria dodged left just as he charged forward and threw a jab at his jaw. He again was faster, and easily blocked her hit. They circled each other, throwing punches, jabs, and kicks, each vying for the upper hand and Victoria showing marked improvement with each subsequent round.

Resting on the lanai, Victoria watched the sun set over the garden and took in the fresh scent of jasmine growing there. “You have progressed much in just the past week,” Rowan’s accent floated toward her with the night breeze.

“Really? I couldn’t tell. My backside met your mat so many times it was starting to leave imprints.” Rowan chuckled and nodded his head.

“Regardless, Princess. You have been doing remarkably well.”

“Thank you, Rowan. You’re a real taskmaster though, you know? Julian wasn’t joking about your aggressiveness.”

“Mercy is for the weak, Victoria. One of which you are not.” Glancing over toward him, she caught the tail end of a smile on his face before he stared up at the sky, admiring the same setting sun that had captured her attention just moments before. 

“It’s really nice out here, Rowan. Beautiful. Peaceful.”

He turned to look at her then, enjoying the wonder on her face as she looked around at all the colorful flowers planted here. “It took some work but it was a true labor of love.”

“Wait, you did all this?” she asked with astonishment.

Rowan nodded, a proud grin on his face as their eyes met. “Every bloom. I designed, sowed and cultivated every tree, flower and plant you see before you. Is it really that surprising?”

“Yes, Rowan, it is. I mean—the big bad British blonde is into beautiful little blossoms? It’s completely unexpected, but that might just make it even more amazing,” she said with a smile of admiration.

“Well, alliteration aside, I’m glad you like it.”

“I do, Rowan. I really do.”

“You’re welcome here anytime, Victoria.” 

Victoria found Derrick reading in the den when she arrived home. “Have you not read every book in this house yet?” she asked, leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“I have. Thrice. But it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy finding new material,” he said, showing her the cover.

“In that case, you’re gonna need a new wing to your library.”

Placing his book on the table, Derrick sat up and watched as Victoria stretched while she rounded the corner of the sofa. “How was it?”

“Rough. Rowan doesn’t pull his punches.”

“Did he hurt you?” he asked, feeling a sense of rage at the thought.

“No, no, nothing I can’t handle. I’ll be fine, Derrick. I just mean, he doesn’t give me a moment’s rest. Everything is just go, go, go. It’s brutal.”

“Well, how about I run you a hot bath and give you a massage so you can rest?”

“Oh my god, baby, that sounds like a dream. Yes, please!” 

The next morning, Victoria and Derrick were back in the magic room, working through the instructions of the looking glass spell. After mixing the ingredients, Derrick placed the cauldron into the center of the room and moved the mirror closer as Victoria prepared to do the incantation.

Moments later, smoke rose above the bubbling cauldron as the red liquid became clear and the rising steam fogged up the glass of the mirror. Victoria chewed her bottom lip as she waited for images to appear. But after five minutes, the cauldron ran clear and the smoke dissipated. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked, reading through the spellbook once more.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen the spell performed before.”

“Well, we did everything it said. I mean the ingredients were named differently but it was still the same, right?”

“What does it say?” Derrick asked, moving over her shoulder to take a look.

“‘Assemble the elemental components of earth, wind, water and fire. Speak the words of enchantment over the burning flame. Voice your intention to confront your past.’”

As she looked up into the mirror again, Victoria repeated the last line of the spell, speaking her intention clearly: “I wish to learn more about my dragon half.”

Again, they waited, but this time, the mirror began to move. “Whoa. Something’s happening,” she said, watching the vibrations shaking the frame. It fogged up once more and the cauldron began to bubble.

Flames shot out of the pot, coating the mirror in the mixture of elementals, causing the shuddering to become faster and more violent. “Derrick, is this supposed to happen?” Victoria asked, watching the mirror as it began to flicker and transform.

“Uh…”

“DERRICK!”

“I—I don’t know, Victoria. Just to be safe maybe we should…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the mirror shattered to pieces. Derrick quickly placed himself in front of Victoria as the shards exploded around the room, cutting into his back and arms as he wrapped himself around her. A gush of wind thundered across them and a bright burst of light filled every dark corner, consuming the shadows and anything it touched.

The mirror hollowed out into a darkened abyss where the glass once stood and a powerful suction began pulling everything forward.

“Derrick…” Victoria whimpered as she felt herself being dragged toward the newly formed gateway the eruption produced.

“Just hold on to me,” Derrick shouted to be heard over the roar of the wind. It was no use, neither one could stop the spell from devouring them both. And it was only a matter of moments before they were pulled through the wooden outline of the mirror and into the shadowy portal. 

Landing with a crash on the ice-cold ground, it took Victoria a moment to feel her body relax and she sat up in shock. “Derrick!”

“Victoria!” he shouted, stumbling forward and coming to rest by her side. “Are you ok?”

“I am, are you?”

“I’m fine,” he said, taking in their new surroundings. “Uh…”

“Let me guess,” Victoria sighed. “We’ve been sucked into yet another realm and must now find our way back home.”

“Not just that…” Derrick said, nodding toward a mountainous area behind her. “I’m pretty sure knights in shining armor haven’t existed since the dark ages.” 

Looking where he motioned, Victoria could see a large army of men rushing forward as townspeople ran screaming in the other direction. They were dressed in plate armor and equipped with swords, spears and maces.  

“Wait, so not another realm, another time?” Derrick nodded as he helped Victoria to her feet.

The smell of blood and smoke hit them both at once. Victoria turned to take in the sight, her eyes going wide as she took in the carnage. A village was aflame in the distance. The screams of people being burned alive was too much to bear.

“What’s going on? Where are we?”

“I don’t know where we are, but I definitely know what’s happening. Hurry, we need to get out of here before…

Once again, his sentence was cut short by the booming growl that rumbled over the blaze as power shook the sky. A dark shadow covered them and much of the village, beckoning their eyes toward the heavens. “Oh my God…Derrick is that a…”

“Dragon. Yes, a very large, very angry, very real dragon.” They watched as the large beast flew above the village, circling once before aiming its next attack directly at them!