“You can’t really be thinking of drawing that sword on me, can you?” Nya asked Gator as his hand hovered above the hilt of his sword.
An awkward grin spread across his face. “Of course not,” he said. He pulled his hand away. “That’s just… reflex.”
Her eyes went to the weapon and then back at him. His hands were away from the weapon now, but he was still standing uneasy. “I have all the magic in the universe at my disposal. It wouldn’t be smart for you to try and fight me. Besides, I already beat you when I had no magic.”
Gator laughed. “You can’t actually think you beat me, can you? I mean, honestly, you know that I let you defeat me so that you would feel strong enough to go after the stone, so that Slate would be convinced that now was as good a time as ever? Look at you. A tiny little girl who must weigh less than one of my legs. And I am a skilled warrior who has been battling and training for hundreds of years.
Nya knew that he believed every word that he said, but he was wrong. She had defeated him. And she could do it again. If she set the stone down and went after him, sword in hand, she knew she could be successful. She didn’t even need her ability to see into the future to know she could beat him, although she would have to use her skill in order to see his next move so that she could combat it in order to ensure her victory.
But it would be foolish of her to take that option if she intended to actually give the magic to Slate. If what Gator said was true, and Slate was engaged to marry someone else, then giving him the stone would mean she had lost everything--the magic, and the budding relationship she’d thought was growing. If she decided to keep it for herself, she would never have Slate. It seemed like either answer was going to break her heart.
The question was, how would Gator be paid back for his disloyalty to both his king and his thunder?
She’d have to deal with that first, and she wasn’t going to do it with her sword. “Gator,” she said, “what is Slate going to think when he finds out that you’re trying to take the stone from him?”
His face morphed as he realized she was not going to go through with his plan--or fall for his trap as the case may be. Outraged, Gator didn’t take the time to cross the room to attack. Instead, he pulled a dagger from his pocket and shot it across the room, aiming right for Nya’s head. She knew that it was coming and dodged aside just in time. The knife stuck in the wall behind her head, but it had been a distraction. Gator lunged across the room for the Heart of Magic.
Nya knew how the power worked, though. She’d been the last to touch the stone, so she knew it was under her command. She held out her hand and called for the gem. It immediately flew to her hand, just as Gator flung himself across the table, his fingertips barely missing the ruby red rock.
“You’re stone, Gator!” Nya commanded, and a second later, a transformation began in the warrior.
Starting at the bottom of his feet, gray rock began to take the place of his boots, climbing up his pant legs, up his torso, and his arms. His head was the last to change. His face froze in horror as he realized what was happening. Only a clipped, “N-!” left his lips as he tried to protest but wasn’t allowed to.
Certain that Gator’s attempt to take the rock had been foiled, just as she’d seen that it would be, Nya turned back to the chest in the wall. Once again, she had a decision to make. Did she put the stone inside of the chest, transferring the power to Slate, or keep it for herself? While she’d had no idea what she’d do up until the moment she’d brought the stone into this room, she’d known then that she intended to give the rock to Slate. Now, she had another moment to question things.
She had thought he had feelings for her. She had thought that kiss meant something. Now, she wasn’t sure. Looking into the future, she could not pick up enough details to tell whether or not he actually returned those feelings or would end up with the princess Gator had mentioned or someone else.
What she did know was that she had developed true feelings for Slate. Beyond that, she wanted him to have his power back. She wanted these dragons to be able to continue to fly. Seeing that thunder flying overhead and knowing that they were free to do what they’d always done made her heart filled with joy. This would end the Dragon Moon Festivals, and she believed Slate enough to know that he would never harm the people of their kingdoms, even if he didn’t love Nya.
No longer a question in her mind, she did what she needed to do. Nya took the Heart of Magic and put it in the chest, casting a spell that would transfer the magic to Slate, and when she closed the door, it locked under a spell that only Slate could open.
Taking a deep breath, Nya stepped back a few steps, glad to have that done. Now, she had to figure out how to get back to the battle. Her eyes went to Gator. He was still stone, her spell not breaking when she transferred the power, though she was sure that Slate could reverse it if he wanted to. She’d have to find another way.
“Is everything all right?” She heard the voice of the maid as she came into the room. “Oh, my!”
She was looking at Gator. “Sorry,” Nya said. “I had no choice.”
The blonde woman shook her head. “Unfortunately, I’m not surprised.”
“I need to get back to Slate, to the battle,” Nya said, her backpack and shield on her back, her sword at her side. “Do you have any idea who can take me there?”
A smile spread across her face. “Yes. I know someone who would love to fly you to the battlefield.”
“Great,” Nya said with a nod. “Who?”
Her smile brightened. “Ruby.”
“Perfect! Where do I find her?”
“Right here.”
Nya’s smile widened as she realized the woman she was looking at, with the bright eyes and the friendly smile, was Ruby, and she was willing to take her back to the battle. “Well then, let’s go.”