by L M Lacee
Reighn sat and rocked slowly as he fed his Ava and listened to his dragon sing just below the audio range of most humans for shifters it sounded like a purr. The girls and Sage adored it as he had found out. Ava, especially when she woke in the night and he held her and rocked her to sleep singing in dragons’ song to her as he was now. Her eyes started to blink closed. He grinned at his shadow. “I do not think so, she was very intent on a toy or something in her playroom, when I came past. I thought to leave her there.”
“Well, that may not last, enjoy it while you can.” She smiled. “Did your meeting go well?”
“Yes it is all set. I should tell you we will be having a Faerie Grove established here soon. Hopefully by the end of the month.”
Sage looked at him. Nope, he wasn’t kidding! “I am not sure what that means?”
“You believe in faeries?”
“Of course.”
“Well, they live in Groves. Usually with a Queen and King.”
“But there is no Grove here?”
He grinned. “Magic my love. Faeries are nothing if not magical.”
“They are little and have wings right?” She held her thumb and forefinger apart about two inches.
He laughed. “They are and yes they have wings. They also have magic so therefore can grow to regular heights.”
“Oh okay. Well, that is cool.” She said as she thought about the possibilities of being tiny and then growing.
“I think so.”
Sage eyed her shadow. “Why do you look smug?”
“I am! It is very fortunate to have a Grove. A very lucky blessing indeed. If the High Queen thinks your lands are healthy and peaceful enough to establish a Grove within your borders. It means we are heading in the right direction. We are doubly blessed, this Queen is sister to the High Queen herself.”
“So I am guessing the High Queen is the highest Faerie person you can get?”
“Yes, she rules over all Faerie Groves. Throughout the world and beyond.”
“Wow! We are really lucky then! Will I get to meet the Queen and King?”
“Of course as the Dragon Lady, you are ranked equal to the High Queen of the Faeries.”
Sage grinned. “Huh, who knew?”
Reighn smiled as he rocked and asked. “Now tell me how your meeting with June and Claire went. Is Grace happy?”
“Yes, she is very happy. June and Claire are happy as well. They have one more retrieval and then they will remain at home. Claire will not be my PA as I had hoped.” She pouted a little before she said. “She is going to be the Dragon’s Gap liaison and join June.as the castle liaison.” Reighn looked satisfied as she said. “You are looking smug again. Did you know what was going to happen?”
“I guessed. I do not think the lovely Claire is ready for the castle life.”
Sage nodded and said. “Well, she is going to work here, so she will have to get used to it!”
He raised his eyebrows. “Now that I did not see happening, is she alright with this?”
Sage smiled at his genuine interest. “Yes, she is happy, Kammy will have Molly and Ava to play with. Your mother set it up. Claire could not refuse, plus she has a home in town.”
“Yes, I heard about that, papa told me. June is pleased to be living at the castle? Where will she reside?”
“She is the liaison. She will find somewhere.”
Reighn smiled gently at his shadow. “My love, she will get a closet somewhere so she does not inconvenience anyone!”
Sage frowned. “You are right I will ask your mother to find an apartment for her. I will talk to her before June gets back and comes to live here. Good thinking.”
He inclined his head. “Thank you.”
“Kammy is well. Your father saw to her. I think Claire knows he is a Keeper.”
“Ahh I see! Well, it is not really a secret. He takes away bad memories and replaces them with good ones or not. It is what Keepers do to keep the horde mentally healthy. It does not surprise me she knows.” He looked at Sage making a decision then watched his youngest daughter sleep on his lap. “I should tell you something. I thought not too. Then I realized you would be disappointed in me if I did not.”
Her look was serious as was his as she said. “Tell me what?”
“I have asked Stanvis to look into the backgrounds of both June and Claire.”
“Huh I thought you might.” She handed him a small flash drive. “On there you will find out everything you would like to know about them both.”
Surprised Reighn asked. “You knew I would ask?”
“Nope! Never even thought of it. No, this is all Claire, she said you would want it.” She looked at Reighn. “I trust you my soul, you are mine and if this is what you need to make you feel safe. So be it. I will endeavor to give you what I can to accomplish that.”
He took the drive and turned it over and over in his strong capable fingers. “I know I do not need this. I know my nation is safe. But I feel I must read what it says.”
“So read it and you will find we are still safe at the end of it.” She smiled as he relaxed as she looked out over the land. “I love this place. I have never felt so welcomed or at home since I lived with both my parents as I do here. For that I will move the world for you.”
Reighn sighed as he too looked out over the land, his shadow across from him and his daughter asleep in his arms, his dragon peaceful. “As I would for you my soul, my one.” Again his dragon sang, content in the knowledge they were loved.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX:
A round the same time Sage and Reighn were enjoying being together and discussing Claire, June and Faerie Groves. John Morton walked unchallenged through the backyard of a shifter property amongst the high grass and weeds of a dying pack. Everywhere he looked he could see decay. Death had its fingers on this community and was not letting go anytime soon.
A shifter dressed in jeans and a long sleeved shirt opened to the waist showing a well-muscled chest and six pack. With dark unwashed hair squatted on the deck of a mansion or what had once been one. He looked at John from eyes gone dark, his beast was riding just under the surface of his skin. His voice, when he spoke, was low and guttural. “What do you want here dragon?”
“I come to find the uncle to our Dragon Lord’s mate Sage. Witch, shifter, half- breed.”
“I am he. What do you want of me?”
“I want you to call your bitch of a niece here so I may end this once and for all.”
Robard laughed deeply and just a shade of insanity seeped through. “You think to use me for your own purposes, against my kin?” He laughed harder and rose to his great height as four shifters entered the yard. “Behold what is left of my pack. Ask the Alpha whore and her bitches if they will help you. I will not.” He sneered, as he stared out of eyes gone wild and his wolf was in his voice as he said. “Go against my niece at your own peril. She will have no mercy for you if you fail, and you will fail Dragon!”
He walked back into his house, and John could hear the clash of bottles as he moved within. He felt a touch of fear slide around his heart at the wolf’s words and the waves of emotional despair that came from him. Three females emerged from the wolves. Another, a male still in his shifted form, slowly moved towards the house his head hung low. Hopelessness in the slump of his shoulders and the dirty fur that hung limply from his body. The females moved slightly forward, snapping his attention from the sad wolf as a female asked. “What is it you want here dragon?”
“I want Sage dead. And I want you to help me do it!”
The laugh she barked was filled with bitterness and a touch of insanity. “What do we get from it?”
John looked around. “Death! I can release you from this life.”
Now they all laughed loudly. “Not unless you are an Elemental. You cannot, we are cursed.” Stated another female wolf, younger than the first he thought. It was hard to tell with her unwashed lank hair, which fell over her face and her unkempt appearance. John slyly
grinned. “Ahh! I have found a loop hole in the curse.”
The laughter suddenly stopped. Silence took its place until the so far silent wolf asked with pathetic hope whining through her voice. “What is it?”
The older wolf shifted uneasily she like the other two appeared filthy. Hair fell over her face obscuring his view of her undoubtedly crazy eyes. John relaxed, he had them now all he had to do was convince them he had a way to release them from the curse. They were so pathetic and so far gone, they would believe anything he told them in the hopes it would end their torment. He swept his hair from his forehead showing had he realized it his own insanity. Not that any of the three females were sane enough themselves to notice.
“It is simple really, kill Sage Kingsley and the curse is gone. The Elementals tied it to her life force, as long as she lives, so do you. If she dies, you are released.”
“You lie?” Snarled the oldest of the three wolves.
“No, I do not. I am a dragon. We are the instruments of the Elementals, so we have all their recorded histories. I took the liberty of doing some research. And I assure you, your release is as simple as helping me kill Sage Kingsley who was once Harris.” John Morton lied as he had never lied before and as he watched the three females, he knew his gamble had paid off.
He had bet that these wolves would be so crazy they would not detect his lie and he was right. The truth was he had no idea if the curse could be broken, he wanted... No, he needed to kill Sage. She had helped the bastard Reighn steal his life. Now it was his turn for revenge, and he needed the help of the shifters.
He and the dragons who had escaped with him had no knowledge of warfare or the cunning to orchestrate a trap, as he believed the shifters had. His dragons could and would fight and kill as he knew the shifters would. The problem was to accomplish Sage’s death they needed her out of Dragon’s Gap.
But to get Reighn to the point where he allowed her to leave or Sage herself decided she would leave Dragon’s Gap and the Castle. He needed the cunning of shifters to accomplish that. He needed motivated shifters which is why he was here. After he had learned almost everything, he could about Sage, he had known that these desperately insane wolves would be more than motivated and he was right.
“We will kill her.” Agreed an insane Pearl.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN:
T hree days later. Sage stood stunned, her brain stalled as she asked again. Holding back the horrified sobs that crowded her chest
“Someone tell me please. Tell me what in the Goddess’s name happened?”
June, Claire and five dragons along with three shifters, lay in the infirmary every one of them had life threatening wounds. Blood dripped onto the pristine floor in an almost continuous flow from wounds that gaped open.
She watched as Sharm and Ella came running in, she was pushed aside as medics came in behind them carrying more wounded, dragons and shifters alike.
Stanvis stepped up beside her as she stumbled backwards a steadying hand on her arm. “They were attacked by dragons.” Storm told her as he stood on her other side. Reighn hurried into the unit and came up behind them taking Sage in his arms, just as a sob escaped her. The medics rolled June onto her stomach, and they could all see the savage claw marks across her back. As well as the deep wounds made by deadly canines that spoke of death.
Sharm stood on one side of her with Donald on the other as they dropped into a healing trance. Helpers washed the wounds of others with disinfectant as healers made ready to heal. Ella was with a male healer in the same position over Claire, who had long furrows down her back and legs. The back of her head was dented. “That is Melchome.” Reighn told her when he saw where her attention was. He could feel the emotions warring inside of her. Anger, fear and panic were a bad combination in a witch.
“Oh okay, I have not met him yet, is he good?” She croaked out, barely holding her emotions in check.
“They are all good. Sharm trained them!” She was told by Stanvis.
Shortly Reighn’s Dam and Sire entered with Grace by their side. She rushed to Sage. “Come dearlin, no good will be had if you lose your temper in here. You need to save it for when you know who to direct it at.”
“Is that really good advice?” Someone asked her. Sage was not sure if it had been Stanvis or Storm.
Grace’s answer almost made her laugh. “I am bear we protect, we retaliate, and… we kill. It is what we as shifters do. We, like you are not human first, we are animal. Whether it is shifter and dragon who have been hurt it makes no difference. They were deliberately attacked so now we plan, then we hunt, finally we kill. Are you saying dragons are different?”
“No ma’am we are not.” Answered Reighn. “We will find out who did this and we will make sure that this does not go unanswered.”
Sage had not spoken but as she watched the wounds slowly start to close on her friends, she realized what she was seeing.
“Not all of the wounds are dragon, there are ones made by shifters as well. Look those are claw marks there, that is wolf. Those on Claire are cats. Those on that Hunter there, are bear.” She looked up at Reighn. “You know what this means?”
“Yes, dragons have teamed up with shifters to hunt our people.”
Sage drew in another breath. “We need trackers and scouts. We need to find out what went down and where?”
Storm and Rene` agreed as Storm said. “My Shields will search and find what happened and where.”
Reighn kissed her and whispered. “They will be avenged my heart.” He released her, then Storm took her hand and kissed her cheek telling her. “We will find out what has happened here today sister.”
Then they left with Rene` after he stroked Sage’s hair and hugged her tight, saying. “Hold together my dear Sage, your strength and heart is what will see us all through this terrible time.” He gave her one last hug and stepped to Verity and whispered a few words. Kissed her and left to follow Storm and Reighn to co-ordinate the Shields and Hunters.
Sage placed a hand over her heart. That was the first time Storm had addressed her directly, as a sister. She would hold that close to her while she battled her anger as her friends fought for their lives. Grace and Verity talked together, then Grace turned to Sage and said. “We are going to prepare rooms for Claire and June. They will stay with me.” She opened her mouth to say they would come home with her but one look at Grace’s stubborn face and she subsided.
Grace raised an eyebrow. “Exactly they need cosseting. Verity and I are good at that.”
Verity hummed… “Grace you are right, how many are there here?”
“Twenty!” Stanvis said as he walked back over to them.
Verity asked. “Grace how many can we take at the house? We could take them to the castle, but I feel some would be uncomfortable with that.”
“Mmm! Let’s see we can double up Claire and June, which would leave three more rooms. Then there is the study and the lounge. My room.”
“No Grace, not your room.” Verity declared sternly.
“Alright, so the study could take two beds. The sun room two more and each room can accommodate two beds. That makes twelve and the other six in the lounge.”
Two older females had entered as she finished speaking. “No Grace, you take June and Claire and two more. We will take the sixteen. We have homes and females ready to do the nursing.”
Grace smiled as did Verity, then Grace said. “Sage, Stanvis let me introduce you to two of the ladies of Dragon's Gap. The Matrons, Mary and Gena, they run the garden committee.”
They both said. “Hello.” Stanvis looked at Sage and mouthed, there’s a garden committee. She nodded, wide eyed as she mouthed back. Who knew?
Grace said to the females. “Are you sure, they will need extensive nursing?”
Gena sniffed. “We will have help Grace. We are quite capable of organizing this.”
Verity was quick to smooth the way. “Thank you Ladies. I do not know what we would do without all the wonderful t
hings you and your committee do around Dragon's Gap. Especially with the plans you have for the warrior’s homes. This once again just shows that the Matron’s are truly the back bone of our town.”
Gena and Mary both gave Verity a long look then addressed Grace. “Why have you not brought this delightful female to a meeting Grace. You have been remiss. Make sure she attends the next one.”
Grace and Verity shared a look, with that the two matrons turned their eyes to Stanvis. Gena the older of the two grey haired females demanded. “You young man, take us to someone who can arrange for the wounded to be placed at our homes.”
Stanvis spied Lars entering the room. He motioned him over. “Ladies, Prime Lars to the Dragon Lord himself, will be able to help you.”
Lars bowed to the females as he enclosed Sage in a hug and kissed both Grace and Verity. “Mama are you well and what is it you need me to do?”
“This is your son?” Gena asked Verity.
She answered with a smile. “Both these boys are mine, nest brothers to Reighn and his brothers.”
Just then Johner walked in. “Mama, Sage, Grace are you alright?”
“We are.” Verity told him, to the ladies she said. “This is my other son Johner. He is Commander of the castle guards along with my other son Keeper, who is not here at the moment.”
“He is?” Sage asked. “When did that happen?”
“This morning, Keeper decided he wished to stay at home, so Reighn asked him and Johner to command the guards.” Verity told her. Johner clarified for Sage. “Well, he is the Commander- in- chief. I fall under his command.”
“Well, it seems the same to me.” Said his mother.
“Yes mama.” Johner replied. All the ladies smiled at the respectful tone he used.