Enchanted Bookstore Legends (5-book complete epic fantasy romance box set)

by Marsha A. Moore

  “Yes. They don’t trust outsiders, and those trees can be deadly. Poor Kenzo. Unless Ysmena finds him, he won’t sleep a wink after what some trees did to him when we were there on my bloodswear quest.” Lyra replaced the enchanted book inside her pack.

  “Ysmena and I have been in frequent communication of late. I’m sure she’ll receive my message and find them. Sire Drake, can you transport four to the lair? Or shall I carry some?”

  “I can, unless our guests have magic that carries differently. Allow me to make the attempt before you leave.”

  After waving goodbye to the Gatekeeper tree, the foursome gathered together. Cullen tried twice, but failed to form a mist that covered them completely.

  On the third attempt, Lyra joined hands with him. “Use our collective power.” A blue-gold mist quickly encircled them.

  ***

  “Incredible!” Cullen exclaimed before Lyra felt her feet touch down on the stone ledge outside the lair. “You gained some real strength from Elisabeth.”

  “I know, and it comes in handy for making those oversized, messy powerballs,” Lyra said with a laugh.

  The Imperial Dragon and Yasqu sailed across the wide Steppe of Ora toward them, escorted by at least a dozen blue sentries. In the slanted sun rays skimming across the plain, the dragons shining scales and thick muscles were a magnificent sight.

  When the flyers arrived, Yasqu skidded to an awkward landing, unable to endure the braking force of air against his injured wing.

  The excitement of new arrivals drew plenty of onlookers. The Unicorn, the Tortoise, and Mimio joined the crowd of blue sentries and high order wizards.

  Lyra scanned those present. Quickly charging her skin with clairvoyance, she read the air pulsing with vibrations of anticipation. Their wide eyed faces matched their eagerness. With a smile covering her face, she lifted her commuter bag high.

  A chorus of cheers filled the air. Acquiring a copy of this ancient volume meant a chance for peace in the Alliance.

  The Imperial Dragon and Yasqu joined with mighty roars.

  A blazing ball spiraled like a tiny cyclone above their heads. The Phoenix transformed into her feathered shape and sailed in all directions, lifting her sweet voice high in song.

  From across the wide ledge, Lyra singled out the Tortoise. She beamed while watching his eyes shine with moisture and the rune markings on his shell gleam with his silvery white aura. At his advanced age, he rarely extended his aura outside where others could see. The task he had studied centuries for came to pass—unlocking ancient magic that would bring peace.

  She hurried to meet him and kneeled to embrace his rough neck. “You and I have lots of work to do.”

  “We most certainly do.” The scaly skin at the corners of his mouth furrowed into a smile.

  “When can we get started?”

  He chuckled. “Torn and exhausted, yet your face glows with ambition and enthusiasm. You’re dedication is remarkable, Adalyra.”

  The Unicorn joined their conversation. “I see you’ve brought back some very interesting guests. I hear whispers that they are Malificates. As the specialist in unusual magicals, I am keenly interested. Do you think they’ll be amenable to questioning to expand our knowledge?”

  “Yes, they are Malificates and very nice. I imagine they’ll be willing since they are staying here tonight,” Lyra replied. “We plan to take them to the portal in Silva Caliga tomorrow, which is where Noba and Kenzo exited by accident.”

  “Excellent! I will see that the dinner tonight has many courses to encourage a relaxed conversation.” He lifted his horn high and trotted over to the guests.

  “Lyra, I’m going inside with Mimio to treat Yasqu’s wing again,” Cullen said as he touched her shoulder from behind. “The flight didn’t do it any favors.”

  “Do you need my help?”

  “If I do, I’ll find you.”

  “I’ll probably be in the library with the Tortoise, or helping the Imperial Dragon contact Ysmena, or making sure Lesot and Angom are comfortable.” She paused to laugh. “I’ll be in the lair somewhere. It’s good to see so much hope in everyone’s face.”

  “It really is. And if nothing else, I’ll call upon our jadestones to locate which chamber you’re in. Don’t forget you need to rest.” He chuckled, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and disappeared into the entryway.

  With darkness falling, the crowd trickled into the lair. Lyra caught up to the Malificates. Their uplifted faces looked all around, taking in the new environment. “If you need me while you’re here, just ask around. I think the Unicorn is organizing a nice dinner to make you feel welcome.”

  “Yes, he questions us about Terza. It’s new to us to talk with a beast. Ours give few words,” Angom replied.

  Lesot touched Lyra’s arm. “Our thanks are yours for all these kindnesses. It’s a privilege to travel by your land. We learn so much. Wonderful ideas to carry home.”

  She paused, considering whether to explain where her home really was. She smiled silently, glad an outsider couldn’t tell she still belonged to the human world. This chance for peace seemed to already be working to bring her closer to Cullen’s world.

  Acting as a good hostess, she took pride in showing her guests the wonders of the huge main hall.

  “Fine metalwork,” Angom said, pointing to the wall sconces. “I apprenticed with one trained in that art. That is my pleasure, but sadly not my task, since we are poor.”

  Lyra pointed out the ancient tapestries hanging on the walls. They were woven into stories of battles, where each previous Imperial Dragon fought against the Black Dragon of that era in a centuries old struggle. She wished she knew the details of each and made a mental note to study more about Dragonspeir’s history.

  The Imperial Dragon joined them. “These are all the leaders of the Alliance who preceded me. Each valiant, a daily reminder to me as I come and go to honor them with my service.”

  “Our history has such tales of the brave and honorable, but just tales and not truth now,” Lesot said, his eyes traveling from one tapestry to the next. He turned to Lyra. “Some say Kon was once such as this, a good leader, centuries past. Only those old enough to remember, like my mother, will tear over the loss.”

  Lyra touched a hand to his forearm and wished there was a way to help his people.

  “Lyra, let us continue your tour in my study. I must communicate with Ysmena.” The leader waved a wing and guided them into the grand corridor.

  The guests’ heads turned back and forth, taking in the brightly colored blue pendants and emblems of the Alliance adorning the stone walls. Angom ran a hand along the detailed carving of the double doors opening onto the leader’s study.

  “Please take seats or mingle freely while I use my observatory to send an astral message,” the leader said and walked into the connecting room.

  From the observatory, Lyra noticed flashes of light. She wanted to watch and learn his technique, but keeping the guests company seemed the proper thing to do.

  The two men walked along the walls of display cases and bookshelves, observing and remarking to each other about various instruments and titles. From snatches of their comments, they seemed to have an appreciation for the basic concepts. Lyra wondered if their close relationships to the elders allowed them to be better educated.

  The leader rejoined them and addressed the guests. “Oppression of good people is unfortunate. The energies of your hearts speak to me of your intentions. I traveled to Terza over two hundred years ago as a youth, before my appointment. I know of your plight. Please consider us allies of the Malificates.”

  Lesot turned away from the expansive view at one window. “Again, our thanks. If there is any way to free us of domination by Vizards, your offer will be gratefully used.”

  In a pause in the conversation, Lyra spoke up. “I’m going to go join the Tortoise in his library.”

  The Imperial Dragon laughed. “I can almost smell your eagerness to pour over that te
xt with him. We’ll send word so you have time to clean up for dinner.”

  Lyra looked down at the black dust smudging her light blue gown. “I hadn’t noticed with all the excitement. I am a mess.” She chuckled and hurried out. Her balance wavered, and she collided with the same blue sentry who never seemed to hear her footsteps. “I’m sorry,” she said as she straightened her posture.

  He gave a formal low bow, and she dropped her head. Scurrying down the side hall to the library, she wondered whether she was just too excited to have noticed him, or maybe tired from the quest. She tried not to consider that Cullen’s powerball or taking in all that effluvium might have seriously injured her equilibrium. Feeling fine again, she decided to deal with that problem later.

  Lyra found the Tortoise alone in the huge room, his front legs perched on the edge of his favorite low library table. Open journals and documents, most recorded on badly worn parchment, surrounded him. Without interrupting him, she pulled up a floor cushion and waited impatiently. She lifted her bag off and rested it in her lap.

  The Tortoise positioned himself beside her and readjusted the spectacles on his nose.

  She removed the ancient volume and placed it on the table between them. “I had no time to wrap this for protection. You’ll do that and store it?”

  “Yes, with utmost care.” He ran the tip of his front foot gently over the faded leather cover and opened it, turning slowly through the front matter. On the title page, in a script paler and tighter than the text, Elisabeth had signed her name.

  Lyra turned the page and began reading the story. She blinked repeatedly and reread the first paragraph. She visualized more than the words literally conveyed. Elisabeth did write very well, with proper mechanics and a fluid style. From her training, Lyra knew a talented writer told much by what was left out, but the details Lyra saw were not from the well-crafted prose. The words held magic and came to life for her. As she stared at the page, every leaf in the forest setting swayed separately on the screen of her mind.

  “Are you ready to turn the page?” the Tortoise asked, glancing up at her. “Lyra, are you all right? You look startled.”

  “Do you see each tree in the forest that she describes? Do you hear the leaves rustle? I hear the birds sing and smell the wildflowers on the ground. It’s like I’m really there.”

  He stared at her and touched her hand with his foot. “No. I wish I did. You read this both with your eyes and with your scribal aura. Will you please do me the honor of reading with me and telling me what you see?”

  She nodded. “I will. In the first paragraph, Elisabeth walks through a portal and stands in a great forest where each tree greets her. The subtle birches bend lower to whisper their hellos, softly rubbing their leaves together. The taller otase salute her with branches bent to their trunks and applaud her by clapping their flat blue leaves.”

  A single tear dripped from the Tortoise’s eye onto the back of Lyra’s hand. “Thank you. I can see what you see now. This will take a very long time, many days.”

  “I will gladly take time to share how I see Elisabeth’s story with you.” She reached her arm around his thick neck.

  The door to the library opened and Cullen walked in. “I’ve come to call you both to dinner in thirty minutes. Also, Yasqu’s wing tendon requires more care than expected since black magic infected the wound. I asked Lesot to help, and he formed a Malificate potion that is already proving useful. You or I must apply the potion because Mimio’s power isn’t strong enough.”

  Lyra stood. “Do you need me now?”

  “After dinner I can use your assistance. I think our journey tomorrow into Silva Caliga will have to be kept short or only one of us will make the trip. We’ll decide in the morning.”

  Chapter Fourteen: The Vernal Equinox Celebration

  On the wide ledge outside the lair, Lyra, Cullen, and the two Malificates mounted Yord while exchanging quick goodbyes with the Guardians and high order magicals. The bright moon, almost full, helped Lesot and Angom find seats between the couple.

  The magnificent blue sentry turned his neck to check his passengers. “Scribe Lyra, are all situated behind you?”

  After a backward glance, she nodded. “Yes! Ready.”

  He took two long strides, lifting his wings high to fill them with air. At the edge, he smoothly soared away from the cliff face, over the expanse of the Steppe of Ora.

  A few miles in the distance, a blood-red haze stained the dawn sky above Silva Nocens, the forest of the Dark Realm. Lyra shuddered, thinking of her last narrow escape from there, on the run from the drake minions of the Black Dragon. Somehow she had managed to fool Revelin into escorting her out.

  During the long winter months, she had reflected on his suicide, taking his life rather than admitting he killed her aunt. Although he murdered the last member of Lyra’s immediate family, she regretted his loss. An eye for an eye never seemed fair to her. Revelin had loved her in his own obsessive way. Thinking of being possessed by any man, a shiver ran along her spine. She exhaled a grateful sigh.

  The Geminus Tree divided the halves of the plain. Everywhere, the Alliance side showed signs of new spring growth. The silvery winter bark worn by the low bushes and grasses was peppered with pale green shoots. Swallows and sprites flitted in all directions. She strained to hear their songs, but only picked out a few notes.

  Beyond the demarcation, looking into the Dark Realm, the cracked ground lay exposed except for sparse grass plants. Prickly and tough, they defied the adverse conditions of gloom and drought. The wasteland appeared barren of life, but in the air several squadrons of red magma drakes patrolled their portion of the Steppe.

  Although the route to Silva Caliga would be shorter if they continued straight, Yord would incite enemy attack if he crossed the boundary. Lyra knew his typical flight patterns, and she braced for the turn. He served as her personal dragon flyer ever since she saved the blue’s life, repairing his wing damaged after a fight with a cimafa stealth dragon.

  Lyra held tighter to the spine in front of her and grasped Lesot’s hand at her hip. However, the blue took the expected right turn wider than usual to head them toward the forest that bordered the mighty Sea of Cogadh. Soon, a snaking ribbon of black sand held off the trees. In the soft, angled rays of dawn, mica sparkled like diamonds against the dark shore. A pearly film on the water’s surface undulated with the tidal flow, from the good and evil of the marine dwellers mixing like oil and water.

  From the north, the sweet and haunting soprano of the Lady of the Forest met them. This time, a chorus of childlike voices harmonized with hers, creating the sound of an angelic choir. Lyra guessed if those were the songs of the tree spirits, called circutamina, although she had never heard them from a distance. Many likely joined in singing that tune. She noted another difference. Rather than the flashes of isolated white lights dotting the mist-covered Silva Caliga, a whole eastern section was ablaze with lights.

  “Yord, what’s happening there?” Lyra asked.

  “It’s the vernal equinox festival, an important event for the forest people. The trees are breaking their winter dormancy,” he called out his reply in a resonant voice.

  “Oh! The Lady of the Forest invited me to visit during a celebration.” Lyra was glad she took time to conjure a fancier style of gown with several filmy layers of the palest blue, cinched at her waist by a satin cord. Overtop, she wore a new cloak of white wool.

  “They celebrate for days, beginning on the eve of the equinox, which is today. Ours is only during spring’s first sunset.”

  Lyra squirmed in her seat, wanting to share her excitement with Cullen. She’d told him so much about what Lady Ysmena did to help her retrieve his stolen aura.

  Cullen flashed her a knowing smile.

  Lyra pressed her thighs tighter against Yord’s back and felt her cheeks rise with a wide grin.

  As Yord descended, the turbulence loosened strands of hair from her braid. When he landed on the nearest shore
, she pulled out the tie and unwound the braid. As he hopped from boulder to boulder, she enjoyed letting the gentle coastal breeze lift her hair in all directions.

  “This is as close to the portal in the forest as I can fly. The dense trees block my landing,” Yord said as he lowered a wing for them to dismount.

  Cullen stepped onto the tendon and offered Lyra a hand.

  She accepted and bounced down to a nearby rock outcropping.

  When all passengers were safely off, the dragon addressed Lyra. “Remember to use your phoenix flame to call me when you need transport. By my bond to you, it will alert me.”

  After a wave to the blue, Lyra turned, walked into the forest, and took a deep breath of the moist, pine-scented air. She addressed the Malificates. “We’ll walk to meet Ysmena, the Lady of the Forest, who can take us to the portal.”

  Looking back at the magnificent dragon, Angom started at the sound of Lyra’s voice and nearly fell into her.

  Lesot nodded to her, but remained silent, his eyes scanning in all directions.

  “Everyone stay close.” Lyra motioned to draw the others near her. “These trees can be dangerous until they know we’re friends.”

  “I’ve never liked entering without Ysmena meeting me directly,” Cullen replied, coming beside Lyra. “I’ve always been too busy to connect with all the different tree species here.”

  With a smile, Lyra eyed him. “You’ve been here for over two hundred years, and I only get to spend a few days once in a while.”

  “Duties of an Imperial Sorcerer, you know,” he said with a sheepish grin.

  “Hmm. Maybe I’ll see how well the Imperial Sorcerer can do against these tall firs.” Lyra laughed and took a few wide strides, enjoying the crunch of the extra-long pine needles underfoot.

  “Lyra! Help!” Angom cried out from just a few feet behind. “This beast holds me!”