Page 37 of Ava’s Love of the Dragons (Of Dragons, Love, and Destiny #2)

Ava lay helplessly on the stairs, condemned to watch as the mages approached. Stop! Ava was no longer helpless. She had learned to fight. And, for heaven's sake, she had an Isip stone!

She grabbed the dagger she had attached the magical stone to, and cut along between her ankles. The invisible spell dissolved, and she was free. She immediately jumped up and darted down the stairs.

"How did she manage that?" shouted the mage.

"It doesn't matter. After her!" The footsteps of the guards thundered down the steps, louder than the dragons striking their tails against the walls.

Ava ran faster than she ever had in her life.

She raced down the stairs, considered running to the first floor, then thought it might lead to a dead end like the third floor.

Better to rush downstairs, even if she risked running straight into Elora's arms. If worse came to worst, she could jump out the window on the ground floor.

Taking two steps at a time, she left the staircase behind and reached the ground floor.

Two guards came down the hallway and saw her.

While one widened his eyes in disbelief, the other immediately formed an energy ball between his hands and hurled it at Ava.

She quickly raised her dagger, deflected the attack, and raced in the opposite direction.

"That's the guardian!"

The two other guards clattered down the stairs and yelled at the sentries. "Why did you let her escape?"

The mages cursed, one spat on the ground, and four pairs of boots were hot on her heels.

Ava had to constantly look over her shoulder to see their attacks coming.

They fired one attack after another at her, forcing Ava to run backward to avoid being hit.

Her steps slowed as the dangerous bolts came hissing faster, and her pursuers gained ground. Barely five meters separated them.

The mages laughed confidently, three bombarding her with lightning bolts, while the fourth mumbled an incantation.

The next moment, an invisible rope wrapped around her ankles again, and she fell flat on the ground.

She immediately straightened her upper body to cut through the magical restraint, but the guards were already upon her, forming a cage of shimmering lights and placing it over her.

The bonds dissolved, but before she could run away, the flickering bars surrounded her on all sides.

Without hesitation, she rammed her shoulder against it, screaming.

Maybe there was a way through! But the bars were like metal, though it was possible to see through them.

She drew her dagger and tried to cut through the grid to destroy the structure.

However, the mages repaired every crack she managed to make before she could create a hole large enough to slip through.

"Will you finally keep quiet now?"

"No! Let me go!"

Her opponents grumbled dismissively, while the narrow-faced guard grinned smugly. "When we bring her to her, she'll be eternally grateful to us."

"Absolutely!"

He moved his hands as if scooping water.

The next moment, Ava lifted off the ground along with the enchanted cage and flew behind him and his comrade down the hallway.

The two masked mages waited until she had flown past to run behind the cage.

They laughed and joked as if it were the most important magical holiday of the year.

"Let me go!"

The men ignored her and laughed triumphantly, as if her fate was finally sealed. But that couldn't be!

Ava didn't give up, hammering her dagger against the bars, but the mages behind the cage casually repaired every gap in the grid before she could strike the unstable spots a second time.

The effort she expended was nothing compared to what her opponents needed to prevent her from breaking out.

So she stopped, panting heavily and gathering her strength.

The men were taking her to Elora, and she would kill her.

Maybe the sorceress would agree to a fight beforehand.

But regardless of some cursed prophecy that assured her a chance, how realistic was it that she would win against the most powerful sorceress when four simple mages effortlessly put her in this damn cage?

She ran her hands over her face, her gaze falling on the dagger with the Isip stone. Maybe that would be enough to keep Elora in check and escape at an opportune moment.

It was probably completely naive to bet on such improbabilities.

They reached the tall double doors leading to the throne room. This time, the guards didn't knock but rammed the entrance open with their fists and entered the hall confidently.

"What is the meaning of this?" Elora's harsh voice echoed through the cavernous room.

"We bring you the catch of the day." The men bowed and stepped aside, allowing Ava and the sorceress a clear view of each other.

Elora was sitting on her throne but rose and lifted her chin.

She could hardly be older than Ava. How had she managed to reach such a powerful position at such a young age?

And she was smiling. It was the most diabolical smile Ava had ever seen.

If her eyes didn't flash so coldly, she would be considered beautiful.

"Well, well. Who have you brought me?"

Ava couldn't stand her arrogance. Anger overcame her, and she once again struck the bars with her dagger. "Let me go!"

"Why should we do that when everything is going according to plan?"

Ava struck the cage vehemently, but at Elora's words, she paused and stared at the sorceress. What did she mean by that?

The magistra slowly shook her head, without taking her eyes off Ava.

"Do you really think you've infiltrated my castle unnoticed?

Do you really think I didn't see you jump from your dragon?

Do you really think I didn't notice your lover freeing the girl?

Do you really think it's a coincidence that you're landing right here in front of me now?

" She tilted her head back and laughed. The sound echoed through the high hall until the sorceress lowered her head and looked at Ava.

A wide grin spread across her face and her dark eyes sparkled dangerously.

"You're exactly where I want you to be!"

Ava felt hot and cold. She had listened to her words in disbelief, feeling inferior, powerless, but she couldn't give up so easily!

Without knowing where she found the will, she clenched her hands into fists.

The sorceress was probably just playing with her.

Wanted to give her a feeling of helplessness so she would give up. So she would accept her death.

She quickly let her gaze wander through the hall, over the gallery with the throne, the long corridor with the dark carpet, and the large round table that stood in a niche next to the exit.

The richly decorated columns divided the room into several sections.

Thick curtains were drawn in front of the windows, but the magic lights that were hanging in the air all over illuminated every corner so that she could survey the entire room.

There was no trace of Magg.

Where had the mages taken her?

"Are you looking for the overzealous blonde?"

Ava returned Elora's gaze determinedly. She wouldn't give up without a fight. "No, I'm looking for an escape route."

Once again, the sorceress threw her head back and laughed so that it echoed off the walls.

As soon as she turned her attention back to Ava, there was no trace of her good mood left; instead, her mouth contorted with hatred.

"Enough of the games! Get her out of the cage so I can finally eliminate the one who's supposedly our greatest threat. Ridiculous!"

The shimmering bars disappeared and Ava fell to the ground. She landed awkwardly on her ankle and a stabbing pain shot up her leg. But Elora was already throwing the first magic ball at her, so she quickly struggled to her feet and held the dagger with the Isip stone in front of her.

"Why are you so full of hatred anyway?"

"The defenseless guardian wants to talk first?" She altered her voice as if talking to a small child. "Are you afraid of what I have in store for you?"

"I'm interested." Ava shrugged casually, as if she didn't think anything of it, although Elora was right, of course.

She wanted to buy time and she wanted to postpone the fight, preferably to the point of never.

Because she knew she wasn't ready yet. She knew she was inferior to the sorceress.

She wasn't ready to fulfill her destiny.

And Elora knew it too.

The magistra narrowed her eyes to slits.

"Let's put it this way: The king created his own enemies.

And now enough talk. I never want to see your face again!

" She raised her right hand and hurled a lightning bolt at Ava, who quickly raised the dagger.

But the magic blast was too strong. It penetrated the weapon into her hand and rushed up her arm like an electric shock.

Ava staggered backward but stayed on her feet as the sorceress approached her, eyes fixed on her weapon.

"Who gave you the stone?"

"Someone who's on my side and not yours!" Quick as lightning, Ava pulled the second dagger from her belt and hurled it at Elora. She raised her hand lazily, causing the weapon to stop in mid-air, its tip turning one hundred and eighty degrees and zooming back towards Ava like an arrow.

She jumped aside, but the dagger still caught her arm. The sharp blade sliced through the sleeve of her tunic and scraped across her skin.

"Perhaps you should rethink your attacks, because I will reverse every single one and direct it back at you.

" Once again, the sorceress hurled a lightning bolt.

Ava deflected it, but the magic blast hissed up her arm to her heart.

At the same time, the magistra fired more lightning bolts that hit Ava in the stomach, hip, and ankle.

The concentrated attacks were too strong.

She lost her balance and fell backward, while the affected areas burned like fire.

Lilly's face appeared before her mind's eye—her cheeky grin, her knowing expression—and the little one whispered incessantly, "Don't give up, Ava. I'm counting on you!"

Ava gritted her teeth and staggered to her feet. As soon as she stood, she tensed her body and raised the dagger. "Is that all you've got?"

Elora grinned devilishly. "Don't worry. You'll get to find out about my most wickedest features."

A strike tore through the building. Draco. Ava looked up at the ceiling. Although she couldn't see him, she knew he wanted to help her.

The sorceress's voice turned cold. "Finally, take care of the dragon. Kill them all. We can stop pretending now that they're capable of defeating us. I'll deal with the guardian alone."

Without questioning the order, the mages rushed outside, while Ava and Elora remained in the huge hall. Although there seemed to be so much space and the room was big enough for thousands of people, Ava knew she couldn't escape the sorceress.