“Can you take care of Charity?” Rosa said, handing her over. She never wanted to be separated from her baby, but this was the moment she had been born for. “I can channel her magic, but I need her to be safe.”
“Yes,” Yvette said, touching the baby's head softly. “We can keep her safe.”
Rosa kissed the top of Charity's head, and Nicholas did the same. For a moment, they stood, a small family of three, their eyes closed, praying for hope.
But then Rosa opened her eyes, meeting her husband's.
“Now,” she said, and he was not going to argue.
“Now,” he echoed. Now was the time they would bring their father down. And this time, they would make sure that he stayed dead.
CHAPTER 15
Nicholas wasn't sure whether he was happy or angry that they had been right. Sure enough, as soon as they reached Cole's room, they knew that Thomas and Cole were in time. And from the crashing, his father was likely in there as well, in dragon form.
“Should we?” Nicholas asked. Alexander nodded, glancing to Peter for agreement. Ariel stepped as far back as she could, and they stretched their necks, giving each other room.
“I'm impressed with how you can control your powers,” Rosa said, as the princes began their transformation. “I didn't realize it before. But being around you, you are completely in control and you can flex it. That's rare.”
“Practice,” Ariel said, grimly. “More than I would like. In the recent months, I've tried to control it even more around Alexander, just in case.”
“Hopefully, all that practice comes in handy at the moment,” Rosa answered. Ariel winced, watching, with her arms crossed.
“They say practice makes perfect,” she said. “But to what end?”
Once the three dragons were standing in the hallway, they checked in with each other, waiting half a moment.
And then they stormed the door, breaking it down.
King Richard was standing in the middle of the room. Both Thomas and Cole were bounded as Alexander had been. They were injured, but alive, frantic for help.
Ah, my boys are all together. Richard looked at the three majestic dragons in front of him. His long neck swiveled down to look at Rosa. His eyes flared, recognizing that the magic had finally reached its peak. Immortality.
Is that really what you want, Father? Peter distracted him with a slight step to the left. The throne is terribly exhausting.
Of course, you think that. You were never properly prepared. You hate what you are.
Do I? Peter cocked his head. Or did I just hate what you tried to make me?
Richard focused on Peter for a moment and then turned his head back to Rosa, trying not to be distracted.
You fashioned him into a tyrant, Alexander put in, circling him. When in truth, he's a much better king than you could ever dream to be.
Richard snapped at Rosa, and she jumped, trying to be brave. Nicholas got in his way, his nostrils flaring.
Why don't you give up, Father? He asked. You can't win.
You forget, boy, Richard said. I taught you everything that you know. I know how you move. I know how you fight. I know how you think.
Do you? Alexander taunted him. Do you think we take after you?
I think we take after Mother, rest her soul, Peter said.
The conversation was hard to follow; Richard's head going every which way. Ariel pushed herself up against the wall, taking a step and then another one and another. She was edging behind Richard, moving carefully, one leg behind the other.
Rosa snuck toward Thomas and Cole. She didn't dare take off their bonds for fear that Richard might notice. But she thought she could channel their power better if she was touching them.
She didn't need to touch Charity, for they were forever bonded as mother and child. Even apart from her, she could feel Charity's heart beat in her own and feel her life force growing stronger with every moment.
She crouched down very slowly, almost not moving. Luckily, Cole picked up on what she was doing and leaned in, touching her. Thomas did the same, and she felt their magic flow through her.
This was much different than when she had two bodies of magic in her. Those didn't belong there had made her sick. But this way, it flowed through her and out her fingertips, growing every second. A gift, rather than a duty. A choice, rather than a punishment for being alive.
She could see the scene in her head half a second before it played out. She knew, somehow, that Peter was going to step to the right and Alexander to the left.
Ariel had made her way behind Richard, and had her arms spread out, ready to grab his massive sides.
Rosa nodded very subtly to her, and Ariel tensed.
This was it; it was now or ever.
Peter did exactly as she predicted he would. Nicholas ducked, Alexander moved to the other side, and she shoved every bit of magic forward.
To her surprise, it was white as well – pure.
“AHHHH!” she cried, as it shot from her hands and hit Richard square in the chest.
It was an explosion; it was fireworks – pain and pleasure all at once. He rose half a meter off the ground, Rosa's magic filling him.
This was for Charity, for the Halloway, for all the carapaces that he had murdered. This was for Nicholas, for Peter, for Cole and Alexander. This was for her sisters-in-law who had to live in the hell Richard had created.
She wasn't sure how long it was. Her arms grew tired, but she didn't waiver, focusing on her goal.
And then, in another second, it was over. Richard was gone as if he had never existed, fading quickly.
Ariel fell backward, her head slamming into the wall. The windows shattered, and the bedframe collapsed with a terrible crunch.
And then there was silence.
“He's gone,” Rosa said, in shock. “He's just gone.”
She turned to take Cole's gag off, operating on autopilot. He sputtered, shaking his hair.
“Into the Other,” Cole said. “I felt it.”
“I killed him.” She had never killed anyone before. It felt shocking, and yet, peaceful. He couldn't stay here; he was ruining their lives. He didn't belong here.
She hadn't expected to feel this way the first time she killed someone. She knew as a witch, a supernatural creature, it would eventually happen. But now, she was in peace, knowing that she had done the right thing for her child.
“You sent him back to a place that he had already gone,” Cole replied. “That was all. Welcome back, Halloway.”
“Ariel!” Alexander had shifted back to human and rushed to his wife.
“Ah.” Her eyes were fluttering open. She had gotten a good knock on the head, but she was already moving. “Damn it.”
“You did so well, my love,” he kissed her head. Rosa smiled as Nicholas came toward her.
“I think that is the first time that Alexander has said he loved her.”
“We dragons are loving creatures,” he took her in his arms. “Very loving. I am so proud of you my love.”
He wrapped her in a hug as Cole moved over to undo Thomas' bonds.
“I can't believe that we did it,” Rosa said. “I can't believe, all these years…”
“This is what you were meant to do,” he said. “You saved us.”
“Not just me,” she said, humble as ever. “We all played our part. And we all couldn't do it without each other.”
“Ah, my love,” he couldn't stop holding her, kissing her. He never wanted to be separated from her again. “I love you. I love you. I can't think of anything else to say.”
“Let's go see our daughter,” she said into his ear. “That's all I want to do.”
“Yes, I agree,” he finally managed to tear himself from her neck and shifted to let her take his arm.
All around him, everyone was standing, recovering. In a reverse of power, Ariel was in Alexander's arms. He was taking no chances with her head, although he looked like he'd rather cuddle her all night than take her
to the sick bay.
“I can't believe we are finally free of him,” Cole said as they walked. “Although, it is just like him to come back uninvited.”
“He won't come back,” Rosa assured him. “Not with the four of us here. Even if the Other spits him out again, it won't be hard. Your rule,” she turned to Peter, “is secure.”
“For now,” Peter said, with a soft smile. “No rule is ever secure. But I think mine is as safe as it can be.”
“I want to thank you all for not throwing me in with him,” Thomas suddenly spoke up.
“And how will you repay us, Thomas?” Yvette turned to him, a small smile on her face. She knew that there was good in him, deep down. Thomas only wanted a life where he was treated well; where he could be himself. He had never meant to hurt them. He only wanted to be free, and now he was.
Thomas surprised them by getting down on one knee, his head bowed.
“I promise you, I shall be your loyal servant. In anything that you need.”
“Mm,” Peter said, hugging his queen. “Since you did provide us such information, perhaps I can trust you again. In a position closer to the palace.”
“What?” Thomas' head shot up.
“Yes,” Peter mused, looking to Yvette. “Perhaps you would like to resume your post as a warrior in my army.”
“My Lord,” Thomas sputtered. “I would be honored.”
“Excellent,” Peter said. “Then rise. You shall return to your position as a lieutenant in the army.”
“Thank you,” Thomas said, rising.
Yvette and Enya had kept their promise, and they proudly handed Charity back to Rosa, safe and sound.
“Thank you,” she said, and Enya smiled.
“I have a feeling that we have a lot more to thank you for.”
The moment that Charity was put back in her arms was the happiest moment in Rosa's life. She felt complete as she turned to Nicholas.
“We will make this world a beautiful place for her,” he said, as the others gave them a moment to be reunited with their child. “A beautiful place that she can rule over, with a fair and just hand.”
“I just want her to be happy,” Rosa said. “And free.”
Nicholas kissed his wife's head. “I will always give her those things, no matter what our position in this world.”
The others came forward then to revel in the newest heir to the throne. Nicholas convinced Rosa to let her go for another moment, drawing his wife into his arms.
“Well,” he said, “when she grows up, we can tell her quite an entertaining story about her birth.”
“Not a story most children want to hear,” Rosa rubbed her nose against his. “But I think in this case, we can make an exception.”
“She and her siblings will have quite the experience,” Nicholas grinned. Rosa choked.
“Sorry, her siblings?” she asked. “Nicholas, she's not a day old.”
“Well,” he replied. “We better start planning at the very least. I want so many that the throne room will be full.”
She chuckled, leaning in to kiss him. She didn't know what the future held. She was sure there would be more challenges. They might even see Richard again, if they were so unlucky. But whatever the future brought, she knew they would be able to stand tall and face it together. Together, with Charity between them, they could do anything they set their hearts to, for love could conquer all.
Saved by a Dragon
(Exiled Dragons Book 2)
SARAH J. STONE
CHAPTER 1
“And that is all for today’s report on Around L.A, your source for everything new and exciting in the Los Angeles area. We’re going to take a few phone calls before we close out the hour, so give us a jingle and let us know what’s happening that we may have missed,” Amy said into the mike.
She sat watching as the lines began to light up on the technician’s console just outside the sound booth where she recorded her daily radio show. To her fans, she was A.J. Webb, a radio personality gaining rapid popularity due to her daily reports on all the happening places to be in the area. To her friends, she was just Amy, voted most likely to become a hermit by her senior class. She had come a long way since she was a demure book nerd in school, having blossomed both in physique and personality during her college days.
“You’re on air with A.J. Webb. What do you have to tell everyone today?” she said cheerfully to the caller patched through to her.
“I just saw a dragon flying near the freeway,” the caller said.
“I’m sorry. Did you say you saw a dragon?” she asked.
“Yes. It was huge. It was a bright blue color with silver wings.”
“I hate to ask you this on the air, but have you perhaps been drinking this morning?” she laughed.
“I’m not seeing things!” the caller said indignantly.
“Okay. So you saw a dragon near the freeway then. What was the dragon doing? Laying eggs? Torching cars?”
“I don’t appreciate your sarcasm. I know what I saw,” the caller said angrily.
“Hey, I’m just trying to determine what the dragon was doing. Surely you didn’t expect to call and report a dragon sighting without getting at least a hint of disbelief!” she replied.
“Listen, you bitch . . .” the man began.
“And let’s move right along to our next caller,” Amy said, hoping the censors caught the expletive before it went out.
There was a delay of a few seconds on her “live” show just for that purpose, but someone would occasionally slip past the censors. The caller clicked off and she went to the next one, a woman who called to tell her about a community movie event being held in an abandoned warehouse for Halloween. She could see that the phone bank was lighting up like crazy, no doubt other naysayers calling to bash the guy seeing dragons.
“What was that all about? Why did you even put him through?” she asked the call screener after finishing up and exiting her booth.
“Well, I thought it would be a hoot, honestly – a morning laugh. But listen. After you cut him off, the phones went nuts with folks reporting dragon sightings.”
“I’m sure they did. People trying to get on the radio by copying what another crazy was saying. Sometimes I wonder why we even allow live phone calls here. There’s always some sort of nut job in the bunch – every single morning!”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right. No more dragon sighting calls, okay?”
“Okay, Amy,” he said with a laugh.
“I appreciate it. I can’t believe people would expect someone to even believe there is a dragon flying around Los Angeles. This is what happens when you legalize weed,” she laughed.
“I don’t think weed causes hallucinations,” he replied.
“You might be wrong about that.”
“I might be. Anyway, I’ll let you get going. I’ve got a meeting with the producers to discuss the format of the show.”
“Again? I hope you aren’t cowing down to them. I don’t want to end up sounding like some sort of low budget product pusher, hocking the latest inventions to the masses.”
“You won’t. I promise.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” she said, turning to push her way through the glass doors as she exited the studio.
It was no secret that the owner of the station had been after the producers to change her show and make it less controversial. Amy was well known for calling out her guests live on the air on scandals they were involved in. No one was spared, not even the politicians that seemed to think the producers were putting them on the air to spew their rhetoric to the masses. That wasn’t her style and it never would be, not even if it meant leaving the show. There were plenty of other stations out there interested in her no-bullshit approach to current events.
“Ah, sunshine,” she said joyfully as the warm, California sun kissed her skin outside the large glass and steel building. Making her way to her car in the studio parki
ng lot, she mentally prepared herself for the drive home. It was rush hour – never a good time of day to be in traffic.
CHAPTER 2
“This is WDRQ radio weather, bringing you all the latest news from Mother Nature. Today’s high is ninety-six degrees with no rain in sight. Stay cool, Los Angeles,” came the voice of Jon Levine, meteorologist at Amy’s station across her car speakers. She grimaced every time she heard his voice, which she found annoying more than most since she had to listen to his endless complaints in station meetings. It was getting dark outside, and she was still stuck in traffic.
“I need a hovercraft,” she mumbled to herself, wishing such a thing existed.
The station switched back over to the all-music hour it ran at this time of day as she continued to crawl down the highway in bumper-to-bumper traffic that barely moved, her hands clenching the wheel in annoyance. Damn it, she wanted to get home already.
“What the hell?” she said aloud as the car in front of her came to a compete standstill, the driver getting out of his car and looking up at the sky. She craned her neck toward the windshield, trying to get a glimpse of what was there as more people began to climb from their vehicles to look up toward the sky. Not seeing anything, she finally climbed from her car and looked upward. “Oh, my God!” she exclaimed.
Soaring high above them was something large and dark. It was hard to make it out in the dusk that had now fallen, but it looked like a dragon. No way could it be, though. Dragons simply didn’t exist, in L.A. or anywhere else on the planet. It had to be a hoax – a kite perhaps, or a drone dressed up to look that way. She marveled at how realistic it looked. No wonder people were calling to report it as an actual dragon.
Amy watched as it flapped its large wings, appearing to be a deep red metallic color that almost blended in with the night, but not enough to completely conceal it. Kites didn’t move like that. Drones neither. Still, there was a reasonable explanation. The man had said he saw a blue and silver dragon. This one was much darker than that. What was going on here?
Betrayed by a Dragon: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Exiled Dragons Book 1) Page 48