Unquiet Slumber

by Paulette Miller

  Tianna nodded but, as she glanced at Nathaniel out of the corner of her eye, she knew her heart was already taken. She truly wanted no other.

  When they finished their meeting, Nathaniel headed to his empty bed, while Gabriel escorted Tianna back to his home. Once they arrived, Gabriel sighed as he watched Tianna touch a wooden table. He knew she was desperate to have nature wrapped around her.

  After he was dressed in his night pants, he positioned himself in the middle of the room and stretched out his arms wide. He didn’t move or say anything.

  Tianna stared at him puzzled. “What are you doing?”

  He stood motionless. “I may not be a tree, but I’m about as big as one.” He gave her his dazzling smile.

  She took the hint and jumped up against his chest, wrapping her arms and legs around him tight. When he kept his arms sticking out straight from his sides, Tianna cleared her throat and said, “Excuse me tree, but would you please wrap your branches around me.”

  He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. He awkwardly crawled into bed with Tianna tightly attached to his chest. She refused to loosen her hold even a little. He settled in and whispered in her ear, “Please try to ease your mind and let my branches hold you tight all night long.” He snaked his hands under her shirt to rub her back and she fell quickly asleep sprawled out on his chest listening to his heart beat and feeling his chest move as he breathed. She purred while she peacefully dreamed that she was lying in a tree draped across a huge branch.

  Chapter 32 - Destiny Revealed

  The next day wasn’t much better for Tianna. Although her new family and friends tried to shelter her, the stares and whispers grew worse as the news of her arrival and connection to the prophecy spread. To avoid having to eat with Gabriel’s sons standing guard around her, she ended up eating her meals in Gabriel’s home. She went to bed early, depressed and frustrated.

  The following day, Tianna woke early in a foul mood. Haven’s reactions and her inability to crawl into a tree were starting to really affect her. Gabriel tried to ease her tension but it was useless. He was going to have to talk to the Seer about options for her. She couldn’t continue on this way.

  After Gabriel returned with an early morning meal, he announced, “Today, we are going to the Hall of History. That is where the historians of Haven study Draak history, translate old text, and document our current events for future historians to argue over.” Although she didn’t want to be stared at, he knew she loved knowledge and thought the trip would give her a few moments of distraction.

  Tianna didn’t want to go but she had promised so she got ready. He led her to the hall and she watched their path closely to better learn her way around Haven. It was much easier to navigate now that she had had a few days to look around when there was day light.

  Tianna arrived at the designated location with Gabriel at her side. He held her hand tight in his. As they approached the door to the hall, Tianna stopped and turned to Gabriel. “I’m just being silly. You don’t need to stay with me. I’m a grown adult. I’ll be fine.”

  “I’d be happy to stay with you.” He started to walk in with her but she stopped him.

  She gave him a nervous smile. “No, I’ll be fine. You go ahead. I can meet you back at your home after I’m done.” Seeing his concern, she added, “Don’t worry. This time I do know the way back. Actually, I think I could navigate Haven quite well now.” She gave him a sincere smile.

  Gabriel was unconvinced but agreed. “I have things to discuss with the Seer, so I’ll stop by here when I’m done to see if you need me. If you’re already gone, I’ll just meet you back at my place.” He smiled, turned, and walked away.

  Tianna sighed and opened the door. To her surprise, the view inside made her grin. The room was about the size and shape of her large barn at home, and every surface that could hold a book or scroll was filled to overflowing. There were ladders scattered about so the historians could reach the books on the shelves located high on the walls.

  As she scanned the room, she saw open doors leading to other rooms and assumed they were just as full as this one. She walked forward and couldn’t hold back the urge to caress the spines. She had an overwhelming desire to grab a book, any book, and flip through the pages. She could spend years just digging through the stacks.

  She noticed several historians already huddled together at a table arguing over the meaning of some writing on a scroll. It seemed that they took their responsibilities very seriously. Her stomach churned as she saw herself trapped beneath them while they huddled over her back arguing. She shuttered at the thought.

  No one seemed to even notice she had walked into the room so she cleared her throat and said, “Excuse me, I’m Tianna. I was told to come see you.”

  They all stopped their arguing and smiled up at her. They approached, made introductions, and shared basic pleasantries. They asked her silly questions about how it felt to be mixed Draak blood.

  Tianna thought about that. She wanted to answer them with “How would I know. I haven’t been anything else. I’ve nothing to compare it to.” Instead she just shrugged her shoulders and left it at that.

  Everyone was a little uncomfortable with the situation, so a Draak named Eli came to the rescue and took charge. “Tianna, please take off your shirt and lay down on that table over there.”

  Tianna scanned the room and saw a table covered with a fur. She walked over and, facing away from those in the room, took off her shirt. She held it in front of her to cover her breasts and especially her Black Dragon mark, and crawled face-first onto the table.

  The historians gathered around her and started to examine her mark. They asked her to share the story of how it came to be. She told them about her dream, her resulting sketch, and the traveling wizard that etched it on her skin. She even mentioned how it glowed when she used excessive amounts of power.

  It was as she feared. After she finished her story the arguing began. They each had very different opinions on what the symbols meant. Occasionally someone would run off to consult a book and then run back with a whole new possibility to argue over. After a while, their arguing became just a dull noise in her ears and she fell asleep.

  *~*~*~*

  Tianna was back in Trille in Zarin’s home staring down at the floor in the middle of the main room. A warm breeze was blowing through the windows. As she scanned the room, she noticed that it was the same as she remembered except it looked much newer than when she lived there.

  “I wonder why I’m here?” she said to herself.

  A voice responded, “To see me.” Tianna quickly turned toward the woman’s voice. Arielle smiled. “It’s good to see you, my daughter.”

  Tianna had heard Arielle’s voice several times but had never seen her image. “It’s good to finally meet you Mother.” Tianna asked, “Although I am grateful to see you, why did you call me here of all places?” She gestured around the room.

  Arielle walked forward until she stood next to Tianna. Gazing down at the floor in front of her, she said, “This is where it all began. This is the exact spot where you were born.” She glanced back up at Tianna and smiled. “I’m very proud of you daughter. You’ve come a long way in a very short time.”

  Before losing her nerve, Tianna asked the one question she had longed to ask her real mother. “Why did you leave me alone in a human village?”

  “I know your human life wasn’t easy. I wish I could have been there to make it easier, but everything needed to progress on its own path.”

  “But you never even contacted me once. Didn’t you care what happened to me?”

  “I wanted to see you so desperately and thought about you every day. But there are those that would have done you harm, and I mean more than just Kai and his followers. To protect you, I needed you to remain hidden, so I had to stay away. I couldn’t risk them following my trail to your doorstep. I didn’t even know I had given birth to a girl until after you left Trille and started your journey to Haven
.”

  “All my life, I knew I didn’t belong. I felt so alone.”

  Arielle reached out and touched Tianna’s cheek. “For that, I’ll always regret. I had commanded Zarin to keep you hidden and safe from everyone until you had a chance to grow up and gain the strength and skills to be able to protect yourself. I always knew that someday we would be together again.”

  Given what Tianna now knew of Kai, she could understand the dangers if she had met him when she was young.

  As Arielle dropped her hand to her side, her expression became very serious. “I can’t stay long and I didn’t come here to talk about the past. I’m here to talk to you about your future—about your destiny.”

  Tianna was disappointed. That was the last thing she wanted to talk about. “It’s a lie. I don’t believe that I’m destined to be the mother of the next great Draak warrior. I don’t think I’ll ever mate. I don’t fit into this Draak world. Actually I don‘t seem to fit in anywhere.”

  “I admit you’re unique, but I brought you into this world for a purpose. You possess skills that no one else has. You must embrace who you are or we’re all doomed. It won’t be easy, but you must embrace your destiny.”

  “But I don’t know who I am.” Tianna shook her head, feeling defeated.

  Arielle walked over to Tianna’s side. “You are who you are—a daughter of the Faye. As my daughter, you must learn to embrace all your natures, including dragon. Haven could be your home if you let it. They can help you find yourself and set you on the right path.”

  Tianna shook her head. “They want me to take a mate. They say I must allow a mighty Draak warrior into my life and have his child. I thought I had a Draak for a while but the one I love no longer loves me.”

  Arielle put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Love comes in many forms. Keep your mind open to the possibilities. There are others.” She said this as a statement, not as a question.

  Tianna fidgeted. “Yes, there’s one that I do care for deeply and seems to care for me. I don’t feel passion, but I do feel safe and secure. There is a third that claims to be my matched mate, but he’s the evil we’re trying to stop.”

  Arielle replied, “Not everything is as it seems. Trust in yourself. You’ll choose the right path.” She started to fade as did her voice. “I know this isn’t easy for you and I guarantee it’s going to get even harder.” Her voice now sounded like it was coming from a long distance away. “Trust in those that are charged to protect you. You’ll need them in order to survive.”

  Tianna begged, “Don’t leave me here alone. I have so many questions to ask about you and who I am. What’s Faye like? Do I have any brothers or sisters?”

  Arielle’s body continued to dissolve and she said, “In time, you’ll find all of the answers you seek. For now, remain focused on the here and now. Always remember that you are never alone. I’m watching over you, even if you don’t see me.” Arielle shimmered and disappeared.

  *~*~*~*

  Tianna awoke to a loud booming sound. She jumped up off the table, pulled two daggers out from their sheaths located on her thighs, and held them at the ready.

  She saw one of the historians picking up a stack of books that he obviously had knocked to the floor. The rest of them were standing in front of her staring at her chest. She had jumped up, forgetting she had no shirt on, and now her Black Dragon mark was proudly displayed for all to see. She quickly turned away and dropped the daggers on the table, grabbing her shirt to cover herself.

  When she slowly turned around again, she saw that the historians’ faces had turned white with fear. They had seen her mark. Obviously no one had informed them that she was bonded to Kai.

  Eli pointed at her chest with his finger shaking. “You have the bonded mark of the Black Dragon. This means the legend has returned as we feared and you’re marked as his future mate.”

  They all backed away from Tianna, trembling in fear.

  Tianna let out a breath in frustration. She thought to herself, “Well, I guess Haven is just like the close minded, hateful villagers from Trille. They all ran from me in fear and now so do the Draaks. I’ve done nothing to deserve being treated like I have some contagious disease. I’m done with all of this.”

  Tianna turned her back on the historians, threw on her shirt, and stormed out without saying a word. She headed back to Gabriel’s, unsure what she would do next.

  She had only traveled a short distance down the road, when she ran right into Raven. Tianna thought to herself, “Great. This day just keeps getting better and better.”

  They stared at each other silently for several minutes, trying to figure out if they should talk or walk past each other, pretending that they never saw each other. Raven decided to be polite and said, “Hello Tianna. I hope all is well with you.”

  Tianna lied and replied, “I’m fine, thank you.”

  Tianna could tell there was something else that Raven wanted to say, so she gave her a minute to decide what she wanted to do.

  Raven said, trying to sound sincere, “I’m sorry that it didn’t work out for you and Nathaniel. Not being full Draak makes taking a mate pretty much impossible. You saw what a Draak mating is like. We’re just too strong for such a tiny body as yours. I’m of his Sett and have the ability to give him what he needs physically.”

  Since Raven started to talk, she decided to tell Tianna everything she was thinking. “Nathaniel was afraid to tell you that you weren’t enough of a dragon for him. That’s the real reason why he never bedded you. He knew your body wasn’t up to the task. It’s also best that his desires remain with a pure blooded Blue so that his talents are carried on untainted. His skill level is exceptional and quite rare in our Sett. For the good of the Sett, it’s critical his skill be carried on to the next generation. A mixing of non-Draak blood, even if remotely possible, could dilute a Sett’s uniqueness. Obviously the magic knows this and has enforced these rules by not blessing matings outside of a Sett. The magic knows best and we shouldn’t question its wisdom.”

  Raven ignored the look forming in Tianna’s eyes and continued. “Nathaniel and I have been friends all our whole lives and have spent many a heated night in each other’s arms. Seeing me again just reminded him of all of the passion we’ve shared over the years. We’ve been discussing our future together, and I think he’s now ready to move forward and make our union official. It’s for the best. He and I have always been meant to be together. It’s just good that he realized this in time.”

  Raven’s words cut into Tianna. She pondered whether Nathaniel did really feel that way about her mixed blood. Given his actions since he met up with Raven, she was guessing that Raven’s words were painfully true. Anger and frustration started to well up inside Tianna and her inner dragons started to roar in her mind. Tianna wanted to do more than just punch Raven in the nose. If a tree had been nearby she would’ve knocked her right over the walls of Haven. It took everything she had to hold back her true emotions and say, “I hope you and Nathaniel will be very happy together.” Her voice broke.

  Raven’s smile faded when she felt power pulsating off Tianna’s body. She had mistakenly thought that an explanation would make Tianna feel better about her split from Nathaniel. She decided to get away while she could. “Sorry, I have to run. Hope to see you at the mating ceremony!” She walked away very fast.

  Tianna’s chest felt like it was being crushed and she was having a hard time catching her breath. Her mind was spinning out of control as her dragons continued their mental assault. Not only was she not meant for Nathaniel, she was not meant for any Draak. It would be better for everyone if she disappeared. She said to herself, “I’ve got to get out of this place. There’s nothing in Haven for me now. This place will NEVER be my home.”

  Another inner voice said, “Tianna run! Get out of Haven where you can be free from all of this. You deserve a real home, not this stone cage. For once, take charge of your own future.”

  Anger continued to grow wi
thin her. The voice was correct. It was time she picked her own path. She started to walk fast. Instead of continuing to Gabriel’s, she took a turn and headed straight for the tunnel that led out of Haven. She would miss Gabriel and her other friends, but they deserved to return to their own lives.

  News of her Black Dragon mark must have traveled lightning fast because people gasped when she came by. When she made eye contact this time, they quickly turned and scurried away with terror in their eyes.

  Tianna picked up her pace and, by the time she reached the tunnel, she was running. Seeing the way out of Haven in front of her, she didn’t slow her pace. She took a deep breath and ran into the tunnel without looking back. The tunnel opening behind her closed with a loud bang and she was left in the dark, alone. She stopped running abruptly as all light and sound disappeared.

  While trying to catch her breath, she spun and panic filled her chest. She listened to her heart pound as she recalled Seth’s warning about non-Draaks entering the tunnel and the mountain forcing them to wander in its depths forever. She jumped as a small torch lit on the wall. She squinted as the sudden light pierced the darkness, causing frightening shadows to reflect on the walls. She peered down the tunnel in both directions and saw nothing but darkness. She was so disoriented that she wasn’t sure which way was out.