'I just don't know how to do this.'
I don't know how to live.
Hadji's heart translated her words perfectly. It left him with a helpless
feeling that haunted his soul.
"Hadji?" Neela rushed in
frantically. "I'm glad you've returned!"
"What is it?" Hadji rose to his
feet and looked into his mother's worried eyes.
"We just received a phone call!"
Neela took him by the arm. "Count Marcus is in route."
"Please excuse me," Hadji bowed
to Alleyah quickly and allowed his mother to usher him out the door.
Their abrupt departure left silence behind
them.
Alleyah looked out the window and
nervously twirled the ring on her finger. She looked down and stretched
her fingers out.
I am nothing. . . inside.
Alleyah decided. Nothing to love and nothing to give.
The mention of Count Marcus name made
Alleyah extremely uneasy. Whether she wanted to or not, was no longer the issue.
The confrontation was about to take place.
"Valley
of the Dragon," Jonny spoke the words as Jessie typed them into the
computer. "Iris will have something for us."
"I hope so," Jessie pressed
'Enter' and they both waited for the computer to bring up information.
"Okay," Jonny and Jessie both
leaned in closer to the glowing screen.
Valley
of the Dragon. . . ancient Chinese legend where the
dragon of the earth and
the dragon of the heavens fought
to
their death. It is believed that the hills make up the body
of
the dragon of the earth and the dragon from heaven fell
to the bottom of the lake.
Jonny stopped reading and looked over to
Jessie. She was glued to the screen and her green eyes took in every
word.
"Dragons are very symbolic in China,"
Jessie pointed out. "Some even believed that the Emperor's descendants
could be traced back to dragons."
"Pretty far fetched for me,"
Jonny smiled.
"Okay," Jessie looked into his
eyes with a smile across her lips. "With everything we've seen, I have a
hard time 'not' at least considering the possibilities. Legends do start
from actual events."
"That may be true," Jonny leaned
back and stretched his arms. "But dragons? Come on Jess."
Jessie ignored Jonny's last comment and
picked-up where she left off.
The
Valley of the Dragon received its name when numerous
witnesses
reported seeing dragons in the hills at dusk. The
dragons have been blamed for many
disappearances. Over
three hundred have been reported as having
vanished after
entering
the valley.
"Alleyah's family doesn't have a
problem with this?" Jonny creased a brow.
"No," Jessie looked at the
screen and reread the words. "What better place to hide someone, which I'm
convinced Alleyah's grandmother was hiding her, then a place where no one is
willing to go to. The map shows how dangerous that area is. People
probably got lost, not eaten by dragons."
"Now you're making more sense,"
Jonny looked at the screen.
"My friends," Hadji walked
briskly to them. "Forgive me for interrupting you. I have just received
news that Count Marcus is on his way here. He will be here any moment.
I would like you to be with me to greet him."
"Of course," Jessie closed up
the laptop and Jonny pulled the chair out for her as she stood.
"We're here for you Hadji,"
Jonny tilted his head back and smiled widely.
"Both of your fathers are respected
in Count Marcus circle. He will be pleased if their children are there to
represent them."
"Oh, represent?" Jessie smiled
slyly and looked at Jonny from the corner of her eye mischievously. "Poor
Dr. Quest."
"Hey!" Jonny pierced her with
his ice blue eyes and Jessie turned away hiding her face as she blushed.
Avoiding eye contact, she quickly fell into step with Hadji as he walked out
the door.