Dragons and Mages: A Limited Edition Anthology

by Pauline Creeden

  Being outside the relative safety of the building made me feel exposed. With Clara’s home at the end of the street, nothing prevented anyone from spotting us skulking around. To avoid detection from any nosy neighbors, we needed to hurry to the rear of the house.

  Sneaking over to the corner, I carefully peeked with one eye. The sliding door stood open, but the yard appeared empty. “It’s clear.” I held Drew’s hand to keep him close. These acrobatics were probably not on Clara’s list of approved activities in my current condition. I’d worry about that later.

  Thankfully, the houses here in Dome 4 didn’t have fences. Otherwise, we would’ve had to scale multiple obstacles. I don’t think I could have done it. My head felt like someone had stuffed it full of fluff and then pounded it with their fist. As it was, I hoped we could get to Gwen’s house before I threw up.

  Just having the thought seemed to trigger the action. I bent over, hurling the meager contents of my stomach onto the dry earth. Drew shielded my body from anyone’s view while he held back my hair from my face.

  Could this get any more humiliating? Once we were out of danger, I’m sure I’d relive this scene over and over with painful clarity.

  One last time, I spit the foul taste out. I looked in horror at the unmistakable sign of my sickness coagulating in a wet pile on the dry earth. We couldn’t leave an evidence trail behind. I used the side of my shoe to scrape some of the loose dirt over it. My effort wasted precious seconds.

  “C’mon, Kat. We’re almost there,” Drew said next to my ear. Slinging his arm around my waist, he practically carried me the remainder of the way. He reached up and used his index finger knuckle to tap sharply on the plasglass sliding door.

  Any second, I expected someone to charge out of Clara’s house. As soon as I saw the kitchen light turn on behind us, I fidgeted with fear. More than anything, I wanted to keep moving. What was taking Gwen so long to come to the door?

  Had the attackers subdued Clara, and now they were searching her house? What would they find in her bedroom? My heart raced faster, compounding my light-headedness.

  Just as I was ready to run again, a woman’s form appeared on the other side of the plasglass. I’m sure we looked like crazy teenagers.

  Ever cautious, the woman cracked open the door just far enough to speak. “Can I help you?”

  “Clara sent us. I’m Drew, and this is Kat. Please, let us in!” Drew whispered, continuing to look over his shoulder.

  Chapter 12

  FASTER THAN I could’ve imagined, the door flew open, and Gwen reached out to haul on my arm. Luckily, she’d grabbed my left one, or else I would’ve cried out in more pain from the rough treatment. Still, I gratefully stepped into the safety of the stranger’s house. Formal introductions could wait.

  No sooner had Drew stepped inside behind me than the door quietly thumped shut. Instantly, Gwen closed the curtain and reached out a hand to still its movement. “Come away from the door and sit down.”

  With eyes already accustomed to the darkness, we easily found our way across the small room to take a seat on the couch. What must Gwen be thinking right about now? I’m sure having strangers show up at her back door couldn’t be a common occurrence.

  “I wondered when I’d get to meet you, Katherine.” Gwen took a seat on the couch next to me.

  Her familiarity with my identity caused me to remain silent. Drew cleared his throat next to me. “Do you know what’s happening?”

  “Not right at the moment, but I have a good idea. When Clara told me about your DNA connection with the Harmon family, we discussed what might come. Since the tourney is only a few days away, we knew things would rapidly intensify.” Gwen sat with her hand folded in her lap, her demeanor calm and relaxed.

  “I’m descended from the Harmon family line?” I could hardly process my highest hope. “How would Clara know for sure?”

  “Clara went into her profession so she could have access to everyone’s medical records. She’s had a fascination with genealogy for longer than I can recall. Plus, she needed to keep tabs on those in charge. It never seemed as though the government really wanted to find a way to bring our world back to its former glory. Then Silas got promoted, and we knew we were in trouble. He got the position because he’s so controlling. He’d never give up his power, especially to the dragons.

  “We’ve waited and watched. When Ryker brought you into Clara’s office, she’d already heard about your plan to win the whole Tatsu tournament. Now, I can’t agree with how she stole your blood sample, but she told me she didn’t know if she could trust Ryker at the time. I hope you can forgive her.”

  “Yes, but I never saw her take anything. How could I have missed that?”

  “I got it from the pain injection syringe,” Clara said from where she’d silently entered the sliding plasglass door.

  All of us jumped, not realizing anyone had even attempted to enter the house. Thank goodness she was on our side, or we’d be in trouble. As it was, I filed away her confession for future consideration. Right now, I wanted to know more about my family line going back.

  “Are you okay? Did that guy hurt you?” I attempted to stand, but my body refused to obey. Instead, I remained seated, leaning toward her hoping to hear her say we were all safe.

  “Everything’s fine; well, my front door’s busted, but I convinced them to go home.” She moved across the room, appearing as comfortable here as she did in her own home.

  “Did anyone see you leave your house?” Gwen asked.

  “No. I made sure they were all well away before I even attempted to leave my place. Besides, I had to prop something up against my front door until I can get the hinges, and the frame replaced.”

  “I’m so sorry.” I’d brought this trouble to Clara’s house. This was all my fault.

  Clara dismissively waved her hand. “Think nothing of it.”

  “Who was it?” Drew asked.

  “Some of the peace keepers who live in Dome 3. For some reason, they think they can treat us horribly just because they live in a better dome. But they didn’t find anything at my house, and they had to leave. Although you can’t imagine my shock when the two guys came through the kitchen. How did you guys escape?”

  “Your bedroom window.” I chuckled just thinking about it, more thankful now than ever that I had the foresight to close it behind us.

  “Good thinking.” Clara nodded in appreciation of our escape. She kneeled in front of me and placed her hand on my wrist. “Let’s just give you a quick check-up. When I said you should get some rest, this was not what I had planned.”

  I sat still, hardly even breathing, while I waited for her to finish taking my pulse. When she took her hand away, I thought she would move away, but she remained kneeling while she fumbled around for something in her pocket.

  “I’m going to check your eyes to see if you’ve caused yourself any more harm with your little jaunt out my window.” Her voice sounded playful, yet the concern expressed on her face said otherwise. She flipped on a little penlight and brought it to one eye and then the other.

  The moment the light pierced my eye, it felt as though someone stabbed a sharp knife into my brain. I could feel my stomach beginning to clench involuntarily, and bile rose into my throat. I swallowed multiple times in a vain attempt to prevent another hurling incident. My hearing filled with a strange whooshing sound, and I felt chills race through me.

  As soon as Clara’s light turned off, I continued to see flashes of color all around me. Unlike the helpful lights which assisted in our escape, these didn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason to them as they twinkled randomly across my vision. Even shutting my eyes didn’t stop them from whirling around in my head.

  Eventually, they stopped twinkling, and I opened my eyes to see everyone staring intently at me. Feeling unaccountably self-conscious, I cleared my throat. “I’m feeling better now. Hopefully, we won’t have to repeat that little test for a while.”

  “No, I can
see you didn’t make yourself any worse, but I’d like to give you an anti-inflammatory shot if you don’t mind.” Clara held out another syringe and questioningly raised her eyebrows.

  “Do you just wander around with that stuff?” I had to make a joke out of it if only to distract myself from the queasiness still threatening me.

  “Not usually. But since I knew I was coming after you, I grabbed a few essentials before leaving. What do you say?”

  “I can’t see where it’d make anything worse than it already is. Go for it.” I held out my arm. Knowing what to expect, I didn’t even flinch as the coolness spread under my skin. I prayed for fast-acting relief since I hated feeling incapacitated and vulnerable.

  Instead of moving away once she finished, Clara held the syringe out to me. “This has another six doses in it. Go ahead and keep it with you and use it if you feel any dizziness returning.”

  Unaccountably, her offer made me nervous. Not only did I not know how to use it, but I also didn’t know if I could administer it to myself even if I needed it. “I don’t know.”

  Drew reached out and took the little device. “I do. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

  Satisfied, Clara nodded and stood. She brushed her hands down against her white jacket and returned to her mother’s side.

  “Now—about those answers I promised you earlier. Do you still have the signet?”

  I nodded and regretted it immediately. If only I could disconnect my broken head from the rest of my body, then I’d be happy. I shifted to reach into my pants pocket to retrieve the pendant and hold it in my hand.

  “Show Mom how it works. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to see it” Clara seated herself on the arm of her mother’s chair.

  The medicine must have started working. A bit of clarity returned to my head. Clara’s sudden change of subject made me wonder if she was trying to shift my attention away from my aches and pains. If so, then she had picked the perfect thing.

  Eagerly, I fit my thumbnail into the small slot, and the face flipped open while the middle dropped down. In the darkened room, we discovered it had illumination of its own, which lit my face where I stared in wonder at it. “What do I do with it?”

  The same as before, all clarity washed clean through my mind. The simple act of opening the little pendant made me hopeful for our futures. What power did this small trinket hold within it?

  “Ask Aaliyah a question!” Excitement caused Gwen’s voice to rise, making her seem years younger with her enthusiasm. She turned to her daughter, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. “This is it! Oh, Clara, it’s so exhilarating.”

  Just hearing Gwen mention the great dragon’s name made me wonder if this had been hers at some point. Even as the idea came to me, I had to roll my eyes at my own stupidity. The dragon would be far too big for this tiny trinket. Maybe Aaliyah’s dragon rider had owned it, though. That seemed more plausible.

  My eyes stayed glued to the glowing three-sided object resting on my palm. I’d had a few minutes to decide my first question, and I took a deep breath. “Am I the one to fulfill the prophecy?”

  When the image of a royal purple dragon’s head seemed to shoot out of the jewelry and hover just in front of my face, a startled squeak escaped my mouth, and I almost dropped the little pendant. With her eyes on the same level as my own, she seemingly stared into my startled gaze as her clear voice filled the room with her quiet confidence. I didn’t know what to expect from a dragon’s voice, but it wasn’t the melodious sound that came next.

  “Katherine, we have faith in your ability.” Aaliyah blinked once. Her purple glow covered my whole body, and very little else.

  “She knows my name!” I tore my gaze away from the image to turn in wondrous amazement toward Drew. After my outburst, I impatiently waited for her to continue. Since nothing further happened, I had to assume this was all she was going to say on the matter.

  Drew impatiently poked my arm with his elbow. “Ask her something else!”

  “Oh, yes. Um.” I turned back to face Aaliyah’s waiting form, my mind scrambling to come up with another question for reassurance that I was doing the right thing. “Am I going to win the tournament?”

  “Jeez, Kat! Can’t you come up with something more original?” Drew rolled his eyes at my simplistic thinking.

  Instantly ashamed, I regretted my naïve question. I opened my mouth for a rebuttal when Aaliyah spoke again.

  “The only way the dragons can return to Heliok is if you use your dragon skills in a masterful display. Once you perfect your abilities, then the trials will truly begin.”

  “What the heck is that supposed to mean?” I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. I should’ve known Aaliyah would’ve taken it as a real question.

  “Katherine, you come from a long line of leaders. You’ll face much opposition and a hard decision before you’ll even come to the point where you might start seeing success. Keep your heart pure and the right goal in mind and your chances of success will greatly improve.”

  No sooner had she finished her answer than she seemed to evaporate back into the pendant. The purple illumination shifted back to the soft yellow light, which had first appeared. “Where’d she go?” Foolishly, I shook the pendant in my hand, hoping to rattle her into returning.

  “Oh, no!” Gwen cried out before covering her face with her hands.

  “What? What’s wrong?” Alarm raced through me. Had I done something terribly wrong?

  Moaning one last time, she dropped her hands in defeat. “I forgot to tell you that each time you open the signet, you’ll only get three questions.” Gwen’s announcement silenced the room.

  “Well, that would’ve been nice to know before I wasted my questions on stuff that wouldn’t make much difference.” I curled my fingers around the signet and felt it closing on its own. The soft illumination left the room, along with my hopes of discovering the truth of my journey.

  “I’m sorry, Kat. I didn’t recall that little bit until after she left. Even now, it’s only a vague recollection about the power of three questions.”

  Looking over at Gwen’s dejected expression, I could tell how terrible she felt for recalling that fact too late. These were the kinds of details I needed to know for my own safety, as well as that of the rest of Heliok. How much more did I still need to learn?

  “It’s okay, Gwen. What else do you remember? Anything about the timeframe between question sessions?” Warmth spread across my palm and up my arm, making me wonder if Aaliyah still listened and wanted to comfort me.

  “I just don’t know right now. Oh! Except for one thing!” She almost shot out of her chair.

  “What?”

  Much the same as Grandma Talya, Gwen nodded to herself as she reaffirmed her memory. “My mother said the true owner of the signet should wear it around her neck. Only then would the true bond be formed.”

  “Do you think I’m the true owner? What happens if I’m not?” I opened my fist to stare at the innocuous-looking pendant. Nobody would ever suspect it held the spirit of a dragon within it. But what else did it contain?

  “You have to be. Nobody has ever been able to open it before. That has to mean something. Don’t you think?” Gwen shifted her attention between Clara and me, looking for one of us to agree with her.

  “Oh, what the heck!” I let the chain fall through my fingers so I wouldn’t have to attempt to untangle it. With my other hand, I pinched the delicate chain between my fingers and started to pull it up to my neck.

  “Wait!” Drew’s hand flew out and grabbed my wrist, preventing me from moving any closer. “Don’t you think we should see if anything happens to it before you blindly go and put it on? I mean, what if something happens to you?”

  “It’s okay, Drew. I promise.” Clara’s assurance sounded so positive.

  “What makes you so certain?” Drew scooted forward on the seat, his hand still restraining my movement.

  I knew Drew wanted to protect me from taking any unnec
essary risks. Yet, I wished he could trust my instinct. This was my choice, after all. I wanted to put it on—I needed to.

  “Because, up until today, I’ve worn the pendant myself. I always hoped I’d be the one to open it, but now I know it was never meant for me. Go ahead, Kat.” Clara gestured for me to continue.

  Reluctantly, Drew released my arm, but he kept his intense gaze on me as if waiting for something dreadful to happen. Was Drew right? Was I making a mistake by rushing into this without all of the facts? After all, I didn’t have to wear the necklace. In fact, it would probably be safer in my pocket, anyway.

  Clara seemed to sense my hesitation. “It might give you more clarity if you wear it. You never know until you try.”

  Shrugging, I made up my mind. Nothing ventured, nothing gained—that’s what Grandma Talya always said. I opened the simple clasp and pulled the two halves around my neck. After a bit of fumbling, I managed to link the two sections and let the chain go.

  Settling just below the collar of my shirt, the cool metal began to warm against my skin. The sensation I’d felt trickling up my arm shifted swiftly across my chest, toward my shoulders, and up my neck to my head. “Oh.” I sighed as my pain magically began to ebb away.

  “What? What’s wrong, Kat?” Drew knelt in front of me and grabbed my arms. He shook me slightly when I hesitated to reply.

  I brought my hands up to his arms and clasped him gently. I shook my head and whispered, “Nothing’s wrong. I promise, Drew. Just give me a minute to experience this new sensation.”

  Drew whipped his head around and spoke to the other women in the room. “What’s going on with her? Is that thing hurting her?”

  “No, Drew. Aaliyah would never hurt the descendant of a dragon rider. Give her a minute. We’ll find out soon enough.”

  Drew remained kneeling in front of me. His fingers dug into the flesh of my arms. He shook his head. “I don’t like this one bit!” Worrying his bottom lip, he intently stared at me.