Book 1: Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World, Book 1

by Dianna Love

  Foolish woman.

  He let that go. The red dragon had observed everything in this room for the entire time he’d been imprisoned, his silver reptilian eyes always staring.

  Cathbad didn’t care what this queen did as long as her crazy actions didn’t affect his plans with Brynhild.

  Queen Maeve turned in a circle pointing at candles of all sizes sitting on ledges cut into the wall he now realized had been changed from plain stones to rough-cut black granite.

  She’d been decorating. Her hair calmed down and unbraided, flowing softly around her now in long curls as she moved. Same as Macha, this goddess changed her hair color and style as often as she took a breath some days. He’d enjoyed the woman inside the queen long ago before the reincarnation had destroyed her mind.

  A deadly problem.

  Gorgeous and malevolent.

  He had loved both those parts at one time.

  Finished with her candles, she returned to face him. “Where have you been, druid, and what do you want?”

  Her terse words surprised him when he’d expected her to be a tiny bit contrite over getting Ossian killed. “Not a pleasant welcomin’, Maeve. Ya know where I have been.”

  “You seriously want me to believe you’ve needed this much time to get over losing your polymorph?”

  He never thought she’d entirely buy that, but it had sounded good when he’d ranted at her then left. In truth, he’d been furious over losing Ossian. With no reply that would play in his favor, he shrugged.

  She lifted her hands to her hair, poking at it. “I remember the Cathbad of before when you tossed people aside like day-old garbage. Have you changed so much since waking from our slumber? More importantly, are you still committed to our partnership or have you changed your mind?”

  There was the woman he’d once known.

  She’d finally spent some time thinking through all that had happened and knew him well enough to question the real reason for his absence.

  “I’ll be honest, Maeve. I had my doubts about ya after ya kept losin’ control of yar power and yar body. I needed the time ta think to ask myself if I wanted ta continue what we started if ya could not carry yar part.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. That little glitch only happened a couple times.”

  “One time being in a Tribunal,” he reminded her. Plus, she’d lost control here more than once, which probably explained so few of her followers in the hallways. He’d let her enjoy her moment of feeling in charge.

  Gifting her with a smile, which had often distracted her in the past, he said, “As for tossin’ people who get in my way aside, I am still that person. I got over my polymorph. Ya knew I would.”

  She lifted into the air, abruptly floating to her wall as she spoke. “To be honest, in return, I have thought long and hard on our partnership, too.”

  Had he not covered his rear with a second plan before dropping into the deep slumber with her, he would have been concerned about her comment instead of mildly amused at the attempt to push him away. “Is that so, Maeve? What have ya decided?”

  She whipped around so fast her gown whined in complaint. “You tell me where you stand first, druid.”

  “Right here where I have always been, ready ta support your campaign to gain the castle and island in Treoir realm.”

  A quick flash of power sizzled around her.

  He’d surprised her with that reply? Good. She clearly thought he’d returned to break up their relationship, which had often included being lovers.

  Flames on candles around the room sparked and changed to red, the color she preferred when they had sex.

  She moved back and forth in the air, humming to herself as her way of pacing. Maybe she had learned to calm down and no longer lose control. After a moment of her air pacing, she descended and returned to stand before him again.

  But she did not rush him to bed.

  That was new.

  She accused, “You left me alone to deal with Daegan and the Tribunal.”

  “What? When did that happen?” he asked, sincerely surprised.

  “That miserable dragon called me to a Tribunal. One of his gryphons had been stolen. He tried to blame it on me first, then Macha.”

  “Which gryphon?”

  “Evalle.”

  “Who took her?”

  “I don’t know. I did hear later that Daegan and those miserable Beladors rescued Evalle from one of Abandinu’s realms. Might have been Scamall. Once I made it clear I was not involved and couldn’t care less about losing one of his gryphon herd, I left. That should be my gryphon herd. Had we not put everything in place long ago to push those Alterants to evolve into their final form, there would be no gryphons. I will not overlook being put on trial in a Tribunal. Everyone, starting with Daegan, will pay.”

  The fact that someone had kidnapped Evalle impressed him. He asked again, “Who kidnapped Evalle?”

  “Some bounty hunter humping Macha. Foolish of her to take someone so lowbrow to her bed, but she’s not as confident and secure as me.” Some sinister thought glittered in the queen’s eyes.

  What point was she dancing around?

  He wished to know more about this brazen attack on Evalle. “How did they prove the bounty hunter had taken Evalle?”

  “It was simple and Macha, the stupid bitch, didn’t realize she’d been tricked into delivering the bounty hunter to a Tribunal where he tried to lie.”

  Cathbad cringed at that stupidity.

  Smiling with a homicidal grin, the queen said, “I left before the fun part. I heard Loki torched him.”

  Her actions could upend Cathbad’s plans after all. “So are ya at war with the dragon now?”

  She sneered, “I never stopped being at war with that bastard. Daegan will pay dearly for all he’s cost me.” Lifting her chin, she continued speaking happily as a child talking about a party. “I’ve been busy. I have new resources in place in the human world. My Scáth Force warriors are on a mission as we speak.”

  Queen Maeve also wanted Treoir realm. At one time, this woman had been a brilliant strategist. Now she acted on impulse. He would have to return more often now to keep tabs on her.

  He wanted that and more. So much more.

  Playing to her insanity, he spoke enthusiastically. “Tell me all. I have missed brainstormin’ together.”

  She gave him a coy look, then backed up slowly.

  What was she doing?

  He crossed his arms and stood there. “’Tis difficult ta have a conversation when ya will not remain still for a moment.”

  Her smile disappeared as her happy voice dropped low and deadly. “Don’t criticize me.”

  Cathbad rubbed an eye, begging for patience with another crazy female. “’Tis a simple statement.”

  She whipped her hands back and forth before Cathbad realized what she dared to do.

  Clear walls surrounded him from the ground to her towering ceiling. How could this happen twice in one day? He was sorely tired of dealing with these two women.

  “What the hell, Maeve?”

  Now she rose just off the ground to eye level and floated back and forth, staring at him from the other side of the clear wall. “You need to realize this is my realm. I am the power here. You have criticized me constantly since we woke up even though I’ve worked hard to maintain our partnership.” She crossed her arms. Her hair spun away from her face and twisted into a mass of curls, which now stood out from her head, reminding him of Medusa.

  “If ya care for our partnership to continue, ’tis a poor way to show it.” All the while he spoke, Cathbad stood with his hands behind him. Unlike Brynhild, Maeve possessed power as old as his as well as Noirre majik. She could hold him here even longer than she’d kept Daegan if he found no way out of this.

  He used a finger to test his majik against the walls. No weak spot yet.

  “I want the truth about where you’ve been, Cathbad!” she demanded

  “Then treat me with respect
and release me from this.”

  Sending him a look of superiority, she shook her head. “I am not inclined to at the moment. I have no throne to enjoy. This room feels empty. I like the idea of you here all the time.”

  She had to be truly suicidal to do this. He wiggled a finger and pressed his majik harder.

  Still nothing.

  “Very well, ya have me here,” he admitted, doing his best to sound resigned. “What do ya wish ta discuss?”

  Her entire mood changed to pure pleasure. “My witches and warlocks are currently infiltrating the human world, particularly the Atlanta area.”

  “’Tis not news,” he deadpanned. “We were sendin’ them in before I left.”

  “Yes, your little time-out sabbatical. You have yet to explain where you spent the last few weeks.”

  “I went far away where no people or cities existed. Only a quiet place. I needed that. This whole reincarnation has turned into a stressful time.”

  Her expression gave nothing away so he returned to the topic. “You’ve sent more of yours into the human world. ’Tis fine until VIPER rounds them up and kills them.”

  “You know nothing,” she slapped back at him with smug confidence. “When I am done this time, Daegan will have no power and VIPER will beg me to help them.”

  Just as he’d worried.

  He’d left her alone, thinking she wouldn’t be so quick to stir up trouble with VIPER after they’d forbidden her from entering the human realm. Foolish of him to expect her to move forward carefully. The woman stood before him, claiming she had proven him wrong.

  He would not allow her crazy machinations to interfere with what he’d put into motion. His majik pulsed out and back from his finger, tapping at the wall for even a tiny weakness. She’d proven she made mistakes when she acted impulsively.

  He only needed one blemish.

  Cathbad warned, “If ya bring VIPER and those Tribunal entities down on yar head again, I will not stand by ya this time. I stuck my neck out ta keep ya safe and ya show me no respect for all I’ve done.”

  “You have barely been around lately.” She stared at him as if he’d turned into a beetle and no longer amused her. “You're becoming less useful to me by the day.”

  It rubbed for her to act as if he had not done far more than his share in this partnership. “Careful, Maeve. Ya have no allies except me and ya are wearin’ on my patience.”

  Maeve cocked her head. “So you’re saying you do still want to continue with me?”

  He clenched his jaw to keep from voicing the truth. Instead, he gave her a wide-eyed look of disbelief. “I have been at your side, supporting ya from day one, and will continue ta do so unless ya put me in a position of havin’ to dissolve our alliance.”

  She burst into laughter. “Where would you go? You have no realm except this one. Who would protect you?”

  Seething, he merely said, “I would manage.”

  Laughing even harder at that, she spun around and around. Sparks shot from her gown, shooting to the candles, driving the flames higher.

  That gave him the moment he needed to open up three fingers and try his majik. “What do ya find so amusing, Maeve?”

  Slowing her spin, she drifted around the room as she spoke. “You would die without me. Outside of this realm, VIPER would hunt you out of association with me. You should thank me for keeping you here where you’ll be safe every minute.” She hummed to herself for a bit until the silence must have stopped her.

  Turning to him, she chastised, “You’re not pouting are you? It’s unbecoming.”

  She kept digging her hole deeper with every word.

  One day, he would bury her.

  He spoke quietly. “Ya should remember whose power created so much for us before we slept. Ya are extremely powerful, but could not have done all this alone.”

  Resting her hands on her hips, she angled her head, staring hard at him. “You could not do this alone either.”

  He tired of this tit for tat. “Release me now, Maeve, or ya will regret this move.”

  “No.” She shook her head like a petulant child and smiled. “Not until you convince me you understand who is in charge.”

  “Just remember those were your words.”

  Her smile fell.

  Her eyes opened wide, clearly confused about what he meant.

  Time to show her.

  He poked a finger hard behind him and heard a satisfying chip. Cathbad lifted his hands quickly, shouted an ancient series of words, and slapped his palms against the translucent wall.

  It exploded out.

  Reminded him of a block of ice being smashed.

  When would these women stop testing him?

  The power blasted her backwards. She hit the granite wall in a pile of arms and legs. Candles burst into explosions and flames crawled up the walls, leaving a strip of black goo behind.

  She spun away from the wall and dropped to the ground, landing on her feet.

  Once he’d figured out the formula to crack the glass, he could have simply shattered the enclosure and dropped the shards in a pile at his feet.

  Exploding the glass had been intended as a lesson.

  Never, ever, go up against any power you were not positive you could defeat.

  She began to rouse and shook her head.

  That had to have hurt.

  He’d intended it to be painful.

  When she regained her senses, she straightened her back. Her hair styled itself as she brushed at her gown.

  Striding to him this time instead of floating, she stopped two feet away. “Had you not gone that far, I was prepared to share my plans with you. Not now. There is a power greater than you or me out there and I intend to be on the right side of it when the time comes.”

  What was she talking about now? “I do not wish ta war with ya, Maeve. I only want you ta not push me again. If ya treat me with respect, I will give the same to ya. If ya attack me, I will not be so kind next time.”

  “Go away, Cathbad. I’m the one who needs a break this time.”

  “Very well.” That worked for him. He teleported out of her chambers, but instead of leaving the realm, he reappeared in the soldiers’ quarters.

  This would be his only chance to find out what she was up to before she realized she had to compel her warlocks not to talk to him.

  The two men in this area were not just any warlocks, but of the Scáth Force team. They wore clothes and short haircuts similar to average human men, which allowed them to fit in while operating covertly. One had yet to pull his shirt over a body inked in black. He finished while holding Cathbad’s gaze.

  Smiling as if this visit were natural, Cathbad said, “I understand from Queen Maeve ya have been quite busy. ’Tis good to know we’re making progress.”

  Erath, who now led the small, but highly skilled, pack of warlocks told the other soldier, “Go ahead and I’ll join all of you at our meet point in Atlanta.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  When the soldier turned to leave, Cathbad realized he had to ask Maeve to teleport him to the human world and offered, “Maeve was restin’ when I left her. I’ll send ya to Atlanta unless ya prefer ta wake her.”

  The warlock seemed torn until Erath said, “Thank you, Cathbad.”

  Wise one there to not question Cathbad and make an enemy of a dangerous druid. Once the soldier had a lock on his Atlanta destination mentally, Cathbad teleported him, then turned to the Scáth Force leader. “How is the mission goin’?”

  As the warlock looked around, trying to figure what to do, Cathbad whispered a compelling chant and stepped up close to the man. “Now ya will tell me all.”

  Erath stood straight and his eyes glassed over. “We are following the queen’s orders.”

  “Which are?” Cathbad prodded.

  “To find two volumes of an ancient grimoire. A being who calls himself a master has offered her Belador prisoners, and our warlocks he’s captured, in exchange for two missing volumes needed to
make the grimoire whole. That master possesses the third.”

  Cathbad had made as big a mistake by underestimating Maeve. “What is this book called?”

  “Immortuos Grimoire.”

  A master of Imortiks? No, that couldn’t be. Cathbad struggled to imagine anyone opening the wall holding back those abominations. Far worse than anything he’d ever created and he had made some nasty beings. “What else does this Imortik master offer?”

  Erath’s words held no emotion. “He offers freedom to those who work with him.”

  “What will three volumes brought together do?” Cathbad recalled some memory of the Imortiks being locked away in an alternate world before he came along.

  “I do not know.”

  “What is happenin’ in the human realm? Is Daegan not containin’ this Imortik master?”

  “The master forced Daegan of Treoir to expose Beladors to humans. Humans and beings of power are succumbing to Imortiks who have escaped through a rift in the death wall.”

  Cathbad stood there dumbfounded.

  All this had happened since he went to raise Brynhild from the frozen pond? Still, he didn’t see how Queen Maeve considered this to be phenomenal. “Why would any of our kind fear these Imortiks? They sound like demons.”

  Standing so rigid with only his mouth moving, Erath continued speaking similar to one of the human robotic voices. “Imortik energy blocks that of powerful beings. Our warlocks observed Daegan fighting an Imortik and failing to stop the Imortik from taking a Belador. The Imortik master claims he allowed Daegan to live to find the two volumes for the same chance to trade for all prisoners.”

  “Is there a time limit for finding these volumes?”

  “Yes. Two weeks. The queen believes they will become the deadliest force in the human world. She wants the two volumes before the Imortik master and Daegan join forces.”

  Scoffing at that thought, Cathbad muttered, “Daegan will not join with an Imortik.”

  “The queen agrees. She fears the Imortik master will turn Daegan then possess an Imortik red dragon to use against deities.”

  That could not be possible.

  Could it?

  If that Imortik being were so powerful, could it turn a deity as well? Was Queen Maeve so stupid to think a being that dangerous would not turn her into his puppet?