"SHADOW KNIGHTS?"

Instead of answering Josh, Cale hurried toward the dining room. "Samara, protect the door and windows in here."

"On it."

Josh glanced between the two before following Mara to the door. "What are Shadow Knights? Isn't that what you thought Darren was?"

Mara nodded as she dropped down in front of the door. She placed her hand at the bottom, her brows knit together. "Asa praetimus," she murmured, and blue energy surrounded her hand. She stood slowly, trailing her hand across the door. A thick layer of ice spread out from where she touched. After she covered the entire door, she started toward the window.

"Caleb was about to explain them. Almost a week after Isabel and Elohim bonded, the Mighty Dragons found out that Sheol had also bonded with a human."

They stopped in front of the large window looking out over the street. Josh glanced around, but he didn't see anybody. "And that human was the first Shadow Knight?" he guessed.

"Right."

"And they're coming after us?"

"Right again."

Josh flexed his fists, still searching the night outside for movement. "What do you need me to do?" he asked.

Mara placed her hand at the bottom of the window with a chuckle. "Last time I tried to tell you what to do, you didn't listen," she said before repeating the same process she had done for the door.

The house groaned as something crashed on the other side of the house. Josh jerked toward the noise, but Mara grabbed his arm with her free hand before he could run off.

"Don't worry. It's just Caleb putting up a wall," she said without looking up from her task. "Earth is noisier than ice."

Another crash came from where Cale put up barriers, and someone screamed from upstairs.

"Are they here?"

Josh gaped at his dad as he came down the steps, his mom following. While she guided a crying Eli, his dad held a sheathed sword in each hand. When he was younger, Josh would scour the house searching for Christmas presents. How had he never found swords if they were in his house?

"Caleb is putting up earth barriers," Mara explained again. She stepped away from the ice-covered window and inspected her work. "My guess is we have another few minutes before the Shadow Knights arrive."

Josh's mom walked over to him. "Could you stay with Eli please?"

"Yeah, sure." At least it was something to do besides focusing on the pent-up desire to help in some way. He glanced down at Eli. Silent tears slid down his cheeks and he looked pale, but he pressed his lips into a thin line.

His mom eyed the ice over the window as she said, "Hand me a sword, Micah." She took the one his dad handed to her, then nodded to the window. "So we don't plan on running?"

"I contacted Jodas," Cale said, appearing in the doorway from the dining room. "He will open a portal to the Sanctuary soon. The protections are just a precaution."

So portals were a real thing. He could guess how they worked because he had seen them in games often enough, but they made him wonder just how much more information he needed to get from everyone.

"The Sanctuary, huh?" his dad said. "Didn't think we would ever go there again."

Josh twitched at the reminder that his parents, unlike him, knew a lot about everything going on. "What's the Sanctuary?" he asked.

"Our base," Cale replied. "We'll be safe there."

Good, then Josh could get more answers. He glanced at his parents and the sheathed swords they held. He needed a lot of answers.

Eli sniffled and wiped at his nose with his sleeve, a painful reminder of another reason they needed a safe place. His younger brother had seen enough danger for one day.

Mara knelt in front of Eli, greeting him with a small smile. He flinched and shifted closer to Josh.

"You're Eli, right?" she asked.

Eli eyed her warily, then glanced up at Josh. He nodded. "It's okay. She's nice."

Eli crossed his arms and looked Mara over once more. "Yeah, I'm Eli."

Mara smiled gently. "It's nice to meet you, Eli. I'm Mara. Have you ever seen an ice sculpture before?"

"I..." Eli frowned. "I don't think so."

"Then I have a surprise for you." She cupped her hands in front of her and murmured, "Asa vituma."

Eli gasped as a small ball of ice formed in Mara's hands. It expanded and shifted shape until a small dragon stood in her palm.

"Whoa," Eli said, and Josh had to agree.

A mischievous glint lit Mara's dark blue eyes. "That's not all." She focused on the dragon figurine, her brows drawn together.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a quiet groan of ice against ice, the dragon moved. Josh gawked as the little ice creature shook its body and extended its wings. It hopped off Mara's hands and flew in small circles in front of her.

While Eli watched, his fear replaced by awe, she spoke. "When we get to the Sanctuary, you'll get to see real dragons."

"But... don't they eat people?" he asked, even if he still didn't take his eyes off the flying dragon.

"No," she chuckled. "They're fierce protectors. They'll fight anything that tries to eat you. So will we. You'll be safe."

Josh's gaze slid from the dragon to Mara. She smiled at Eli, making Josh's insides turn into warm mush. She had such a beautiful smile, and he couldn't tell if it was that or her words that loosened the nervous knots in his stomach.

Her eyes lifted to his, and her lips twitched higher. It made her entire face glow.

No, it wasn't her glowing. Josh's eyes widened at what looked like a sparkler going off behind Mara. Everyone walked to stand in front of the light as its edges expanded like jumping sparks. It grew to the size of a doorway, its ends still squirming while its middle shimmered like a pale veil.

"Time to go," Cale said. "Do you have everything you need?"

Josh turned to face his parents and Cale, and it was only because he did that he saw the orange glow spreading across the window before Mara shouted, "Move!"

Josh scooped Eli into his arms and lunged away from the window. Glass shattered, and the door disappeared behind a wall of fire. Though fractured and melting, the ice kept back most of the attack.

"Get through the portal!" Cale barked. He hurried to the window, two swords suddenly in his hands and their sheaths hanging from his hips.

Josh scrambled to his feet. Eli followed, tears welling up in his eyes once more. Anger boiled in Josh's blood, and he had to grit his teeth against the urge to charge out and confront whoever was doing this.

The floor quaked and splintered as a wall of earth shot up, covering the window. Eli stared at it, and Josh had to tug to get him moving.

Before they could reach the portal or Cale could reach the door, a blast of wind slammed through the remaining ice. Josh pulled Eli out of the way but almost got sent flying back himself just from the wind catching his shoulder.

A dark-haired man stepped through the door. He almost looked like a regular thirty-something-year-old guy, except for the sword he held in one hand and the shield strapped to the opposite arm. He scanned the area, eyes pausing on the portal for only a moment before he had to turn his attention to a more pressing matter.

Cale attacked in a vicious tornado of slashes and jabs. The man warded off the flurry and struck out with his own attacks. It was a deadly dance, entangling Josh's attention and refusing to let him look away.

Until someone shouted Josh's name.

"Joshua!"

He ripped his eyes away from the battle to find his parents standing by the portal. His mom had been the one to yell, and she gestured to the squirming light.

"Now," she added.

Josh glanced at the battle once more, feeling like there was something he should be able to do, but Eli's trembling hand reminded him someone else needed his attention.

"Let's go," he said as he tugged Eli toward the portal.

"Draznik—"  The man broke off as Cale slammed both swords into his shield at the same time. "Hurry in here!" the Shadow Knight barked out the door.

Josh stopped by his parents, trying to block out the man's words. How many Shadow Knights were there? "We just walk through?" he asked.

His dad nodded. "We will be right behind you."

"Got it." Josh took a step forward, only inches away from the shimmering portal. A sudden scream yanked his head around.

The man stumbled a couple of feet away from the fight, an icy arrow protruding from his thigh. Blood spread across his jeans.

Even as Josh turned back to the portal, that image burned in his mind. He gulped and stepped forward into the portal, Cale's shouted "Terrath praetimus" following behind him.

Walking through the portal felt like trying to float on the restless sea—a small drop in his gut as water lapped over him. At least it felt like water, but when he stumbled out on the other side of the portal, he was dry.

He pulled Eli through, walking a few feet away from the portal before turning toward it. His mom appeared next, then his dad.

Mara rolled out of the portal, coming up with her bow drawn. Almost instantly, the pathway of light started to shrink.

Cale burst from the portal and instantly dropped. "Duck!"

Josh went down, dragging Eli with him. A powerful gust of wind blasted through the remaining portal, almost forcing Josh back to his feet.

A disarming silence replaced the roaring wind as it petered out. Josh's uneven breath rang in his ears, deafening in the quiet. An arm draped over his back, and he flinched away.

"It's okay now, Josh," his mom said, squeezing his shoulder. "We're at the Sanctuary now. We're safe."

She didn't sound so sure, but Josh still tried to will the thrum of adrenaline away. His mom helped him to his feet, and he helped Eli. Everyone else stood as well.

"Well," Mara began, smiling at Josh, "I think you've used up all your bad luck for the next year."

He chuckled. "Can we make that for my lifetime instead?"

"Everyone is still alive, even after two attacks," Cale said as he sheathed his swords. "We were lucky." His eyes flashed when he glanced at Josh, like he wanted to add something, but then his attention flickered over their heads. All emotion drained from his face.

Josh turned the way Cale was looking with a frown. His mouth fell open. He hadn't had much time before to take in their new surroundings, and now that he did, he wasn't sure where to look.

A gleaming, silver castle loomed before him. If not for being made of metal, it would have looked like someone had been plucked it out of the medieval era and dropped it here. He could only guess at how large it was. Its highest turret reached at least sixty feet, and it looked like the building spread out a hundred or so feet in each direction. A ten-foot wall surrounded the castle, the only break in it an arched gateway across from where he stood.

The ornate, barred gate doors stood open. A man and a woman stood between them. A light came from somewhere behind them in the castle, illuminating the duo enough to show they both had dark hair, though the man's hair was darker and short while the woman's was long and crazy curly.

They also both wore pajamas.

"Time to get this over with," Cale muttered. Taking a deep breath, he started toward the gateway, and everyone followed behind him.

Fun fact: More dragon language lessons! Unlike asa, which was random, terrath is a combination of words, terra and earth.

No big fight this time.  For now, it looks like they got away safe and sound, but Cale isn't exactly excited for whatever is coming xD No idea what could have him so hesitant with a couple in PJs though 🤷‍♀️

Let me know your thoughts on the chapter down below, and if you enjoyed it, don't forget to vote and comment! I also have a discord open to anyone who wants to join, and we have a section there to discuss the book :D It's in my bio if you'd like to join!