Chapter Three

Confliction and Deception

Rose sat in her room looking out at the evening sky. The events from earlier that day kept replaying in her head. The fight at the skate park, how she couldn't look Jake in the eyes and hasn't been able to for the past six months. She really did care for him but she had to fulfill her duty to her Uncle. He had taken her in when her parents had passed away and he was loving when he wanted to be. But she couldn't deny her feelings for Jake. There were so many emotions rushing through her everyday and night. Most nights she would cry herself to sleep because of the overwhelming emotional confliction inside of her.

Rose looked depressed all of the time now. Her once bright skin had now turned pale and her sparkling eyes were now dull. She hadn't been eating much so she looked quiet skinny as well. Her friends had tried to cheer her up but eventually gave up on ever getting back the kind and fun Rose they once knew. She truly felt alone.

Rose rested her head on her pillow and stared up at the ceiling. Sleep started to creep over her as her eye lids began to become heavy. Rose lifted her hands and clapped them twice. All of the lights in the room shut off and her room was swallowed by darkness. She curled up under her blankets and closed her eyes letting sleep take her.

Outside of Rose's window stood a dark figure looking inward. He pulled out a cell phone and put it up to his ear.

"I found the target," said the figure into the cell phone.

"Perfect she is the one. Be careful though. She may not look it but she can be a deadly foe. Use caution," replied a voice from the other end of the call.

"I will not fail you," said the figure.

"You had better not," said the voice over the phone and the line went dead. The figure hung up the cell phone and proceeded with his plan. He quietly opened the window and creped through. The figure walked over to the bed and stood over the sleeping girl. A devious smirk formed from his cold pale lips as he knelt down by the bed. He looked upon the girls face and drew his face closer to hers. He was now so close that he could feel her breath upon his flesh. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his goal. He placed two fingers on her forehead and started to chant.

"Og tsum I smaerd reh otni," he said over and over again. He could feel himself becoming lighter and lighter as his physical form started to become transparent. Soon he was nearly visible and soon gone all together.

Down stairs in his study the Huntsmaster sat in his fur chair facing the fireplace. He was contemplating what had happened earlier in the day. He remembered his comment to the shape shifter and kept repeating it over and over again in his mind. He hadn't killed her family, or had he? He closed his eyes and had a vision of himself dumping gasoline on the bodies of the shape shifter's parents, lighting a match, and dropping it. Fire consumed the bodies and began to spread through the house. The Huntsman had no recollection of ever doing that. Something was wrong and he had to find out. For some reason he had a felling the shape shifter had the answers to his questions. He just needed her to answer them. How to get to her, without the American Dragon getting in the way. He needed a plan. His thoughts were interrupted by what sounded like someone up in his niece's bedroom. The Huntsmaster grabbed up a hunts staff and quickly ran to Rose's room. He opened the door quietly and looked around. The room was completely dark. He turned on the lights and walked over to the bed. His niece was sleeping soundly. He looked around a little more but found nothing wrong. Then he noticed the open window. He walked over to it and looked outside. There was no evidence that someone had been there so he shut the window and locked it. He went over to his niece once more and kissed her on the forehead before exiting the room and shutting the door behind him, leaving her to her dreams.

Inside Rose's Dream

Rose stood along in the hallway of her school. All of her surroundings were black and white and no sound could be heard except for her own breathing. Rose walked down the hallway looking for anyone she could find. Eventually she turned into the cafeteria and there in the middle of the room was Jake. He was in full color and is back was to her.

"Jake," Rose called to him but he didn't seem to have heard her.

"Jake," she said again, but he still didn't respond. She tapped his shoulder this time and said his name again. He turned to face her but not with a happy expression. His face was hard and cold. He was glaring at her with those eyes she found so comforting and a deep throated growl escaped his closed lips.

"Jake?" Rose stepped away from Jake. She had to admit he was scaring her. He growled again and advanced on her.

"Jake you're scaring me," Rose said backing away from him. Jake stepped towards Rose with outstretched hands. Rose backed up into the cafeteria wall. She looked left and right for somewhere to run. Jake continued to advance on her with his outstretched arms. Suddenly Jake's arms were surrounded in red flames and transformed into two large red dragon claws. He lunged at Rose with a wicked smile across his face. Rose dived to the left just evading the claws which now stuck into the spot she had just stood. Jake turned his head to Rose and growled angrily at her again. He began to pull his claws free from the wall. Rose quickly got to her feet and dashed out of the cafeteria and down the hallway.

Rose ran as fast as she could trying to find away to get as far from Jake as she could. She looked over her shoulder to see if he was there but it looked like she had lost him. Rose turned a corner and ran smack into something hard. Rose stumbled backwards holding her forehead. Rose lowered her hand and looked at what she ran into. Standing before her was none other than Eve. Eve stood there as if she hadn't even felt Rose run into her.

"Eve you have to help me," Rose pleaded.

"Why?" Eve asked.

"Jake! He's after me. He's gone crazy!" Rose exclaimed but Eve just remained emotionless.

"Of course he's after you. We're all after you Rose," Eve said taking a step towards Rose.

"What?" Suddenly all of the kids from school and an impossible number of mystical creatures surrounded Rose.

"You monster!" they all cried out at once.

"You're a horrible human!" they all yelled.

"You see Rose," said a voice from behind her. Rose turned to face a full dragon Jake.

"They hate you. Everyone is going to hate you. Your fate is to die by me hand." Said Jake as he raised one of his sharp claws into the air and readied it for attack.

"Jake! NO! Wait, I can change!" Rose pleaded as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Too late," and Jake brought down his claw with all of his might.

Back to reality

Rose rolled out of her bed and hit the floor with a thud. She opened her eyes and sat up as fast as she could. Rose looked around her dark room making sure she was alone. Her eyes scanned over the room until they looked over at the corner of the room opposite of her. She squinted her eyes, trying to see what was there. It looked like someone was standing there but that couldn't be. Could it? Rose tried to get to her feet but her blankets had formed a cocoon around her legs and she was trapped. Rose clapped her hands and the lights turned on. Rose had to wait of her eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness but once they did she looked over in the corner. Standing there was just her wooded coat rack. Rose let out a sigh of relief and started to work on the blankets that bound her legs.

"Do you need a hand?" Rose tensed up once she heard the voice. Rose slowly tuned her head to the left and looked up at her bed. There lying on her bed was a boy. He was lying on his side with one arm propping up his head. He wore all black clothing that looked like a school uniform. His soft brown hair was perfectly combed and not one hair was out of place. His soft blue eyes looked at her with kind intentions. His face had an angelic likeness about it and his skin was just a little pale.

"Wh…Who are you?" Rose asked.

"I'm your very own guardian angel," said the boy as she sat up and shifter his body so his legs now hung off the side of the bed.

"Guardian Angel?" Rose said with disbelief.

"Yes. You see I've come because your in great distress. You need my help and I've come to give it," The boy reached down and tapped the blankets. All by themselves they unwrapped her legs and even folded themselves.

"Wow," was all Rose could say. Even though she had no idea if this guy was her guardian angel or not for some reason she thought she could trust him. The boy got off of Rose's bed and stood before her with his hand stretched out for her to grab it. Rose took his hand and let him help her up. He pulled her up to her feet as Rose had expected but she had not expected him to pull her up to his chest and wrap his arms around her. She looked up at him (since he was only two inched taller than her).

"What are you doing?" she asked with a nervous voice.

"You don't want this life," he said casually.

"What?" Rose was caught off guard by his comment.

"You don't want the life you have. You hate the constant fighting and the killing. You hate the fact you have to fight against the one boy you like. You wish for it all to end. I can help you end it all," said the boy. Rose had no idea what to think. But by the sounds of what he was saying he could help her get out of the Huntsclan life style.

"I can get out of the Huntsclan?" she asked him.

"Yes. You can lead a normal life forever. You just have to trust me and soon you will be free. Just let me do everything else. All I ask for is your trust Rose. Do you trust me?" the boy asked. Rose felt her mind becoming clouded. Everything began to melt away and there was only her and him.

"Trust me Rose," said the boy again.

"I trust you," said Rose.

"Good now sleep and leave everything to me." After the boy spoke Rose felt as if she was floating away and she closed her eyes and let sleep take her. The boy placed Rose on the bed and covered her with her blanket.

"Yes Rose sleep tight. And soon you shall be my key to victory and power."