The Dragon's Spirit

Chapter Four

      "How?" Ezra cried. "We've checked everywhere! We've scoured every text, every reference, every book we could possibly think of! We've even physically searched! The hidden statues were supposed to be the only remnants left of the dragons."

     "I guess the royal family had a few secrets," Raven said, cradling the bracelet in her hand.

     "Surprise surprise," Ezra muttered angrily. "Embers! If they had a real dragon scale, what else do you think they have? And Vanity just handed it over!"

     "We'll be out of here and on the hunt for the statues before the break of dawn, Raven said. "She'll never make good on our deal."

     Ezra smiled deviously. "Everyone else in the palace commits murder on a regular basis, but when they get wind of what we've accomplished it's somehow going to be the worst thing any Florento has ever done."

     "What horrible, traitorous, little magicians we are. Come on, let's do the spell!" Raven said, starting to shove aside piles of books and papers to make a clear space on the tower's floor.

     "Right now?" Ezra asked, his voice turning tense. "Shouldn't we wait? Maybe, like, form a plan or something?"

     "I can't wait Ezra," Raven said, feeling the desperation creep into her voice. "We've already waited too long."

     Ezra hesitated briefly, but the turmoil raging inside Raven was reflected on his face. He couldn't wait longer either.

     He took his place across from her. With a trembling hand Raven placed the bracelet on the floor between them and reached out to Ezra. He wrapped his hand around her wrist and she did the same. They both took in deep wavering breaths.

     "We've got this," Raven told her cousin.

     "We know the basic spell backwards and forwards," Ezra reassured himself.

     "Just a simple summoning charm," Raven said.

     "We've never done it with something so big before though."

     "Or something on another plane of existence."

     "Do you think we should modify the words or something?"

     "I don't know," Raven shrugged. "We should probably do a little research."

     "We're not going to though," Ezra guessed.

     "I can't wait one second longer!" Raven gasped.

      They squeezed each other's wrists reassuringly and took one more deep breath. Then their two voices filled the air, intermingling on the words they both knew perfectly.

     "Bring forth to me that which I cannot find. That which is hidden from my sight, that which I seek from afar. Bring me," both voices paused reverently, "The spirits of the ancient dragons."

     They're chanting died away and they held their breaths. Raven felt as if she would burst as they waited for something to happen. Would it work?"

     The bracelet lay dormant on the floor. Nothing had changed. It was still just a circle of glass beads and a chipped stone charm. Raven and Ezra's shoulders slumped. Raven had been so sure they would succeed! Her doubts had seemed so trivial in light of her huge breakthrough. Maybe she had just hoped they were trivial because she wanted so desperately to be right.

      "It didn't work," Raven's voice broke with disappointment.

     Ezra gazed dejectedly at the floor, but suddenly took in a sharp breath. "I think it did!"