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- Herausgeber: Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
The complete Dragon Key series featuring all five ebooks!
Katherine Harrow finds herself whisked to a world of suave vampires, rowdy werewolves, and seductive dragon men. Her guide in this new world is the handsome and wealthy Tegan Arsa, a dragon man to whom she now finds herself magically and intimately bound. Together they will try figure out why fate has drawn them together before forces beyond their control pull them apart.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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DRAGON KEY BOX SET
DRAGON SHIFTER ROMANCE
MAC FLYNN
CONTENTS
Copyright
Author’s Note
Twilight Witch
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
Chapter 30
Blood Wizard
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
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Mana Dragon
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
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Rune Assassin
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
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Black Key
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
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Sneak Peek: Maiden to the Dragon Series
A Small Favor
When’s the Next Book?
Series by Mac Flynn
About Mac Flynn
COPYRIGHT
Dragon Key Box Set (Dragon Shifter Romance). Copyright © 2024 by Mac Flynn.
Published by Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form or by any or for any use, including recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the author and/or artist. The only except ions shirt excerpts or the cover image in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel or on the cover are either products of the author’s or artist’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author or artist.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for joining me on a journey through my imagination. If you’re looking for romance and adventure with a guaranteed Happily Ever After, then you’ve come to the right place. My books contain paranormal plotting and fantastical action, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
* * *
You can keep in touch with me by joining my newsletter or checking out my website for the latest updates.
Check out my website
Sign up for my newsletter
Thank you for giving my book a chance, and Happy Reading!
- Mac Flynn
CHAPTERONE
I blame those stupid birds. If they hadn’t been crapping on my windowsill, maybe none of this would have ever happened.
Then again, I wouldn’t have met him.
But I’m getting ahead of myself in my fabulous, awe-inspiring, earth-shattering story. It all started with a trip to the corner grocery store. Riveting stuff, right?
“Hey, Mrs. Gerst,” I called out as I whisked past the two checkout lanes and into the dozen aisles that made up the store.
“Good evening, Kate!” Mrs. Gerst called back from her usual position behind one of the revolving belts as she checked out a customer. “How was work?”
“Oh, so so,” I replied as I plucked out my usual assortment of quick-fix meals and energy drinks.
I carried my pile up to the register and plopped them on the belt. Mrs. Gerst gave a disapproving at my food pyramid. “You really should eat better, Kate.”
I grinned and shrugged. “That’s the benefit of being young, Mrs. Gerst. I can eat anything I want and never gain a pound.”
She clucked her tongue as she scanned my items. “You won’t be young forever, Kate. You should find yourself a nice man and settle down.”
I laughed. “I’ll have to find one first, but I’ll be seeing you, Mrs. Gerst.”
“Get out, Kate!” Mrs. Gerst shouted after me as I left with my goodies. “Go find an adventure! And don’t get caught in the rain!”
I stepped out into the cool evening air and paused on the threshold of the corner store. The city skylight blocked much of the heavens, but a few stars twinkled above me. Their beauty would soon be hidden by the dark clouds on the horizon, and the chill wind that swept past me would help them on their way.
A heavy sigh escaped me as I began the short trudge to my small apartment. The streets were mostly deserted but a few people like me hurried home to enjoy the coming weekend. Bright windows offered a view into busy homes with child laughter and coy kisses from teenage lovers left alone by their party-going parents.
Mrs. Gerst was better than any barometer and by the time I reached my building a few raindrops splattered against my head. I hurried up the stoop and into the old five-floor building. The building was the tallest and oldest in the neighborhood, and my hardened foot took the three flights up to the top with all the sturdiness of a well-worn soldier.
I slipped into my tiny apartment and could only admire the worn wallpaper and the ancient windows that looked out on the fire escape, itself a deathtrap. Building code regulators hadn’t been by in a couple of years, otherwise they would have condemned the whole thing. As it was, the rickety platforms with their rusted ladders and stairs still stood and offered the pigeons a good place to roost.
A dozen of Satan’s shitters were perched on the railing as I entered my humble abode. I tossed the bags onto the kitchen counter and stalked over to the window that led out onto the fire escape. A few of the offending fowl were perched on the wide sill and leaving their mark on the worn paint.
I flung open the window and the birds scattered in a frenzy of feathers and screeching. They left me a dozen little presents, the stench of which wafted into my apartment. I shut the window but the poor insulation meant the stink continued to float inside.
I rolled my eyes and snatched up a pitcher I had on hand just for this purpose. A quick fill up at the small sink with dish soap and I was prepared to do my nightly battle.
“Why can’t you guys just roost on the roof like the other pigeons?” I muttered as I opened the window and tossed the water onto the sill.
I was helped by a smattering of more raindrops from the dark sky. A boom of thunder rumbled from somewhere in the distance. That was quickly followed by another roar.
Wait, roar?
My mind couldn’t quite figure out what I had heard, so I leaned my head out. One of the pigeons achieved their revenge by crapping on my forehead.
“Shit,” I snapped as I ducked back inside and slammed the window shut.
That was exactly it. A quick look in the bathroom mirror told me the bird had an impeccable aim and had hit me squarely on the head. I furiously cleaned off the blotch of my shame. When I finished, I tossed the towel aside and draped my arms over the sink.
A sigh escaped me. I couldn’t even win against a bunch of stinky pigeons.
I pushed off from the sink and shuffled back into the living room. The storm that had sprinkled the fire escape now drenched it and lightning split the sky. The rumble of thunder rattled the window and a particularly close one shook the whole building.
I stumbled over to the window and leaned close to the glass. The rain had wiped away the remains of my foes’ encampment and now dripped off the grate that made up the platform. A particularly bright bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.
The brief light illuminated the sky and a huge figure in the clouds. It looked like a car with wings.
My heart skipped a beat and I pressed my face against the window. Darkness swallowed up the skies again, leaving me with my unsatisfied curiosity. Mrs. Gerst’s words echoed in my mind.
Go find an adventure.
“She also said don’t get caught in the rain. . .” I mumbled to myself.
Still, those dark skies had hidden something large. I hurried across the room, snatched my coat from its place on the floor, and put it on as I moved back to the window. A quick, practiced flick, and the window slid up. Rain pelted me and soaked the floor.
I scurried out and shut the window behind me. The metal grate was a little slick but the steps had a handrail which I grasped as I made my way up to the roof. The storm raged around me and the wind pushed against me as though attempting to drop me the hundred-odd feet to the ground.
I eased myself up the stairs and onto the rooftop. The flat area had a large box with a door that led into the building and a metal cage around the air conditioning unit. A low wall of some two feet surrounded the top.
My feet splashed through puddles as I slunk across the rooftop. The wind tore at my coat and the rain soaked me to the bone. I kept my coat close about me as I reached the middle and turned to face the fire escape. The clouds above my head were as black as coal.
Another flash of lightning illuminated the sky. It also lit up the huge figure I had earlier seen, only now it was right on top of me. A terrible roar filled the air and a gust of wind followed. I was blown backward and partially blinded by the raindrops, but I could still see the figure that ducked out from beneath the clouds.
It was a dragon. A large, winged dragon.
My mouth fell agape at the sight of the gray-scaled creature as it swooped down toward me. Its green eyes glowed unnaturally in the weak light and my blood ran cold when our eyes met.
The dragon wasn’t alone. Three small figures dropped out of the clouds after it. My mouth fell open when I realized it was three cloaked people riding brooms. They were riding them right toward me.
A scream escaped me and I stumbled back. I misjudged how much room I had left and the back of my legs struck the low wall. The collision made me lose my balance and I tumbled backward into the abyss of the adjoining alley.
I flailed about for some handhold, but there was no fire escape on this side of the building. My failed efforts twisted me around so I faced the incoming ground. The unforgiving pavement awaited me with all the comfort of a sledgehammer to the face. I flung up my arms and prepared for a hard stop as I passed the halfway mark to oblivion.
A gust of wind pressed against my back and a set of claws wrapped around my midsection. The ground flew up and then was behind me as I coasted just a foot above the earth. The heavy flapping of wings made me look up and I saw the dragon’s scaled chest and neck were just above me.
We exited the alley in half a second and the dragon pumped hard to gain altitude. A wild cackle came from behind us and a ball of some green light flew past. The dragon took evasive maneuvers and banked a hard right down the road. The creature righted us and gained altitude but our pursers easily followed.
The dragon twisted his head and caught my attention with one glowing eye. A gravely voice came from its moving mouth. “I’m going to throw you. Grab hold of me when you land.”
My mouth dropped open. “You can-”
The dragon performed a back flip and used the momentum to throw me high into the air. I let out a scream as I passed by the rooftop of my home and neared the thundering clouds. A quick look down for any line of rescue let me see the dragon swoop back toward his pursuers and colliding into them. The trio flew off in all directions and one even ended up crashing into a garbage bin.
My upward momentum ran out and I began my descent. Again. I twisted around and watched the ground come at me as before, but soon the dark back of the dragon blocked my view. I landed hard on his scaled back but they were rough enough I didn’t slide off, even with all the rain. Still, I looked for a handhold and noticed the bumps where the wings met the shoulders. I grabbed onto those with all my strength.
A blinding light burst out from beneath my hands and surrounded us. The dragon flailed and roared. He flailed around in the air, nearly dislodging me from my seat and flying us ever higher. We flew into one of the lower clouds and were completely surrounded by the wet puff.
That is, until the top of a tree suddenly appeared in front of us. The dragon dodged that plant but ran into another of nearly equal height. The tree struck his left wing and crippled him, sending us crashing toward a wooded and very unfamiliar earth.
I shut my eyes and prepared for an emergency landing. The dragon hit the ground hard and dragged through the brush. The branch of a bush slammed into me and everything went black.
CHAPTERTWO
Wow, did I have a strange dream. I dreamed I was blown off my apartment roof and was rescued by a dragon being chased by three witches. Somehow we flew into the clouds and ran into a floating forest where we crash-landed.
I shifted atop my comfy bed and winced when a sharp pain shot through my head. The rest of my body hardly felt better, and there was a strange heaviness deep within me, like somebody had dropped a bag into my soul. Did I already need a new mattress?
I forced my eyes open and found myself looking not at the peeling paint on my bedroom ceiling, but a starry sky framed by a canopy of needle-decked trees. My heart skipped a beat and I shot up. Bad idea. The pain in my head throbbed worse than before. I sat up and clutched my head in one hand.
“Are you alright?”
The voice startled me and I whipped my head around. Again, stupid idea. The pain notched up into agony and I winced.
The question had come from an incredibly handsome man. He sported shocking short red hair and chiseled features that reminded me of a Greek god. The man was a little above average height with fair hands. He wore a simple buttoned shirt and pants with heavy boots on his feet. A neckerchief covered his throat. All his attire was in the same color, black.
He carried in his arms a pile of firewood which he dumped into a shallow hole not too far from where I sat. We were out of the woods, at least the thick brush in which we’d landed, and in a small clearing. My back leaned against the thick trunk of a tree and a long, heavy black coat covered me.
My heart skipped a beat and I moved my eyes around the clearing. “Where’s the dragon?”
The man paused in his fire building and smiled up at me. “Why? Are you worried he’ll eat you?”
A little color drained from my face. “Do they really eat people?”
The stranger laughed and began to stack the sticks into a pyramid. “Only when they’ve been very naughty or look tasty.”
I dropped my gaze to myself and looked me over. “Do I look tasty?”
He paused and perused my person with a great deal of interest. “You do look rather appealing, even for a woman from the other side.”
I grasped the edges of the coat and drew it higher up my body. “The other side?”
The man finished his pyramid and draped an arm over one knee as he returned his attention to me. “I don’t mean to alarm you, but you’ve fallen into another world.”
My frazzled mind couldn’t quite comprehend what he was saying. “You mean the dragon took me to a different country?”
He shook his head. “No, I mean another world. A completely different world from the one in which you grew up.”
A strange clamminess came over me. “You. . .you’re joking, right? Another world?”
The man raised one hand with the palm upturned. A large flame burst out of his palm and danced in front of his face which showed a mischievous smile. My mouth dropped open as I watched dumbfounded as he tossed the flame onto the pile of sticks. The wood caught fire immediately and soon a healthy fire crackled in front of me.
The man set his hand back on his leg and met my shocked eyes. “I’m not joking.”
My mouth flopped open like a fish trying to breathe on land. I finally snapped my lips shut and swallowed the growing lump in my throat. “I. . .how? When? Where?”
The man took a seat beside the fire and the light danced across his pensive face. “It isn’t too uncommon to pass into your world. Too much opposing magic can do that. As for the when, that was some five hours ago. For the where-” He lifted his gaze to the sky and studied the stars. “I would say we’re somewhere in the woods of Domhain, perhaps not more than ten miles from the settlement of Colun.”
“Domhain? Colun?” I repeated as my mind tried to wrap around these strange words and this impossible situation.
His thoughtful expression changed to pity as he studied me. “You don’t need to learn all the geography of Tellan.”
I clutched my aching head in my hand and closed my eyes. “This can’t be happening. It has to be some sort of a dream.”
“Do you believe it real enough to try to eat or drink something?” the man wondered as he drew a leather satchel with a strap out from behind him and rifled through it. “I have some stale bread and old cheese.” The offer of food made my stomach rumble and I remembered I hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch. A smile slipped onto the man’s lips as he drew out a couple of pieces of bread and cheese. “I’ll accept that as a ‘yes.’”
The man stood and moved over to my position where he plopped down on the ground beside me. He held out the bread and half the cheese.
I looked from the offered food to the stranger’s handsome face. “Why?”
He blinked at me. “Why what?”
“Why are you helping me?” I leaned in closer to him and searched his face. “Who are you?”
The man grinned. “I suppose I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I? My name’s Tegan. Tegan Arsa. And you are?”
I drew my knees against my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. “Katherine.”
He cocked his head to one side. “No last name?”
I bit my lower lip. “Harrow.”
The man smiled. “A good combination. Shall we break bread to celebrate our meeting?”
“You still haven’t told me why you’re helping me.”
The stranger chuckled. “You are nothing if not persistent. As for the answer, we have a rather unusual problem on our hands.”
My pulse quickened as less-than-pleasant thoughts slipped into my mind. “What do you mean?”
He leaned backward and tilted his head back as the pensive expression returned. “How to explain to someone from your world? I suppose I would call it ‘fate’ that brought us together. Only fate could have a strange enough humor to create a key bond between us.”
I blinked at him. “A what?”
“A key bond,” he repeated as he took a bite from one of the cheeses. “It’s a situation where a witch or wizard unlocks the magical potential of a formerly normal person. The person who unlocks the power is called a ‘key,’ hence the name. They are then required to take the person under their wing and teach them about their new powers.”
My eyes widened. “I. . .you mean. . .you unlocked magic inside me?”
He nodded. “So it would seem. That is, I think that’s what happened. I’ve never experienced it first-hand, but I have seen it happen. Then there’s the sensation.”
“What sensation?”
He tapped his full hand against his chest over his heart. “I feel it in here. A strange affinity for you that your beauty alone couldn’t create.”
I carefully shook my head. “This is just insane. You can’t be serious. Me? Have magic? I can barely boil water, much less control it.”
The man chuckled. “Well, perhaps water won’t be your forte, but you must have something inside you.” He paused and furrowed his brow. “But there is the problem. . .”
My heart skipped a beat. “What problem?”
“The problem is I am no witch nor wizard. I’m a dragon.”
CHAPTERTHREE
I stared dumbfounded at him. Again.
He grinned at me. “You won’t need this food I’m offering if you keep hanging your mouth open. You’ll catch your fill of flies.”
I shook myself out of my daze and scooted away from the man. “Are you nuts?”
Tegan took another bite of cheese. “I have been called that many times, among other things, but why do you ask?”
I pointed at his person. “Because you don’t look like a dragon to me.”
He looked down at himself. “Let’s just say I prefer this skin to my scales. It’s a little easier to move around in this dense forest.”
“Then prove it. Turn into a giant lizard.”
Tegan chuckled. “I doubt I’ll need to go that far.”
He stretched out one arm in front of him. My eyes bulged out of my head as I watched the lower half of his arm and his hand swell. Scales popped out of his skin and his fingers thickened. Two of his fingers even emerged and his fingernails lengthened into sharp claws.
He drew his transformed arm back and flexed his thick fingers. “A rather useful tool for fighting in closed spaces.” He turned his attention to me and his eyes twinkled with mischief. “Do I need to go further?”
My reply was swift and blunt. I scrambled backward across the ground until my back hit a tree. “W-what the hell?!” I exclaimed as I pointed a shaking finger at his arm. “What the fuck are you?!”
Tegan chuckled as he lowered his arm, and as he did so his limb reverted back to its human shape. “I told you. I’m a dragon. A shifter, to be precise. Now then-” He held up a piece of bread, “-did you want any food?”
Wow, was my mind full of half-shaped questions and panicked thoughts. My heart thumped so hard in my chest it threatened to bruise a rib from the inside. I gripped the earth beneath me as my eyes flitted around searching for the best avenue of escape.
“You shouldn’t run.”
The dragon man’s words made me freeze. He stood and sauntered over to the fire where he resumed his seat beside the flames. A pensive expression returned to his face as he stared into the fire. “Domhain isn’t a safe place to be, especially at night. One wrong step and you could find yourself in the Undergrowth.”
Oh great. I’d be out of the frying pan and into the fire. I swallowed the rock in my throat and gauged the man in front of me. He didn’t look like he wanted to eat a damsel in distress.
I managed to choke out a few words. “You. . .do you really eat people?”
He smiled as he held up a slice of cheese. “Only those who are weak from hunger and can’t put up a fight.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “That isn’t funny.”
“I’m sorry. I was just trying to get you to do something other than panic. Here.” He tossed the bread at me and after a little bit of juggling I managed to catch it. “And don’t worry about it being poisoned. I’m not that kind of dragon.”
I grasped the bread in both hands and studied him. “What kind of dragon are you?”
He nodded down at the fire. “The kind that can make a campfire in a pinch.”
“Then you didn’t steal me away to eat me?” I guessed.
Tegan chuckled. “I hadn’t intended to steal you away at all. I was merely trying to evade my pursuers when I saw you fall off the building, and the rest is as you see it.”
I crept a little closer to the inviting fire. “Those were witches after you?”
Tegan lifted his arm and I watched in awe as he transformed it into the strange dragon claw. He used his changed limb like a poker to prod the fire into greater life. “They were very eager to make the acquaintance of my fireproof scales for their spells. So eager, in fact, that they didn’t heed all the magic they were throwing around in that storm and the combustion caused us to breach the thin line between my world and yours.”
“And that’s how you came flying over my home,” I finished for him.
He lifted his gaze to study me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drag you into my troubles.”
I had now reached the opposite side of the fire from him and stretched out my hands to warm them. “It’s okay. This is the most excitement I’ve ever had in my life. Now I just have to figure out how to get back to it.”
A dark cloud settled on Tegan’s brow as he pursed his lips. “You can’t do that.”
I lifted my eyes to him and frowned. “Why not? You broke through into my world once, why can’t you do it again?”
He shook his head. “That’s not the issue. The issue is that you have magic now. If you were to go back to your world you would be putting yourself in danger with the authorities. They would inevitably discover your secret and cage you for the rest of your life in order to study you.”
I frowned at him. “But I keep trying to tell you, I don’t have any magic. I’m just a plain office girl with some really bad cooking skills.”
He cocked his head to one side as he captured my eyes in his steady gaze. “Can you honestly tell me that you feel nothing inside you? Not a tingle of something new lurking beneath your normality?”
I pressed a fist against my chest and bowed my head. The heaviness I had felt on my awakening was still there. “I. . .I don’t know. What’s having magic supposed to feel like?”
Tegan stretched out his normal hand toward me. I shrank back, but he smiled at me. “I won’t hurt you. I promise.”
I gulped loudly but nodded. He scooted closer and pressed his palm against my chest. A soft warmth filled my body like being draped in a clean blanket just out of the dryer. The heat focused on my heart and seemed to wrap around the heavy weight there. I set my hand over his and my eyes widened as I felt the weight dissipate somewhat.
Tegan drew his hand away and studied me. “Did you feel something?”
I nodded. “Yeah. What was that you did? Did you give me some of your magic?”
“Not exactly,” Tegan replied as he leaned back on his scaly arm. “I merely borrowed some of yours. The sensation isn’t the same for everyone, even for those who have the same element, but there’s a general feeling of something inside that tells them they have the gift.”
“Element? Like your fire?” I guessed.
“Exactly,” he confirmed as he raised his human hand and studied his palm. “Two people may have an affinity for the same element, but one may not be able to produce a fireball while the other couldn’t spit out brimstone if their life depended on it.”
I furrowed my brow as I set my hand over my warm heart. “So how do I find out my element?”
“By using your magic.”
My face drooped and I frowned. “And how do I do that?”
“No idea.”
My mouth dropped open. “What do you mean by that?”
He laughed and sat up. “Like I said, magic is different for everyone and I’m no teacher of those arts. We’ll have to find one when we reach the capital.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “But you said something earlier about unlocking my magic and you’re supposed to take me under your wing or something, right?”
Tegan’s eyes twinkled. “My wings aren’t all that hospitable, but I can give you some advice.”
“And what’s that?”
He nodded at the piece of bread in my hand. “Eat and get some sleep. It’s a long trek to Colun.”
“Trek?” I asked him as he stretched himself down on the ground. “Why don’t we fly?”
Tegan tucked an arm under his head and patted his opposite shoulder with his other hand. “Because that crash landing injured more than just your head. I’ll be lucky if I’m flying in a week.”
I glanced at where I’d just been sitting. “Your coat-”
“Use it,” Tegan insisted as he rolled over so his back faced me. “I’m too hot-blooded for the night air to chill me.”
I scooted over to the coat and was glad to drape it over my shoulders. The night air was indeed chilly as the stars could attest and I moved back over to the fire. “Thanks.”
A muffled reply came back to me as I settled down for the night. The ground was hard and prickly and my body ached, but exhaustion allowed me to sleep into a fitful sleep.
CHAPTERFOUR
“Time to rise!”
The shout startled me awake and I shot up. I was greeted by a faint mist that floated through the woods around me. A crackling fire staved off the worst of the airy chill of the morning air.
Tegan was bent over the fire with a skillet set on a flat rock in front of him. His transformed right arm clutched the hot handle without issue. A sizzling noise came from the pan and the scent of meat floated over to me. I inhaled deeply and my reaction earned a chuckle from my companion.
“I’m glad to see you’re not particular about your meat,” he mused as he used a two-pronged fork to move around the food.
I cocked my head to one side. “Should I be?”
He shrugged. “Well, it’s not everyone who would be willing to eat forest rat.”
My face drooped and my eyes widened. “Forest. . .rat?”
His eyes twinkled as he moved the meat about on the skillet. “I caught it only an hour ago. It should be just about ready.”
I shrank away. “What else is there?”
He nodded at his knapsack. “Bread. The cheese last night was my last morsels.”
My face drooped and I leaned over the fire to inspect the white meat in the skillet. “What does it taste like?”
“Like a very greasy pig,” he told me.
I dropped back on my legs and sighed. “Well, I guess there has to be a first time for everything.” I watched him use his transformed hand to draw the skillet a little closer to the flame. “So why are you using the campfire? Why not use your hand or your breath?” I asked him.
“My fire generally lacks the finesse needed for cooking,” he told me as he poured equal amounts onto cleaned pieces of bark. “That is, unless you want it on the crispy side.”
“I’ll have to see. . .” I murmured as he held out one bark plate to me. I accepted the food and pinched a piece between my fingers. It was slightly greasy but not so much to make a burger wrapper become transparent. I gingerly took a bite and swallowed. My eyes lit up and I turned my surprised face to Tegan. “This is pretty good.”
He grinned as he took a bite himself. “It’s the sea salt. I harvested it myself on the shores of the Meith Sea.”
My eyebrows rose. “Where’s that?”
“Far south of here and in the domain of the vampires.” I choked on my second bite of food and my bulging eyes stared at him. He burst into laughter. “You are a sight to behold, Kate. I’m guessing your world hasn’t forgotten their species. They were quite a nuisance several centuries ago and I have no doubt they made themselves the same in your world.”
I swallowed hard. “Let’s just say they weren’t well-liked, but you’re serious? Vampires?” He held up his transformed arm. I shrugged. “Point taken. You were saying something about their domain?”
“They have their own lands to the west of here.”
I lifted my eyes to the trees above our heads. “So where are we now?”
“Conas. The land of the-.” A low, far-off howl interrupted him.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I whipped my head around the area. My eyes must have been as big as saucers. “What was that?”
“A werewolf,” Tegan told me as he frowned. “And not too many miles off.”
The previously asked question about seriousness raced through my mind before it was just as quickly discarded. I slumped down and stared blankly at my bark bowl. “Vampires. Werewolves.”
“Handsome dragon men,” Tegan added.
I sighed and took another bite of my meal. “What next? Unicorns and talking birds?”
“We can only hope those are avoided,” Tegan mused as he tossed his empty bark plate into the fire. He brushed his hands together and smiled at me. “But we should get going before the werewolves find our scent. They’re not fond of sudden incursions into their land without permission.”
I looked up at the tree line and my heart faltered a little. “You sure I’m full of magic? Or maybe this isn’t a dream?”
He stood and held out his hand to me. “I’m certain.”
I sighed and accepted his hand. He helped me to my feet and began packing. The task took only a few minutes while I doused the flames of the makeshift fire with dirt.
Tegan held out his coat to me. “Take this.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “I’m not cold.”
He nodded at the foliage. “You’ll need it for the wilderness that’s ahead of us.”
I reluctantly accepted his offer, being only in the thin attire from my office job. We headed into the woods with Tegan in the lead. There was no trail to follow so the bushes and low tree branches had their way with us. I was a mess of scratches and sticky scrambles. Tegan would have been worse but for the scales he grew out of his arms and neck that protected his flesh.
I couldn’t help but gape at the abnormal skin. He spoke up after a long silence. “They don’t hurt.”
I started back. “I didn’t say anything.”
He turned his head to one side so I caught sight of a twinkling eye. “You didn’t have to. I was just answering the usual question that pops into the minds of others unfamiliar with dragon shifters.”
I shook my head. “I wasn’t wondering that. I was wondering if I shouldn’t give you your coat back.”
He looked a little surprised but a smile slipped onto his lips. “There’s no need for that.” He tapped a fisted hand against his other arm. The scales rang as hard as stone. “Brambles won’t get through this.”
“What can get through that?” I asked him.
He dropped his arm and stared ahead. “I’d rather not say.”
I winced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
He shook his head. “It’s better for you that I not say.”
I cocked my head to one side. “For me?”
“My kind generally don’t tell others about our weakness because our foes would force the information out of you,” he pointed out.
“What kind of foes do you guys have?”
“There-” A howl interrupted his reply. “There isn’t any particular foe against all dragon shifters, but we live long enough that we gain some enmity with one family or another.” I opened my mouth but he continued. “We live well on two centuries. A feat far longer than werewolves but nothing compared to the near-immortality of vampires.”
My eyes widened. “So vampires really do-ah!”
My foot had stepped on a soft spot in the earth and sunk half a foot. Tegan spun around as I struggled to lift my leg out. “Don’t move-”
Too late. My struggles opened up a larger and much deeper hole that swallowed me whole. I fell into an abyss of darkness where my voice echoed all around me. My arms flailed about and my hands came into contact with thin vines. I managed to grab a bundle which I slid down for a yard before capturing a tight enough grip to come to a hard stop. My legs swung beneath me and my heart pounded in my chest.
A shadow partially blocked the hole and Tegan’s voice shouted down at me. “Kate!”
“Help!” I yelled back as I clung to the dark, dirt-spattered root.
A quick look down between my feet showed me a pitch-black abyss. The sunlight through the break in the ground allowed me only enough light to glimpse huge roots that snaked their way through one another and disappeared into the stone walls of the finely shaped tunnel. Smooth cobblestones decorated the floor and huge stone blocks were set into the walls and ceiling. A pile of rubble far beneath me was the remains of the stone block through which I’d fallen.
One of the larger roots began to move. My eyes widened as the ‘root’ slithered up the vines toward me. A pair of golden eyes stared hungrily in my direction and a long tongue flicked out to taste my fear.
“Tegan!” I screamed as I flailed in the air. “Help!”
The serpent slithered up the vines toward where I helplessly hung. I flailed my legs about and one of my feet connected with the creature’s thick head. The serpent’s head snapped to one side but it just as quickly whipped it back. Now its golden eyes were full of fury and it hissed at me. The creature slithered closer and opened its gaping maw to swallow my foot. A pair of sharp fangs on the top of its mouth dripped with poison to guarantee the kill.
I tried to climb higher up the root, but my weight only loosened more of the foliage above me. Some of the lesser roots that supported my lifeline were pulled from the earth and dropped on top of my head. Dirt fell into my hands and my grip began to fail me. My hands lost their grip one painful inch at a time and drew me closer to the creeping fangs of the snake.
I finally lost their hold on the vine and I fell into the abyss of cold stone, darkness, and merciless fangs.
CHAPTERFIVE
A pair of arms wrapped around me and warm darkness blocked my view. I heard something hard hit something even harder and a horrible garbled hiss came from my yellow-eyed foe. We hit the ground a second later and some of the air was knocked out of my guardian as a soft ‘whoosh’ blew over my forehead. Something else hit the ground and I heard the snake slither away into the darkness.
A very male groan came from the same direction and I found myself looking up into Tegan’s pained face. “Oh my God!” I exclaimed as I scrambled up onto my arms to inspect my savior.
Tegan released his grip around my waist and fell onto his back. A deep sigh escaped him as he stared up at the roof overhead. “Remind me to send down a rope next time to measure the distance properly.”
“You’re alright, aren’t you?” I pleaded as I looked him over as best I could considering the limited light that covered us from the hole.
He flashed me a smile. “Everything but my pride is just fine. I didn’t sprout enough scales to manage the landing, is all.” He sat up with another groan and rubbed the back of his head. “I could have used a plate behind here before I decided to fall into here.”
I squinted at the darkness that surrounded us. “Where did we fall into?”
“We’ve dropped into the Undergrowth,” Tegan explained as he studied the cavernous area ahead of us. “The tunnels were created by dwarves when they dug for the howlite located in these earths.”
I blinked up at him. “Howlite? Like something similar to werewolves?”
He nodded. “It’s a stone highly prized by their kind and perfectly pure specimens are said to give them the ability to transform even during the day.”
“But we heard their howling earlier, didn’t we?” I reminded him.
“That’s their way of communicating across long distances,” Tegan explained as he eased himself onto his feet. I scrambled onto mine and was just in time to catch him as he swayed. “Damn these stone floors. . .” I heard him mutter.
“Are your wings still out of order?” I asked him as I gaped up at the hole some fifty feet above our heads. That would have been a hell of a crash for a human.
“Very much ‘out of order,’” he told me as he steadied himself. He opened one hand and a bright fire burst out of his palm. “We’ll have to travel on foot and move even faster than on the surface. The dwarves are even less hospitable to intruders than the werewolves.”
My heart skipped a beat at the warning in his voice and we hurried down the huge tunnel. Countless small tunnels branched off from the one in which I’d fallen and I came to realize we must have been in a main passage of sorts. The further we traveled, the more I noticed the walls became less vine-infested.
Tegan stopped after a half hour of trudging and his eyes glowed bright green as he stared into the distance ahead of us. “There’s a way out ahead, but we’re going to have to be discreet about our movements.” He turned his face to mine and studied me. “How long can you hold your breath?”
I blinked at him. “I-I never really tried, but I guess as long as anyone else.”
“You’ll have to hold when we reach the dwarf camp,” he warned me.
I blinked at him. “Why?”
“Dwarves are very sensitive to air motions. They can detect air pockets as small as a person’s breath.”
A little bit of color drained from my face but I steadied myself. “I can hold my breath for as long as I need to.”
A crooked smile slipped onto his lips as he beamed down at me. “Good girl. Now let’s go.”
We now crept very slowly down the tunnel and the way ahead increased in brightness with every step. Eventually, we reached a stack of wooden crates which we ducked behind. We peeked over the top and I beheld a depot of sorts. A half dozen equally large tunnels met at the circular open space but unlike ours, four of those had mine cart tracks that led into their depths. The tracks met at the center of the clearing.
Doorways had been carved into the stone between the tunnels and led into clean living quarters. The houses were furnished with heavy wooden furniture and cast iron pots and pans. Each of the homes also featured several floors that, at the very least, featured windows, and most had wooden balconies that stretched out into the void and overlooked the area.
What really captured my attention was a smaller tunnel to our right. The corridor led at a gentle angle up to the light of day. A complicated system of pulleys and another track followed the incline to fresh air.
A dozen or so short men were crowded around an enclosed furnace. They wore thick pants and shirts of some plain flax but stylized with curved geometric designs that reminded me of a Celtic cross I’d once seen. Heavy boots covered their feet and helmets were laid at their feet. They all had the customarily long beards and mustaches, made from their brown hair. Bulbous noses stuck out of their surprisingly clean faces.
The furnace around which they congregated had an insanely long smoke pipe that stretched two feet above the floor via a convoluted mess of stone and wooden pillars. The pipe disappeared up the lit tunnel and no doubt deposited its contents into the open air.
One of the dwarves doled out grub from a pot atop the stove and onto pewter bowls held by his compatriots. The stuff looked like slop but smelled like ambrosia, and my empty stomach gurgled a little before I set a hand over it to quiet its complaints. The dwarves, each with his prize, took up one of many low stone stools around the furnace and dug into their food.
“You did it again, Mat!” one of the eating dwarves complimented the cook.
“Best saus I ever had!” another chimed in.
The cook wagged his ladle at the company. “You’re just saying that because you want seconds but you won’t be getting any more of this until your shift starts again.”
“That’s cruel of you, Mat,” the first dwarf scolded him as he lowered his spoon long enough to speak his peace. “Getting us to go back to work on a promise of your food.”
“You’ve only got four hours to it,” Mat scolded him as he closed the lid on the pot. “Get some sleep and dream of howlite.”
One of the other dwarves scoffed. “We’ve got plenty of that, Mat, we just need to find the pure stuff those hairballs want.”
“They still pay a good price for what you boms dig up, so stop your complaining and finish your food,” Mat snapped.
The dwarves continued to grumble but they finished their meal and slunk off into their hollowed-out homes. The cook turned down the fire and plopped himself down on one of the stools with his own grub. He had his back turned to us as he munched away on his food.
Tegan caught my attention and pressed a finger against his lips. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he crept forward toward the distracted dwarf. I noticed he held his breath as he did so.
The dwarf lifted his head and scoffed. “You’re not as good as you think you are. I could hear your footsteps a mile away.”
Tegan softened his stalking stance and grinned. “I thought I had done a decent job.”
The dwarf half-turned in his seat and nodded at my hiding spot. “Maybe you had but whoever you’ve got with you breaths loud enough to fill the sails of a ship.”
“She hasn’t the experience I have,” Tegan countered as he beckoned to me.
I reluctantly slipped out from behind the crates and scooted over to Tegan. The dwarf looked me over and lifted an eyebrow at Tegan. “Not your usual style.”
Tegan shook his head. “It wasn’t my usual wooing, either.”
The dwarf took a bite of his stew and looked him over. “Is that why there’s something different about you? You’re shining like a pure piece of howlite.”
A low rumble echoed out of one of the mine cart tunnels. Mat shot to his feet and caught our eyes as he jerked a thumb in the direction of the lit corridor. “Get out of here while you still can and mind you don’t get caught by the men loading the carts up there. They don’t like snoopers.”
Tegan smiled and gave him a lazy salute as he took up my hand. “Thanks for the tips.”
And with that, Tegan led me up the tunnel and toward the light.
CHAPTERSIX
I was glad to breathe in the fresh air that wafted down the tunnel and the bright light bathed my skin in a comfortable warmth. My relaxation, however, was interrupted when we arrived at the top of the corridor. We came upon a small camp of mine carts and mules pulling wagons. Another dozen dwarves were transferring loads of rocks from the carts to the wagons.
And one of them noticed us.
“Hey! What are you doing here?” he demanded to know as his compatriots turned around.
“Just sightseeing,” Tegan quipped as he pulled me sharply to the left.
“Get back here!” another shouted as they gave chase.
The dwarves rushed after us and took up various weapons like pickaxes and shovels. Their short legs moved faster than I expected and one of them began to gain on us. The slower ones snatched stones from the ground and chucked them at us with a precision of many years of practice. The rocks pelted us and I was glad for Tegan’s thick coat. Tegan himself had his scales to protect him as we raced out of the clearing and into the trees.
Our speed advantage over open ground quickly vanished as the bushes and trees bogged us down. The dwarves, however, crashed through the foliage like landslides and hacked any uncompromising plants out of their way. Tegan had his claws out but he didn’t use them on the offending trees.
One of the dwarves caught up to us and tried to grab me. My cry of fright alerted Tegan to the danger and he swung me ahead of him before he spun around just in time to deflect a blow from a shovel using his claws. The rest of the dwarves joined their compatriots and surrounded us, clearing a circle around our position with their tools.
The dwarf that had nearly caught me glared at us as he clapped the shovel handle in his large hand. “What were you doing in the Undergrowth?”
“We fell into one of the disused tunnels and were merely trying to make our way out,” Tegan informed him.
The dwarf scoffed. “I’ve heard some bad tales in my time, but that’s the worst. Now you two better come with us and don’t go swinging those claws-ack!”
Our wannabe captor was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a brownish creature that flew in front of his face. The figure slapped him upside the cheek hard enough to force his head to one side.
“That’s for damaging my friends!” a tiny voice snapped at the dwarf, and I belatedly realized it had come from the flying creature.
The dwarf snapped his face about and glared at his attacker. “Get lost, filth!”
The creature put a hand on its hips, or whatever they were. A closer inspection of the thing showed it had an ovular body with six thin, stick-like legs. The body was covered in a brownish shell similar to that of a beetle and was topped with a round head. A pair of antennae bounced atop the head and long black whiskers grew out of the lower front of its head below a pair of bulbous eyes. The creature floated in the air via two pairs of very fast, translucent wings.
It was like staring at a flying cat cockroach.
“I will not be gone from my own home! Not when you stubbies are wrecking it!” the strange creature insisted as it stabbed a small finger at the direction from which we’d come. “Just look at all those beautiful plants you hurt! You’ll have to pay for this!”
The dwarf raised his shovel and sneered at the creature. “You may best us one at a time, but not when there’s this many of us and it’s just you.”
The creature folded its thin arms over its curved chest and opened its mouth to reveal a very sharp, toothy smile. “I’m never alone in here.”
Vines slithered out from under the brush and wrapped themselves around the ankles of the dwarves. The men cried out and whacked away at the plants with their weapons, slicing through and freeing themselves. More vines crawled out and tree branches stretched down to grab at their wild hair.
A few of the vines slithered in our direction. Tegan drew me behind him and ignited his hands. He threw down the two fireballs on either side of himself and they swirled around us, creating a circle which the plants couldn’t breach. Some tried and came out with scorched ends before retreating.
The dwarves, overwhelmed by the fierce foliage, made a hasty retreat with the plants cracking at their heels. In a moment all was quiet and calm save for the heavy thudding of my heart. Tegan slipped his hand into mine and gave it a gentle squeeze.
The cat cockroach turned his attention to us and scowled. “Were they your friends, dragon? Did you intend to harm the forest, as well?”
Tegan shook his head. “On the contrary, we only wished to pass through it. The dwarves thought we needed to stay for a chat.”
The catroach, as I had come to call it, scoffed. “A likely story. You will come with me and-” The creature zipped over to us with its green companions following just behind it.
The flames around us exploded upward, encasing us in a fiery ring some ten feet high. The catroach hissed and scuttled backward, as did its small army. The creature narrowed its eyes at us as the fires cooled to a low foot above the ground.
“Only wishing to travel through, eh?” the catroach spat at us. “It seems like you’re intent on burning the whole place down!”
Tegan smiled. “If I had wanted to do such a thing I wouldn’t be standing here willing to talk with you. As things stand, I’m merely protecting what is mine from what is yours.” His choice of words didn’t pass by me without notice.
The catroach’s wings fluttered faster than before while the plants hovered around it waiting for orders. Finally the bug fluttered in a circle and gnashed its teeth. “Fine! I will show you the way out to ensure you won’t hurt anything.”
Tegan shook his head. “That won’t do. I’m not used to being chaperoned and I abhor leashes. If you give us a day we’ll be out of the woods and out of your whiskers.”
The catroach’s said whiskers twitched and he looked displeased. “You are most rude for being an intruder in these woods.”
“We’re merely sightseers who will gladly leave the woods if you would call off your guard plants and give us a day to leave,” Tegan countered.
“Then leave,” the catroach snapped at him.
Tegan shook his head. “Not until we have your word, sworn on the leaves that you protect.”
Our wannabe captor growled but fluttered back. “I swear it.” The plants followed suit and retreated into the dense foliage.
Tegan smiled and bowed his head to the catroach. “We thank you for your hospitality.” The fire at our feet was extinguished and Tegan tightened his grip on my hand as he stepped backward. “And much thanks for helping us with our short friends.”
The catroach sneered at him. “Just keep moving and don’t stop until you have passed the edge of the woods.”
Tegan nodded and turned us away from the strange creature and his green cohorts. We hurried with quick steps away from the dwarven camp and in a westerly direction, or so I surmised. The beautiful sunny day had been replaced by a cloudy one.
There was only silence between us as we traveled through the thick foliage. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around all the fantastic things I had seen, but one question stood out from all the others.
“What the hell was that talking creature?” I inquired of my native guide.
“A fabfeil,” Tegan told me with a touch of a smile on his lips. “The creatures are sentinels of the forests in this world and are a nuisance in most of them, but they are quite proficient at their jobs.”
“You seemed to do a good job against that one,” I commented.
He nodded. “I was lucky to get my fire out, otherwise the vines would have acted with quicker impunity.”
I cast a wary look at the trees around us. “So should we still worry about the woods trying to give us a tight hug?”
Tegan chuckled. “Perhaps, but the fabfeil will grant us those twenty-four hours because of his oath. The oath binds him to that promise.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Literally binds him?”
“In a magical sense,” Tegan explained. “The oath I forced out of our winged friend binds him to that promise, otherwise the vines and the trees will stop obeying him.”
An offending branch decided to interrupt our conversation by swatting me clean in the face. I stumbled back and would have fallen if Tegan hadn’t had a tight grip on my hand. As things stood, I kept to my face but ate a mouthful of leaves.
I sputtered out the greenery and a few mumbled words slipped out of my mouth. “Could this day get any worse. . .”
Tegan lifted his gaze to the darkening skies above our heads. “Unfortunately, yes. We had better get under cover before the rain comes.”
CHAPTERSEVEN
Too late.
We had hardly gone more than a dozen yards when the billowing clouds opened up and dumped their load onto our heads. I shuddered as the cold rain slid down my neck, soaking my clothes and skin. Tegan drew me against his side and pulled my coat over my head to protect me from the downpour.
He found us an especially thick-branched tree under which even the harshest rains could hardly penetrate. I was glad when he set me down at the base and gathered up a mess of branches dry and wet. He knelt in front of the debris and cupped his hands together.
