Finding the Dragon (Dásreach Council Book 1)

by Josette Reuel

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  The Dásreach Legacy

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Finding the Dragon

  Copyright c) 2014 Josette Reuel

  Cover design by Evanlea Designs

  Cover artwork c) 2014 Christopher Reuel

  Photo contributor Curaphotography on BIGSTOCKphoto.com

  Proofreading and Edits: Jennifer Cazares, Gillette Kempf, Lenora Buchanan, Debbie Blight, and the Book Worms Beta Readers.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews – without permission in writing from Josette Reuel.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person or use proper retail channels to lend a copy. If you are reading this ebook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  ISBN: 9781311690722

  ISBN-13: 978-1500758585

  Dedication

  To my husband, for being my strength and my courage – for being my Dragon.

  For my Book Worms :) – the inspiration and the support that every author should have.

  To those that fight the good fight and those that support those that are fighting.

  Acknowledgments

  I have been writing and reading since I was a little girl. This love of words was fostered by my parents, Dean and Cosette, without them I would not be here and I would not be who I am. I thank them for their guidance, sacrifice, and belief. For the times as a little girl when my daddy said, “you’ll grow up to be a famous author and make me lots of money.” I’m finally working on it daddy!

  To my family – husband, daughter, and son – who support me, love me regardless of my flaws, and always make me laugh. Thank you for believing in me and supporting me as I achieve this lifelong goal and dream.

  A huge thanks to all of those on Facebook – authors, readers, family, and friends (those I’ve met, those I hope to meet one day) – Thank You! For words of wisdom, for words of joy, and for sharing pieces of your lives with me. So many have helped me gain faith in myself to finally do this.

  A special thank you to Suzan Tisdale for her dedication to aspiring authors; to D.L. Roan – the original Passionista – for her passion for doing it right, her way; and to Victoria Zak for taking this first book journey alongside me and sharing a love of dragons – and yes, for sharing Dragon drinks! You all kept me sane-ish 3:)

  A huge thank you to my beta readers, my proofreaders, and editors. You all ROCK! This book wouldn’t be where it is without your corrections and suggestions.

  Most of all, a huge THANK YOU to my gals - the Book Worms :) for which this series is created. An idea born of a “chain story” several of us participated in, this series and this book would not be here without you all. Especially: Marlena, Jennifer, Amy, Debbie, Alison, Chelsea, Melanie, Elisabeth, Keshia, Stephanie, Joann, Jessica, and Ginelle your input has been invaluable.

  The Dásreach Legacy

  Millennia ago when the Earth was much younger it was first protected by great and ferocious beasts – the dragons; however, after a time of peace the dragons left the Earth for another world in danger. Leaving the Earth in the care of the Great Spirit and its creation… humans.

  As it is with such things, the Earth soon found itself in peril once again. Humans prospered, but with that prosperity also came greed and depravity. The Great Spirit saddened by the lack of concern humans had for the Earth and each other sent forth the Shaman from Tiranam, the sacred land, to find the strongest and most loyal of warriors; thirteen warriors to become the guardians of the earth – the two-spirited, the Dásreach.

  The Thirteen, as they became known, were bonded with spirit guardians to better understand the natural world around them. As each warrior accepted their calling they were tattooed with a mark from the Great Spirit and the spirit guardians chose the man best suited to each task; the dragon chose the leader of the warriors, the black panther chose his Beta to support the leader in all things, and the eagle chose the warrior with the strongest connection to the Great Sprit. The remaining warriors were chosen in pairs by the Kodiak grizzly bear spirits for combat strategy, the mountain lion spirits for gifts of healing, the red fox spirits to provide for the warriors physical needs, the falcon spirits for intelligence and memory to keep the history, and the grey wolf spirits for battle training and knowledge of the world. The spirit guardians granted each warrior long life, the ability to shift into the form of their spirit guardian, and a special ability to assist them in their sacred duties.

  The Dásreach made strides in protecting the natural world, but the balance was still skewed. The warriors lacked the knowledge of true connection and compassion to their fellow humans, seeing them only as the cause for the imbalance of the Earth. Realizing that the men needed a connection to family and community and a way to continue to fulfill their responsibilities into further generations, the Great Spirit sent them into the world to find mates. Destiny chose a woman that would balance each warrior’s strengths and flaws. As each mate accepted their warrior and bonded to their mate they shared in the warriors gifts of long life, a spirit guardian, the ability to shift, and the special ability gifted to their warrior – becoming true partners to their warriors.

  As a tentative balance was restored to the Earth, the Great Spirit granted the couples many sons to carry on the duty charged to them and to maintain the balance. The Thirteen with their sons and mates created a Dásig, a community, for the Dásreach and became the first council of the Dásreach race.

  ***

  Present Day

  The Dásreach still follow the teachings of the first council, leadership switches every 20 years as a new Thirteen are chosen and trained to become the next Council of the Dásreach. As with the original Thirteen these men are required to find mates to keep balance with the Earth and humanity, so by their 40th year when the new Council takes control the law states that they must have bonded with their destined mates. In all of the history of the Dásreach, the Thirteen have always found their mates – that is until the current Thirteen.

  Prologue

  The Dásreach, or
two-spirited, are a long lived paranormal race of male shifters tasked with maintaining the peace and balance of the Earth. They are led by a Council of 13 warriors and follow the guidance of the Great Spirit. Every 20 years a new group of warriors are chosen at the age of 20 to be the next Council. This group of young men is known as the Thirteen and will spend the next 20 years preparing for their positions. At the age of 30, if they haven’t already done so, the men begin the search for their mates, for they cannot become the next Council unless all thirteen have found the women who will balance them.

  The current Thirteen are in their 39th year and have been unable to find their mates. This leaves them with two summer solstices before they are to take over the Council – only a year and a half to find their mates. The Thirteen have been working their tattoo shops and traveling the world, searching and hoping, but with each passing year, month, week, and day that they have searched their frustrations have risen as one brother after another return with no mate.

  Kai Darrow was gifted with the dragon spirit guardian and is the next leader of the Council. For the Dásreach, the dragon is a sacred and rare spirit guardian. In long ago days when the world was young, it was said that the Great Spirit along with the dragons protected the Earth. The dragon was strength, intelligence, and protection. These dragon protectors are the spirit guardians who choose the next leader of the Dásreach Council. Kai Darrow carries the spirit of the leader of all dragons, who has chosen Kai because a darkness has arisen in the Dásreach and the Earth is in turmoil again. Kai feels the heavy weight of the darkness his spirit guardian councils him against and searches frantically for his and his brother’s mates. They must take their place as the next Dásreach Council at the Council Oath gathering in a year and a half. They must find their mates immediately.

  *

  Day of the Winter Solstice, Outside New Orleans, Louisiana.

  Kai watched from the doorway of a large room in the plantation house where he lives with his best friend Charlie and fellow Thirteen member, Malkum. The three of them live in the house on a more permanent basis while the rest of the Thirteen travel the world. Now that the Thirteen were done with their formal training, this room was where they planned and regrouped. The old plantation house located in the bayou outside of New Orleans worked as a great base of operations for the men as they traveled the world, working at tattoo shops owned by the Dásreach and searching for their mates. All of the men had become friends, how could they not with the amount of time they had spent together over the last 18 years, but Charlie had been Kai’s best friend since they were lads. Even so, Kai had a feeling that even Charlie would think he had cracked when he explained his plan. Which was why he continued to stand at the door, and wonder if he should enter or turn and go the other way?

  Chairs were pulled in a ragged circle and Kai’s brothers sprawled or paced like wild beasts around the room. He had watched their frustrations grow more and more with every year that passed with no mates. Kai felt it was his place as their leader to find a solution. None had presented itself, until he and Charlie had been playing darts at a local pub. Thus the reason he stood with his arms full of a globe, an atlas, various maps of countries and their counties and states, and a box of darts.

  “So, you called this meeting, you going to join us or should we come out there in the hallway?” Sasha called from his place in the room.

  “Yeah, o’fearless leader, what’s the deal?” Jack yelled from a seat next to Xander.

  Dar and Malkum stood by the windows with their arms crossed, always in Enforcer mode, their eyes scanning the room and taking in everything. Damon and Gabriel were over in a corner having a whispered conversation, which probably meant they were planning some sort of prank. James and Rickard sat with some old tome of a book between them.

  “Come on Kai, come in and put us all out of our misery.” His best friend called from his seat in the circle.

  George puts in his two cents from the seat next to him, “Right. I think we all have other things to be doing.”

  “Where’s Corbin?” Kai asked when he realized the Spirit Guide wasn’t in the room.

  “Behind you, if you’d like to go have a seat and get out of the way.” Corbin smacked him on the shoulder.

  Realizing that he had no choice, but to present the crazy plan that had grown in his mind since the weekend, he entered the room. Dumping the tools for his plan on a table by the chairs, Kai turned to the men that he had called brothers for almost 19 years.

  “Well… I… um…” Kai stumbled over his words. He had no idea how to start this conversation.

  “I’m figuring we should all have a seat.” Charlie called out. His Beta always had his back.

  All of the men came into the circle of chairs and found a seat. Kai still found it funny how those that had a partner in their position always seemed to migrate to each other. The only sort of exception was Damon and Gabriel who were always together, like he and Charlie, the two men had been friends since they were young. Their partners, George and Sasha, always took position on the outer sides of the pair. George was a natural loner and Sasha seemed to prefer the company of his twin when not at a meeting of the Thirteen. They were all so different, but they agreed on one thing, they took their oath to their people seriously and it was killing all of them to think they would fail to do their duty and take their places as the next Council. Kai, Charlie, and Corbin were the exceptions with their positions not having a partner. Kai and Charlie were always together and Corbin spent most of his time at Tiranam Dásig with the Shaman. So, they all had some sort of support in their daily lives.

  “Kai, sometime today would be great.” Jack called to him. His fellow Healer gave him a jab in the ribs. Jack and Xander couldn’t be more different, Jack was outspoken and said it like it was, where Xander was watchful and full of compassion for others.

  “Aye. Well, I’ve been thinking about how we can take a more active role in finding our mates. The Great Spirit and Destiny may have a plan, but I can’t imagine it is for us to sit on our arses and do nothing.” Several of his brothers started to argue with him, when he continued. “I’m not saying that traveling and searching is nothing, but it isn’t getting us anywhere. It’s leaving it all up to chance.”

  “But, isn’t that part of the point of destined mates, that they are left up to chance… to Destiny and the Great Spirit to guide us to them?” Corbin asked. As the Spirit Guide, the man was a constant well of calm, always looking for the will of the Great Spirit in everything.

  “Aye, Corbin. That is true, and we are still going to leave it up to them to guide us, we’re just sort of going to give them a shove.”

  “How?” Malkum gave him a look.

  The Enforcer was one of only a few Dásreach that were not happy about having to have a mate. Kai wasn’t sure why, but the man basically had resigned himself to being shackled to a woman chosen for him. Both, Malkum and Dar, seemed to be resistant to the idea, but Dar had accepted his duty as a member of the Thirteen a bit more graciously.

  “We’re going to throw a dart.” Kai stood and waited for the reaction to begin.

  “What?” Damon laughed and looked at Gabriel for some help.

  “Aye. We will start with a globe and then I have maps. Each of us will throw darts until we narrow it down to a particular city. Then, we will travel to that city and set up a Tattoo shop. Obviously our mates are not in the cities where the Dásreach already have shops. In the 18 years since we were chosen, not once have we received a call about a possible mate. I’m taking this as a sign that we need to branch out.”

  “And, this will help us how?” George sat forward in his seat.

  “I thought Corbin was researching about mate symbols for us. Didn’t we agree that the fact that all of us, not to mention Dar’s friend Riordan and my brother Hunter, having the same mate symbol had to mean something? Why do all of us have the crossed arrows of friendship as part of our Warrior Marks? What does the symbol tell us about our mates?
Is Corbin still researching them?” Sasha fired off as he gave the man in question a look.

  “Finding information on mate symbols and the times when multiple Dásreach have had the same one is slow and tedious. We as a people have a lot of history. James and Rickard have been helping, but we have only found a few instances and they have never been the symbol for friendship.” Corbin updated the group. “I don’t think we have the time to hope that the symbol provides the answer.”

  “But, isn’t that what the symbol is supposed to do? Help us find them by telling us something about them?” Gabriel spoke up for the first time.

  “Yes and no.” Corbin replied cryptically.

  “Damn it. You’re as bad as the Shaman lately.” Damon grouched. “I seriously think we need to get you away from him for a while.”

  Corbin just looked at the man for a bit, and Kai watched as Damon relaxed back into his seat. The Spirit Guide was obviously using his ability to calm the Educator.

  Kai didn’t blame his brothers for their questions, he had the same ones running through his own mind. He rubbed his Warrior Mark on his left bicep. It was strange how the Great Spirit told them so much with just a few additions to the tattoos of their spirit guardians. The small symbol to the left of the mark that indicated that they were one of the Thirteen, not that Kai needed it since there was only one dragon selected every twenty years, but with the others it marked them as different from the other panther, bear, wolf, fox, mountain lion, falcon, and eagle shifters. Kai didn’t really need his ability symbol either, since all dragons had the same ability. Neither did Charlie or Corbin for that matter, since only the bear, wolf, fox, mountain lion, and falcon shifters would be gifted one of two abilities. The dragons, panther, and eagle shifters were different from the others in a few ways. He shook his head. The differences weren’t important, the similarities were the issue. The mate symbol was supposed to indicate some unique characteristic about each man’s mate. The symbol was supposed to help lead a Dásreach to their mate, but for him and his friends, they all had the same one in the center area of their tattoos. What did a symbol of friendship tell them about the fifteen women that were supposed to be their mates? For the Thirteen weren’t the only ones who hadn’t found their mates, Riordan and Hunter hadn’t found theirs either. But, not finding a mate was a severe problem for the Thirteen, which led to why Kai was here with his brothers.