Page 8 of The Healing Dragon (The Red Book #2)

CHAPTER FIVE

JANELLE

T he sun finally breaks through the mountain peaks an hour into the remainder of the trip. If the markers I memorized are correct, we’re getting close. The forest in this area is more wild. I’m on high alert as the vegetation is dark and my footing is unclear.

I look at Jesse behind me. I’ll know we are close when he feels the presence of magic return. Despite being alert to his surroundings, he doesn’t look any different. I’ve been keeping an eye on him. Then Jesse stops walking and stares at his hands.

“You feel it?” I ask, referring to the magic tingling in his skin.

He nods.

I spot a large bush at a distance and rush to it. If I’m correct, there will be a clearing on the other side and the farm not too far after that. I peek through the gaps and see the white structure of an old farm.

“He’s in there?” Jesse asks, looking through a gap above my head .

“I guess this is where we part ways,” I say.

He chuckles. “I don’t think so.”

I look back at him. “What kind of spell do you have up your sleeve that will allow a long-term concealment?” I shake my head. “You need to stay here and I will try to sneak you in once I get the layout.”

“You cannot be trusted.”

I roll my eyes. That line is starting to sound cliche.

“So what, you will make yourself invisible?” I ask, half amused.

“Exactly,” he says.

I’m not surprised to see Jesse pull out Brandon’s invisibility cloak.

He must have brought something to conceal himself if he so boldly demanded to accompany me to supervise this mission.

What I wasn’t ready for was the emotions that surfaced at the sight of it.

Memories of us as children flow through my mind.

The image of a young Brandon and Jesse fighting over the cloak almost makes me smile.

They would pull it from end to end until the material stretched thin.

My hands would be on my cheeks, dreading the noise of ripping thread that never came.

Roman was always the authority around. He would use the threat of taking it away as leverage to make them stop fighting.

Those moments when the cloak would bring us midnight snacks and late-night adventures on long summer nights feel so fleeting now.

In the blink of an eye, duty pulled Brandon away and Roman quickly followed.

Jesse was the one who never left. He never became too mature for my friendship.

I wish I would’ve told myself to stay up longer during those summer nights. To be more patient and appreciate the way things were. I was in such a rush for things to change that I never imagined I was in the good part .

We never know how good we have it until we’re looking back and the moments have become memories.

“You look at it like you’ve never seen it before.” Jesse drapes it over his shoulders.

In the blink of an eye, he is no longer there.

He is gone, and I don’t bother correcting his assumption about my expression.

Instead, I clear my throat and watch the front door of the farm.

I’ve been thinking of how I plan for this to play out, but the simple route might be our best bet.

My father needs to think I’m coming here seeking him to take me back.

Therefore, we need to stop sneaking around and just come right out.

“Stay vigilant,” I tell Jesse as I step out of the woods.

I walk out of the tree line. The second I step out, I expect one, if not more, of my father’s men to have seen me. If they were doing their jobs, my father would’ve learned of my return by my seventh step.

I’m closing the distance between the treeline and the front porch of the farm when the door opens. A human man steps out. He is hunched over due to his old age. From the frown on his face, I conclude he is not thrilled to see me trespassing.

The old man raises one hand in the air. “Get out of here, girl. There are no jobs if you plan on asking for one.”

“I’m here to see my father,” I tell him in a calm voice.

“What?” he asks.

“I’m here to see my father.” I try again.

“What?”

It is obvious he cannot hear me from where I’m standing, so I take another step forward.

At my step, the man pulls a gun from the back of his pants and points it directly at my head.

I stare at the weapon in shock. I’ve seen many since living on the outskirts of Paz.

But I’ve never had one pointed at me. Jesse’s body moves closer to me, close enough that I can feel his warmth .

Ordinary humans use guns for protection and crime. They’re not used by magical creatures, as the magic we possess is far more deadly and easier to wield.

“That is enough, Jill,” says a man who exits the front door of the farmhouse. The cocky smile on his face is familiar. “Forgive him, Princess Janelle, for he has never met your highness before.” He turns back to the old man. “This is the lost daughter of King Duelo.”

The title my father has given himself almost makes me laugh.

Of course, he would start calling himself that.

The King who’s fighting for his rightful throne.

His men have been calling me princess for so long that I’ve grown accustomed to the taunt.

But that is all it ever was, a taunt. I never took it seriously.

It was meant to point out my privilege and status amongst them.

In front of family and in polite company, they always used my correct title as a lady.

I always found the secrecy to be cowardly. If my father truly felt he could take on Brandon Oscuro, he wouldn’t need his little army of men. He wouldn’t have sent me and my brothers to fight his battle.

“Take me to my father, dog. Is he already aware I’m here?” I say to my father’s soldier and don’t make eye contact like meeting his gaze is beneath me.

His smirk falls as the nickname falls from my lips. I refuse to learn his name because he is nothing more than a follower of my father. Jumping on his every whim without a single original thought to himself.

“Everyone is aware you are here.” He looks around the land. “You cannot set foot on this property without me knowing. I’m the head of security.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I roll my eyes. He surely doesn’t know of the man standing just a few steps away under a cloak. “Well, quit wasting my time and take me to my father. ”

The old man tries to raise his gun at me again. His dislike for my disrespect is evident. The dog pushes the gun down without moving his eyes from me.

“Follow me,” he gestures to the front door.

I can feel more than see Jesse walking next to me. I make sure I pause in front of the door, allowing him to step before me. The dog and the old man follow me, shutting the door.

“You sure have a lot of attitude for someone who–”

“And you talk a lot for someone whose job is outside the walls of this house.” I point to the main entrance before he can finish talking. “Shouldn’t you be getting back to work?”

“Janelle,” my mother calls.

Her frail body looks just as fragile as the last time I saw her.

I leave everyone else behind as I rush towards her.

I hug her tight to my chest, breathing her in.

Her skin and hair always smells like sweet honey.

It’s the one thing that hasn’t changed about her.

The day that does change will be the day I worry she is no longer here.

My mother suffers from a sickness very few have ever guessed at. Her skin is nearly paper thin, and so are her bones. She doesn’t just look fragile. She is.

My gift for healing first surfaced when I was three. My mother was bedridden after a fall. I rested my palm on her arm, wishing I could do something to keep her from getting hurt. Like a miracle came to life, I did it. I healed her. From that day on, I healed her weekly.

My healing gift has its limitations. I cannot heal myself and I can only heal small surface wounds and pain. The latter is more important than I ever thought possible.

Something I didn’t understand was why she made me promise I wouldn’t tell a soul about my gift.

Most of all, my father. I later found that the reason for her sickness was him.

She feared if he learned I could help her debilitated state, he would attempt to take even more of her power. She wasn't protecting me but herself.

See, my father and mother are soul bonds, and a little secret about soul bonds is how, once established, one can access the magic of the other one.

That is how Ray was able to command my fire.

He never tried to take my magic when we bonded, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t in the future.

He watched, like many others, how my father grew in power while my mother nearly faded away.

Once taken, the power cannot be given back.

However, I question if my father would’ve returned it if he could.

My mother has done little for me throughout my life, but unbeknown to her, by keeping my gift from my father, she shielded me.

I thank her for that even if it wasn't her intention. She kept me safe from him before I knew how to do it myself. I’m certain he would have found a way to use and profit off my gift.

She pulls away and looks at me. I can see tears lining her eyes, but they don’t fall. They never do. “Your father is waiting to see you. He is so happy that you’re back.”

I know those words are hollow. If they were true, it would be even worse.

Because it would mean I was playing right into his hand.

I take a deep breath and nod. There’s no point in delaying any longer than necessary.

I can’t see Jesse, but I am certain he is still somewhere here.

I follow my mother as she leads the way down the hall.

We enter a long dining room where a formal wood table is at the center.

He might be okay with hiding out on an old farm, but he would never allow his surroundings to be anything but the best.