by Meg Ripley
A gentle breeze tugged at her hair as she entered her driveway. Trees lined it on both sides, which after sunset, made it a dark tunnel. Fortunately, she wasn’t the kind of person who thought there were things to be afraid of in the dark, and she touched each tree as she made her way to the house, feeling the way the rough bark pulled at her fingertips. What would happen to Nora? Would Xander have to settle for a woman who wasn’t his “destined mate,” or would he simply remain a single dad for the rest of his life? Was it fair to leave him in the lurch like that when he really did need someone? And it wasn’t that he was incapable as a father, but that Summer knew how hard it was on single parents in general. She’d had countless young women come into the store looking for herbs or potions for money, peace, and wellbeing. They were always stressed and worried. No one should have to go through that.
Reaching her door, Summer headed inside and grabbed a few things, putting them in a simple sack without bothering to turn on the lights. She didn’t want to ruin her night vision, and she knew where everything was by memory, anyway. Stepping out her back door, she headed for a clearing in the woods that she had come to know well. Summer kept the leaf litter swept away on a regular basis, so she wasn’t hindered as she drew a circle in the dirt on the forest floor. She stepped inside and called the four elements to assist her.
Summer turned to the east and threw her arms wide. “Welcome East, power of Air! Intuition, knowledge, and wisdom, come and send forth your inspiration, and be here now.”
The south was next. “Welcome South, power of Fire! Energy, head, and flame, come and set forth your passion, and be here now.”
Two steps to her left had her facing west. “Welcome West, power of Water! Emotions, love, and courage, come and set forth your tranquility, and be here now.”
The north was the last step in casting her circle so that the elemental guardians would watch over her ritual space. “Welcome North, power of Earth! Stability, structure, and growth, come and set forth your strength, and be here now.”
A shiver made its way down her spine, but it wasn’t one of fear or uncertainty. It was the thrill of magic in her system and a circle that had been cast well, despite the numerous distractions that were still running through her mind. Fortunately, Summer had done it so many times, it was old hat. The circle provided a safe space that kept her energies focused with it and kept negative elements out, and she could see the pale blue shimmer of power that radiated along the line she had drawn on the ground. At other times, if she was casting a specific spell, she might have any number of candles, stones, herbs, and other tools with her.
That night, though, she had no specific spells to ask of the universe; it was purely a meditation session. She would likely have been set off-kilter by the absence of her twin in the first place, but having Xander waltzing into her life had been enough to make her feel as though she had never come to know her spirit guides in the first place. She was torn and needed to center herself, control her thoughts, and seek guidance.
Summer reached into her bag, knowing each stone by the way it felt in her hand. The light from the stars barely penetrated through the trees, but she didn’t need it. Sitting down in the center of the circle, Summer set a clear quartz in front of her for clarity of mind. Next to it, she placed a large amethyst for calming her thoughts, which were swirling like an ocean in a hurricane at the moment. On the other side of the crystal, Summer gently placed a lapis lazuli for awareness and truth. More than anything, she wanted to know just what she was supposed to do. Hopefully, her spiritual guides would support her.
Pulling a deep breath through her nose and letting it out slowly through her mouth, Summer let all the thoughts and worries she had been focused on come to the front of her mind. She tried not to formulate any words to go with them, concentrating on the visuals and the emotions behind them. The spirits didn’t care how she phrased it, but more about what it meant to her.
She could easily see Xander’s face, with those liquid eyes that were always soft when they turned to hers, and his dark hair that was a distinct contrast to hers. He invoked joy and intrigue. But also confusion. She couldn’t deny that she felt a certain pull toward him that was growing stronger by the day. In fact, it was precisely because of that pull that she had let this whole thing bother her so much. If it wasn’t there, Summer could just as easily have stopped thinking about him and moved on. It was he who created the most chaos within her that she’d ever experienced, and she didn’t know if that meant his talk of fate and destiny was correct, or completely off-base.
Then there was Nora. With her dark curls and doe eyes, she induced the warm, sappy feelings that could be found in poetry and greeting cards. It made her want to learn more about her own surroundings so that she could teach that knowledge to the child. Even her little fit was endearing in its own way, and Summer sent waves of love radiating out into the universe.
Finally, even though it seemed narcissistic, Summer turned her thoughts on herself. She preferred not to put herself first, but in this particular situation, she felt that she had to. After all, accepting Xander’s story would change the rest of her life. It would determine how she acted, what she said, and who she spent time with. It wasn’t simply a friendship, but a lifelong and life-changing commitment. She mentally pushed out her heartache, her confusion, but also, her desire for a life of beauty and understanding.
The stones and her spirit guides began to do their work. Her tumultuous thoughts crashed and canceled each other out like waves as Summer concentrated on the way the Earth moved through the universe and the vibrations of the night sky around her. She inhaled peace and exhaled understanding. There were no direct words that came to her, but Summer knew that her guides had their hands on her shoulders. In a way, that was the only thing she really needed. She had someone on her side, and even though she knew she had Leah’s support, it meant so much more to know that she also had it from the celestial beings who watched over her.
Achieving at least a serenity of mind, if not a decision, Summer slowly opened her eyes. The night was much brighter than when she had started. It was a trick of her eyes after having been plunged in darkness for so long, but the moon had also drawn higher and brighter in the sky. Its light pierced the leaves above her head and danced down in abstract shadows.
And just then, immediately before her on the dirt inside the circle, the shadows formed into the shape of a dragon.
It was at that point, Summer knew that Xander was right. She couldn’t reach out with her hand and dash the symbol out of the dirt to deny it. The spirits had made it in their own time and in their own form, one that a simple human couldn’t disturb.
All she needed was a little space to figure out how to move forward.
9
Xander hadn’t slept much—in fact, he couldn’t be sure that he had slept at all. The ceiling above his bed had been a series of still shots all night, with the shadows moving along in slow rotation to the movement of the moon.
The only thing he could think of was Summer. Things had been going so well, but they had changed so quickly. It was his fault. He shouldn’t have reacted so angrily when she had called him out on treating the dinner as being more important than it was. He should have agreed with her, accepted his misstep, and moved on. But no, he’d had to keep shoving his agenda down her throat, regardless of what she wanted.
Morning came, but brought no revelations with it. He didn’t know what he could do to fix things. Though he had no doubt that Summer would talk to him again if he tried—she was just that sort of person—he knew that he really did need to do what she had asked and give her some space.
Xander scrambled an egg for Nora and fried two for himself, serving them up with bacon strips and toast. He put her plate on her high chair and sat down at the kitchen table across from her. “We might as well eat up, little one. I don’t have any other exciting adventures planned for us today. What do you want to do? Go to the park?”
Still in her
pink footie pajamas, Nora picked up a piece of bacon between her thumb and forefinger and took a bite. “Some?” she asked.
“No, I don’t need some. That’s yours.” Xander took a bite of his eggs but could barely taste them despite the seasonings he had adorned them with.
“Some!” Nora insisted. “Go see some!”
With an understanding that broke his heart, Xander felt his shoulders slump. “No, we can’t go see Summer today. She’s busy.” He knew that at least this was mostly the truth. Summer likely had the shop to run, so that meant she was busy. But that wasn’t why they couldn’t go see her.
“Busy?” Nora asked.
“Yeah. She’s got work to do. So, what are we going to do? Go to the park? Maybe go see some of your cousins?”
The little girl tore off another bite of bacon and nodded. “’Kay.”
They dropped in at Beau’s house later that morning. He answered the door in a white t-shirt, jeans, and bare feet. His dark blonde hair was combed back as usual. “You must be psychic or something; Elliot was just asking about Nora. We haven’t seen you guys for a while.” He opened the door to let them in.
Xander set Nora down so she could toddle across the living room floor to where Elliot was playing with a set of bulky plastic toy cars. “I know. I’ve been a little distracted.” He did his best to keep the story of Summer as concise as possible while Beau led him into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee for each of them.
Beau raised a flaxen eyebrow over his coffee cup. “So, you’re saying that you know she’s the one for you?”
“That seems to be the case.” Xander easily recalled the turmoil she sent his body into every time she came near.
“I’m surprised you didn’t tell me. That’s a pretty big deal.” Beau was the caretaker of the group, always concerned about everyone else’s well-being. “What are you going to do about it?”
Xander swirled the dark liquid in his mug absently. “I don’t really know. She doesn’t seem interested in pursuing this whole thing. I can’t force her to, and I know, at least for the time being, I need to let things cool down.”
“That’s probably a good idea. When you think about it, it’s pretty crazy that we have to pair up with human women at all. They’re different from female dragons in a lot of ways. I’ve had my doubts from the very beginning as to whether or not we could be successful at this.”
Listening to the sound of the children playing, Xander had to disagree. “But we owe it to our children. I’m not saying we aren’t good dads, but they need to have more than just us. Besides, we haven’t been through the hard stuff like puberty here on Earth. They need someone who’s going to really understand what it’s like.”
Beau said something in response, but Xander was no longer listening. His mind had shifted its attention to some strange vibration in the universe that was speaking only to him. He didn’t quite understand what it was, but he felt the distinct bunching of the muscles in his back that meant his wings were threatening to come out once again. A buzzing settled in the pit of his stomach. “I—I think something’s wrong.”
Beau leaned in his chair to look at the children. “They’re fine. They’re just playing.”
“No, not them,” Xander replied impatiently. He tried to focus the energies that were coming to him, but he didn’t understand them well enough. “It’s something else.”
“You say this woman is the one, right?” Beau narrowed his eyes.
“Yeah.”
“Maybe it’s her.”
Xander had been thinking the same thing, even though it had seemed ridiculous in his own head. He shot out of his chair. “You mind if I leave Nora here for a little while?”
“She’s always welcome.” Beau followed him to the door. “Be careful. Let me know if you need anything.”
With a kiss on Nora’s forehead, Xander was off, headed for downtown. He couldn’t get there fast enough, even though he didn’t know why he was being drawn there in the first place. He only knew that he had to get to Summer and make sure she was alright.
When he pushed open the front door of The Enchanted Elm, he immediately noticed how quiet the place was. Instead of the steady stream of traffic he had seen the day before, there was only one customer in there, and she was on her way out the door.
Summer turned to the door with a smile upon hearing the bell ring, and her eyes widened as soon as her gaze landed on Xander. “Good morning. I can’t say I expected to see you here today.”
“I’m sorry.” He charged up toward the counter. “I wanted to give you space; I know I’ve been coming on a little too strong. But I—I know this sounds crazy, but I just had this bad feeling, and I had to come in here to check on you.”
“Are you sure that’s not just an excuse to see me again?” She laughed as she turned away from him to restock a book on a shelf.
“I promise I’m not making excuses. I just wanted to be sure you’re okay.”
“I’m fine. Really.” Pausing for a moment, she turned to face him again. “You know, I’m glad you stopped in. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about things; about us. I value my independence, and I guess I’ve just been hesitant to give this a shot because I don’t want it to get swallowed up.”
Xander nodded. “I completely understand. I…” But he trailed off as the bell over the door rang again. A young man walked in wearing black jeans and a wifebeater that showed off his numerous tattoos. His boots pounded on the hardwood floor as he marched up to the counter. “We’ll get back to this in a minute,” Xander said.
He headed across the store floor and pretended to study a display of rune stones. He didn’t intend to eavesdrop on Summer’s conversation, but the demanding attitude with which the young man spoke caught his attention.
“Can I help you?” Summer asked.
“Yeah, I’m looking for a love potion.”
“I could provide you with certain crystals that can enhance existing love or smooth out an argument.”
“No, no. I want a love potion. I like this girl, but she won’t talk to me. A buddy of mine said you could whip up a batch of something I could slip into her drink.”
Summer’s voice carried a trace of indignance, but Xander could tell she was trying to remain professional. “I’m afraid your friend is mistaken. There’s nothing anyone can do to make someone fall in love with you. Love potions simply don’t exist.”
“I see how it is.” The man nodded his head and tightened his jaw. “You gotta problem with me because of my tattoos? Or because you’ve heard I’m a troublemaker? Let me tell you something, lady, you’re the only one who’s a freak around here. Oh yeah, I’ve read about you online. I know you’re out dancing naked with the devil in the moonlight. So, don’t go acting all innocent.”
Xander was eager to put the customer in his place, but Summer had made it clear that she didn’t want any help from him. He would have to hold his tongue and let her deal with this.
“Get out of my store,” she advised the man in a low voice. “I don’t tolerate that sort of talk.”
“I want the love potion, bitch! Quit being stubborn and fucking give it to me already.”
“I’ve got nothing to give you!”
But he wasn’t taking no for an answer. He leaned over the counter and grabbed Summer’s hair, holding it firmly in his grip. “Give me the goddamn potion, you fucking freak! I know you can do it, so you’d better just give it to me now. And I’ll take all the money in the cash register, too.”
Just as Xander stepped out from behind the display and headed toward the counter, he saw the man pull a gun from the back of his pants. Xander’s feet transformed even as he was moving them, shedding his human traits for his dragon ones. His spine lengthened and thickened, stretching forward and pushing his neck out into the space in front of his body. His skull cracked as his face shifted from round and flat to long and cylindrical, and he felt the heat of fire rage through his entire body. Wings tore through the back of his shirt a
nd sent crystals and tiny glass figurines crashing to the floor. Xander reached out with clawed hands as the angry customer turned around to see what was going on.
“What the fuck?” he screamed, the gun waving wildly in the air. He let go of Summer’s hair.
Xander knocked it aside easily, sending it into the same display of candles that he and Nora had been admiring recently, and several of them rolled to the floor. Snatching up the assailant by the back of the neck, Xander was once again at war with himself. While the urge to shift was no longer a concern, he knew even in his dragon form that he couldn’t kill this man. He wanted to crush his head between his strong hands and watch as the blood flowed from his eye sockets, but Summer was just a few feet away, watching with her hand on her chest. She was a peaceful person, a loving person, and no matter what a rotten douchebag this guy was, she wouldn’t want to see him murdered. Instead, Xander picked him up by the neck and pitched him across the room. He flew into a bookshelf, bringing it to the floor with a thud. Books cascaded down onto his head.
The customer dug himself out quickly, heading for the door on his hands and knees with blood running from his temple. But before he was able to leave, Summer raised her hands, joining both index fingers and pointing them at the menace’s head. “You will have no memory of what you’ve seen here, and you will never return.”
With a blank look in his beady eyes, the man fell into a trance. “I saw nothing. I will never return,” he murmured. Summer nodded, and as she dropped her hands, the assailant’s gaze resumed to normal. The bell dinged his exit as he scrambled onto the street.