Liza (Dragon Isles Book 1)

by Shelley Munro

  “I’m so sorry. Humans panic when they see something they don’t understand. Not that this excuses the actions of the human, but from what I hear, the dragon’s sudden arrival scared the locals and the visitors at the village fair. They didn’t understand the dragon required rest.”

  “You’re not frightened of dragons,” Leo said.

  “No, but since I was researching dragons and collecting myths and legends, your appearance fascinated me. I forgot to watch the road—the reason my car flipped over the barrier. I was lucky the sight of a human didn’t scare you. You saved me.”

  “Fate,” Leo said, his words ringing with truth.

  “Is it possible Nan and your brothers are responsible for the barrier malfunction?” Liza asked.

  The notion had occurred to Leo, but he’d discarded it because his brothers would’ve gloated. They enjoyed lording it over their friends and acquaintances. “I suppose it’s possible, but I’m certain the rumors would’ve caught up with me.”

  “I haven’t been here long enough to learn the politics and the way each island runs, but I wondered if it would be an advantage for dragons to leave the Dragon Isles. How do you get your supplies? The things you can’t make yourselves. Has there been a surplus of luxury items available?”

  “Excellent points,” Leo mused. “I don’t hang around the dragon village or the castle enough to know the answer to your question. Whenever I require food or supplies, I visit the human village.”

  “Have you noticed anything off there? That’s another possibility,” Liza said. “Maybe some of the humans would prefer to move to the mainland instead of staying here. Or, a third possibility—maybe the druids in charge of things are open to bribes. Is there a head druid?”

  Another excellent point. Leo didn’t have the answer. He kept flying, the trip going faster than he’d thought because of the tailwind and the fact he had Liza with him.

  “Is that... Are those dragons ahead of us?” Liza asked.

  Leo scanned the sky. While he’d flown, and they’d conversed, the sky had lightened. Liza was right, but the flight of dragons was too far away for him to identify.

  “How do you communicate between the isles?” Liza asked. “Is it possible these dragons are trying to intercept us?”

  “I don’t know. We should see land soon. If the wind is in the right direction, I get a hint of the spices that grow on the island. The fishermen take messages between us. That’s all we’ve needed for communication.”

  “So these dragons might have received a message from the castle. There are dragons behind us,” Liza said, seconds later. “Four. No five dragons.”

  Leo increased the pace of his wing strokes, trying to keep worry from flooding his mind. Nothing about this boded well for him and Liza. Exhaustion nipped at his heels, the battle with his brother and lack of rest slowing him.

  “I can see land,” Liza said. “How far away do your friends live?”

  “A few miles inland.”

  “Will we make it to safety in time?”

  Leo wanted to lie, but he couldn’t. Not to his mate. “I’m tired and not flying as fast as normal. It will be difficult to fight because I’m carrying you. I can’t drop you again. We’re too high. Last time we were lucky you didn’t get hurt.”

  “At the first opportunity, we’ll talk to someone who can design a saddle or at least experiment with me sitting on your back. You must be free to fight,” Liza said. “That way, my hands would be free too. I could carry a weapon and help you.”

  “I haven’t heard of anyone doing this before.”

  “We’ll be the first,” Liza said.

  Leo studied the approaching dragons. A blue and two greens. He kept flying because there was nothing else he could do.

  “Do you recognize them?”

  “Not yet.”

  “What will we do?”

  Leo’s heart soared at Liza’s we.

  “I intend to keep flying toward our destination. In about five minutes, I should be close enough to the approaching dragons to identify them.”

  “And the ones behind?”

  “I think we can assume the ones following us are chasing with evil intent.”

  Fatigue swept Leo, every bruise and cut aching now that their destination was in sight. How the devil were they going to get through this?

  Liza’s heart fluttered against her rib cage, fear an itch along her spine. Her head angled back to spot the five dragons behind them who were gaining. The three dragons in front were closer.

  “Do you recognize them, Leo?”

  “Friend,” he said after a lengthy pause, his voice lighter than it had been earlier.

  “Plan?”

  “Keep flying toward my friends and hope we reach them before those chasing catch us.”

  Liza wished she’d thought to grab a handful of rocks. Leo wasn’t as speedy now, and she sensed his exhaustion. Frustration thumped her over the head since there was nothing she could do to help. She glanced back at the chasing dragons. They were nearer now.

  “They’re flying in formation,” she said.

  “Do they have sashes or breastplates?”

  Liza squinted through the constant rush of air. “Yes.”

  “Security. Either my parents or my brothers sent them after us.”

  “How did they know where we were?”

  “They might have discovered my brother’s body or spotted the burned forest.”

  “Your friends are closer than the soldiers.”

  Leo didn’t reply but kept flying, his wings moving in a steady beat. When Liza glanced behind them again, she gasped. The soldiers had slashed the distance between them. They weren’t going to make it.

  Without warning, heat seared behind them.

  Leo angled upward just in time, the flames missing them by inches.

  “Leo, fly lower and drop me into the sea. I’m a powerful swimmer. I can make the shore by myself.”

  “No,” Leo shouted, his reply a blast of deafening sound. “I can’t lose you.”

  “If you keep holding me, you’re at a disadvantage. You can’t use your talons. Please, Leo. We have no alternative.” Liza prayed the water was deep enough for what she intended. “Leo, listen to me. If I die, I leave my daughter at the mercy of my ex-husband. I need at least one of us to survive. If something happens to me, find your way to the mainland. Save Joanna. Will you do that for me? Leo?”

  After a long moment, he replied, “Don’t die, my lodestone. Please. Without you, my world will have no light.”

  “I’m expecting you to live up to your name and whop their butts. You hear me? Fight with your friends, then we’ll find each other again. What is the name of the village where I will find your friends?”

  “Travel to Maidstone village. Ask to speak to anyone at the House of Ghan. Tell them Leo sent you and you are my mate. They will help you. Are you certain about this?”

  Leo’s tension communicated itself in his voice. He hated her suggestion.

  “Drop me to give us both a chance to survive.” Liza hoped like hell she was speaking the truth. Leo had become vital to her in the scant time they’d known each other. He and Joanna plus Cherry and Rena and her dad were the ones who mattered. “Now, Leo.”

  As she spoke, he changed his flight path. He still flew toward Perfume Isle, but on a downward trajectory. As he flew closer to the sea, she tensed, certain this was a crazy idea, but unable to think of another way to ensure they survived. Those soldier dragons flying behind them looked mean, and they crept closer with every beat of their wings. They hadn’t fought a battle to the death like Leo had and were fresher.

  Panic seized her, every muscle tensed. The sea became closer and closer, the waves much bigger than they’d appeared from above. She had to do this.

  “Are you sure about me dropping you? What if some of the soldiers follow you?”

  “You won’t let them.” Of that, she was supremely confident. Leo would defend her with his last breath, and sh
e could do nothing less.

  “I love you, Leo. Now, go as low as you can and release me.”

  Still, Leo hesitated. For a moment, Liza thought they might both strike the sea, but Leo opened his talons. The wind whipped at her hair, and Leo’s oversize tunic as she discarded the cloak she’d used to keep herself warm. Liza jumped from Leo’s protective hold and was falling, falling, falling.

  “I love you, my lodestone. Keep safe. I will come for you. That is my solemn promise.”

  Leo’s heartfelt words flowed through her mind, and she had a flashback of her first glimpse of Leo, her shock and wonderment at seeing a dragon, then the freefall of her car. The remembered terror caught in her throat, a scream escaped, and she struck the water feetfirst.

  The icy chill was a wakeup and jerked her brain out of her panic. Disorientation threw her, and for a dread-filled moment, she wasn’t positive which way was up.

  “Liza!” Leo’s panic equaled her own.

  Bubbles. She remembered her mother telling her once after they swam together at one of New Zealand’s surf beaches and a wave had struck them both. It had been like a washing machine, sending her younger self every which way. She hadn’t focused on anything except her next breath of air. And while her mother had explained bubbles wouldn’t help in that case because of the churning water, if the waves weren’t as rough, the bubbles always led to the surface. Liza kicked strongly, struggling a little with the surplus fabric of Leo’s tunic. Her lungs protested, and all she could think of was her next breath. She kept kicking, following the bubble trail.

  Finally, she burst above the surface of the waves and sucked in a huge breath.

  “Liza!”

  Liza floated on her back and gazed up at the sky. Although the sun hadn’t risen yet, flames from several dragons made it seem daylight. From way down here, she couldn’t tell which dragon was Leo.

  “I’m okay,” she told Leo. “I’m heading to shore now. You need to concentrate on getting rid of the soldiers. Are you certain they are your friends? The ones coming from the direction of Perfume Isle.”

  “Yes, my lodestone. I love your courageous spirit.”

  “Focus,” she told him. “See you soon.”

  Liza took one last look at the dragons roaring and fighting overhead. Apprehension prickled in her, concern for Leo’s safety. She turned toward the shore and gulped. This wasn’t going to be a picnic for her either. Her arms already hung like heavy weights from her shoulders.

  A pained screech cut through her thoughts of discomfort, and she trod water while her gaze shot upward. One dragon was falling, flames surrounding its massive body as it dropped like a rock. The dragon struck the water and created an immense wave.

  Popsicles!

  Liza gulped a huge breath and dove beneath the surface. The pull of the water tugged at her tunic top as she went deeper. Liza stayed down a little longer before surfacing again.

  She counted the dragons. Well, at least Leo’s friends had evened the odds.

  Liza wasn’t sure how long she swam, but by the time her feet could touch the seafloor, her breaths came in ragged gasps, and her limbs ached from overuse. She staggered from the water and up the sandy beach on legs that wanted to bend like pieces of rubber. Liza couldn’t remember ever suffering such lethargy. She recalled the direction Leo had told her to walk, but to get started, she needed to climb a hill and forge a path through the forest that grew on this side of the island.

  She fell and stayed seated to catch her breath. From her position on the beach, she could see and hear the dragons fighting. Three dragons flew over the trees beyond the sand, coming from an inland location. Their bugled challenges rang through the air, and with their arrival, some of the fighting dragons broke away and retreated toward Hissing Isle.

  “Liza!”

  “I’m resting on the beach, Leo. Getting my breath back after my swim. You okay?”

  “Will be as soon as I can hold you.”

  Liza pushed herself to her feet, despite protests from her battered body. She spotted Leo’s green form flying in her direction and waved her arms even though her biceps and triceps protested the action. Six other dragons followed him at a slower pace, and Liza stared in amazement, wanting to pinch herself.

  Leo landed and shifted. Liza hustled to meet him halfway, and it was the best feeling in the world when his arms enclosed her, and he held her in his protective embrace.

  “My lodestone,” he murmured for her ears. “I promise never to drop you again.”

  “Twice in one day was terrifying.”

  “For both of us.”

  The dragons landed on the sand, each dragon shifting to reveal five males and one female.

  “This is Liza, my mate,” Leo said, and she thrilled to the possessive and proud note in his words. “Liza, this is Blaze, my battle companion, Rafael, and Griffith. They’re brothers.” He glanced at the other dragons in askance.

  “Brigitte and Gattock,” Blaze said. “Cousins.”

  The dragon men and woman all had light brown hair, some with blond streaks, brown eyes of various shades and the strong, fit bodies typical of the dragons she’d met so far. Luckily, they were also friendly.

  “A human mate,” Rafael said, although he wasn’t a smartarse or rude about her human status. “Where did you meet?”

  “Ah,” Leo said. “It’s a long story.”

  “Condense it,” Rafael said in a terse voice. “I want to know why the guard dragons from your castle are attacking you and your mate.”

  So Leo told them about flying through the barrier and Liza driving off the road. Part of Liza thought they’d doubt Leo, but the men stared at each other. He told them of his parents arranging a betrothal for him and the subsequent events that had led him and Liza to flee to Perfume Isle.

  “That’s interesting. We were out here early searching for Sasha, our sister. She’s missing,” Blaze said. “She argued with our mother and went for a flight to cool off. She told Mother she intended to visit her friend. Three weeks ago now. No one has seen her since.”

  “Could that be the answer?” Rafael asked. “Somehow, she crossed through the barrier.”

  “Did she go flying in the afternoon?” Leo asked.

  “Yes.” Blaze nodded, his gaze intent.

  “Same time as me. I was flying parallel to the mainland. After I plucked Liza from her steel box, I almost ended up trapped. The barrier grew thicker, and I had to force my way through. I don’t know how long the barrier was down or if this has been happening for a while.”

  “By Lodar!” Rafael cursed.

  The others shared a glance.

  Blaze scowled. “If our sister is trapped on the mainland, that’d explain everything.”

  “My daughter is there too,” Liza said.

  “That’s why we’re here,” Leo said. “We hoped you might have answers to help us get to the mainland or at least make a plan.”

  Rafael grunted and clapped Leo over the back. “No knowledge but dozens of questions. Come home with us, and we can talk further. I have to return to the House of Ghan tonight, but Blaze and Griffith will look after you. My parents will wish to hear your tale too.”

  “Thank you,” Leo said. “Liza and I would welcome a safe place to rest.”

  * * * * *

  Later that night, after a hot meal and repeated tellings of their story, Liza lay in Leo’s arms in one of the many bedrooms in the Mountholden’s family mansion.

  “Can’t sleep, my lodestone?”

  “Every muscle in my body aches, but my thoughts won’t cease scurrying around inside my head.”

  “Mine too,” Leo said. “You heard what the Mountholden sire said. They have paid their tithe to the druids. The Mountholdens are as clueless as us,”

  “Do you think the druids will help?”

  Leo didn’t speak for a while. “They’re a strange bunch and keep to themselves.”

  “It’s funny, but I suggested to my friend we take time off and have a vac
ation on Lindisfarne. The locals call it Holy Island. You can drive along the causeway if the tide is right. I thought it would be a suitable place to hide where Tony might have trouble locating us. Is it possible to get to the island from here? I’m desperate to hug my daughter.”

  “We, my lodestone. We will ask the druids if they’ll allow us to pass through their world and onto Lindisfarne. Ask if this is possible.”

  “What if the druid’s magic is failing, and that’s the problem? I mean, do you understand how the magic works?”

  “It doesn’t matter as long as the barrier is functional.”

  “Perhaps dragons should’ve asked questions.”

  “Once we have an audience with the druids, we should have some answers, and our options will be clearer.”

  “I just want to hold my daughter,” Liza blurted out. Tears formed behind her eyes, and the lump in her throat threatened to choke her. Repeated swallowing did little to shift the obstruction.

  “I know.” Leo stroked his hand down her spine. “We’ll find a way. I promise.”

  Liza pressed closer to Leo and kissed his throat. “Cherry and Rena will do their best, but I know Tony will prove difficult. The lengths he’s willing to go to get his way scares me.”

  “You have a valiant heart, my lodestone. Believe in your friend, your sister. They will do their part while we do ours.”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  “I found you,” he said. “My true mate. We will rescue our daughter.”

  “Our daughter?”

  “Well, I hope to have more children, because our number one daughter will require siblings. But you are my mate, so that makes Joanna mine. You are both mine to protect.”

  “I love you, Leonidas, Champion of the Skies. What about your parents and Nan’s family? Won’t they cause trouble?”

  “Once we reach Smoking Isle, we’ll investigate on the down-low. I’m positive the druids will create difficulties. We will require patience.”

  “Oh, joy,” Liza said. “I’m not a patient person.”

  “Unfortunately, there is a protocol. If we meet with the older druids, they will insist on doing everything according to the old ways.”

  “Oh, joy.” Liza said again, this time with a roll of her eyes.