The DragonWitch Tales - An Unexpected Beginning

by Shannon Harris

  She and Grams had gone to the local library book sale, and Grams had been so excited when she found a book she had been searching months for. She smiled, remembering taking her out to lunch, then enjoying a quite night in. Just the two of them. She flinched but kept her eyes closed when someone touched her hand. Getting her bearings, she opened her eyes into Addison’s concerned ones. Paisley smiled, stood up, and shook her hands out. The silver was gone. “So, Dangor, huh?” Her voice was calm, but she was fighting the emotions swirling inside of her, so she kept the day with Grams planted at the forefront of her mind. At least she had learned one thing today. To counteract her heightened emotions, she only had to think of happy memories.

  Grams scrutinized Paisley’s face, then smiled. “Yes, Dangor.”

  Paisley reached up and adjusted her glasses. “Lana isn’t my favorite person right now.” Addison snorted.

  “I would imagine she isn’t,” her dad said. “And if there was another option we would take it, but there isn’t. I am well aware that you will be facing, according to Lana, danger in Dangor, but she has people that can protect you. I’m not sure what is going to happen here. You will be safer there.”

  “What about you three? Who is going to keep you safe?”

  “Paisley, we can handle ourselves. I promise.”

  Paisley crossed her arms and scuffed her toe on the carpet. “I would hate to come back here and find you all dead.” It was her biggest fear and it would break her. She couldn’t imagine life without them in it. She liked Addison, tolerated Lana, but in Dangor she wouldn’t know anyone else. She essentially would be alone. She and Lana might be married in the eyes of Dangor, but she wasn’t sure she could ever fully accept her as anything other than the woman who forced her into a marriage she never wanted to begin with. “What happens now? Lana said she would be back in two weeks.”

  Her dad slapped her on the shoulder. “Now, you’ll come with me. It’s time we started your training. Uncle Cliff is waiting in the backyard for us. Get something to eat, then meet us in thirty minutes.”

  “Dad, not today.”

  “Paisley, I wasn’t asking. You will meet me in the backyard in thirty minutes. Keep an eye on the clock. Don’t be late.” He squeezed her hand, then walked out the back door.

  She looked around the room before her eyes landed on her mom. “I guess I’m going to start my training today.”

  “It looks like it.”

  She bit her lip and sighed. It was going to be a long day.

  ****

  Paisley stepped out the back door and paused before slowly descending the four steps off the porch. Her dad and uncle stood in the middle of the yard, dressed in what she could only describe as costumes in a bad fantasy movie. They were both barefoot and had on a pair of loose, brown cotton pants that tied at the waist. Their chests were bare, and for the first time she noticed they both had a series of small tattoos littering their abs. Upon closer inspection, the tattoos were all weapons: sword, knife, spear, arrow, and others she didn’t recognize. Her dad saw her staring and explained that each tattoo represented a weapon that the wearer had trained with.

  She nodded, and brushed the hairs that had come loose from her ponytail behind her ears and slipped on her ball cap. Uncle Cliff looked unsure and avoided her gaze. That wouldn’t do. Without prompting, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek when he wrapped his arms around her. After a few moments, she slid out of his embrace. “Do we have to do this right now?”

  “Yes, we do. We should have done this before now,” Cliff said. “We should have started when you were younger. We should have done a lot of things differently.” Her dad squeezed Cliff’s shoulder before stepping forward.

  “We only have two weeks and I fear that will not be enough time. We will train from nine in the morning until two in the afternoon, from now until Lana comes back for you.”

  That wouldn’t be possible. “I have work.”

  “Paisley, I called your boss this morning and informed her you wouldn’t be returning. You have far more important things to worry about.”

  Paisley threw his hand off and started pacing. “You did what? How dare you. After everything I’ve been through. I thought out of everyone you knew how I felt about making my own decisions. I thought you were different from them.” She gulped and held her tears at bay, but jerked around when her uncle grabbed her arm and she looked on in disbelief as he clipped a metal cuff onto her wrist.

  As soon as the cold metal touched her skin, she fell to her knees and screamed. Fire raced up her arm and she slumped to the ground, too weak to fight whatever had hold of her. An immense pressure built up in her chest, and she gulped in air as she tried to get her breathing under control. She attempted to stand, but fell back to her knees. She closed her eyes and focused on a happy memory until her breathing evened out. When she opened her eyes, Cliff was crouched down beside her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Addison had her dad pinned against the nearest tree. Addison had a cut on her head and blood was running down her face, but she was holding her own.

  Paisley shook her head to clear the fuzziness, attempted to stand, but fell back to the ground again. She cursed her life, her luck, and at this moment, her family. She clamped her eyes shut when the trees started to spin around her. There was an energy buzzing under her skin, but she couldn’t concentrate long enough to grasp it. Her magic was boiling beneath the surface. She licked her lips and focused on Cliff. “Why?” Why did they keep doing this to her? “Why?”

  “You have to learn to fight without your powers interfering. I am not sorry for what happened.” He pointed to the cuff. “That’s your first lesson. Never let anyone get close enough to you to be able to do something like that. You have to protect yourself.”

  She caught Addison’s eye and motioned for her to help her up. She would be damned if she accepted Cliff’s outstretched hand. Addison grasped her arms and helped her to stand. “Go get cleaned up.” When she hesitated, Paisley made it an order. She pushed her dad back when he reached out to touch her, and he stumbled. She pointed back to the house. “Do not ever touch Addison like that again. You had no right. It is her job to protect me. You’re both lucky she didn’t kill you. I will make sure the next time she doesn’t hold back.” Bile rose in her throat but she pushed it back and glared at the cuff on her wrist. “This cuff better be able to be removed.”

  “After practice, I will take it off, but at the start of each session we will have to put it on. You must learn without your powers. There may be times you can’t rely on them; you have to rely on yourself. We are here to make sure you are ready for that,” Uncle Cliff said.

  “Paisley,” her dad said. “I can see the indecision in your eyes. You may not like what’s happening to you, but it is happening and you need to embrace it. If not, it could kill you. You don’t belong in this world; you belong in Dangor. You have a life waiting for you there, and you need to accept that, because you don’t have another choice. This will happen whether you’re a willing participant or not.” He pointed to a chair set against the fence. “Have a seat. You won’t be training today, but you will sit and watch us. We’ll go through several different formats and bring out several different weapons. Watch us carefully. At the end of today, you will be choosing a weapon to train with.”

  “Fine.” There wasn’t any point in arguing. She took a seat, and a few minutes later Addison walked out of the house and headed in her direction. The last thing she wanted was to watch them, but she sat quietly and tried to focus on their movements.

  They stood across from each other and started bouncing on their feet to a rhythm only they could hear. Even though she kept her eyes glued to the scene in front of her, they were moving so fast at times, their limbs were a blur. After an hour of explaining the different movements, they stopped, bowed to each other, and walked to a table that had been set up by the fence. Her dad picked up a spear, tested its weight, and when he seemed satisfied he stepped back in
to the yard and waited until Cliff chose his spear as well. After a series of exercises, they moved on to the next weapon on the table.

  After the fourth weapon, she sat up straighter when they each picked up a small dagger, a weapon she hadn’t even noticed on the table. Cliff held his firmly, but her dad slipped his into a sheath that rested on his hip. Their movements were sure and steady, and it looked initially like Cliff had the advantage because he held his dagger, but after a few minutes her dad lunged forward. He brought his forearm across Cliff’s arm that held the dagger, crouched, swung his leg out, and knocked Cliff off his feet. Her dad let his body fall and held his knee on Cliff’s chest, slipped his dagger out, and held it to his throat. When Cliff laughed, her dad moved the dagger, clapped him on the shoulder, and they both stood up. Before they could pick another weapon, Paisley jumped up and joined them.

  “Paisley?”

  She plucked the dagger out of her dad’s grasp and turned it over in her hands, marveling at the craftsmanship of it before looking back at them. “I want to train with this.”

  Her dad looked unsure, but Cliff grinned. “It’s a fine weapon. I think you’ll catch on quickly,” Cliff assured her.

  “I hope so.” She handed it back and rocked on her heels. “I know you wanted to show me more, but I’m hungry. So, can we wrap this up and get started in the morning? Please, I’m only asking for the rest of the day.” They eyed each other, then Cliff reached for her wrist and the cuff slipped off. Her knees buckled, but Addison caught her as a surge of energy raced through her body. She gritted her teeth and held her ground. After tempering her magic, she faced both men. The haunted look on her dad’s face didn’t bother her as much as she thought it would. He had to have known what her reaction would be to being forced to participate. The last thing she wanted right now was his comfort. If everyone in her life was going to make her decisions for her, they couldn’t be upset with how she would react to those decisions.

  ****

  Paisley stretched and cringed when the muscles in her back and shoulders pulled. Muscles she didn’t even know she had. For the past three days, her dad and Cliff had worked with her and Addison on several different fighting techniques, some even Addison wasn’t aware of. Paisley didn’t quite have the moves down, but she had mastered the basics, and was confident she could scrap her way out of a fight.

  The dagger, after only a few practices, came easy to her, which surprised both men. She slipped her feet into her sneakers and eyed the clock: half past seven. Her dad didn’t know it, but neither she nor Addison would be practicing today. She’d had enough training for the week. The Hendricks Potato Festival had started the day before and she would be damned if she missed it. She went every year, and since it was Saturday, she was taking a day off.

  She sidestepped Jynx and walked out of the bedroom, where Addison was waiting for her. “We’re getting out of here today. If I have to spend one more day in this house, I will go crazy.” She hadn’t been back to her house since K.G. had died and didn’t know if she ever would be able to go back. She slipped her hand through Addison’s arm and guided her down the hall and into the living room. Surprisingly, everyone was up, including Cliff. “Good morning, everyone.”

  “Good morning, dear,” Grams said. “We saved some breakfast for both of you.”

  She fiddled with her glasses. “Actually, Addison and I are getting out of here for the day. We’re going to the Potato Festival. We’ll grab breakfast on the way.” She waited for to the anticipated blow-up, but they didn’t say anything. “Okay?”

  Her dad nodded. “Okay.”

  “Really?” She eyed him skeptically.

  He laughed. “Really. Go have fun. I know all of this is overwhelming, but you need this. So, go. Have fun.”

  She patted Addison on the arm and walked farther into the room. “I also thought, since Hendricks has that Medieval shop, I would pick up some things to wear in Dangor. I don’t know how long I will be there, so I figured I should buy more practical clothing. I’ve been saving for a while.”

  Uncle Cliff nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. Get some sensible pants and shirts. Get a cloak and some nice boots, but also buy a few dresses. Besides that, have fun.”

  “I will also be bringing some jeans and T-shirts. I don’t care what anyone says, they are coming with me.” She leaned down and picked Jynx up, cradling her to her chest. “We’ll get you fixed up, too.” She noticed the looks everyone was giving her. “What?”

  “Honey, Jynx can stay here with us. We’ll take good care of her.”

  “No matter what I have to do, Jynx is coming with me. I’ll swing by the vet’s and see what types of shots she should get for traveling. Everyone here, besides Addison but including Lana, feels the need to dictate every facet of my life, but I draw the line at this. If I have to, I’ll put a protection spell around her. There is such a thing, right Grams?”

  Her grandmother studied her so long she started to squirm under her gaze. “There are a few things we can do.”

  “Good.” She kissed Jynx’s belly then set her back on the floor. “We’re going to head out. Don’t wait up for us. I don’t know what time we’ll be back.”

  “Be careful.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.” She settled into the driver’s seat and waited while Addison slipped her seat belt on. “Ready for this?”

  “Of course. I love potatoes.” Paisley chuckled and put the car in gear. It took them under two hours to reach Hendricks. It was just after nine and all the shops downtown had started to open. They decided on Knight and Day, the boutique that sold Medieval clothing. Paisley grinned and didn’t know where she should look. The store was amazing. Along the far wall were racks of pants and tunics, and spaced out in the middle of the store were mannequins draped in the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen. Near the back of the store were shoes and accessories. She eyed the dresses but decided to check out the pants first. There were so many options she didn’t know where to start. She picked up a random pair of cotton pants.

  “May I help you?”

  She turned to the associate, and although she usually liked to shop on her own, she was at a loss in this instance. “What would you recommend for someone who is getting ready to travel to another realm that is more like Medieval period for an undisclosed amount of time because she has found herself married to a princess? Price isn’t an option.”

  The saleswoman didn’t even miss a beat when she picked up several pairs of pants ranging from leather to plain cotton to wool. After that, she pulled a few different lengths and colors of tunics. When Paisley pointed out that she liked the sleeveless ones, she went into the back room and returned with additional options that were more detailed and of finer quality.

  The saleslady picked out two different cloaks, one of a thin material and one that was made of wool and leather. Footwear was next, and she recommended a pair of thick-soled boots and two pairs of dressier shoes. She also added a few jerkins in different colors. Paisley walked around the dresses. They were amazing. The detail of the stitching blew her mind. She let her fingers slip through the silk and shivered. She didn’t wear dresses often, but she could see herself wearing a few of these.

  “I have someone who makes the dresses for me. This one”—she pointed to a long, flowing black and white dress with a hood and floral lace detail—“would be for more of a formal dinner, while these”—she pointed out the dresses at the front of the store—“would be more everyday wear.”

  In the end, Paisley settled on three dresses and picked out several belts and other accessories for her journey. She had a blast and tried not to faint when the total was rung up, but she sucked it up and slid her credit card. It took two trips, but she and Addison hauled everything to the car.

  After such a stressful shopping trip, they decided to drown their sorrows in every kind of festival food they wanted. Paisley took a bite of her French fries smothered in chili and cheese, and moaned as the flavors dance
d on her tongue. She smiled at Addison as she bit into her deep-fried cheesecake.

  “Oh, wow,” Addison said. “We need to take this recipe back with us.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” That was another of her worries. What kind of food would she have to eat? She loved to eat and couldn’t stomach not being able to have her favorites. She would have to add a couple of cookbooks to one of her suitcases. She let her gaze wander and stopped when she spotted a vendor off in the distance. “Come on.” It didn’t take them long to reach the booth where they were selling several different sizes of vintage trunks. She immediately took a liking to the two that sat at the front of the table.

  “Those are at least a hundred years old, and as you can see they are in fantastic shape.”

  “May I open them?”

  “Be my guest.”

  She opened them both and knew that she had to have them. The only backpack she owned was a Wonder woman one, and even though it was awesome, she couldn’t see herself carrying the bag into Dangor. After a bit of haggling, they agreed on a price and the vendor even offered to take them to her car for her.

  They spent the rest of the day enjoying several more treats, every ride at the festival, and face painting. Paisley left the festivities with a lion on her cheek and Addison with a butterfly on hers. It was an amazing day and one that she sorely needed. On the way back home, she stopped at a twenty-four-hour vet hospital and asked about different vaccines that Jynx would need for traveling to other countries. Doctor Wildon told her to bring her in the next day and she would fix her up. Her hope was that whatever the vet gave her would work to guard against anything they might encounter. She would leave her behind, if she had to, but she didn’t want to. So much had already been taken away from her. She blew out a breath when she pulled into her parents’ driveway. After shutting the car off, Addison handed her the bag of pork rinds.