Page 99: "The Shadow Dragon: Orbs of Fire"

"Open the book to page ninety-nine and read, and the quality of the whole will be revealed to you." --Ford Madox Ford

Page 99 of the paperback version of "The Shadow Dragon: Orbs of Fire":  

 “Put me down!” I snarled at him.

   He was done talking to me, and I began hitting my fists against his back.  He carried me in the house, as though I wasn’t struggling to get free.  He really hadn’t done this in a long time.  I think I was thirteen the last time this had happened.

   I knew at this point that my struggle was just wasted energy, but I had hoped that, being older, I could swing my weight and get away, but I couldn’t.  I stopped struggling, and decided I would just climb out of the window after he put me in my bed and left.  However, he did not take me to my room.  He was headed up the stairs.

   “Everything okay?” my father called after us.

   Alex didn’t say anything to my father.  He didn’t say anything until he dropped me on his bed.  I sat up, and was contemplating making a break for the door.

   “You won’t make it,” he informed me.  “You think I don’t know you better than that.”

   I scowled at him, thinking maybe I would try to prove him wrong, even though I knew he was right. He would have me in his arms before my feet ever hit the ground.

   I continued to glare at him while he just stared at me with his kind eyes.

   “Now, you might as well lay down and get some sleep.”

   I flopped down onto my side with my back to him.  I felt a blanket fall across my body, warming me instantly - I had forgotten I was cold.  The 

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warmth of the blanket felt good, and slowly my anger drained out of me.

   “Thank you, for the blanket,” I whispered.

   The bed shifted a little as he laid on the bed. I didn’t have to look to know that he was staring up at the ceiling. This was how we always ended up. Him laying a short distance away from me, waiting for me to calm down so he could explain the error of my ways or describe a solution to my problem.

   “Thank you,” he softly said.

   “For what?” I asked as I rolled over so I could see him.

 “Rest,” he whispered, gazing at me. “We’ll start training tomorrow.”

   I didn’t want to close my eyes. I was suddenly worried that he was going to be gone in the morning.

   “I will train you,” he assured me. “Rest.”

   My eyes closed against my will and I relaxed, knowing he wasn’t going to leave tomorrow.

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