by D. R. Rosier
I didn’t hesitate. Without a shield she couldn’t block my magic. I created a gravity source between her feet that wouldn’t affect anything farther than twenty feet away despite how strong it was.
Ruby’s body simply… imploded.
Crushed by gravity much the same way a car was crushed in a junk yard. It was messy, but all contained in a ball of red about the size of a beach ball. I could feel Rafe’s shock in the back of my mind, right, he hadn’t seen that power yet. Gravity is of nature after all.
The most disturbing thing was my sense of satisfaction, I didn’t even care the bitch was dead or that I had killed again.
I released my magic, hoping we were done for now. I watched as Caph landed nearby and changed. Cary greeted him with an enthusiastic kiss and then we retired back inside. It didn’t take long before we had food and drink delivered. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I stayed quiet.
Cary thanked me and Rafe for protecting her and then the matter was entirely dropped, almost like it didn’t happen.
Caph said, “We need to decide what we are going to do. That includes you Dawn, maybe even more so in your case.”
I raised an eyebrow, “Why? I mean, what choice.”
He sighed, “I’m sorry for ever sending Rafe to your world. You see, I don’t think there is a way to stop the war. I’ll try of course, but you heard Tal, most of the clans are in the same mindset. Destroy the human world before they learn their true power. More than that though, is your world. You could help them. They have seen your power, even just in the fact that you blocked off our world gives some pause. I have no doubt they won’t stop with the one human world.
“Once war starts, it won’t be easy to stop. They already fear you, fearing all of your kind is not such a leap in logic. Ironically it is I and my clan that has the best chance of avoiding it, we can back out if they force the issue, because a human witch is part of our clan through a mate bond. But despite the fact you are clan, I couldn’t ask you to standby and allow war on your world.”
I frowned, trying to follow all the ramifications of what he was saying.
“You think they will destroy your old allies first, then come for my world?”
He nodded unhappily, “There are already whispers to do so. When word travels of what you did to Ruby to defend yourself, it will only make it worse.”
“But that’s… stupid, what was I supposed to do, die?”
Rafe growled low, he didn’t like that idea.
Caph shook his head, “Of course not, but by winning you marked yourself, and your world as a threat, as stupid as that sounds it is very dragonish thinking. I know you, and like you, but even I feel it despite knowing you wouldn’t hurt a fly but in defense of yourself.”
I sighed, “So what do you recommend?”
Caph frowned, “I’ll do what I said, fight against it, and when the council decides to attack, and they probably will, I’ll withdraw my clan. As far as you, and your world, I would suggest supporting the other human world, helping them. That may sound strange, but I only owe my clan loyalty, which includes you. If the other dragon clans want to go out and get themselves killed, that’s their business.”
I asked not quite believing it, “You would have us help them?”
Caph shrugged.
Rafe said, “It’s tactically sound. You’ll wind up fighting the dragon clans anyway. If you wait, a world full of humans will die, and you’ll have no allies. If you help, you’ll have an ally, more people will live, and of course you’ll have the advantage of not fighting on your ground. If you hurt the dragon clans hard enough, early enough, and fast enough, maybe more of the moderates will change their minds and back out.”
This was a nightmare. Why didn’t I do research before taking the damned job of blocking this world from world gates. Is this how all wars started? Stupidity, greed, and fear? I felt panicked and didn’t know what to do. Witches revere life, they don’t start wars. I couldn’t make sense of it. I found myself in Rafe’s arms and he was caressing me and making comforting noises.
Why was he doing that?
He sent, “Your shaking love. I think you’re in shock.”
I am? Just call me Dawn, destroyer of worlds. I’m not sure but I think I laughed a little hysterically.
Wait, he called me love?
He picked me up and carried me to my rooms. That would normally annoy me, I could walk my damn self. But… I was feeling lost. I felt nothing, empty. He stripped me and I still didn’t respond as he took off his clothes and joined me in bed, holding me in his arms. I don’t know how long it took, but eventually I broke into tears, he held me until I fell asleep…
When I woke up I was able to think again, though I felt a weight on me that was hard to bear. I thought Caph’s advice was probably right, but I needed my family’s advice. What if it was the wrong thing to do? Or at least we should put it off until the last minute, doing it early would force the dragons to respond when they may back off otherwise, even if that was doubtful.
I packaged up my memories and sent them.
I felt a hand on my back and a feminine sleepy sigh. I froze and slowly opened my eyes. Rafe was watching me, and I was still on dragon world. Then who? I opened myself up and the aura was unmistakable.
Rafe rumbled in a low quiet voice, “I thought you might need her.”
I was shocked, as far as I knew he hadn’t even met Danielle yet, but of course he knew her well as we shared our minds. I couldn’t believe he did that for me, and I wondered how that first conversation went, since he feels like a shifter and she’s always paranoid about being hunted.
It slipped out, “I love you,” as I reached out and caressed his cheek.
He smiled, “Was that so hard to admit?”
I shook my head. I couldn’t believe how bad I’d freaked out yesterday, but I felt safe and warm right now, snuggled between the two of them. Maybe I could just stay here. For a while anyway…
Chapter 19
We laid on the bed in a pile of limbs, all out of breath. I had no idea just how bendy Danielle was until now. I actually felt a lot better, feeding and the three of us being lost and joined in pleasure seemed to snap me out of whatever shock I’d been in. I thought it was probably time to go home soon. I was also hoping it wouldn’t take as long as last time for the family to get back to me.
I didn’t really have an official schedule, but I even felt a little guilty about missing work last night, despite the seriousness of my other issues it meant a lot to me. Plus, Trent would be worried about me, after all, I’d signed out, took off, and never gotten back in touch with him.
I let out a breathy moan when Rafe started to play with my breast idly with his hand, then I felt Danielle’s magic fingers reach between my legs while she rubbed her body against my side like a cat in heat and started kissing my neck. Okay, maybe going home could wait a little longer… Damn that feels good, a lot longer…
Danielle came with me when I went home that night. She had work the next day and I really should get to mine as well. When we walked through to my bathroom I felt others in the apartment. I reached for my magic but relaxed when I identified the auras. How could I not, I’d known them since I was three, twins and so different from each other despite that. My sisters.
I kissed Danielle goodnight and she left to go to her apartment. I have to say, I was a little nervous, I thought they would be mad at me until I got to the kitchen and was pulled into a three way hug.
Cassie asked, “You okay?”
I nodded, “I think so yes.
Amber shook her head, “It’s not really your fault you know.”
I nodded, acknowledging what she said, if not that it was true.
“Perhaps, but without me it wouldn’t have happened this way.”
Cassie shrugged, “They would have eventually gone to war, you just provide a convenient excuse. It’s only a matter of time.”
“You think so?”
Cassie nodded, “Of course,
dragons or not, they are humans. It’s what we do.”
I changed the subject, “So what brings you by?”
Amber frowned, “Well, besides checking up on you? There is stuff going on outside of what you know, outside of what even your dragon clan knows. I don’t think it’s a good idea to tell you yet, but it makes what Caph suggested to you even more solid. I think you should go back soon and fix their protections so they don’t need more blood, but don’t teach them anything. If they figure out shit that’s one thing but…”
“Cass?”
Cassie shrugged, “I… agree. I don’t want to fight, you know I’m even less inclined to that than you are, but if we have to fight, I’m going to make sure we win.”
“What about Cat, Grams, and mom?”
Amber sighed, “None of us like it, but we all agree, as do you if you’d admit it to yourself. Mom’s really not happy, but I think that’s more about her three daughters being in danger than any actual objection to our conclusions.”
“So, if it’s going to happen, why wait to tell me the rest of it.”
Cassie hugged me again, “This time it’s your clan we are protecting. Oh, we are still doing it for you, but we know if something happens to them it will hurt you. They are already on thin ice for holding back that other info for you. If they do the same thing with the rest the other clans may decide to take action against them. Once the fighting starts, and they pull out, then it won’t matter one way or the other anymore.”
I nodded. I didn’t like it, but I wouldn’t put them in more danger if I could avoid it.
“Fine, I’ll go back tomorrow first thing in the morning, straight from work.”
My sisters stayed for a while and we shared a couple of drinks until it was time for me to go to work. It was always good to have them around, at least, when we managed not to argue. It told me a lot that we didn’t, they were worried about things, and me in particular.
Work was good and Trent was supportive once he heard the story. I had to tell it to him in snatches as the patients came in waves all through the night. He asked me to be careful, I promised to do my best. I wondered what Tanner would think when I showed up and did what I implied I couldn’t. It wouldn’t even be hard.
I’d find out soon enough. I opened a world portal about a half mile from the village and walked in. Tanner looked surprised to see me. I explained what we believed, that the dragons would attack in force with the purpose of enslaving or destroying, no longer content to simply raid.
“So why are you here?”
I thought about that, why was I here? It was more than just to set a simple spell.
“We would like to ally with you, help you fight.”
He looked suspicious, “Why?”
I answered honestly, “Because if we can drive them back here, we will never have to face them on my world.”
He frowned, “And you need to change the blood, and set up enchantments?”
I nodded, “First, I’ll crystallize the blood, then set up a stasis spell on it so the blood won’t decay. The power in the blood will run that spell. It doesn’t take much at all. Then, another enchantment to charge the blood crystal.”
He asked, “How fast will it charge?”
I sighed, “I’m not positive, the blood can hold a tremendous amount of magic. I would guess from empty it would take close to a week to charge. It will make the blood never decay, and keep the source of your protections charged, but it will still be susceptible to a sustained attack.”
He nodded, “Very well, and thank you. I just wonder why you did not do this sooner.”
“At the time there was still hope the dragons would choose peace, I feared if we helped change the balance of power, made you stronger, that it would have removed any hope for peace. Ironically the weaker they perceived you to be, the safer you were. Much like what I did on dragon world destabilized the status quo.”
For the most part that was true, if an incomplete answer.
He replied, “Okay, let’s give it a try, if it works here can you do all the other villages?”
“How many are there?”
He replied, “A hundred twenty three.”
Wow, that would take a while, even using portals to move around this world.
He led me back into the library to the center. I stretched out my magic and froze the blood, crystallizing it, guiding the process so it was uniform and efficient to hold magic. The stasis spell I added and linked into the power of the crystal would keep it from melting, or being smashed for that matter. The enchantment was easy, taking magic from the air, putting it in a crystal, something a baby witch could do with a hangover.
It’s just on Earth, there would never be a need for a spell like that, with so little magic just hanging around in the atmosphere it would be almost pointless. But here is an entirely different matter. I laid the enchantment on the top of the crystal. It gathered magic and transmuted it for storage quite quickly. But it was all relative.
It was like using a garden hose to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool. The water came out fast, gallons per minute, but it would take days, possibly a week for it to finish.
I heard Tanner mutter a few words under his breath, his eyes started to glow slightly and he stared at the crystal.
Tanner said, “That’s… amazing.”
I sighed silently in the depths of my soul. I hoped we weren’t replacing one threat with another, this was a very peaceful society, but what will happen to it if they figure out how to truly utilize their magic. I feared we couldn’t stop the dragons, but what happens next if we do? Power corrupts, and I feared I just handed this world a lot of power, or at least gave them a basis to start from.
I tried to console myself with the fact that my personal life was working so well right now, at least for the time being. I had three lovers, all okay with my lifestyle. Who knew what the future would bring.
“Do you know where the next village is I should go to? I imagine I have a lot of work to do.”
Tanner nodded silently, taking a moment more to study what I had done before answering, “It’s about thirty miles to the East, I should come with you or it will take you a long time to convince them to trust you.”
I nodded in agreement, pulled the destination information from his mind, and opened a portal, then gestured to it. I had a lot of work to do, I just hoped whatever else was going on, my sisters could handle it without me for now…
Afterword:
I hope you enjoyed this book. The next book will be about Amber, there will be some timeline overlap but will not have full repeated scenes. I plan to have that out as soon as I can.
About the Author: If you have any comments or suggestions you can send me an email at [email protected]. I started out posting short stories online and at readers’ requests started to publish them. If you like my work, or even if you don’t, please consider leaving a review of this book.
Other erotic fantasies by D. R. Rosier:
Cirenthian Chronicles – Book one is Out of Darkness.
Marcus, an ancient vampire, finds himself moved to another world where suddenly he is alive again, and magic is a known and powerful danger. No longer a vampire and dealing with emotions he hasn’t felt in over a millennium, will he be able to start a new life? This series is now complete.
Necromancer Chronicles – Book one is The Necromancer.
Vincent is a necromancer and has an even darker secret. Feared by the rest of the supernatural community he lives on his own, often struggling with his powers, and how to use them. But change is coming, and he will soon find himself dragged into the middle of a suspicious and untrusting community.
Anise is a sorceress, but she has secrets of her own. She is an ancient being, who has walked the earth for time immemorial. She lives in a never ending cycle of life, forever watching those she dares to care about age and die. But she is about to find something new that will offer her hope, if she can live long enough to find it.
&nbs
p; Cytherean Chronicles – Book one is Flame of Cytherea.
This two book series follows the chosen champion of a goddess, brought to her world and healed after he was mortally wounded on Earth. At first Justin is a little lost, not knowing anything about the world he finds himself in or even why he is there.
Ashley’s Tale – This two book series follows the tale of a woman with unique parentage in a world greatly different from our own Earth. It is twenty five years in the future, and the supernatural have long since been exposed. Ashley must struggle with her conflicting nature to find a balance, and her hidden power, as she is taken unwillingly into an extraordinary destiny.
Sentient – This is the standalone book following an artificial intelligence from an advanced race, a man who comes back from war a little broken, and diverse others as the Earth itself is put into danger as they are dragged into an interstellar war against their will.
More books can be found on my author’s page at amazon.com/author/drrosier
Non-erotic Fantasy title:
amazon.com/author/dlharrison
The Formerly Dark Mage, by D. L. Harrison – This stand alone fantasy book follows the life of Silvia and takes place in a world unique and separate to our own.
Silvia is a dark mage. Unfortunately she finds herself about to be sacrificed. Someone must have told her evil master about her plans to kill him and take over. After that, things just seem to go downhill. She has no choice but to escape the kingdom of Zual, something that to her knowledge has never been done before. She will need to deal with many issues she never had to face before.
Among those issues, the white mages, and her conscience.
Book Description
Dawn is a successful business woman. She is proud of the club and life she has built and couldn’t imagine wanting anything else. Her heritage is rather unique, but she’s sure she has found her place in life.
Enter Raphorindris, or Rafe for short. He is a dragon, from another world, and he wants Dawn’s help. His people are in danger, and he has sought a being with the power to safeguard his people.