Page 157 of Shadow Charms

“Wonderful job, Dru,” Thorn snarled.

“Oh, please, darling, I couldn’t have done it without you,” she said, her fingers wiggling across his head.

“Well,” Thorn said, his eyes narrowing at Dewey and Paige, “it’s been lovely chatting, but we really should be going.”

Paige spread her legs into a wide stance, crinkling her nose at them. “I don’t think so.”

Drucinda raised her eyebrows and shot Paige an amused glance. “Really? And who is planning to stop us?” She slid her gaze around the cave before her eyes settled on Paige, and she casually pointed a finger at her. “You?”

“That’s right. Me and my partner, Dewey. We’re not letting you out of here with that!”

Drucinda’s lips curled into a smile, and she lowered her chin as she stared narrow-eyed at Paige. “We’ll see. Let’s play.”

She crouched in a defensive position, wiggling her fingers to encourage Paige to approach. “If you want it, come and get it.”

“Paige, this is probably a terrible idea. There’s no way you can–“

“I’m not letting her out of here with that wand,” Paige interrupted. “Just…distract the dragon.”

“Distract the… Paige,” Dewey shouted as Paige crept toward Drucinda.

“Come on, Strawberry Shortcake,” the woman taunted. “Make a play.”

Paige bit her lower lip, wavering back and forth on her feet as she considered the best way to retrieve the wand. Should she try to grab it or tackle the woman and hope she dropped it?

Drucinda pressed something at the end of the wand. It began to turn see-through, its bluish center morphing to purple.

“Uh-oh,” Paige said.

“Look out, Paige,” Dewey called as he circled around Thorn. “She’s activating the wand!”

The interior turned red, and Drucinda pointed it at Paige’s feet. A white-red beam shot out of the tip. Paige danced backward, and the beam smashed into the ground, charring it.

“Damn,” Drucinda hissed, her lips forming a disappointed frown.

Paige stared at the smoke rising from the ground in disbelief. She tightened her jaw and snapped her gaze at Drucinda before she let out a shriek and rushed toward her.

The woman leapt sideways, placing one foot on a stalagmite and using it to push off and climb higher before somersaulting through the air and landing behind Paige.

Paige spun to face her, her jaw gaping. “Seriously?”

Drucinda smoothed her shorts down over her tanned and toned thighs with a smirk before she flicked her sleek brown hair over her shoulder. “Ready to give up yet?”

“Never,” Paige growled, racing toward her again.

She made it halfway to the woman, who braced herself for the impact, when suddenly, a teal blur smacked into her and knocked her onto her side.

She rolled across the floor and banged into the cave’s wall. She groaned as she glanced around while trying to pick herself up.

Dewey dive-bombed the larger dragon, teeth bared as he clawed and bit Thorn’s back.

Drucinda narrowed her eyes at the tiny dragon, activating the wand again and pointing it at Dewey.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Paige murmured as she struggled to push herself to her feet.

She barreled on unsteady legs toward an unsuspecting Drucinda and smashed into the woman, knocking her onto her side. Her arm flailed, the wand pointing up toward the ceiling as it discharged, striking the base of a smaller stalactite and cracking it. The stone wobbled for a moment before plunging to the floor below, nearly striking Thorn’s tail.

Paige and Drucinda rolled in a tumble of arms and legs, hitting a stalagmite as they continued to struggle.