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“Let me go!”

“You will not fight me when you remember.” She would never stop fighting! She squirmed harder. “Do you not wish to see your father, then?”

She froze. “My father?”

“Yes, your father.” Then he released her, putting his arm out to make sure she didn’t sprint forward. “Now stay there, I do not know if he will awaken, and I only have a short window to get him.”

The stranger twirled his hands in front of himself as he stalked closer.

A small ball of red liquid began to form, growing in size, like he was summoning something from thin air. Eventually it dropped into his hands. The red liquid washed away to reveal a large glass orb.

He placed it against Rurik and then stepped back to chant.

Amalia could see the swirl of dark magic, could see it as if it was made of thick, black clouds. It came from that orb and the longer he chanted, the more it grew and slunk around the Dragon’s unconscious body.

She could barely see him, but it was enough that she saw Rurik grow smaller as he shrunk in size. Her mouth fell open. He wasn’t just shrinking in size... He was being sucked into that orb!

After a few moments, he was gone, and the stranger picked up the glass ball.

He brought it over to show her, and what had once been see-through now housed what looked like a tiny version of the dark purple male she had come to know and care for.

“What did you do to him?!” Amalia reached for it.

He snatched it out of the way.

“This is the kind of magic I plan for you to gain. It is a rare and powerful spell, but I have sealed him in this orb so that I may carry him. Do not worry. I have not harmed your Dragon.”

He reached up to cup her under the chin. It was gentle as his thumb brushed against her cheek.

“You have grown far lovelier than I had ever imagined. Everything is falling into place, and soon you will remember what I plan for you to become.”

“And what is that?”

She didn’t trust this man or the soft smile he gave her – one that appeared tender and caring.What is he going to do to Rurik?

Amalia quietly followed the stranger outside of Rurik’s lair after he had spent some time at the ward and managed to lower it for them. Then he forced her to hop onto the saddle of a horse he’d hidden in the woods before he sat behind her and brought it into a trot.

She was complying. After watching what he did to render Rurik unconscious with little effort and then put him in some glass ball, she understood that this person was powerful and dangerous.

She still couldn’t remember him, but she knew in time he would remind her of something... apparently.

She tried to remember as she inspected him in close detail. His face was clean shaven, allowing her to see wide jaw bones and sharp cheeks. His chin was indented, his nose broad with a rounded tip. Light lashes framed his green eyes. He was lean, but muscular, and appeared to be a similar height to Rurik. He towered over her slightly.

She couldn’t tell if she thought him attractive or not, but even after examining him, she still couldn’t remember.

And until she did, she had to figure out what he meant when he told her she may possibly see her father, and how to get Rurik out of the ball.I cannot leave him inside it. There must be a way I can free him.

Since she was in front of him, she was unable to grab it, even though he held it under his arm the entire time.

It wasn’t long before he took her to a small, noblemen’s castle. It wasn’t far from Rurik’s lair, and the sun only rose to the middle of the sky by the time they had arrived.

The mansion was grey and appeared as though it hadn’t been looked after well. The building was mostly square with a flat roof, but there was a round tower on one side.

Vines had grown over the side of it while dirt smudged underneath the windows. The grounds were covered in tall grass and the dirt road on the property had been plagued with holes.

“Come, I will help you down.”

She didn’t take his offer when he raised one arm while the other still held the orb. She jumped down by herself and almost fell.