Into Dragon's Fire (Book 1)

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

I was floating.

I couldn't see anything in the darkness, at first.

Then a voice broke through...

" Alicia Stevens..."

'Of course, I would somehow hallucinate being back in class, that's just like me.' I thought opening my eyes, but I wasn't in my desk, I was floating above it. " Alicia Stevens...Has anyone heard from her?" Mr. Lipin called out, but no one responded, before a voice came over the intercom.

" This is your principle speaking. I apologize for this interruption, but I am saddened to announce that the body of one of our fellow students, Alicia Stevens, was discovered early this morning. "

'What? No. I'm not dead.'

" Mr. Lipin." I called out, while my voice went unheard, I could have sworn that he looked at me.

" Due to this unforeseen event, I am asking that those teachers release their students early. That is all."

Everyone in the room began moving, as the announcement ended, everyone but Mr. Lipin, who closed his book and set it calmly on the desk with a sigh. As he turned back toward me, I could have sworn that he grew several inches. " It's time to wake up now, Alice." He said, sounding a lot like Elrond, before I suddenly fell back into the darkness.

My eyes flew open, and I flinched, not used to the light just yet. I was lying in my room, a blanket pulled nearly to my chin. " Alicia." Meriel gasped looking over at me from where she sat knitting, quickly setting them aside as she stood. She moved toward me as I started to sit up and pushed me back down. " No. You should rest. You were out for quite a while."

" What happened?" I questioned, and she frowned. " Do you not remember? You took a hard hit to the head, but it shouldn't have affected your memory."

I stared at her, before reaching up to touch the bandages with a frown. Orcs. I had nearly died. Ugh, concussions were the worst.

" Thranduil. Legolas. Where are they?" I asked, but before she could respond, the door opened and in walked the light-haired elf king. Surprise crossed his face, before he looked at Meriel. " You must hungry, I'll go get something from kitchens." The elven women said, before leaving us alone.

Once she was gone, Thranduil turned his cold gaze on me, and took up her seat next to me. " How are you?" He asked.

" What happened?" I asked, repeating my earlier question, and he released a breath. " When we went on ahead to scout them out, we were ambushed. It was, of course, a distraction to lure us away from their true goal. We found your horse, along with your dead guard-"

" His name was Gilid." I said cutting him off, and he stared me a moment before continuing. " We assumed the worst when we couldn't find you but managed to track the Orcs who took you. We followed them until the opportunity came to free you, and perhaps why they hadn't just killed you."

" And? Did You?" I questioned, and he looked away. " No. I'm afraid not."

He wasn't saying something, but I was to exhausted to push the topic. I let out a yawn, and he glanced at me with a sigh, before he stood. " I will let you rest now. When your well again, we will look into resuming your lessons." He said moving toward the door, and I let out a groan in response.

For a moment, I thought I saw the edge of a small smile on his face as he ducked out the door. 

Meriel returned with something for me to eat; I tried to refuse, complaining that I just wanted to sleep, but after some convincing she helped me sit up.

ugh, concussions were the worst.

When I was allowed at last to sleep, I found that my mind wasn't ready to allow me to rest; my dreams were plagued with images of that Archer, his ugly face leering down at me as he carved away at me.

Somewhere in the background, I could hear a voice calling out my name.

It sounded a lot like Peter.