We returned to the valley at noon the day after, knowing that Kaysey would be there after the threat she had screamed at Ali. Prim sidled away from the blue-haired archer and beckoned us over.
“Don’t tell Ali, but I’m going to fake dying so she’ll transform,” she whispered. Ali glanced around and we scrambled back into a line. Ali shrugged and turned away, scanning the valley. As before, Kaysey appeared on her horse and galloped down.
“You will give me the Book!” she snarled. “Or I will kill every one of you!” She stared down at Ali.
“Never.” growled the blue-haired archer. Kaysey roared in rage and flicked her hand. Prim was hurled backwards through the air and landed with a thud. She didn’t move, evidently already playing dead. Sami rushed over to her and crouched. Ali watched her. Sami looked up, her eyes wide, and slowly shook her head. Ali screamed in rage and exploded out of her skin. Kaysey cowered back on her horse as a gigantic blue dragon expanded from Ali and roared, spitting jets of flame into the air. Natalie added her own flames, blasting jets at the ground beside Kaysey’s horse, spooking the stallion so that he bucked his mistress off and bolted. I realised, slowly, that if I could keep the water off of things, I could control it, and lifted a long ribbon of water out of the stream, dropping the torrent onto Kaysey’s head, knocking her crown off. Sami twisted her hands, forming a spinning tornado, and she pushed it towards Kaysey as a pink force-field inflated itself around us, protecting us from the howling wind, which scooped Kaysey up and twirled away, carrying her out of the valley after her stallion. Ali the dragon collapsed back to normal, and passed out on the grass. Prim sprang up, unhurt, and bounded over to her friend, gently shaking her awake.
“Prim?” murmured Ali. “Am I dead?” Prim shook her head.
“No, Ali, you’re fine. Everyone’s fine,” Ali’s eyes rolled and she passed out again. Sami gently lifted her in a swirl of wind and we set off for home, our horses trotting nonchalantly behind us.
Here it is! The end at last! Look out for the next story : The Collector, featuring Taho!