Gone. Gone with the terrible complications Marcus had caused, made worse by their visible appearance as dragons to the human community. Most damning of all, they had gone to the skies by her own orders. None of this had been mentioned or even hinted at, yet the burden of the fallout of her decisions twisted in her mind.
Nareen had come out of necessity, because she was the only one who could fix such a giant, horrible mess. Her and the gods of Draca. Who needed Fianna? A sense of final reckoning washed over her, feeling like defeat.
The spell cut off abruptly, and Fianna was shocked to find Nareen standing in front of her.
“The spell is being quite stubborn,” Nareen said. “I believe I know why.” She reached her hand to Fianna, who numbly grabbed on. Nareen led her to the front. “Sit,” Nareen said.
Fianna sat. Was she being punished?
“No, dear one,” said Nareen to her unspoken question. “The spell isn’t working because it is apparent you must lead.”
What? She lead?
Nareen crouched beside her. “The magic requires you, Fianna, to weave the strands. I could manage, yes. However, the spirits are complaining. You are needed.”
“The spirits are complaining?”
“We are needed?”
The breeze picked up, as if in response. Light filtered through the tree branches in shifting lines across the waiting, expectant faces of her family. Shape-shifter magic gleamed like gold mist in the air.
Nareen patted her shoulder and waived her to sit in the front. “Focus now, Fianna. Breathe in the spell and send the magic out. I know you can still feel the path you wove across the sky last night. We have one chance only to accomplish what needs to be done.” Between just them, the Queen said, “Consider this a gift, another opportunity for atonement.” She looked at Fianna with a knowing smile. “What, did you think you were done?”
Fianna blushed, embarrassed over her earlier thoughts. She should have had more faith.
Nareen’s confidence changed everything. Fianna’s troubled emotions vanished and a new swell of power sang in her blood, the gift from the spirits. She took a deep, cleansing, connecting breath. Nareen’s sister-self, who rarely communicated with the others, joined Fianna’s in support.
Fianna’s family built a web of spirit connection, holding her safe, and each adding power to the conjoined spell. Abbie’s sweet, young essence glowed with love. And all around, the spirits danced approval. Of course, her quest continued, how could she have doubted?
Fianna rose, spread her arms wide and turned in a slow circle, accepting the challenge of the spell as her right, and as a vital step in her redemption. She threw back her head, intoned the words of power and invited in the gift of the gods with her whole heart.
An explosion of elemental power activated her deepest shape-shifter magic. Like a spirit warrior, she spun out of her body, high above the earth, somehow knowing she searched for particular, telltale, miniscule pricks of light below. Last night’s crazed dragon flight from west to east left a singular trail of activated electrical devices. Hundreds of them had taken photos and videos of the skyborne dragons. Her mission was to destroy the evidence.
This was the gift, prepared and shining, directing Fianna and her magic to the illuminated targets and allowing her to blast them full of the best celestial software virus the gods could supply.
She had a second of intense satisfaction. Take that, human technology! Then she let go, let the power surge through her, body and soul, directly to the pins of light. In those moments, if anyone affected by the fierce streaks of magic looked at their cell phones, they would have seen a tiny beam of light hit their devices and ruin all their photos.
After a while, Fianna drifted slow and triumphant back into her body. When she opened her eyes, she lay flat on her back, the sun warm on her skin. Above her were the awestruck faces of her family, including Nareen, who beamed at her. Fianna smiled, her heart so full, she could barely speak. She reached up and was pulled into a dragon-style group hug of victory.
Chapter Seventeen
Dragon Revelations
The four sisters flew together in joyous release, the relief to be shifted and free after days of tension and worry making them downright giddy. Abbie’s telepathic and spirit connection to the sisters-Draca, especially Fianna, pulsed deep and strong, the best yet.
“Watch this, Abbie!” Fianna turned on her back and paddled her wings as if she floated on a river, intentionally making it look comical. Abbie grinned a toothy response and tried to do the same, and sank when she flipped. She scrambled right-side up in awkward flapping moves, while Fianna giggled in her head. Orla and Guin played tag, chasing each other in and out of fluffy white clouds.
Oh, to be a dragon! And in love! Life was suddenly, freaking fantastic! Abbie tried to nip Fianna’s tail, but Fianna evaded her with ease. The mind-blowing act of magic Fianna had done made Fianna and the Queen especially happy, Abbie noted with interest, and seemed to be connected somehow to the redemption thing Abbie kept hearing bits and pieces about. Abbie couldn’t wait to hear the whole story, but for now, as she circled lazily around the, most gorgeous dragon in the sky, Abbie was sure about one thing. Yep, I am one hundred percent crazy in love.
Later, once the silliness had calmed, Fianna led them on a hunt. Vegan Abbie was very much opposed to another hunt. Dragon Abbie was adamant. “Get used to it,” her sister-self said. “You’re not always the boss of us.”
Ha, that again. “Fine. But most of the time I am.” Her dragon grunted and went faster.
Hours later, sated and full, the four Draca lounged in the living room. Nareen was upstairs, probably talking to Miriam. Reports had been positive so far, with plenty of disinformation clogging the web everywhere. Best of all, and much to Abbie’s relief, many hundreds of cell phone videos and photos had been destroyed, including any images that had been uploaded. The consensus seemed to be that a super-virus had been hacked in through cell towers in a targeted attack. Yeah, they’d never figure out where that virus came from. Only blurred or blackened photos remained. And her own beautiful Fianna had done the deed—with unbelievable power and magic. Abbie would never forget the sight. The spell needed Fianna, not the Queen, to lead the charge, and even Abbie felt the balance of energy between Fianna and the Queen change afterward.
Lots of things had rebalanced. Like between her and Fianna, which got better and hotter by the minute. Thoughts of Fianna and what they’d done last night inspired images of dragons having sex as…dragons. Her cheeks warmed, imagining. There was another whole bunch of stuff she hadn’t considered yet…
Fianna’s shoulder shook under Abbie’s cheek. She lifted up to see Fianna’s saucy grin. “Oops, some of those images slipped out, didn’t they?”
Fianna kissed her. “We can talk tonight about the many varied ways of…Draca love.”
“Hey you two, can we join in? Looks like fun,” teased Orla. “Yeah, sure,” said Abbie. “You wish.” It occurred to her how much she still didn’t know about Dracan mating rituals. “Right?” She eyed Fianna. Did she have this part correct?
“What do you think, baby?” Fianna asked in a sexy tone.
Abbie sat up and threw a pillow at her. Which got a pillow back in her face, and the fight was on. They were standing on furniture and shrieking and dodging pillows when Nareen paused at the top of the landing, smiling as she watched the action below.
“Ready to discuss going home?” Nareen called out after a few minutes and started down the stairs. The pillows stopped. Conference time, Abbie guessed in a clutch of nerves as she took the seat next to Fianna. Was this it? Was she going to Dracan now?
“May I ask a question?” Fianna asked the Queen, who gave a regal nod.
“What if Abbie does not want to go? Will she be allowed to say no?”
Be allowed to say no? What did that mean? It had never occurred to Abbie she might not have free will. “What are you saying?” she said. “I don’t understand.”
&
nbsp; Nareen asked, “Do you want to go to Dracan, Abbie?”
“Well, yes, of course.”
“Are you ready to go tomorrow?”
Abbie paused. Was this the sticking point? What if she did want to say no? Why would she? She thought about her life in Portland. Her back-stabbing roommate. The loser jobs she kept getting fired from. The lack of friends. Hell no, she didn’t want to say no. Besides, look whose hand she held. She wasn’t giving that up for anything.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m ready.”
Fianna gave her that special smile. Abbie melted and couldn’t speak for several minutes while she processed the enormity of her decision.
“I have another question,” Fianna said, “if you wouldn’t mind.”
“Regarding?” Nareen asked.
“How did Marcus manage the whole thing, even with his dracfire?”
“Yes, how did the wily old dragon accomplish as much as he did? Alone? Perhaps I should explain some things that happened on Dracan while you’ve been gone.” Her tone resigned, Nareen settled in the padded chair by the fireplace and gestured for the others to sit. She drummed her nails on the chair arms.
“Marcus, as he sank into dracfire, started telling old stories to his House about ancient Earth and the dragon conquests, the so-called glorious wars. He leaves out the fact we were almost completely destroyed,” Nareen added in an exasperated voice. “He always forgets that part. We can’t defeat the humans, we can only guard against them. Nevertheless, Marcus began spinning delusions about dragons ruling part of Earth again, perhaps even being worshipped as gods, as we were in times long ago.” A look of pity crossed her face. “Since it was so clearly dracfire, the Council, in their sympathy, dismissed his ravings and looked the other way when he told the old tales.”
“Knowing what we do now, about the shifter magic in Abbie’s scales, it appears he was onto something when he started ranting about the discovered dragon being a potential new bloodline. He became more and more agitated. Once he formulated the plan to capture Abbie for his own purposes, he moved very fast, as only a Draca as crafty as he can do. When he got his hands on the magic needed to get to Portland, I couldn’t keep up.” She tapped her fingers. “Don’t forget he’s a master trickster.”
“How did Marcus obtain the Transformation spell?” Fianna asked. Abbie remembered the spell was the one in the secret book that magicked the dragons back and forth from Dracan.
“Sneaky old dragon,” muttered Nareen, bringing on a round of titters. “Marcus used arcane magics—from where, I’m still not sure—and layers of invisibility spells to manage the actual theft.” She sighed, and shook her head as if the memories pained her. “The Council was in an uproar over Marcus’s disappearance. Then someone wondered, incredibly, if I was somehow involved.” She slapped her hand on the chair. “Really. What has gotten into everyone lately?”
“What else happened?” Fianna said.
“I’m afraid, despite the community knowing Marcus was half-crazed, his antics and his tales have inspired some of the younger set to demand more so-called freedom. And the Council has agreed.”
“More freedom?” the group mind asked in unison.
Nareen’s lips thinned. “Let me ask you something. Are you bored on Dracan? Harboring fantasies about making a life here? Or challenging the Council?” She tapped her foot. “I’m serious.”
“No,” said Fianna. “I mean, life in Portland has been quite an adventure. However, and I think I speak for all of us,” she glanced around the room, and Orla and Guin nodded, “I’d never want to live here permanently. Nor do I want humans to have any knowledge of us.”
“Very good. Thank you.”
Fianna nodded. “So, there was a problem?”
“The case has been made, among other things, for the younger adult Draca to have a turn to visit Earth. The Council is discussing how to implement such a thing and not cause some of the problems we’re dealing with now, for instance. However, many of that age are craving new stimulation, so I’ve put a few of them in charge of creating alternate avenues of activity. They want to start clubs, whatever those are.” She shuddered. “I predict trouble, but such is the way of youth.” She gestured toward Fianna. “Fianna’s influence on the younger set has been missed.” She smiled at Fianna, whose face lit up with her words.
“Well, this has been a day for revelations.” Nareen declared, standing up. “Enough talk. Tomorrow we will return to Dracan. So, why don’t we get some rest, hmm?” She added, “If that meets with your approval, mission leader?”
“Yes, My Queen, it does.” Fianna sketched a graceful bow. “Thank you. We are grateful for everything you’ve done.” The group murmured heartfelt agreement.
“Come on, Abbie.” Fianna tugged her down the hall. “Let’s go to bed.”
“Not to sleep,” Abbie said.
“No, I have a better idea.”
a
Abbie found the bed covered in a plush gold comforter with piles of fat, purple bed pillows, and candles all over the room. Despite the romantic setup, Fianna was determined to talk first. She even made them take solo showers so they wouldn’t get distracted.
Fianna strolled out of the bathroom, toweling off her wet auburn hair. She moved with rolling grace, the slight sway to her sexy hips irresistible. She flipped her hair with a sassy smile. “Like the pillows?”
Abbie grabbed her wrist and tugged her down onto the bed. “Yeah, I like the pillows. I like more than the pillows.” She leaned down to taste Fianna’s soft lips with her tongue. “You said talk first? Might be kinda hard.”
“Yes.” Fianna dodged more kisses, and tossed a midnight blue silk robe and sash to Abbie and slid on a matching gold one. She lit a couple of tall candles on the dresser then rummaged around in the walk-in closet. She emerged with a silver tray and two crystal wine goblets. An elegant wine bottle of dark red liquid sat next to the bed. She turned out the lights and the room glowed in soft, flickering candlelight.
They snuggled together, propped up by pillows. Fianna popped the cork on the bottle and poured them each a glass. “Something very special,” she said. “Elium wine. Quite rare. It appeared in our room, probably a gift from Nareen.” She took an appreciative sip. “Mm. I think she approves of us. This is a very valuable gift.”
Abbie drank. Delicious. Sweet with hints of berry, cardamom and…something else exotic and earthy. “Wow. This is fantastic.” She took another sip.
“Easy. It’s also laced with subtle magic. Helps to relax, among other things.” Fianna wiggled her eyebrows, making Abbie giggle.
Several sips later, with the wine taking languid effect, they edged closer, their bare legs intertwined and hands clasped. “Look at me, Abbie,” Fianna whispered.
Abbie gazed into Fianna’s warm, emerald eyes. A thousand feelings swung between them, filling the silent space with tangible emotion.
Fianna cradled her cheek with her hand. “Do you understand what’s happening to us?”
Abbie swam in Fianna’s heated gaze. These feelings between them…she had no guide. She only had trust. “I trust you,” Abbie whispered. “That’s what I know.” She’d never said those words to anyone.
They exchanged a long, sweet kiss. Candlelight flickered like jewels in Fianna’s green eyes. “Listen to me, love,” Fianna said. “You need to understand. We are mating. Real, chemical mating. It happens to Draca this way. It’s more than just feelings. There is a blood bond and it goes deep. The bond is for life.”
“For life? Does that mean we’re already, like, married?” Mating. Blood bond. Married. Big words she thought would never apply to her.
“For a dragon, the answer is yes. For you, it’s more complicated. I know everything happened so fast, I can hardly believe it myself. What are you feeling, Abbie?” Fianna looked at her anxiously. “I know this is a lot to take in. You can still say no.”
“I need to kiss you first.” Her body sang when they touched, she longed to be with Fianna every
minute. Their sister-selves approved. The very cells in their bodies approved. They belonged to each other. Blood to blood, heart to heart.
“Is there a ceremony?” Abbie murmured against Fianna’s mouth.
Fianna’s arms tightened with her words, and her smile was joyous when she said, “Draca have wedding ceremonies. Do you want to say vows?”
Fianna’s smile could light up the world. Wedding ceremony? She never thought she’d get married, let alone plan a wedding. To a dragon, no less. “Do you have a last name?”
“Not exactly, not like humans. Gold. Fianna the Gold. For my House.”
“Am I Abbie the Diamond? Or do I switch Houses because we’re mating?”
“You don’t switch Houses, because it’s your bloodline, your family. As far as your House goes, we know you’re Diamond, or Marcus never could have connected with you. But, as you so perfectly demonstrated today, your scales are House of Emerald and your eyes are gold, like mine. Even Nareen suspects you’ve inherited some of Marcus’s cunning as his contribution to your dragon-ness.” She laughed and kissed her again. “You are unique. In so many ways. You have no idea.”
“So, what House exactly do I belong to?”
“Good question. The Council will probably sort it out. It’s happened before, but rarely. See what I mean? Unique.”
“I guess I really am stuck with that title,” Abbie giggled. “Like, from birth.” She reached for another kiss, then said, “How long has it been, anyway, since that fateful nap in your big bed? I’ve lost track of time. Hard to believe it was only days ago I was single, miserable, and stoned out of my mind in the woods.”
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