DRAGON'S GAP: Set Includes Stories 1-3 Plus Love's Catalyst

by L M Lacee

  “No... No, it is somewhere else a spiritual place.” Ella confirmed for her.

  June said. “Think the astral plane.”

  Somewhere you will never reach, bears do not travel on planes that have no wings or bodies. Her bear told her.

  Edith agreed. Have no fear if these three cannot explain what and where it is. I am not visiting there, I like being in my body.

  Her bear grumbled but said no more. Deciding not to tell the females what her bear had said or the fact she was none the wiser about this place called ‘Other.’ She said. “Right, okay got it. Now explain Keepers please?”

  “Okay so a Keeper looks after and monitors the mental health of dragon society. Of course that will have to broaden now to include shifters, humans and other beings that are coming to the Gap.” Sage told them.

  “Oh my!” said Ella. “I wonder if that is why we have two. There has never been two at once before. The historians have been going crazy trying to figure that out.”

  Sage nodded. “I bet it is. I wonder if Reighn and Sharm have thought about that.”

  Ella said. “I do not think the historians have, why else are they still looking for the answer?”

  Sage replied. “Because they are stubborn and will not believe what is in front of their noses.”

  “Or snouts!” June said which made them all smile.

  “There is that!” Edith agreed, having come up against some elderly dragons in the last months. She knew they could be cold and distant which did not stop her from questioning them about the town, art and the castle.

  Sage said. “I will talk to Reighn.”

  “So who are the Keepers then?” Edith asked again.

  “That would be Keeper and Rene`, Verity’s shadow.” June told her.

  “Huh! Well that seems all clear. I have not met Keeper yet?” Edith mused out loud.

  “He is very quiet, more the scholar of the family.” Sage told her. June and Ella nodded agreeing with Sage’s assessment of him. Edith then asked the three if she had to remain in Sharm’s apartment.

  They told her that yes she could live in Sharm’s apartment but if her bear was uncomfortable there, she and Sharm could move to a family apartment.

  Sage asked. “Surely Sharm told you that?”

  “No, he must have forgotten.” Edith replied. Sage gave her a sharp look but let it drop.

  “Well you should go look at some.” June told her.

  Edith scrunched her nose up. “I like the view from his place.”

  June said quietly. “You are on the single family floor which is alright for someone alone. There are larger family apartments on the next two levels where Sage and Verity live. Also I know the apartment on the same side as Sharm’s on the same floor as Sage and Reighn’s is vacant.”

  “Oh what is it?” Sage asked June, who smiled as she said. “It is what I would call the Zen apartment.”

  Edith was shaking her head. “I cannot see me or Sharm sitting on the floor and meditating.”

  June laughed along with the other two at the picture she painted. “No...No, it is just a peaceful oasis of tranquillity. With large glass doors and windows, a truly scrumptious balcony or two and wooden floors, white and soft blue painted walls, very old world French blues.” She cocked her head to the side as she stared at Edith for a minute then said. “I think it is very you, oh I forgot to tell you about the bathrooms and yes I said more than one. They are just superb, also it has two fire places.”

  “Sold!” Edith said as they laughed she sighed. “It really does sound lovely. When can I look at it?”

  Sage told her. “Any time they are not locked.”

  “Well okay then.” Edith smiled to herself imaging a Zen apartment. They talked about that night’s party and Edith found out more about Verity’s Rene` and what she heard annoyed her so much at one point she asked. “So Rene` just up and left to go around the world without Verity?”

  Sage said. “Well he was Commander of the Hunters and now the Commander of the Shields but yes.”

  “And Verity never complained?”

  “Well that generation don’t… do they?” June motioned with her spoon.

  Ella said. “It is how we were raised, only in the last fifty or so years have things slowly started to change.”

  “What they allow you to think now?” Snapped Edith, at Ella’s look she closed her eyes. “Sorry annoyed! Not at you, it just makes me mad.”

  June stated. “Yeah we get that, but it is how they manage their bonding. Our generation would not tolerate that!”

  Sage nodded. “Got to say, sort of thankful for that. Reighn and I would not be at all happy if he thought like his father.”

  “Right!” June smirked. “It would be bloody, that is for sure.”

  “And loud!” Sage agreed. They all laughed with her but Edith sighed inwardly. This was what she was unsure about, finally she could put her finger on what was troubling her. She did not know if Sharm was like his father or like his brother.

  June said seriously. “I think she is not happy, but he was tied here for centuries and from what I have heard. Once he had handed his responsibilities over to Reighn, he bolted.”

  “Leaving Verity feeling alone, useless and depressed. Shit!” Edith cursed. June changed the subject but Edith stewed over what she had heard. She knew she would have to tackle Verity about it soon. They carried on asking and answering questions that they put up for discussion. But when Molly yawned for the fifth time they called a halt to the day.

  Edith asked Ella if she wanted to come with her. She declined saying she wanted to get ready for the party. Edith, Sage and June shared a smile knowing she wanted to try on all the clothes she had just purchased. Edith kissed Molly and waved goodbye to the others she wandered away.

  Ella waved goodbye as well and raced to her apartment. Her goodies should all be there by now and she was excited about her new clothes and how they had made her feel. She could not wait to try them all on again, she had done a lot of thinking over lunch. And come to the decision that it was time to climb out of her safe little world and spread her metaphoric wings. It was past time for her to grow up. She had friends now and a phone, soon she would learn to drive, her life was going to become fun.

  Sage said to June. “She is not happy!” As they walked with Molly between them. June brought her gaze back from the dragons who flew overhead to Sage. She frowned as she asked. “Who Ella, she seemed okay.”

  “No Edith!”

  “Oh yeah, she seemed really pissed about Verity and Rene`.”

  “Yeah that too! I don’t think her and Sharm are connecting.”

  “Early days yet.”

  “No it is not just that, she is wary almost like she is waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

  “Sage she was a foster kid. She has been on her own forever. This has to be hard for her.”

  “It is not just that, there is something not right with her and Sharm like the bond has not snapped into place.”

  “Why do you think that is?”

  “I wish I knew. Edith may know, but you can bet she will not tell us and I am not asking Sharm.”

  “What about asking Reighn?”

  “No way, he will not interfere unless he has to and I am not sure that would be a good idea.”

  “Yeah he may not be very diplomatic.”

  “There is truth in that.”

  “We need Claire.”

  Sage sighed. “I know she would find out.”

  “When is she back?” June asked as Sage did all the assigning of missions now. She knew when she was due back.

  “In two weeks.”

  “Well let’s hope it is all resolved before then.”

  “Dear Goddess, I hope so.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN:

  S harm walked along the street, his day had been great so far. Waking up to his Shadow again this morning was the nicest way to wake up.

  Good not to be alone! His dragon crowed.

  Yes it
was. I like waking to Edith. He agreed with his very contented dragon. And he could not help feeling a bit on the smug side. Edith had been most responsive with their love making. He knew he had pleased her throughout the days and nights they had been together. It was, of course, early days yet but things looked good for the future.

  He looked forward to a repeat of last night and this morning. He spent a moment remembering the more intimate parts of their time together. Before realizing that was not a good idea in the middle of the street when parts of his anatomy started to remember as well. He quickly turned his mind to the emergency he had been called out for early that morning. Which had been nowhere near as serious as Donald had led him to believe.

  Later in the morning he had delivered two hatchlings both girls, one human and the other a jaguar. They were beautiful and healthy. He thought about his hatchlings that he hoped to have soon with Edith. He considered the prospect with joy and knew he and Edith would make beautiful hatchlings. He frowned as he thought of the group of refugees that had arrived just before lunchtime. This time it was mostly females and thankfully there were not that many young. After he had treated the worse of the females. He had spent an hour and a half catching up on paperwork that had accumulated on his days off with his shadow.

  He discussed the lack of workers with Donald and found out he would have to speak to Ella tomorrow. It seemed from what Donald mentioned, she did not seem up to the task of hiring people. He may have to see if there was someone else who wanted to do it or he would take on the task himself. It was strange, he mused Ella seemed competent enough. Well, one never knew what happened when responsibility was placed on a dragon but he had always thought Ella was the ideal person for hiring new people. Maybe as Donald said it was because she was a female dragon. It could be as he stated her inability to shift caused this reaction, although again he had never seen that before in Ella or any female dragon.

  It could be as simple as Donald also pointed out she was ready to be bonded and this was driving her lack of professionalism. He pondered that for a minute, then played with the idea and discarded it. His dragon suggested that it could be as simple as now the female dragons were waking. The female’s abilities were being subverted because their dragons wanted to be noticed? Sharm frowned as he wondered. Was Ella’s attention to detail lacking because her dragon was waking up and her concentration was diverted from her duties? Because she was trying to understand her dragon and what it meant to share her body and soul with one? These were theories he would have look into and discuss with Ella and other healers. Turning into the short road to the castle he spied Henry. “Hello, finished for the day?”

  Henry nodded as he said. “I am just off now to help oversee the refreshments for tonight. I have prepared a meal for you and Lady Edith.”

  “Did you tell her before you left?”

  “I would have, but she left this morning and has not returned yet.”

  Sharm frowned. “Did she say where she was going?”

  Henry smiled. “No my Lord, I do not think it occurred to her to do so.”

  “What time did she go out?”

  “I am unsure. I only knew she was gone when I went to retrieve her coffee cup.”

  “I see, well do not let me keep you. I will see you tonight. I am sure.”

  “Yes it should be entertaining.”

  Sharm smiled absently as they said their goodbyes and walked quickly into the castle. Where was she and why would she not tell Henry she was leaving the apartment. He wondered and admitted to himself. He was disappointed, he had hoped she would be at home waiting for him.

  His apartment felt empty when he let himself in a few minutes later. In only a matter of days Edith had changed the feeling of what had been his haven since he had left his parent’s home. He walked through the rooms unable to settle and as he did, he realized what was missing. Evidence of Edith’s occupation, there was nothing of her here and yet he knew she had all her things delivered days earlier.

  He wondered why she had not put them around the apartment, he walked into their bedroom and saw she had obviously been shopping. Packages were placed on the chairs and small table. But apart from a few clothes in her dresser and closet and an assortment of things in the bathroom. It was as though she was not here.

  He entered the spare bedroom and saw all her boxes and cases stacked up unpacked. Why is that? He asked his dragon who looked around too.

  Maybe our shadow does not feel at home or like it. This is not her home yet!

  Maybe! Sharm said, maybe! He walked back into his study and poured a drink, then sat at his desk, papers in front of him. A glass of his favorite whiskey by his hand and looked again at the clock. Becoming annoyed as the time moved around to the hour. He sighed and decided to apply himself to the work he had wanted to do before they attended the party tonight.

  CHAPTER EIGHT:

  T hree hours later he came back from his papers and noticed the late hour. Sharm sighed and went into the lounge where he topped up his glass and stood looking at the mountains. He really did not want to go to this party tonight. He would rather stay at home with Edith. Than mix with a whole lot of people who would expect him to not mind if they told him of their ailments. Brooding as he sipped his whiskey he watched the mountains change color as they did at dusk. When ten minutes later he heard Edith enter the apartment, he turned to confront her.

  She rushed into the lounge flushed and a little out of breath. What had she been doing to make her so excited? He wondered as his dragon said. Maybe she liked shopping?

  Sharm ignored his observation and asked her in what he thought was a reasonable tone of voice which apparently was not as she halted abruptly when he said. “Where have you been?”

  Edith in the middle of putting her bag down asked. “Excuse me?”

  “I asked, where have you been? Henry did not know where you had gone to or even that you had left. As you did not see fit to tell him. I have been home hours and you are just getting in now. So I ask, where have you been?”

  Edith looked at him and said. “Out!” Without another look at him, she walked from the room. She had in fact spent the remainder of the afternoon with Verity in the Zen apartment. A name Verity had loved the instant Edith had mentioned it. The apartment was everything June said it would be. Peaceful and serene it had large rooms and massive wide glass doors that showcased the views from the lounge and master bedroom.

  Beautifully painted walls of soft French blue with white trim and the most amazing parquet floors throughout. It even had fireplaces in the lounge and the master bedroom suite and walk in closets to die for. Edith had been honest with Verity when she had told her she fell in love with the apartment because of the fireplaces. The bathrooms were enormous with luxury showers that had six heads and there was a spar bath fit for two. One look and you knew a dragon had designed this space. Verity had giggled when Edith had cocked an eyebrow at her. She told her. “Well, we all like to soak, and it saves water.”

  The kitchen she just knew Henry would love. It was twice the size of the one in Sharm’s place with far more storage, and the surfaces were just beautiful. All blue and black granite with gleaming white appliances. The butler’s pantry was huge and led onto a small balcony. Which was just big enough for a table and two chairs accessed by a glass door and had a wide view of the lake and mountains.

  Edith had hummed the whole time she was there, when she wasn’t praising Verity. Together they had spent time deciding on what and where to place furniture. When they had parted company she had been so excited to show Sharm the home she had found for them. She had rushed back with that thought foremost in her mind but all the blush of excitement of having their own home left her with his question.

  Sharm stood still with his mouth hanging open and his hands balled in his trouser pockets as he watched her leave the room. His dragon hissed at him. You upset our shadow!

  She did not answer me and you are worried about her being upset, what of me?
/>   You are not shadow!

  I am bloody upset. What do you say to that?

  I have nothing to say to you!

  Just great! Sharm snarled at him and walked, well maybe he strode forcefully into the bedroom. He was sure he had his voice under control when he asked. “Out! What kind of answer is that?”

  “The only one you are getting when you speak to me like one of your students.” Edith answered as she walked past him. In a bewildered tone he asked. “Where are you going now?”

  “To shower. I am allowed or am I expected to get your permission for that too?”

  “You are taking my words out of context now.”

  “Am I?” She whirled around. “I went out, I do not know the rules of being a shadow or sharing a house with a partner and servants. I spent time today with friends who helped me understand what is expected of me. You were not here to ask. Then I spent time looking at an apartment for us with your mother so that we can start our bonding off on an equal footing.”

  “What is wrong with my apartment?” He asked confused with the change of subject.

  Edith sighed. “Just that. It is your apartment!”

  “Is that why nothing of yours is unpacked.”

  “Maybe, I don’t know it has only been a few days.”

  “Exactly! Too early to be changing everything, when we are ready, we can revisit the change of apartment.”

  “I am ready now. I want our home, yours and mine. My bear is confused here, it is not her den, and she needs to put her stamp on a place that is ours.”

  Sharm frowned as he wondered what was so wrong with his apartment. It was comfortable he knew where everything was. “Well I am not ready to move. My dragon is comfortable here, as am I. Look it would be best if we did it my way for now.”

  Sharm’s dragon said. I want shadow. I do not care about apartment.

  Sharm told him. Well, I bloody well do, we live here!

  Edith stared at him, he looked normal, no bruisers on his head that she could see. So why was he acting like a moron. Could he not see how important this was to her?

  “I do not think your way is the right way Sharm. We need our own place!”