“Is that bad?” I asked.
“It's very bad, you crazy lunatic,” Tabitha yelled. “You've led us to our deaths.”
“Tabitha, back off!” Becky jumped in, and Sammy uttered something that sounded like a swearword.
I didn't like Tabitha's tone one bit, but had to admit, she was really brave for sticking with us this long. Usually Snow dragons disappeared at any sign of danger.
“Tabitha’s got a point, but we’ve made a choice,” Blake said, in order to stop the backbiting. “We can't transform Lucian. We have to fight in our human form. Elena, to get back to your question, yes, the mission just turned into something suicidal. If Goran does compel the Dragonian, we are going to fight him indirectly. None of us are ready or trained for that.”
We all fell silent. Fighting Goran wasn't on the agenda and running seemed like the only option.
“Blake, I will change!” Sammy sounded terrified.
“Sammy, if Goran controls the Dragonian, he'll see through his eyes. If he knows that we're dragons, he'll use magic. We will all die. We have to stay hidden, let him think that we're humans.”
“I can't control it yet!” she shouted frantically.
“You can't change, Samantha!”
Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I really suck in Transformation class. I always turn when it gets too scary.”
“Try,” he pleaded with his sister.
She nodded, and Becky's arm curled around her shoulder.
“I can't fight Goran, Blake.” Arianna had tears in her eyes, too.
He walked over to Arianna and cupped her face in his hands. For a second I thought he was going to kiss her. “Don't think of it like that. You’re the best with chants and spells. We need you, Arianna.”Blake's tone was soft and sweet. He’d taken charge of this whole mission, and the worst part was that Lucian let him.
Lucian finally opened his mouth. “He's right, Arianna. Don't do anything stupid. If Goran knows that you can do counter and reversal spells already, he’ll take you out first.” Arianna started to panic.
“You have to stay calm,” Blake ordered her with her face still cupped in his hands.
Does he have the ability to compel someone?
“We'll have to hide, wait for him until he's surrounded. We can trap him, and if we need to fight, so be it,” Blake said.
“Blake, who will get the sword?” George asked.
“Elena has already proven herself ready for something like this. Lucian said that you have crazy reflexes?”
I just looked at him with huge unblinking eyes.
“Urgh! For crying out loud, what is it?” he asked in an irritated tone.
“I can't do this, Blake,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Elena? You're the only one that knows where the sword─”
“It's not that! My arm is killing me. I won't succeed with only one arm.”
He looked at me with a glare, turned sideways, and cussed softly.
Why does he hate me so much?
“Fine!” He leaped towards me with huge steps. I retreated a bit, scared that he was going to cup my face too.
“Just relax!” He grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him. He was inches away from me. I could feel heat radiating off his body.
He uncovered my shoulder and unbuckled the belt strap that had started to cut into my neck.
What is he doing?
“Don't look at me,” he grunted.
I looked at Lucian, who was now glaring at Blake. My heart bounced as Blake touched my shoulder. I tried not to make a sound, but it was painful as a warm heat burned my skin.
What the hell? I wanted to see. As I analyzed the burning sensation, it reminded of the time Constance healed my elbows after Art of War, but it was nowhere near this excruciating pain.
“I said don't look!” he yelled again.
My head snapped back to Lucian again and the warmth grew hotter. I bit hard on my lower lip as images of a burned patch on my shoulder popped inside my head.
A tear rolled down my cheek. Lucian dabbed it away with his thumb, and mouthed, It's okay.
It felt as if my shoulder was on fire, and I screamed out of pain as the heat reached a boiling point.
“Blake, that’s enough!” Lucian yelled, and pushed him away from me. I looked at Blake, who kneeled on the ground.
“What the hell did you just do?” I yelled at him.
“I'm sorry. I’m still learning how to control it,” he said with a sting in his tone.
“How do you feel?” Lucian asked.
“I'm fine,” I said.
“Do you think you'll be able to get the sword now?” Blake asked again.
I rolled my shoulder around. The pain was gone. I nodded and took a deep breath. It shouldn't be that difficult. Then why did it feel as if I was going to fail miserably?