Caleb went to the kitchen and brought tea for me. I took a sip and then handed the cup to Joseph. But Caleb gestured for me to drink more. Took a nip, almost half the cup and then put it on the table. The smell in the atmosphere changed. I sensed a rather rotten eggs scent. We have company. But I don't think it might be dragons. Something stronger was nearby. I tried to get up but Caleb pushed me back to the couch.
"You aren't going anywhere until you get well," he spoke, and handed me the cup of tea again.
"We are not alone," I said and attempted to get up.
"Jackson, just relax. Whatever it might be, we will handle it," Caleb said.
Before I could even respond, my eyes began feeling heavy. I tried to get up from the couch but Caleb put me back again. Then before I knew it, I was already in dream world. The bastard dragged me. Or was it because of the magic I sensed in the air?
*
I peeled open my eyes and saw that I was in my room. "How the hell did I get here?" I asked myself. I got up and sat down, touching my head.
Turned and saw the same tea cup Caleb brought for me. I remembered it all.
He dragged me.
I jumped from bed and went running downstairs. The bastard had put something in my tea. I knew he was trying to help, but I was going to kill him for it. As I was walking down the stairs, a thought found its way into my head. The rotten magical scent was not in the air any more. Was I hallucinating earlier or what? Was that just a side effect from the drug he had used or something or someone was really here?
I banished those thoughts away as I reached the living room. Joseph was charting with Prince. I looked around, no sign of Caleb nor John, not even the dragons. He went to kill those bastards by himself, screw him.
"Jackson, you are awake," Joseph said excitedly.
"Yes. Where are your parents?" I asked, sitting at the table facing the boy.
"They went with Caleb and your other friend I don't know his name."
"Don't worry, he is not important," I said to myself, but the boy must have heard because he was smiling. "Did they say where they went? Prince, spit it out," I whirled to look at him.
"I don't know, Caleb just told me to distract the press. And when I asked him where they were going, he just told me to keep an eye on you." He admitted.
"Dammit," I cursed.
"What's it?" Joseph asked.
"Nothing, my boy. But I will surely kill Caleb for this. And Prince, why are you not at work?"
"Dude it's twenty-one. You are a sound sleeper. You have been sleeping for five hours," they laughed.
"What do you expect, that bastard had put a sleeping pill in my tea?"
I couldn't even follow them because I did not know where they might be. The only thing I prayed for that they did nothing to alarm the press.
Then it hit me again. Did the rotten egg scent belong to Seires? That bastard run away from foe three days ago. He used me as leverage which landed me in trouble with Tresford. And now I have to find other souls to replace Seires's. But if I can find Seires himself then I can close the chapter with Tresford.
But now that the scent was not in the air, there was no way of finding out who it was. This was all Caleb's fault. If the bastard hadn't drugged me, then I would have found the person who had been stocking me.
"For how long have they been gone?" I asked looking from Prince to Joseph.
"About four to five hours," Joseph spoke.
Was it so hard to locate the dragons? But Caleb could find them in a few minutes' time. Did the dragons find them and captured them? Heck, even killed them. Just thinking about the possibilities made the air at the back of my head stood on end.
I took my phone form my pocket which I had no idea I had taken. Then began looking at the latest news. But nothing about werewolves and dragons was there. I sighed and learned on the backrest. How I wished I was there helping them.
"Don't worry they will be back," Joseph said.
I just smiled at him. Kinder, surprised by how he was able to pick up on my thoughts. But I didn't press on that. my head was way to occupied with a lot of crazy schemes.
I stood up and began pacing. Each minute that passed felt like an hour to me. What the hell was taking them so long? It had been six hours since they had gone and hadn't come back yet. My stamping grew louder.
Prince went upstairs and then minutes later came back with about ten files that needed signing. But judging by my current state I couldn't have done that. So, I made him sign the papers for me. But he asked me certain things before he signed.
An hour finally elapsed. I called Caleb but he thought it best to leave his phone. How ironic.
Before I went any further in my panic mode, the door blew inwards. I turned and saw Caleb and the rest entering. I held up my hand and pinned Caleb to a wall.
They all looked at me. Dumbstruck, by my paranoid.
"Why the hell did you drug me?" I asked him.
"I was helping you, moron," he responded rudely.
"I didn't ask for it, you idiot," I moved my hand. He flipped into the air once and then I pinned him to the opposite wall. About two feet from the television.
"Dude, what is wrong with you? Do you want to finish me up?" Caleb asked.
They all began begging me to let the bastard go. I looked at each of them, then turned back to Caleb.
"Drug me again and you are a dead man." I let him go then moved and sat down. They all followed. "Now start saying what happened where you went," I added.
Caleb came limping and coughing then sat opposite me.
"Well, we killed one dragon," John said.
"Which one?" I asked.
"The water dragon," Anna replied.
"Nice. Let's just hope the press was not there. Or else they will be at my gate tomorrow morning and I have run out of lies," I said.
"Don't worry, they were not there. We managed to trick them into following us in the woods," Caleb finally said.
"And the vampires?" I asked.
"The bastards ran away as they saw us," Nicholas responded.
"What did they say when they saw you guys fighting alongside Caleb and John?" I looked from Anna to Nicholas.
"Mad of course. But screw them, as long as our son is safe, we can fight those bastards," Anna said and kissed Joseph's hair.
But everything mattered. We can't just screw the rest of the dragons and sit here. I knew they thought been here might help, and they were not wrong. But even I was scared of what my enemies might hip up on me, and I was even more scared of what they might do to any of them.
"What's the plan for catching the other dragons?" I asked.
Caleb cleared his throat as he finished dusting himself. "Well, they know we know where they stay. So probably the caves are of no use. We will just use my powers and your shadow walking thing."
"Alright, then tomorrow morning we go as early as possible, let's say four. Before anyone wakes up," I suggested.
"Yeah, and we will find them when they least expect it," Nicholas replied, and the rest just nodded in approval.
"Er… Prince, aren't you going home? Your mother must be worried sick." I said, after noticing he made no attempt to let go of the paper he was signing.
"No. I told her I'm spending the night here," he replied, and returned to his paper signing.
"Er…. Without. My. Permission," I stammered.
"Well, since I'm part of the team I didn't think I needed to ask for permission," this time he didn't even dare look at me.
"This is still my house I will let you off with a warning."
I know this looks like I was over reacting. But it was for his good. A lot of people were already involved in my life. A lot of people are living at my house and he was the last person I wanted here. Everyone has something they could use to help them fight. He has nothing. So, understand me when I chase him out of my house.
"Yes, boss," he said sarcastically.
"Whatever," I said lazily. "So, since both of you are dragons, what are your weaknesses. Apart from the zombie fungus. It might be helpful when catching the rest of the dragons," I turned to Anna and Nicholas.
"There is this flower called the ghost plant. Every dragon bowls down to it. There is something about it that makes us instantly weak," Nicholas said.
"I have heard of that. But you can only find it in the realm of shadows," John said.
"The vampires are also using that to their advantage? To scare the other dragons to follow their orders," Anna added.
"But you burned the realm of shadows," Caleb looked my way.
"Since those bastards are alive, God knows how many. Chances are, they also have the ghost plant," I said.
"Does it mean you are going to the realm of shadows?" Joseph asked.
"I think so, my boy," Nicholas replied.
"Then I'm following. I can be of help and both of you know that," Joseph said, looking at his parents.
"What do you mean you can be of help?" I looked at Joseph.
"Since those bastards are prone to sunburn. When Joseph's eyes glow, that light seems to burn them. We learned about it when he burned a vampire who was following us," Anna spoke.
"Then you two must have that power as well. You are his parents, after all," I said.
"No. We don't. I think the combination of our blood made him have that ability. Just like you are a powerful wizard than your parents ever were." Anna replied.
"Oh, but listen boy that place is dangerous, ok? You have to listen to your parents," I said in the smoothest voice possible.
"No. I have to help you guys, I'm not a little kid anymore," he stormed out crying and went upstairs.
"I will talk to him. Just relax," I said as I saw Anna get up.
Kid drama was literally the last thing I needed to be doing. But somehow, I feel compiled to to do. Something about him makes me do things that I don't feel like doing, things that I only saw father do for me.
What the hell was happening to me? What happened at that rocky place?