by Kate Douglas
“Wha…? I’m alive?”
“Well of course you’re alive, you big dolt. Why wouldn’t you be?”
Lester scrambled to his knees. “She said it was a trade. My life for yours. My wish to fly for the Faerie’s wings, my wish to be Clan Dragon so the Unicorn could see.”
“Whoa… what’dya mean, your life for mine? What kind of stupid deal is that?”
Lester laughed and shook his head. “No matter. I’m still alive. The Faerie’s got wings, the Unicorn…” He turned toward the Unicorn. “Can you see?”
The Unicorn whinnied and nodded his head.
“Well, there you have it. How’s She Who Rules?”
Tady shrugged. “She’s breathing. I imagine whatever magic she did took a lot out of her. Let’s see if she’d be more comfortable over there.” He pointed toward a small fainting couch against one wall.
Lester carefully picked up the beautiful woman and carried her to the couch, then laid her down.
She blinked, slowly opened her eyes, and smiled. “It appears you’re not dead after all.”
Les nodded. “For that I thank you. I don’t understand, though.”
“Neither do I.” Tady pushed himself next to Lester. “What’s this about trading his life for mine? I won’t allow it.”
“Neither would he.” She Who Rules touched Les’s hand with hers. “You’ve passed the strongest test with a pure heart and a loving soul.” Then she lifted her hand and traced the point of Lester’s Elven ear. “Now I think you and your loved one need to fly home as quickly as you can. Prince Lorcan and his bride are about to welcome another new member to Clan Dragon. After you, of course.”
“Me?” Lester reached up and traced his left ear, then his right. “Tady?”
Tady could hardly breathe for the joy. “You’re an Elf, Lester. A big, black Elf with perfectly pointed ears. Can ya shift, man? Can you become a Dragon?” He turned to She Who Rules. “Well, can he?”
She smiled and flicked her fingers toward Les. “I don’t know. Can you, Mr. Ondáge-O’Shea?”
It was too much, too soon, but dammit, something felt totally different. In fact, Les thought he felt as if there were someone else inside him, just waiting to get out. He opened his mind to the presence, opened his heart, felt a wrenching, twisting almost-pain and suddenly realized he was looking down at Tady from an even higher vantage point than usual.
Looking down on the Unicorn and the Faerie as well, and on She Who Rules. He twisted his suddenly very long neck and saw that he was all red and gold scales that shimmered in the candlelight. When he grinned at Tady, Les realized he was smiling with a mouth full of six inch long saber-sharp teeth.
Tady stared at him, awe-struck. “By golly, Les, you’re a gold. Red and gold’s the most powerful in the clan. You’ve got more gold than Lorcan.”
She Who Rules laughed. Les realized he’d not heard her laugh at all until now.
“You need to get going. The new little princeling is impatient, and Amanda promised Lorcan she wouldn’t deliver this babe until you two were home. Take the Faerie. She’s long wanted to see the royal center of the Northern Realm. The Unicorn will remain with me. I’ve grown lonely over the years and he will be excellent company for me.”
Les waited while the Faerie settled herself on his thick neck for the ride back to Lorcan and Amanda. It was much too far for a Faerie to fly. He watched when Tady launched himself into the air just as a huge portal opened up in the ceiling.
It didn’t look all that difficult. Lester thought flight, swept his wings up high, then powered them on the down-stroke and suddenly he was flying, heading for the open sky with a tiny Faerie clinging to his neck.
He laughed. Only it sounded like a full-throated roar. It felt so damned good Les did it again. The Faerie giggled and Tady roared in reply. Grinning with more teeth than he’d ever imagined, Lester swept his wings down in a powerful thrust and followed Tady through the brilliant Elven sky.
Chapter 9
Glinda ran her fingers through the Unicorn’s silken mane. She stood beside him at dusk and watched the endless plain around her mountain fortress. So few survived the journey here, yet today she’d shared her space with four amazing creatures, all with hearts so pure and goals so true she’d been able to grant them their every wish.
It didn’t get much better than this. “Thank you for staying with me,” she said, gazing once more into the Unicorn’s brilliant green eyes. “I know you’ve grown quite fond of your companions. If you ever decide to join them, I’ll help you on your way, but I’ve been so lonely for so long.” She ran her fingers through the soft forelock that almost covered his eyes. “Now, if you could only talk to me, tell me of your dreams and wishes, it would be absolutely perfect.”
The Unicorn stepped back, raised up on his hind legs and whinnied. Glinda clapped, laughing at his skill as he held position on two legs. Her laughter faded, though, as the Unicorn shimmered and appeared to change.
Before she could take a breath, the man of her dreams stood next to her. Glinda covered her mouth with her hand to stop the scream that almost escaped. “Who? What?”
The man laughed and stepped forward. He drew her into his arms and rested Glinda’s head beneath his chin. “When you gave me the power of Clan Dragon, you gave me the power to shift. I’ve longed to be a man but never had the skill. You gave me that gift today.” He tilted her chin up with long fingers and kissed her mouth. It was a very chaste kiss, but she felt his tongue testing the seam of her lips before he broke away. She smiled, thinking of the things she could teach this man.
“I will be forever in your debt, my Queen.”
Her mind was suddenly spinning with the wonderful ways he could pay off that debt. Glinda imagined it would take a very long time. She raised up on her toes and kissed his cheek, then took his hand and led him back inside the mountain and down the long hall toward the royal bedchamber.
* * *
Lester sat in Amanda and Lorcan’s bedroom with the newest prince cradled in his arms. Tady held Micah on his lap while Meggie played dolls with the Faerie. They’d connected on some female level Les didn’t quite understand, but Meggie was fascinated with her new friend. Amanda rested in the middle of the big bed. Lorcan sat beside her. He hadn’t quit grinning since Les and Tady had literally flown in, tiny Faerie in tow, at the last minute, just in time to meet the yet unnamed princeling.
“You were a handsome man before, Lester, but those ears definitely add style to your appearance.” Lorcan leaned over and kissed his wife. “The best part of all this is we can now turn Micah’s training over to both his uncles. No more worry about where our son might be flying, not with two Dragons in charge.”
Amanda yawned. Lorcan reached for the baby and Lester turned the small bundle over to his father. “As much as I want to hear the entire story, my wife needs her sleep. I imagine you two could use a hot meal and some rest as well.”
Les nodded. He stood up, leaned over and kissed Amanda’s cheek, and then followed Tady out of the room. His heart felt full to overflowing with the events of the past days, the wonderful people in his life, the man he loved. Les took Tady’s hand and the two of them walked to their rooms. He hadn’t needed to tell Lorcan that a hot meal and rest were the furthest things from his mind.
The End
Kate Douglas
Kate Douglas has been lucky enough to call writing her profession for over thirty years. She’s produced ad copy for radio, flown over forest fires in a spotting helicopter as a photojournalist, drawn a weekly comic strip for a worldwide health agency, co-authored a cookbook and written numerous freelance articles. She’s won three EPPIES, from the international authors’ organization, EPIC -- two for Best Contemporary Romance, and a third for Best Romantic Suspense. Kate’s also won EPIC’s Quasar Award for Cover Artists. She and her husband of over thirty years live in the northern California wine country where they find more than enough subject material for their shared passion for photography, though their gran
dchildren are most often in front of the lens. Visit Kate at www.katedouglas.com. For regular updates and a chance to win copies of Kate’s books and other cool stuff, sign up for her newsletter by sending a blank email to [email protected].