DRAGON'S GAP: Set Includes Stories 1-3 Plus Love's Catalyst
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“Now to the wounded.” Johner said. “If you will come with me, we will assign people and homes. Ladies please allow me to escort you to the administrators. You may have to be firm with them. They may not like you taking the dragons.”
“We will see about that!” Gena declared. “I have nursed many a shifter, full-blood and half. A dragon or two will not daunt our ladies or me.”
“I would say not!” Mary agreed with her friend. Together they marched along with Johner to see the administrators. Lars said. “I think I just fell in love.”
Stan agreed. “I know what you mean!” They grinned at each other as Grace asserted. “They are formidable alright.”
“But kind hearted.” Verity commented.
Grace smiled. “You don’t know the half of it. Well Verity let us go get the house ready for our girls.”
“Sage what will you do?” Verity asked her as she stood looking at the healers.
“Lars and Stan will question the ones that can talk and try and piece together what happened. I am going to call in my retrievers. Until we know they will be safe there will be no more rescues.”
“Oh Sage honey!” Grace commiserated, she knew that decision must have been very hard for her to make.
“I know, it breaks my heart but I will not risk anyone else.”
“It will not be for long.” Lars stated. “You know that, but your reasoning is sound.”
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT:
T here was not much sleep over the next few days as ladies nursed the wounded back to health. The castle was busy with Hunters and Shields going to and fro. Trackers and scouts were in and out reporting sightings of groups of dragons and shifters.
Portals were becoming a normal occurrence, as dragons left and returned to Dragon's Gap. Storm, as promised, found the site of the ambush and from all the indications it was obvious that shifter and dragons were working together.
Sage also did as she said she would and called in all her retrievers or at least those she could get hold of. Too many were unreachable, and she worried constantly about them. Spending hours that she was not with June or Claire, in her office trying to secure her people.
Which is where four days after the attack. Grace’s sons, George and Ivan found her when they entered the castle. As they walked the halls looking for Sage they barely held there bears in check as anger pulsed around them.
One look at the males as they passed him in the hallway and Storm knew what had happened. He walked into his office and assembled a strike force of Hunters and Shields. Anger surged within him and he fought for control, his dragon snarled and clawed at him causing him to double over in pain. It took minutes longer than it used to for him to calm his dragon into a semblance of peace. When he had finally soothed him, Storm felt like he was torn up and bleeding on the inside. He knew his dragon did not want to hurt him, but reason was becoming harder for him to find. Regaining his balance, he wiped his face and strode from the room.
The brothers entered Sage’s office, when she lifted her head from the papers on her desk, she stared at them uncomprehending as to why they were there. Suddenly as if a light bulb went off, her eyes widened and a cry of anguish left her lips. She ran to them holding each of them in her arms. “What... What has happened? Is it Grace, your mates and cubs?”
Ivan barely restrained his bear although it surfaced in his voice as he told her. “They took her. They took mama!”
Reighn entered from the connecting door between their offices as Ivan finishing talking. He grabbed Sage as she stumbled back into his arms. As the horror of what he just told her, filled her mind. Her voice trembled with remorse as she cried. “This is my fault… all my fault. I am so sorry. I should have taken more care. I should have realized, how could I have not? George, Ivan, forgive me.”
“What nonsense is this?” Asked George. “You are not responsible for this. This is the work of cowards to attack and take a loved one is an abomination. We are here not to condemn you sweet one, but to tell you we are going hunting for mama and we will not stop until she is found.”
Sage straightened in the arms of her silent, until now Shadow as he asked. “How many were hurt?”
Ivan rubbed his hands over his face. “They hurt no one. They opened a portal in her garden and before any of her guards or mama could react, she was gone. Even the dragons told us it all happened so fast they only had a glimpse of two males.”
“Oh thank the Goddess!” Sage cried. “No more hurt or killed.”
“A small blessing our papa would say.” George agreed.
“Yes a small one.” Sage murmured. “Did they drug her to take her without a struggle?”
Both bears shrugged. “We do not know.”
Reighn his dragon in his voice, sounded solemn and dangerous as he told them. “We go with you to hunt. My Shadow and I, with our Hunters and Shields. We will fetch her back, and there will be no place they can hide. We will find the ones who dared to take her. I swear to you now, if she has been hurt or worse…” His eyes promised death.
Sage said her voice low and her eyes turning deep blue. “They will die but not before they have felt each and every blow they inflected on our friends and Grace.”
“You think it was the same ones that attacked our people?” George asked her and Reighn.
Reighn nodded. “Oh most definitely, they have set a trap. The first attack was not enough to draw Sage out, but taking Grace. They know that will make Sage leave Dragon’s Gap. And so we will oblige them. We will fulfil their wish and meet the ones that dared to take your mother.”
Sage told the bears. “My friends we are going to get our Grace back.”
The bears roared and fur sprouted along their arms but they did not shift. Deep guttural voices asked. “When do we leave?”
They all turned to look at Storm as he entered the room saying. “We are assembled and we have a scent.”
Rene` and Verity stood with the girls in their arms, just inside the door. “We have them. They will be safe.” Rene` told both Sage and Reighn.
Johner and Sharm nodded and said. “They will be guarded, have no fear we are on alert. Dragon's Gap is safe, go and bring her home.”
Verity hugged Sage and said on an almost silent sob. “Get Grace, bring my friend home.”
Sage beyond words kissed Verity’s cheek and then the cheek of each of her girls. Reighn clasped arms with his father and brothers. “I leave the Castle and the town in your hands. Try not to kill anyone while I am away.”
There were several grumbles as he hugged his mother. “Do not fret mama, we will retrieve Grace.” He too kissed her and his daughters. She looked her son in the eye. “You know who caused this, finish it and be done with them my son. I have grand-babies. I will not allow this to continue.” Verity left no doubt that if this was not ended she would do it. As Reighn and the others looked at her they saw what made Verity a dragon. No matter that she could not shift. She was the Lady Dragon and always would be.
Sage grinned and nudged Reighn as they walked the hall following the bears and Storm. “Your mama is scary!”
Reighn turned back and watched his father hug his mother and saw a team that he hoped he and Sage would become. Her thoughts whispered across his mind. We already are, let’s go beloved and kick some butt.
Storm led the two bears, Reighn and Sage across the castle grounds to where his team stood. Fifty hardened dragons assembled and ready for battle. Every male hand-picked and sworn to Reighn and dragon kind. Before anyone could speak fifty shifters arrived. They clasped arms with Ivan and George and then Reighn and Storm. “My Lord we wish to hunt as well, she is ours too.” A male told Reighn.
Reighn sighed and nodded. “We welcome all of you to the hunt. Forgive me for not asking sooner.”
“No matter.” A huge male said as he moved forward the shifters all parted to allow him passage. Reighn thought he had to be a lion, confirmed when he introduced himself. “I am Conor Towers. These are my pride.”
“It is but still it is no excuse. It will not happen again, we thank you.” He looked at all of Conor’s pride letting them know he saw them all and meant what he said. “Warriors! Someone has come onto the lands of Dragon's Gap and taken our beloved Grace!”
Sage turned surprised eyes to Grace’s sons and Reighn, at the roars of outrage that accompanied his announcement. Lars stepped forward, Sage had not seen him or Stanvis when they had arrived. They looked totally different, dressed as they were for battle.
“Who dared to take her?” Lars growled low and mean, sending shivers down Sage’s back. Reighn took her hand in his and said. “We do not know, but a portal was opened not more than an hour ago and only a dragon can open portals in my domain.”
Conor the Lion asked. “What about a witch?”
Sage grinned without humor. “No, only a dragon. No witch can overcome the dragon’s magic.”
Reighn looked at her as everyone’s eyebrows rose in amusement. She grinned this time with humor. “What! Like I wouldn’t try!” Several laughs followed this statement.
“So what scum thought he could get away with this?” Asked Ivan.
“A moron!” George answered.
“Morton!” Snarled Stanvis. “It has to be.”
“I would say that was a fair guess.” Storm agreed.
“So Warriors of Dragon's Gap what say you?” Reighn asked.
Storm grinned, and it wasn’t a nice one. “All of you at one time or another have been down to Grace’s house for comfort and home cooked meals. So let us go and get our Grace back, and we will teach them all. No one takes one of ours.”
A roar of agreement went up from a hundred throats, when it quieted Storm indicated the two bears. “These are Grace’s sons, Ivan and George. They will be coming to fight alongside us.”
George and Ivan stepped forward and bowed. Ivan said. “We thank the Warriors and shifters for their willingness to hunt for our mother. Each and every one of you, our mother adores. She calls you hers, so brothers let us go get her back. Because no one cooks like our mama.”
Laughter erupted when George said. “You need not tell our mates that!”
Reighn lighter of heart at the wealth of affection surrounding him, told them now. “We assume this is a trap, set to catch myself and my shadow. Be prepared shifters are fighting with dragons, against shifters and dragons. So be on guard and show no mercy, for they will show you none. Shifters remember strike first, do not let the dragons shift to flight. If they do, we will see to them. Dragons remember when shifted you will be encumbered and unable to fight the quick shifters on the ground. Leave them for our shifters to take care of.”
They all nodded in agreement as he opened a portal to the coordinates that he took from the tracker. Part of a second later found all of them in a small forest beside a lake.
Lars and Stanvis and four other dragons along with Ivan, and several shifters who had changed forms to wolves and lions, jogged to the edges of the forest.
“My Lord!” The tracker directed Reighn, Storm and a large, a very large lion to a small clearing. “Conor, I assume?” Reighn asked. The lion nodded his head and Reighn smiled. “Well okay then, you are a big one that is for sure. No wonder you are the Leo.” Proving he knew more about the shifters than might be thought. Reighn was sure the lion smiled. When they reached the patch of cleared ground, the tracker knelt down and started to draw in the dirt.
They all stood around watching him while he drew a small map and pointed out where they were. “We are about five klicks from where they were camped. If we go through the trees here across country, rather than a straight line and keep the dragons from flying. We should stay concealed and come out about a quarter of a klick from their camp.”
“Unless they have moved.” George murmured.
“I would think they would have not. They seemed fairly settled.” Replied the tracker standing up.
“This is near Western Mountain pack land.” Sage muttered with dread and suspicion filling her mind.
Storm signaled the others and he and George started to make their way through the trees. The huge lion silently padded close to Storm. Reighn with Sage by his side moved swiftly and softly through the trees and brush. After ten or so minutes, Sage mind-sent. Reighn this is wrong! She halted her progress signaling the others to follow suit.
Reighn stopped as they all did. How my love?
The birds, there is no bird song?
But we are here? Our arrival would naturally have driven them away.
True but still, as we arrived there was none. Frantic her senses tingling with danger she shouted. “Shift! Have your males shift now!” The urgency in her voice carried over to the ones around her as she signed to George and the other shifters who were farther away. With a shimmer he changed and a large Kodak bear stood in his place. He was surrounded by lions, bears, wolves and several cats. They all sniffed the air several times as did the lion, known as Conor.
Reighn and a few of the other dragons shifted to dragon crushing trees and flattening bushes. Reighn signaled them to take to the air.
Within seconds Storm and his strikers shot up into the air like an arrow being shot from a bow. It was a technique Storm had taught his dragons as he and his brothers had been taught by their Uncle Andre’, their father’s brother. To shoot from the ground in a straight line, it was only able to be accomplished by dragons who had in reality, no fear. One wrong calculation and a dragon could crash into any large obstacle or another flier and kill the other dragon as well as himself. The trick was to use dragon senses rather than eyes and to believe there was nothing that a dragon could not do. Unfortunately, not many dragons could hold that belief as they rocketed into the air and the success rate for the maneuver was not high. Death occurred in training as well as severe injuries, sometimes permanent injuries. Storm’s dragons were very good at being strikers as they displayed for all to see. When they flew between the trees pulling them from the earth. And crashing through branches as they powered up past the tops of the trees, leaving destruction in their wake. Soon they broke out into the skies to be confronted with a line of waiting dragons.
Storm roared a warning and was answered by a tongue of flame. He waited as his dragons lined up behind him, then signaled and six of his dragons sent flame into the air above the heads of the opposing dragons. Fear was a great motivator for untrained fighters. His strikers must have seemed like an unbeatable force to the dragons facing him and his squad.
Storm signaled again and his dragons hovered in place wings almost touching. Like his males he knew one of the dragons would break they always did. Unless they were foolish enough to believe their flamer would be a match for all of Storm’s strikers.
Suddenly a dragon panicked and flew at Storm who was unsurprised to see it was the flamer. The rest of the opposing force broke ranks as soon as their flamer dove straight for Storm. The others followed and flew hard and fast at his strikers. Roars rent the air as his dragons charged not waiting for the enemy to come to them. This what they trained for and had perfected on so many occasions in the past. They took the fight to the enemy and before the enemy dragons knew it. His strikers were living up to their names, striking hides with claws designed for slashing and rendering wings useless.
Teeth were ripping hides apart as dragons trumpeted in fear and agony. Storm’s dragon ripped into the flamer before he could scorch his scales. By the time Storm could regain control of his dragon again there was very little left of the flamer between his claws.
The Kodiak bear and the huge lion roared a warning as dragons attacked from within the tall trees where they had hidden. While the first wave of shifters had attacked from the ground or leapt from the branches of trees.
Reighn scented the air. The taint of dragon magic hung heavy
in the forest. Sage ran to Reighn and leapt onto his back. “NOW MY SHADOW. DO IT NOW!”
He yelled as seconds after she was astride him he launched above the trees. She fired balls of blue stain into the air and down onto the ground. Several shifters caught some and broke them over themselves, other balls broke against trees and the ground. Shifters and non-shifters within seconds were covered in the blue stain.
Then Reighn lit the world on fire with dragon’s breath. Screams and cries of pain and anguish came to them from shifters and dragons not covered in the blue of Sage’s spell which prevented them burning. Sage hunkered down against Reighn’s neck as they dived and flew above the ground. One would think the trees of the forest would hinder their defense but within seconds he had reduced the forest to ash. A fire dragon made his own fighting area.
She could see Storm and his strikers’ battling in the air above the trees. Dragon to dragon she watched as large chunks of flesh from hides were gouged from the enemy dragons.
Obviously they were not trained fighters. Storm drove several of the enemy to the ground where they were met by Lars, Stan and the lion, Conor. Along with the bears Ivan and George.
The dragons, on the now cleared ground, fought hard and fast whipping tails around to slam shifters against trees or the ground. Several shifters tried to kill Lars and Stan who had not shifted to dragon. Instead, they had opted to fight with swords against claws and snapping teeth. As Reighn had predicted the dragons were outmatched when it came to fighting the fast shifters on the ground. The bears, lions and wolves snapped, bit and clawed making the dragons twist and turn about with frustration. Finally when the dragons were exhausted the dragons who had not shifted would then slice and stab their opponents with their swords to devastating effect.
Reighn watched his brothers as they both toyed with the shifters that were attacking them. They both yell at a dragon who ended their game, when he slammed his tail onto their opponents. He laughed when he saw them both shake their fists at him, while the dragon trumpeted a dragon’s laugh.