Chapter 7: Fire-Breathing Dragon (Part 4)

Jennifer sat in class biting her manicured nails out of nervousness, her foot tapping against the cool tile in a rhythmic pattern. She needed out of this room; her worry for Sophia prevented her from focusing on whatever their mentor droned on about.

Two weeks passed since their idiotic trip to the Forbidden Forest in search of a dragon. When she and Caiden noticed Sophia hadn't caught up, they back-tracked and found no trace of their friend. There were footprints embedded in the muddied forest floor, but they led to a solid rock wall. No other clues existed to pinpoint her location. It was like the Forbidden Forest swallowed her.

Jennifer wrapped her arms around her body after an unpleasant shiver crawled up her spine. The footprints vanished as if something swooped out of the sky and hauled her away.

Jennifer switched to a different nail after gnawing the current to oblivion. She tried to focus on the major’s debriefing again, but his voice faded out when her thoughts wandered off. Her blue eyes glanced at her wrist and she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that the debriefing will end in four minutes.

Come on now, Major, she begged in her mind, eyes following every tick of the clock on the wall, then switching to a fixation with her watch.

“We will meet again by tomorrow evening. Don’t forget to bring your necessities with you for your first internship,” her mentor reminded them before walking out of the room.

The blonde almost tripped from how fast she jumped from her chair. Jennifer made a beeline for the hallway. She had to know if the Knights Association discovered any evidence concerning Sophia's whereabouts. She pleaded with whatever deity observing them for Sophia's life.

"Jennifer Francis?"

Two men stood behind her. "Yes?" she acknowledged.

One male held up a badge, shoulder-length ebony hair shifting when he did so. "Benjamin Anderson, Investigator from the Knights Association. We need you to come with us. We have a few questions about your friend's disappearance."

Anderson?

Blonde eyebrows raised in confusion. Were they arresting her? Did they think she killed Sophia and lied about her disappearance? She already sat through hours of questioning with the police the moment she and Caiden reported her missing. Five thousand scenarios raced through Jennifer's head and her heart pounded harder with fear. What if she went to prison on false charges?

Officer Benjamin noticed the scared expression on the woman's face and gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry so much. We just want to hear your side of the story."

She gazed at them wearily before nodding. "O-Okay."

Jennifer followed the two men towards the main office of the Knights Association and asked where they were going. Once Officer Benjamin told her, she let her parents know her location through a Faerie, their mode of urgent communication. As they set out into the cube-like transportation, Jennifer gazed out of the window, watching the green landscape blur together from the speed they traveled. Her thoughts focused on her best friend more than a charge accusation of a crime she didn't commit. Above all things, she wished for Sophia's safety.

Once they arrived, Jennifer stepped out; Officer Benjamin motioned towards the building. Inside, people were bustling in every direction, many too busy to make eye contact with her. Officer Benjamin walked towards another older gentleman. His unruly graying hair stuck upwards, making him appear a little menacing. When he gazed over at Jennifer, she couldn't tell if his eyes were open. Well, eye, he covered his left one with a black eyepatch with strings that wrapped around his head. She wondered what happened to him to lose an eye.

"This way Ms. Francis," Officer Benjamin said while continuing down the bland hallway.

They arrived at a door and once she was inside, the young Knight studied her surroundings: gray walls, a mahogany desk with three chairs by it, and a camera on a stand sitting in one corner. Jennifer understood that this wasn't a questioning; it would be an interrogation.

"Have a seat."

Jennifer obeyed their request and sat down on the wooden chair, shivering when her body adjusted to the chill air in the room.

"Just wait right here, Ms. Francis. It will be just a moment."

Jennifer nodded and waited in silence for this person to come to talk to her. Every second ticked by like minutes. She wished she were at home. She wanted her father to be here as childish as it sounded. Fear racked Jennifer's body. As she gazed at her hands clenched in her lap, a crystal tear slipped down her cheek.

The door creaked open and when Jennifer looked up, a look of shock crossed her features. "Zain? What are you doing here?"

The dark-haired Knight - and her best friend's teammate and long-time crush - regarded her in silence before sitting across the table from her. The dark-eyed male slouched in his chair and gave her a lazy look as he leaned his forearms on the table between them. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Jennifer relaxed a little with someone familiar. She wondered why Zain was here, but she figured out quickly.  "Is that man your father?"

Zain leaned further forward and placed his hands on the table, palms down on the surface, his dark eyes more serious than usual. "We have more important things to discuss. What happened on your trip to Forbidden Forest two weeks ago?"

Jennifer didn't know if he was qualified to interrogate her. Doubtful since they were both in the Knights Association as newly recruited, but maybe he would understand better.

~O~O~O~

Sophia fell into her fighting stance Eli taught her and awaited his critique. "How was that?"

"Better. You understand the basics of hand-to-hand combat and how to control your magic."

The young woman let her hands fall to her sides. "I still don't get why I have to learn how to fight. How do I free you, anyway?"

Eli motioned for her to follow him and she did, the black and red surroundings she had grown accustomed to flowing in its usual pattern. The two of them walked over to a river red as blood. Eli sat down on a large black rock and Sophia stared at him for a few moments. It still shocked her to see how attractive Eli was in his human form. As illusionary as it seemed, Sophia looked forward to the time they spent in the Void world so she could witness him as a human. It sounded idiotic. Why would she be interested in a man forcing her to stay here with him?

Sophia shook her head to ward off those unwanted thoughts. Unfortunately, she didn't get to decide who she developed a romantic interest in; that was her heart's decision. She tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach any time she and Eli entered the world of his magic. Her anticipation at seeing his human form again grew whenever Eli pulled her into the imaginary world. His handsomeness rivaled models of her time. However, after seeing him in his human figure and studying his features, Sophia couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Eli was familiar to her.

Eli got locked away years before her birth, making it impossible for them to know each other, but something about his eyes made her wonder. The inky darkness of them when he deactivated his Void caused a twinge of familiarity in her chest. Eli stood by the swirling river while Sophia took her place on a large rock jutting over it. Her ability to sense magic advanced to an impressive level. She now recognized magic moving through her surroundings. Eli explained that everything in the Void world held a level of magic. It enhanced her ability for sensing and controlling it.

Sophia placed her elbows on her knees and studied Eli while waiting for an explanation of the method to his release. A small, innocent smile worked its way over her features as she saw the wind tussling Elijah's dark hair around his face.

"A certain spell is what you'll use to break this curse," Eli began. "It has to blend some chanting and hand signs called spell and your magic together. Your control is better but bringing forth your magic for a spell requires much more concentration and precise control. I will teach you how to do the hand signs and use your magic simultaneously. Then I will teach you the specific spell you need to reverse the one placed on me."

Sophia pulled her legs up to her chin. "I've already been here for two weeks. Is it going to take long to learn how to create a spell then learn the specific one?"

Eli turned around and moved to sit next to her on the dark boulder. "It is not as simple as you may think. You have good control, but it has to be perfect. I want you to channel the magic into the soles of your feet and walk across the river."

Dark chocolate brown eyes widened with surprise. "You want me to walk on water? Do you think I'm Naruto or something?"

The blank expression on Eli's face reminded her he wouldn't have a clue what she was talking about. Sophia chuckled before standing to her feet and walking to the river's edge. Sophia took a deep breath to clear her mind. She could do this. The new magic user had no choice because if she wanted to go home, she needed to free Eli from his curse.

Placing one foot out, Sophia concentrated the flow of her magic and saw the usual light blue glow appear around it just like when the Knights cast magic with their element. She stepped onto the water, surprised by the rigid feel underneath her weight. Sophia did the same thing with her other leg and smirked when she stood solidly on the water's surface. The brunette's smile wavered when the magic flickered underneath her, the crisp water covering her bare feet. Within seconds, she was underwater.

The shocked young woman came up sputtering, taken aback at how deep the water was. She looked over to see Eli staring at her. A sparkle in his dark eyes caught her attention.

Sophia frowned. "Do you think that was funny?"

After brushing her wet locks out of her face, Sophia climbed out of the warm current. She walked over to Eli who followed her approach.

"With your confidence, your expression when you failed was amusing."

"Well, aren't you a charmer," Sophia muttered, sarcasm lacing her words.

Eli's eyes regarded the drenched woman in front of him. Her ability as a Knight - no, as a magic user was promising. She excelled in beginner magic usage, a feat not easily attainable for someone who couldn't even master an element before.

The point of teaching her fighting techniques was to improve her dexterity with her magic and allow Sophia to channel it at will. Eli's eyes shifted to her hand as Sophia flipped her wet hair over her shoulder. He felt annoyance and irritation at first whenever he watched her, but now he felt nothing any time his gaze lingered on her longer than it should. The dragon had grown accustomed to her. Not quite fond of her but having company after so many years left a strange ache in his chest.

Sophia took her place in front of him on the rock, leaned forward, and placed her hands on her knees. Their faces were only inches apart. "Having fun staring into space?"

Eli didn't respond, but his eyes locked with Sophia's brown ones. After a few seconds, a blush appeared underneath her cheeks. Sophia's right hand moved from her knee and stopped a few inches from the side of his neck.

"Eli..." she whispered. "I think I may be... I'm not sure if..."

What was this woman saying to him? Eli waited for her to continue, mild interest in her next words filled him.

"You're a monster, Elijah!"

Eli blinked when those words echoed in his ears and once he returned focus to Sophia, his eyes widened when he saw her hair turned as dark as his own. He gazed around at his surroundings, realizing he was in a house. The mass murderer recognized the dirt floor immediately. Sophia laid on the ground, blood dripping from a wound in her side.

"You have betrayed our heritage and risked the lives of thousands for more power. All the Trueblade have and because of your treason, you will pay with your lives."

That was his voice, but his mouth wasn't moving. Eli figured out what caused this vision: because he focused his full attention on Sophia, he lessened his control of the Void. It now locked him in the midst of his own manipulation. When Eli looked closer, he realized that this was not Sophia, but... her.

"Elena, you are not someone I would suspect to harbor a lust for war."

His fiance... this illusion displayed memories of his family's destruction. This moment caused the most agony and nightmares: the second he had to end her life.

Eli... Eli...

That wasn't Elena's voice, as similar as it seems to be; it was Sophia's. He flared his magic to its max ability and when he blinked, he returned to the correct Void world with Sophia giving him a concerned look. Her hands rested on each side of his face. Eli heard her soft breathing due to her closeness. 

"Eli, are you okay?" she questioned. "You just kind of spaced out. What happened?"

The male stood up, pulling from her warm grasp. "I am fine. Do not touch me unless I give you permission."

Sophia frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Asshole," she muttered.

"Continue using your magic to walk across the water," he instructed while moving over to one of the large shadow-covered trees.

Sophia watched Eli walk away. Something happened. He spaced out for a second, staring ahead with a blank expression on his features. When he came to, he tried to distance himself from her.

Eli would never admit why he separated himself from her by at least fifty feet, but his actions told the story for him. Her curiosity about him tripled. What just went through his head?