“Yeah, I hear you,” Axle replied, lowering his head.
“Hey, Axle. It’s Kanai, he negates your healing, so whatever it is do not act alone. Be smart, be safe. You’re doing great, and we’ll come help as soon as we can, alright?”
“Alright, later man.” Axle ended the call, then turned to face Nat.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“My brother, and leader of the dragons. If we’re going to face Kanai now, with that kind of power, we’re going to need all of the help we can get. I was trying to see if I could get him to bring the pack back here.”
Nat froze, imagining what it would be like when every single dragon was there with them. She shook her head, already dreading it. “Wait, your brother is the leader of all of the dragons?”
“No, just a small pack. A handful of us.”
Natalie nodded as though she understood, but she didn’t. Bingwen had given them a plan, something which was supposed to help them get through the whole ordeal. He would find a way to destroy the bracelet, and they would leave her alone. Her life would go back to normal.
But a small part of her was quite intrigued by what he had said to her, calling her a dormant witch. Nat had never thought herself to be anything other than what she was. An archeologist. But with everything happening, she was starting to wonder what else would change.
With everything happening, she could tell that Axle was upset with her, and more than anything, she wanted that to end.
She woke up in her own bedroom the next morning, thinking she could make something in the kitchen and bring it to him. A sort of peace offering, to make up for leaving the house three days earlier. Axle had been giving her attitude the entire time, and she needed something to break the ice. But as she got out of bed, Natalie instantly felt a wave of nausea come over her.
“What the—” she began, before staggering over to the bathroom.
Natalie threw up, feeling her legs shaking as she felt increasingly queasy. When she was done, she stared in the mirror for a moment, washing her face with water to clear her head. It dawned on her that she could be pregnant. After being with Axle, there was no way to tell, as she couldn’t get a test strip. Being locked inside didn’t provide that luxury for her.
As much as it was her only suspicion, she kept it to herself. Maybe it was nothing, and she was just throwing up due to what she’d had for dinner. “Could it be?” she said to herself in the mirror, running a hand through her hair. As she did, she heard Axle walking into the room.
“Are you okay?” Axle asked through the door.
“I’m fine, just a little light-headed, what is it?” she asked, lying.
“I heard you…whatever, I made breakfast. When you’re done, come on down,” Axle replied in his nonchalant tone.
“Breakfast?” Natalie asked, stunned. It was just a few minutes past seven in the morning. “When? Did you have any sleep?”
“I don’t need sleep,” Axle replied. “I’ll be waiting for you, and make sure you head down soon. Bingwen is supposed to come in today.”
“He called?” she asked, feeling her stomach lurch. She had dreaded his return, and it was finally here. It meant that things were about to move into the next gear.
“Yeah,” Axle replied, walking out of the room.
Natalie sighed and showered, knowing that everything was about to change. She had kept away from everything for the last few days—work, her friends, everyone. Axle and Bingwen had told her to cut them off, to keep them safe until everything was over. With Bingwen returning, it was a signal that the end was close.
She showered and stepped out into the kitchen, finding Axle waiting on her. He had set up the television and was watching a soap opera quietly, paying adept attention to everything on the screen. Nat had been certain that he didn’t hear her come in, but he quickly changed that fact.
“Normal dragons have a keen hearing that allows them to pinpoint sound up to twenty meters away from them. I might not be as good as the others, but I can sense when you walk into the room.”
She raised her hands in surrender. “You got me. So, when is he going to be here?” she asked as she slid into her seat and took her plate, waiting for Axle to join her.
“Can’t tell, the old geezer works on his own clocks, we just have to wait for him,” Axle replied.
“Does he always treat you like that?” she asked, chuckling. “I mean, he says a lot of mean things to you. Why?”
“Because he’s an asshole. But he’s pretty much the only sorcerer we know who is willing to use his powers to actually do some good and make a difference. So we have to put up with it.”
“So there are others?”
“Definitely, but they’re a lot rarer than even paranormals. Which is why I think it’s crazy that you’re a dormant witch. You want my advice though?”