Taming the Familiar

Chapter 20- Dragon on the Defense

"Maybe it was someone's nickname. Or a gang or something." she said. Patrick shook his head. 

"I don't think so but I want to figure it out and help her." he said. Alexa nodded sagely as Patrick cleaned the dead hair out of his brush

"She doesn't seem like she died an easy death. After that she deserves to rest in peace." she said. Patrick nodded.

"She's too angry with this dragon, and wants to stop him before there are more victims. She keeps telling me he is going to kill me, or you. She isn't fond of you either." he said thoughtfully. Alexa recalled the disinterested looks the ghost usually gave her. She couldn't really complain, at least the ghost wasn't trying to hurt her like it was with Kaleth. She watched Patrick carefully. It seemed the ghost was highly talkative with him. She wondered silently if there was a way she could get it to finally talk to her. She knew more about it's life and death and might have a better chance of helping it than Patrick.

"Does she respond if you talk back to her?" she asked. Patrick shrugged.

"Sometimes she does. Sometimes she doesn't. She tends to go off on a rant about the dragon every time, but sometimes she listens to me." he said, shivering. Alexa frowned, why couldn't the ghost leave her brother out of it and tell her these things directly. At least then maybe they could sort things out peacefully instead of all this smoke and daggers, and freezing her familiar. 

"Do you think she would talk to me if you told her to?" she asked. Patrick furrowed his brow as if he hadn't thought of this. Alexa rolled her eyes, he was her little brother. f course he hadn't thought of it. He smiled as he scraped his brush down the horse's legs. Alexa's side of the horse wasn't even half done. 

"I don't know but i could try." he replied. Alexa nodded as she cleaned the meager amount of hair she had managed to gather out of her brush. Patrick was done his side and moved to help her. He had far more practice at this as he was out here every single day.

"She said she could help me. That she would do anything if it ended the dragon's life." he said. Alexa shook her head.

"That kinda sounds like a deal with the devil." she said. Patrick frowned as if he had actually been considering.

"What if it backfires and she possesses you, or something bad happens?" she asked. Patrick rolled his eyes in response.

"I wouldn't let it. What if I could make her follow my every command?" he asked. Alexa shook her hand.

"Even if she had to follow your every command things could go wrong." she said thinking of Kaleth and the risk she had faced of him harming her family. This ghost had a lot of anger just like him. Only it wasn't a magical slave but a free thinking being. They were almost finished with the brushing and Alexa pulled her sweater closer. It had grown dark outside and now that summer was ending there was a bit of a chill in the air. They finished up with the horse quickly and headed inside to warm up.

Kaleth's eyes shot to the door. Alexa still wasn't back from helping her brother. His eyes were burning from lack of sleep but he didn't want to ask Alexa to send him off to the other plane and leave herself undefended. He shivered, a sure sign the ghost was nearby. He couldn't close his eyes without it attacking now unless he was near Alexa. Even then if she was asleep the ghost would sneak up. There was no way he'd ask her to stay awake and watched over him as he slept either. there was a creak from the closet and he turned quickly but saw nothing. Pitch was stretch out, covering Alexa's entire bed and watching him with amusement. Stupid feline, why didn't the ghost try to hurt him. Pitch was Alistar's familiar too. The floor outside the door creaked and he turned back again. He could hear a snicker on the other side. How the hell could he even fight it. It was already dead, it didn't have a solid form and it could vanish in a flash. Pitch made a strange growling noise and Kaleth glanced towards the door to see the ghost. He back up as far as he could on the couch. The ghost tilted it's head to the side and smiled.

"So you're scared of me now." she said, her eyes wide. Kaleth had to fight the urge to bare his fangs at her. One he didn't have fangs right now, Alexa had told him to stay in human form. Two even when he was in his dragon form he fought against acting like an actual animal.

"Why do you want me? Did you get Alistar?" he asked. Then spirit grinned wider.

"The green eyed devil, he's not here anymore." she singsonged. Kaleth shivered as a frigid breeze blew past him. She singsonged some random words for a few minutes before here gaze locked back on Kaleth.

"I'm stronger now than I was then. You can't hurt me anymore." she said. Then she grinned wider still as if her face was about to crack. She drifted closer and Kaleth stiffened. She leaned in close to his ear.

"I won't end it quickly, we'll have so much fun. Just like before." she whispered. He watched her move away and for a second thought he had escaped without injury. Then she sent a large chunk of ice flying at him and it hit him in the temple. He brought his hand up to feel blood dripping down his face.