I didn’t tell her I’d feared the same thing. She’d want to know why I did it if I thought I was walking into a fiery grave. And that was a question I still couldn’t answer. All I knew was that some force greater than me compelled it. Was it the Oracle with her incessant whisper deep in my brain?Claim your destiny.Or had I in that moment surrendered to the will of the gods?
“Yet here I am, alive and well. And I’ve been given a power of my own. A power we’ll need if we are to stop the evil forces from overtaking our world.” I took her hands in mine. “I think I know where the flask is hidden. If we combine our magic, we can destroy it before his followers get their hands on it.”
Melisandre shook her head wearily. “I’ve told you before, I have no magic.”
‘Ah, but you do.” I winked. “You’ve cast a spell on me.”
A tiny smile played at the corners of her mouth. “Thank you, sir. You’re quite the spell-caster yourself.” Her smile disappeared. “But I doubt if I can do the same to the very real enemies we’ll face.”
She needed proof.
“You’re the granddaughter many times removed of the most powerful sorceress who ever lived in our world. Her blood flows in your veins. You have the ability to harness the energy of the Seven Stars.”
I could see by her face that I was losing her. “Come here.” I pulled her from the bed, and the sheet she’d been wrapped in fell away.
“Wait!”
Blushing, she tried to retrieve it.
“Let it go. Your body is magnificent, just as the Goddess made it. There’s no need to cover yourself. In fact, it’s easier at first to harness the power when you’re naked. With no barriers between you and the Universe.”
I led her out onto the balcony. “Look up. See the stars? They watch over our world. Their energy field protects us. The Oracle says you can tap into that energy field. Use it to protect yourself – or anyone you choose.”
She opened her mouth to disagree, but I went on before she could utter a word. “I’ll prove it to you. I’m going to dive off this balcony, and you’re going to send out an energy field to cushion my fall. Let me down gently to ensure that I don’t get hurt.”
Her eyes widened. “No!You’ll break your neck. That’s a flagstone terrace below us, and we’re three stories up.”
It was a risk. In my dragon form, I could have made the jump easily. Even pulled up at the last second and taken flight, soaring over the palace roof. But that wouldn’t prove to her that I was right.
The Oracle told me the queen had magic in her but it would take something drastic for her to draw it out. I couldn’t wait till we were battling a horde of enemies to find out if it was true. If she didn’t, they’d slaughter me – if I was lucky. Capture me and condemn me to a slow and painful death if I wasn’t. The queen they’d keep alive to become the mate of the dark lord.
I’d sworn an oath to the Goddess one night long ago in that fortress hidden deep within the mountain. I would protect my queen, fight by her side to defeat the Lord of Darkness. Fight to the death if I must.
If the Oracle was wrong and she couldn’t tap into her powers, I’d end up dead sooner or later. At least, this way, the end would be quick.
I climbed onto the railing. Balanced there.
Melisandre reached for me.
“No!” My voice, sharp as a whip, stopped her. I went on, softer. “Don’t look at me. Look up at the stars. Clear your mind. Breathe deep. Banish your fears, your doubts, and let the pure white light of their energy bathe you.”
She did as I bade her. I went on, talking in a slow, hypnotic tone, a trick I’d learned from the Oracle. “Deep in your heart, you know the magic exists, even though your rational mind won’t believe it. You’ve seen it with your own eyes. Seen me transform into a fire-breathing dragon, Now it’s your turn to harness the magic within you. Raise your arms to the sky. Feel the energy flowing into you. Entering through the palms of your hands. Now breathe it in. Can you feel it?”
She nodded. “I think so.”
“Hush. Don’t speak. Empty your mind. Just concentrate on the energy. Listen to my voice, and let the power fill you. Let it pour through your body, flow through your veins. Breathe it in again until you’re bursting with it. Now – gather a ball of it deep inside. Can you feel it there? A bright light pulsing deep inside you? I want you to take a deep breath, count to three, then send that burst of light rushing through your outstretched arms and shoot it from your fingertips back up to the stars. Are you ready? One, two…”
I didn’t know what to expect. The dazzling rays shooting from her fingertips startled me so badly I almost fell from my perch. But the look on her face shocked me even more. In an instant, the woman before me went from a shy maiden who’d just had her first sexual experience to a mighty warrior bending the laws of the Universe to her will. I could see the power flowing through her. She glowed with it.
All worry, all fear about her safety, vanished in an instant. No matter what happened after I shifted, this woman could hold her own with my dragon.
It was an effort to keep the surprise out of my voice.
“Yes. That’s the way it’s done. Now, my lady, breathe in again. The energy of the stars is limitless. You can draw all you want, all you need, and still there is more. Harness the power once again – and bind it around me.”
I had to do it quickly. Before the awe of what she’d done faded away and doubt crept back in.
“Look at me.”