by Julie Wetzel
Sitting taller, Angela cocked her head but did not interrupt his story.
“At the time, no one realized what it was, but my great-grandfather made it his special place. He always felt the stones were listening and would often tell them his troubles. Hearing the words out loud would help him clear his mind and find some answer. I don’t think he ever expected the stones to speak back.”
“But they did,” Angela said in awe.
Kyle nodded. “War was coming to the village. The elders had done everything they could think of to keep the peace between two neighboring clans, but nothing was working. My great grandfather went out to the stones to voice his concerns, and the stones gave him an answer.”
“It was a dragon?” Angela asked, unable to keep quiet anymore.
“It was,” Kyle confirmed. “The last of the great dragons. I can’t even begin to tell you how old the creature was, but it had come to the valley to die. Its power had waned to the point it could no longer move, but it hung around, watching the children of the local village that came to climb on it. It listened to my great grandfather’s problems as it waited for its life to end, but it could not remain silent when it heard of the troubles coming to the village.
“It spoke to my great-grandfather, offering him aid,” he went on. “Unfortunately, the creature was too far gone to physically help, but it promised the power to win the war in exchange for one small favor.”
“What was the favor?” Angela asked.
“The dragon didn’t really want to die,” Kyle explained. “As the rest of its kind dwindled, it had tried to make friends with the lesser lifeforms, but they were too afraid of its size and power. It was lonely and had given up hope. The dragon offered up its life force and power in exchange for a form that would allow it to live and see the world again.”
“It wanted a body,” she breathed the truth as things started to come together.
Kyle nodded again. “It wanted to share my great grandfather’s body. He, of course, agreed, and the dragon used the last of its physical strength to create a heartstone. My great-grandfather tried to contain the dragon’s full power, but it was too great to withstand and nearly killed him. The pair agreed that my great grandfather would only take a small piece of the stone. He later shared that power with his four closest friends so they could protect their village.”
“What about the rest of the heartstone?” Angela asked.
“And therein lies the problem,” Kyle explained. “For years, my great-grandfather carried the stone with him allowing the dragon to experience the world through him, but he kept his promise and the stone a secret. He felt the enormous power within the stone was too tempting to let others know about it. The dragon’s power in the wrong hands would be devastating.
“When my great-grandfather grew too old to tend the stone, he told my grandfather the secret. My grandfather then took up the link to keep the dragon safe and happy. Everything was going well until people started actively hunting dragons.”
“Hunting?” Angela asked appalled.
“Yes,” Kyle said sadly. “I’m not sure if they were afraid or jealous, but they massacred hundreds of dragons before we could escape into hiding. My grandfather died before he could share the secret of the stone with my father. Unfortunately, my grandfather had let the story of the stone slip to a comrade in arms while drinking late one night.
“After a few years of searching for it, this man found the stone and attempted to claim the power for his own. But he didn’t realize what he was dealing with and was destroyed in the process. The dragon claimed his physical form and started terrorizing the countryside.”
Angela stared at him in horror. “Why?” She didn’t understand how a creature could go from being helpful to terrorizing people.
“The dragon wasn’t whole,” Kyle explained. “When my grandfather took the dragon’s power, it lost the ability to tell right from wrong. With no moral compass to guide it when it was released, it was driven by instinct alone.”
“Wow,” Angela said, unsure how else to respond to the story. “What happened to the dragon?”
Kyle closed his eyes and shook his head. “My father, my brother, and I captured the creature and convinced it to return to the stone, but it cost my brother his life.”
Angela raised her hand and covered her mouth. “No,” she whispered.
“My father dedicated the rest of his life to keeping the stone and left me to run the kingdom in his stead. When he died, I took up the link with the dragon.”
Her heart ached for him as she put things together. “And without your dragon, you’ve lost the link with the stone.”
Kyle nodded again. “I don’t know if my dragon retains the link, but we can’t let these people get their hands on that stone.” His jaw clenched, and he took a deep breath before continuing. “When Carissa takes the stone, what’s left of my link will break.”
Angela looked down to where Kyle squeezed her hand. She rested her free hand over his, drawing his attention back up. “We will stop them,” she said, unsure how she could help but determined to try.
The edges of his mouth turned up as the tension and anger drained from his face. “And that’s why we can’t tell Carissa I’m alive.” He released her hand. Standing back up, he raised his voice to fill the room. “We need to put an end to this now.”
Looking around, Angela saw that Kyle held everyone’s attention as he paced the length of the room.
“I can only think of one reason my sister would take action,” Kyle explained. “She felt what happened last night.” His hand rubbed across his chest over his heart. “She had finally given up hope and if we contact her, there is a likely chance that the moles in Eternity will hear about it.”
Angela glance around to the Eternity agents. Their eyes tracked Kyle as he moved, but agreement shown on every one of their faces.
“We need to strike fast,” Kyle said. He stopped and turned to Angela. “You said you knew where they were keeping my dragon.”
Fear raced up Angela’s spine. She sat taller in her seat trying not to wilt as everyone looked at her. “I know where Eugene put it in before he left,” she admitted. “And if he’s trying to hide it from my father, the box will be in my father’s study.”
Daniel cleared his throat, drawing Angela’s attention. There was a serious look in his eye that made Angela’s insides tighten. “You know, there’s very likely a chance that your father’s involved with this.”
Angela drew in a shaky breath and looked down at her hands. She folded them in her lap and squeezed her fingers together. Admitting her father had a hand in hurting Kyle didn’t feel right, but she couldn’t deny the possibilities. Eugene had shadowed her father very closely in his time as an aide. It was unlikely that Eugene could have planned and executed the whole event without her father knowing about it, but she still couldn’t bring herself to agree with Daniel. She nodded her understanding before looking up to meet his eyes. “Please don’t do anything rash before making sure he’s involved.”
Daniel tipped his head to her. “I promise.”
“Tell us what you know,” Kyle said as he got the group back on track.
10
For the first time in Angela’s life, the baroque exterior of her father’s mansion intimidated her. She watched the fancy house in the distance as Daniel drove her car past the main driveway and turned down the access road that led to the back of the barns. Usually, she found the stone columns and arched windows regal, but today they looked dark and sinister against the overcast sky. Shivering, she pulled her gaze from the building and turned it to the two men in the front of her car. Daniel was hard to see since he was driving, so she stared at what she could see of Kyle’s face and thought about what they were here to do.
The plan was simple. She’d sneak Kyle and Daniel in and guide them to her father’s study. The box that Eugene used was an ornamental puzzle box that had been given to her father by an exotic dignitary. It was precious to h
er father, and he’d often warned her not to touch it. It was delicate, and he was afraid she would break it. It had taken her almost three years of fiddling with it in secret to figure out the complicated locking mechanism.
Angela chewed her lip thinking about the chest. Over the years she’d played with the box, she’d found many strange things in it. It had always been a treat to open the box and see what her father had stashed, but now she wasn’t sure if they were her father’s things, or Eugene’s.
She put the past out of her mind and cleared her thoughts as Daniel pulled her car into the empty parking area behind the barn.
Kyle turned in his seat and stared back at her. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.
Angela smiled, appreciating the offered out. There had been several versions of their plans that left her in safety, but they were all more complicated than their current course of action. “I’m sure.” It wasn’t difficult to get into her house or find her father’s study, but finding the box was going to be hard. Her father collected intricate woodwork and the box was one of many he kept on the shelves in his office.
Popping her door open, she climbed out and glanced up. A thick layer of clouds blocked out the sky. Alex, Noah, and Patrick were up there somewhere. She squeezed the edge of her door trying to take comfort in knowing there was a back-up if things went wrong.
“Are you ready?”
Angela pulled her gaze from the sky and looked at Daniel. His eyes were sharp but held a hint of concern. There had been lots of arguing about whether she needed to come on this mission or not. Daniel had been the first to argue that having an insider would help things along. She didn’t know if she was happy that he wanted her help, or worried that he was just using her. As I’ll ever be. “Yes,” she said, shutting her door. It was too late for her to back out now.
Kyle came around the back of the car and took her hand. “You know, you don’t have to do this,” he said, laying his hand on her upper arm.
His words soothed the unease in her heart. One would think he would be the most willing to have her help retrieve his dragon, but he’d been the most vocal about keeping her out of harm’s way. It touched her to know that he cared about her safety, even now when they were so close to their destination. “I know,” she said, patting his hand. She turned her attention back to the house. Taking a deep breath, she focused her mind on what they had to do. “This way,” she said, slipping out from under Kyle’s hand. Her ears told her when the men fell into step behind her.
Angela worried her lip as she led the way to the barn. She paused long enough to peek around the corner of the building. A small courtyard separated the barns from the house. Thankfully, the area was clear but there was nothing to hide them from the windows of the main house. “Come on,” she said as she slipped around the corner and raced to the side of the building.
Pressing her back to the building, she hesitated for a moment before turning and hurrying down the side of the building to a small door. Reaching out, she tugged on the door but wasn’t alarmed when it didn’t move. The door led to the storerooms behind the kitchen and was only used when her father was hosting a party. Turning to Daniel, she held out her hand. “Keys?”
Daniel dropped her car keys in her hand.
Flipping her keys over, she grabbed the right one and slipped it into the lock. The door swung open and Angela peered in. The storage room beyond was stacked with shelves but seemed to be unoccupied. “It’s clear,” she said, stepping inside.
Daniel took hold of the door, held it wide for Kyle, and eased it closed behind them.
Hurrying between the shelves, Angela stopped at the inner door and stole a quick look through the round window into her father’s industrial kitchen. They’d planned their visit to fall in the lull between breakfast and lunch. The kitchen should be empty, but there was always the chance that one of the cooks was still hanging around. She sighed with relief. No one was there.
Carefully pushing the stockroom door open, Angela scanned the kitchen to make sure everything was clear. Excitement pumped through her veins as she made her way between the steel tables to the set of swinging doors that opened into the hall. She’d never done anything this dangerous before. Pushing the door open just a crack, she huddled against the frame and looked out into the hall. No one was around. Halfway down the hall was a nook that held a potted plant. It would be the perfect place for them to hide while she plotted their next move. A soft touch on her shoulder made her jump and she looked back to find Kyle holding her back.
“Just act normal,” he advised. Glancing around the corner, he stepped out into the hallway as if he belonged.
Shocked, Angela looked over to see Daniel smiling at her. “If you skulk around, people will think you’re up to something,” he said, stepping out to join Kyle in the hall as if they didn’t have a care in the world.
Straightening up, Angela stepped out too.
“So where to?” Kyle asked as he took her hand and wrapped it around his arm.
Angela stared at him for a moment. Kyle didn’t look worried at all. Letting out a breath, she turned and started towards her father’s quarters. “This way,” she said. Fear and adrenaline made her want to race along the corridor, but Kyle’s relaxed gait kept her at an easy pace. Her heart jumped when a pair of maids came down the hallway. She wanted to run and scream, but Kyle kept a tight hold on her hand as they approached the pair. The maids nodded and gave Kyle an appreciative glance. Kyle smiled and they scurried off giggling without more comment. Angela stared at them with an open mouth before looking up to Kyle for an explanation.
“You belong here” Kyle explained as soon as the women were out of earshot. “They’ve probably seen you walking these halls a million times.”
Angela shut her mouth and considered it. Both of the maids had worked in the large mansion for years. It made sense that they wouldn’t find her presence noteworthy, but they’d never seen Kyle or Daniel before. “What about you?” Angela asked. “They’ve never seen you before.”
Kyle snickered. “Daniel and I may be novel,” he agreed. “But, we’re with you, so not unusual enough to raise an alarm. I’m sure you’ve brought friends home before.” He looked at her long enough for her to nod. “Besides, we’ll be done with what we need by the time they mention our presence to anyone.”
Biting her lip, Angela turned her attention back to their path and worked that idea through her brain. When they said they would sneak into her father’s study, she’d envisioned cat-like, ninja moves that got them in and out without being seen, not walking in like she owned the place. She snorted out a soft, ironic laugh and relaxed. Maybe Kyle had the right idea after all. Sneaking in would have been so much harder.
After a few more turns, they came to her father’s office. The door stood open. Angela released Kyle’s arm and poked her head in. “Dad?” she called, looking around the room. Her father was nowhere to be seen. “This way,” she said, hurrying into the room. Moving around her father’s desk, she stopped in front of the shelves and scanned her father’s collection. Her heart dropped when she saw the hole where the box should have been. Walking up to the shelf, she laid her fingers on either side of the empty space. “It’s not here,” she said softly.
Turning around she looked over at Kyle and Daniel. “It’s not here,” she said again louder.
“Where else would he keep it?” Daniel asked.
Angela worried her lip as she looked around the room. Nothing else seemed out of place. “It might be in Eugene’s office,” she said as she came out from behind the desk. She passed between Kyle and Daniel and rushed out of the room. She barely looked down the empty hall as she crossed to Eugene’s open office door. Casting a quick glance around the room, she tried to think of where Eugene might keep the box. She’d never really had a reason to invade his office before, but she did know that the man kept his personal items in the bottom of his desk.
“Angela,” Kyle called.
Angela ig
nored the concern in Kyle’s voice and went to check the desk. Most of the drawers opened with ease except the larger bottom one.
“Angela,” Kyle said again more sharply.
“I think it’s in here,” she said hoping she was right. “But it’s locked.” She looked up just in time to see Kyle and Daniel exchange a worried look.
“Watch the door,” Daniel said, starting towards the desk.
Kyle nodded and stood just inside the doorway looking out.
Angela let out a nervous breath and moved back to give Daniel access to the drawer.
“Are you sure it’s in here?” he asked as he knelt down in front of the locked drawer.
“No,” Angela admitted. “But this is where he keeps his personal stuff.”
Daniel gave her a pointed look before pulling out a small knife and working on the drawer lock. After a few moments, he managed to pop the lock and slide the drawer open.
Angela curled up her fingers and looked down into the drawer. It took everything she had to not push Daniel out of the way and riffle through the drawer herself.
“It’s not here,” Daniel said as he pulled packs of papers out of the drawer looking for the box.
Tears burned in Angela’s eyes. The box had to be here. She looked around trying to figure out where else Eugene might have hidden it.
“My lord,” Daniel called from the floor.
Angela glanced at Daniel as Kyle came over, but she had another idea where the box might have been. Leaving the boys to their conversation, she went to the closet and pulled it open. “Ah!” she cried as she spied the wooden box tucked in the back corner. “Here it is.” Picking up the box, she backed out of the closet and brought it over to the desk.
A whole range of emotions rushed through Kyle as Angela carried the box over and set it on the table. He ran his fingers over the inlaid wood. He could feel power radiating from the box, but there didn’t seem to be a way to open it. He wanted to rip it open and reclaim his dragon, but the items Daniel had found in Eugene’s desk made him pause. How had Eugene gotten his hands on a complete list of dragons?