Dragon Engaged (The Covert Dragons Book 3)

by Viola Grace

  Her aunt is her roommate, assassins are closing in, and she still needs a dress for the dragon ball. Buckle up.

  After finding out where she actually came from, Trin is now trying to hide from the family who wants her genes for analysis and who wants her aunt Meadra back.

  Hiding in Breaker City works for a while, but when kidnappers and assassins threaten those who have tried to keep them safe, Trin decides that a return to the capitol is what she needs. She knows where everything is and how to defend herself in the place she grew up. Hiding with friends is far superior to hiding alone.

  Apraxa is back from the sea kingdom, and she has no inclination to return for the present. Her mother is abusive, and her fiancé is a bit of a jerk. She joins their merry band and heads out with them to the dragon ball. If she can’t get over her fiancé, perhaps there is another dragon who would do as well.

  Meadra needs a mate for security, Apraxa needs one to spite her fiancé, and Trin is going to destroy any dragoness who gets near Brommin before she can. That nerd is hers!

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Dragon Engaged

  Copyright © 2019 by Viola Grace

  ISBN: 978-1-987969-59-7

  ©Cover art by Angela Waters

  All rights reserved. With the exception of review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the express permission of the publisher.

  Published by Viola Grace

  Look for me online at violagrace.com, Sea to Sky Books, Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, B&N, and other eBook sellers.

  Other Books in This Series

  The Bastard Dragon

  Dragon Astray

  Dragon Engaged

  The Covert Dragons Book 3

  By

  Viola Grace

  Chapter One

  Trin twirled slowly in the chair. “This is so boring!”

  Meadra was sitting and knitting in the chair. “You are very good at languages.”

  “My dragon is good at it. I am just good at knowing when it is time to let her talk.” Trin sat up and finished the paperwork for Apraxa’s import business.

  “What would you be doing in the capitol?”

  “Probably playing with Creata’s baby or tormenting Brenner and Niida. Or tormenting Brommin. That is a new hobby.” She chuckled.

  “When can we leave Breaker City?”

  Trin spun the chair again. “Two more days.”

  Meadra perked up. “That soon?”

  “Yup. We have your gown, my gown is waiting for me, so we just have to kill forty-eight hours, and we can get on Ystine and drive home.”

  Meadra swallowed. “Are you sure that you don’t mind me staying with you?”

  “You will be staying with the dragons. They will be happy to have you.” Trin stopped spinning and got up to collapse on the sofa. “And, of course, you should be with me. You are my aunt or mother or aunty-mom.”

  Meadra blushed and kept knitting. “That sounds silly.”

  “This situation isn’t normal, so silly makes it feel better.” Trin chuckled and then paused. “Are you worried?”

  “About what?”

  “About your family coming for you.”

  “Our family, and no. Not with you here. You are way scarier than they are.” Meadra smiled and kept working.

  Trin was restless. She may have asked the question about Meadra’s family coming for her, but it was deadly serious. Her aunt was an asset that they weren’t going to part with. Hiding her away from the capitol was a measure of desperation. It also felt right. Apraxa needing someone to mind the store while she was gone had also seemed to be weirdly coincidental.

  So, now, she just needed to check in on her gown, and she and Meadra could head home for the ball. The next two days were going to crawl by.

  Trin tapped her fingers together and thought, perking up slightly. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

  Meadra smiled. “A walk?”

  “Yes. There is a temple a few blocks over that should be alive with light tonight.”

  Trin smiled as her aunt put her knitting away.

  “Is it safe?”

  “No, but it is better than being cooped up here. You don’t have to come with me. I can set all the alarms.” Trin got to her feet and stretched.

  “I am coming. Is it a festival?”

  “I think it is the Blood Moon Festival. There is a species celebrating something just about every week here. The temples are always busy. I am just going to go change. Back in a minute.”

  Trin headed to her guestroom and went through her clothing. She settled on the black bodysuit with the silver-piped dress overtop. Her knives were strapped to her thighs, and flat batons were tied to her inner forearms under the sleeves of the dress. The belt that she put on held the whole outfit together and also contained her wallet and some small blades in the leather. Being armed at a festival was tacky, but she would just leave a large donation at the temple.

  She pinned her hair up into a loose fall, checked her reflection, and put her boots on. She wanted to have fun, but she was practical. There was a bounty on her head and on Meadra’s. The social niceties could be had, but adaptation had to occur, or stupidity could cost them their lives or freedom. She would wear knives into a temple.

  Sighing, Trin returned to the living area, and she grinned when Meadra was nowhere to be found. Her aunt was almost as fashion hungry as she was and was now finally able to indulge.

  “Is this all right?” Meadra came in and did a slow turn. Her outfit was dark red and black. It looked lovely on her and fit her as if it had been made for her. It was part of her new wardrobe and her first non-hand-me-down.

  “It is very appropriate. Shall we?”

  Having her aunt giggling and clapping as they left the warehouse helped her mood. She remained on alert, but she started to see the beauty and excitement that worry had blinded her to.

  At first, the streets near the warehouse were empty, but as they got closer to the temple, other folk in finery joined them on the path.

  Trin’s smile came easier as they entered the temple grounds where food stalls had been set up, and games were being played. The blood moon was enormous, but it hadn’t yet reached its zenith. They had two hours to play before the howling of the wolf shifters and thrashing of the shark shifters took over the night. It would not be particularly safe at that point.

  “Trin! I mean, Mistress Lem, how nice to see you!” She knew that voice. Hector was leading the pack of his brothers with his wife and three little ones in the group.

  Apraxa’s brothers were focused on them, and Trin grinned. “Thank you for the greeting. I haven’t been in Breaker City for any of the festivals before.”

  Hector’s wife stepped forward. “I don’t believe we have met.”

  “We have not, Kohasi, though your husband spoke of nothing else when Apraxa and I meet in the family diner. I hope your children have enjoyed the gifts I sent for their naming days.”

  The woman blinked, and a slow smile spread across her face. “You are Mistress Lem.”

  “Trin, please. I see that the whole family is here.”

  Kohasi grinned. “Everyone except for Apraxa. She has her hands full.”

  Trin fought a smirk. “Yes, well, hopefully, she is making progress.”

  She suddenly realized that there was a very curious female in the vicinity. “Kohasi, this is my aunt,
Meadra. Meadra, this is Hector’s wife, Kohasi.”

  Meadra reached for Kohasi’s hand, and she murmured, “Bright greetings, mother of Torin, Mekker, and Albert.”

  Kohasi blushed, and Hector grinned.

  Trin inclined her head. “My family takes children very seriously.”

  Troy and Pollux cleared their throats in unison.

  Troy said, “Well, as Hector is occupied with his family, would you ladies like a tour of the temple grounds?”

  Kohasi chuckled. “Don’t let us slow you down.”

  Trin shrugged. “Sure. I would like to pay my respects to the temple first, and I don’t want Meadra out of my sight, so keep that in mind. If I lose her, you lose limbs.”

  The two brothers nodded in agreement. “We are good with that.”

  Pollux walked up to Meadra and offered his arm, Troy did the same to Trin. They walked slightly ahead of the others, and he said in a grand voice, “Welcome to the Blood Moon Festival.”

  She grinned and inclined her head. “Thank you.”

  They walked past booths that would tell the past, present, and future, kiosks full of snacks that smelled and looked like they contained a week of calories, and finally, they reached the temple in a small oasis of decorum.

  “Keep an eye on Meadra; I need to pay my respects.”

  The two sharks turned to their prey, and Meadra smiled pleasantly. “So, are you two seeing anyone?”

  Trin chuckled and headed inside the temple, noting the three different altars that were carefully tended and garlanded with flowers.

  Trin paid her respects to the wolf god and the shark god, but the goddess of the land was covered in flowers and was draped in plain green silk. Trin took a few hundred dollars, and she slipped it into the donation slots, thought about what she wanted, clapped three times, bowed, and clapped again.

  When she straightened, she could swear that the goddess of the temple winked at her. She inclined her head in return and left to find Meadra and the sharks.

  A quick glance didn’t turn up her friends and family, so she used her dragon’s senses to seek Meadra out. Blood called to blood in this case.

  There. A flicker at the edge of the grounds where the boys had sworn not to go. Trin moved as swiftly as she could with her determination strong and her fighting brain coming online.

  She ran into Kohasi, and the woman stopped her. “What is wrong?”

  “The boys are leaving the grounds with my aunt. This is not good, and they would not have done it on their own.”

  Kohasi nodded and glanced around. “You find them; I will let Hector know.”

  Trin nodded and continued to track Meadra. She moved swiftly. The crowd parted when they saw her coming. Those who weren’t looking were yanked out of her way by those who were facing her.

  She caught the scent of another dragon and the dark whiff of human magic. Things were far more complicated than Trin had been hoping. Pity, it had looked to be a very pleasant evening.

  Chapter Two

  Trin flexed her wrists as she closed in on the group that was trying hard not to incur notice. She thought that was a good idea and blurred herself into invisibility.

  The sharks each had a gun aimed at their backs, and Meadra was being held between two men who had stiffly pleasant expressions on their faces. Trin grinned and thought to herself, That is about to change.

  There was another member of their party nearby, but she wanted to get the boys free of the threat, or Apraxa would never forgive her.

  She moved toward the men with the guns, flicked her batons out, and struck quickly, hearing the crack of their wrists as the guns were forced down.

  “Take care of them,” Trin muttered as she moved toward the men who had picked Meadra up and were hauling her bodily toward the street.

  It was difficult to do while unseen, but she extended her wings and jumped up and over the trio, pulling knives and stabbing each of the men in the shoulder when Meadra collided with her.

  She flashed back to visible as the men reeled back, and she pulled Meadra away from her abductors.

  A slow clapping sound made her turn slightly to put herself between Meadra and the noise.

  “Who are you, mage?”

  The mage walked forward, and while he had devastatingly good looks, there was a sneer in his expression that Trin didn’t care for.

  “I am sorry to inconvenience you, but the project is coming with me.”

  Meadra gasped.

  “No, she isn’t. She is my guest, she is my kin, and she is staying with me.”

  The two men who had had a grip on Meadra backed off when the mage fired up his hands with power.

  “Meadra, stay behind me and get ready to hang on.”

  The mage snorted. “You can’t carry anyone in that form. I am amazed you could move at all with those enormous encumbrances.”

  She inclined her head and didn’t respond. He fired one shot after another, and she twisted, catching and scooping the power with her wings, flinging it back in a weirdly smooth move that her dragon engaged in while roaring wilding in her mind.

  The mage was struck and flew up and back several dozen metres. He wouldn’t be doing anything else tonight.

  Trin saw a crowd of sharks bringing up the rear with Kohasi at their head.

  Kohasi nodded. “Go, we will take care of the leftovers.”

  Trin smiled. “Thank you. I just need to retrieve something.”

  She walked toward the two men wearing her knives and jerked the implements out while the men screamed. The sharks surrounded them, and Trin returned to Meadra. “Come along, Aunt.”

  She scooped Meadra up and launched skyward, flying in a wide loop before she settled back into invisibility and returning to Apraxa’s home.

  She landed on the roof and resumed her visibility. “Well, that was less fun than I had hoped.”

  Meadra nodded, and then, her lower lip wobbled, a fat tear made its way down her cheek. “They said they would kill you or the sharks if I cried out.”

  “It’s fine. We are all fine, and they all need medical help, especially that mage. Ouch.”

  Meadra sniffled as they walked toward the door. “I know. That was amazing. How did you do that?”

  Trin chuckled. “I have no idea. The dragon knows what she can do, but she only tells me when I express a need.”

  Meadra nodded as they entered the security door. “Do you think that I have a dragon in me?”

  “I am pretty sure you do, but what kind it is, is up for grabs.”

  Meadra touched her arm. “Can you bring her out?”

  Trin’s dragon perked up.

  Trin shook her head. “I would like to do it at the guildhall in the Wheel. That way, if things go wrong, there are other dragon females around to help.”

  Meadra nodded. “That sounds good.”

  “They will insist on keeping you close to them, but that is the best place to be safe.”

  Her aunt paused as they entered the main living space. “If it is so safe, why are you here instead of there?”

  “I would have left anyway. I had to find out where my mother came from.” Trin gave her a hug. “I was very worried tonight.”

  “Me too, but you just looked angry.”

  Trin backed up and wrinkled her nose. “Angry and worried look sort of the same on me. Either way, unless I say otherwise when you see that face, hold very still.”

  Meadra laughed.

  Apraxa’s voice sounded from the living space. “I am curious. Tell me what has been going on.”

  Trin stepped around the last barrier and looked at Apraxa as she sat on the couch with a mug of tea next to her. “What are you doing home?”

  Apraxa was sporting a claw mark and a black eye but looked otherwise fine. “My mother decided that my presence was no longer desirable, so I came home.”

  Trin nodded, but Meadra stared. “She hit you?”

  Apraxa
quirked her lips. “She did.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I hit her back. Then, I apologized to my grandparents and got the hell out of there before I was tempted to do anything foolish.”

  Trin had to ask, “What about the guy?”

  Apraxa winced. “It got complicated, even for an arrangement. He wanted possession of my businesses, and I told him to fuck off.”

  “Oh. That is understandable.” Trin got it. If Brommin tried to interfere in her business in the future, he was going to feel the back and front of her hand.

  “Yeah, well, when I started it in the middle of the court, he got a little huffy, and his family had to haul him off before he got arrested.” She finished her tea. “I left shortly after that.”

  Trin grinned. “How shortly?”

  “About five minutes. I made my bows to the court and got back in the water. It was a fun visit with my mother’s family, but I prefer it back here in Breaker City. Oh, that said, can I come with you to the capitol? I have a funny feeling that this place isn’t going to be safe for me in a few days.”

  Meadra looked at Trin, and they laughed. Trin held up her hand. “Let me just check on my gown, and we can go. Did we want to drive or fly?”

  Apraxa waited until she was walking away and then said, “Don’t you have a gown waiting in the capitol?”

  “I didn’t really have time, and I am not sure that Mirbella had time to finish it.” A call could confirm it, but Trin felt a little bit guilty about all the weird work that had already been given to the seamstress.

  Apraxa propped her elbow on the arm of the chair and used her fist to support her head. “I called earlier and gave her my measurements. She said she could provide me with a shifting gown now that yours was taken care of.”

  Trin paused and turned around. “So, you already had it figured out.”

  “I know about the festival. I guessed you would want to leave as soon as possible.” Apraxa looked at Meadra. “Are you all right?”