Devon Falls:
Fiery Magic
Raine Delight
Aspen Mountain Press
Devon Falls: Firey Magic
Copyright © 2008 Raine Delight
This e-Book is a work of fiction. While references may be made to actual places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author’s imagination and are not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental.
Aspen Mountain Press
PO Box 473543
Aurora CO 80047-3543
www.AspenMountainPress.com
First edition by Aspen Mountain Press, July 2008
This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction fines and / or imprisonment. The e-Book cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this e-Book can be shared or reproduced without the publisher’s express permission.
ISBN: 978-1-60168-119-5
Released in the United States of America
Editor: Sandra Hicks
Cover artist: Celia Kyle
Welcome to the 150th Annual Devon Falls Founder’s Day Festivities
Activities Include:
A chicken BBQ is in the park from noon till gone,
Mouth-watering local treats for dessert
Games and rides at the town carnival,
6 P.M. Parade down Main Street
10 P.M. fireworks finale
Chapter One
Driving on Route 98 Damien Dracon looked at the familiar landmarks as he got closer to Devon Falls. He tapped the steering wheel in anticipation of being with his family and friends again, and finally making things right with the only woman who made him feel complete and had once loved him unconditionally. Sighing, he slowly throttled down his electric blue Corvette as the town limits came into view. He whistled softly at the growth along Main Street
. Several new businesses looked prosperous and seemed to thrive in this small town.
Seeing the Dew Drop Café, he arched an eyebrow at the bright flowers along the windows and the steady stream of people coming in and out of the place. Who owned such a lively place? He’d find out from his brother, Rodrick. Driving along Main Street
, he mused at all the changes while he was gone. Devon Falls was growing yet still it felt the same. It felt like he never left and he was thrilled that he was finally coming back to the place he left his heart long ago.
Ahead he spied the Dragon Inn, a flagship of sorts in the town. His breath hitched after being away for so long. Damien still marveled at the magnificence of the place. It stood three stories tall, majestic in appearance and painted a blue that seemed to change colors if you looked at it just a certain way. What no one knew was that the Dracon family was the original owners who guarded their shape shifting abilities secret with a fervor that would have given Fort Knox a run for its money.
Family members didn’t grow into their powers until they hit twenty years of age and they all morphed into different entities. Damien sighed at the way his grandfather ran the family right up to his death two years before. His grandfather believed that the family was supposed to be quiet, not make waves, and follow any order the patriarch gave, regardless of who got hurt. Damien felt the muscles bunch tighter under his shirt as anger and tension built. It was enough to cause him to curse out loud at the man responsible for his “banishment” to Europe and the heartache that was a constant companion the last few years.
Damien tried to relax as he finished driving up the long and winding driveway, which seemed to go on forever. The inn, that was also the family home and business, was quiet. Normally it was a bustling place, according to his twin brother, Rodrick, and the town was growing in leaps and bounds. Had the family grown with Devon Falls or would they fade away? It was something to ponder now that his grandfather was no longer around to cause trouble. The heat shimmered on the blacktop driveway as he got closer to the Inn. Sweat dripped down his neck and rolled down his back. He couldn’t wait to grab a cool drink after the way this scorcher of a heat wave kept beating at him.
Damien stopped the Corvette next to his brother’s Harley, a bike that exemplified his free spirit and rough edges as well as the power that lurked under his skin. Shaking his head, smiling at the way the bike seemed to exude power as he got out of the car; Damien wondered what awaited him in Devon Falls.
As always, his thoughts strayed to the one woman who he was determined to be with, so he could show her the sweetness of love again. The question that kept rounding in his head — would Alicia let him talk to her or would she slam the door in his face? It made him aware that he wasn’t the only one that got hurt here. Alicia was hurt as well and, from what he could ferret it out of his family; she picked herself up and kept herself closed to others. Her family had circled around her and made him very leery to make waves by pushing her to talk things out.
Walking to the front of the inn, Damien took stock of the way the Dragon Inn pulsed with a power that only immortals or shape shifters felt in their veins. It was old, imposing, and full of secrets waiting to be released into the unsuspecting town, unless it was managed right. Opening the door, Damien walked into the front hall and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the dimness of the Inn after the bright sunshine outside. The hallway was nice and cool, a welcome escape from the relentless heat that gripped the town. Damien wiped the sweat that beaded on his face and neck. He smiled slightly when he spied his mother moving with the inert grace he remembered from his youth.
Suddenly, she noticed Damien lounging in the doorway and launched into a run, laughing as he caught her up in his arms. “Welcome home, my son,” Sarah Dracon whispered in his ear. “It is about time you stopped running from your destiny and your pain.”
The joy in his mother’s face was an enjoyment he only appreciated now. “I couldn’t shake Europe’s dust fast enough when Rod finally told me to come home and help run the place. What is dad going to do now that he doesn’t have the Inn to run?”
With a disbelieving tone, Sarah said, “Your father decided to learn to play golf and drive us nuts as he throws the drivers around. I think he broke two windows already from letting go of the driver as he ‘practiced’. I will let you be the judge of that though, my son.”
Laughter was prevalent in her sky blue eyes as she hooked her arm in his and led him to the kitchen. Looking down into her eyes, Damien tried to keep the worry of seeing Alicia from ruining the joy of being home again. Inhaling the fragrance of baked apples, cinnamon, and roast beef, Damien felt like he was truly home. His eyes closed as memories found their way to the surface: Alicia laughing as she threw flour at him while she helped his mom bake; the way he first kissed her, her face sweat covered and oh so achingly beautiful.
It was enough to know Alicia was still single. That was all the information his brother would give him, cryptically saying he should find out for himself if Alicia would listen to his explanation after all this time. Damien tried to figure out if his brother was going to help him or if he was just giving him some cryptic bullshit.
Sighing, Damien reached for the sandwich his mom made and saw she was watching him, a knowing expression on her face. What did she know? “You miss her, don’t you?”
He thought of denying it, but his mother wouldn’t be fooled and it didn’t stop her from missing a beat to remind him of all he’d left.
“The way she smiled no matter what life threw at her, the love shining in her eyes whenever she looked at you? Why now, my son, do you come back to Devon Falls and with a determined air about you? I can tell that yo
u are on a mission of some importance.”
His eyes widened at his mother’s insight, then, shaking his head, he remembered she was empathic and able to feel his emotions better than anyone else, even Alicia. “Yes, I do miss her. The memories are overpowering here, yet filled with a sweet nostalgia that makes me ache for Alicia and the love we once shared. In all my time in Europe, studying, learning, and enjoying what it has to offer, I never recaptured what we once had. I realized she was my true mate, the one I was destined to be with, yet I threw it away. What would have happened if I told her everything and let her judge how she would deal with it instead of making that decision for her?”
Sighing, Damien took a bite of his roast beef sandwich and swallowed, trying to get the taste of dry bread and meat down his dry throat. “I need her in my life again. I’m going to do all I can to make up for the hurt I caused her.”
“With each word, I feel your resolve, the determination making itself known. Just be careful. Don’t think she is the same as she was so long ago. Alicia is stronger than she has ever been and has powerful family connections that can harm you or make your life better. Go carefully, Damien, and don’t let your brother goad you into doing something that will harm either of you. Be very sure this is what you want because once you face what happened several years ago, there will be no turning back for either of you until this has played out.”
What did his mother mean with her cryptic words? As he forced himself to finish his sandwich, and then a slice of apple pie his mother gave him saying he was to skinny, he wondered what Alicia was doing now and if she thought of him anymore.
* * * *
The sun shone brightly; the summer heat wave continued to raise the temperatures to a staggering 100 degrees. It was enough for Alicia Stevens to wish for indoor air conditioning at the Dew Drop Cafe. Dropping wearily in her office chair, she wiped away the sweat that seemed never ending and prayed there was a lull in customers since she couldn’t take any more right now. A break sounded really good right now and she was definitely leaning toward that until the most of the heat went away. The devil would be happy to be in Devon Fall, Alicia snorted in laughter as she tried to get the fan to blow a cool breeze over her face, and he could pick up a latte and a crumb muffin before going off to capture souls.
The curtains stirred a little as the breeze tried to come through the windows making Alicia wish for central air. Sighing as she propped her feet up on the desk, she also wished for a cool shower and a cabana boy or two to do foot rubs. Shit, I should have put the closed sign on the door before coming in here. Alicia tried to get enough energy to do just that before anyone came in looking for service with a smile.
Hearing the door jingle merrily, she groaned softly and trudged to the front. Her sister, Jenna, was making her way merrily through the Dew Drop and Alicia spied the closed sign on the door that Jenna put up. She was extremely grateful to have a sister do what she, herself, was thinking of doing just a few minutes ago.
“Hey, sis, you look wiped out. This place won’t burn down if you take a break.”
“I know. I just wasn’t expecting the business we did. It was unbelievable, and we just couldn’t handle it anymore. I am grateful you put the closed sign up All I feel like doing is taking a shower, drinking something extremely cold, and eating something that isn’t loaded with sugar!”
Alicia wiped at the base of her neck with a cloth. It was enough to make her head ache with all the work she would have to do to get ready for the next day’s operation.
Then she spied a bright sparkle on her sister’s finger.
Squealing, Alicia grabbed Jenna’s hand and put it up to the sunlight. “Oh my God, honey…he asked you, didn’t he? This is freaking unbelievable! Yea! A wedding is in the works!”
Laughing, Jenna sat down and tugged her sister to the seat next to her. “You’re a loon, you know that, Sis. Mom would tell you to settle down and let me speak. Marc asked me last night, and I already called Mom. She is off and running, planning the wedding now. I hope you can be my maid of honor. Since you saw the beginning of Marc’s ‘courtship,’ it is only right that you be by my side as we celebrate our new life together.”
Alicia only nodded as her eyes welled up and tears slowly fell down her face. Her baby sister was getting married, and she was a maid of honor. It was enough to brighten anyone’s day, and Alicia knew she would make this day the best day Jenna ever had. “Set a date yet?”
“Nope.” Jenna laughed. “We’ll figure that all out later in the week when we calm down. Marc’s family is flying in this weekend and we’ll announce it when everyone will be there. Plan on closing the café for the day and going to an engagement party at the Dragon Inn.”
Pain flared briefly in Alicia’s heart when Jenna mentioned the Dragon Inn. After several years, she still couldn’t think of the Dragon Inn without thinking of Damien and the cruel way he’d left her.
Patting her hand, Jenna interrupted her train of thought. “Now, let me get something cold to drink for us both, and we can settle some things about the wedding.”
Chapter Two
Alicia locked up after she showed her sister out and wearily leaned against the door, wishing for a cool breeze to blow through the windows or a magic wand to make everything ready for the next day’s business. Shaking her head, she blew the air through her lips and ran a hand threw her sweat-dampened hair. Maybe I should have hired more help, but if I am not here, nothing will get done. At least the day went fast and closing early helped me relax a little. I am thrilled Jenna is getting married to her love, but it hurts to know the wedding I planned to Damien will never be.
Feeling the same lance of sadness each time she thought of her daughter, Danielle who would have been three this year, Alicia shook her head and walked to the back. Damn Damien to suffer all the pain of the fullness of hell for abandoning me when I needed him most.
What she needed was to get back into baking mode and fill the night with creating the delicious treats Devon Falls loved so much. Turning the CD player on, the soft strains of Bon Jovi sang around her as she mixed, prodded, and measured the ingredients for the pies, cookies and cream puffs that would soon filled up her cases. After a few hours, she finally got enough stock to start the next day.
That’s when she heard it. The one song that always made her weep inside at the memories it brought out. (You want to) make a memory always made her think of heartaches, love thrown away and the way Damien walked away from her screams of anguish and pain that night. Thinking of him always brought the pain of that night back but the love she had for him was there as well.
It was hard to understand how she could still love the jackass, but she did; though from all the gossip reports he had no trouble moving on in Europe after he left her.
He left her, alone, pregnant, and unprepared to deal with life’s twists and turns. The same pain turned to anger when she remembered the way he left; making sure all the times they had been together was nothing but a joke to him. His cruel words taunted her in her dreams, making her second guess the love he said he felt for her. He broke her heart into little pieces, threw it all away with a casual wave of his hand and hardened her resolve to never let another man have that power over her again.
With the death of her Danielle, dreams of having any other children of her own cemented her lonely future. Sighing at the way life decided to treat her heart, Alicia grumbled, “I need to get back to work. Damien will never know he had a daughter. If he ever dares to come back to town, hopefully I won’t have to deal with him.”
Hearing the CD sing again of living on a prayer and love gone right, Alicia pushed away the sadness of her infant daughter’s death and Damien’s fickle heart and got back to work, letting the soothing chores of baking heal the tiny breaches in her defenses.
* * * *
Damien looked at Rodrick lounging by the bar, checking out the women who flocked to hear the local band, Johnny and the Rockets. He smiled when a dark haired brunette pa
used in front of his brother, looked him up and down, and then walked away. Hearing his brother wolf whistle at her ass was enough to know that at least something was the same in Devon Falls. He tipped a bottle of beer back to take a swig as he stood watching the people sing along with the band.
The smile left slowly when he spied Jenna Stevens walk in with someone he didn’t recognize; her smile glowing with an inner happiness he envied. After seeing Jenna tell her date something at the bar, she walked purposely toward him, the smile off her face, a cold, determined look replacing the happiness he saw moments ago.
“Damien.” The coldness emanating from Jenna‘s eyes would have caused a snowstorm if it hadn’t been summer.
“Hi, Jenna. Been a long time.”
“How long are you here, Damien?”
The bitterness he heard in her voice had him wincing inside. He should have known he would run into someone from Alicia’s family. Forgiveness, if any, was a long shot. “Going away again anytime soon? Planning to break anyone’s heart while you’re here?”
The words were like bullets being fired, each with more venom than he ever remembered hearing from Jenna before. His thoughts scattered like the wind as he watched the frigidness of her face and eyes, locking onto his with a ferocity that had him almost backing up.
“Jenna, if this is about Alicia and our break up, please not here and not between you and me. I am not here to cause any pain for her,” Damien said cautiously, his heart beating like a bullet train. What was the easiest way to ease the hurt feelings he caused when he chose to honor his grandfather’s dying wish and leave Alicia? Surely she would be with someone new and have a house full of kids by now.
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