Her Second Chance✔ (To be published)

18

There were guards outside their room who followed them as they pretended to explore the castle while looking for a way out. Dani hummed as they did, using her gift for song to test the strength if the wards and discover where they were.

Since their mental link was suppressed they resorted to a childish secret language they'd invented. There were quite a few places that were warded, including one surrounding the castle. Both of them stood in awe as they came to a balcony overlooking the city of dragons.

The castle was built into the mountain with the city spread before it. It was as if the mythical king Midas had run around touching all the buildings in the city. It was golden, shining with splendour against the sun. Marble accented the golden walls, with precious stones glittering even more among the gold.

"That's..." Dani began then tapered off.

"A bit much." Cari finished.

"Dragons love their treasure, I guess." Dani shrugged it off. "Okay, now's the time for the final song. Make our two guards oblivious."

Closing her eyes, Cari called up her gift. It was something that should've been simple, innocuous. But like Claire's gift of love, it had some aspects that were surprising. She had the gift of serenity, an ability to calm anyone and anything. She could take it further though and do things she'd rather keep to herself. Even Dani didn't know how far she could go.

She opened her eyes and looked at the two guards and smiled. A smile was a simple thing, an invitation that only the most hardened people were immune to. Even when people didn't respond a smile softened them just a bit. That little bit was all it needed for her serenity to wash over them. For their minds to be clouded by it to the exclusion of all else.

Cari watched them fall to it and smile back at her. She felt a pang of regret at having to manipulate others like that. "Come on," she grabbed her cousin's hand. "Sing us a way out of here."

*

Cari couldn't understand why they were going down. She had thought that they'd find a back way out of the realm but Dani's song led them down, into the bowels of the castle mountain. Into the heart of dragonheim, at least according to the old stories, no other paranormal being had been to the city of dragons in aeons. Not since they freed themselves of the dragons and the dragons had retreated to lick their wounds.

She could feel the magic that surrounded the very walls of the cavernous hallways, magic that seemed alive. Then again dragons were full of magic, enough that their very presence might have seeped magic into them over the aeons. She shivered against the brush of it, a sense that she was not welcome. Dani's song seemed to be the only reason the very air wasn't fighting against them.

Keeping close to her cousin Cari looked around the dark caverns. They were made of natural rock and if they'd been man-made any tool marks had been smoothed out over the aeons. They were darkened by age to give more mystery to the halls. Cari could've done without it.

She missed Andre. Her reasoning told her it was too soon to be missing him but her heart ached and her mind kept straining to him. It was as if she was aching to link her mind to his. Dani had said the dragon had done something to block their abilities. Thank heavens he hadn't known about their gifts.

Still, Cari was pissed. Once again dragons were rearing their heads to take whatever they wanted from the other races. With how separate the other races were chances were the dragons might actually manage to suppress them all as they had in ancient times. Had they discovered what the other races had done to them?

A shiver went down her spine at that thought. Even with their power reduced, the dragons were still the most powerful of the paranormals. Cari didn't know a sure way to kill them. Their magic was stronger than the wizard race, their strength unbeatable. They were cunning, relentless in a fight. Their numbers were less than any other race but they were enough to make even a concerted effort risky.