Dzintra Sullivan
Immersion
Apalala Clan Novel
Dzintra Sullivan
Copyright 2017 Dzintra Sullivan
All Rights Reserved
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to real events, real people, and real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the Author’s imagination and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, organizations or places are entirely coincidental.
All rights are reserved. This book is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the express written permission of the Author. All songs, song titles and lyrics contained in this book are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.
ISBN-10: 0-994297945
ISBN-13: 978-0994297945
Editing by Swish Design & Editing
Formatting by Swish Design & Editing
Cover design by Desiree De’Orto Covers and Designs
Cover Image Copyright 2017
Indi, follow your dreams baby girl.
No matter where they take you.
Stretch your wings, and soar high.
I love you and I am proud to be your mumma bear.
There is so many people that go into the art of writing a book, naming them all is a crazy task in itself.
First and foremost, I want to say thank you to my husband. Without him wrangling the kids, letting me throw ideas at him randomly and without warning, and loving me for being brave enough to follow my dreams, this wouldn’t be possible.
I want to thank my children, Indi, Acacia, Azzy and my little’big man Eli. My wish is for you four to be proud of me, proud to call me Mum, and be brave enough to follow your dreams, no matter where they might take you..
I want to thank Tracy Ehlers, her hard work behind the scenes as my PA doesn’t go unseen by me, she is amazing and her support of my dreams holds the cracks together when they appear.
My beta readers Tracy, Sue, Clayr, Emily and Julieann are invaluable, they keep me from the dreaded plot holes, character mix-ups and story crossroads.
My sirens, my street team, my book loving family, this group of crazies pimp me, my books, and my dreams like a squirrel collects nuts before winter, relentlessly, and to them I say THANK YOU.
I want to thank Desiree DeÓrto my cover designer, this cover brought about this entire story, if it wasn’t for her cover singing to me this wouldn’t be happening.
I want to thank my editor, Kaylene Osborn, for once again sticking by me, putting up with my commas, and never failing to give me support, a kind word and a tight hug. I feel so fortunate to have been able to work with and continue to work with such a brilliant editor.
Lastly, but most importantly, my heartfelt thanks to YOU, the reader, who grabs my eBook or paperback and opens it. YOU, the reader, who trusts me to take you on a magical journey. YOU, the reader, who makes this all possible.
It’s because YOU read my books that I write them. THANK YOU.
Payton Hunter’s choice to take a late night stroll by the cliffs will change her life forever. A freak gust of wind catches her off guard, and she falls into the ocean below. As the last breath of air leaks from her lungs, Payton surrenders to the cold black arms of death.
Prince Volos, the eldest son of the Water Dragon King, stands proudly with the human spy he’s captured. His father will surely renounce the crown to him as he proves himself worthy.
When this small, dark haired beauty causes his heart to start singing, Volos now wonders what’s more important. Being the next King? Or being immersed in the arms of true love?
Miles under the surface of the ocean a choice must be made.
A choice where ripples will be felt far and wide.
What is the depth you will go to for true love?
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Blurb
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Connect With Me Online
About the Author – Dzintra Sullivan
“Have you brushed your teeth, Sparkles?” The young dragon mother spoke softly, as she looked around the room to find her fledglings. “It’s bed time.”
A small giggle came from behind the curtain, followed by a whispered, “Will you read us a story, Mama?”
Pulling the curtain back, the mother smiled warmly as she looked into the sparkling purple eyes of her youngest fledgling, scooping her hand gently behind the small giggling dragon. She scolded with a gentle tone, “If you and your sisters can find their way into bed within five minutes I’ll read a book… one minute over and I will not!” She bent down to look directly into her mini-me’s eyes. “So, I suggest you hurry,” she whispered.
The small dark-haired dragon, who had just celebrated her sixth birthday, was the youngest of the houses fledglings. She had two older sisters that shared a standard dragon birth space of four years each between them.
The voice yelled from the bathroom, “Can we have the story of the princess, Mama?”
“Not again,” an older female voice sighed dramatically from the shared bedroom. “Every night it’s the same tale.”
The mother walked around the corner and into their bedroom with a smile upon her lips with the book in question tucked under her arm, as she stepped over to the large soft green chair that sat in the corner. Lowering her tired body, she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“Mama? Are you okay?” the eldest fledgling asked with concern as she sat upright in her bed. Of the three beds hers was the furthest away, tucked into the far-left corner of the room. The other two had a set of bunk beds against the opposing wall. Sparkle, her youngest, was crawling in under her blankets looking expectantly at her mother and the book she held.
“I’m fine, Ash, just tired from working,” the mother replied to her eldest fledgling.
“You need to take a holiday, Mama.”
“Wouldn�
�t that be lovely? One day, Ash, until then the clothes won’t sew themselves.”
The mother dragon worked twelve hour days at her workshop, sewing clothes for the Warriors. She took great pride in making battle gear to keep the protectors safe. She felt it was the least she could do to repay them for their sacrifices.
A click of the light switching off in the bathroom signaled the teeth brushing had been completed. Turning her head, she watched her middle-born fledgling enter the room and climb up onto the top bunk bed.
“All ready, Fyre?”
“Yes, Mama,” came the lyrical reply. Her voice always caused a smile to appear, her middle born had a voice that sounded like harps playing, utterly captivating.
“The Princess, correct?” Mama looked to Sparkle who was nodding furiously, determined with every excited bounce of her bed that she would secure the reading of her favorite fairy tale.
“Mamaaa,” Ash drew out the word with exasperation.
“Zip it, Ash.” Sparkle poked her tongue out. “It’s my choice tonight and I want the princess.”
“Speak like that again to your sister and the only thing you’ll be getting, young fledgling, is your flight privileges stripped and extra chores around the house.” Mama’s voice hit the target like a precisely measured arrow. “I will not tolerate rudeness.”
“Sorry, Mama,” Sparkle whispered and turned to look at her biggest sister. “Sorry, Ash.”
Another deep breath taken followed by a prolonged exhale did little to hide the true level of exhaustion this young mother was feeling, but as always, she smiled softly and leaned back into the chair.
“The princess it is…” Reaching to grab the book she opened it to the first page. With a quick glance to her fledglings confirmed three sets of eyes waiting for her to continue… and she did.
The story began with a beautiful young dragon, who had just seen the twenty-first anniversary of her birth. The young woman was the only daughter of a mighty dragon king. Known throughout the kingdoms as kind and fair, he was a king that would care for his clan with everything he had. He was well respected by other kings and idolized by many a young warrior hoping to grow strong enough to be part of his army.
His daughter was a true beauty, her long dark hair framing her porcelain skin made the perfect combination with her slim figure. A royal princess was supposed to be soft, kind, warm, and off limits to all gentlemen not given permission directly from her father.
However, this had not carried over to the neighboring Odyssey of Phoenix that lived high in the mountains. One particular young phoenix became completely infatuated with the princess. He would make her special gifts and pay random strangers to deliver them anonymously to her chambers. He would fly over at night just to watch her sleep in her large feather soft bed. The king had announced publicly that his daughter, the princess, was not available for courting, and that whoever was responsible for the gestures of romance should cease and desist before it was considered a threat and dealt with severely.
The young phoenix was not deterred at all. He had increased his gifts, completely convinced that if the princess had a chance to meet him, she would indeed fall deeply in love with him as he had with her. He just had to get close enough for her to meet him.
In the early hours of a moonless night the phoenix decided this was his chance. He flew into the princess’ chambers and reformed into a partial human but still keeping the wings of his true nature. Walking to her bedside, his breath was stolen by the beauty that laid upon the bed. Her full lips slightly parted as she breathed evenly, the soft blue silk of her gown which seemed to hug every curve of her beautiful body drove his passion quickly into a full-blown obsession.
“Princess,” he whispered and placed his hand on her thigh.
The princess jolted awake instantly. Her eyes locked on a large winged figure standing over her bed, the scream of terror that followed escaped her lips with the force of a mighty tornado.
“Princess, it’s me! Don’t be afraid.” The phoenix had stepped back slightly, his hands in a non-threatening pose.
“Who… Who are you?” The princess looked around as she realized it was the middle of the night. She was in her nightgown and worst of all, there was a strange creature in her sleeping chambers with her.
“My name’s Jaehaerys. I am but a common Phoenix with nothing royal to offer you, but I am the one who’s been sending you gifts, my princess.” As he introduced himself, he lowered into a deep bow of respect. “I needed to meet you.”
“You?” replied the princess. “You sent all the gifts?”
The winged beast nodded as the thump sounded on her door. “Princess,” came a deep and imposing voice from behind the thick wood. “You screamed… are you all right?”
The princess’ head flicked between her uninvited midnight visitor and the protection of the king’s bodyguards only a few feet away. She had to make a decision right then—was she in danger. The princess may not have feared for her life, but a man in her chambers late at night was completely unacceptable no matter who it was.
“Guard, enter.”
In that second the princess had made a choice that had sealed her fate. Unknown to her, those two small words would cause her demise.
The large wooden door swung open, and entering with a quick pace was five large and armed men whose eyes quickly scanned the room, flickering from the princess who had pulled the sheet up to her chest keeping her own dignity amongst the men, and the winged stranger that was standing on the opposite side of her bed.
“What’s going on here, Princess?” the biggest of the men roared. “Identify yourself stranger, or perish at my hands.”
The phoenix looked to the princess, his eyes welled with emotion. “Princess, I love you,” he stated quickly, declaring his undying love and begging her to love him back.
“Love?” the princess had scoffed. “I don’t even know you.”
“That’s it stranger, you’re dead,” the guard barked as he began to stride around the bed.
In the beat of a single wing, the phoenix had whipped the princess into his arms and wrapped her tightly against him with his powerful wings.
The guard stopped, reassessing the danger he was now seeing. “Let the princess go, and I will let you live.”
The phoenix cast his eyes down to the captive beauty pressed against him and he asked once more, “Do you love me?”
The princess looked at the wings that held her against her will and replied, “How can I?”
Those three words changed everything. Something in the phoenix’s face shifted, a dark shadow cast an evil taint on his expression. “If you can’t love me, then no one will love you.”
The cries of agony heard as the princess burned to death, wrapped in the phoenix’s arms can forever be heard on the battle cry of any phoenix male. The fire of the phoenix’s self-combustion was so hot, it pushed back the guards and stopped any attempts to save her from the grips of certain death in the wings of a false found infatuation.”
The mother dragon looked up from her book and saw her two youngest fledglings had fallen asleep long ago, but Ash was still awake and listening. She was growing a healthy interest in the history of her clan as she was about to see her fifteenth anniversary of her hatching.
“Is that why the dragons and phoenix are always fighting?” she asked sleepily.
Her mother nodded. “To this day, the rift of revenge-filled war between the dragons and phoenix runs strong… and deadly. The dragons have never forgiven nor forgotten despite thousands of years having passed. The phoenix have never apologized, so the battle continues.”
She got up from the chair and stretched silently. “History has a cautionary tale for all women, danger can come from anywhere, and we must always be ready to fight. But for now, my darling fledgling, it’s sleep time.” Walking over, she placed a kiss on her forehead and then to the others, before silently gliding out the door.
Struggling to take another breath of oxygen,
Payton lowered her head, letting her dark, blood red curls fall forward and cradle her cheeks. Standing at the side of a freshly dug grave, the smell of turned soil invaded her brain, burning this moment into her memories to relive day after day until the torturous pain of loss turned into a dull ache. A silent hitch of her chest was all Payton would let anyone see of her loss.
Payton’s brain screamed at her to run, run into the woods. Find the darkest corner you could squeeze your body into and vanish, and demanded that you wrap your arms around yourself and hide from the faces that offer pity, eyes that wept for your loss, mouths that spoke of pain and death. She tasted blood as she bit her tongue hard, resisting the urge to scream at them all to fuck off. They knew nothing of her pain, nothing of the complete devastation she felt.
Unfortunately, Payton’s muscles refused to move, they were solid as stone as she stood looking down into the hole that now contained a part of her heart. Payton’s eyes scrunched as she turned her head slightly as if shielding herself from a bright light. The darkness of the day was threatening to creep its black inky tendrils of death up her body and engulf her completely.
Knowing that the crisp, white coffin lying at the base of this offensive black hole held the body of a woman who was the single most important person in the world to Payton caused her to shiver. To the world, Edith was a woman who loved bingo on a Sunday, pork roast dinners on a Friday night and lunch times belonged to a ham and pickle on rye while watching her favorite television show Coronation Street. To Payton, Edith was the woman who helped her learn to read, clapped with joy as she rode for the first time without trainer wheels, and sat with a smile of deep pride as she danced at her end of year recitals. Edith kissed her cuts and scrapes, tied pretty bows in her hair, made sure she had lunch every day for school and waited patiently at the bus stop to walk her safely home. To Payton, Edith was her heart, her soul, and she was far more than a mere woman—she was her granny.
Immersion (Apalala Clan Book 1) Page 1