Once Upon A Midnight

by Stephanie Rowe

“Yes, but…

  “Do you not feel our connection deep within your soul?”

  “Yes, but…”

  “Do you…”

  “WILL YOU STOP INTERRUPTING ME?!” Alicia knew she was screaming, but Drago’s incessant questioning was hitting too close to things she didn’t want to think about.

  Taking a long, deep breath, Alicia paced back and forth in front of the huge boulder separating her from Drago. “Okay, I admit, I was drawn to this place. I admit I can hear you and it’s obvious none of the dragons can, but there has to be a logical explanation that does not lead to us being mates. Right now, we need to focus on getting you out of there and I’m gonna need some serious muscle to help move this big ass rock.”

  Her comments were met with silence. She was just about to ask if he was still there when he finally spoke. “I agree to table our discussion of being mates until I am free, but do not think I will forget.”

  Alicia wanted to argue, wanted to tell him that a hundred years in a hole in the ground surrounded by silver had left him a brick shy of a load—but she couldn’t. There was no denying their connection. No denying what she felt just from the touch of his mind. This man was her future but there was no way she was admitting that to him, not until she could look him in the eye and make sure everything he was telling her was the truth. It was clear what she had to do.

  “All right, whatever, I need to go get some help, but first you need to answer a few questions. I’m gonna have to convince some very headstrong men that you are really here and really a Guardsman.” She shook her head.

  Piece of cake! Yeah, right, not even on a good day.

  “Ask anything you like, Alicia, my dear.”

  Alicia smiled at his old world style of speaking, ignoring the way her name rolled off his tongue. The lilt of his accent made her think of things she had no business thinking about a man who was trapped and needed her help. Clearing her throat, she asked, “You said your last name was MacLendon? Are you related to Rayne MacLendon?”

  “Yes, Rayne is my nephew.” He chuckled, but she could feel his sadness. “I am guessing since you mentioned Rayne instead ofhis father,Alexander,that he no longer lives?”

  “No, I’m so sorry. From the stories I’ve heard he has been gone for some time.”

  Alicia could feel Drago’s sadness and wished there was something she could do or say that would help, but for the first time in her life, she was speechless. The silence seemed to stretch on until she wondered if maybe he’d collapsed. The strain in his voice, as well as the unmistakable weakness she felt him trying to hide,had been evident. Not sure what to do, she whispered, “Are you okay?”

  Yeah, that was stupid. Of course he’s not okay.

  “I mean…”

  “I know what you mean, mo chroi’, and I appreciate your condolences. I knew it was too much to hope that my brother still lived, but I am glad his son survives.”

  Once again Alicia wasn’t sure what to say. Deciding to get back to the business at hand, she asked, “Is there anything I can tell Rayne that will make him believe you are who you say you are and not a figment of my imagination?”

  His laughter was warm but she could feel his struggle as he answered,“Tell him you know his first taste of whiskey was from his father’s flask that Rayne had taken when ol’ Alex had a wee bit too much after the battle at Hunter’s Cove. Make sure you add that you know he has a scar on his left buttocks from falling down the ladder the next morning after passing out in the hayloft and that I’m the one that covered for him while he nearly threw up his toes during training that afternoon.”

  Alicia laughed out loud. It was hilarious to imagine the totally composed, always in control, Rayne MacLendon drunk and falling out of the hayloft, not to mention throwing up in the training pitch. She wondered if Kyndel knew about her mate’s childhood exploits. “I’m not sure I can get away with the comment about his ‘buttocks’, she mimicked his accent. “His mate may take issue with that.”

  “His mate?” Pride mixed with loss floated from Drago.

  Alicia felt horrible that she’d dropped that bomb on him without thinking. There was going to be so much he had to deal with but that could all wait until she got him out of the hole in the ground. Answering as quickly as she could and pouring all the warmth and happiness she could into her words, Alicia replied, “Yes, he has been mated for several years and they have a son. They’re very happy and I know they’re gonna be even happier to meet you.”

  Her words were met with a tired sigh, “So many years…” She felt an immediate about face in his attitude. “Well, that is for another time. You need to be going. Get your help and get back here. I have lost too much time.”

  Alicia opened her mouth to argue. She wanted to tell him not to order her around, that she had a mind of her own and knew what needed to be done. Instead, she stopped and took a deep breath. It was obvious he was dealing with the little bit she’d told him about his family, as well as what she was sure was pain and fatigue from his prison. She’d seen what just little bits of silver did a dragon shifter, so she could only imagine what he’d been through being trapped in a silver box for a hundred years. He was lucky to be alive.

  “You rest, I’m going to get help. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Don’t worry. We’ll get you outta there.”

  “I know you will, mo maite. I have all the faith in the world in you.”

  His voice sounded distant as she said one more goodbye and took off through the woods. Alicia offered a prayer to the Universe and the Goddess as she ran…

  “Please let me help Drago. Don’t let his faith in me be in vain.”

  Chapter Three

  Arriving at the house she and her family were sharing while staying with the dragons, Alicia stopped to catch her breath. The entire way through the woods, she’d been going over all she’d learned and thinking about what she was going to tell everyone. She was sure her family would believe her and prayed her sister’s mate, Liam, would too, but she was seriously worried about the other dragons. All she could do was try. If they thought she was crazy then she’d just have to figure out another way to free Drago.

  Opening the gate at the back of the property, Alicia made her way through the garden and up the steps to the kitchen door. Happy sounds of her mother and sisters chatting about their plans for the day drifted through the weathered wood. She had to smile, they were a crazy crew, but they were hers and she wouldn’t trade them for the world. With her hand on the doorknob, she took one last deep breath and slowly let it out.

  It’s now or never.

  Turning the knob, she opened and stepped in. All conversation stopped and everyone looked up. Her mother, Sarah Beth, put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “And just where have you been, little missy?”

  Fiona and Brenna, two of the youngest of her six sisters, giggled into their hands and waggled their eyebrows while Sarah Beth continued her inquisition. “And don’t tell me you got up early and left the house. I know better, Alicia May. I went to check on you in the middle of the night and your bed hadn’t even been touched. So out with it, where have you been?”

  Alicia knew she was going to tell her mom the truth, she always did, but it was the fear that Sarah Beth would think she’d lost her ever-loving mind that made her stop and think for an extra minute. And of course, true to form, that extra minute cost her dearly. As she opened her mouth to speak, the unmistakable sound of the front opening sounded, quickly followed by her sister Hannah’s voice. “Hey y’all! Anybody home?” And then her brother-in-law Liam’s chuckle. “And is everybody decent? Man in the house.”

  Alicia’s shoulders slumped as she groaned to herself, “Well, hell, now the dragons are here too. Why didn’t I just walk in and tell her? I swear to the Goddess, am I ever gonna learn?”

  Thankfully, everyone including her mother had walked into the family room to greet Hannah and Liam, so Alicia took her time revamping the speech she had planned to include all the info Drago
had given her. One foot over the threshold was all it took before Fiona, the youngest of the sisters in attendance, yelled, “Hey Hannah, ask Alicia where she was all night?”

  Spinning around, eyes wide, Hannah gasped, “Alicia May…where were you?”

  As if things hadn’t already gotten bad enough, the two oldest of their band of merry witches came walking down the stairs.“Do tell, Alicia May,” they teased in a singsong tone. “Where were you all night?”

  Annalisa, the oldest sister, added, “Better yet, who were you with?” and wiggled her eyebrows for added effect.

  Alicia blew out a long breath and plopped onto the couch. “All right y’all, grab a seat. Cause you’re never gonna believe this story.” She added a nervous chuckle to diffuse some of the tension that had instantly filled the room.

  Everyone took a seat. All eyes were focused on her. The room was so quiet her voice almost echoed as she started to speak. “Well, it all started a few weeks ago. I began hearing a man’s voice in my dreams.” Her sisters all snickered and winked, but Alicia ignored them and powered on. It was a survival technique she’d learned when she was much younger. “He was calling to me. Asking me for help. At first, I thought it was just all the stress of the fight with the Dorcha, the crap with Cleland, not to mention Mara being missing in action, but things started to get much more intense. I started walking in my sleep.”

  The look on Sarah Beth’s face said it all—she was worried and more than a little pissed that Alicia had waited so long to tell her. Not willing to stop and deal with her mother’s anger, Alicia kept going. “Every time I woke up I was up on the cliffs near the caves. Just recently, I found myself outside the one with the entrance blocked by that huge boulder. You know the one that’s almost perfectly round? Anyway, I guess the worst was when the voice started calling out while I was awake. I really thought I was losing my mind, but in my heart, I knew I had to help him. It was like a compulsion but there was no magic. I just had to help the man that was calling to me. Yesterday, everything changed. The faraway voice in my head became clearer and for the first time I was able to answer back.”

  She looked from person to person as they stared at her as if she had three heads, willing them to understand… to believe. And just as it had been since they were children, it was Hannah that came to her rescue. “So, you talked to him. What did he say? Who is he? Can you help him?”

  Letting go of a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, Alicia smiled at her sister. Being number three and four in a brood the size of the McKennons had made the girls not only sisters, but also friends, and today Alicia needed all the friends she could get. “Yeah, I talked—or thought—to him.” She laughed out loud at how crazy she sounded. “He said he was trapped about a hundred years ago by the Dorcha, specifically the Grand Draoi…”

  “Cleland?” everyone almost shouted at the same time.

  “No, that’s the weird part. He said he didn’t know who Cleland was,and after I thought about it for a minute it kinda did make sense, because Cleland isn’t that old and we all know how that butthead came into power.”

  Heads were all nodding in agreement with varying degrees of sadness and anger that Cleland’s bid for power had cost their father his life. After a few seconds of silent commiseration, the young witch continued, “And here comes the part that I’m gonna need your help with, Liam.”

  Her brother-in-law nodded. “Anything you need, Ally.”

  She smiled at the nickname he’d made up for her since mating her sister. Alicia had never liked anything but her full name but she was kinda warming up to the idea of it, especially when she could see it made Hannah happy.

  Nodding, she said, “He said his name is Drago MacLendon….”

  “Holy shit!” Liam yelled, cutting off what she was about to say and finishing for her. Awe colored the young Guardsman’s words. “You have got to be kidding me? Do you know who he is? Or was?” He rushed on, not waiting for an answer, jumping up and pacing as he talked. “He’s Rayne’s uncle, but everyone—and I mean everyone—thought he was dead. He and his men disappeared like forever ago. Poof! Gone! Never heard from again. And it was a huge deal. They were seriously vital to the dragons and their fight against extinction. The man was known as the Assassin.”

  Everyone in the room gasped. Liam stopped pacing and looked around, shaking his head. “No, not the way you’re thinking. He was a freaking legend. Still is. He got the name because there wasn’t a wizard or hunter alive that could outrun, outwit, or outfight him and his Force. His men were known as The Enforcers and let me tell you, when they set their sights on an enemy, that enemy was as good as dead. I mean I’ve heard the stories since I was a little drake. You’ve got to go tell Rayne. We’ve got to figure out how to save him…”

  Liam spun around and stared at her for just a second longer than was comfortable. His brows were furrowed and he bit the inside of his cheek. She knew he was talking to Hannah through their mating bond because her sister was nodding her head even though the room was silent as a tomb.

  Oh damn! Bad choice of words.

  Alicia opened her mouth to ask what was up when Liam squinted his eyes and asked, “Just how is it that you are the only one that can hear him or speak to him, Ally?”

  Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!

  The one thing she’d hoped no one would focus on was the one thing her brother-in-law seemed to grab on to. Alicia wished she could disappear in a cloud of smoke but instead, she stood up straight and looked him right in the eye. “I asked the same question, believe me. I mean I questioned him up and down about why me and not one of y’all.”

  She stopped, hoping that was enough of an explanation and they could get on with how to best approach the Dragon Guard Commander with her bombshell, but no such luck. Hannah stood and walked across the room, stopping right in front of Alicia with a knowing look on her face. “Is he your mate, Ally?” she whispered.

  Alicia had no idea what to say or do. But by the way everyone in the room was staring at her, waiting for an answer, she knew she better come up with something quick. So she did the only thing she knew how to do. She told the truth. “That’s what he says.”

  “And what do you say?” Hannah asked, just a bit louder than before.

  Throwing up her hands and stepping away from her sister, Alicia walked to the window and stared at the flowers blooming around the porch. She had no idea what to say. It was something she herself hadn’t come to terms with and truly wasn’t ready to share with her entire family, but now it was out in the open and she had to do something. Her thoughts were in chaos when the low, baritone voice that had started this whole mess asked, “What do you feel, Alicia?”

  “Have you been listening the whole time?” she demanded.

  “No, I was sleeping, and you know we cannot always communicate over long distances. It was your distress and worry that woke me. I had to reach out to you, to make sure you were all right,” Drago answered, ignoring her curt tone and pushing confidence at her. She could feel him trying to reassure her and had to admit it was nice. “So I ask again, mo chroi’, what do you feel?”

  “You know darn good and well what I feel, Drago, and stop with all the mushy sentiments. It only makes this all the more crazy. I don’t even know what you look like. We have bigger fish to fry than discussing our love lives. Now, go back to sleep and I’ll let you know when I have everything here sorted out.”

  “As you wish, mo maite.” She could hear the chuckle in his voice and promised to kick him in the shins once he was free and she knew he was okay. Their connection went dead and she turned to face her family.

  “Yeah, okay, we have a connection. But I’m not so sure it’s the whole mate thing he thinks it is.” She saw Liam and Hannah with goofy grins on their faces about to interrupt,so she hurried on. “I know. I know. You two obviously think he’s right. Who knows? What I do know is that he’s buried in a magical hole in a silver box and we need to get him out. The black magic is too strong
for me to break through alone. I’m gonna need help and we’re gonna need pure brute strength to get that boulder out of the way and dig him out if we find what I think we’re gonna find in that cave.”

  “He’s been encased in silver for a hundred years?” Liam asked. “Do you know what silver does to a dragon? He must be one tough son of a bitch.” Alicia once again heard awe in her brother-in-law’s voice.

  She nodded. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. He’s in trouble and we need to get him out. Will you help me talk to the Commander? Please?”

  “Yep.” Liam grabbed Hannah’s hand and headed to the door, calling over his shoulder, “Come on Ally, let’s get this show on the road.”

  The walk to the house Rayne and Kyndel had been staying in since they’d gotten back to the Blue Thunder lair was silent. Alicia was deep in thought and figured her sister and brother-in-law were talking in their ‘special way’ while trying to leave her alone. Hannah had always been pretty good about giving Alicia the space she needed to work through things on her own, and she was grateful for that.

  All too soon they came to the back of the MacLendon house. Alicia looked at Hannah and Liam before asking, “How do you think we go about this?”

  Before either could answer, the back door opened and Rayne walked out onto the patio. “I suggest you come in here and tell me what the hell is going on. Heavens know Liam is the worst at shielding his thoughts and his little mate’s worry is even stronger today.” He stood with his arms crossed over his massive chest and spoke with such command that Alicia was walking forward before she realized what was happening.

  Looking to her side, she saw Hannah and Liam had identical looks of obedience as they also followed the Commander’s orders. When they were about two steps from where the formidable Rayne MacLendon stood, the door behind him swung open and out came his fiery redheaded mate with their son on her hip. She smacked her mate on the shoulder before smiling directly at Alicia. “Don’t let Mr. Grumpy Pants order you around like that. Y’all come on in and have some muffins. I just put the coffee on.” Then to her husband as she was turning to go back inside she said, “I swear your manners leave a lot to be desired.”