by R. E. Butler
Kelly lifted her head and looked at Atlas. “Did you know your niece went into hiding?”
“I suspected she did, but I didn’t know where she’d gone. The Wiccan had been with the coven when they were attacked and died in the battle, along with everyone else. I was traveling in the other realm at the time, and when I didn’t see my niece’s body among the dead, I searched for her everywhere. A hundred years later, I found her on her deathbed from a fight with a natural wolf pack. The book was in her hands and when she passed away, it disappeared. I thought she was the last of the family line.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “She must have had a child during that time she was in hiding, and that’s how the family line continued.”
“So much death and loss,” Kelly said. “All because of a treasure.”
“People will do terrible things for money and power,” Bell said. “We’ve seen it over and over—vampires, humans, shifters—there’s good and evil among all of us.”
Her gaze returned to the book and she read in silence for a few minutes and then made a curious sound. “Oh!”
“What” Bell asked.
“There’s a spell for me to use to access the hidden realm. It will take me right to the cave. I can take guards with me to the entrance of the cave, but I’m the only one who can go inside.”
“Let’s cast the spell then,” Bell said.
She shook her head. “We can’t right now.”
“Why not?” Mishka asked. “Do you require anything to cast the spell?”
“Just the books,” she said. “But the spell has to be cast at dawn. Outside, in the presence of running water and pine trees.”
Bell’s whole being snapped in fury. “You’re telling me I can’t go with you to this realm that I’ve never even heard of?”
“Yeah. And you can’t be with me when I cast the spell either. It’s too dangerous for any vampires to be with me. Even if we could keep you covered, there’s no way to know what the sun situation is within the other realm, and I can’t risk your life. I won’t.”
He gnashed his teeth together, but Mishka put his hand on Bell’s arm. “I understand your frustration, but this is something your beloved needs to do, and it can’t be with our kind. Fortunately, there are plenty of people with us right now who can be out in the daylight, and I feel very confident in saying that no harm will befall your beloved.”
“I have to do this, Bell. Please tell me you understand.”
He grunted. “I don’t like it.”
“But?”
“But I get it. Now we just have to find some running water and pine trees. Anyone got any ideas?”
Chapter Twenty
By the time dawn was near, Kelly was standing in the chilly morning air near a small creek that babbled over smooth rocks in a wooded area. The woods—which Mishka owned—were in a small, mostly-human town north of the storage facility. He’d bought the land with the intention of building on it at some point but had never gotten around to it. Now, it was reserved for the shifter mates of coven members who needed a safe place to hang out in their shifts.
Even surrounded by all this natural beauty, she hated everything about this moment. While she felt safe with Rysk, Tyrant, Atlas, Adriel, Darien, and Margot guarding her, she missed Bell terribly. It didn’t help that he was positively pissed that he couldn’t be with her. Mishka had given them the location to use, and they’d parted ways with the vampires, who returned to the club, save for Bell, Dylan, and Merrix, who waited until it was closer to dawn before going to the apartment building. The only thing known for sure about the Fromuls Realm was that no one knew a thing about it. There were only three officially known realms—the Mortal Realm, where she currently resided—the Fae Realm, and the Medes Realm. Of the three, the Fae and Mortal Realms were the most similar. The biggest difference in the Medes Realm was how slow time moved in comparison to the other realms, approximately ten years passed in the Mortal and Fae realms while only one year passed in the Medes.
“It’s time,” Atlas said, staring at his watch.
Blowing out a breath, Kelly held the open books—one in each hand—and spoke the spell. The first time, she remained in place. The second time, she took a step toward the creek. The third time, she stepped into the creek, the cold water lapping over her bare feet and making her skin goose bump. The fourth time, she stepped out of the creek on the last word and closed both books. She pricked her finger with a safety pin that Margot had given her and let three drops of blood drip onto the ground at her feet.
The ground shook and a stiff breeze blew through the trees. A pinpoint of light appeared in front of Kelly, slowly lengthening until it was as tall as her. The line of light split in the middle and parted like a curtain. Once the portal was wide enough for her to walk through, she stepped inside and the others followed behind. The portal snapped closed behind them, but she could open it at any time by speaking the last word of the spell: Aramnapor.
The realm looked like a desert. Dark brown sand covered the ground, with white mineral patches and groups of plants resembling succulents. Twin suns rose in the sky and a mountain range was visible in the distance.
“This realm seems deserted,” Margot said. “I don’t see any signs of life.”
“There’s no telling how vast the realm is,” Tyrant said. “It’s possible there’s no life here, but there might be in other areas. Look how big the Mortal Realm is.”
Margot smiled. “Good point. Now, where’s the cave?”
“Hold on,” Kelly said. She pressed on her wounded finger and let out another drop of blood which landed on a white mineral patch. “Aramnapor, Aramnapor, Aramnapor.”
A haze appeared in front of them, shimmering in the air. It darkened to black glass, and she could see her reflection on the surface. Then it shattered as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. The pieces fell to the ground and disappeared, leaving them staring at the mouth of a large cave.
“Holy shit,” Atlas said.
“I second that,” Kelly said. “According to the book, I have to go inside alone. Once I’ve been accepted as the rightful Key Keeper, I’ll be able to call you to join me. I just wonder...” She let her voice trail off.
“What is going to accept you?” Margot asked.
“Yeah.”
“Whatever it is, whoever it is,” she said, laying a comforting hand on Kelly’s shoulder, “you’re the Key Keeper and that means you’ll be safe. Aram wouldn’t have gone to this trouble to bring the Key Keeper to the cave if it were dangerous.”
“Good point. I think. Tell that to my nerves, though.”
Margot gave her a sideways hug. “You can do it, girl.”
“Thanks.”
She inhaled and rolled her shoulders, placing the books in one arm and holding them close to her chest. “Here goes nothing.”
She walked into the cave, ducking slightly to avoid banging her skull on a pointy bit of dark stone jutting from the edge of the entrance. The cave was dark, but there was light visible from the entrance, and she wished she’d thought to bring her cell or a flashlight. Or a damn candle. She kept her hand on the wall to guide her, following along as it twisted to the left and right like a maze.
And then she saw a faint glow.
And heard a growl.
Her heart jumped into her throat and she forgot how to breathe for a moment. Trying to reassure herself with Margot’s words, she continued her forward trek, the glow getting brighter.
She turned around a small curve and found herself in an enormous, open room. The ceiling soared above her head; the walls covered with what looked like crushed diamonds. In the center stood a shallow gold cauldron that had a low-banked fire within its smoothly beaten surface. It offered light to the room, the flames flickering over the glittery walls.
She heard the growl again.
Shit.
She’d forgotten about the growl because of the damn splendor of the room. Which was freaking spectacular, but... the room was empt
y save for the cauldron. She turned in a slow circle, frowning as she confirmed there was absolutely nothing in the cave.
Something clicked on the carved stone floor behind her. The hairs on the back of her neck rose and the fight-or-flight instinct reared high within her. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she swiveled slowly on her heel to face whatever had just come into the room.
Her eyes widened as she took in the sight before her.
A dragon crouched a few feet in front of her, deep-purple scales gleaming in the firelight, red eyes glowing like burning coals. His tail swished behind him, his claws scratching into the floor as they curled.
He growled louder, but this time she wasn’t afraid, she just giggled.
He was tiny.
The size of a big dog. He looked ferocious, but also crazy-adorable at the same time.
“Hey there,” she said, dropping to her knees. She put out her free hand and he snuffled it, making curious mewling sounds. He bumped her palm with his snout and licked at the pinprick on her fingertip. He glowed suddenly, his scales turning iridescent and nearly blinding her briefly. She winced at the brightness and then gasped when he knocked the books from her arm. They hit the floor and she reached for them, but the little dragon caught her wrist between his jaws and bit down.
Pain radiated up her arm and she yelled out a curse, lifting her free hand to push him away.
But then a connection snapped into place between them as he withdrew his sharp teeth from her skin. In her minds’ eye she saw that he’d been set as a guard over the treasure by Aram. He’d been placed under a sleeping spell, which sent him into a sort of hibernation, only waking if someone entered the cave. The little dragon had seen no one since Aram and Napor set him as a guard and put him to sleep with the help of a Wiccan. Promising him that one day, they’d come back for him or someone from their coven would.
She looked at her hand as the information from the dragon cleared through her mind. The metallic ivy tattoo that spread over all four fingers, now connected at the center of the back of her hand by a mandala-esque design that led to a dark purple mark around her wrist, the same color as his scales.
Placing her tattooed hand on his shoulder, she said, “So are you the treasure, little guy? I gotta say that I thought there would be more stuff here.”
He let out a shrill call like a bird and moved away from her. He rose onto his hindlegs and put his front paws on the edge of the cauldron. He dipped his head into the metal bowl and when he lifted his head, there was a burning coal between his teeth.
“Oh!” she said, worried he’d hurt himself.
Then he swallowed the coal, spread his wings and rose into the air. He swooped toward the far wall, letting out another shrill call as a stream of reddish-purple flames erupted from his open jaws. He moved around the room, laying fire against the crushed-diamond surface. The walls seemed to melt, and Kelly rose to her feet in awe as the whole cave opened to reveal a splendor she’d never seen before in her life.
The dragon completed his circuit of the cave and landed at her feet, tucking his wings against his sides and sitting on his haunches. She dropped her hand to the top of his head, and he made a purring sound of appreciation.
“Are you okay in there?” Margot called, her voice echoing through the walls.
“Yes. Everyone can come in. Trust me, you won’t believe your eyes.”
* * *
Bell paced inside the lobby of the apartment complex. He periodically checked his phone, hoping as each minute ticked by he’d hear from Kelly that she was on the way home. Merrix and Dylan were sitting in the lobby chairs and had been there since their group arrived at the complex before sunrise. He’d told them he was fine alone, but they wanted to stay and keep him company.
“This is the most fucking frustrating thing I’ve ever done,” Bell said, stopping the long line of pacing and staring at the doors that led out to the street.
“My step-dad said he did the books for a coven and they used human drivers and had vehicles that were entirely light-tight,” Merrix said.
“What would the point of that be?” Dylan said. “I mean it would still be light out, even if they were in a vehicle that was protected.”
“Yeah, but they could travel from one place to another. And if they got caught out too close to dawn, they could stay in the vehicles. He also said they had traveling coffins. Can you even imagine?” Merrix shuddered.
Bell appreciated the change of topic so he could concentrate on something other than how long he and Kelly had been apart. Turning to face his friends, he joined them, taking a seat on one of the plush chairs. “Vamps used to sleep in coffins that couldn’t be opened from the outside, only from a latch inside. It was to keep them safe.”
“The crap I’d get in a coffin,” Dylan said, shaking his head. “I’m claustrophobic.”
“Newbie vamps have trouble waking up during the daytime, they sleep really deeply and can’t ignore the need to sleep at sunrise,” Bell reminded him. “If a human walked into a vamp’s place and couldn’t rouse them, saw their fangs, well, they’d probably kill them. Especially hundreds of years ago. Look at Dracula and all the harm that book did to our people. There are rumors that still persist today based on that nonsense.”
“Good point,” Merrix said. “I don’t miss the daylight, but I’ve only been turned a few years. Do you miss it?”
Bell shrugged. “Rarely. Every now and then I remember a sunrise or being outside in the daytime and get nostalgic, but if I wasn’t turned, then I’d be long dead by now and Kelly and I would never have met. So I’d trade every second of daylight to have her in my arms.”
“Man, I hope I find my beloved soon,” Merrix said. “No offense, but a couple hundred years of waiting isn’t something I’m looking forward to.”
“Me either,” Dylan said.
Bell’s phone buzzed, alerting him to a text. He nearly dropped the phone in his haste to look at the screen, his friends chuckling at him. “They’re on the way back,” he said, reading the text.
I’m safe and heading home. Wish you could have been here with me. I miss you so much! Kelly texted.
He typed back. I miss you too. What happened?
Too much to explain in text. It was amazing. I can’t wait to tell you everything.
I’ll be counting the minutes.
The next few texts they passed between each other were emojis of various hearts and faces. He put the phone on his knee and let his head fall back on the seat cushion with a sigh. She was on the way home and safe. That was all he needed to know.
* * *
“Is there an underground garage for the apartment complex?” Rysk asked from the passenger seat. Adriel was driving a passenger van and Kelly was seated in the second row with the little dragon, who was curled up at her side and fast asleep with his head in her lap.
She texted the question to Bell, saying they wanted to ensure no one knew who was with her in the vehicle in case the nasty church members were watching the complex. And also, she had a dragon that she wanted to keep out of the public eye. At least for now. Dragons weren’t anything new to the people of Northern Ohio, as there was a shifter group who called the area home. She’d never met a dragon, but when she was younger, she’d seen one flying overhead once and been fascinated by it.
Bell answered.
“He says to pull around to the back of the complex and he’ll open the door.”
“Will do,” Adriel said.
“Does the dragon have a name?” Atlas asked from the row behind her.
She’d wondered that herself. There was nothing in the original book about a dragon guard, and there wasn’t anything she could find that identified his name. “I don’t think so. I guess I should give him one.” She rolled the idea around in her head as they made their way to the apartment complex. A lot of silly names came to mind—Goliath or Tiny—but she didn’t think he should have a campy name. She stroked the warm, dry scales on his side, and he made a murm
uring snort and stretched out a bit, his claws curling. “I think I’ll call him Aram.”
She shifted enough in the seat to look at the people behind her. Atlas smiled in encouragement. “That’s a great name.”
“I guess I have a pet now. I hope Bell doesn’t mind.”
“I’m sure he won’t,” Margot said. She was seated in the third row between Atlas and Tyrant, because the little dragon had growled at everyone who tried to sit in the row with them. “Assuming little Aram doesn’t growl at him all the time.”
“Right? He’s pretty protective.”
“That’s because he was made to guard the treasure,” Atlas said. “You’re the Keeper, and that means you’re the greatest treasure. He’ll be by your side at all times.”
“Why do you suppose Aram made it so the portal could only be opened at dawn in such a specific area?” she asked.
Atlas hummed. “I remember Jovina telling me that he’d sent the bulk of their wealth and treasures away to protect the coven. Jovina was a beloved and so was Napor, so both females could be outside at dawn. I think he set it up that way to ensure that no vampires could get to the realm. When they had need of something from the cave, the females went with daytime guards to secure it. Aram had excellent compulsion skills and could erase a human’s memory as easily as snapping his fingers. No one but the coven knew where the portal was, and only the few that were very close to him had the information to open it.”
Kelly ran her finger along the blunt spikes on the top of the dragon’s head. “Is he immortal?”
“Yes. And he’s also full grown. I haven’t seen a natural dragon like him in a few centuries, I think they’re all but gone.”
“What happened to them?”
“They were used in battle like fighting dogs,” Rysk said from the front seat. “They were also killed for their scales, claws, and fangs which were said to have magical properties.”