Dragons and Mages: A Limited Edition Anthology

by Pauline Creeden

  I sat in the back of court until their final case, and soon, we had the room to ourselves. Ruby descended the throne’s steps adjusting one of the uncomfortable looking formal dresses of the kingdoms—which I only saw on her during court and political events. Ty was also dressed up with a black silk vest over his deep red tunic that matched the fabric of Ruby’s dress. Both wore their crowns.

  “I need your help again,” I said to Ruby.

  She smiled. “Another trip to the mortal realm?”

  I nodded.

  She handed her crown to Ty, but his lips quirked downward. “One of these days, you’ll have to take me along again.”

  Ruby turned to her boyfriend and tilted her chin. “Did you want to come? I didn’t mean to assume hospital visits were beneath you.”

  “You know I always love a good adventure.” Ty’s teasing smile fell and he shook his head. “But I have a meeting with the guards that I want to take care of before you get back.” He took Ruby’s hand, pulling her close while leaning into her. He softly brushed her hair away from her ear and whispered just loud enough that Izzy and I could hear. “Take care of your brother, but make sure you’re ready for our date tonight. Nothing like a bit of skinny dipping in the Royal Lake.”

  Ruby laughed, pulling away from him. “I said we could go swimming, I never agreed to not wearing clothes…and that is only if you promise me that that mermaid won’t be there!”

  “Tonight is the full moon. Emma has her legs, and I’m sure she’ll be as far away from here as possible. And you’ve been in my world long enough to know that nobody swims here with clothing on.”

  I cleared my throat.

  Izzy giggled. “Aww, love. Isn’t it sweet?”

  No. It wasn’t.

  Well, maybe it was good for Ty and Ruby.

  “But I need Greyson to do something for me,” Ty said, prying his attention away from Ruby. When I nodded, his eyes turned rock hard serious. “Put in a good word for me. Your sister can’t seem to make up her mind.” He playfully glanced back at Ruby.

  “I can make up my mind,” Ruby said. “I just…don’t want to screw things up when everything is so…perfect.”

  “What are they talking about?” Izzy asked.

  When the two of them went silent, I couldn’t let Izzy sit there in wonder. “I imagine Ty asked Ruby to marry him, but she’s stalling.”

  “You knew!” Ruby blurted out. “If I would have known that, I wouldn’t have been waiting for the right moment to bring it up.”

  “Well, I gotta run. It’s never good to keep the guards waiting.” Ty winked at me and smoothly slipped out of the throne room.

  Once Ty was out of earshot, I turned to Ruby who was nervously playing with the ends of her sleeves in her palms. “Did you want to talk about it?”

  She glared at me, narrowing her eyes and wrinkling her forehead. “No.”

  “You just said you were waiting for the right moment.”

  “I was waiting for the right moment to tell you. Not a moment to seek out advice.”

  I shrugged. “Well, when you’re ready. You know where to find me.”

  “You can’t just go in and demand to see this Daisy girl,” Ruby said, before we stepped into the hospital. “There are rules like HIPAA and patient confidentiality.”

  “I had no problem seeing Izzy,” I said, not knowing what rules Ruby was referring to.

  “That’s because I vouched for you,” Izzy said.

  “Well, it’s a good thing you know Daisy.” I smiled at Izzy. “All you have to do is get her to vouch for you.”

  Izzy leaned into me and tugged her long hair around her index finger, twisting it into a ring. “It’s not that easy. We weren’t exactly friends.”

  “Someone didn’t like you?” I teased. “How is that possible?”

  “If you can’t tell, I’m a bit…high energy. It was worse before I got sick.”

  Ruby laughed. “‘High energy’? Try ‘over-the-top’ crazy.”

  “Maybe that’s more like it.” Izzy smiled. “Either way, I get on some people’s nerves.” She pointed her finger at me.

  “You’re not on my nerves.”

  She laughed. “Mister I-won’t-rescue-you-from-your-hospital-prison, but that’s not why I pointed at you. Daisy will see you. Just say your name is Derik Smith. That’s her brother.”

  Whatever it took. Didn’t really matter. I didn’t mind lying.

  “I’ll do the talking,” Ruby said.

  I patted the air where Luna was as we headed into the hospital, careful to linger in the back long enough for Luna to pass invisibly through the automatic sensor doorways.

  Despite our perfect plan, we didn’t get very far.

  Ruby went to the information desk and cleared her throat. “We’re here to see Daisy Anders.”

  “Daisy Anders?” The receptionist typed into her computer. “She’s no longer here.”

  “Where is she?” Ruby asked.

  The woman tightened her lips. “I can’t say. Who are you three?”

  “That’s her brother Derik,” Ruby said. “And his wife. I’m just a friend.”

  The receptionist waved me closer to the desk. “Hasn’t anyone called you?” she whispered.

  I shook my head. “I don’t have a cellphone.”

  “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your sister passed away a few hours ago.”

  “Passed away? So soon?” The curse got her already? Would Izzy be next? A swell of emotions flooded my head and my voice cracked. “Are you sure?”

  The woman nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  Then, Izzy who had been leaning against me began to cough. It was deeper than before and sounded like she was drowning. Her color instantly washed from her face.

  “Is she okay?” the receptionist asked.

  “Yes. Fine.” Ruby and I both said at the same time.

  I placed my hand on Izzy’s cheek, but when I sifted through the sand, I couldn’t separate the magnetic parts. Panic rose inside me and took over. Suddenly the hospital disappeared, and all I saw was Izzy. I needed more skin contact. I laid her on a bench in the waiting room and tugged the tunic she wore up, so I could place both my palms against her stomach. I closed my eyes.

  By now, hospital staff surrounded us with various devices and even a wheelchair.

  “Sir. Step aside. We can help.” I had no idea who was talking.

  “No, you can’t!” I snapped. I needed somewhere quiet. Somewhere where I could focus. But maybe it was for the best to let them take care of her. Their meds worked. Took away the coughing and pain…and she slept. I lifted my hands from her skin and slinked away.

  Izzy’s eyes flew open, and she fought with all her might to hold in her coughing until the point of tears. Her voice was a barely audible rasp. “Greyson, you can’t leave me here. Please. No.”

  All my logic fled. I knew what was best for her, and it wasn’t me at the moment, but my desire to please her overtook my senses. I picked her up in the most barbaric of actions and looked my sister right in the eyes. “Get me home.”

  By some miracle of magic, Ruby kept the hospital employees away as she led us to a private part of the hospital where we could transport back to our world, taking me home where I requested. I rushed through my house, laying Izzy out on her bed, and replaced my hands on her abdomen, sorting through the sand and working the magnetic pieces apart.

  Ever so slowly, I succeeded and her coughing subsided.

  But her arms wrapped around her abdomen as soon as I stepped away.

  “She’s not doing well, is she?” Ruby whispered.

  I shook my head. “She’s going to die, I’m afraid.”

  From outside the bedroom door, Luna whined. Ruby placed her hand on my shoulder. “No, she won’t die. I know you won’t let her.” After a minute or two of silence, Ruby spoke, “Ty and I will look into the other sick people from the non-magical realm and I’ll let you know what we find. He needs a good adventure, anyway. Do you wan
t me to put Luna outside before I go?”

  “She won’t leave. Let her stay. Thank you for everything.”

  She nodded. “That’s what sisters are for.”

  A sister. Who would have thought? And who would have known how nice having a family was? It had been so long for me, and I never really felt loved. Ever. Before my father disowned me, I did everything I could to please him…all at my expense. I sacrificed who I was to make him happy.

  It was never enough.

  But now, the more I got to know Ruby, the happier I was to have her in my life. It was like she was a piece of me I hadn’t known I had lost. Was I the same to her?

  But right now, I couldn’t pry myself away from Izzy’s side. Ruby slipped away, and soon, it was just me and a sleeping lass…with Luna curled up right outside the doorway. I couldn’t get myself to do anything other than crawl in bed beside Izzy and admire her peacefulness. I slinked down onto the mattress and wrapped my arms around her torso, pulling her closely into me. The gesture was quite intimate, but I just had my hands all over her bare skin.

  And I knew she didn’t mind, because even in her sleep, she relaxed into my touch.

  I wouldn’t waste this moment, because I had no idea how much time she had.

  Chapter 9

  Izzy slept for a day and I couldn’t leave her in case she had another attack, but I was restless. I had put Luna on Izzy-watching duty while I busied myself making firewood. Anything to occupy my mind and release my nervous energy.

  When I returned at nightfall, I was sweaty even with the cool mountain air. I hung my cloak on a peg by the door as the sound of sweet laughter filled my house as if it belonged. Out in the living room, Izzy sat on the davenport with Luna sitting prettily across the living room.

  “Watch this,” Izzy called towards me with wide eyes and beautiful flushed cheeks that drowned out her normal grey color. She tossed something through the air and Luna caught it in her razor-sharp teeth. Luna then shot it back to Izzy along with a puff of frost.

  “What are you playing with?” I asked, trying to identify the object flying across my cabin.

  “Oh, I hope you don’t mind,” Izzy said, unrolling a balled-up pair of my ogre wool socks. “Luna brought them to me.”

  I scowled at my dragon, and she visibly backed away.

  “You’re mad,” Izzy said.

  “No. It’s just Luna knows my things are off-limits. I don’t need teeth-holes in my wardrobe.”

  “I’m sorry.” Izzy pulled her legs up on the sofa and the flushness of her cheeks began to drain away.

  “I’m not mad at you. Luna should know better.” But then I caught myself as I stared at my dragon. Luna was as loyal to Izzy as she was to me. If playing with my socks made Izzy happy, why would Luna deny her? I knew, I wouldn’t deny her anything…especially with such a short life ahead. “Ahh, never mind.” I ran my hand through my shaggy hair. “I’m just happy to see you’re up and looking good.”

  “I feel much better,” Izzy said. “Ready to conquer the world.” She pushed herself slowly and carefully to her feet. I resisted all urges to rush to her side to steady her as she seemed proud to show me that she could do it herself.

  “You look great.” And she did. In more ways than physical. Her smile was contagious.

  And I wasn’t a smiler.

  At least, I wasn’t until I met her.

  “Luna, you can head home. I’m sure your family is worried.” I retreated to the front door and let my dragon out. As soon as she was gone, I turned back to Izzy. “Do you mind if I bathe? I’ve been splitting wood.”

  “Not at all. I’ll yell if I need you.”

  As I drew my bath and sacrificed some wood I just chopped for warm water, I couldn’t get my mind off Izzy. The day was wasting away, waiting for Ruby to let me know what she and Ty discovered about the other sick mortals. It was night already, and now wasn’t the time for travel, but as soon as morning hit, even if Ruby didn’t have news, Izzy, Luna, and I had some serious curse breaking to attempt.

  But for now, I crawled into the warm water and lowered myself to cover all my sore muscles. Izzy was doing well and life had to go on.

  After my bath, I exited the bathroom wearing only my loose-fitting knickers that hung low on my hips. I didn’t think anything about it until I caught Izzy’s wide eyes. I hurried towards my bedroom to toss on a shirt, but Izzy called after me, making me stop.

  “You have a nice body.”

  I laughed. “Nobody’s ever said that about me.”

  “Well it’s true,” Izzy said. “You have great posture, wide shoulders, and you’re built just right. I can see your muscles, but they’re not bulging gross.”

  “Muscles are gross?”

  Izzy nodded. “When the veins stick out on top of them…ick!”

  I looked down at my forearms, where my veins were prevalent when I made a fist. Did she think my arms were gross?

  “What do you look like under all that hair?” she asked.

  I laughed. “I’m not sure myself. Maybe it’s time for a haircut.”

  “Do you have a scissors?”

  “I do…. Can you cut hair?”

  “I’m not sure, but I would try to do it to get a glimpse at the real you.”

  I laughed. “This is the real me.”

  Izzy shook her head. “I don’t think so. I think you’re hiding.”

  “That’s absurd.” I was a witch who was desired in all the kingdoms for my healing ability. I had a dragon as a familiar…and not just any dragon, but the most elusive of them all—an ice dragon. “What would I be hiding from?”

  “I don’t know,” Izzy said. “You live up here in the mountains all alone. You cover yourself with a cloak. You don’t see anyone in the kingdom, unless you're there on business, except for Ruby. Do you have any friends?”

  “I have Luna…” I lifted a corner of my mouth, trying to be charming, but I imagined she couldn’t see my smile beneath my beard. “And I have you.”

  “Well, let me give you a haircut. At least then, you won’t look like you’re hiding. Come on. Your hair is wet. This is the perfect time.”

  And for some reason, I couldn’t say no to her. If cutting my hair would give her a moment of happiness, I’d go bald.

  Soon, I had Izzy sitting on one of my kitchen chairs with me on the floor in front of her, facing away. I stared at the leg of my table while Izzy ran the comb through my tangles, ever so slowly. I closed my eyes as she switched from the comb to her fingers, feeling her skin touching my scalp and listening to the snipping of the scissors.

  Her fingers worked at my too-long locks that hung to my shoulder, but as she cut, I could feel the soft breezes of her movement against my neck as the hair fell down my bare shoulders onto the wooden floor where I sat. She’d run her hand through my hair, catching the tufts between her fingers and snip them off.

  Too soon, she turned back to the comb, brushing through my hair and snipping a few strays away. Her warm hands brushed the bare skin on my back and a shiver shot up my spine. I closed my eyes again, savoring her touch.

  Did her fingers linger against my skin?

  Or was I imagining her interest?

  “Okay, turn around,” Izzy said.

  I rose to my knees and turned in front of her, coming nearly eye level with her sitting in my chair. She held the scissors and motioned for me to come closer. She leaned in, snipping a few stray hairs at my temples and straightening the hair around my ears.

  Finally, she rested the scissors on her lap and smiled, taking me in. “So, that’s what you look like?” She reached forward and when her hand lingered longer than was necessary to brush the hair off my shoulder, I knew she felt the same electricity I did.

  “Do you like what you see?” I asked, a bit softer than I expected.

  Izzy bit a corner of her lip and her eyes examined me from head to waist. She then tapped her index finger to her mouth in an exaggerated way. “I’m not sure. I still can’t see yo
u under your beard.” She picked up the scissors and began cutting away the curly scruff. One snip, then another, and it eventually led her into laughter as she brushed the loose hair off my face. “Okay, maybe that was a bad idea. Beards don’t seem to cut as nice with scissors.”

  “Yeah, I imagine I look ridiculous.”

  “Why’d you let me do that?”

  I shrugged. “Because it made you happy.”

  Her face softened and for a moment, I thought she was going to cry. Maybe she did cry, but I couldn’t tell. Her hand that had just been brushing the hair away slipped back on my face, encircling itself behind my head, tugging me gently towards her.

  Hesitantly, her lips met mine.

  Or maybe, it was my lips that met hers.

  Either way, my chest tingled, my insides tightened, and my skin prickled with excitement. My hands that had been dangling useless at my sides, found themselves a purpose, wrapping around Izzy and pulling her closer, until her legs straddled my waist and one of her hands pressed itself flat against my bare back, causing a shiver to shoot all the way down to my toes.

  What was I doing?

  Was I setting myself up to be hurt again?

  I needed to stop.

  Needed to pull away, but I couldn’t.

  She was intoxicating.

  And she had power over me…like a magic all of her own.

  I began to lift myself to my feet, preparing to carry Izzy into the bedroom to do…I wasn’t sure what, exactly…, but she closed our stream of passionate kisses.

  Her lips found my ear, and she whispered, “You’re the first man I ever kissed.”

  My muscles tensed.

  How was that possible?

  And what kind of man was I that I wanted to lead her directly into the bedroom? What a terrible image of men I was portraying. One kiss and then under my sheets?

  I kissed her once again, more like how I’d kiss my grandmother if I had ever met her, then pulled away, scrambling to my feet. “Let’s see how bad you made me look.”

  I helped her shuffle into the bathroom where I set her down on the edge of my tub as I looked into the mirror.

  Oh my.

  My hair didn’t look bad. Shaggy, but I was used to that. It was short—half an inch or less. But my beard was choppy. I pulled my straightedge off a shelf and a twig of soap branch, lathering up and shaving my face smooth. All the while, I glanced at Izzy’s intense stare in the mirror.