Dragon's Blood

Power

In his right hand, Kade lazily swung a long, cruel looking sword as he strolled towards them.

"How..." Tobias began.

"Did I know where to find you?" Kade finished. "I've had control of your mind for ten years, did it not occur to you that I can always get in? Wherever you are, whatever you're thinking Toby, if I want to know, all I have to do is look."

Iyla didn't understand, Tobias had escaped from Kades grip on his mind, he escaped ...

Meanwhile, Tobias' eyes widened in realisation, "You let me escape!"

"Well done!" Kade mocked him, "You're not as stupid as you look are you? Or maybe you are. Because you didn't think did you? You just took the opportunity and ran, straight to your sister. I must say Toby, you've had your uses over the years but this time, this time my boy you really came through." Kade laughed without humour as Tobias shook with anger and frustration. He stepped forward, pulling Iyla behind him.

"Ah ah ah Toby boy," said Kade, as if ticking off a small child, "She's mine." With a flick of his hand a boulder dislodged itself from the cave wall and flew at Tobias, striking him in the stomach and sending him flying into the cave wall. He crumpled and fell to the ground.

"NO!' Iyla screamed and ran towards her brother. Kade laughed; the ground beneath Iyla's feet began to shake and suddenly she couldn't move, she looked down at her feet in horror, the rocky floor of the cave was engulfing them, moving up her legs. Try as she might she could not pull free as the rock wound up around her like ropes, encasing her and squeezing the breath out of her. It stopped only when it reached her chest, her arms pinned down by her sides; she was completely trapped.

Satisfied that she couldn't move, Kade walked slowly over to Tobias who was starting to stir. He used his sword and his foot to roll Tobias roughly onto his side.

"Wake up Toby," he said gently, taunting, "I want you to see this."

Tobias opened his eyes and coughed, wiping blood from his mouth and grimacing in pain.

"Leave her alone," he said weakly.

"Why?" Kade asked simply, "What are you going to do about it?" His last words were delivered with venom as, in one fast fluid movement he lifted his sword and drove it down hard into Tobias' shoulder, pushing the blade through and into the floor, pinning Tobias where he lay. Tobias screamed horribly, his body jerked violently and then he bit down hard on his lip, drawing more blood, breathing long hard breaths through the pain. After a few seconds, he lay still and turned his head to look at Iyla.

"I'm sorry," he managed to say.

Tears ran down Iyla's face, "I'm sorry," she said, "I'm sorry."

"Yes, yes, we're all sorry," Kade said in a bored tone, "Apart from me, I'm not sorry at all, this is the most fun I've had since I killed your father." He sauntered back toward Iyla and pointed a long finger at her. "You didn't stop to think either did you? When you knew your brother had escaped it didn't matter what anyone said, you simply had to fly to the rescue." He smirked, "Why won't the grown-ups help me, what do they know?" he put on a high, mocking voice and Iylas heart sank even deeper.

"How did you get in my head?" she asked, suddenly realising why she had been so single minded, so bloody minded, going against all reason and everyones advice.

"Toby's connection with you gave me a useful back door," Kade was enjoying himself immensely, letting them know just how much he had manipulated them both.

"Why are you doing this?" Iyla asked and suddenly she was no longer crying. Deep down inside her a fire was burning once more, building quickly to a raging inferno of white-hot flame.