by Julia Mills
“He’s being stubborn, mo mahc. Like father, like son.” Margarite laughed and Andrew’s heart swelled. He hadn’t realized how much he’d truly missed his mother until that moment.
“I just came myself, dear boy. Time is running out. Your dragon can only sustain you for so long and that sweet girl of yours is going to wear herself out.”
“Thank you so much, Mom. I really want to get back to her and make things right, but I’ve tried everything I know. How do I do it? How do I get back to the other side…back to Emma?”
“Oh, darling, you do not get back on your own. You really have little control over the process at all. It is up to those that love you, along with Fate, Destiny, and the Universe. All of their energies have to be in sync. The best that you can do is be ready when you feel the pull and follow your mating bond to the light of your soul.”
“Thanks for coming, Mom, but I’m pretty sure I’m screwed. Emma’s the only one that wants me there. She’s the only one that’ll fight for me. The others are happy I'm gone. They told her to get over me and move on, that I wasn’t worth her time.” He paused, feeling defeated. “Let's face it, Mom, can you blame them?”
“Don’t you dare give up hope, Andrew Myles O’Brien. Your brothers are angry. They are hurt. They feel betrayed, and rightfully so. You were horrible to them and you will have to make amends, maybe even beg, but they are still your blood and in their hearts still love you as their own. It is the same with your brethren. And before you interrupt, they are still your brethren. That will never change, no matter what you do or how angry they are. But you have to believe you are worthy of their forgiveness. You have to work to earn their trust.”
His mother stopped talking and he thought she was finished. Just as he was about to respond, Margarite added, “But most of all, you have to make sure you are worthy of the love of that beautiful woman. The Universe has given you a precious gift. She is perfect and she is going to need you to be there for her…your fates depend on it. DO NOT WASTE IT!”
“What? What do you mean ‘our fates depend on it’? Depend on what, Mom?”
“That’s enough for you now. Your father’s calling, and with any luck you’ll be back where you belong soon. Know that your father and I love you very much. We love all our boys. Now, get it together and make us proud.”
“But, Mom, you didn’t…”
From one second to the next, the air around him went from full of love and life and his mother, to utter nothingness. Margarite was gone and Andrew was once again left with his thoughts. A position he was beginning to detest. He thought about the time in the cave at the lair when he’d hallucinated his mother’s presence. She’d been much more direct, almost uncaring in his delusion, and he’d wondered a few times how much truth there was in his vision. Happily, there was none, and she was the wonderful mother he’d known for all those years and would love forever.
He thought about what Margarite had said, worried that Emma was going to need him and he would be stuck in the Land of the Lost, unable to get to her. Cursed himself for most of the decisions he’d made and had to laugh at the fact that his mother thought Aidan and Aaron, or any of the Guardsmen for that matter, would ever forgive him, let alone ever trust him again. Of course, it was ultimately their fault that things had transpired as they had, but he was beginning to see where he’d played a part in the mess he was trying to escape.
It was absolutely maddening that he could do nothing to aid in his escape from the Fades. His mother had been very specific. There was nothing he could…or was there? A thought crossed his mind that had him once again believing there may truly be a chance. All he had to do was somehow reach the little sweetheart, Sydney. They’d met under harrowing circumstances but she’d never feared him, and told him how one day things would be okay.
Just another of my less than stellar decisions.
Banishing his negative thoughts, he focused on Sydney. He knew she was so much more than ‘just a little girl’. Had known it the first time he’d spoken to her. He also knew she’d been poking around the expanse of nothingness where he presently resided. They had not been able to make contact, but they each were aware of the other, and now that he was a little better with the inner workings of the Fades, he was ready to try again. All he had to do was focus on her extremely unique energy signal, and with the help of his dragon, who he was thankfully on speaking terms with once again, he should be able to get a message to her.
Thinking of her bright blue eyes and open smile framed by the curliest, blondest hair he’d ever seen made her more real in his mind. He then thought of her tiny voice and the caring way she’d grabbed his hand, squeezing for reassurance when in all actuality he was the villain…the traitor.
“Don’t say that about yourself, Andrew. You’re getting better now. I can feel it.” Her childlike voice filled the space around him.
“That you, Sydney?”
“Sure is. I’m at the clinic with all the grownups and Jay. Emma’s yelling at Aaron. They’re fighting ‘bout you. Siobhan’s looking at some yucky old book with Kyra and it looks like they are gonna work a spell. Aidan is pacing because Grace won’t sit down and her babies are almost ready to come out. Everyone else is just kinda standing around. What you doing?”
He smiled at her play-by-play, but was worried about Emma yelling at Aaron. That sanctimonious prick better not yell back at her, or Andrew would have to kick his ass. No one yelled at Emma…absolutely no one.
Possessive much? Chill. You don’t even know for sure if she wants you. She may have just felt bad for the dead guy.
“I need you to do me a favor. Can you see if the book Siobhan is reading is the one I brought with me to the lair…please?” The word almost got stuck in his throat and he cringed at what a Neanderthal he’d become. There had been a time not so long ago that whatever he commanded was done without question or reservation, or the offending party ceased to exist, right where he stood. Those times were long gone, at least in his mind. He only prayed he could make them fade away in the hearts and minds of the dragons and his mate.
“Yep. I already know it is. That book is nasty. It stinks of death and darkness. Why would you have something so ugly, Andrew?”
“I thought I needed it, but I was wrong. What I need you to do is have Siobhan look at some of the pages from other books I hid between its pages. Those passages are not evil, not at all; they might actually help me talk to Emma. She does still want to talk to me, doesn’t she?”
“Well, of course she does. She wants that real bad. That’s what she and Aaron are fighting about.”
Andrew growled under his breath and his dragon chuffed. The beast was right. This was what the traitor needed to prepare himself for. Everyone but his mate thought he was better off in hell and out of their lives. They would’ve been right had he been the same old Andrew and hell, they were partially right now. He still held them responsible for what he’d suffered, no matter how many times he’d been told Aidan had come back for him. But none of that mattered right now. If he did, by some miracle, make it back to life, there was still gonna be hell to pay and the Tribunal would want to sentence him to death. It was all part of the gig and something he’d have to worry about later.
It seemed to take forever before Sydney spoke again, and this time she was whispering. “Siobhan already found those pages. Pearce and Kyra are helping her translate them.” The little girl giggled. “Ms. Siobhan just told them that you did good figuring out some of the old words, but that your ancient language translation was way off in some places.”
Andrew had to chuckle with the little girl. A few weeks ago he would’ve ordered Siobhan Walsh’s death for even suggesting he didn’t know what he was talking about. Now? He wanted to kiss her on the cheek for figuring it out. “Sydney, are Emma and Aaron still fighting?”
“No. Shhhh. Ms. Siobhan is talking, and from the looks on everyone’s faces, it is not good news.”
“What do you mean, Sydney? Can you tell m
e what she’s saying?”
“Gotta go, Andrew. Mom’s on the way over. She’ll be mad if she knows I’m talking to you. She said this is adult business. Pfft. What does she know?”
Andrew knew Sam was only trying to protect her daughter, and in an effort to show he was turning over a new leaf, he wanted to tell Sydney to do as her mother had told her. But if he did that, the little he was able to keep up with Emma would be lost, and he knew it would be a matter of hours before he lost his ever-loving mind. He could, however, ask the child to contact him when things had quieted down.
He was about to do just that when there was a loud pop and he could hear suddenly what Siobhan was saying. “Will you please stop yelling at one another? With the help of Pearce and Kyra, I have corrected the translation of several of the pages Andrew had hidden in the old tome. These appear to have been torn from an ancient journal detailing prophecies of the future. Since all of you are here, I think you need to listen. It affects all of us in one way or another. For some of us, life will never be the same.”
“Sounds like SSDD.” A voice he recognized as Lance shouted.
“Yes, well, be that as it may, I am not professing to understand everything I’ve read, but some of it is very obvious. Whatever we don’t figure out here tonight, I’ll work on until we understand it all. Any questions before I start?”
A few seconds of silence and she spoke again, this time with a reverence to her voice that spoke to the sacredness of not only having a prophecy, but that they would be reading the old teaching as a group, the way they’d always meant to be read.
“A powerful white witch of long regal lineage sworn to the Earth, made whole by human love, must mate a dragon of royal descent, marked by devastating loss and the heart of not one clan, but two.
The vibria born of human parents who possesses the spirit of the last female born of two dragons, then lost in plain sight.
Born to an extinct race, thought to be one but actually two. Both with destinies blessed by Fate, neither knowing the other exists, when reunited can nullify death to bring back the one needed to complete the circle.
A calling to heal, a hidden nature, a history long forgotten…all protected in the heart of a woman destined to complete a warrior and his beast. The revelation of all she is brought forth from the joining with her mate.
A complete circle of all called and confirmed, their mates and their families then increased by one, the twin of the warrior, also brother of the lost one, will become the Twelve – a whole, perfect, harmonious unit that will bring about the Great Miracle.
When all is complete and the Miracle recognized, the Ancients will speak through the Special One and the Child. They will bless the Clan the color of the summer sky and the water when it is calm. This Clan and only this Clan, along with their mates as they become known, will battle the denizens of Hell and bring the Devil himself to his knees.
If one of the twelve is missing or the blessing is not completed, all hope is lost. Hell has won the war.”
A collective ‘son of a bitch' filled the cavern after a few seconds of complete silence, Andrew’s included.
When I wanted to destroy the dragons I couldn’t catch a break. Now, I want them alive and it looks like I’m gonna be responsible for their downfall after all. All the planning in the world can’t beat dumb luck…
CHAPTER SIX
“Sorry I’m late to the party,” Rayne called out as he entered the cavern and stopped dead in his tracks, looked around, and took a stance like he was ready to take action. “What the hell happened in here?” His voice had taken on a suspicious tone.
“Oh, nothing much,” Aaron growled. “Siobhan found out that without Andrew, we’ve pretty much doomed dragon kin and probably the world. You know, nothing we can’t handle. All in a day’s work.” Charlie, his mate, swatted his shoulder and gave him a look that said she would deal with him later.
“What the…?” Rayne couldn’t even finish his sentence, just looked from one to the other of the Guardsmen of his Force.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much the consensus, only we got a little more ‘flowery’ with our comments,” Aidan confirmed, standing behind his mate as if to protect her and his unborn children from whatever was sure to come next.
Grumbling and whispers came from all around the room. Emma was just about to speak when Siobhan stepped forward. “All right, everyone. Now is the time to pull together and look for solutions, not blame.”
Rian appeared behind Rayne with Carrick and Zachary in tow. “What did we miss?”
“I have found what I can only assume to be a prophecy. It has several components that have to do with ‘the Special One and the Child’ receiving a blessing from the Ancients that will be passed on to the Blue Dragons and allow them to fight, and I quote ‘the denizens of Hell and the Devil himself.’ ”
The oldest of them all, Zachary, stepped forward, heading directly to Siobhan. “Let me see what you’ve found, my dear.”
The Elder Healer handed the older dragon the original parchment. Zachary nodded as he read. Emma held her breath and realized everyone else was doing the same thing. Carrick soon joined the two Elders, reading over his counterpart’s shoulder. The tension in the room was palpable, and the longer the three Elders read, the worse it got, until Emma was finding it hard to breathe.
Finally, Zachary turned to the group, looking from one to the other of the Guardsmen and nodding when he was sure he had their attention. He smiled and began to explain. “I have heard rumor of this prophecy since I was a young man. It is daunting to know that it truly exists, but it is nothing we cannot handle. I have sent word to Malachi. It has been his life’s work to study every occurrence of the Special Ones throughout our history. As for the others mentioned in the document, we can worry about that later. Just as you have been taught all of your lives…tackle what you know, the rest will fall into place. I have no doubt each of you has the heart to protect what means the most.” The older gentlemen laid his fist to his chest. “And the brains to know what is important.” He pointed to his temple. “I am sure Malachi will be able to guide us through what is to come.”
The stunned awe on every face in the cavern would have been comical had the looks not come from cataclysmic news. No one spoke. None moved. Emma wondered if they were breathing. In the years she’d spent with the dragons, she’d never been privy to the inner workings and wondered if Kyra had a spell to turn back time.
Being in the ‘in-group’ isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Carrick, someone Emma had always held in high esteem, added, “You must remember all your training. Dragons do not give up. We are the Universe’s chosen and as such, She will constantly test our resolve, our strength, and our ability to join together in pursuit of a common goal. But She will never give us anything we cannot overcome.”
Aidan was the first to regain his composure. “I understand what you’re saying, but we’re dancing around the obvious. Andrew is gone…dead. How can he be present? How can he accept the Blessing, let alone present it to the Blue Dragons, if he is in Hell? Is there another Special One we don’t know about?”
“But he’s not.” A tiny little voice came from the back of the room.
Acting as one and reminding Emma of marionettes, the entire group turned one hundred and eighty degrees and looked at the little girl that had just spoken. The beautifully bright child sat playing with her dolls as if she didn’t have a care in the world.
Because she doesn’t. Somehow the little beauty is hooked into the Universe more than any of us. She’s got a behind the scenes look and isn’t worried at all.
Sam and Lance were kneeling next to their daughter, obviously embarrassed at her outburst and asking what the child had meant. Emma caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw Carrick and Zachary making their way towards the family. Once there, both Elders sat down on the stone floor beside the child. Not something that happened every day.
Sydney looked up a
nd smiled at both men before confirming her previous statement. “Andrew’s not dead, least not all the way, and he’s not in…” She stopped and looked at her mom, who smiled and nodded. “Hell,” the little girl whispered.
Both Elders chuckled, then Zachary asked, “And how do you know that, Sydney?”
“First, I saw him but couldn’t talk to him, and then I got to talk to him. He’s not so bad, ya’ know?”
She crooked her index finger and made a ‘come here’ motion. When the Elders faces were next to hers, she whispered, “He wants to come back really bad. Emma’s his mate and he’s worried something’s gonna happen to her. I think he already kinda loves her and she’s thinking about him lots.” Sydney stopped and Emma wished she knew how to make herself invisible as everyone looked at her like she was crazy.
Why are they surprised? I told them we were mates. I even yelled in public.
“Where is he, Sydney? Can we talk to him?” Carrick asked, the authority of years of leadership making his words more resounding…more forceful.
“Andrew called it the Fades. Don’t know what that is except for a dark, blank place. Andrew’s dragon is there too. He’s not happy ‘bout it at all. He chuffs a lot and blows smoke.”
“I see,” Zachary absentmindedly answered as he stood.
Emma heard commotion outside the cavern just a second before Malachi, the Spiritual Elder of their clan, appeared carrying three of the biggest books she’d ever seen. Without a word, he approached Siobhan and the two went directly to the Healer’s workspace at the back of the room.
“Emma, can you come here?” Zachary asked, making her feel like she’d been called to the principal’s office for playing hooky.
“Yes, sir,” she said, hurrying to the Elder.
She’d barely stopped when he asked, “Can you feel him? Has he spoken to you?”
Nodding while she found her voice, she answered barely above a whisper, “I can feel him. Syd’s right. He’s stuck in the In-between.”