Spoilers Ahead! This story follows the Luca Plotline, LOOSELY, and will contain spoilers.

Dragon's Touch Series Book 1

The Tower of Sorrow

Chapter 8

"Katarina!" Luca screamed as she stupidly ran out from behind the barrier. In his moment of distraction, Merkulova shot off a spell towards her. It hit her in the thigh and Luca saw her grimace as she caught the stone, slammed to the ground, and lay there unmoving. "You son of a bitch!" Luca punched Merkulova in the face while still holding on to his wand hand. Merkulova grunted and rolled them over. Now on top, Merkulova tried pointing his wand at Luca but Luca was pushing with all his might to not let that happen.

A loud, commanding voice rang out with a spell and a flash of light hit Merkulova in the chest, sending him flying to slam into the wall. Luca scrambled up, pointing the wand he now held toward the unconscious professor. He was breathing heavily and not thinking straight. He had Merkulova's wand, how ironic would it be to kill him with it?

A hand came down on Luca's shoulder, "Calm down. Deep breaths." Randolph looked down at Luca, willing him to relax.

"He… he hurt her…." Luca said between breaths, unable to think clearly. All he saw was red.

"Luca," Schuyler's commanding voice invaded his ears as the professor walked in front of him. "Ivette has already healed Katarina's wounds."

Luca's gaze flicked to the two women, Ivette was sitting on the ground with Katarina's head in her lap, before moving back to Schuyler, "But he..."

"Would Katarina want this?" Randolph said behind him. "For you to kill?"

Luca's eyes went wide before he closed them tightly, "No." He shook his head as Schuyler gently took the wand from his hand. "Dammit!" Luca yelled as he shrugged off Randolph's hand.

"You did well, Luca," Schuyler almost smiled at him.

"What took you all so long?" Luca demanded.

"We were with you as soon as you entered this room, Luca," Dubois said as she healed another small injury on Katarina. A soothing light came from her hand as she did so. "We couldn't act until we got the information."

"Damn your information! Katarina could have died!" Luca yelled at her.

"But she didn't," Randolph told him. "And we wouldn't have let that happen."

Luca wanted nothing more then to lash out at the three of them. He was so angry with everyone, including himself. If he'd only been stronger, better, he could have made it so Katarina wouldn't be involved at all. A heavy hand came down on his shoulder as he clenched his fists tightly.

"If you think you are weak, then you must become stronger," Schuyler said before moving away and dealing with Merkulova.

Randolph crouched down with the women and pulled the Dragon Eye from Katarina's hands, "Good girl. She managed to save it."

"Who cares about the damn stone?" Luca sounded like a kid throwing a tantrum and he didn't care.

Randolph smiled, "It is precious to this country, to your family." He moved over to Luca, "Would you like to place it back?" Luca looked at it like it was cursed and Randolph chuckled. "Afraid it will show you something terrible?"

"It already did," Luca said still looking at it. To Randolph's surprised expression, he continued, "It showed me Katarina on the ground, like she was when she fell. Why would it show me the future?"

Randolph took a moment to think, "The Dragon's Eye has a will of its own. As do its counterparts of the other kingdoms. No one really knows why the dragons left us these gifts, but we must treasure them and treat them kindly. If the Eye showed you a future, it must have a reason. Would you deny it the one person in living memory it would show what has yet to happen?"

Randolph stretched his hand out and Luca reluctantly took it. Images flashed through his mind quickly. There was war, a horrible blackness he couldn't see through, then a light, the eye and other similar things, people he didn't know but seemed friendly with, and Katarina, by his side throughout it all. Finally, a terrible sadness that covered the world. Then it was all gone in just a moment. Luca hurriedly put the dreaded thing back in the statue.

"I never want to touch that thing again," he said.

"I wont ask what it showed you, but there may come a time that you will want to tell someone. My door is always open," Randolph smiled like he knew exactly what Luca had seen.

Hating the headmaster's irksome ability to know everything, Luca turned away and went to Katarina's side.

Katarina opened her eyes slowly. Her head was pounding and the bright light of the room was not helping. She turned over in the bed and saw Luca sitting in the chair next to her asleep. Raine fluttered over and excitedly snuggled with her. Katarina slowly sat up and hugged the owl close, on the verge of tears.

"Good. You're awake," Professor Dubois walked into the room with a mug of steaming liquid.

Luca sat up with a jolt, "Katarina." He leaned over and put his face in his hands, "Thank goodness."

"What happened?" Katarina asked, wiping her eyes and letting Raine flutter to Luca's schoulder.. "Did I catch the Dragon's Eye?" Dubois handed her the mug and Katarina took it.

"Drink that first," the professor smiled. "It'll help."

Katarina did as told and found the liquid to be sweet. As she was finishing up, both Randolph and Schuyler walked into the small room. With all of them in there, it seemed even smaller.

"How are you feeling?" Randolph smiled.

"I'm alright. But I need to know, what happened?" Katarina asked again.

The three teachers looked at each other and Randolph nodded. Dubois turned back and began to speak, "First off, we're very sorry you got involved, Katarina. We, Headmaster Randolph, Professor Schuyler, and I, are the three mages. Several months ago we noticed a number of attempts to get through to the tower but were never able to locate the intruders. Not long after hiring Merkulova, he approached Luca about it. Luca, knowing who we were, of course reported it to us and we decided to let it play out, in hopes we could find out what Merkulova was after and if he was working alone. In the end, we did get that information, but you should never have been hurt like this. We are so, so sorry." Dubois bowed her head and the other two followed suit.

Katarina looked at all of them. "We saved it, right? He can't use it?"

"Yes. Merkulova won't be able to hurt anybody now. The Eye is back where it belongs, thanks to you," Randolph told her with a smile.

Katarina nodded, "I'm glad. Professors, does this mean trouble with Berione?" The largest country on the continent, Berione had an impressive military and a strict king.

Looking at one another, Randolph answered first, "We don't know, yet. Merkulova mentioned working for that country, but their King will most likely deny it. We will see how our own King will take this news."

Everyone turned to look at Luca, who glared at them, "Like I know what my father thinks." He scoffed and crossed his arms.

Schuyler shook his head as Randolph chuckled, "We should let you get more rest."

"Yes," Dubois agreed. "Your body will be fatigued after all the healing magic I poured into it earlier. I'd say one more day of rest and you'll be good to go." She smiled.

Schuyler clapped Luca on the shoulder, "You did well."

Surprised, Luca stared at his back as he, Dubois, and Randolph left the room. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Luca finally said, "Are you really okay?"

Katarina looked at him, "Yes. Are you?"

Luca shook his head and took Katarina's outstretched hand in his own. Bringing it to his face, he kissed the back of it, "Katarina, I thought… For a moment there..."

"Luca, I'm right here," she reassured him.

"I know," he said hurriedly. "But the eye… it's supposed to show only the past, but it showed me the future. When I first took it, I saw you lying on the ground. Next thing I knew, that's where you were. When I put it back… I'm not even sure myself what I saw. All I know is I'm terrified that you'll get hurt again."

Katarina paused before saying, "I don't know what the future holds, Luca, but I know I want to see it unfold with you." Katarina blushed before adding in a whisper, "I-I love you."

Luca looked up at her with a smile, "What?"

Katarina looked away, turning a darker red, "D-don't make me say it again..."

"Say what? I didn't hear you," Luca moved to sit at the edge of the bed and Katarina covered her face as he tried peering at her.

"I said I love you..." She said slightly louder.

Luca grabbed her hands and pulled them off her face before planting a light kiss on her lips. "I love you, too," he leaned his forehead on her own and breathed deep. "I'm still terrified, though. So I wont let you leave my sight, ever."

Katarina smiled, "Okay."

"You know, if we get married you'd become a princess," Luca said with a teasing glint in his eye.

"P-princess?" She asked surprised as she pulled away. "Ma-married?!" she squeaked.

Luca laughed, "You make it so fun to tease you."

Katarina's face turned red again as she playfully hit his arm, "You're so mean, Luca!" The two laughed before an idea popped into Katarina's head. "You should talk with Briella."

Luca looked at her questioningly, "Why would I…? Oh. About what I saw, you mean."

Nodding, Katarina said, "Briella might be able to explain some of it to you."

Luca was skeptical, seeing how her family hated him, but it was worth a shot. In the end, he agreed with Katarina.