Thank you to all who reviewed and especially to those whom I did not get to reply to!

This chapter is a great deal smaller than the rest, but the next chapter is going to be huge and completely packed with action and suspense as it is growing near for my story to end. .:sniffs:. Well anyway, on with the chapter!

A/N: I changed the title of the Spell in this chapter and in Chapter 3 from when it is first mentioned. It fits in with my story a whole lot better. :)

Chapter 8

Jake awoke to find himself on the roof of one of the tall office buildings of New York at night. It took him a while to remember how he got there and why his breathing was labored. As the thoughts rushed back to him, his eyes widened in fear at what had happened.

.:Flashback:.

The creature took him by surprise and began squeezing every breath out of him as before. The American Dragon struggled violently against his captor but soon found out that he couldn't do anything to stop the constant pressure upon his chest. After several minutes, the strength in him diminished. His body grew limp in the creature's grasp. Darkness clouded his vision and he felt himself on the verge of fainting. Suddenly, a newfound pain seeped into his head. It was a very unfamiliar feeling—like someone, or something, was examining his mind. Memories of his life flashed through his head as he felt the creature's hold on him tightening. He saw certain recollections of his earlier childhood flash by quickly, but when he came upon his recent memories, they became much more prolonged. The last memory he remembered seeing before he felt himself falling to the ground was Nic turning into a human. He collided with the roof and knew no more.

.:End Flashback:.

Jake was still uncertain of what the creature really did or why it had spared his life yet again, but he did know that he had to get back to his grandpa's shop, and to Nic, as soon as possible. For some odd reason, he felt positive that Nic was definitely in great danger. He groaned as he got up with difficulty. His muscles burned with even the slightest motion and he noticed that he was no longer in his dragon form. He mustered what little strength he had, called upon his dragon wings (he was too weak to be in his full alter ego), and flew to Grandpa's shop, camouflaged by the black night sky.

XXXXX

Huntsgirl stood in the darkened room long after the creature left. She was thinking about what it had told her. She made the creature think that she was very pleased with the information, but in reality it had shaken her a bit. The unicorn was in the disguise of Nic White, a boy posing as Jake Long's cousin at her school. She was rather taken with Nic as soon as he walked through the door of her Mythology class. She even blessed Rotwood for seating him next to her.

"The boy's an absolute hottie," she thought aloud, "and he seems to like me as well. Then again… he is only a boy in disguise. His true form is that rotten unicorn which escaped. If I could capture him and bring him to Huntsmaster, then I would be praised beyond any one of the Huntsclan." Her eyes gleamed with ecstasy and she began to make her way to Huntsmaster's chamber.

Huntsmaster was on the couch in a fitful slumber when Huntsgirl walked into the room. She took a seat in an armchair next to the bookcase and waited for him to wake up. She thought about waking him in her excitement in telling him the good news but decided against it as she thought about the last time she did. He was so angry that he threw a dagger at her, which, fortunately, missed her—but only by a couple of centimeters. After that incident, she felt that it would be best to wait. However, several minutes later she grew bored and decided to choose a book to read from his minuscule collection.

There were only about four books on the shelf with almost an inch of dust on all but one. The one book was also a bit larger than the other three and had an old but handsome leather cover with silver lettering which spelled: The Book of Spells, Potions, and Enchantments, Author Unknown. It caught her eye immediately and she extracted it from the shelf with eager hands. She glanced over at Huntsmaster to make sure he was still asleep as she didn't think he would be too happy if he caught her with the book. Fortunately for her, he was still sleeping, so she opened it excitedly. There were all sorts of fascinating spells inside, but only one particular spell consumed her interest. She gazed over the page with gleaming eyes and read:

The Spell of Aspiration

Who so ever completes the entirety of this spell may have whatever he so desires.

Directions:

First, write the spell on a piece of parchment. Next, say the spell while concentrating on the thing of which one desires. Then, light the parchment on fire. Last, drop the parchment into the finished potion as the parchment burns.

Ingredients for Potion:

2 Fairy Wings

2 oz. Giant Blood

A Pinch of Pixie Dust

Hair of an Arctic Wolf

Tear of a Whistling Swan

1 Tail Feather of a Phoenix

(Be sure to use a pewter caldron for best results)

The Spell—

Huntsgirl quickly snapped the book closed as she heard Huntsmaster groan in pain signaling that he would soon be awake. He rolled over to see her facing the bookcase.

"What are you doing?" he asked her drowsily but with a little edge in his voice. Her heart raced, but luckily he saw her a second after she put the book back in its place.

"Nothing," she replied, thanking the heavens that her voice was much calmer than she felt.

"Then, what do you want?" he asked in an irritated manner. She silently heaved a sigh of relief in knowing that he didn't catch her and suddenly gained back her confidence.

"I just thought you would like to know that I have information on the whereabouts of the unicorn, Master," she said.

"If you know where it is, then why am I still like this?" he growled.

"You will be well by tomorrow afternoon if all goes to plan," she reassured him and let herself out of the room.

(Announcer's voice) Oh no! Will Huntsgirl actually follow through with her plan? Will Huntsmaster be well again? And will Jake ever find out how to defeat the mysterious Shadow Creature? Tune-in next time for another suspenseful chapter of Mystical Horns and Powerful Feathers!

Sorry, I just had to put that in here. Unfortunately, next chapter won't be out as soon as I hoped. I took a week off from school for vacation and it's going to be ghastly trying to catch up. Plus, the time for finals is here yet again, so I most likely won't be updating until after the 14th of December; my deepest apologies.

Anyway, please review!