Goody Magic Academy, Year Three

Chapter 17

Chapter

Seventeen

I sat up in the bed, my body still thrumming with residual energy. The room spun slightly, and I took a deep breath to steady myself. Freedom was within reach, but I needed a plan.

My mind raced, weighing various options and risks. The door was out. Even if I could overpower a guard, any commotion would alert others. An icy chill ran down my spine as I considered just how many witches might be lurking on the sprawling estate. Despite my recent success, I knew my control over my dragon powers was tenuous at best and taking on an army of experienced witches seemed like a fool’s errand.

And then there was the Dragon Nexus itself. According to the headmaster, if I shifted, Simon or Marsha could use it on me, and I could become their slave.

No. Not happening. Ever.

My gaze drifted to the window. There were bars on the inside, but beyond that just glass. Possibly bulletproof, but could it survive dragon fire? A spark of hope ignited in my chest.

I approached the window cautiously, my bare feet silent on the cold floor. The bayou stretched out into the distance, a tangle of cypress trees and murky water. No visible guards, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there, hidden in the shadows.

I placed my trembling hands on the bars, their chill seeping into my skin and making me shiver. Closing my eyes, I reached deep within myself, calling upon not just my dragon power, but my elemental magic as well. Fire had always been the power I connected with best, my strength. Now I needed it more than ever.

Believe, I told myself. Just believe.

At first, nothing happened. Doubt began to creep in, whispering that maybe the manacles had been a fluke. But then I felt it: a tingle. It started in my fingertips, a gentle buzzing that quickly intensified. The sensation raced up my arms, spreading through my body until my very blood felt like liquid fire.

Heat radiated from my skin, the air around me shimmering. I gritted my teeth, focusing all my will on the bars beneath my hands. Melt , I commanded silently. Burn.

For a long moment, nothing changed. Then, with a soft hiss, flames suddenly erupted from my palms.

The fire licked at the metal, which began to glow a dull red. Slowly—agonizingly slowly—the bars began to soften. Molten metal oozed between my fingers, but to my amazement, my skin didn’t burn. It remained unscathed, protected by my power.

I strained to listen for anyone coming because they smelled the bars burning, but it was silent as death.

The acrid smell of melting metal filled the air, making my eyes water, but I didn’t dare stop. With each passing second, the opening grew larger. Freedom was so close I could almost taste it.

Sweat beaded on my forehead and my arms trembled with the effort required to maintain the intense heat. But a fierce determination had taken hold within me. I was not going to be anyone’s slave or prize. I was going to escape.

As the last of the bars gave way, I allowed myself to indulge in a shiver of triumph. The glass of the window was now the only barrier between me and the wild bayou beyond. My reflection stared back at me, my eyes gleaming with an almost feral light.

I flexed my fingers, marveling again at the absence of burns despite the molten metal that had flowed over them. Power thrummed through me, wild and intoxicating. For the first time since this nightmare had begun, a smile—fierce and determined—spread across my face.

The next phase of my escape lay just beyond that glass. The Dragon Nexus was somewhere in this house, and I was going to find it. But first, I had a window to shatter and a leap of faith to make.

I took a deep breath, centering myself. The real test was just beginning. I wiped my sweaty palms on my thighs, leaving damp streaks on the fabric. My heart pounded in my chest, a frantic rhythm of fear and anticipation. I placed my hands firmly on the cool glass.

For several terrifying heartbeats, nothing happened. Panic clawed at my throat. Had I exhausted my newfound powers?

“Come on,” I whispered. “Please work.”

Just as despair threatened to overwhelm me, I felt a familiar sensation washing over me like a hot desert wind. Relief flooded through me, quickly followed by a surge of determination.

Sparks danced around my palms, tiny pinpricks of light that grew in intensity. The glass beneath my hands began to change, darkening to an inky black that spread outward from my fingertips. The transformation was accompanied by a soft crackling sound, like ice forming over the surface of a pond.

I glanced nervously over my shoulder, half-expecting to see guards bursting through the door at any moment. For now, though, the room remained blessedly empty, but I was sure my time was limited.

Turning back to the window, I steeled myself and I pulled my right hand back, forming a fist. With all the strength I could muster, I slammed it into the weakened glass.

The impact sent shockwaves up my arm, but I barely felt them through the rush of adrenaline. A web of cracks spread out from the point of impact, like a fragile spider’s web, but the window held. Damn it. Not quite enough.

I glanced back again, expecting someone to burst through the door. Nothing.

I struck again, putting every ounce of my fear, anger, and desperation into the blow. This time, the glass gave way with a satisfying crash. Shards rained down onto the ground outside, glittering like diamonds in the dim light.

The sound seemed impossibly loud in the quiet room and I cringed, listening just for a moment for any sign of approaching guards. There was no time to wait longer to see if anyone had heard.

Moving with a speed born of pure survival instinct, I scrambled toward the broken window. Sharp edges of the remaining glass threatened to slice at my skin, but I barely noticed. Freedom was just inches away.

I wriggled through the opening, feeling the cool night air on my face. It was a tight squeeze, and for a moment I feared I might get stuck. But then, with one final push, I tumbled out onto the other side.

My feet hit the damp ground, the impact sending jolts up my legs. The rich, earthy smell of the bayou—of mud and decaying vegetation—filled my nostrils, together with the promise of escape.

I didn’t allow myself even a moment to savor my small victory. Every second counted. Without looking back, I pushed to my feet and sprinted toward the cover of the nearest trees.

Suddenly, an agonizing headache threatened to split my skull wide open. It could have been from using so much power so quickly, or frustration pounding my brain, reminding me that the Dragon Nexus was still inside that sprawling white monstrosity behind me. I had to go back in.

I crouched low in the underbrush, sizing up the antebellum mansion. Its pristine white walls glowed in the moonlight, both a beacon of opportunity and a portent of danger. Front door? Suicide. Back door? No better. My gaze traveled upward, tracing the ornate architecture all the way to the roof.

A wild, impossible idea took root. The top. It was the only way. A route that only a dragon could take.

My hands shook as I began to strip down to my undergarments, the cool night air raising goosebumps all over my exposed skin. I tried to quiet my ragged breathing, every small rustle of leaves making me flinch.

Crunch, crunch, crunch

The sound froze me in place. Footsteps. A guard.

Fear shot through me like a flaming arrow, setting every nerve alight. My throat constricted, making it hard to breathe. God, I was going to get caught. After everything, I was going to get caught here, half-naked in the bayou.

I tensed, ready to run, to fight, anything to avoid being dragged back into that hell.

Suddenly, a blur of movement caught the corner of my eye. Before I could react, a strong hand clamped over my mouth, stifling the scream that tried to escape. An arm wrapped around my naked waist, pulling me back against a solid chest.

“What are you doing out here?” a familiar voice growled in my ear, low and urgent.

The relief that flooded through me was so intense it made me dizzy. I sagged against the body behind me, my legs suddenly weak. I tried to turn, to confirm what my ears were telling me, but the grip on me tightened.

“Don’t move,” the voice whispered. “There’s a guard just beyond those trees.”

We stood frozen, barely breathing. I could hear my heart pounding, so loud I was sure the guard would hear it too. Seconds stretched into an eternity as we waited.

Finally, the footsteps receded into the distance. The hand over my mouth slowly relaxed, allowing me to take a deep, shuddering breath.

“Are you okay?” the voice asked, concern in every syllable.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak just yet. Slowly, I turned to face my rescuer.

The sight of him standing there, real and solid, sent a fresh wave of emotions crashing over me. Relief, fear, hope, and a dozen other feelings all swirled together in a dizzying mix.

“Jaxon,” I breathed. Seeing his handsome face was like a dream come true. “How... What are you doing here?”

He looked as relieved to see me as I felt, though his handsome eyes were sharp with worry. “Rescuing you, obviously. I was going to force a guard to let me inside. Either he would comply, or I would drain him,” he said, a hint of his usual sass creeping into his tone. “Though it looks like you managed the first part yourself. Did you get the Nexus yet?”

“No.” The word escaped my lips, followed by a burst of near-hysterical laughter that I quickly stifled with my hand. The sheer absurdity of the situation hit me all at once, threatening to overwhelm my senses.

Here I stood, in nothing but my underwear, my bare feet sinking into the soft, muddy earth of the bayou. The humid air clung to me like a second skin and the pungent smell of stagnant water and lush vegetation filled my nostrils, while crickets droned their endless summer song.

And there, barely an arm’s length away, stood Jaxon, his presence as commanding as ever. Moonlight filtered through the cypress trees, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow on his face as his tense eyes scanned our surroundings.

In the distance, voices carried on the still air, accompanied by the occasional splash of someone wading through shallow water. The guards were out there, searching. Searching for me. Danger pressed down all around us, as thick as the soupy air we breathed.

And yet, despite it all, a bubble of pure, unadulterated joy welled up inside me. My heart raced, but not from fear. Every cell in my body hummed with elation. Jaxon was here, at my side, when I needed him most.

I bit my lip to keep from grinning like a fool. It was madness to feel this happy in such a perilous moment. But as Jaxon’s hand found mine, his touch sending sparks through me, I couldn’t bring myself to care about the danger.

“We should move,” Jaxon whispered, his voice low and urgent.

“But how do we get back inside?” I asked, the gravity of our mission reasserting itself. “The Dragon Nexus?—”

“Is still in there. Dimitri told me. Simon called Angelo and Dimitri overhead the conversation. But we don’t have much time. The auction’s tonight,” Jaxon finished. His eyes traveled over me, taking in my state of undress, and a hint of a smirk played at the corners of his mouth. “Were you planning on flying in?”

I nodded, feeling a blush creep up my neck despite the gravity of our situation. “I figured it was the only way. But I... I don’t know if I can do it.”

Jaxon’s expression softened. He reached out, his hand warm on my cheek. “You can,” he said, his voice full of a confidence I wished I felt myself. “And I’ll be right there with you.”

The sound of voices in the distance made us both tense. We were out of time.

“Ready to spread your wings?” Jaxon asked, his eyes glinting with excitement.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”