Dragon Mark
Page 21
A bell chimed over the door as I entered and a strong, familiar scent that reminded me immediately of Mama Lucy’s greenhouse hit me hard. Soft flute music played from speakers in the ceiling, and a bubbling fountain filled the center of the shop.
The walls were lined from floor to ceiling and filled with jars and bottles, wooden boxes, and things with names I couldn’t even pronounce. More glittering charms hung from the ceiling.
I glanced up at them as I moved slowly through the shop. There was one wall dedicated to books and another to horns and other strange looking items that had to be for show.
“May I help you?” a voice came from behind me.
I turned to see a woman with jet black hair and piercing ice blue eyes standing behind the counter. She had a broom in one hand and a red shawl around her shoulders.
“Yeah, sorry, Mama Lucy sent me,” I said, gulping down my apprehension over being here.
But the woman’s face softened immediately, and she smiled, waving me forward. “Well then, welcome. You must be Kate.”
I frowned. “How did you know?”
She nodded her head towards my wrist and the bangle. “I know many things, child, and I know your time is precious. Why have you come? Where is Lucy?”
I couldn’t speak for a moment, but remembered the wound on that guy’s side and rushed to pull the coin and list from my pocket. “She’s helping someone. Said we needed the things on the list and to pay you with this coin.” I handed both of them over, though my fingers tried to cling a moment longer to the gold coin.
She whispered over the list. “My, my, this is interesting. Wait here. I’ll gather what you need.”
As she disappeared into the back, I meandered around the shop to keep my mind from thinking the worst. If I was too late… if I couldn’t get back to the house in time…
No, no I was going to think positive. I might not have known that strange guy for long, but I could tell he was a fighter. He’d live. I knew he would.
I glanced aimlessly around the shop as I walked, but stopped when voices whispered as if people stood right beside me, speaking into my ear.
I whipped around, but I was alone. The voices were still there, but when I moved towards the counter, they grew quieter. Curious, I took another few steps towards the far corner of the shop, and they increased. I winced at how loud they became when I reached a small table, and everything fell deathly silent.
Sitting on the table was an intricate looking dagger, gold hilt encrusted with sapphires. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Dragons were etched into the sheath around the blade and even the hilt curved into the tail of one.
I reached out to touch it and like a magnet, my hand tightened around it. The shop fell away, and I was no longer a girl in a shop.
I soared high above the town, heavy wings beating the air as I pushed myself higher and higher above the clouds. When I rose above them, I was free.
Finally, free!
Wind rushed past me, and I rolled as I soared effortlessly through the air.
Then the sky darkened and turned red, and screams came from below.
I flew below the clouds, and the town was gone.
Instead, a castle stood in its place surrounded by other buildings on fire. People screamed and ran, but from what, I couldn’t see.
A massive body flew right by me, and I stared in awe at another great beast like me… and another… and another. The sky was filled with dragons, fire shooting from their mouths as they attacked the shadowy force overwhelming the land, but it did nothing to hold it back.
I tried to flee, but I was no longer in control. A roar erupted from my great body, and the dragons rallied to my side.
As one, we flew towards the shadow. I opened my jaws, my inner fire shot upward, through my throat…
“Kate,” a stern voice snapped, and my hand was yanked away from the dagger.
“What… sorry… what was that?” I asked panicking as I staggered away from the table.
“I said to wait by the counter.” She didn’t sound angry; concerned, but not angry.
“Sorry, yeah.” I sheepishly shoved my hands in my pocket and stepped back to the counter.
“I’ll have your items ready in a few minutes. I recommend you not touch anything else. You might not like what you see.”
She disappeared into the back of the shop again leaving me to wonder what she meant… and what the hell I’d just seen.
I hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Dragon Reign: Rivals.
Copyright © 2017 by Kit Bladegrave
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