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

by L M Lacee

  Throwing on jeans and a top Charlie then ran back into the lounge. “How is he?”

  Keeper said. “We do not know.”

  “Get me there now, please Keeper.” He grabbed her in his arms and ran for the now opened balcony doors.

  “Hold tight.” Was his only warning as he jumped into mid-air and transformed all in one motion. Then they were flying toward the ground. Before she could un-clench her jaw, he transformed once more and placed her feet on the earth beside the heaving sides of her blue dragon.

  Placing her hands on his soft scales, she rubbed them over his cooling body. “My shadow I am here. Stay with me my love. Do not leave me now.”

  Scarlett stood at his head. Charlie pleaded with her. “Do something!”

  Scarlet spread her hands. “We do not know what hurt him?” Charlie leant on her shadow hoping her warmth would allow him to know she was there. “Sela, that fucking faerie was at our place. She said she had done this!”

  Scarlett hissed out a breath as Elijah and several guards shrunk and flew towards her apartment. Reighn lifted his hand from his brother’s body as he snapped the question to the healers. “Well?”

  “Poison of some kind.” Sharm told him as Ella and Prudence, plus several other healers stood around Storm, their hands resting on his dragon sides.

  Sharm asked her to move back as several more healers came to him. Charlie moved, and Sage held her hand with Edith standing on her other side her hand in hers. Claire and Verity stood with them. Not alone!

  Charlie realized she was not alone. They were all here for her. For Storm, she would not lose him now. “Please Reighn, do not let him die!” She begged.

  Reighn looked at her, she quelled from that look. Her mind stuttered in fear, the first she could remember feeling since she arrived here. This was the Dragon Lord in a rage, as she looked around no one was left untouched by his anger even Sage stood transfixed by his power as he demanded to know of Scarlett. “What poison has the faerie kingdom that can fell a dragon as strong as Storm?”

  Scarlett shook her head. “None my Lord, no one as far as we know has that capability.”

  “Yet my brother lies here, a breath away from death.” Charlie’s heart squeezed the breath from her lungs. No, not my Storm. Please dear Goddess, not my heart.

  Rene`s hands tightened on her shoulders as Verity gasped. Edith released her hand and took Verity in her arms. “Hush mama, no one dies today.”

  Claire nodded to Reighn. “Call the big guys my Lord!”

  “As you say seer.” His voice thundered across Dragon’s Gap and the surrounding land, a deep hum sang from his chest out through his throat to fall onto and into the earth. A Dragon Lords plea for help. Charlie felt the rumble through the soles of her feet. It climbed up her legs and settled into her bones.

  “Oh my!” Sighed Verity. “He is calling the ancients. I thought you meant the Elementals.”

  Claire shook her head. “No… this can only be fixed by dragon magic and only the Dragon Lord can call them. The big guys.”

  “Who?” Sage whispered.

  “The ancients, those dragons gone before us. They who lay beneath the castle.” Rene` told her. He turned to Claire. “You and I need to have a long talk young lady, you know far too much.”

  She touched his arm. “Not really, the information is only there when I need it. I swear if I knew more, I would tell you.”

  He touched her cheek to calm her. “Still talking is good.” She returned the smile. “Alright.”

  “Has this ever happened before?” Edith asked and her voice was hushed, not just by the tragedy unfolding before her but by the mist that started to rise around Reighn.

  Rene`’ nodded slowly and quietly said. “Once only, many lifetimes ago.”

  Soon the hum became a heartbeat as it was joined by many throats from many dragons. Very quickly Reighn was surrounded by a white mist. He knew he had not moved. Only his dragon’s consciousness had. He stared into the mist knowing that within that blanket of white stood many of his ancestors, the ancient ones.

  Dragon Lord what do you want of us?

  Reighn stared into nothingness and pleaded to the great beings surrounding him. My brother has been poisoned, please do not allow him to die.

  We see he is joined to one that comes to us!

  I do not understand. Do you mean Charlie, Storms shadow?

  The one you call Charlie draws to Dragon’s Gap a soul that will hear our song. One who will care for the heart of the lost descendant, the one that comes will cease the dragons to turn wild.

  How is this possible?

  Read your histories Dragon Lord, ask the Grounder. Only when the seeker and the bringer of justice are together, will the wild ones come home to the lands of the Dragon Lord.

  Just then the hum became intense, everyone stumbled a little. Charlie heard several people cry out in surprise. She watched the ground tremble and the dragons all moved in closer to surround the male dragon on the ground. Storm’s chest rose and fell slowly. Charlie’s eyes remained on him counting each breath as tears clogged her throat.

  Then he was lifted into the air as though many hands held him aloft. A bright light enveloped his body and then as quick as it began it finished. And his human body lowered to the earth, the hum ceased and the dragons stood waiting.

  Storm sighed as he felt the crippling pain leave, felt his dragon sigh in relief.

  Dragon Storm Kingsley, brother of the Dragon Lord. We greet thee!

  Who is there?

  We who came before you.

  Ancients. I greet thee! I am to join you? He asked as sadness swelled his heart at the thought of leaving Charlie and his young.

  Eventually but not today dragon Storm, it would be an injustice to remove you from your new family and the one whose heart sings for yours.

  I thank you. She completes my soul. As my young fill my heart.

  Go in peace dragon Storm.

  Reighn leant down and touched Storm’s forehead his eyes opened and they were purple. My brother, my Lord!

  Storm’s eyes closed again. He was so tired but not as exhausted as Reighn whose face showed the strain he had been under. Talking to the ancients sapped vital energy and power from him. Leaving him feeling he had been on a three day bender. My brother, my friend!

  He croaked out. “Come Storm, come back to us now.” Storm snapped his eyes opened again and smiled at his brother. “Reighn you look like crap!”

  Reighn grinned. “I feel as bad as you look.” He helped him stand. “Brother I am glad you are alive.” He hugged him tightly as tightly as Storm held him. “Thank you brother.”

  Then they were all there hugging, patting his back so very happy he was alive and well. Slowly a space was made for Charlie as she walked to him. “Storm!”

  “Ahh! My heart, my soul I am here whole and yours from now to eternity.” She threw herself into his waiting arms. “I thought I had lost you.” She sobbed into his chest.

  “No I will not leave you so easily my shadow.” He swung her shaking body up into his arms as he thanked everyone again and whispered to her. “I know of a place.”

  With those words he leapt into the sky with her in his arms transforming into his dragon. Flying to the cave high in the mountains, just for a moment in time to renew what was almost stolen from them.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:

  I t had been five days since Storm’s poisoning. He and Charlie and the girls had not parted since. Charlie worried when he or the girls were away from her for more than an hour. She had taken to wearing her guns again. Reighn had reinforced the warding around the castle and especially her and Storm’s apartment.

  Sela had still not been found, even though she had been wounded. Elijah and Johner joined forces to search and placed more dragons, shifters and faeries on patrol around Dragon’s Gap. Charlie was annoyed with herself, for her fear and anger and mostly for missing her shot. She never missed, since then she had spent hours with the girls and Stor
m in the cells below the castle practicing.

  In the past she went hunting to burn off both emotions as she was sure Storm would have. But they had responsibilities now, to each other and their young ones who were having a hard time. Unfortunately they had both seen their loving daddy on the ground fighting for his life. They had watched him revive and fly off with their mother and yet they still believed he would die and leave them. Both girls had known he was hurt very badly.

  Charlie had found Kelsey more than once since they had returned tearful and frightened, Cara just clung to him. Now days later the nightmares were finally easing. Storm had told her, if they remained for too much longer, he would have his father see the girls.

  The day before, for the first time since the incident, Cara had let him leave the apartment without a massive tantrum. Last night was the first night the girls had slept in their own beds again. Although Cara had slept in the crib Storm had placed in Kelsey’s room for her.

  Charlie knew the biggest amount of fear they had, came from her. From her feeling of suppressed anger at not killing Sela. And ending the torment of not knowing when or where she would turn up again. Because Charlie knew people like Sela became obsessed and that obsession grew. It never dissipated.

  This morning before she opened her eyes, she had decided she would try to be less... She sighed, less fearful. There she admitted it.

  She opened her eyes and watched Storm sleep. His beautiful face with his long eyelashes laying on his high cheek bones. His straight nose and soft full lips that brought her such delight and vowed she would ease up today. Storm needed to be working, going about his business. Her irrational reaction was hampering their new life.

  She left him to sleep and showered taking her time. As she thought over all the things, she had to do with and without the girls for the day. Dressed she started towards the kitchen deciding she would call all her faeries back. The faeries had all needed the time to decompress, to take counsel from their Queen. She and Storm and their children had just needed a little time to be a family. To renew their family bond that was so very new and to make a few happy memories.

  Now though it was time to get on with their and in thinking this. Charlie smiled deciding hot cakes for breakfast sounded exactly what they all needed, and in truth it was the one meal she could prepare.

  She passed Kelsey’s room then stopped. Instinct as old as time had her hand going to the gun she carried. She took four steps back and gently pushed open the door and saw her, the damn faerie, standing with her hands on her daughter.

  Kelsey’s eyes were wide but not with fear, she was angry. It shone from within and blasted Charlie as she entered the room. She could not have been prouder of her daughter. Sela whirled around when she saw the little female’ eyes widen, her senses sung. The grey one was here! She hissed at Charlie. “See what you have made me do.”

  “What would that be?” Charlie drawled in return.

  “Why will you not come with me?”

  “Because I do not have too.”

  Sela squeezed Kelsey’s throat as she hissed. “I demand you come with me.”

  “Why?” Charlie rubbed her cheek with her hand. Fear for her daughter resonated in the hum from her throat, she would be damned if she let this female know she was terrified. She could see Kelsey’s eyes widen more as she started to go red with the effort it took for her to try and breathe. Charlie could hear Harper’s voice in her mind, cautioning her, Wait… Wait! She will flinch, then she is yours. Then you show no mercy!

  Sela loosened her hold on Kelsey, who took in several deep breaths and squeezed her eyes shut. Then they opened and narrowed in anger as tears dripped from her eyes. Kelsey looked at her mama and wanted to scream and tell the bad lady to go and leave them alone. But she stayed silent as her mama would want her too.

  She had been so frightened when she had woken and seen the faerie standing over Cara’s crib. Her first reaction was to shift to her cat and run, then she remembered she was the older sister and Cara was hers to protect. So she had thrown her book at the faerie instead. The one about cougars Grandma Verity had given her at the tea party. It had hit the faerie on her back. Kelsey was proud of that throw. Uncle Stan would be too, he was teaching all the girls to throw. Kelsey had been the best so far. When the book had hit the faerie she had spun around so fast and even before Kelsey could shift into her cat, she had grabbed her throat. Then mama had come in.

  A knife appeared in the faerie’s hand. Kelsey could not see it but she felt the sharp blade under her chin. Her eyes went wide as she looked at her mama she could not help it fear leeched from her now and reached out to Charlie.

  Sela chortled as she exclaimed. “I have searched my whole life for a grey one. I knew you existed.”

  Charlie eyed Kelsey saw she was scared but still holding it together and casually asked. “So you said before, so how did you know?”

  Sela laughed, and it sounded manic to Charlie. “Faith. The High Queen which is what people like you must call her. Because you are not special like me. I call her our Queen Mother. We are her favored ones.”

  “Yeah…Yeah! So you were saying.” Charlie asked with as little respect in her voice as she could summon up. Sela growled and her shoulders twitched, she said through her teeth. “She said you would exist, and I believed and now I have been vindicated, regardless of Queen Scarlett and her King!” She sneered.

  Charlie almost snorted with derision. Seriously jealousy dear Goddess! “Oh let me see! Tell me Sela did you want Elijah?”

  Sela pouted. “He was mine. I had marked him for my king and then she came along and stole him. He is connected to the pixie court. He would have made me a good king, but she took him, even though her family holds dishonor. Her sister ran away and left the Queen Mother heart broken and now we know she had a grey one.”

  “That would be me of course?” Charlie drawled again.

  “Yes! You who think they are too good for the High Queens court.”

  “Oh please! I never said I would not go. I just wanted time with my shadow and young before we went, that is all.” Charlie eyed the faerie, anger simmered along her nerves. Her skin felt tight demanding action. She would kill this female, justice demanded it! “So this was all to get me to go with you?”

  “Yes of course.”

  “You could have just asked.”

  “Why ask when I hold a knife to your young ones throat?”

  “See now that is just going to make things difficult for you. Before you can hurt my child I will wound you. Then I will take you somewhere quiet where I can show you what human assassins do to their prey. I have spent years perfecting my trade.”

  “You lie!” Sela gulped audibly. She trembled in fear because the casually quiet way the female spoke, sent fear skating down her spine, making Sela think she actually meant it.”

  “Want to find out?” Charlie asked with death in her voice.

  Sela stood holding Kelsey in her grasp a knife to her throat as Charlie leaned on the door frame arms crossed. The gun hanging from her fingers, appearing for all the world relaxed and uninterested in what was actually happening in the room. Sela knew she would not use the gun with her young held so close to her body, she would be terrified she would miss and kill the child.

  Sela smirked as long as she controlled the child then the grey one was hers. Even though she looked as though she had nothing to worry about. Sela believed it to be an act of indifference. She measured the distance between them and figured it to be ten feet at least. “You would never make it.” She told Charlie confidently.

  Charlie looked at her daughter and smiled as she softly called to her. “Kitten come to mama.”

  Instantly Kelsey shifted to her kitten and slipped from the faeries grip and ran fast towards Charlie who was moving. She leapt above the racing kitten and landed legs either side of the now downed faerie. Her hand around her throat. She ordered Kelsey. “Find your papa sweet girl now!”

  Kelsey ran hard from the
room skating on the floor as she slid into the bedroom. Storm was half way into his shirt. He stopped when she tumbled into the room and banged up against his legs, he lifted her up and she mewed and shook.

  “Alright... Alright little one. Dada is here.” He placed her on the bed. “Stay dada will find mama and keep her safe.”

  The kitten curled into a tight ball and shivered. Storm petted her once and then moved silently through the apartment, he came to the girl’s bedroom and moved inside. Charlie flicked her cold grey eyes towards him, as he lifted the sleeping Cara from her crib.

  They had not moved her into her own room, yet it was to be today’s big adventure. He nodded once and walked from the room. When she was sure he had left the hallway, she returned her gaze to the female on the floor between her feet.

  Then she placed the gun against the faeries shoulder and fired, moved the gun to the other shoulder and fired again. Sela screamed her pitch became so high it was inaudible to human hearing. Charlie heard as she snarled. “Shut up!”

  The high-pitched sound stopped immediately. Charlie lifted the faerie towards her by the throat with one hand. The other had the barrel of the gun pressed against Sela’s heart. She stared down at her with eyes gone ghostly grey, causing Sela to whimper in fear and disbelief. Charlie whispered through lips that were dry, anger and fear for her daughter running through her system.

  “You come into my home and threaten my child. Try to take the life of my shadow. Work hard to destroy my friend’s bonding. Your life is forfeited, you know that right? You must have known to come here was a suicide mission?”

  Charlie grinned at the fear filled eyes that silently pleaded with her as she hoarsely begged. “Please…please do not kill me. I will give you the one who gave me the poison for the dragon.”

  “Oh, you will give me that anyway and I am going to kill you Sela. I promised you torture in case you did not realize that was what I was talking about.” She smiled coldly at the female and softly told her. “You should be thankful those days are over for me and I am not my sister. If she was alive today she would take many… many days to end your life. And she would have enjoyed it!” Forgive me Harper for the lie! “So now you have to decide, do you wish to die slowly or quickly? Believe me I can make it last. Give me the name?”