Denise was letting them off at the dragon nest before she went to the castle. Sasha and Isaak were going down the stairs to the labyrinth. Sasha bit down the bile and tried not to think about Elias. This was the right thing to do, nothing good would come from Sasha acting like a chicken with its head cut-off. Denise would figure this out. The dragon didn’t need her at the moment.

“I don’t like this”, Isaak said. “I have come around accepting Denise, but going down here gives me the creep.”

“Isaak, just think of them as small cute pink dragon the size of a big bird.” She smiled at Isaak, letting go of the ladder and looking down the tunnels. “The meaner they are, the older, the smaller. So no one down here is half as bad as Denise.”

“Sis, this does not feel a bit better”, Isaak laughed, but he went first in the tunnel, looking back and giving Sasha a hand. “Come on, let's go meet the smallest dragon bitch and save Elias.”

Sasha took his hand.

“You know, I really, really like Elias. I hope he can forgive me for killing his parents.”

Isaak squeezes her hand.

“Maybe we should let them live? I am not man enough to become a king anyway.”

“Uh uh, hate to break it to you, but you would be the most handsome king ever.”

“Sasha kitty, red has never been handsome. And I don’t think they would like me for my good looks.”

She ruffled his hair and continued down the lit tunnels. It was remarkable that they already waited for her arrival, putting the light on.

“My queen”, Sasha bowed in front of the dragon, giving her tribute both to her and the others that had gathered. Isaak bowed beside her, still holding her hand. Sasha squeezed it, trying to transfer some of her calm to him.

“Elias is held in the tower”, the queen nodded.

“It never ceases to amaze me how you know”, Sasha said.

“You do too”, the queen said, this time her voice echoing only in Sasha's head. Her soft blue eyes studied Sasha, her tongue sizzling the air. The queen moved forward, slowly, probably due to Isaac’s presence. Sasha laid a hand on the scale of the queen.

“You can hear me?” Sasha thought, and she felt the confirmation inside her.

“We are all but one”, the queen thought vibrated inside her head. “Denise is at the castle now, and although she knows where he is, she still hasn’t figured out her intent.”

“But if you can hear me, and I you, wouldn’t that mean that Anna can hear you too?”

“No”, the dragon chuckled. “For you to hear us you must be in big stress, and for you to call upon us.” A shiver went through the small dragon. “You have to really concentrate.”

“Or be close to death”, Sasha guessed.

“Yes”, the queen confirmed. “You are a dragon by heart, but you are no true dragon, and because, you can only master a sliver of what we do.”

Isaak went closer to the dragon, slowly laying the hand that didn’t hold Sasha’s in a death grip, at the dragon.

“She feels so smooth, as one big ready to fire gun”, he said.

“Yes”, Sasha smiled, hearing the queen's soft laugher inside her. “She is.”

“He is brave”, the queen said.

Isaak looked from the hissing snake to Sasha, taking his hand back.

“She says you are brave”, she squeezed his hand.

“My plan to rescue the king and punish the queen has become a yard bit more complicated”, Sasha sighed. “I would like your advice”, Sasha said, her voice loud out of respect to Isaak.

“Rescue Elias first, she is not sane, and I am not sure she would not hurt him.” The dragon queen sighed, guilt sipping through her thoughts. She started to sway at the spot, her eyes focusing on Sasha, becoming sharp. “Then you will have to make amends, giving the orb back before you continue with the rest of the plan.”

Sasha closed her eyes, not wanting to acknowledge was the queen said.

“To do that I would need to visit the death queen. I will not be strong enough to fight the queen if I do.” Sasha didn’t like the suggestion one bit. She squeezed her hands into fists. She couldn’t risk failing.

“And Elias will never trust you if you don’t. Besides, with his help, you can't lose. He is stronger than you.”

“What if he can’t hurt her? What if he takes her side?”

“I can’t make any promises, but I know you can't have them both child.”

“I will consider it.”

“What if she is better than you Sasha? What if the only way you can win is to win his trust?” The queen sizzled.

“I will have Greg’s help as well.”

“Sasha child”, the dragon smiled, “I know, remember Denise, where there. I have already considered it. Visit the death queen.”

Sasha didn’t like waiting, and she was still feeling lost. This was it. She couldn’t lose Elias. She was not in a position to spring into action just yet, but she could call for magic reinforcement.

“Isaak, I have a favor to call from some ghosts. I will get their opinion on our plan, now. And I will obey their suggestion, whatever that might be. Either you stand behind me in that decision, or you can stay here while I call upon them.”

“I will always stand by your side, Sasha.”

“Even if it will hurt Elias or Ivy?”

“Doing what is right will always be the part that hurts the least”, Isaak said. “It's not the first time I take tuff decisions.”

No, Isaak had learned the consequences multiple times in his life. Sasha nodded.

“Very well then, I call on the ghosts of Aaliyah.”

In the dark cavern, smoke where burning from the mud and out of the earth, the foggy figures of sex men were seen.

“Thank you for coming”, Sasha said and bowed. “You have asked before, but this time I ask.” She turned to the tallest of the ghost, a man with broad shoulders and a soft smile. “I need to be sure I choose the best path, but I am too heavily involved.”

“I know Sasha”, the ghost said. He draws a star in the mud, sitting down in the middle and offering her his hand. “Come sit with me.”

Sasha let go of Isaak's hand, looking at him and the dragon queen. Isaak nodded slowly. He would be fine. She felt the union of the dragons gathered. They were singing her a soft lullaby, comforting her. This was it, Ivy might see the future, but their fate would be written tonight.