Dragon Dusk Box Set (Dragon Shifter Romance) E-Book

Mac Flynn

• Herausgeber: Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

The  complete Dragon Dusk box set featuring all four ebooks!

Legend speaks of a man with dragon wings. Fifteen hundred years ago the man ventured into our world searching for a companion who would forever be by his side, but none could be found. He left a statue of his likeness in the hopes that one day his companion would come to him and tame his dark soul. That day has finally come, and Christine Bradfern finds herself the chosen one. She drops into in a strange, wondrous, and dangerous new world, but with Tristan at her side and a faith in herself, she will face many challenges and find out where she truly belongs.

Leseprobe

Dragon Dusk Box Set

Dragon Shifter Romance

Mac Flynn

Copyright © 2020 by M. Flynn

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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Contents

Dawn of Legend

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Shadows of Myth

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Runes of Lore

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Tome of Fable

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Appendix

Continue the adventure

Other series by M. Flynn

1

Darkness. Cold, merciless darkness. Could anything other than fear arise from that? Could I find more than terror within that blackness?

I was about to find out, and it all started with a broken down bus.

Scratch that. It all started with my crazy friend Lina’s idea for us to go on a group tour of the castles of Wales.

I leaned my forehead against the window and sighed. The beautiful countryside passed by us, but the view was marred by a constant curtain of dreary rain. Most of the trip had been as aquatic as this latest adventure as we bumped along the rough road that marked all rural areas in the world as quaint, but painful.

The bus hit another bump in the rough, narrow road that wound through the wilds. My head bumped against the window. “Damn it. . .” I mumbled as I sat up and rubbed the sore spot.

My oblivious friend sat beside me with a map in her lap. Lina, at twenty-five years of age, was seven years older than me, but sometimes I doubted her birth certificate. She used her finger to trace our route. “That last castle was really neat, but soon we’ll get to Laugharne Castle and see some really neat stuff!”

She’d been having an animated talk with herself for the last half hour. I sighed and glanced around at my immediate surroundings. My friend and I sat in the middle of the short bus. The other roughly dozen seats were occupied by couples and singles, and a few pairs like us. Many wore cameras around their necks, others flipped through their phones admiring their recent pictures taken only a few hours ago at the last castle we visited.

“How soon is soon?” I asked her.

She sheepishly smiled at me. “About fifty more miles, but the bus driver says he’s taking a shortcut, so maybe it’s shorter.” We hit another bump that made my butt leave the seat and drop back down with a hard thump. I grimaced, but slapped a smile on my face as Lina looked to me. “I hope these long rides aren’t boring you.”

I shook my head. “No, not at all. They’re giving me time to-um, to think.”

“About what?” she wondered.

“Um, about-” I glanced out the window. “About the rain, and the hills, and-” I squinted into the distance. “And that really ugly cloud coming our way.”

Lina leaned toward me and pressed me against the wall. “Where?”

I squeezed my arm out and pointed at the distant west. “There.” At that moment a flash of lightning struck the sky, illuminating the worried faces among the passengers. One of them was mine.

Our tour guide, a woman of fifty who with starched clothes down to her starched socks, stood from her seat at the front and turned to us. She grasped a clipboard in her long, thin hands and her nose was as sharp as the pencil that hung from a string tied to the board. Her name was Miss Livingstone, and heaven help you if you forgot the ‘Miss’ part. “It looks like a storm is coming, folks! If you would please keep to your seats I’m sure we’ll be at Laugharne Castle soon.”

“I’m not so sure ‘bout that, Miss Livingstone,” the bus driver, an older gentleman with spectacles, spoke up.

She spun around and her smiling face transformed into the wicked glare of a harpy. “What do you mean by that?”

He nodded at the hood of the bus. A steady stream of steam rose up from the bowels of the engine. “I don’t think this coach is going to ‘old out much longer.”

His words proved to be the death-knell as the bus shuddered and rolled to a stop. The driver stood with a torch and rusted old toolbox in his hands. “I’m going to try to fix this, but I think you should be getting these people somewhere else for the night.”

“Don’t tell me what I should do!” Miss Livingstone snapped.

He shrugged and stepped down the stairs. “Suit yourself,” he retorted as he disappeared outside.

“What’s happening?” one of the older woman called out.

A man stood up and gestured to the window to his right as he looked to our guide. “Where the hell are we?”

Miss Livingstone frowned at the man. “Mr. Proca, please remain seated while the coach driver attempts to fix the engine.”

The driver raised the hood of the bus and great plumes of black smoke rolled out of the engine. I leaned close to the window and watched him stumble to the side of the bus, waving his hand in front of himself as he tried to dispel the smoke from his face. The rain mercilessly pelted his face and he was already soaked to the bone.

“I think I know of a place we can stay,” Lina spoke up as she pointed at her map. “There’s a castle not too far from here that might have enough rooms for us.”

Miss Livingstone turned up her nose. “I don’t think that will be necessary, Miss St. John. I’m sure the coach driver will fix the engine soon.”

The bus driver stumbled up the stairs, leaving a mess of water in his steps. He drew off his cap and slapped it against the side of his leg to get off the damp. Miss Livingstone sneered at him as he flung water droplets all over the front of the bus.

“No doing, Miss Livingstone,” he admitted as he shook his head. “I can’t get ‘er going without a mechanic.”

“But you said you were a mechanic!” she snapped at him.

He stood straight and slapped his damp cap back on. “And one of the best coach mechanics in the area, Miss Livingstone, but this job is going to take two people, and I’m only one.”

Miss Livingstone pursed her prim lips before she turned back to us. “Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of my control, we will have to remain in the coach for the night.”

A great murmur of disapproval arose from the other passengers. The man from before, Mr. Proca, stood again and pointed at Lina. “What about that castle she spoke of? Why can’t we stay there?”

“Because that castle isn’t on our itinerary, nor would they be expecting such a large group,” Miss Livingstone reminded him.

“We could try, couldn’t we?” Lina countered as she looked to our fellow passengers. “What’s it going to hurt?”

“Here here!”

“Let’s give it a try!”

Miss Livingstone was livid as she clutched her clipboard. “Very well,” she growled as her narrowed eyes zeroed in on Lina and me. “We will try.”

“I think she’s warming up to us,” I mused as we stepped off the bus. My backpack was snuggled against my back while the other passengers struggled to get their huge wheeled contraptions out of the below-storage bins.

Lina’s eyebrows shot up as she continually wiped the raindrops from her folded map. “You think so?”

“No.”

Lina’s face fell. “But I was just trying to help. . .”

I sighed and laid a hand on her shoulder to guide her away from the bus so the object of our discussion wouldn’t overhear us. There was a convenient hedge that ran along the left side of the road that provided a thick wall on one side for us to huddle again. “I know that and you know that, but Miss Livingstone is the type of person who considers ‘help’ a four-letter word.” Lina still looked a little depressed, so I nodded at the map. “So where is this castle, anyway?”

She perked up and pointed at a small black dot among the many other black dots. “Right here. It’s called Castell-that’s ‘castle’ in Welsh, Chwedlonol.”

“What’s the second word mean?” I asked her.

She shook her head. “No idea.”

“It means legend.”

I stiffened. It hadn’t been my friend who replied. It had been a voice from my left where the wall of shrubbery stood. Lina’s pale face told me she had heard it, as well, and together we creaked our heads around to face the brush.

The face of an old man stuck out from the branches. His eyes were wide and there was a wicked, toothy grin on his face. Lina and I grabbed each other and let out a chorus of screams that showed we were both sopranos. Terrified sopranos.

The face disappeared back into the bushes as our fellow travelers and Miss Livingstone hurried over to us. “What are you two screaming about?” she snapped.

Lina pointed at the bushes. “T-there was an old man there!”

Miss Livingstone squinted for a moment at where she pointed before she shook her head. “I see no one, Miss St. John. Perhaps you were imagining things.”

“I can vouch for her sanity.”

2

The voice was followed by a man who stepped out of a break in the wall I hadn’t noticed earlier. He was the same person Lina and I had seen peeking through the hedges at us, but now he wore a wide-brimmed hat. The rest of his attire consisted of a heavy tan overcoat and black shoes that looked like they belonged more on a dance floor than the mud bowl in which we found ourselves.

The stranger bowed his head and a stream of water flowed off the brim of his hat. “My sincerest apologies. I hadn’t meant to startle the young ladies.”

“Apologies my ass. . .” Lina mumbled.

Miss Livingstone stepped between the group and the man, and eyed him with all the trust of a hen at a fox. “And who are you, sir?”

“My name is David Merthyr, and I am the lord of Chwedlonol Castle,” he introduced himself as he gestured to the area beyond the hedge. “I saw your coach lights from the windows of my castle and thought I might be of assistance.”

At the mention of lordship a smile slipped onto Miss Livingstone’s lips. “That’s very kind of you, My Lord, and I’m afraid we do need some assistance. Do you know where we might find a mechanic?”

“Or a dry bed?” Lina added as she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

Mr. Merthyr looked at us with a sympathetic smile. “You all are quite chilled, aren’t you? I have enough rooms to accommodate you all, if you’re so inclined to stay as my guests for the evening. I can have a mechanic fetched for you tomorrow morning.”

“If that wouldn’t be too much trouble,” Miss Livingstone pleaded.

He shook his head. “No trouble at all. If you would follow the dirt path beyond this hedge, it leads directly to my castle. Even in this darkness none of you will be lost.”

Miss Livingstone turned to our group. “Quickly now! Everyone grab what you need for an evening and hurry along.”

‘What you need’ turned out to be all of their possessions as the other bus passengers continued their struggle to free their hefty bags from the under-storage. Lina and I with our backpacks stood beside the hedge with the rain pouring down on us.

“Would you two ladies like some hats?” Lord Merthyr asked us as he reached into his coat and drew out two more broad-brimmed hats.

“Sure thing!” Lina agreed as she eagerly took her hat.

“That’s very kind of you,” I thanked him as I grasped the brim of the other one.

Lord Merthyr grasped my wrist in his hand and I looked up to find myself staring into his keen eyes. Even in the darkness they held a brightness that was almost akin to a glow. Those brilliant eyes studied me and a soft smile slipped onto his lips. “You have a gentle touch, Miss-?”

“Bradfern,” I told him as he released me.

He arched an eyebrow. “That is an unusual surname.”

“My mom told me it got pretty corrupted when my family came through Ellis Island,” I admitted as I set the hat on my head. “Apparently the guy taking the names that day couldn’t get through the Welsh accent.”

Lord Merthyr chuckled. “We are quite a rare people, by language and by customs.”

“And by weather,” Lina quipped as she shook her head. Droplets of water flew everywhere. “This is worse than any other part of the UK.”

“You arrived at a very opportune time,” he revealed as he looked up at the dark skies. “Such weather comes around only once every five hundred years.”

“Your weather records go back that far?” I asked him.

Lina wrinkled her nose as she shook out her map. “And you remember stuff like that?”

His smile took on a slightly slier look as he half-turned away from us. “You might say I have a rather good memory for such things, but come. The weather won’t let up for another few hours.”

Our fellow travelers gathered their trunks. I saw one particular elderly couple, each with their own ancient suitcases, linked arm-in-arm as the gentleman tried to help his wife across the ankle-deep mud that was the road.

I walked over to them with a smile and nodded at their bags. “Could I take those for you?”

“We would appreciate it,” the man answered as they both handed over their suitcases.

The woman set her wrinkled hand atop mine and returned my smile with one so kind that my heart melted. “You’re so kind.”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing. Now let’s get you across this road.”

The wife used my shoulder and that of her husband to steady herself, and we made it to the opening in the hedge. They went ahead, but I paused just beyond the threshold and beheld a sight not seen from the road. There, situated about two miles away from us, stood a castle of such majesty that I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t on our trip. The stone castle was perfectly square with a parapet around all sides of the roof. The stones in the walls were as long as I was tall, and mocked the passage of time with their untarnished sides. Paned glass windows looked down on us with a gentle expression of welcome, and soft lights from inside bespoke comfort.

I grabbed Lina’s hand as she passed me and nodded at the castle. “Did you read up on this place?”

She shook her head. “Nope. It’s not in any of the guides I bought.”

Lina went on her way, but I stood for a while longer staring at the impressive sight. A gentle touch made me start and whip my head to my left. Lord Merthyr stood at my side. His kindly gaze looked me over with interest.

“Do you approve?” he asked me.

I nodded as I returned my attention to the stately home. “Very much so.”

“Come along, Miss Bradfern!” Miss Livingstone snapped.

I smiled at our host and adjusted my bag and the extra two suitcases I carried. “Duty calls.”

Lord Merthyr took both of the suitcases and offered me his arm. “Allow me.”

I reached for the suitcases. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

He dodged my hands with more energy than I gave him credit and shook his head. “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Bradfern. Now if you will follow me.”

He hurried away with the suitcases, and I joined the throngs of my bus-mates. The dirt path wound its way through a small open field and disappeared into a thick wood that surrounded the castle. Stepping into the shadows of those trees gave us some relief from the pouring rain, but I felt a strange tension in the air. It wasn’t a bad feeling, more like the excitement a child feels on Christmas Eve. The wooded path parted a long mile that was punctuated by the grumbling of my fellow travelers, and there it was. The castle.

The path stopped at an expansive yard that wrapped around the keep. A driveway with a circle looped in front of the castle and led out to our left to another road. Rose bushes stood against the stone walls between the tall paned windows, their flowers proud and tall despite the wretched weather. Large oaks surrounded their castle and their branches offered wonderful shade to the windows. On either side of the house were stone paths that disappeared to the rear and were sprinkled with ferns and wildflowers.

Lina sidled up to me. “I was hoping for a moat.”

“There is a wonderful garden at the rear of the castle,” Lord Merthyr spoke up as he passed by us. He walked to the front beside Miss Livingstone and turned to bow to our group. “Welcome, and I hope you find your stay here most pleasant.” I swear he raised his head just slightly and stared at me with a pointed look.

“That’s very kind of you, Lord Merthyr,” Miss Livingstone replied. She turned to us and clapped her hands. “Come along now! And don’t dawdle, Miss St. John!”

“Don’t dawdle, Miss St. John. . .” my friend mimicked as we followed the lord into his castle.

The interior was as majestic as the outside was imposing. The entrance hall was larger than my apartment. There was a polished stone floor and the walls were covered in colorful tapestries. The fireplace opposite the entrance was large enough to roast a cow with a couple of pigs on the side, and a warm fire crackled in the hearth. A wide staircase to the left of the fireplace led to the upper floors.

Lina’s bag bounced on her back as she hurried over to the fire and held out her hands. The fire hissed as she dripped water over its warm body. “Now this is a fire!”

Lord Merthyr set the suitcases beside the door. “If you would leave your belongings here, I will have my servants take them up while you dine.”

“We wouldn’t think of intruding any more on your hospitality,” Miss Livingstone protested.

He chuckled. “And I won’t consider anything other than a ‘yes,’ my dear woman. Now if you will come with me, I will have places set for all of you. My table is large enough.”

3

Lord Merthyr led us into the dining hall in the west wing. The room was wide and long, and the table was as thick as an ancient oak and twice as wide. There were enough chairs to seat us all with our host at the head. The stone floor clacked beneath our heels, but the tapestries along the right-hand wall dampened the noise. A great fire burned in a hearth between the hanging cloths. On the opposite wall was a row of tall, narrow windows that allowed us a good picture of the messy weather we’d just escaped.

Miss Livingstone scurried over to the head, but the lord stopped her and gestured to the other end. “You may have the honor of the foot of the table, dear woman.”

“Oh, that’s very kind of you, Lord Merthyr, but I’m sure I’d be comfortable beside you,” she cooed. My friend stuck her finger in her mouth and gagged.

“I wouldn’t think of boring you with my company, so I must insist,” Lord Merthyr persisted.

Miss Livingstone’s face drooped, but she rallied her spirits and nodded. “Very well, Lord Merthyr. If you wish.”

She grudgingly took her seat and the others took theirs. I inspected the selection and looked to be stuck somewhere in the middle.

“Miss?” Lord Merthyr called. I lifted my head and saw that he stared at me. He drew out the chair to his right and smiled at me. “This seat is unoccupied.”

I could almost hear the low rumble of a growl from Miss Livingstone. Lina gave me a push. “Go on!” she whispered in a voice that was clearly heard by all present.

I stumbled forward, but caught myself and sheepishly approached the lord. He held the chair as I sat down and pushed it in for me. “Thanks,” I told him.

He took his own seat and bowed his head. “The pleasure is all mine.”

Lina warded off the competition for the seat on my right and plopped herself down. A young woman walked out of the door at the end of the room behind the lord, and in her hands she held a large decanter full of luscious purple wine. She poured us all a glass and her lord last.

Merthyr raised his glass to us and smiled. “To good company, and to fate which has brought us together.”

“To fate,” we repeated, and drank from our glasses.

The meal was then served, and plate after plate of meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables came from the kitchen.

Merthyr leaned toward me and studied me with his bright eyes. “How have you enjoyed our country thus far?”

“It’s very beautiful,” I replied as I took a bite of cheese. I noticed he hadn’t touched any food on his plate. “Aren’t you hungry?”

He shook his head. “No. The treat of dining in such fine company has rather stolen my appetite. Now tell me, what is your favorite part of the country?”

I paused and furrowed my brow. “I suppose if I had to pick something it would be the stories.”

He arched his eyebrows. “The stories?”

I nodded. “Yes. The legends and the old histories that surround all these wonderful places are really interesting.”

He drew his hand over his mouth to hide a rather peculiar smile. “Then might I tell you that this castle itself has a rather interesting tale?”

“You mean like headless ghosts?” Lina spoke up, spattering food everywhere.

“Not quite, though it is unique,” he admitted, and the table chatter quieted.

“Do tell us, Lord Merthyr,” Miss Livingstone pleaded.

The lord looked to me. “Would you like to hear it?”

I smiled and nodded. “Very much.”

“This tale is rather old, even for this country. Nearly fifteen centuries have passed since the events that unfolded here in this castle, in the garden behind the stone walls. Long ago, this castle was once a mighty home of one of the nobler lords of the land. He allowed a Christian to enter his home so that he might learn more about the strange new religion that had captured the faith of so many of his people. The visitor was unafraid of this mighty lord, but apprehensive about his ability to show him the light of the One Lord. He took to taking late-night walks in the garden to ease his mind and compose his words to the lord the next day. On one of these nights a miracle occurred. There he sat on the edge of a gurgling fountain when he sensed a strange stirring in the air. A shadow fell over him and stretched across the ground in front of him. The man arose and turned, and his heart stilled at the sight.” He paused and swept his bemused eyes over our company.

“Well?” Lina asked him.

“There, standing comfortably atop the highest bowl of the fountain, he saw a strange creature, neither man nor beast but some mix of the two.”

“What sort of beast was the other half?” I wondered.

His gaze settled on me and when he spoke his voice was quiet, but full of the awe he instilled within us who listened to him. “It was a dragon.”

Miss Livingstone chuckled. “Really, Lord Merthyr, this is quite unusual. A man who was a dragon is a little far-fetched, even for the tales of Great Britain.”

He leaned back and smiled at her. “And yet this tale holds such a creature, but I won’t scold you for disbelieving the story. The Christian himself couldn’t believe his eyes. Here was a creature of no myth he had ever heard standing above him with eyes as red as the very coals of hell, and yet the man could do nothing more than gape at its wings and the horns that protruded from its head. He trembled for his very soul.”

“Did he try to pray?” I asked him.

The lord shook his head. “No. He thought only of fleeing, but his legs wouldn’t obey his command to move even as the creature opened its long leather wings and floated down to the ground beside him. The creature, he would have considered the thing a horrible demon had its eyes not held such soft sentience, turned to him. The Christian was not a small man, but this creature’s height was well-above six foot so that it towered over him. Then a more miraculous occurrence happened. The creature spoke, and in such words that showed good education. The creature told the Christian that he had wandered for a very long time, always alone, and sought companionship. The Christian, curious but not unafraid, asked in quivering tones what he was and where he had come from. The creature admitted he was not of this world, but of another where he was considered no less horrifying, but for other reasons.”

Lina scooted to the edge of her seat and pushed against my side to get closer to the lord. “So he was an alien?”

Merthyr shook his head. “No. He could not find the right words to describe himself as he didn’t know himself what he was. The Christian wondered what sort of companion he sought, and the creature again wasn’t sure, but yet he made one thing clear.” Merthyr’s eyes fell on me. “He wished for that companion to never fear him.” He chuckled. “Needless to say, the Christian admitted he wasn’t sure he could be such a companion to him. The creature asked if no one inside the castle could provide such companionship.” Merthyr cupped one cheek in his hand and closed his eyes. A sigh escaped his lips. “The Christian admitted that such a creature as he would only be feared by the inhabitants. The creature’s face was impassive, and yet the Christian could sense his disappointment. He sought to suggest another castle, but the creature told him he had little time remaining before he had to return to his own world. A scream interrupted them and made the Christian turn around. One of the maidservants, a large woman who worked in the kitchens and who had taken a fancy to the Christian, looked in horror at the creature before him. Before he could speak a word of comfort the woman fled.”

“At least she didn’t faint,” Lina quipped.

“Really, Lord Merthyr, this is a fantastical story, and I don’t recall ever hearing the like in this area before,” Miss Livingstone spoke up.

Merthyr nodded. “I’m not surprised. It’s little known even among the local villagers.”

“But what happened to the man?” I asked him.

He turned to me and smiled. “Do you mean the Christian or the creature?”

I blushed. “I meant the creature.”

Merthyr looked ahead and his eyes had a faraway look in them. “He returned to his own world, but he left behind hope in the form of a statue of himself. Should a maiden worthy of him touch the statue then they will be united forevermore.”

The group fell into a subdued silence. Each of us pondered the tale and its simple theme of unfound love. I noticed the elderly couple I helped earlier hold hands and smile at each other. My heart ached for such a relationship, but alas, even a boyfriend wasn’t on the itinerary any time soon.

“So is the statue still there?” Lina wondered.

Merthyr nodded. “It is, by the grace of God and my ancestors. After the strange appearance of the statue the castle was considered haunted and abandoned. My ancestors purchased the remains some fifty years later and made it their home.” His eyes flickered to me. “We still hope to have the legend fulfilled and the dragon creature find one who will not fear him.”

Lina jumped to her feet and put her hands on her hips as she grinned at the company. “Let’s go look at the statue!” At that moment a thunderous boom from outside shook the glass. She winced and plopped back down. “Or not.”

Merthyr chuckled. “Perhaps tomorrow.”

“As wonderful as your invitation is, Lord Merthyr-” Miss Livingstone spoke up as she stood, “-I’m afraid we won’t have any time tomorrow. I’m sure the bus will be fixed by dawn and we must resume our tour of the countryside as soon as possible in order to see all the sights on our itinerary.”

“Of course,” Merthyr replied as he rose to his feet. In customary fashion we arose as well. “The hour is late and I must retire now, but if any of you should need anything feel free to ask any of my staff.” He bowed his head to us and left through the foyer archway.

Lina dropped back into her seat and picked up her full fork. She studied the meat with a furrowed brow. “He’s a little weird, isn’t he?”

Miss Livingstone’s face turned a slight shade of red. “Miss St. John, that is no way to speak of the lord who took us into his home!”

Lina raised her eyes to the ceiling and inspected the room. “There’s something weird about his house, too. Like it’s too old, you know?”

Miss Livingstone stood and crossed her arms over her chest. “If that is the direction our conversation will be headed then I believe we should all retire for the night. We have an early start tomorrow and I won’t have everyone’s day ruined by some late-night foolish chatter.” Our guide stared directly at Lina when she spoke those last words.

Our company finished their dinner and proceeded into the foyer. A man in butler tails complete with a white shirt and spotless polished shoes greeted us with a bow. “My name is Trull, and I am the manservant of Chwedlonol Castle” He straightened and gestured to the stairs. “If you would all follow me I will show you to your rooms.”

4

Trull led us up the stairs and to the second floor. The long hall stretched across the whole of the house, and on either side were some twenty doors. He dolled them out to us until only Miss Livingstone, Lina, and myself remained. He came to the end of the hall where the passage turned a corner and followed the wall to the back of the house.

Trull stopped and gestured to three remaining doors. “I hope you will find these comfortable.”

I opened one of the doors and peaked inside. There was a four-post bed, a crackling fireplace, and windows that looked out on the green grounds. A plain ancient suitcase on the floor beside the bed told me the room belonged to Miss Livingstone.

I turned and smiled at him. “It’s wonderful.”

“But no TV,” Lina commented.

Trull shook his head. “No, miss. My Lord dislikes such contraptions. We only have a phone for emergencies.”

“Where might we find Lord Merthyr’s room, should we need him?” Miss Livingstone asked our guide.

“My Lord’s quarters are on the third floor, but should you need anything please feel free to ring the bell beside the bed and I will try to satisfy your need,” Trull promised.

My friend looked the elderly man over and shivered. I jabbed her in the side. She frowned and silently gestured to the older gentleman, but I sliced my finger across my throat as a final warning.

Trull bowed his head to us. “If there’s nothing further then I bid you all goodnight.”

We bid him farewell and he disappeared downstairs. Miss Livingstone stepped into her room, but turned and eyed us with suspicion. “I expect both of you to go to sleep at once.”

Lina stiffened and gave her a salute. “Yes, ma’am!”

I rolled my eyes and looped my arm through one of hers before I tugged her to the other two doors. Miss Livingstone continued to stand in her doorway until we had opened our own entrances. We slipped inside, and she stepped back and eased her door shut.

I had almost shut my door when Lina peeked her head inside and grinned at me. “Wanna go exploring?”

I leaned my shoulder against the back of the door and eased my weight onto it, slowly shutting the door on my friend. “I think I’ve had enough adventure-”

“What about going to see the statue?” she suggested. I paused. My curiosity had been piqued by the lord’s story. A sly smile slipped onto Lina’s lips. “You want to go see it, don’t you?”

I drew my weight off the door and shrugged. “Yeah, but we can’t. The storm is-”

“Done,” Lina finished as she nodded at the windows on either side of the bed. “Or it’s just taking a break.”

I followed her gaze and saw that the rain had let up, though no stars could be seen. I bit my lower lip before I returned my attention to my friend. “Maybe we can have a little peek-”

“Great!” Lina replied as she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the hall.

My pulse quickened with more excitement than I expected as we tiptoed past Miss Livingstone’s door and down the hall to the stairs. We reached the bottom of the steps and nearly crashed into Trull as he left the dining room. He stumbled back, but Lina and I grabbed an arm to keep him from falling.

“I’m so sorry,” I apologized as we righted the help.

He straightened his suit and shook his head. “It’s quite all right, miss, but might I be able to help you with something?”

“How do we get to the garden?” Lina asked him.

He nodded at a narrow hall on the other side of the fireplace. “Through there, miss. Follow that hall and it will take you to a pair of French doors. Those lead out to the garden.”

“Thanks!” Lina replied as she tugged on my hand.

I tugged back and took the lead. We politely walked across the foyer and into the hall. The passage was narrow with dark paneling that shrank some of our enthusiasm. The dim lights above our heads did nothing to quell the apprehension as we walked to the darkened end. The crackling of the fire faded into the distance until we were left with only the sound of our own footsteps.

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. . .” Lina whispered.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” I comforted her as I looked around. “Except for the ghosts.”

“Ghosts?” Lina squeaked as she whipped her head left and right to all the many doors. She fumbled for my hand and I found that she was shivering.

I gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m just joking. I have no idea if there are any ghosts here.”

“So you’re saying there might be?” she asked me.

I smiled at her. “If there are then we’ll scream loud enough to scare them away.”

Lina grinned. “We can scream pretty loud, can’t we?”

“Loud enough to break glass,” I confirmed as we crept down the hall.

“So do you think there’s even a statue out here?” she wondered.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Let’s just see if there’s a garden first.”

We reached the end of the hall and found ourselves in a sort of rear foyer with more tapestries and paintings.

“This guy sure does like his hanging rugs,” Lina mused.

The wide French doors were as Trull had said, and through them we could see dark shapes outside. We stopped at the glass and peeked out. The shapes were perfectly trimmed and rose up from seven feet. An opening in them indicated a path.

“Those look like hedges,” Lina mused.

“And they probably taste like hedges,” I teased.

She laughed. “You think they smell like them, too?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” I told her as I tried the door handle.

Unlocked. The door opened and we slipped out. The rain had gone for the moment but left behind its cool scent. The wood floor beneath our feet was replaced by smooth stones. The hulking shadows were indeed well-trimmed hedges. The wall of bushes went in either direction on our left and right, and created an archway in front of us.

Lina wrinkled her nose. “He didn’t say anything about a maze.”

“Maybe the statue is in the middle to protect it,” I suggested.

“Or protect everyone else from the dragon man,” she guessed.

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t suppress a smile. “Come on.”

I led the way through the arch and into the maze. The height of the hedges and their thickness meant we couldn’t peek over or through them, but the paths were so wide that I didn’t feel any claustrophobia. However, there was something else I felt. It was the return of that sense of excitement, like I was going somewhere I’d always wanted to be.

“Hey!” Lina shouted as she grabbed my hand and pulled me to a stop. “What’s the hurry?”

I looked over my shoulder and blinked at her. “Hurry?”

She nodded. “Yeah. You’re walking at about a million miles an hour and we don’t even know where the heck we’re going.”

I furrowed my brow. “I. . .I didn’t even know I was going that fast.”

“As fast as a horse at the Kentucky Derby,” she quipped as she looked me over with narrowed eyes. “Actually, you’ve been kind of jumpy since you heard that story. You didn’t see a ghost, did you?”

I started back. That was it. That was the strange feeling I’d been experiencing since the lord told us that tale. I ran my free hand through my hair and shook my head. “I. . .I don’t know what’s going on. I just have a feeling that-” A noise made me pause.

Christine.

I whipped my head to and fro. “Did you hear that?”

Lina tilted her head to one side. After a moment she shook her head. “I don’t hear anything.”

Christine.

My pulse quickened and I slowly turned to the path ahead of us. I know I should have been terrified to hear a disembodied voice calling my name, but there was such a gentle longing in the call that I couldn’t help but pity it a little. “I think it’s coming from there.”

“What’s coming from there?” Lina asked me, but I strode forward. “Chris!”

I could barely hear her over the call of the strange voice. The person chanted my name like a mantra and beckoned me to find it. I hurried through the twists and turns until I stopped at another arch that led into a small open area.

A fountain gurgled water from the top bowl and down into a large pool. Atop the highest bowl, rather than a natural spire, was a large statue of a figure that knelt on one knee. As the lord had described it, the figure was both man and beast. Thick horns protruded from his temples and stretched backwards at an upward angle. His hands ended in long, sharp nails, and behind him was a long, lizard-like tail. His back legs were elongated like that of a dog, but the flesh was hairless and appeared to be made of scales and also ended in sharp claws.

The most startling aspect of his great visage were the pair of wings that folded forward over his arms. Though the statue was cast in stone, the craftsman had performed such a wonderful work that I could see the smooth leather of those great wings and see the slim veins that ran through them.

Beyond the inhuman visage, however, was the image of a handsome man. His face was firm and his short hair suited his form. The body was muscular without being overly hardened. The eyes, however, were what caught my attention, even more than the strange oddities of his body. They were as soft as the voice I’d heard, and more sorrowful than I could have imagined a soul could be without drowning in the anguish.

I don’t know why, but a strong impulse to kiss those smooth lips came to me. Maybe it was to give comfort to those pitiable eyes and to chase away their sorrow. Maybe it was-

Lina caught up to me and stopped under the arch. She hunched over and put her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. “What’s. . .what’s the big. . .idea?” she wheezed.

I nodded at the statue. “Him.”

She lifted her eyes to the statue and wrinkled her nose. “He isn’t very handsome, is he?”

I tilted my head to one side and studied those stone eyes. “I think he’s wonderful.”

Lina straightened and shrugged. “There’s no accounting for taste, but if he’s your type than you have my permission to marry him.”

I choked on my spit and whipped my head to her. “M-marry him?”

She turned to me, but jerked her head toward the statue. “Anybody who’s in that much of a hurry to see a guy definitely wants to marry him.”

“But it’s just a statue,” I scolded her.

The voice that replied didn’t come from either of us. “A handsome statue, isn’t it?”

We clutched onto each other and screamed in unison. The sound made the air quiver and echoed over the open area like a tidal wave of nails on chalkboards.

Lord Merthyr stepped out of the shadows with his face scrunched up in pain. “If I had known your reception would have been so vocal I would have announced myself sooner.”

Lina snapped her mouth shut and glared at him. “You should’ve done that, anyway!”

He bowed his head, but I could still see his smile. “My sincerest apologies, my ladies. To be truthful-” He raised his head and his gaze fell on the statue. “I was concerned about my old friend here.”

“Concerned about what?” I asked him.

He walked past us and stopped at the edge of the pool. “The storm that’s coming will be rather violent, and though the statue has remained safe for these many centuries I wonder if it won’t crack under the tremors of the thunder.”

“What storm?” Lina wondered, and as though in response a deep rumble of thunder was heard in the distance.

Lord Merthyr walked over to us and set his hand on our backs so he could turn us back toward the castle. “Perhaps we should return to the castle before-” A sprinkle of rain fell from the sky and pelted us.

And then the storm really started.

5

“Too late!” Lina quipped.

We broke into a sprint as the sprinkle turned into a downpour. The rain soaked our clothes and left us chilled to our bones. We reached the French doors and Lord Merthyr opened one of them for us. Lina and I scurried inside and he shut the door after himself. Our bodies were soaked and our clothes dripped little streams onto the floor.

“I’m so sorry for the floor,” I apologized as I tried to cling my already clingy clothes to myself to stop the numerous waterfalls.

He smiled and shook his head, sending sprays of water everywhere. “There’s no need to apologize. Nature has her way and we must make the best of it. Let me get you some towels.” He walked to the side of the door and pulled on a cord. A soundless alarm rang somewhere in the house and Trull soon appeared from the hall. “Some towels for our guests, and please have the fires stoked in their rooms.”

Trull bowed his head and disappeared down the passage only to reappear a short while later with the cloths. We rubbed ourselves down as best we could and ended up sogging some half a dozen towels.

“What did you think of the statue?” Merthyr asked us as we finished with our drying.

“It was beautiful,” I told him as I handed Trull my last damp towel.

Lina lifted her head and wrinkled her nose. “It was okay, but it kind of reminded me of a gargoyle.”

Merthyr chuckled. “It certainly has that appearance to most people.” A flash of lightning followed quickly by a crash of thunder told us the terrible storm had returned, and worse than ever.

“Do you know what kind of rock it’s carved out of?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “Not at all. I have had a few experts come for curiosity’s sake and inspect the rock, but they all pronounced themselves baffled by its make.”

“So you don’t. . .don’t know-” I wrinkled my nose as my nostrils twitched. A violent sneeze made me stumble forward. I rubbed the front of my nostrils. “You don’t know who carved it?”

He looked kindly down at me. “Not at all, but perhaps this conversation should be for another time. You must both get into dry clothes before you catch your death of cold.” Merthyr gently herded us down the hall and upstairs where he opened our bedroom doors for us. “Sleep well, dear ladies.”

A thunderous crash above us made Lina shudder. “If anyone can sleep through this storm.” She slipped into her room and shut the door.

I stepped into mine, but Merthyr moved closer. His eyes caught mine in their deep intensity. “I hope the statue didn’t frighten you.”

I smiled and shook my head. “Not at all. I really did think it was wonderful, but-” I bit my lip and turned my face away.

“But what?” he persisted.

I furrowed my brow as I stared hard at the floor. “He just. . .it just looked so sad.” I raised my eyes to his and studied him. “Do you believe the story you told us?”

He set a gentle hand on my shoulder and his smile was awash in warmth. “With all my heart.” He moved back and bowed his head. “Sleep well, Miss Bradfern, and may you have sweet dreams.” He turned and disappeared down the hall.

I eased my door shut and turned to lean my back against the hard wood. The storm thundered outside and the rain pelted the windows, but my thoughts didn’t dwell on any of that. They were still with the statue. Even after I’d slipped into my pajamas and hung my clothes near the crackling fire, I couldn’t think of anything other than those sorrowful eyes.

The bed was comfortable and warm, but I found I couldn’t sleep. I stared up at the top cloth of the four-post bed with a furrowed brow. All I could think about were the smooth, carved lips of the statue as they beckoned to me. My traitorous body reacted to my indecent thoughts by igniting within me a sinful heat. How could I be reacting this way toward a statue?

“Why can’t he be real?” I whispered.

Is that what you desire?

I froze. The voice had come from everywhere and nowhere. It vibrated through me and quickened my pulse. The heat inside me deepened at the deep, male sound. Fear, however, reigned supreme.

I shot up and searched the room. There was nothing but shadows and the pelting rain. “W-who’s there?”

One who desires you.

A crazy idea struck me, that this was the statue talking to me. I shook that insane thought from my mind and drew the covers close to me. “Whoever you are, leave right now or I’ll scream!”

I know your mind. My leaving is the last thing you desire.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m going to count to three. If you’re not gone then I’m screaming.” I took a deep breath. At the same time a heady aroma filled the room. I fought off the soothing sensation that wafted over me and cleared my throat. “One.”

The shadows on the floor in front of the dresser shifted. They shaped themselves into thin tendrils and stretched toward me.

“Two.”

The shadows climbed up the covers and onto the bed.

“Three!”

The tendrils raced across the sheets at me. I yelped and pushed backward only to have my back hit the headboard. The shadows reached my feet and pressed down on the covers, trapping my legs. I tried to grab the tendrils, but my hands went through them. The tendrils, however, climbed up my flailing arms and wrapped themselves around my limbs. They climbed still further until they pressed against my throat and covered my chest.

I expected to suffocate. What I found was far more pleasurable. The tendrils were cool like shadows, but they ignited within me a deep, aching desire. The darkness slid down my body and caressed my skin with a touch so stimulating that I had to bite my lower lip to keep from moaning.

“What’s. . .what’s going on?” I whispered as I leaned my head back. “What are you doing to me?”

I offer you my love, and my desire.

The tendrils stroked my body with their smooth, cool forms. I struggled to reject the sensual feelings that arose within me, but a fog of lustful desire crept into my mind. It was no use. I craved the touch of these shadows as their bodies stroked mine, fanning the flames of hot pleasure. They knew me better than I knew myself. All their caresses stimulated within me a greater desire for more. More of this sinful pleasure that teased me with promises of even more hungry wonder.

“Oh god. . .” I muttered as the heat intensified.

I reached down and brushed my fingers against my breasts. They throbbed and swelled beneath the tender touches of my strange lover. My whole body was engulfed in the sweet, cool shadows. The tendrils slid over my shivering flesh, touching and teasing me into a growing frenzy of sensual pleasure. I closed my eyes and groaned. Their lithe, slick forms wrapped around my breasts, massaging them in a slow, torturous rhythm that left me wanting more.

The feel of the cool shadows over my hot body made me squirm. Impatience pushed out fear. My mind followed my heart as caution was swept aside, replaced by a carnal desire that penetrated every inch of my body. I never wanted this to stop, and yet a tiny part of my mind still rebelled against these gentle, sensual touches. That small warning was ignored.

“Who are you?” I whispered as I arched my back, pushing my swollen breasts outward. I’d never felt so luxuriously sensual as I did then. I was like a cat purring for more milk, more pleasure. “What are you?”

The shadows drew me down onto the covers and pushed up my nightshirt, exposing my hot body to the cool air. They eagerly covered my skin with their smooth, pulsing bodies and pressed against my swollen, eager breasts. I held my breath as one of the tendrils slipped between my legs. My body quivered as the darkness teased the wet opening to my womanhood. So close. So achingly close. I would have given my soul for a single thrust.

A crash of thunder awoke me from my foggy thoughts. I shot up and looked around. The shadows were gone, but not the heat they’d made inside of me. Even my nightshirt was still stuck over my shoulders. I drew it down and wiped the sweat off my brow as another crack of thunder flashed across the sky.

A strange pull to look outside came upon me. I slipped out of bed and padded across the floor to the window. The storm had grown worse again and sheets of rain pelted the glass. I could barely make out the garden below my window, but something did catch my attention.

It was a white light in the courtyard at the center of the hedge maze. The brilliance was akin to someone holding a very bright lantern. I squinted and tried to make out a person, but the light was too strong.

So was the impulse to find out. I threw on some clothes and my coat, and hurried out of the room.

6

I hurried down the passage. Miss Livingstone’s door flung open and the woman herself stepped out. “Miss Bradfern! Where are you going at this hour?”

I didn’t even turn to acknowledge her presence, but fled down the stairs and into the foyer. All was dark and quiet but for the storm that raged outside. I sprinted down the shadowed corridor and to the French doors. A sudden gust of wind sprung up and hit the entrances, forcing them open before me as though the storm itself was inviting me to my fate.

The rain pelted my face and soaked my coat, but I felt nothing but the fast beating of my heart in my chest. There was terrible anticipation mixed with some urgency that I couldn’t quite understand. I felt like I was late for some pre-appointed meeting, and I would only have one chance to rendezvous with a special someone.

I tripped over the smooth wet path stones and ended up stumbling through the final archway that led into the fountain courtyard. I caught myself and raised my eyes to that wonderful, sorrowful statue.

It was gone. My breath caught in my throat. I hurried forward to the pool and squinted into the darkness as rain cascaded down my face. The statue was still gone.

A sound like stone cracking made me turn around and I gasped. A hulking creature of black slime stomped through the arch. It sported a blocky body and head, and its limp arms brushed against the hedges. The plants withered beneath the toxic slime that oozed off the abomination.

The creature paused and looked around. A pair of blood-red eyes were set into its square head, and those looked around with a malice that made my blood run cold. I froze when it set its sights on me. The creature curled its lips back and revealed two long rows of sharp, rotten teeth.

I gasped and stumbled back only to trip over my own feet. The hard side of the pool welcomed my back and my rear fell hard on the stones as the creature lumbered toward me. It stretched out his oozing hands to grab me. Slime dripped from its arms and dropped onto the stones where it sizzled and left horrible black holes.

I threw up my arms and shut my eyes. A bright light penetrated my eyelids and there was a terrible cry like no creature I’d ever heard. I opened my eyes and blinked.

The thing was gone. Not a trace was left of it except for the broken stones and holes left by its dripping arms. I grasped the edge of the pool and climbed to my shaking feet.

A soft noise of wind made me turn around. My mouth dropped open as I beheld that a vortex of swirling black winds had replaced the fountain tiers.

Christine.

That voice again. The one that had called to me earlier. Now I knew where it came from. It was this strange black hole. At the sound of the voice the fear I felt vanished. There was only tranquility.

Christine.

He was calling me. I stretched out my hand and brushed my fingers against the wind. The darkness spilled out as shadowed tendrils and wrapped around my arm. The tendrils pulled me into the pool and drew me into the darkness.

I tumbled forward into the wind tunnel and was flung head-over-heels through an impenetrable darkness. Suffocation welcomed me as the air was pushed out of my lungs. I felt on the edge of losing consciousness when I was thrown from the darkness and landed hard on the unforgiving stone ground. My body rolled a couple of times before I crashed into a hedge.

“Ow. . .” I mumbled as I sat up and looked around.

I was still in the courtyard, but the storm had passed. The bright light of the midday sun shone down on my ragged person. How long was I out? And why hadn’t anyone found me?

I tried to stand, but my right leg twisted underneath me and I heard a painful pop from my ankle. Pain exploded inside my ankle bones. I fell back onto my rear and grabbed my ankle above the pain. “Ouch.” There were no broken bones, but it was definitely a bad twist.

I grabbed the thin branches of the hedge and eased myself onto my good foot. My ankle pulsed with pain, but I gritted my teeth and mentally told it to shut up. A gasp behind me made me glance over my shoulder.

A woman stood in the archway to my right. She wore a plain brown dress with a white apron over the front. Her brown hair was tied back and covered with a white, frilled-lined cap. The shoes that adorned her feet were plain black and buckled like what the pilgrims wore. Slung over one arm was a basket, and the tops of freshly cut produce peeked out over the rim.

I blinked at her until I reminded myself that Lord Merthyr had many servants, and this must have been one more of them. “Um, hi. I’m sorry I scared-” The woman spun around and fled into the maze. My shoulders drooped. “-you.”

I shrugged and took a step forward. It was a bad step as a sharp pain struck my injured leg. I stumbled forward and fell against the thicker archway branches. A soft reflection made me look to my right at the pool. The statue was still gone. The strange vortex had also vanished.

“How’s anybody going to believe this?” I muttered as I leaned against the hedge to catch my breath against the harsh pain.