Hailey was sending him not so subtle shower hints. “S-H-O-W-E-R,” she spelled slowly in a loop. And yet, he couldn’t get his feet to move any closer to the cabin. He knew she was drained after the day they had and the lack of sleep the night before, but he wasn’t ready to be trapped inside just yet. As she slept he would be conscious with only himself for company.
So he turned in the opposite direction of the cabin and took off running. Hailey was yelling at him to turn around but he tuned her out.
His muscles protested with each footfall but his mind pushed on. Dacea did his best thinking when he ran. He could get lost in his thoughts and settle his emotions after only a few miles. Katherine and many sleepless nights had taught him that. He had gone on countless runs during that time. If he was too exhausted to think then he could finally rest.
Up the mountain he went. He wanted hard and fast, and there is nothing harder than going up. It was around mile two that his mind cleared of all thought. He felt grounded again without the guilt and anger ballooning inside of him. All that was left was to run.
“Dak, you will kill me if you keep this up,” Hailey pleaded.
She was right; her body wasn’t conditioned for this kind of exercise. He slowed his pace, already on the downhill. He would work with her on that, she needed to learn some basic self-defense anyway.
The lights from the cabin were blazing. As he slowed to a walk, his muscles began to tighten up. A nice long stretch later and Dacea was on his way inside. Like most nights, everyone was doing their own thing, in their own place.
A sandwich sat in the middle of the table with a note containing only one word “Eat.” His love for Darby was bottomless in that moment. She was always taking care of him, even when he didn’t think he deserved it.
“Please, take pity on me. I am but a measly human girl. My body, it needs rest.” Dacea delved into the sandwich as Hailey rambled on.
“So you don’t want a shower?” he asked after chewing his last bite, already stripping the grimy clothes off his sweaty body.
“Touché, Sir. Shower first, sleep like the dead second.”
“Your wish, my command,” he said he walked toward the bathroom. “Hey, did you get more of that orange scented soap when we were at Target?”
“No, why?”
“Pity,” he said hesitating with a hand on the bathroom doorknob. A smile grew across his face. “I really like that scent on your skin.”
*****
The putrid scent of decaying flesh engulfed her whole. Down every street, every trail, every room…the scent lay in wait. It followed her, stalked her. The body of a tortured dragon haunted her. Behind every corner the scent was lurking, then the face. She screamed but no one would hear her. In this, she was alone. Not even Dacea could rescue her now. Her mind was a labyrinth of death; no one would be able to find her in this dreamscape.
“Please,” she begged the dead man, “please stop this.” His cold milky eyes gazed at her with no feeling, no emotion, only a life lost. She saw time pass in the reflection of his eyes. A family man, honor bound to the Red dragons. His whole life leading up to the moment he became a soldier. It was all he ever wanted, until he found his wife, and then his son. Priorities changed, interests shifted, only a week away from retirement when Silas’s men captured him. A bouquet of roses left abandoned on the sidewalk, the peach petals littered the cement. His wife would never hear him say “I love you” again; his son would never know what having a dad was like.
Hailey wept for the dead dragon. Her heart broke for his wife and withered away for the son. His broken body, bruised beyond measure, continued to stare at her, tears leaked from his comatosed eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” she cried. This man had been a stranger to her, and yet, he died because of her. How many more could say the same?
“Shhhhh. Hailey it’s ok.” A hand stroked down her head. It was fuzzy, unlike the voice. That was familiar and kind, reminded her of a fireplace roaring in the dead of winter while clad in fuzzy pajamas and sipping hot cocoa with one hand as the other held a leather-bound copy of Pride and Prejudice. Warmth and comfort packaged in a deep, sexy baritone.
“It’s just a nightmare,” he said and the hand stroked down her hair once more. “Sleep now. I will keep the ghosts at bay.”
The body disappeared, the smell forgotten. Hailey drifted deeper into an easy, dreamless sleep, knowing her dragon stood guard.
Chapter Thirteen
“Wakey wakey.”
“Go away.” Hailey settled deeper into the pillows.
“Hailey it is two in the afternoon. Get your ass out of bed.” The bed in question began to bounce.
“Muse, you will face the wrath of a firestorm if you don’t stop bouncing.”
“But I have coffee.” She sang the word coffee, dragging out each syllable. Hailey’s hand shot out from under the covers.
“Gimme.”
“Not until you have your feet on the floor.”
Hailey thought about it for a few moments. “Not worth it.” She slipped the hand back under the covers.
“I didn’t want to do this.” The covers bunched by her feet. “But you leave me no choice.” Arctic air settled on her body as the blanket was torn off like a Band-Aid. Hailey screamed and twisted on the coverless bed.
“You look like you’re possessed.”
“Yes and only coffee will purge the evil from my blackened soul.” She quit her contortionist impression and sat up, pulling a sweat shirt over her head. “Gimme,” Hailey said again with hands outstretched
Lia handed her a cup of liquid energy and sat at the end of the bed.
“So what’s going on today?”
“Darby is setting up the finding spell. She should be ready for you in a few hours.”
Hailey sipped her coffee. “And I’m awake now because…”
A ringing was coming from Lia’s pants. She reached in her pocket and pulled out her phone frowning at the number. “Excuse me,” she said before bolting into the hallway leaving Hailey completely awake and coverless.
Hailey decided that walking was not an option as she stretched her sore legs out in front of her. She wasn’t a runner or athletic in any way. Dak had pushed her last night like it was her third marathon. There wasn’t a piece of her that wasn’t aching and stiff.
“Fix my body.,” she demanded of her dragon.
“I’m sorry, but I needed that last night. Once you start running more often, your body will adjust.”
That was not the answer she had hoped to hear. So Hailey repeated “Fix my body.”
“I can’t.”
“You will.”
“Hailey,” he said exasperated.
“Don’t you Hailey me, Mr. Big Bad Dragon. You’re not the one unable to move because someone ran off with your body.”
“Like I said, your body will adjust.”
“Adjust this.” With that Hailey lifted her middle finger.
“Such a lady.”
Tentatively she lowered her feet to the floor. Placing the empty mug on the nightstand she hefted herself up and abruptly stumbled forward on Tin Man straight legs. The dresser caught her but all the items toppled over in her effort to catch herself.
“Fuckin A.” She’d fix it later. The wall became her life support until her muscles loosened up. Hailey took a break outside Darby’s room. She bent at the knees and groaned in sync with her muscles.
“No I will not. Drop this Cleo; you will not be happy if you push me further.” Through the door Hailey caught part of Lia’s phone call. “Don’t you say his name! He was mine and I am close to finally finding out what happened. Just give me a few more days.”
The muse was just full of secrets, Hailey thought. She began putting two and two together. Lia had a strangely vested interest in Silas and a boyfriend that was no more.
“Fine, I’ll be there soon but I’m not staying. I’m needed here more than at Father’s throne.”
And that was her cue to
beat feet. Hailey wobbled as fast as she could into the living room. “Look busy, look busy, look busy,” she repeated as the bedroom door opened. Dropping to the couch, she reached for the Encyclopedia of Creatures and turned to the next section.
Lia stormed into the room, grabbed her things that had settled around the cabin and shoved them in a backpack. “I have to leave, I’ll be back soon.”
“Everything ok?”
“Yes just family drama.” Lia zipped up the bag and tossed it over her shoulder. “I’m leaving most my stuff, it’s upstairs in the loft. I’ll try to be back in a day or two.” Her blue, anger filled eyes met Hailey’s. “Don’t move on Silas without me.”
“We won’t, I promise.”
“Thank you.” Lia turned and left.
“What was all that about?” she asked Dak.
“Well, there are nine muses and a very large extended family, could be anything at this point.”
Since she was sitting in a relatively comfortable spot and had reading material, Hailey didn’t see the need to move. Instead, she found her spot and picked up reading more on dragons.
Section Three: Mates (Also known as Céile): Although there is no law binding a dragon to only be with his intended Mate, most hold out till she is found. The bond between Mates is a beloved thing. Some have even developed deeper connections such as: hearing each other’s thoughts, empathy, sharing dreams, and knowing the other’s location.
Mates are a perfect match for each other. Physically, emotionally, mentally they have what the other needs. The dragon will protect his Mate at all costs. They come above all else.
When a Mate dies, the dragon will follow shortly after. Once the connection is made, she becomes his lifeline. For this reason, it has been known for a dragon to turn down his intended before a connection has been made. Often soldiers, or dragons of the Monarchy, will not seek out their Mate.
A mating ceremony is performed in all instances, binding one to another. Without the ceremony the council will not recognize a mating. Traditions and customs are individual to each sept.
Hailey frowned and read over the passage again. Dak had used the word Mate in relation to her a few times. Was she his? He was silent in her head and giving off a “don’t talk to me vibe.” She thought back to the times he called her Mate and his reactions when she asked him about it. Dak was so closed mouthed when it came to this subject. Did he not want her to find out? She checked again and was still getting a strong “do not disturb” feel. Her questions would have to wait until he was more willing to talk, but her mind took the chance to run rampant.
Pages flipped by, words were read, but nothing actually got through to her head. Hailey’s mind spun round with a variety of phrasing for her one question. Was she? Were they? Could this be true? Her heart decided to speak up and add to the plethora of unanswered questions. “How do you feel about this?” It silenced the other questions. She felt like she was sitting in a solitary chair in front of a panel, containing her brain, heart, and gut. They were asking her questions she couldn’t possibly have the answers for.
Her gut was poking her. It had an answer. Hailey could feel it deep down inside of her. She knew how she should feel, how she wanted to feel, but only her gut knew how she actually felt. Ignoring it would be her best course of action. It’s worked for her so far, why change now?
Flipping another page, she blinked her eyes clear and actually read the first line. About the size of a large dog or wolf, the dropbear will sit in a treetop awaiting its prey. It then jumps from the tree attacking from above. They are malicious and carnivorous marsupials. Distant relatives of the koala.
“What the fuck did I just read?” Hailey flipped back a few pages and saw she had been learning about dropbears and draugar, better known as Norse animated corpses.
Time for a break, she thought and closed the book. Her empty stomach rumbled with its impersonation of a humpback whale’s mating call. One perk of staying in a small cabin was everything was only a few steps away. However, her body felt like it had been run over by a school bus full of Elvis impersonators. She took a moment to bitch at the dragon who put her in such a state.
“You know, if it weren’t for you I’d be in the kitchen eating a bagel right now with Elvis.”
“Once again, I haven’t the slightest idea what you are talking about,” Dak spoke, baffled but amused.
“Mmmm hmmmm, a likely story.” Her legs strained as she pushed herself off the couch. “You ever do that shit again and I’ll take you to a strip joint on ladies night. I hope you have a lot of ones because I tip well.” She hummed Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” as she inched her way on sore legs to the kitchen, all while Dak laughed away like a rabid monkey.
*****
“You.” Darby pointed to Hailey. “Sit there.” Hailey took her seat in the middle of the floor. Her head was pounding at a dull roar from all the jasmine incense Darby insisted on lighting 20 minutes earlier. “I’ll need Dacea for this.” And that was okay with her. Hailey was still a skeptic when it came to magic. Mike the Magnificent was probably to blame for that one. Although, her seven year old self was amazed at how much vodka one man could drink, and then again with how much vomit could fit in a top hat.
“Ready?” He nudged her mind.
“Oh yeah, sorry.” Presto chango! The switch was made.
Darby had been lighting candles but now sat in front of her with a bowl of water between them. Earlier Hailey had asked what the basic run down of the spell was.
“It’s simple,” the witch said. “Light a few candles, burn a few incense, say an incantation a couple times, and Silas will show up in the water.”
“Yeah, okay,” she said with an impressive eye roll.
Darby had smiled and patted her arm as if to say, you’ll see.
Dak reached forward and laid his hands in Darby’s. This wasn’t their first spell, nor would it be their last. When he was with Lennox, Darby had used them on multiple occasions to practice her magic. He smiled at her; she returned it and squeezed his hands knowing they were sharing the same memories.
Her eyes closed, breath deepened. Darby was casting the circle. Sometime she would physically make a circle other times, like now, she would do it mentally. Candles sat in the four quarters of the Earth: north, south, east, and west. Light illuminated the cabin, casting dancing shadows on the walls. Darby’s skin became warm, waves of heat radiated from her body as the magic pulsed in the enclosed space. Energy crawled up his arms; it was his signal the circle had been set. Her unfocused eyes opened with an eerie glow.
Showtime.
“Keeper of what disappears,
Hear me now and open your ears.
Find for me what I now speak,
The dragon Silas is who I seek.”
Dacea envisioned Silas, he held on to every detail he could remember. They stared at the water, a ripple of images appeared in the liquid but nothing solid. Darby frowned and repeated the spell. Again, a little something but not enough to figure out where he was.
“I don’t get it,” she said confused. Her were eyes losing their white tint. “I’m just not getting a hold on him. It’s fuzzy.”
“I’m picturing him in my mind like you said,” Dacea stated defensively.
“Simmer down, I’m not blaming you.” She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. “Let Hailey try.”
“Why? I know him better.”
“Just a hunch.”
Hailey grumbled and bitched but switched with Dak. She drew a picture of Silas in her head, everything from his tousled hair to his smooth hands. When she had the clearest picture she could get, Hailey nodded and Darby started again.
This time she barely got the spell out before an image formed in the water. It was clear as day. Silas was sitting outside with two men behind him, their mouths moved but no sound could be heard. Hailey wondered what they talked about, was it about them? Silas looked smug about something. His lips curled around a glass of wine.
�
�I know where he is.”
“Huh, where?” How did he know? All she saw was a few hills and a big lake.
“Look closer,” Dak pushed.
She moved her head towards the water, and ignored the people and focused on the landscape. Green rolling hills wound around a long lake, she couldn’t see either end from their point of view. There were plants covering the hills and a few building scattered about. “Are those grapevines?”
“Very good. Silas owns a vineyard on Seneca Lake in New York.”
“So we have him?” Hailey smiled and sat back. Darby stared at her with a small tilt in her head as if trying to figure something out. “What do we do now?”
“Close the circle.” Darby stared for a moment longer then closed her eyes. It took a minute or two for the image to disappear. Hailey continued to watch Silas. His henchmen had left him, and now he sat alone with his wine. He looked sad, she noted, sad and lonely.
“Ok, we’re all done. Nicely done, Hailey.”
“Thanks.” She said, distracted. The water lay empty of pictures but she couldn’t look away. They assured her this was like a one way mirror, they could see him but he couldn’t see them. But yet Hailey could have sworn as the image faded, Silas looked back at her through the water.
*****
The cabin was silent, except for the army of crickets outside. Hailey rolled over and closed her eyes. This time, she would fall asleep. The 47th time was the charm, right? She had woke after only an hour of sleep and hadn’t been able to shut off her brain ever since.
She tried to count sheep but one of them sprouted wings and began to fly over the grassy green pastures. He arrived at his little cottage where his sheep wife and little sheep son awaited him. After a happy reunion, the sheep family went inside. What they failed see were all the other sheep on their way to the cottage in an angry mob, complete with torches and pitchforks.
“You,” she told the darkness, “have an over active imagination.” Flipping to her back, she stared at the ceiling.
The Hailey Holloway Complete Series Page 9