Dragonscales

Chapter 41|Family Ties

Before we could go to our next class, the doors to the cafeteria slammed shut. The lights flickered off, leaving us in the dim back up lights. Everything was washed in a red haze. Peter reached for his suit out of his backpack. I protectively stepped in front of him as a few shadow wolves phased through the doors. Their inky forms growled, sending low vibrations throughout the room. I dropped my illusion, returning to my normal self. I flicked my wrists, my swords materializing in a shimmer of dark blue magic. My head snapped to a shrill scream in the corner of the room. Flash had been cornered by a wolf. I sprinted over and tackled the wolf, dragging my blades through its neck. The wolf's shadowy form vanished with a shriek. 

A dark figure entered the room, laughing maniacally. They were cloaked in shadows. It was the creature from my dream so many moons ago. "I am called Pitch. But I think you know me better by another name, Princess Thistle." They sneered,  pulling down their hood. I clapped a hand to my mouth in horror. The creature was my mother. However, she was somehow corrupted. Red liquid poured out of her nose, dripping onto the floor with a sizzle. Her eyes were completely white, the color bleeding down her cheeks. "You are not my mother!" I yelled. She chuckled. "Oh, but I am. Although, I'm much more powerful now."

Tourmaline jumped out of my backpack, growing to her full size. She spread out her wings and roared. "I've grown powerful too, Mother. I'm not the crying little girl you left all those years ago." My hands gripped my blades so hard my knuckles turned white. All to keep the shaking unnoticeable.

"I feel like you should settle your family issues somewhere else!" A student yelled. The fairy snapped her head to the teenager, whose face grew ashen. "Don't you dare tell me what to do, child." She hissed. With the wave of a hand, a nearby wolf crept over to them, snarling. Tourmaline lept in front of the student and bit the wolf's neck. The wolf let out a shriek before vanishing in a cloud of smoke. Tourmaline gently corralled the group of teenagers  into a corner with her wings while my mother and I stared each other down. Peter was frantically looking for a place he could inconspicuously change into his suit while protecting his secret identity.

"A dragon rider, hm? Not that it matters, though. I have an army, and you have nothing." She said coldly. "That's not entirely true, I have my sister." Mother's blank eyes widened, before she sneered. "So you found Marigold? I figured you would eventually find each other. Especially when Solaris fell. Shame my partners razed it." I roared in anger, charging at my mom. She raised her hand, dark green magic swirling around me. Unlike Loki's, this magic felt unfamiliar and hostile to me, despite belonging to my mom. Vines with thorns protruding out of them wrapped around while the sparkling magic held me in place. I screamed in pain as the thorns started jabbing my skin. My hands spasmed, causing my swords to fall out of my hands with a clatter. 

Tourmaline tried pulling off the vines. She yelped as my mom threw her against the wall with a spell. "Come with me, and you could have all you've ever wanted." I grimaced. "You took that away the day you killed my uncle." I gasped as the thorns drove deeper into my skin. Blood dripped onto the tile floor. "Oh honey, you have no choice." Mother balled her hand into a fist, causing black spots to dance around in my vision as the vines tightened around my throat.

Tourmaline roared, clawing at the magical barrier keeping her from me. Fear buzzed around the room, apparent on each teen's face. After all, they had just seen one of their beloved Avengers be defeated. The last thing I saw before blacking out was Peter using his web-slingers to attack our foe. She easily deflected the attack with her magic.

I stood in the palace gardens, the late afternoon sun gracing my skin. The cobblestones felt rough against my bare feet. My small legs raced through the garden, passing a few gardeners tending to the plants. I skidded to a stop. A particularly sad looking  rose bush caught my attention. I sang a quick little song my uncle had taught me. The roses perked up, regaining their color. "There you go." I smiled. I began running again when I saw a pair of branches that looked just like my mom's antlers. I tackled the tree, instead being caught in the arms of my mother as she released her camouflage spell. She kissed my forehead. My father found us, beaming as usual. My mother and father shared a quick kiss, causing me to gag. "I came to let you know that dinner is ready. Thistle, it's your favorite, clam chowder."  Mother passed me to father, who tickled me before scooping me up in his arms. His light brown eyes shone like honey in the sun. My mouth stretched into a grin. My family is together and we are happy. 

I was vaguely aware of cold metal rubbing against my wrists. I peeled my eyes open, ignoring the pounding in my head. My wrists were encased in a pair of strange looking cuffs, like the anklet I got when I first arrived at the Avengers Tower all those moons ago. I scanned my surroundings, panic surging through me. I was locked in a concrete cell. 

A/N: 

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers! Loki's birthday is coming up so I might have to do a special for that, but right now I'm very pleased with how the plot is moving along right now. I love you all and, as always, thanks for reading!

~Author-chan