Wyoming Dynasty (American Dragons Book 10)

by Aaron Crash

  With the clouds, the pool was empty, but he liked the fact they had a pool. In the winter, they planned on turning the whole thing into a hot pool; they could Enchantrix a heater so the water would always be hot and steaming.

  He walked into the great room. Tessa was brewing up coffee and chatting with Aria, Quinnestri, and Mouse. The barista had just come in from a long run through the plains and down the dirt roads around the Infinity Ranch. It was good for her to take breaks from the baby craziness.

  They all were standing in the kitchen, which was funny. Kitchens nurtured conversations just as it fed bodies. Much of the drama of the world happened in kitchens, for humans and dragons alike. It was the power of the hearth.

  Quinn crossed her arms. “I used Astreelia to reach out to King Selius Asreyel on Aqualyra. And he told me a story. Tonight, let us talk about that story. I do not understand how it can help us. My mind is... disconnected... so disconnected from the Lyra, it is not clear. I do apologize.”

  “It’s okay,” Steven said.

  “Don’t want to tell us now?” Tessa asked.

  A flash of arrogant disdain flashed across Quinnestri’s face. She opened her mouth, closed it, and gave Tessa a very fake smile. “No, not yet, dearest Tessa. I am still considering what it might mean, and I want to relax into my Soul magic for a time. I might be given a solution.”

  Either the barista didn’t catch the almost nasty retort from the elf, or she let it go. “Aww, dearest Quinnie. I bet a little mocha latte would help you with your Soul magic. Let me brew you up something.” She got to work.

  Mouse stood with her nose wrinkled in thought.

  Steven nudged her. “Are you thinking about this bad business or a baby?”

  Mouse rolled her eyes. “The bad business, of course. We’ll need the twins to weigh in on this.”

  “About you having a baby?” Aria teased.

  “No,” Mouse said. “Pretty sure the Wayne twins are anti-baby for everyone.”

  “I don’t know,” Tessa said above the hiss of steaming milk. “Prudence adores Reggie. You’re right about Chastity, though.”

  The petite blonde had a different take on things. “Pru adores Sabina, and since the baby is a part of her, ipso facto, Pru loves the baby. But none for me, thanks. Hey, Quinnie, were you ever a mother?”

  Quinnestri didn’t respond. She was looking across the room, lost in thought. Or had the question unnerved her? “A mother? I was meant to be queen. I was not meant to have children, I do not think. It is hard to remember.”

  “That’s a true non-answer.” Mouse patted Steven’s back. “I’m going to get on over to the western dining hall. It’s taco night. And Haru has truly embraced the idea of Señor Chang’s. His wasabi al pastor tacos are probably the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life.” Mouse wandered off.

  “Tomorrow,” Aria said, “let’s see about training. Sabina is right, I do need to master more of the Exhalants. For now, I will go see how Uchiko and the other women are handling Hwedo. I swear, if this new woman causes trouble, I will take her life.”

  Tessa frowned at that. “No, Aria, no life taking until I get to talk to her. You know me, everyone likes me.”

  Quinnestri coughed, cleared her throat, and coughed some more.

  “Most people like me,” Tessa protested. “Gosh, Quinnie, cut me some slack.”

  The elf queen tried to look innocent. And failed completely.

  Chapter Fifteen

  AFTER DINNER, ALMOST everyone gathered in the western dining hall with the sunset in the windows. The clouds never did throw down lightning, or let go of their rain, and the whole sky had cleared just in time for sundown.

  Bud was back at the ranch, and Denise and Fimi were out in the eastern living room with Sabina and the new baby. That didn’t thrill their lawyer turned CEO.

  “Babies better not be contagious,” Bud sighed.

  “Achoo!” Tessa faked a sneeze. “Oh, shit, I think I’m pregnant.”

  “Not funny.” Mouse seemed very uncomfortable with that idea.

  “Hey, Bud, you do know they’ve figured out where babies come from,” Chazzie said.

  Pru laughed. “Yeah, cabbage patches. They grow ’em, and then irresponsible douchebags get one. So you’ll certainly get one.”

  Mouse snorted laughter. “Oh, Chazzie and Pru, you’re such scamps.”

  The twins were back from a day spent with Cactus Bill in an East Texas cave that was part junkyard and part modern art sculpture.

  “Bill got himself a girlfriend,” Chazzie said.

  “And she’s as crazy as he is,” Pru added.

  “Pretty?” Aria asked.

  Chazzie squinted. “Well, it’s hard to see the pretty when there’s so much crazy.”

  Quinnestri sat at a table away from them, with Skylar holding her hand.

  Steven could see the elf queen was upset. He found it sad that she couldn’t remember if she’d ever been a mother or not. Their time in Xanadu had helped some, but the elf still seemed so uncertain of herself. And so fragile.

  He wondered what Cactus Bill’s girlfriend was like. Once they got through this latest threat, he’d have to invite them both to dinner.

  Tessa glanced around. “No Sabina?”

  Aria shook her head. “No, Sabina is showing Reggie to Bud’s wives.”

  “Girlfriends,” Bud said quickly.

  The Indian woman gave him a nasty look. “I am glad to say Reggie’s song is subsiding. I think the worst is over.”

  Steven thought about something Hwedo had said, about all of Africa singing her song when she was born. It could be more bragging, or it might be true. Steven didn’t know.

  Bud glanced around at all the familiar faces. “Okay, so the usual suspects are here.”

  He was right. Abby Free and Michaela Montes weren’t interested in the planning meetings, nor was the Morta Clique. Heridan, every now and again, would join, but she’d generally suggest something monstrous, like genocide, and they would have to give her some nachos to calm her down. It was better for her to play than work.

  Bud sighed. “We are missing Liam, but he’s on Xanadu, putting the final touches on his school. You’ll all be pleased to know that the PR campaign is going well. People are liking the clean energy, though the clinics aren’t as popular. A lot of suspicion there, but even I find getting my cold healed by a dragon kinda weird.”

  “It will catch on,” Steven said confidently. “Once people hear we’re healing sick kids and terminal cancer patients, that will sort itself out.”

  Bud thumbed through his phone and checked his open laptop. “Yeah, hope you’re right. Eve Downfyre is doing the heavy lifting with FleshForge. Imogene Summers is helping as well. Those two took it up the fastest. Oh, and you’ll be happy to know that I talked with Chosen Ben Tozier. He and Chickadee Hamms, with the help of our Yellow Ronin, have also joined our healers.”

  Steven smiled, thinking about Ben and Chickadee. He wasn’t as close to them as he’d been with Javier Jones and Abner Savedra, and yet, he liked Ben’s straightforward Yankee ways and Chickadee’s big personality.

  Bud kept on talking. “Cactus Bill, girlfriend or not, can also do FleshForge, so that makes five. There’s a bigshot Magician who works for Aria’s father, some joker named Moka Bhaag, and he’s working on the Alpherian abilities as well. But he’ll probably be off world before too long.”

  He glanced at Aria, who sipped her tea. She kept all emotion off her face. Steven knew she would love to say goodbye to her family before they left Gaia Alpha, but she wasn’t going to reach out. There was too much bad history there, and it was up to Rhakshor Khat or her brother, Godha, to offer the olive branch.

  “I’m not worried about the humans, or the healers,” Steven said. “We have a new threat, and so far, we have no idea what it is.”

  Bud made a face. “Yeah, I don’t know why I’m here, though, Steven. Once you get into your world-hopping ultra-battles, I’m not that useful.”

&nb
sp; “You did an amazing job coordinating the human resources for the Zothoric Wars,” Steven pointed out.

  “That was mostly Buster Lumpkin, to be honest,” Bud said. “And I had a lot of help from your other generals. Even Robert Stains proved not to be too much of a douche nozzle. But okay, fine, so let’s Scooby-Doo this shit.”

  “So we split up?” Tessa asked.

  Mouse pinched the bridge of her nose. “Here we go. Are you going to say that you’d bang Velma, Tessa?”

  “I’d totally bang Velma,” the barista said with great enthusiasm.

  Aria leaned over and waved at Quinnestri. “Don’t worry, my queen. They will tire themselves out talking about their pretend friends.”

  “Pretend lovers,” Tessa insisted.

  Quinn gave them all an indulgent smile. She was controlling herself far better than when she’d first come.

  “Let’s get back on track,” Steven said. “I think Bud wanted to talk about the clues we have.” Steven went over the elven weapons, his vision of Joe Whipp, and the strange kidnapping of Quinnestri. “At this stage, I don’t think Hwedo is involved. It is odd that Quinnestri was sent to the same world as Hwedo though.”

  “Do we have to worry about waking up with Hwedo breathing fire on us?” Mouse asked.

  “No,” Steven said. “The Morta Clique... damn, we can’t keep calling them that. Heridan, Nefri, and Uchiko are taking care of Hwedo.”

  Mouse sighed herself into groan of displeasure. “Oh, great, let’s have the evil demon bug goddess get with the wife of one of our worst enemies. What could go wrong there?”

  “Don’t worry, Haru will keep Heridan fed,” Tessa said. “And I kinda dig Heridan when she’s all buggy. Damn, but she can get nasty. And drippy.”

  It was clear that Tessa’s hormones were working on her. Her sex drive was coming back in a big way. Or was she taking tanaquil? At least he wasn’t a janitor anymore, mopping floors and too poor to give a kid a chance at a good life. He could have as many kids as he and his wives wanted, but maybe they should all talk about it before he ended up with thirteen pregnant wives at the same time.

  First, though, the current threat.

  Tessa got serious. “Okay, so, we watch Hwedo, but we don’t think she’s a variable in our little equation. Got it. I’m curious to hear what the twins found out.”

  Pru cracked open a fresh Coors Light. “Yeah, about that... We didn’t get much from Cactus Bill. Being in love certainly has him scrambled.”

  “Like motherfucking eggs,” Chazzie said. She had a beer of her own. “We did confirm Rhakshor Khat is leaving. Which is good news, since that means less fighting, though it’s always good to keep an eye on folks.”

  “You wanna tell them about Bob Stains?” Pru asked.

  Chazzie shrugged. “Not much to tell. Word has it he’s not handling his forced retirement well. It’s a shame that some people can’t appreciate the ease and comfort of consulting. All the money, none of the accountability—the asshole should be grateful.”

  “Amen to that.” The twins brought their beer cans together.

  “And you’d be fine being pulled from the spotlight?” Steven asked. “No more plotting or scheming?”

  Pru stuck her tongue out at him, then went on. “Those weapons were elvish, and I talked to a Warling that was smart enough not to join Silas von Forcade’s doomed cabal. Silas said he got them from someone calling themselves Collidium. Does that name mean anything to you guys?”

  That single word put a bad feeling in Steven’s gut.

  No one said anything.

  Chazzie snapped her fingers. “Damn, I was hoping we’d get a hit there. So, nothing about Collidium. He’s the fucker that’s behind this shit.”

  “Could it be a she?” Tessa asked. “Yes, it could be a she, because women are just as good as men, and we can be evil as fuck. So, it’s sexist to assume that Collidium is a he.”

  “Sabina said it was a he,” Steven said softly.

  Tessa scowled and crossed her arms. “She could be wrong.”

  Chazzie squinted at the barista. “Pru, is it too late to shoot one of these bitches? I mean, really, is it too late?”

  Pru sighed. “It is, Chaz, I’m so sorry. Steven would get pissed and would be all like, ‘Come on, girls, can’t you get along?’”

  “And then Mouse would get all friendly.”

  Mouse laughed. “I would, since I’m one of the lost Wayne twins... er, triplets. We have to be gentle with Tessa. She is so sensitive and has so many issues.”

  “So many issues,” Tessa agreed with a smile.

  Quinn stood up and walked into the center of the tables. “I know this is your way, to prattle and joke and talk about pretend things, but I cannot sit here a minute longer. I have reached out with all my magics—Flesh, Soul, Spark, and Tide. I have consulted with the current king of Aqualyra, Selius Asreyel. Through my eyes, he has seen the Night Lance, and the weapon is indeed Lyran, from an ancient armory. There are four such armories, and they contain the four sacred weapons of the Protectors. All the artifacts are gone, King Asreyel confirmed it. And he reminded me of a story which might be another clue.”

  To Steven’s wonder, no one had a comment. He figured Mouse might ask for cookies and milk, since it was story time. Steven almost made the joke himself but thought better of it.

  The elf queen glanced around the room. “The Night Lance and the Day Glaive come from a story which is similar to your tales of Attur Dro and the Dragonknights of the Round Table.”

  Mouse opened her mouth to correct her but didn’t. Instead, she sipped her cup of tea.

  Quinn nodded and continued, her voice strong. “There are stories of the farmer, the fisherman, the soldier, and the scholar. Each was given a magic item to improve the world. The farmer had the Sack of Seed, the fisherman was given the Net of Stars, the soldier had the Day Glaive, and the scholar was given the Night Lance. It was said that the Night Lance could cut open the world to reveal its secrets. The Day Glaive brought victory to anyone who wielded it. The Net of Stars could snag anything, while the Sack of Seed brought fortune to its owner. And so, the farmer, the fisherman, the soldier, and the scholar worked for the good of Aqualyra as the Four Protectors.”

  “But then something happened,” Tessa said. “I mean, that’s the setup, but a story needs an inciting incident. You’re about to tell us shit got real.”

  “Is it me, or does the ‘Sack of Seed’ sound dirty?” Mouse asked in a whisper.

  Quinn sighed then growled, “Please, women, let me finish!”

  Tessa swallowed her angry response by pressing her lips closed. Mouse couldn’t hide her silly grin.

  “I apologize,” the elf queen said. “I find this very troubling, especially since this Night Lance doesn’t appear to have any powers whatsoever.” She raised her chin and continued. “A wanderer came to Aqualyra, and that’s where the story breaks down. We have records of the farmer, the fisherman, the soldier, and the scholar, and we have their names, or at least some idea that they were indeed historical figures. And we have kept their artifacts safe because they are so dangerous. It was why we didn’t wield them in the war with the Zothoric. They are too dangerous. Or that might be a myth, like the wanderer. There are conflicting names for him... the wanderer, the lonely artisan, the sad man, the lost king, the unlucky number... things like that.”

  Steven shivered and thought about his foster father... luck versus skill.

  “Sounds like a ‘him,’ Tessa,” Mouse said under her breath.

  “I’m not saying a word,” the barista muttered. “I don’t want to get into any more trouble.”

  “Why don’t you have more information on this stuff? You did write shit down on your world, right?” Leave it to Pru to ask a good question.

  Quinn’s face grew troubled. “We did. But one of the seven kings of the Ohkreela, Sepho Ckarth, decided that he would rewrite all of history, but first he had to destroy as much of the Lyran knowledge as he could. He
called it the Burning Truth, and we lost so many texts.”

  “That don’t help us none.” Chazzie tsked.

  Quinn continued. “This wanderer, this unlucky number, tricked each of the heroes out of their weapons and then stole them away. For a long time, we thought this was just a story, like your Excalibur, since most humans don’t think that sword exists in reality.”

  “What did happen to Excalibur?” Tessa asked. She threw up her hands. “Don’t answer. Not important. Keep talking.”

  Quinn nodded at her. “It might be important. While my mind is not as sharp as it once was, I do remember some things. There was a descendant of Rahaab, his name was Mulkred, and he has always remained in the shadows. Some say he wasn’t Rahaab’s son, but a lost Alpheros, an enemy of the three brothers. He appears, now and again, in the history of your world. The last time that we know of is after Arthur’s murder, when Mulkred stole away Excalibur. He disappeared through a portal, never to be found again. We know this world has ties to Aqualyra. Could it be that Mulkred is the wanderer? Did he collect magic weapons from this world and from Aqualyra?”

  Tessa waited before asking, “Is this a rhetorical question? Can I try and answer?”

  Quinn motioned for the barista to do so.

  “Okay,” Tessa said slowly, “did your stories say the wanderer had round ears and smelled like cabbage? You say humans are stinky.”

  “In our stories, he was elven, yes, but it would be easy for a human to pass as an elf. And yet, it’s not that cut and dried. We did have an ancient king who rose to power, and he did indeed rule our world. At times, he called himself the wanderer, but this is ancient lore. This was at the very dawn of time, when our magic was in its infancy. The Lyra had barely come together to plant crops and domesticate animals. Lust still ruled our more logical natures. This king ruled us back then. Could he be a myth? It could be.” Quinnestri closed her eyes. “I knew the stories so well at one time. And while Selius Asreyel has many good qualities, he isn’t as interested in our legends. He can get a little too caught up in his lust.”