Spear’s voice rose, not in anger so much as disbelief. “We have to find a hundred swords to free all of my people?”
“I’m afraid so. Although, that is only my guess. The correct number could be more or less.”
“It could be more than a hundred?” asked Ash. He was having the same difficulty realizing the enormous task ahead as the rest of us were.
“It could be less, too,” my mother squeaked. Always the optimist. I squeezed her hand and she gave me a shy smile.
I looked at the assembled people. Just one day ago, I could not imagine we could all sit around the same fire and converse in a civilized manner, and yet here we all were. We’d come so far in so little time.
I stood up tall. “We can find them if we all work together.”
“It’s an enormous task, Julianna. Impossible even,” my mother answered.
“If I’d have asked any of you yesterday if you thought you could sit around a campfire with the people you are with, would you have believed it to be possible? Two dragons, a Wolvren, Slayers. How many hundreds of years has it been since this has been possible? Has it ever happened before, or are we the first? This to me is impossible, and yet we are doing it. No one is fighting and we are all talking to each other. This seems more impossible to me than finding some swords. Between us, we can do it!”
I wasn’t sure I really believed it myself, but my speech elicited a round of applause from the group. It spurred them into action if nothing else.
“We keep a registry of all the births and deaths within the village,” my mother said. “We can use it to find out who we need to look for. If they were born here and died here, their swords would have been taken to the vault.”
“The vault!” my father shouted, suddenly excited. “I’d forgotten about the vault. There are many swords down there.”
“A hundred?” asked Spear hopefully.
“No. Not quite. Thirty or forty maybe, but it’s a start. Some people choose to be buried with their swords, too.”
“So, we are going to have to dig up graves now?” Ash asked, looking sick at the prospect.
“It’s late,” said my mother, standing. “We have a lot to discuss, but I fear I’m too tired to get it all through my mind. I would love to invite you all to stay at our home, but unfortunately, we don’t have a home at present.” She was being nice. She didn’t have a home because the dragons had burned it down.
“Those without beds can come back to the camp,” invited Alpha. “We can meet up tomorrow and make a plan for the future.”
Ash put his arm around me and guided me back to the camp. I was so tired I could barely see, but a bed had been made for us in one of the tents. I rested my head on Ash’s chest and fell asleep almost immediately.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I woke up to a hive of activity outside. I assumed breakfast was being cooked thanks to all the yummy smells coming through the tent. I guessed that someone had started a fire and was cooking something upon it. I snuggled up to Ash’s still sleeping form, reluctant to move from the warmth he provided. I felt happy. It was not an emotion I was used to in recent weeks. Not fully, anyway. Sure, being around Ash always made me feel better, but the war had been plaguing my thoughts and dreams ever since I first met him. There was still so much to do, but for the first time, we were all on the same side.
Ash shifted slightly in his sleep so I kissed him lightly on the lips. His eyes flashed open and he gave me a lazy grin.
“Like a prince, huh?” he mumbled.
“What?” I asked, wondering if he was still caught up in a dream.
“You woke me with a kiss like a fairytale prince would.”
“Does that make you a princess?” I teased. He grabbed me and pulled me toward him, enveloping me in a hug that turned into a tickle. I started to laugh until I heard Morganna’s voice admonish us from outside the tent.
After a quick but delicious breakfast of roasted bird and bread, Morganna, Alpha, Spear, Ash and I made our way back to the village where we had promised to meet the others. My father had come a long way since yesterday on a personal level and he was the first to greet us as we walked into the village square. The skies had begun to open, drizzling us with drops of rain. He showed us into the townhouse that sat above the vault. The swords we had collected the day before were already piled up, ready for us.
“I’ve been thinking hard about things,” he began as we all took our seats at a large table in one of the town hall’s conference rooms. “I’ve spent my life being a coward and compensated by pretending to be the bravest Slayer. I wanted to be the best, but I ended up being the worst. Julianna, you taught me the real meaning of bravery. I saw those scars on your arms yesterday and I have a hunch I know where you got them. I will not allow you to hurt yourself again. I will free the dragons. After all, I captured many of them.”
I saw the pride on my mother’s face as my father spoke. It took a great deal for him to speak this way. I guess the years of guilt at what he was doing to innocent people had finally caught up with him.
“You don’t have to do it alone,” replied Xander. “I will help, too. My skin is already scarred. I do not mind adding to them.”
“We all appreciate your offer,” began Spear, “but neither of you can help. It is not enough to spill your own blood. You also have to be innocent of spilling blood before. If you have committed a murder, or in this case, taken a soul, your own blood will be useless.”
He waited for this to sink in. Finally, my father spoke. “You mean to tell me that only Julianna can free the dragons?”
“No,” butted in Ash. “Julianna has done enough already. She is strong, but I fear that too many more cuts will hurt her beyond repair, kill her even.”
My mother made a sound like a cry.
“Anyone who has owned a Goblin-made sword and who has not used it to draw dragon’s blood will be able to do the task. Are there any people in your village that can do it?”
“There are some,” my father replied. “As I said yesterday, some use their swords purely for decoration. I cannot ask them to injure themselves, though.”
“Would you prefer Julianna do it all to wake the dragons up? That is your only other option.” Morganna said.
“I’m not letting Julianna do that to herself. She’s been through enough!” shouted Ash. I placed my hand on his arm to calm him down.
“No one should have to go through that,” my father countered. “I see what Julianna has done. It is my eternal shame that she felt that was the only option. I will never let my daughter go through that again.”
I gave him a smile. It was nice to see him sticking up for me. I remembered how he had always been my hero. How I’d idolized him growing up. I’d lost that in the past few weeks, but with a little time, I hoped we could get back to where were once were.
“What do you suggest?” asked Morganna.
“We need to go back to the Goblins.”
“We’ve already been up to the Goblins,” replied Spear. “They won’t tell you anything.”
“We have two of the most famous Slayers in the kingdom seated around this table. We have dragons and we have wolves. We will make them talk.”
Spear nodded his head and with that we were once again at war, only this time not with each other, but with the Goblins. “I agree!” he said, standing up.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“There is no time like the present. The Wolvren are here now. I have my men ready for action. Let’s go today. What say you, Slayer?” He looked over at my father. My father stood and for the first time in centuries, the leader of the dragons and the leader of the Slayers shook hands.
It wasn’t as easy as just setting out. We had to gather up the villagers who wanted to go. All the dragons in the village and all the Wolvren agreed to come with us. In the end, there were about thirty of us willing to make the journey back up the Triad Mountains. The dragons could fly, but there weren’t enough of them to carry
the rest of the men and women who had volunteered so we had to make the journey on foot.
At first, my father said he didn’t want me to go, but a swift word from my mother had him quickly changing his mind. She walked with us to the base of the mountains. She wasn’t going to come with us, but she wanted to be a part of it if only for a little way. Surprisingly, Jasper appeared and volunteered to come. Even more surprisingly, he didn’t try to make fun of me as we set off on the journey.
My mother and some of the other ladies in the village had organized and packed up food for us all. It would be an arduous journey, and we would need all the food and water we could carry. We also had to take extra blankets to keep out the cold now that the weather had turned for the worse.
The dragons led the way, with Spear at the front. It made sense as he had already been to the Goblins’ lair and knew the way. My father joined him and from the back, where I walked with Ash, I could see them chatting as if they had been friends for years.
I gave my mother a quick hug as we climbed the wall that separated Dronias from the base of the Triad Mountains. As I put my foot up to climb, she pulled me lightly back down.
“You go ahead,” I said to Ash. “I’ll catch you up.”
He hesitated for a second but headed with the others into the forest which marked the first part of our journey. I waited until he’d been swallowed by the foliage and turned back to my mother.
“I’m so proud of you. I...” A tear followed a trail down her cheek.
“You don’t have to say anything,” I said, wiping the tear away with my sleeve. “I know.”
“No, you don’t know. I’ve watched you grow from this scrappy little thing to being the strongest woman I’ve ever met. These last few weeks have been tough, tougher than I ever thought possible, but it wasn’t losing my home, nor the fight between us and the dragons that scared me. My biggest fear was that I’d lost you.” The tears were really coming down now. She made no effort to conceal them or wipe them away.
I hugged her again, my own tears matching hers. “You’ll never lose me, Mama. I love you too much.”
“I love you, too. More than you could ever imagine.” She sniffed and pulled my scarf tighter around me. “Be safe up there. I couldn’t bear to lose you again.”
“What did I just say?” I smiled. “You’ll never lose me. I promise.”
“He’s a good man you’ve found for yourself.”
I turned to where she was looking behind me. Ash waiting patiently for me between the trees. “He is a good man, Mama, just wait until you get to know him properly. You’ll love him.”
“I’m looking forward to it!”
I gave her one last hug and vaulted over the low wall. Ash took my hand as we made our way into the forest.
“So many people have told you how proud they are of you, but I don’t think I have.” Ash’s warm fingers intertwined with mine.
“You don’t have to.”
“I can’t believe we started this adventure together. Whatever happens, we’ll end it together.”
“You mean finding Morganna or looking for the swords?” I asked.
“I’m talking about our lives. Mine began the day you tried to kill me.”
“I didn’t technically try to kill you. I fell off a ledge if you remember.”
He smiled. “You did, and I’ve never been gladder of anything. If it wasn’t for your bad sense of balance, we wouldn’t be here now.”
“You mean walking up a mountain in the freezing cold on the way to find some Goblins?”
“I mean together. I want us to stay that way. I’ll never leave you. Never!”
And as I looked into his eyes, I knew he meant it. Whatever life threw at us, we’d get through it together.
The End
* * *
Protector
Dragon Tamer book 3
Coming in 2018!
About J.A. Culican
About J.A. Culican
USA Today bestselling author, J.A. Culican is a teacher by day and a writer by night. She lives in New Jersey with her husband of eleven years and their four young children.
J.A. Culican’s inspiration to start writing came from her children and their love for all things magical. Bedtime stories turned to reality after her oldest daughter begged her for the book from which her stories of dragons came from. In turn, the series The Keeper of Dragons was born.
Read More from J.A. Culican
www.jaculican.com
About J.A. Armitage
About J.A. Armitage
Born in a small town, J.A. Armitage longed for adventure and travel.
Age 20 she moved to Dublin, then to San Diego, then Sydney and back to California where she did a brief stint working at Universal Studios being a minder to Sponge Bob.
Once back in Britain she got married, had babies and decided to write about the adventure she was now missing out on. She works full time, is a mum to three kids and has had a surrogate baby.
She has skydived twice (and survived), climbed Kilimanjaro and hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. She has also worked as a professional clown and banana picker amongst other jobs.
Somehow she finds time to write.
Read More from J.A. Armitage
www.jaarmitage.com
Books by J.A. Culican
The Prince Returns - Book 1 in the Keeper of Dragons Series
A mystical calling.
On his 18th birthday, Cole's learns that he is a dragon fated to save all that was deemed true.
Destiny.
Cole's life spirals into an uncontrollable battle for life or death. First, he learns that his family isn't really his own and his birth parents are dragons. With that legacy comes a special calling; devoting an eternity to protecting all true beings from creatures bent on controlling the Earth and bringing an end to dragons.
Danger.
As the newly-minted Prince of Ochana, Cole is also the Keeper of Dragons and his first task is to keep the nefarious farro-fallen fairies-at bay. With no formal training, no control of his mahier-dragon magic, and fear like he's never experienced before, will Cole be able to reach outside of his human side and embrace his destiny in time to defeat the farros?
Join bestselling author, J.A. Culican on an epic fantasy adventure fans and critics are calling a world of magic, and comparing to Robert Jordan.
The Elven Alliance - Book 2 in the Keeper of Dragons Series
The fates have spoken.
Cole and Eva are the Keeper of Dragons - the only ones who can save all true beings from a time of fear.
Uncontrollable power.
Cole finds himself unstable, unpredictable and volatile. He has no control of the tilium-fairy magic he stole from the farros. Out of options, the dragons turn to a once ally - the elves - for help.Curious about the dragon who wields both dragon and fairy magic, they accept -but on their terms only. The dragons must submit to Prince Gaber and his rules.
A new enemy.
Queen Tana continues to haunt Cole's dreams, as a new enemy shows his face - another fallen enemy with a bigger agenda than the farros-fallen fairies; an enemy stronger and smarter; an enemy with an army that could destroy all true beings. Enter King Eldrick of the eldens-the fallen elves.
Sometimes evil wins.
Join international bestselling author, J.A. Culican on an epic fantasy adventure that fans and critics are calling a world of magic, and comparing to Robert Jordan.
Second Sight, Book 1 in the Hollows Ground Series
What if you could foresee death?
Mirela can prophesy the death of whomever she sees. At thirteen, Ela foretold the death of her best friend, only to watch it happen before her very eyes. Ela, now twenty-one, spends her days locked away in her apartment, avoiding the public and the gift she considers a curse.
Until he appears.
Luka Conway is handsome. Charming. And magical. After Ela predicts yet another death, Luka leads her to an underground city hidd
en beneath Atlanta, populated by empaths, telepaths, and seers. Luka is a Shade, a soldier fighting a secret war against the Wraiths, a deadly group of sorcerers who wish to take over the world. Ela is given no choice; she must prove herself a Shade, and use her powers for the light, or she will be put to death. Resolved to her fate, Ela trains as a warrior, determined to put her curse to good use.
Then Talon Michaels appears. He’s just as dashing as Luka, and even more dangerous. A Wraith, Talon warns Ela that the Shades aren’t all what they appear. Who can Ela trust, if anyone? Should her powers be used for good…or evil? Which should she choose?
Full of action, adventure, and romance, Second Sight is an exciting young adult epic fantasy. It’s sure to please fans of USA Today bestselling author J.A. Culican’s The Keeper of Dragons series.
Books by J.A. Armitage
The Labyrinthians
When Kimberley's father loses his job and it looks like her whole family will be homeless, a mysterious old benefactor saves them by leaving his 'mansion' to them in his will. However, their new house, with its history of spooky happenings and disappearances, is not all it seems. When Kim's little brother goes missing, it's up to Kim and her new friend, Nate, to find him. The problem is... When they do - who will find them?
The first in a new YA series, The Labyrinthians begins a story of adventure and of terror and finding yourself when everything else seems lost.
Endless Winter, Book 1 in the Guardians of the Light Series
Imagine falling in love for the first time, the adrenaline, the flutters. Now imagine being told you had to have a baby with somebody else...
Trapped in an unfamiliar room with no way out, Anais has no idea just how much her life is about to change. A locked door stands between her and freedom but as she is just about to find out, the door is the least of her problems.
Warrior (Dragon Tamer Book 2) Page 16