Bloodline World Seven Book Bundle: 7 Books from the Bloodline Awakened Series and Scarlet Dragon Saga

by J. P. Rice

  It also gave me a chance to check on my babies. Unfortunately, the sapphire eggs in the incubator looked the same as last time I’d inspected them. Waiting for my dragons to break out of their shells had been testing my impatience.

  I would have asked Titania to stay behind and keep an eye on Justinian, but I knew nothing could keep her away from hanging out with the Morrigan. She thought the Goddess of Death was totally badass, and that designation carried a lot of weight with the dragonfly.

  I wasn’t exactly sure how to broach the subject. I fidgeted at Owen’s kitchen table while he cooked on the Viking range about seven feet away. He tossed in some half-moon carrots, Napa cabbage and broccoli. The wok released another cloud of smoke and I spoke over the sizzling, “I need to go to Sleepy Willow and I could use your help on something.”

  He kept sautéing the dish, tossing it continuously with his left hand as he turned to face me. “I’m always willing to help my Junipher,” he said with a big smile as he dabbed the spatula on the apron protecting his dress clothes, then turned his attention back to our dinner.

  That was the first step. “It’s really easy too. I have someone staying at my house that I need you to keep an eye on.”

  He set the wok to the side, on a burner that wasn’t lit. Damn. The Iron Chef wannabe rarely stopped cooking to talk. Especially stir fry, which was supposed to be a quick process. “Why do I need to keep an eye...wait, are you speaking about a child? You know I’m not properly trained in that area.”

  He put the wok back over the blue flames on his Viking range and added a drizzle of his secret sauce. I said, “It’s not a child.”

  Owen stirred in the sauce with the rubber spatula and spoke over his shoulder, “Why don’t you just have Titania do it?”

  My taste buds perked up as the scent of ginger and soy filled the room. “She’s coming with me.”

  Owen lowered the flame and turned to me. Still stirring the wok as he glared at me, he asked, “And you don’t want me to go?”

  I was ready for that question and responded, “With you being on your last legs, so to speak, I didn’t think it would be wise. We have to go into the swamp and get something from the Goblin Queen’s castle.”

  Owen’s eyes widened and he blinked rapidly. “Oh, heavens. That is a perilous journey. Why on this green earth would you do that?”

  I explained the Gareth situation to Owen, then said, “So it’s our only lead and I didn’t want you to get hurt. I don’t doubt your skills. It’s just that nobody has ever accomplished getting in and out alive.”

  He played with the strap of his apron, then tapped his hip with his thumb. “What about that fellow? The dwarf. What did he go by?” He paused with his mouth open, deep in thought. “Oh, yes. Dolphus Aquinus?”

  I’d never heard that name before. “Who would that be?”

  He turned back to the stir-fry and turned up the flame again. “I’m surprised, no shocked, that this story never made its way to your ears. Oh, I know why. It only happened approximately ten years ago when you were away. I guess this story never made it to the Red Cavern.”

  My knee was bouncing up and down like I had restless legs syndrome. I wanted Owen to get to the point of the story. He continued, “Yes, well, Dolphus snuck into the swamp, made it into the castle and stole the queen’s favorite ring. A solid gold ring with a giant ruby gemstone.”

  The thrumming exhaust hoods above his stove were making it hard to hear Owen, so I got up and walked closer. “And he made it out alive?”

  “So I’ve been told by several people.” He opened the rice cooker and the light floral scent of his Himalayan brown rice wafted over to me. He went on, “Dolphus bragged about it so much that word made it back to the queen. Enraged, she sent a goblin hit squad to bring her the dwarf. Dead or alive. But as far as I know, he’s never been caught.”

  “And you know where he is hiding out?” I asked with my eyes wide and hopeful.

  “Oh, heavens no. Sorry if I gave that impression, but people only see him briefly, then he disappears forever, taking his gleaming ring with him.”

  Damn. That didn’t really help. “None of the stories said anything about where he might be?”

  Owen’s secret sauce had reduced and concentrated the flavors, so he added in two big scoops of cooked brown rice. It crackled and popped under the extreme heat of the wok, and he spoke over the noise, “He seems to be traveling around Sleepy Willow. On a victory tour of sorts.”

  “Has he told anyone how he did it?” I asked as I shifted my weight from leg to leg.

  Like a mighty ocean wave, Owen tossed the stir-fry up the lip of the wok, dangerously close to spilling it everywhere, then he magically pulled the contents back to the other side. He kept repeating it rhythmically. “I’m afraid nobody knows his secrets. At least, not to my knowledge. It appears he’s keeping that secret tightly vested.”

  “Well, thanks for that. I’m not sure how much it will help if we can’t find him.” It was just another carrot dangling in front of me.

  Owen grabbed the handled measuring cup of whipped eggs and poured a steady drizzle into the stir-fry. As soon as the golden waterfall hit the pan, and before it had time to solidify, he incorporated it in with the spatula, coating the rice, chicken and vegetables. “You know I haven’t any connections in Sleepy Willow. Perhaps you could call on some of your own,” he suggested and shut off the flame.

  He turned to me, and I said, “I haven’t been back in so long. Most of the elves I knew are dead now. And it’s not like I can just call. Who knows who’s still alive anymore? But that brings me back to what I have to ask you.”

  “Physically strike me with your best shot,” he said with a silly smirk. I laughed, and he went into his cabinet and pulled out two plates. He returned and set the oval plates next to the stove.

  I spoke softly, “As I said, I just need you to look after someone, almost like a pet. You just need to feed him and give him some water is all.”

  Owen stopped transferring the stir-fry onto the plate and looked at me with a stern face. “You know I’m a principled gentleman and I can’t shake the feeling you are leaving out important details.”

  I held my thumb and forefinger about a centimeter apart. “There’s a teensy chance it might be a werewolf.”

  “And why can’t he feed or acquire beverage for himself? Do I want to know where he is relieving his bowels?” He shook his head and went back to serving the food.

  “I know it sounds bad, but Octavius sent one of his members after me. And I am just holding onto him so that I can keep the alpha in check,” I said meekly, hoping he would take sympathy and help me out.

  “How exactly are you detaining him?” he asked, as he picked up the plates and gestured with his head toward the kitchen table.

  I hurried over to the table and pulled out a chair for Owen, who placed both plates down. We both sat down and made eye contact. I winced and said quickly, “I’ve got him in a very large enclosure.”

  Owen closed his yellow eyes. “You’ve got this poor fellow locked away in a cage?”

  It sounded horrible when he said it out loud. I retorted, “It’s more of an enclosure than a cage. He was going to kidnap Titania. I’m just giving him a taste of his own medicine.”

  He pulled his chopsticks out of the white wrapper. “Junipher, I’ve helped you on numerous occasions. I’ve done some less than admirable activities on your behalf. But I won’t take part in this act of retribution. You probably already know that I’m going to counsel you to release the wolf.”

  “It is being done to keep peace between the vamps and wolves. There is a noble purpose hidden somewhere in there. I’m using him to keep his master from going wild and destroying half of this city.” I took out my chopsticks and picked up a piece of chicken.

  Owen mixed his food around, the steam rising to his chin. “Yes, well, you’ve wrapped the situation in some nice gift paper, but trouble lies just behind that flowery design. I cannot assist
you in your abduction.”

  Abduction was such a strong word. Accurate, but strong. I had a notion Owen would turn me down. I knew another guy that didn’t seem to have a problem with kidnapping a woman. Perhaps Mike Merlino would be up for the task.

  I finished dinner, left Owen’s and immediately called up the young wizard. He revealed that he was leaving town for a few days and wouldn’t be able to accommodate my request. I tried to get him to tell me where he was going, but he kept it secret.

  That put me in a corner. I couldn’t just leave enough food and water for Justinian. Could I? No. I didn’t know how long the journey would take. And as Owen had pointed out, where would the wolf relieve himself?

  Letting him go seemed like the worst possible option. Leverage over the alpha wolf, especially when setting up a fair duel, was imperative. Octavius’s erratic behavior needed to be put in check.

  Hmmmm. Another strange idea floated into my head. I thought about taking him with us to Sleepy Willow. We could sacrifice him to save ourselves if it came down to that. I doubted he would try to escape once we got to Sleepy Willow.

  On the same note, he wouldn’t try to kill us either because we would be his only ticket out of there. Unless he had some serious connections in the netherworld, he would likely die by nightfall. He needed us, and who knows, he could come in handy if we got into a pinch.

  It sounded ludicrous. Taking an enemy on a daring mission where teamwork would be of utmost importance. But I’d worked jobs with enemies before. We did what we had to do and then we went our separate ways. There was no high fiving or a raging kegger afterward, just a mismatched group solving a problem together.

  One way or another, it appeared that Justinian would join us on this voyage.

  I hadn’t been back to the place I’d grown up in for over three decades. Mike Merlino had helped overthrow King Ballistar and Alayna had lifted the curse over the land. It had been a desolate, gloomy atmosphere for most of my experience. I wondered how much had changed.

  Chapter 11

  I kicked the side of Justinian’s cage. “I’ve decided you’re taking a trip with us.”

  In human form, he remained lying on his side with his back turned to me. “Not likely,” he responded in a monotone.

  “No. Not likely. Definitely. As in you are definitely coming with us. Or you can die,” I told him.

  “I’ve been telling you that’s what I want,” he said, raising his voice. He pulled the hood on the bathrobe that I’d bought him a few days ago.

  I informed the lad, “Many people have uttered those words. Only a small percentage truly mean it. Many come to regret it all too late. You have a long life ahead of you. I know you don’t want to die.”

  He sat up and faced me. He inclined his head, made eye contact and said, “It’s either that or go back to my house as a disgrace.”

  “Disgrace? Psshh. Don’t feel bad because I bested you. You’re here because I recently got the better of Octavius. Is he, your fearless leader, ready to kill himself? Hardly. You need to pick yourself up and dust yourself off. And do it now because we are leaving soon.”

  His head sank again. The melancholy werewolf. Who’d heard of such a thing? Then again, I’d never heard of a balding alpha until a few weeks ago. Strange quirks ran in the family, likely due to the incestuous breeding.

  “Here. I bought you some new clothes too.” I opened the door of the cage and threw the bag inside. Camouflage sweatpants and a matching hoodie. Perfect for a trip to the netherworld. I locked the cage back up because I didn’t trust him.

  I checked him out as his fierce blue eyes peered into the bag. Justinian had chestnut hair and a straight jawline accented with a chinstrap beard. The beard and his bushy eyebrows that came dangerously close to forming a unibrow were midnight brown, if not black.

  He looked different from all the other wolves and not just in eye color. Even locked away in a cage with five o’clock shadow marring his stenciled beard, he had a much more refined quality than the other rugged wolves. I could still smell his aftershave from two days ago. But it wasn’t in an offensive way like when Caesar would douse himself in cologne instead of showering. Which had inevitably resulted in a dizzying one-two punch of cloying cologne and rank body odor.

  I went into the kitchen where the Morrigan and Titania were getting ready to leave.

  “What did you find out about the guy from the pawnshop?” I asked.

  The Morrigan answered, “Low level freelance Asgardian supernatural. A greedy free agent. Very disposable.”

  “And the suit?”

  “Disposable too.”

  “No. I mean what was it made of?” I hinted.

  A smirk of recognition came to Mo’s pale face. “They found a few things that aren’t from any world we know. Which doesn’t leave too many options. Unless, obviously, it’s a world we don’t know about.”

  The Asgardian didn’t surprise me since Loki wanted me dead. But it didn’t bode well and meant this was a wider operation than I’d originally expected. Who were all the power players involved?

  “Have you ever heard of Dolphus Aquinus?” I asked the Morrigan.

  She squinted and said, “Can’t say as I have. Why?”

  That was strange. Owen had heard of him, but the Celtic Goddess of Death hadn’t. It made me question the validity even more. “Owen told me about this dwarf, Dolphus. Apparently, he sneaked into the Goblin Queen’s castle and got away with her favorite ruby ring.”

  The Morrigan opened the fridge and grabbed a Red Bull. She cracked open the can with a big smile on her face. “Very interesting. It’s sounds vaguely familiar now that I think about it.”

  I took a quick peek through the refrigerator to see if anything needed to be tossed before our trip. “I thought so too. The problem is that he’s now on the run from the Goblin Queen and he just pops up randomly in different locations and tells his story. Apparently, he’s been outrunning the goblins, which is pretty impressive.”

  “So he’s on the run from the goblins,” the Morrigan thought out loud as she flicked the side of the Red Bull can.

  I set a carton of eggs on the counter and added, “Which could place him anywhere inside Sleepy Willow. I thought it would be nice to find out his secrets, but it may turn into a wild goose chase.”

  “And we don’t have any time to waste. The death card producer struck again today. It’s only a matter of time until they produce one of our cards.” The Morrigan provided a stark reminder of the power behind the death cards, one which I was trying to ignore.

  The Morrigan was selfish, but correct. If we were the best hope to solve this problem, our deaths would ensure whoever was producing these cards could stay in business. If they could kill my father, not even the Gods were safe.

  “Then I guess we should go straight for the swamp,” I suggested.

  “Let me think for a minute about this Dolphus.” The Morrigan chugged some of her Red Bull. The caffeine rush caused her eyes to dance around in thought. “What do goblins hate more than anything?”

  I counted on my fingers as I spoke, “Most other creatures. Losing their riches. Having fun.”

  “That’s the one,” the Morrigan said and crushed the empty can in her hands. “They despise entertainment. What is the main form of entertainment in Sleepy Willow?”

  “The carnival, slash, haunted house that travels around to different locations.” As the words escaped my mouth, the revelation hit me. “He’s probably working with the carnival. The perfect cover.”

  “How haven’t the goblins figured that out yet?” Titania asked.

  I threw the expired eggs into the trash bag and tied it off, ready to take it out to the sidewalk before we left. “The goblins are a great many things. Intelligent isn’t one of them. That goes for the queen as well. Ironically, they are master thieves. That’s why it’s so crazy that no one has raided the castle. It should be easy to outsmart them.”

  “I’d love to just lay the area to waste, bu
t then we’d have a hell of a time finding Gareth amongst all the rubble. Maybe on the way out though.” The Morrigan had no problem with mass murder or upsetting the natural order when it came to demons or goblins. They were superfluous.

  “Do we want to find the carnival first?” Titania asked.

  The Morrigan pondered her question and responded, “I’m looking at it two ways. If we go to Dolphus and he’s not with the carnies, then we wasted time. But if we bust into the swamp and fall into a trap, it could take longer to get out of the trap than stopping by the carnival. Dolphus’s information could prove to save an enormity of time in the long run.”

  “I say we go to the carnival first.” Even if it didn’t bear fruit, at least we would be entertained.

  “I totally agree,” Titania chimed in.

  I opened the dishwasher door and put the little detergent pack into the slot. “Then we need to find out where the carnival is. When we arrive through the portal, we can tell security that we are going to see the carnival. That way, we know exactly where it is.” I shut the door, turned the dial and set the dishwasher to run.

  I had my skin-tight battle suit on my bed with the backpack of beef jerky and sun-dried fruit next to it. My netherworld shoes, which were a combination of baseball cleat and low-cut boot were on the floor below the black suit.

  My camo cargo pants and matching jacket were in the dryer. I planned to wear them over my suit and get rid of them when it was time for action. Only a few things left to do then we would be on our way. I needed to take out the trash because I didn’t know how long the trip would take. Then, I had to grab my clothes out of the dryer and get ready to leave.

  The plan was taking shape, even though we were adding steps to it. Now we had to talk to Dolphus first and find out how he’d got in and, more importantly, out of the Goblin Queen’s castle. Then we had to storm said castle and find the talking dagger named Gareth.