by L M Lacee
“I will if you will.” She responded with a smile. He followed her to the patio and took a seat after her. “Tea or coffee?” she offered.
“Coffee please.”
“Are you settling in well Fin?”
He sighed. “I am and I am not.”
Edith wiped her hands as she sat then poured their coffees from her heated urn. She took a sip of hers before asking. “So tell me!”
“I do not do well with being idle!”
“Oh me either, I like being useful.”
“I have commanded Shields for many years. More than you have been alive I think, probably more than anyone but dragons.”
Edith grinned. “Probably! So you need work?”
“Yes!”
“Be a Shield!”
“No, I do not fit that life anymore. I have not for a long time and especially now I have Ella and…”
She said when he stopped talking. “Oh please. I do not talk out of turn. I can keep a secret. Have you found your shadow?”
She quipped with a smile, not thinking he had, so was surprised when he nodded.
“I have.”
“And you are not impelled to claim her?”
“I am but I need to settle my life first. My dragon is in agreement.”
“You must have a very well-adjusted dragon!”
“We are! So my problem is twofold. I wish to work and have my own home. Keeper and Ella are newly bonded. I feel I am encroaching, even though they go out of their way to make me feel included.”
He smiled as he said. “I think if it was me and I was so new to bonding the last thing I would want is my Uncle living with me. Also my shadow will demand her own space. I think.”
“Well, we do like that.” she agreed with a smile which he returned.
“I have heard that as well!”
I am fairly sure I know of both a job and a place.”
“I do not want to leave Ella.”
“Oh no it would be here at Dragon’s Gap.”“What is it?”
“One moment!” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and hit speed dial five and hit speaker. “Lars it is me and Commander Fin.”
“Hello to you both.”
Fin was going to tell Edith he had not gone to Lars because he did not think he could help but remained silent and sighed quietly instead.
“What can I do for you Edee?” asked Lars.
“Have you already hired someone for your weapons museum?”
“That is a horrible name.”
“Well what are you going to call it?”
“We haven’t decided yet and no we have not.”
“Lars I have Commander Fin here. What does that tell you?”
“I see, wait one moment please.” Then they heard two sets of boots approaching. Edith closed her phone, saying to Fin. “So Lars and Storm have weapons. No, that is wrong, they have hoards of weapons that they have decided can no longer be in their homes due to their young ones.
“Ahh! I see, so they have decided to place them on display?”
“Well yes and no. Hi guys!” said Edith as Lars and Storm arrived.
“Hello Edee.” they both greeted her.
Storm asked. “Fin you wish to work?”
“I cannot remain idle.”
“Plus he needs to move out of Ella and Keepers.”
“Of course he does!” said Claire as she walk in. Lars kissed her cheek. Edith asked.
Meeting over?”
“Yes all sorted.”
“Why are you here?” Asked Lars.
“I was ordered to appear and update a certain nosy bear on what took place.”
Edith grinned as they all looked her way. Claire told them. “While I am here I can help Commander Fin find his new home. I have the ideal place.”
Surprised he asked. “You do.”
“I do, now tell me Com…”
“Please.” He interrupted her. “Just call me Fin.”
Claire smiled. “Fin I feel that you would not be happy living alone?”
“I have always lived with others. I think I am too old to start living by myself.”
“Well I think then you should have a place here at the castle for the time being! What about Storm’s old apartment. What do you think?”
Storm said. “It is ideal, already furnished for a male. I will take you there to see it.”
Fin looked a little disconcerted. “I do not know what to say. I am not royal to live at the castle.”
“I disagree unless that purple ring in your eyes, Lies.” Said Storm.
“Plus are you not our Ella’s only relative? Do you really think we will let you go now?” Asked Edith.
“You are family, once in. You never get out!” Said Claire, making Edith laugh leaving the males confused as to why she found that funny.
Edith flapped her hands. “Well good, the place Claire has for you is better than the one I was going to suggest! So you all have this. I have work to do, now go get him a place to live and explain the weapons thing you have going on, which has no name.
Fin, visit anytime, I am usually here or at the Art Gallery. We females enjoy talking to people who have not always lived here at Dragon’s Gap. So do not be a stranger.
Oh do not forget to tell him about the party next weekend for Ash and Olinda.” She told Claire who asked. “Have you told Olinda and Ash?”
“Why would I do that?”
Storm said. “She told Sage!”
Now that! The males understood and found funny, they all said their goodbyes and left Edith to get on with her work as she hummed a happy tune under her breath.
Her bear growled. You know that June is his intended?
Oh please it is as plain as the nose on my face.
That big a sign!
Wow! You are snarly this afternoon, annoyed you did not get to eat a Unicorn?
I like Olinda and baby Cara.
Yeah me too!
Claire left without giving us her update.
Edith swore several times, much to her bears delight.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX:
K eeper stood beside the table and looked at two baby carriers with two hatchlings sleeping peacefully inside. His heart melted as he watched them sleep, they were really adorable. It was so hard to see them as anything other than hatchlings. He looked around it appeared Olinda had started work.
“Oh, I thought I would get an early start, sorry about the hatchlings. Ash had to see Storm this morning and apparently the brothers are organizing classes for mind control so the hatchlings had to come with me. Plus building at my place.”
“Good morning Olinda.” She blinked a few times and he could see her mind catching up to what was actually happening in present time. It was not that she was rude or did not know the niceties of social behavior. Keeper had discovered by observing her, it was that her mind was somewhere else. On books, on what she was doing or Ash or the hatchlings. In fact he bet if you asked her at any given time she would give a list of what she was thinking that would make a person’s eyes bleed.
He thought that for Olinda being on the run must have been an exercise in discipline and control. That she would have had to teach herself to remain focused to remain vigilant. He was honest enough to say he broke out in cold sweats when he thought about her out there running from evil and never getting caught.
Just as well she had the Goddess with her or Olinda may have never made it to Dragon’s Gap. At least he was not alone in his thoughts. He knew Ash and his brothers said the same and he knew Reighn thought so as well.
“Good morning Keeper.”
“Are you saying that this will be the only time my nephews will be here?”
Olinda stopped and looked at him. “Are they really nephews? Ash is not related to you!”
“Oh Olinda, do not let our Dam or Sire hear you say so. The Battle brothers are as much their young as we are. Their mother was our Dam’s best friend until her death. Mama has known each of them from the time th
ey were birthed and loved them for that long.”
“Oh I did not know that. I stand corrected.”
“Yet you live in the castle, in a family apartment?” he said.
Olinda shrugged. “Well yes we do, I assumed that was because of the boys.”
“Yes and no but mainly it is because of Ash.”
She smiled. “That is good I am glad, he needs that security of family, they all do. It is probably why the brothers hold so tight to Ash and the hatchlings.”
“I think you are right. Thankfully they have you and the boys to help soften them. They were well on their way to becoming hard unforgiving males.”
Olinda sighed and changed the topic. “As for the twins well, we have builders in today as well. Doing building things and decorators.
June and Ember have organized them. I just gave them our lists that Ash and I wanted done. Do you think that was okay?”
“Yes it is what they do. You would have only gotten in the way.”
“Yeah Ash said that. So I thought one day having them here would not hurt and we are just setting up.”
Keeper lifted one eyebrow. “Really because the quiet room for infants that is on the floor design, indicates it will not be?”
“The, what now?” Asked a startled Olinda. He started walking away. Olinda looked at the twins, then to where Keeper was heading, shrugged and trailed him.
He stopped and pointed to the wall where there was a large drawn floor plan of the library, both floors. It was in Olinda’s hand writing.
“Oh!”
Then he moved his finger over and she could see quite clearly a room that held two sketches that looked very much like cots.
Well okay then, so what do you think?”
Keeper studied the plan again as he had done for the last few days. “I have stood in this room and apart from the shelving I have had absolutely no idea how to go forward. It had been a month since I decided to share my hoard and nothing had been done. In one day you found our libraries voice.”
Olinda smiled. “Thank you, it called to me.
So what do you not like about the plan?”
They spent the next hour discussing and transferring her design onto their lap tops. Together they added and subtracted rooms and played with other ideas. When they had the design fixed to both their liking Keeper said he would call the decorators. Basically Grace’s sons would come in and decorate the library after the dragons had finished the building work. This they would complete overnight.
Then Charlie walked in with a faerie. “Hello Olinda, Keeper.”
“Hi.” Said Olinda.
“Hello.” Said Keeper.
“I have brought Sunny, she will be doing your art work.”
They both called out hello to the faerie as she walked around the room. She waved towards them as she looked at the words written on the wall.
Olinda said. “Well okay. I did not know you were getting art like that.”
“You do not like the faerie art?” Asked Keeper.
Olinda shrugged. “What I have seen is lovely, they are to do the boys rooms and the play room at home but it is not my library. So not my call!”
“To that you are wrong, you have half ownership of this library!” Keeper told her.
Shocked she gasped out. “I what?”
“You own a building that has books in it!” said Charlie helpfully.
“How is that helping?” asked Keeper.
“Oh was I meant too.” Charlie grinned at him. Olinda asked Keeper ignoring the conversation between him and Charlie. “How is that possible and are you happy about that. These are your treasures?”
“One, I am immensely proud of my collection and to share it with people who love books as much as I do is enthralling, and two. These books, this building loves you Olinda, they sing when you enter here. The very air shines with your smile, so yes. Ash gave you the gift of the library, although I would have anyway.”
“How much did he pay for it?” She was almost too scared to ask.
“A dollar. A fair price. I thought.”
“Are you saying I own a building full of books for a dollar?”
“Yes….Yes I am. Now the art, what do you think?”
Olinda took a breath and let it out slowly then another, when she felt she could talk without squeaking in shock, she said. “Fine, I think you need old masters from the castle or the museum up there where the academics will go. They will find comfort in them.”
Keeper agreed. “I see the sense of that, we will ask Edith for advice.”
She pointed to the scrawled writings on the walls that Edith had done in jest. “You need those definitely.”
“They were a joke by Edith about my hoard.”
Charlie said. “But they are true, both statements.”
He shrugged, it was true but he felt slightly embarrassed.
“And it is funny!” said Olinda. “Which is good because libraries should be a place of fun and magic!”
Keeper looked at the three females. “Well true, I have always found books to be magical.”
“Me too!” said Sunny.
“There you go then. We are in agreement.” said Charlie.
Keeper nodded as if he came to a decision.
“We will need the two statements and murals in here of relaxing scenes and in the young ones area we will need light and cheerful colors.” He and the faerie called Sunny walked off. Charlie looked around.
“You need help!”
Olinda did the same. “We do, I know!”
“Ask Claire, she is the liaison for Dragon’s Gap. She will know of people who need part time jobs and she will also know of other librarians or at least ones who have worked in one.”
She looked at Olinda. “They are really excited about its opening.”
Keeper heard the last of what she said as he came back to them, minus Sunny. “Really I am amazed!”
Charlie smiled. “What are you amazed at?”
“That people still read or just read!”
“Are you?” She tipped her head to the side as she studied him. “Like you, people love the idea of having a place to go to, surrounded by books. Most dragons and shifters remember when that was all there was.”
Olinda said. “They love the familiarity of Old friends that is what some books and libraries are to some, Old friends, safe places to read and be with like-minded people. A place to go and not be judged on what you read or think. To just take a break from life.”
She smiled. “Well for me that was always my experience.
“Yes exactly!” said Charlie. “My experience as well. This is a good thing you two are doing here and on saying that I have come to take your hatchlings with me. Verity and Grace wish to spend time with their grandsons.”
Olinda asked with a confused look on her face. “Grandmothers? Really Grace and Verity.”
“Do you want to say they are not their grandmothers?” Asked Charlie pointedly.
“Hell no! Not me. I am so not brave enough for that!”
“Good call.” said Keeper. Which made them laugh. Charlie took both hatchlings with her when she left a few minutes later.
Olinda watched them go and sighed she would miss them as funny as that was. She had them for such a short time and yet they were such a big part of her life now.
Sunny and Keeper went over some more ideas he had come up with about the hatchlings room. Before they finalized the deal.
Olinda with nothing to do downstairs raced upstairs to start to shelve the books and old documents. She had been there for a while, totally in her element.
Happiness radiated off of her in circles of contentment. She loved the feel of the books, even the dust on some of them, which made her sneeze, could not halt the pleasure she was feeling.
She hummed as she placed books lovingly on shelves, she did not see the two figures appear at the end of an aisle.
A deep voice said. “Excuse me prin…”
Olinda dropped the
books in her hands and froze, her legs would not move. Her brain stopped thinking and her heart thumped hard. She opened her mouth and a loud and long, horrendous scream erupted. Once started she could not seem to stop.
Within seconds Keeper stood in front of her, she grabbed onto his shirt in fear.
Her hands were shaking so much she could not feel them. Her heart raced and she was positive she had gone blind, her eyes would not focus. Her fight or flight instinct was trying hard to kick into gear. Then they heard roars that seemed to vibrate the building, the two figures stumbled back against the wall. Keeper said calmly. “That will be Ash, he will be here in a second. You are safe Olinda. I am here.”
She held tighter to his shirt. “I…I...I know but my body does not! So…So…Sorry!”
Then seconds later a glowing doorway opened and Ash and his brothers strode through. Ark and Axl held swords in their hands. Reighn, Storm and Lars with Stanvis armed as well, walked out after them.
Ash wrapped his arms around Olinda after he peeled her hands from Keepers shirt. She sobbed with relief when she felt his arms surround her. “Hush my soul, your heart is racing too fast. Calm I am here.”
“So….So…Sorry, scared….So scared.” she mumbled.
“I know… I know. Olinda calm please, you will cause yourself harm.”
Reighn flicked his fingers and a portal opened. “Take her to Sharm, she will not settle with them here. Go Ash!”
He nodded and lifted a shaking Olinda into his arms and sent a warning glare at the males standing by the wall as he carried her through the shining portal.
Sharm directed him to a bed as soon as Ash appeared with her in his arms but Olinda would not let him go.
She clung to his hand and begged. “Do not leave me!” He leaned down so his face was near hers. “Never my heart, never.”
Olinda whispered. “Okay….So…Sorry!”
“Do not be, you have a right to be frightened. Calm now.”
“Okay no drugs please.” She pleaded.
He looked at Sharm. “You heard?”
“I did, no drugs.” He slipped an oxygen mask on her face saying. “Just breathe deep breaths. You will be fine Olinda, you are safe. We are here.”
She nodded but kept her eyes on Ash. Once they were gone. Reighn asked Keeper. “The twins?”