by L M Lacee
“Of course my Lord.”
Reighn said. “Hunters I understand your desire to be independent but I insist that each of you allow a home to be purchased and made ready for you. Even though you may not see the need for it now, one day you may have a shadow and you will wish to provide for her. So as you will not allow me to bestow anything else, please take this gift. Lars if you could arrange homes for them as well.”
“As you wish my Lord.”
Reighn dismissed the two males with another warriors salute. “Thank you Hunters.”
Lars ordered the two males. “Hunters if you could wait in my office.” The two males took that as a dismissal and left the room. When they had gone, Reighn said to Lars. “Find out who helped Ismathe, her brothers may know. I will need answers for the fair Sage.” He grinned at Lars, who gave him a speculative look but said only. “As my Lord commands.”
“Reighn dear have you forgotten something?”
Reighn stared down at the amused face of his Dam and scratched the side of his face in thought. “No, I do not think so, there is Councilor Tomas of course.”
She shook her head and cocked one eye towards the doors still lying splintered and warped on the floor and the shattered windows. He grinned as he said. “Oh yes, of course.”
With a thought the doors were once again whole and in place and the panes of glass replaced.
I hope she doesn't make a habit of that, he said to his dragon, a very toothy grin was his reply.
“Better dear!” Stated his Dam. He nodded at his mother as he said. “I will not be long, mama.”
Looking over at the dragon who stood with the other councilors, he called out. “Ahh! Councilor Tomas!” To his mother he murmured. “Stay here mama with Lars please.”
“Alright my son.”
Reighn walked slowly towards the councilors, by rights protocol dictated they should have come to him. And on any other day that would have happened but Reighn was in a hurry to get to his Shadow. So he allowed the slight to protocol to go unanswered. He knew his dragon would only allow so much delay before he took matters into his own claws Reighn found himself winging his way to his new shadows side. He needed this business dealt with which is why he was originally here at the castle. To put a stop to a rebellion amongst the nobility and catch a traitor to the realm. And when he had handled all that he was going to change how dragon kind lived.
“Councilors if you could please wait just one moment more?” Reighn smiled as the males agreed. “Thank you, we are just waiting for a few of the guards to return, then you may be on your way.”
Suddenly the doors opened wide as a squadron of castle guards led by Captain Johner Kingsley, Reighn’s adoptive brother entered. Johner was one of the most respected dragons ever to command the guards. He served in the capacity he loved as captain of the castle guards. Many a time Reighn and his father had tried to lure him into either the Shields or Hunters, but he would not be swayed. His destiny he had told them repeatedly was the guards. He enjoyed the position he had made for himself.
Castle guards did not merely guard the castle and all who resided inside its walls as the title implied. As of two days ago they were to help in the protection of Dragon's Gap. Johner was to oversee a mixed force of shifters and dragons. He had made it possible for all the inhabitants to apply to join the guards. It was generally accepted that humans would be hired as administration staff. Mainly because they found it hard to physically keep up with the non-humans or it was things were changing. Johner let these thoughts tumble around his mind as he walked towards his mother and his Lord. “My Lord what may we do for you?”
“Ahh! Captain. Yes, I wish for you to take into custody councilor Tomas and the other council members present.” Outrage surrounded them as the males voiced their disbelief, strongly and loudly. “Silence!” Roared Johner. Immediate quiet descended on the room. Johner raised a blond eyebrow at Reighn as he asked. “On what charge my Lord?”
Reighn grinned at his adopted brother. “Why conspiracy Captain Kingsley! What else?”
Instantly the six councilors found themselves cuffed and gagged. “Really?” Reighn asked as he observed the councilors being arrested.
“Yes as you know the cuffs insure they cannot call forth their dragon.”
Reighn frowned. “I see, although the gag seems excessive?”
“Maybe so but it ensures I don’t have to listen to the whining.” Came the sardonic reply. Lars and Reighn laughed as Reighn’s mother hid a smile behind her hand. Johner asked. “My Lord when is the trial?”
“Tomorrow, place them in cells. Do not let them communicate with anyone...anyone at all!” Reighn turned to Lars. “Lars put out that the council has been isolated due to a virus that seems to have incapacitated them all maybe food or air poisoning or something. Also Johner we need the level that houses the cells seen too. It is disgusting down there. I feel we may need all those cells updated and opened.”
“As you will my Lord. I will see to it today.”
Once the prisoners had been led away. Lars asked. “Where will you place the councilors?”
Johner shrugged. “A vacant apartment for now. And in the cells once they are cleaned up, in fact maybe some hard work will be in order.”
Lars grinned imagining the looks on the councilors faces as Reighn said. “I leave that to you brother. Johner were you hurt?”
Johner smiled at his brothers as his mother hugged him. “No, I am fine, it was the guards that got directly in her path who were knocked out. Once I ordered them to allow her to pass us, we all fared better. I see you are alright.”
“Well, we were not in the room.” She told him.
Lars told him. “We were shaken but not damaged.
Johner asked. “Are you going to tell me what went on in here?”
Reighn smiled as he apologized. “Probably not right now. I do not have time. Mama and I have things to do. Why don’t you have dinner with Lars and Stanvis? They will fill you in.”
Johner grumbled, “Where are you and our mother going to be?”
“Out doing dragon business.” When Reighn would not be any more forth coming. Johner finally agreed. “Deal, dinner with Lars and Stan, wonderful!”
Lars said. “Because I had no plans for this evening?” As they all looked at him, he smiled. “No... No… do not worry. I will change my life for my brothers.”
“I will bring dragons ale. Which I have and it is the decent kind, all the way from Scotland.” Johner casually added as an inducement.
“Then by all means brother come for dinner.” Sharing a grin with Lars, Johner asked Reighn. “Now what do you want me to do?”
“Round up the others, have it done quietly! Do it tonight when there are no witnesses to who are being arrested. I do not want anyone else to know we have them.”
Johner Kingsley looked at his brother and asked. “You would not be trying to tell me how to do my job, now would you my Lord?”
Lars laughed as Reighn shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. “Would I do that?”
Johner grunted and then with a swift salute to Reighn and a kiss on their mother’s cheek. He left with Lars taking the rest of his smiling guard with him. Reighn finally took his Dam’s arm leading her from the castle Verity asked. “Son where are we going?”
“Mama it has been a long time since I took you flying. I think we deserve the wind in our hair.”
Verity Kingsley grinned, she so loved to fly. Being a dragon herself and never having felt the wind beneath her own wings. Was a source of constant pain and none a male dragon ever shared, not even her dear shadow Rene`. Like all male dragons. He would never know the agony of watching a male shift into a dragon and soar above the earth. Knowing that the gift of flight was denied to her. She watched her son shift from a tall strong human male to an eighty foot long fire dragon, the color of red flame. It was a thrill to see his dragon come into existence but at the same time, it sadly caused a hurt that made her soul ache.
&nb
sp; She quickly scrambled with his help up his foreleg and sat in between the ridges on his neck. Wiggling around until she was comfortable she then signaled by tapping him twice with her heels and he shot blue flame into the sky as they lifted off.
It was always a bittersweet moment for Verity as they soared up into the clouds. No one knew why female dragons could not fly or indeed if they had ever flown. As Verity sat astride her son’s dragon, once again the nagging feeling all females felt of something lost within their souls plagued her. It was always there, a constant ache for herself and all female dragons. Taking a deep breath she shook off the old wound and laughed her pleasure. Reighn’s dragon raced for the clouds swooping up and down and in and out playing as he had not done for years. She laughed as she let herself enjoy her son’s pleasure.
An hour later Reighn circled Dragon’s Gap in lazy spirals lowering with each pass until he landed on the road outside his shadows house. Sage stood on the deck with her arm around Grace as Verity skimmed down Reighn’s front leg and stood next to him. He shifted in a tongue of flame back to his human form and bowed to the two females, then offered his arm to his Mother. “Mama I would like to introduce you to my shadow, Sage Harris.”
“Oh my son.” Verity said softly as they moved closer to the waiting females.
So this was the Dragon Lord the one whispered about. A hysterical giggle almost escaped as Sage realized her mate was the feared Dragon Lord, the male who was spoken of in hushed tones. The stories she had heard over the last two weeks were hair raising and she had thought implausible. Now though watching the handsome male walk towards her, she knew they were not only plausible but more than likely only a fraction of who this male was. She took note of the similarities to his brother Sharm he seemed to have, or more than likely his brother was similar to him. They both carried themselves with an arrogance she assumed power gave one or maybe it was all the responsibilities they possessed. Her mate was as tall and broad shouldered as his brother and they both possessed jet black hair although she thought Reighn’s may be longer. His eyes seemed to have a flame in their onyx colored depths that was missing from Sharm’s. As with his brother he had the straight nose and firm chin which she was guessing was a family trait but unlike Sharm. Reighn seemed to have amazing soft lips which at the moment held a small smile. Sage thought he was what some females would call devastatingly handsome, she knew she did. And without even trying, which she assumed he was not with his mother and Grace here. He made her knees weak with wanting. He did not look like her idea of a king, in fact in her wildest dreams she could not have imagined a male like him.
She tore her eyes from him to study his mother. Sage guessed she was somewhere around six foot tall with a slightly robust figure and was very beautiful in a regal kind of way. Her features resembled her sons, except with a more feminine twist. Although her hair color was definitely not black, she had a softer mink brown color which held streaks of white. Sage thought maybe they suggested age but it was hard to tell. Logic said the female dragon had to be quite old as her son was not a young male but how old. Sage decided she did not really need to know. Because she may have a smile on her beautiful unlined face but within her copper colored eyes, was a wary shyness that reached out and touched Sage’s heart. Sage felt her body tense as she watched the couple come to a stop a foot away from her and Grace. Here he was her mate, her future life. He stood before her and she trembled in anticipation. Sage bowed her head to Verity as Reighn said. “My shadow. I present my Dam Verity Kingsley.” He was just so amazingly gallant. Sage wanted to giggle at the old world greeting but felt Grace pinch her cheek and not the one on her face. She cleared the laugh from her throat and returned his greeting. “Good morning ma’am. I am very glad to make your acquaintance.”
Then she introduced Grace. “My mate… my shadow, please allow me to introduce my dear friend and adopted grandmother to our children. Molly, whom you have met and her sister, Ava who you have not. This is Grace Orlov. She has helped me look after our girls since we decided to settle at Dragon’s Gap.”
Grace blushed at the compliment and hid her surprise when Sage had called her the girl’s grandmother, in truth it was a very happy surprise. Her cheeks caught fire again when Reighn took her offered hand and gallantly kissed it saying. “Grace Orlov. I thank you for watching over my shadow and hatchlings until I could.”
Seriously Grace answered him. “It was my pleasure. They are very precious to me. And to the whole community of our town.” There was a warning in there and Reighn was amused to find he and his dragon were taking it seriously. He asked his dragon. When was the last time we have been warned to watch our behavior.
His dragon snickered. Never has it ever happened. I like her. Reighn agreed he did as well.
Grace looped her arm in Verity’s and said. “I think we deserve tea, and you must as well after that wonderful entrance. Do you do that often?”
A little surprised at the familiarity, Verity laughed softly she had never felt such a generosity of spirit in another living being as she did in Grace. Between one blink of her long lashes and the next. She knew she had met a kindred spirit not since her sister had she ever felt this with another female. And as she looked into Grace’s soft knowing eyes she saw the same knowledge shining out at her. She knew as Grace did that more than a mating was taking place. Today a friendship was born. One that would endure a lifetime.
Since the death of her childhood friend Verity had not been blessed with the companionship of a true friend. Grace was a very welcomed surprise. One she had no idea she was to receive when she woke this morning, in fact the day had so far been full of surprises. For Grace who was still in some ways new to Dragon’s Gap, it was a welcome relief. Another special person to help fill the void her mates passing had left in her heart. Grace leant nearer to Verity and whispered. “I know he is important, but do you think he would allow me to fly too?”
Verity laughed out loud at Grace’s question. “If he does not, I have other sons who will and failing that I have nest sons, who I will ask to give you the thrill of flight.”
Grace clasped a hand over her heart. “I thank you my friend. I would of course only go, if you fly with me?”
“Of course I will, just try and stop me. It is an amazing sensation to fly.”
Grace sighed. “It looked truly amazing.” Her eyes misted over as she thought. What her Ivor would have thought of the wonder of a flying dragon.
Verity already in tune with her, hugged her arm. “Not today!” She whispered. “Today is for happiness. Our children have found each other, against all the odds. We must keep our sadness hidden for another time, when we have very good wine to help drown our sorrows.”
Grace smiled and surreptitiously wiped her eyes as she cleared the tears from her throat. “What a splendid idea and yes we should be happy. Now what is this term nest son, I have not heard of that before?” They entered the house discussing terms and the shift in languages throughout the years.
Sage and Reighn followed slowly listening to the voices of the females they loved wash over and around them. Letting the connection of being together settle between them, neither willing to break the silence as they strolled to the back of the house. Sage slipped her hand into his large one. Instinctively as though he had done so for years, he raised it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. She led him to a swing seat as he asked. “Where are the hatchlings?”
Sage grinned he sounded like she had hidden them away. “They are napping, it has been an eventful morning so far and it promises to be more so. We will know when they wake. I promise it gets noisy.”
He waited until she took her seat and then gingerly sat beside her. When he didn’t hear the chains on the swing break, he heaved a sigh and started the swing in motion with his foot. Sage grinned as she watched him looking out over her backyard. “So this morning was different?” And where she wondered did that come from.
Reighn nodded his head. “That it was. Do you often go around blo
wing things up?”
“Never done it before.”
“Ahh! I see. So just today then?”
“They had my baby...our baby girl Reighn. What would you have done?” She quietly asked him as he turned to her and rested his forehead against hers breathing in her scent, her texture, her essence. “I my dearest heart, would have leveled the world.”
Sage drew his scent deep into her lungs and held it there letting his essence settle into her blood as she whispered.
“So, not so bad then?”
Reighn gave a short laugh. “You did well, our hatchlings will be well guarded by their mother and father.”
Sage snuggled against him. “Beware any who think our young are easy pickings.”
Reighn agreed. “Yes beware all! So we have two girls?”
“Yes two. I should tell you Molly is a half shifter but...”
Surprised he cut her off. “She can shift. She was a small cat when I found her and she shifted several times.”
“Yes, a Lynx and little ones will shift often especially when they are frightened or apprehensive, a survival instinct they flick from one form to the other. It is all about control as they learn or so Grace has told me.”
“Ahh! I see dragonets do not shift until they are five or six years old and some not until puberty. Of course females never shift!”
“Why is that?”
“We do not know. It is very sad and unfortunately our histories do not say why they are unable to shift. Although that has not stopped the numerous theories developing over the years.”
“It must be painful for them?”
“Yes most painful it is like a tooth ache mama says but unlike that ache it never leaves them. I should imagine it is the same for half-shifters?”
“Yes except we know why. Not like your females. Did they ever shift?”
“I do not know. A theory is they did in ancient times, but no one knows for sure. You scent wolf my soul why is that?”
“My father was wolf and my mother witch.”
He started a little. “An improbability!”