The Dream Keeper's Dragon

9. For Now

A branch burst from the ground and pressed Marianne tightly against the walls of the cottage. A piercing shriek came from Marianne's lips. Aurelie covered her ears with her palms, inclined to fall, and quiver in the corner.

She should have damn well left as soon as she planted that seed! Jermyn had warned her about the woman's magic. She even fought with him to stay away from this mess, and here she was, in the middle of it!

"The seed. Brilliant!" Marianne said. She starred at Jermyn and bit down on her bottom lip.

"Remove the curse, Marianne. I'm not here to play your games."

"But play you will!" Marianne pressed her hands together and started chanting, "Idrio iferna."

A fire started at the tip of his stump and grew larger, spreading throughout his body.

"You know why, Jermyn?" She cocked her head, waiting for an answer, with her ear turned to him. "Because I feel like making you dance."

Jermyn's branches retracted with hesitation. His face was strained, fighting to keep her in place. Aurelie saw the exact moment he gave in to the pain, his whole body sunk as if it had been entirely emptied of air. Aurelie scrambled around the cabin, looking for something that could help him. There was nothing but herbs lying around and the water in the pot was boiling. That would only harm him more.

Marianne looked into his hollow eyes. She pressed her hands together and gave out a loud, sharp cackle. "Iferna," she growled.

The sound resonated through Aurelie's bones like an earthquake. She took a quick breath, feeling squeamish, and dizzy with fear.

Jermyn took a shaky step forward and collapsed right as his foot landed. He clamped his mouth shut so tightly that the wood chipped around his mouth. His hand swung out. A branch burst out of the ground right beside Marianne. It swung.

Marianne stepped backward. Her foot did settle on the ground, but rather, found some sort of footing in midair. She took two more steps backward, hovering above the ground like a large flimsy bird. Jermyn's branch missed her by an inch, sunk into the ground, and came up with an explosion of rocks and earth behind her again.

Marianna made a stiff fist with her right hand. The branch jerked from side to side in small, rickety movements.

"And what will you do now?" she asked him.

Aurelie's head moved from Marianne to Jermyn. He moaned. It was hard for him to speak, but he tried his hardest. "Remove . . . the curse."

The ground beneath the twitching branch cracked and bulged. Deep roots grew outward, filling the space, and crawling onto the earth. Aurelie had to jump away to keep one of the growing roots from pushing her off balance. The branch tilted downward as if something had been pulling it. Then, still jerking, it swung to the side and knocked into Marianne's ankles.

Aurelie heard a crack of bone as Marianne fell.

The witch hissed, still smiling but with a tense expression. She tried to keep her composure, but Jermyn's persistence clearly surprised her.

Jermyn had a second to spare while she got back on her feet. The fire dimmed slightly, but still clung to his darkened bark.

The branch thickened and started to swing violently from side to side. Jermyn was losing control again. It neared the house, missing it with an inch, and then swung back, knocking into the frame of the window, and slashing right through the wall. Stones flew out in Aurelie's direction. She lifted her hands above her head, and cowered, feeling them drop on the ground all around her. A sharp piece passed her ankle before settling on her right. It split her skin.