66. AURELIA

Chapter sixty-six

AURELIA

I held the vial close to my heart. This was our last hope, and I knew it, too. I hoped that this would work. Otherwise, my friends and my father would have died for nothing. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't just let them die without ending this once and for all.

My hands started to tingle. A familiar prickle of needles across my skin. My fingers were going numb, and I was worried that I would drop the vial before I reached the hole. Glancing down, making sure that I still had the vial in my grasp, I watched as my skin became translucent. The outer layer of my body became like a small shadow, unable to see my whole figure.

Deathlies were reaching me, their screeches coming closer, their teeth gnashing, ready to end me. But they swarmed in opposite directions, their beady eyes in search of me, but couldn't find me.

I was invisible, and I was the only one who could send the vial into the crater.

Rushing to the gaping hole only feet in front of me, I could feel the tingling sensations continue, spreading through my veins.

The only way to make sure that I got the tears to the core of the hole was to jump in myself, adding weight to send it down to where it needed to reach.

My skin burned from the instant disease that filled my body, and my body ached from landing on myself prior. I had concerns for our dragons as they were also being covered with the horrible disease over their scales, shriveling up just like Washailameii 1 .

I opened the vial, allowing the tears to stream out, and plunged.

1. Washailameii (Wa-shay-la-mee): Angie's dragon