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

by Marsha A. Moore

  The runes on the Tortoise’s shell glowed silver with his activated aura. He moved beside the leader. “The situation sounds desperate. What of our other two Guardians? The Phoenix, our Lady of Peace, is surely not fighting.”

  “No. She’s working round the clock visiting each stronghold to conjure food and necessities and provide sanitation. However, her most important gift is the magical comfort her words bring the people. I’m so grateful for her help in that way.”

  The palms of Cullen’s hands pulsed with his blue aura. He touched the back of the Tortoise, sparking a cloud of silvery-blue vapor above them. “I crossed paths with the Unicorn through the entire night until I was ordered to take a few hours of rest. Be assured he is fighting hard.”

  The elderly Guardian raised his head toward Cullen. “I had no doubts. I just wish I could do the same when Lyra takes rests.”

  “You are serving to your utmost on the most important task.” The Imperial Dragon waved a foreclaw in the direction of the table covered with parchments, books, and journals.

  “In that case, after I update you about our progress, I’ll not waste another second.” The Tortoise looked over his shoulder at Lyra. “Let’s resume our work. Please begin reading about Elisabeth’s encounter with the Emtori Ruby. I’ll join you at the study table directly.”

  Under stress from the increased threats by the Dark Realm, Lyra went straight to work. She found the correct passage, arranged her notes, and began reading silently.

  Mimio straightened and offered, “I can deliver the basic findings accurately, since it closely follows my mineralogy specialty.”

  “Thank you.” The Tortoise nodded and lumbered in Lyra’s direction, his narrowed black eyes piercing through wisps of silver aura with a look of determination.

  When the Guardian became comfortable, she moved the book nearer to him and pointed to the lines. She read aloud, both the actual text and the additional sensations conveyed by Elisabeth’s magic.

  Walking along the wide tunnel that wound deep into the lair of the Dark Realm, Garrett, being chivalrous, kept me behind him.

  Sconces were placed far apart, yielding only dim lighting. The ceiling barely cast a reflection, since it was at such an immense height. I hoped the dragons there were not that tall. We had only passed a distance of a hundred feet when I heard footsteps approaching—worse yet, I felt them resonating through the solid granite floor. My heart pounded against my ribcage. I sensed dark powers whipping all around me. I clutched my chest over my heart, with a strange intuitive feeling I could protect it with my own aura.

  Without a word, Garrett shoved me into a wide fissure in the stone wall. Between the wild thumping of my heart inside and his full weight pressing on the outside of me, I was sure my ribs would crack.

  In an inch of space above his broad shoulder, I caught glimpses of several red and burgundy hued dragons—drakes as Garrett told me later—shorter and wider than the blue guards or golden dragon leader I’d come to know in the Alliance. I held my breath, thinking that even a slight noise might attract their attention.

  The dark shadows must have hidden us, because the drakes passed us by without a glance.

  Our muscles trembling, we managed to move onward until we reached the third connecting tunnel on the left. Once we made that turn, the back of my nasal area and throat clenched, reacting to some putrid smell.

  Garrett glanced over his shoulder and handed me a bandana, indicating I should cover my nose like he did. “Acid regurgitation of the Black Dragon,” he whispered. After I tied the kerchief around my face, he clasped my hand and tucked it close to his waist. The warmth of his skin reassured me. The tension in the firm muscles along the side of his torso told me he would protect me from all dangers.

  Farther along the passageway, I noticed a glow. Strangely, there were no sconces to light that corridor. Our feet stumbled over uneven edges of stone so much we needed to slow our pace and shuffle.

  In an instant, someone or something grabbed Garrett and forced our hands apart.

  Garrett threw a ball of white magic from his palm and motioned for me to stay next to the wall. The strike momentarily stilled the attacker, and Garrett pushed against its hold. The length of his arm radiated with his aura.

  Just as he pried the appendage off his chest, a snake-like tail, coiled around the length of his leg. A second of a similar type wound in from the opposite side and pinned Garrett’s arm. Then a furred claw clamped into his neck and shoulder. The body and head of the beast kept to the shadows, but it dragged my beloved guide closer toward the light.

  The base of my throat constricted, forming a scream, but I fought to prevent it from escaping. I frantically sought ways to use my new magic, anything that would help free him.

  Garrett’s white aura illuminated his entire frame. That defense appeared to sting or hurt the beast; it repeatedly rearranged its appendages.

  Staying at a distance, I crept from crevice to crevice along the wall. I summoned my own aura into my touch. I’d never thrown power, so I had no idea how to proceed. With Garrett’s every motion to break free, I felt my aura aching to cast off and help him.

  When the light shined directly in front of us, the head of the beast became visible, but I still couldn’t identify it—a confused mix of brown fur and scales.

  It stood as tall as a grizzly, but owned more limbs than I could count. Some stretched out serpent-like with thick, coiling muscles reminding me of a boa and others like a bear but with exaggerated claws. One of those dug fiercely into the crook of Garrett’s neck. By the size of the blood staining through the thick layers of his undergarment, tunic, and waistcoat, I feared a major vessel had been severed.

  Adrenaline rushed through my body, and the ball of magic prickled the skin of my palm. I couldn’t lose him, the first man to touch my heart. A rush of instinctive knowledge flooded my mind. I raised my arm to throw at the silhouetted head of the beast.

  It leaned into the light and turned, so that I no longer had a line of fire. Its furred ears pinned back, and a thin, forked tongue shot from the tip of its muzzle. A red glow haloed its fur and glistened along its scales. With the mass of the bear-asp filling the entry, I believed the beast displayed an immense evil red aura—the color common to those of the Dark Realm—until it dragged Garrett to one side of the room.

  My beloved’s head lolled to one side, and the glow of his aura dimmed. In the intense red light filling the room, his white power seemed to disappear.

  My vision strained to determine the truth. I darted to a closer fissure and pulled my arm back to cast a handful of power.

  A familiar red flash caught the corner of my eye. With Garrett unable to cloak my vision, I realized my struggle with the ruby would rely upon my own mettle.

  No matter how I tried, the fireball would not leave my hand. Blisters bubbled on my palm and pads of my fingers.

  From a wide basin on a crude granite pedestal, the Emtori Ruby radiated scintillating crimson light in every direction. The gemstone, the size of an apple, appeared far larger than in the Imperial Dragon’s conjured image. It seemed to grow under my gaze to the diameter of a basketball. Transfixed by its power, no impulse to scream, run, or defend myself registered.

  Confusion tore at my mind. I sensed the warmth of Garrett’s love entreating me for help, while the Ruby locked my vision on it alone. My beloved’s heartbeat rang in my ears, begging, while the pulsations of the Ruby formed their own rhythm that fought his. Blood trickled in a thin stream along the stone before my toes…red, crimson, ruby. Opposing thoughts battled each other. Madness made my muscles tense. I crumpled onto hands and knees in the pool of his blood, my eyes still fixed on that fiery gem. All I desired was to touch it, feel its power coursing through me, feeding me. It was the mother I’d lost as a child. It needed me and promised to care for me like no one else had. It commanded my arms and legs to crawl. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks as I passed Garrett.

  “Lyra! Stop there!” A hand rest
ed on her arm.

  Lyra jerked her head up and gasped for air, unaware she’d been holding her breath. Tremors passed over her body, but her hand clung to the book. She paged forward, scanning as rapidly as her eyes could move to find mentions of Garrett’s name. She had to know more—if he survived.

  The Spheres of Sidus had tied her destiny to Elisabeth’s. Lyra never understood the link. It frightened her to think this fate would also be hers and Cullen’s. Her other hand floated up to the jadestone brooch fastened onto her shirt. Its calm coolness helped balance her mind. She wrapped it tightly into her palm. The leaves of the silver setting dug into her skin, the reality of the sharp pain reassuring her that she lived in the present and not in Elisabeth’s world. The paired stones that helped she and Cullen share their magic through their love had originally belonged to Elisabeth and Garrett. Aware of yet another parallel, Lyra dropped her hand free of the brooch.

  She reached the end of the book but didn’t find Garrett, then realized she incorrectly looked for Cullen’s name instead. Or did she? Her mind played tricks on her. She thumbed wildly back to the horrifying scene. Blood from her hand cut by the brooch dripped onto the pages. A dark delirium swept over her mind.

  Chapter Six: The Gemmator

  Lyra blinked her eyes open and viewed a blurred vision of Cullen’s face.

  “Lyra! Can you hear me?” he blurted with a choppy voice.

  “What happened to her?” the Imperial Dragon demanded.

  She opened her mouth and tried to reply, but coughs muffled her words. She noticed the worried yellow color of the leader’s eyes. Finally, her words came out with a ragged exhale. “Yes. I can.” She reached toward her wavering view of Cullen.

  He clasped her hand and held it tightly. “She’s had another seizure.”

  “Another? When was the first?”

  “Last evening. We worked too long before dinner,” Mimio explained. “That compounded stresses her body took due to extremes of energy flow.”

  “And she had nightmares during her sleep last night with some abnormal electrical impulses. I stayed awake clearing her thoughts while I listened for the squadrons departing.” Cullen glanced at the leader.

  “Can the two of you repair her injuries?” the Imperial Dragon asked. “We need her to be able to read those ancient texts.”

  “I’ve applied my healing, but some of the abnormalities resist.” Cullen faced Lyra. As her vision cleared, she saw the lines marring his forehead. “Can you tell me what you felt when you read that passage? We heard what you read aloud, but what happened within you?”

  “I felt—” Lyra broke into a hard cough.

  “Have a sip of water.” Mimio gently lifted her head and brought the rim of a glass to Lyra’s lips.

  The water soothed her dry throat. “The power of the Emtori Ruby connected to me. The more it attached to Elisabeth, the more I felt its tight grasp. I became her…and lost myself. I had no control.”

  The Imperial Dragon looked down at her from high above. “What did the attraction to the ruby feel like?”

  Cullen stroked the side of Lyra’s face. “Don’t worry. It’s not going to happen to us.”

  She covered his hand with her own and closed her eyes to concentrate on the vibrations of their love. “Elisabeth was forced to choose between saving her beloved, Sire Garrett, or answering the call of the ruby. I felt Elisabeth’s deep love for Garrett. She knew he was bleeding from a potentially fatal wound. Although her determination to help him was fierce, the ruby behaved like it was alive, matching every wave of bravery and courage she mustered. The struggle confused Elisabeth’s mind like a madness. Her anguish became mine.”

  Tears formed under the lids of Lyra’s eyes. Not wanting to show weakness, she squinted to keep them from leaking out. “I couldn’t save you. Even when I stopped reading, I was her. I couldn’t find your name in the rest of the book, and I…I thought you died.”

  “It wasn’t real. I’m here with you.” Cullen leaned close and kissed her cheek. “Open those lovely blue eyes and see me.”

  “But the Spheres of Sidus showed an image of Elisabeth telling me that I shared her destiny. Events of her life might repeat in mine.” Lyra studied his eyes as he leaned back.

  “Or you might be the Scribe to complete her goals,” the leader added.

  Mimio smoothed strands of Lyra’s hair escaped from her braid. “You might also be the Scribe to realize the happiness Elisabeth sought here in the Alliance with Garrett. You mustn’t think of the negative. There are wonderful possibilities.”

  “Lyra, would it help to know more?” asked the Imperial Dragon. “We can consult my instruments again and possibly learn the answer to this question.”

  Lyra scanned their faces. “No. I can’t risk the chance of finding out that Cullen and I share the same fate. If that was the reading, I’d never be able to face my responsibilities to the Alliance. Many more than the two of us would suffer.”

  The Tortoise pushed his neck into the circle. “I have a copy of the first Scribe’s bloodswear record. Sire Garrett died during that second quest. So, they managed to overcome the powers of the Emtori Ruby you just read about.”

  “I need to read that.” Lyra lifted onto her elbows. “And how they survived their experience with the Ruby.”

  “No. Not yet,” the Imperial Dragon stated. “We must find a method—”

  Cullen held her and glared at the leader. “She’s already suffered damage that we don’t know how to repair. The occurrences are coming more frequently. I don’t agree with the expectation that she’ll continue hurting herself. We don’t understand what is happening within her.”

  “Sire Drake, I do understand. I don’t wish Lyra to become injured further. But the responsibility of her task is enormous. The lives of hundreds of thousands lie on her shoulders alone. We must find a way to help her continue her job.”

  “Neither Mimio nor I can heal Lyra.” Cullen released Lyra and stood. “If she continues working, she’s likely to suffer extreme effects. I don’t think I need to remind you that she’s only partially afflated, still mortal enough to become seriously injured…or even die.” Cullen spoke in a loud voice, his arms waving in the air. “What benefit to the Alliance will come of that?”

  “Sire Drake, let me remind you that you serve as the Imperial Sorcerer of this Alliance. Your duty is to serve the people…with no regard for your personal feelings.” The Imperial Dragon curved his neck lower until his massive head aligned with Cullen’s.

  “My duty? What about yours? You’re the Head Guardian. You can promote her to full afflation and stop this madness. This is an outrage!” Cullen’s gaze pierced the leader with a steely blue stare. “What’s stopping you? Have you lost too much power to the Black Dragon and need to sacrifice her life to regain it?” He spat each word.

  Smoke ringed the leader’s nostrils. His ears pinned back, and his snout loomed close to the sorcerer, teeth bared. “You would do well to remember your rank.”

  “Stop this!” The Tortoise strained his neck between them to the height of the sorcerer’s shoulder. “Fighting amongst ourselves serves no one.”

  The Imperial Dragon nodded and withdrew a few feet. “Afflation isn’t bestowed by any Guardian,” he replied with a calmer tone.

  “He’s correct.” The Tortoise faced Cullen. “Afflation is an honor given by the coalition of primary astral bodies of air, earth, fire, and water. She must serve until her power and accomplished duty correspond to those who have come before.

  Cullen clenched his hands into fists and lifted his chest. “At one time, my duty to the people was most important.” He shook his head and glanced at Lyra. “Now, I would give that away to keep my love safe. I refuse to take more chances with her health. If any disagrees, I’m prepared to step down and remove her from these dangers. She can live unharmed in her world.”

  Lyra touched his thigh. “But you cannot. We would lose our chance to live together.”

  “She’s r
ight,” the Tortoise added. “In that world, without Alliance magic, you would perish in a matter of weeks.”

  Cullen studied Lyra’s face.

  “I can’t bear to watch you die any more than you can see that happen to me,” Lyra pleaded. “I almost lost you once when your aura was stolen. I can’t. Please, let’s find some way to make this a safe process.”

  He let out a sigh and crouched at her side.

  She cradled his head against her shoulder. “There must be some way. I want a life with you.”

  The leader looked at the others. “Any recommendations?”

  “I can renew myself with the fire star, being careful to take in only a small amount of power,” Lyra offered.

  “No. Far too risky,” the leader replied.

  “I agree. You won’t know when to stop,” Cullen added.

  “I wonder if our gemmator, Faber, might be able to help?” Mimio asked. “He’s here in the lair at my request since Lyra’s studies have found threads relating to his specialty. I know from my mineralogy training that some gems can store measured amounts of power. Maybe that will help.”