Chapter 8: Hide

        A few more days pass. Then I hear it. A faint whisper of a voice in my head. I listen intently, hope growing inside me. I ask the void tentatively, ‘G’reth?’

I hear my name faintly. It’s him. I know it is.

‘G’reth!’ I exclaim through our link. My excitement instantly turns into concern when I notice his voice is panicked.

‘Grace, you need to hide. Right now.’

‘What? Why? What’s going on?’ I quickly find a hiding place, while I wait for his answer.

‘They are planning to test how you fight against another dragon since you’re now fully recovered…’ He trails off.

‘What do you mean?’

‘You have to fight another dragon.’

‘There are more of us here?’

‘No. Just us…’ He trails off again.

‘I don’t understand.’ The thing was, I think I did.

‘They want you to fight me. They have control of me so I have to do what they say…no matter what. I have no power over my own body. But I still have my consciousness. It’s cruel.’

‘No… I can’t…I can’t fight you.’

‘You have to.’

‘Why?’ I demanded.

‘Because if you don’t…they will do very bad things to you.’ His voice is small, scared. ‘We have no choice.’

‘Bull. There is always a choice. You of all people should know that.’

‘Not this time…’ he says, sounding defeated. ‘Please, just hide. You know my strengths and weaknesses. I can’t fake anything because I have no control over what I do. The hunters do.’

Then, ‘They’re coming.’ Panic, fear, rage, and sadness swarms inside of him. ‘Grace…if something happens, I just want to tell you…’ Our link is cut off.

‘Tell me what?’

Nothing.

‘G’reth?’

Again, no answer.

My heart breaks at the thought of fighting him. I can’t do it. I’d rather die.