Lola Smith's Arc

Chapter 3 of 6

Lola stood at the tower window with the wand still warm in her hand. She had control of her fire now. But the demon and human parts still boiled under her skin. She tried to hold them still. She could not. Magic leaked out of her fingers and slid down the tower wall like smoke. Something in the dark woods stirred. She heard branches snap. Then a low, hurt sound crawled up from below. "You pulled it here," Verdantus said behind her. The old green dragon crossed the room slow, his beard swaying. He had taught her only one third of her blood, and the loose parts had just called something out of the trees. "Uncontrolled magic sings. Wounded things follow the song." They went down the curling stairs together. At the tower's base, a creature lay in the grass. It was long and gray, with torn wings and one leg bent wrong. Blood matted its side. Its eyes rolled to Lola and it snarled, then whimpered. She stepped back. "Did I hurt it?" "No. Your leak drew it while it was already breaking. It ran too fast through the trees." Verdantus lowered his head near the creature. "It will die if we leave it." Lola's hand sparked without her asking. The demon side, hungry. The creature flinched from the heat. "I can't get close," she said. "I'll burn it." "Then aim," Verdantus said. "The wand thinks. You think." Lola lifted the wand. She breathed the way he had shown her. The wild fire on her fingers thinned, then pulled into the crystal tip and held there, small and steady. No leak. No smoke. She knelt beside the creature. Its breath rattled. She pressed her free hand to the torn side, gentle. The heat stayed in the wand where she wanted it. Verdantus set one clawed hand over hers and hummed. A green light spread from his palm into the wound. The torn skin drew closed. The bent leg straightened with a wet click. The creature shuddered and stood. It shook out its wings, whole now. It looked at Lola once. Then it turned and slipped back into the dark trees without a sound. Lola let the flame die. Her chest heaved. "I held it," she whispered. "The whole time." "You held the dragon fire," Verdantus said. He did not smile. "You did not hold the leak. It called that beast. Others heard too." He looked toward the woods. Far off, more branches snapped. Something bigger moved between the trees. "Your demon side sings loudest. And I cannot teach it." Lola gripped the wand. She had saved one hurt thing tonight. But her loose magic had opened a door, and the woods had heard it swing. She stared into the dark where the shapes gathered. She needed a teacher for the demon blood, and she needed one before whatever was coming reached the tower.