Dragon's Heart

by Marly Mathews

  She smiled.

  William came to stand beside her once again. “I was serious earlier.”

  “I know. You’re going to save your mother. And you’re not going without me.” She grasped his hand again. “I won’t allow you to leave me behind.”

  “You’ll be safer here, and besides, you’ve brokered quite the little deal between us, the Fairies, the Elves and the Leprechauns. We can’t risk losing our ambassador. We’ll need you in the coming hours, in case we lose the next battle.”

  She shook her head. “You can’t do anything to keep me here, so I don’t see why we’re even having this conversation.”

  “Lord Timothy," An advisor rushed into the room, "We have just gotten word that our forces are gaining ground in London. We might just be able to turn the tide of the war, yet. This small victory seems within our reach. Our forces in Scotland, and Wales are also gaining small but precious ground.”

  “Do you see?” She prodded William on the chest. “We are slowly seeing the dawn.”

  “Aye, and it’s all because of you, if you hadn’t played right into Widow Mooney’s hands, we wouldn’t have had such a boost in our ranks. You truly are a wondrous woman. I adore you.”

  “Then, you see the validity in taking me along with you.”

  “Actually, I’m still firm in my resolve. You stay here. In fact, all of the dragon shifters will remain on the front lines that order is effective immediately.” He nodded at Amelia. “Tell the troops that I will require a few dozen of our kind to fall back and meet me here. We’re going hunting for Draco, and I can’t have any dragon shifters in our ranks. I’m not about to kill anymore innocents.”

  “I’ll transmit those orders, ASAP.” Amelia nodded at William and hurried from the room.

  “Thank you for having the consideration to think of that, William. I will accompany you and your father. Aine is my niece, and Draco is going to get a mighty magical punch from me for being such an insolent sod!” Merdwyn stood up to his regal height.

  Everyone seemed ready for action, except for her. She inched toward the door. William was there to block her path in the blink of an eye.

  “My, you are spry when you feel like it,” she sighed. “I wish for once that I’d married a right and proper dunce instead of a quick witted fool!” Her barb made him smile and light lit his eyes. His warm gaze created that familiar tingly sensation to rush over her.

  “You aren’t going anywhere. Didn’t you just listen to the orders I gave Amelia? It isn’t safe for you to come with me. If it was, I would have you by my side in a heartbeat.”

  “You are my mate, my husband. I can’t let you face him alone. I fear for you. I fear that we won’t see each other again, and I can’t live with that.”

  “I will return to you.”

  She nodded her head. “Then, I shall have to hold onto that hope.” She kissed him lightly. She would have been more amorous but she didn’t like having an audience. “May the flame of your life force never grow dim.”

  He smiled at her, tenderly kissing her forehead. “Let’s continue this later. I’m about to rid our world of its greatest threat.”

  “I love you, William.” She grabbed his hand holding it firmly. She just couldn’t seem to bring herself to let him go.

  “I love you, too.” He held her close, finally releasing her. She watched him leave.

  The Elemental Fairy Queen lingered by her chair watching the others leave. “Our husbands can be quite stubborn when they wish to be. Even now, as I speak, my own husband has thrown himself into this fight with the gusto of the true warrior that he is. He used to make it his vocation to rid the world of dark entities such as the ones that Draco has recruited to work for him. He will be a credit to your side, and yet, I still railed against him putting himself in the line of fire. We never wish to see the ones we love in jeopardy, even when it seems necessary. Know this, your husband is a brave, courageous man filled with love and light. He will not fail you.”

  “I’m not afraid of his failure. I’m afraid of losing him.”

  “We can’t fight the future, much as we might try. Do not fret. I must take my leave now my forces here on Earth are awaiting my return.” Touching her hand affectionately, she left the room.

  The room soon cleared of its other occupants, leaving Grania alone.

  *****

  Grania sat down in an empty chair. She couldn’t stay here. She knew beyond a shred of a doubt that to stay here would be as good as signing William’s death sentence. He wouldn’t be able to hold out against Draco. His spell might work, but she knew in the pit of her stomach that it would be too little, too late. She could sense the unthinkable, but she knew she could stop it. She had to stop it. The future she was catching a glimpse of right now must change.

  Grania felt the familiar sensation she usually received right before one of her visions washed over her. Her visions were infrequent but when they came, they always came with the same sickly sensation.

  William stood near her father. Aine had been freed, and the mind control on her had also been released. She stood back to back with Timothy fighting off a slew of her father’s dark warriors. The other witches, wizards and warlocks were holding their own.

  William was dueling with her father, so consumed was he by being locked in battle with him that he had failed to cast the spell yet. She could see him mentally intoning the incantation.

  It was too late. Her father had found a way to block the spell.

  Horror dawned on William’s face. He couldn’t believe it. His spell was not working. She watched as despair turned to determination. In the next second, all of the magic kind within the hall were transported out, and then, William released all of his magical energy. With that one selfless act, he gave up his life in the pursuit of destroying a great evil.

  Her husband was dead.

  Tears rained down her cheeks. Dead, and he hadn’t even learned of her surprise.

  She snapped herself out of the vision.

  No longer would she remain idle. She knew who she could count on to help her.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Grania rushed through the building to where Aurora was stationed.

  “You are too late, William and his warriors just left.”

  She nodded her head breathlessly. “I’m here to see you. I need you to get Nicholas here on the double, if you can get David as well, he’ll be needed. I could also use Leo and Kayla.”

  “Would you like to see your cousin Blaze, too? He just arrived with David.”

  “No. That is to say, he can’t come with me where I need to go.”

  “I understand. Then, I will come with you. I should get out of this building from time to time, anyway.”

  “I don’t think you should leave your post.”

  “I haven’t left my post in over fifty years. I do believe now is a good time to break the rules. Besides, if you need some mighty magic, you can count on me to provide it for you.”

  “Thank you, Aurora.”

  “And you also have the look of a future gone wrong in your eyes. Our seers have also suspected the bad tidings that you saw. We didn’t think there was anything we could do about it. I tend to think that if I go along with you, we can change that. There is always a way, I always say.”

  Despite herself, Grania chuckled.

  “Let’s get a move on.”

  “First and foremost, we should travel by way of magic.”

  “Not another portal.” Her stomach clenched in unease.

  “I thought we could fly and assess the damage while we are in the air.”

  “I don’t feel like conjuring my dragon wings,” she sighed. She didn’t feel like doing much of anything come to think of it, but if she didn’t, William would die.

  “I wasn’t actually thinking of using your wings.”

  “Broom isn’t really my style either.”

  “Who said anything about a broom?” Aurora shook her head. “How do you feel about chariot flyi
ng?”

  “I don’t know how to feel about it, I’ve been in a flying chariot, what is it anyway?”

  “It’s something I used to partake in during my youth. Now that the days are becoming so dark, I think I could do with my Pegasus’ guiding the way.”

  “Now those I’ve heard of, I just didn’t think they existed here on Earth.”

  “Don’t look so shocked. I have quite a few friends among their population. The best thing about traveling with them guiding our way is that they produce their own magical force field, which should keep us safe. Come on.” She reached for her, pulling her along to the exit.

  She opened the door, revealing a chariot pulled by two sparkling white winged horses. They had the horn of a unicorn, and their beauty quite literally robbed her of breath.

  “Why do they have a horn?”

  “Their magic is conducted in their unicorn. Don’t worry, they don’t fear dragons or dragon shifters, they won’t buck when we are en route.”

  “I’ll try to keep my stomach where it is.” She gave her weak smile.

  “This bad business over the last few days must be wearing you out.”

  They stepped up into the chariot that surprisingly was outfitted with seats. “You do like to travel in style.” She gave her a smile of gratitude.

  “When I do venture out of my seclusion, I like to make a grand impression.” She grinned at Grania. “This isn’t going to be easy, Grania. You might have to do things you’d never imagined.”

  “I know. I will just simply have to find the strength.”

  “It’s not a matter of having enough strength, my dear. It’s a matter of having enough love.”

  She didn’t understand what Aurora was hinting at. Shrugging her shoulders, she sat down on the nearest seat. The Pegasus’ wings flapped as they started to gallop into the air. She braced herself for the unsettling feeling that she expected, but for some reason traveling this way seemed easier for her than stepping through a portal conjured by magic.

  The night air whipped around them making an eerie howling noise. Thankfully it couldn’t penetrate the magical force field that shimmered around them. The moon started to glow brighter, and the stars twinkled making an exhilarated rush run through her. The combined white magic of their newfound allies had brought the moon out of hiding. Draco’s dark magic was slowly being defeated.

  Finally she began to feel as if they really did have a chance. Slim though it seemed, a magical miracle was nearly in their grasp.

  “Their names are Apollo and Aphrodite. They are mates.”

  She looked back to Aurora, as the witch’s soft voice snapped her out of her reverie.

  “Indeed.”

  “Indeed. From their bloodline emerges a dynasty of magical Pegasus’. They will fight if the need arises.”

  “How can they possibly fight?”

  “A Pegasus is a merging of two magical creatures. Didn’t you know that?”

  “No.”

  “They are the merging of the magical winged horses that the fairies and elves tamed thousands of years ago. The unicorns were their own separate magical race. Legend says thousands of years ago they roamed Earth as Gods. Their hearts had betrayed them, and a magical sorceress cursed them to inhabit the unicorn’s body for the rest of time. Gradually, they became used to their form, though it is rumored that there are unicorns that still shape shift into human form like you dragon shifters do. Unicorns are pure of heart, and fair of face, and they usually only allow the purest of heart to touch them. One fell in love with a fairy. Their love was forsaken from the beginning, and the fairy realized he could not love his unicorn in his human form, so, he shifted into a magical winged horse, and their offspring were the first known Pegasus.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “It is a romantic tale, a tale of the truest love, a love like you share with William.”

  “I couldn’t see William transforming into a dragon to save me.”

  “I could.” Aurora’s eyes glistened with emotion. “He loves you like no other woman. I’ve never seen him so fervently passionate, except when he’s around you. You consume his every thought, and his every prayer.”

  “His heart belongs to me, and mine to him.”

  “Even that kind of love still won’t be enough to stop your father. It is your actions that will stop him cold in his tracks.”

  “I have the bow and arrows, if needed.”

  “Polaris’s fabled weapon. I’ve heard so much of that. Your mother was quite the legend in her day.”

  “Legend though she might have been, it didn’t keep her alive in body.”

  “The soul never dies.” Aurora sighed. “There is trouble in the air.”

  “There’s been trouble in the air since my father invaded Earth.”

  “That kind of trouble, aye, but not the kind of trouble we have veering toward us. I guess we did give off quite the impression,” Aurora sighed.

  Grania looked to where Aurora pointed. “It’s a bloody fleet comprised of harpies, dragon shifters and other various winged demons.”

  “Fun…the first time I step out of the office, and I’m greeted with a hellish welcoming committee. Ah, well, I have passion pent up inside of me, I think it’s time for me to vent.”

  She turned away when Aurora raised her arm. Lightning charged the darkened sky. She yelled at the top of her lungs, falling from her seat in the chariot. She’d never seen such a display of power. Her heart thundered. The lightening followed Aurora’s command streaked toward a bunch of the harpies. Two seconds later, they were ashes on the wind.

  Thunder rumbled the landscape, even though Aphrodite and Apollo seemed unaffected by Aurora’s display of raw power. Her stomach flip-flopped, and she gasped for air. When Grania looked down at the sparks resembling stars mingling with electricity, tears filled her eyes. She swallowed. This witch was more powerful than anyone she’d ever known.

  “Aurora?” Her voice came out as the weakest of whispers.

  “Give me a second, I need to clear our path. I had hoped that my first testament of power would have removed the others from our path, but they do seem intent on blazing their trail.”

  “I’ll just lie low down here until you need me! I can affect the weather as well, but not the way you can! Keep it up!”

  Their chariot was suddenly struck by a large chunk of hail. “Ah, I see your father has noticed my intent,” Aurora mused.

  “Aye.” She smiled. “I think I can whip up a pretty good rainstorm to drench those demons. What do you think?”

  Aurora glanced back at her. “Get to it, Grania. Show dear old dad, that you still have what it takes.”

  She nodded her head. Summoning her elemental magic, she breathed in sharply as it flowed through her, coalescing around her. Water rained down from the heavens in pounding sheets. The force field around them blocked the rain and heavy winds from affecting them.

  “We have to hurry!” She held up her hand. Her mating mark glowed red. She would say William’s name and use the ancient bonding magic to travel to him, but she had no idea where she’d arrive. If she were unlucky, the magic would deposit her right into the middle of a mortal magical battle.

  “Stay here. We will arrive in due time. Apollo and Aphrodite can fly as fast as a dragon shifter if not faster.”

  She nodded her head. Hunger gnawed at her making her grimace. She wondered if the bag would bring forth anything that might ease the hunger. Whenever she was worried about something, she got hungry, and right now she was worried sick about William. He couldn’t die. They had a future together. He couldn’t leave her at the way station and move on without her.

  “We’ll reach him in time. Eat one of my brownies, and it will give you the energy you need, plus their chocked full of nutrients.”

  “Thanks. I’m chuffed up just thinking about them.” She reached her hand into the rucksack and pulled out a container. The delicious looking brownie stared back at her. She gobbled it up without eve
n realizing it, until it was gone.

  “That should give you what you need to get through what lies ahead.”

  “What lies ahead?”

  “The battle for Earth.”

  “Not the battle for my husband’s life?”

  “If you play your cards right, you will not lose William. You must however be vigilant during the battle. When we arrive at your Rowan Castle, use the mating mark to find William. Don’t worry about anyone else just put on your blinders and head straight to him. If you don’t, he will end up sacrificing himself in order to defeat Draco.”

  “I don’t know if I can…”

  “I know. The inner battle that wages inside your heart is a great one. However, I know you will make the right choice when the moment calls for it.”

  “Everyone has faith in me, except me.”

  “You need to change that attitude. Embrace who and what you are. Embrace what lies inside of you. It is your greatest strength…” Her voice teetered off as they flew over to her castle.

  Battle raged around it.

  She licked her lips. “I can do this.”

  “Indeed, you can. You have me watching your back.” She smiled. “I’m much better on the field than as a bloody bench warmer.”

  “You said that the agency needed you…”

  “Aine needed me to stay out of her limelight. My magic has always ruffled her feathers a bit. My sister can be a pain in the ass when she really works hard at it.”

  “Aine is your sister?”

  “Didn’t William tell you? I’m his aunt on his mother’s side. I’m the older, fun loving sister. I took the pickle out of my ass years ago. Aine unfortunately never found the ability to pull hers out. She’s so stuck up that her confidence led us to this.”

  “Well, I guess she can count on her family to get her out of the sticky widget she’s found herself in.”

  “I guess. I don’t recognize her as my sister anymore, yet, you do have a point, that love hasn’t died. I won’t allow William to die—if there’s anything that can be done—I will make sure he lives.”