Maiden to the Dragon: Box Set Three: Books 8-10 (Dragon Shifter Romance) E-Book

Mac Flynn

• Herausgeber: Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

The box set contains the final three books in the fantasy romance series Maiden to the Dragon, an adventure that will take your breath away.

Life comes knocking on Miriam Cait’s door as she’s whisked away from her normal life and into a land of fantasy and wonder. The downside is she’s mated to a handsome dragon lord, a ruler of one of the five realms. Most people wouldn’t see that as a downside, but Miriam has her own mind and she aims to keep it that way.

Whether it’s fighting her scaly spouse or dodging everything from werewolves to fairies, she won’t back down in the face of danger. She’ll survive this new world with its strange customs, and along the way she’ll find love in the most obvious of places.

Leseprobe

MAIDEN TO THE DRAGON

Box Set Three: Books 8-10

MAC FLYNN

CONTENTS

Copyright

Author’s Note

Myths Beyond Dragons

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

Chapter 36

Forest of the 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

Dreams of Dragons

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

Sneak Peek: The Falling for a Dragon Series

A Small Favor

When’s the Next Book?

Series by Mac Flynn

About Mac Flynn

COPYRIGHT

Maiden to the Dragon Series Box Set: Books 8-10 (Alpha Dragon Shifter Romance). Copyright © 2018 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

They just wouldn’t stop popping up. Like those dots you see when you look at the sun too long, no matter how hard I tried to look away the visions were still there.

That’s why I stood at the edge of the lake in Alexandria. The shoreline was touched by ice, but three yards into the lake the water lay open. The shadows didn’t touch me here, or so I hoped. Behind me, towered the ancient water temple, and between us stood the arch that guided the path up to the religious building.

I raised my hand and studied the palm. The tips of my fingers were a little red, but the unmistakable color of my skin gave me comfort.

A cool breeze blew past me and across the lake, disturbing the tranquil scene for a brief moment. I wrapped my coat tighter around myself and shivered. “You’d think a water fae wouldn’t get cold…” I muttered.

“Temperature and water are very different,” a voice spoke up. I spun around and found Xander walking down the path toward me with a teasing smile on his face.

My own face fell as he came up beside me. “How’d you know I was here?”

He nodded at my covered shoulder. “I always know where you are.”

I pressed my hand on the part of my coat that lay over the mark and looked out over the lake. The water was as calm as glass, and just as reflective. The castle across the lake was illuminated with candles, and a perfect picture of it lay on the watery surface.

“Something troubles you,” Xander spoke up.

I snorted. “Does my mark tell you that, too?”

He gently cupped my chin in his hand and turned my face so we gazed into each other’s eyes. His were penetrating. “I do not need help to know when you are bothered, I need only your help to tell me what it is that bothers you.”

I bit my lower lip and cast my eyes to the ground. “I’m not really sure myself, and it’s really hard to explain.”

“I will try to understand,” he replied.

My eyes flickered up to his face and I frowned at him. “This isn’t funny. I really think there’s something wrong with me.”

His eyebrows crashed down, and all humor fled his face. “You are ill?”

I shook my head. Then I shrugged. “I don’t know.” A snort escaped my lips. “With all the weird things that have happened, this has to be the weirdest.”

“Have your headaches returned?” he guessed.

I shook my head. “No, but-” I jumped as a flock of snowbirds flew out of a nearby tree and headed out over the lake.

Xander smiled down at me. “There is nothing to fear so long as we are together.”

I looked out over the lake and pursed my lips. “I’m not sure we can do this-” There came the sound of a single drop of water hitting the surface of a puddle. The sound was faraway, like an echo from a distant world.

I froze, and so did the rest of the world. The flock of birds that flew over the lake were frozen in mid-flight. The breeze no longer stirred the bare branches of the trees. The colors became muted, as though someone had taken most of the life out of the world. The cold that had chilled me now sank into my bones.

My shoulders slumped and I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Not again…”

Then I remembered I wasn’t alone. A smile stretched across my face as I spun around. Xander stood behind me, but he, too, was a muted statue. My face fell. I walked up to him and reached up my hand to cup his cheek.

“Et tu, Xander?” I whispered as I stroked the smooth, warm surface. Wait, warm?

His eyes fluttered like he had just awoken, and he stumbled forward like a man walking out of a moving vehicle that had suddenly stopped. I caught him before he fell onto the ice and stared up at him with wide eyes.

“You’re awake?” I whispered.

He shook himself and raised his head to look at the colorless world around us. “What has happened to Alexandria?”

I steadied him and swept an arm over the timeless area. “Welcome to my world, or what’s been my world off-and-on for a few months.”

“Is this your old world?” he asked me.

I shook my head. “Nope. Mine had just as much color as yours especially when someone painted their house purple.”

“How did we come to be here?” He glanced down at me and tilted his head to one side as he studied my face with a furrowed brow. “Is this some new power you have?”

I cringed. “I hope not, and if it is I don’t feel myself using my energy. Besides-” I held up one of my hands, “-no glow.”

He raised his eyes to the lake and pursed his lips. “Then perhaps we are in another-” he frowned.

I half-turned and followed his gaze. His eyes lay on the lake. The reflective surface showed the castle. Its colors were as they should have been, but the castle across the lake was the drab one.

“That’s… that’s the castle, isn’t it?” I guessed.

Xander nodded. “It is. We are in a reflection of our world.” He returned his attention to me and grasped both my hands so we faced each other. “Tell me everything you know.”

I shrugged. “It’s not that much. I hear this drop of water hitting more water and suddenly everything becomes a black-and-white movie.”

He arched an eyebrow. “A ‘movie?’”

I shook my head. “Never mind. Everything loses its color, and everything stands still.”

“And you touched no one else?” he wondered.

I snorted. “I touched everything I could think of hoping it would be my red slippers out of this world, but nothing happened until I tried you.”

“Then you had not tried me before?” he guessed.

I shrugged. “I’m not usually in here that long, or even this long. Usually, it’s just long enough for me to panic and start slapping my hand against walls and people, and then I’m snapped back into the Wonderful World of Color.”

“How long have you been coming to this world?” he questioned me.

“Two months.”

He frowned at me. “And you spoke nothing of this to me?”

I bit my lower lip and lowered my eyes. “I… I kind of thought I was going a little nuts, you know? Like maybe I’d been whacked around a little too much by a Red Dragon and was imagining all of it.”

Xander lifted his gaze to the mute world around us and pursed his lips. “Unfortunately, it is very much real, and we are both a part of it for the present.”

I smiled up at him. “I’m glad you’re the one who’s with me. Well, not glad you’re with me, but-”

He chuckled. “I understand.” He took my hand and guided me toward the arch. “Together we will search the library and contact Apuleius to learn what he may know-” We walked beneath the arch and came out in a whole new world.

We stumbled forward as the incline of the short hill straightened to a flat wood floor. I looked up and saw we were surrounded by floor upon balcony-lined floor of bookshelves filled to the top with books. Far above us was a glass dome that allowed bright light to illuminate the countless floors filled with knowledge, along with a walkway that stretched out from our floor into the void in the center of the circular structure to a free-standing platform that looked out over all of the books.

Xander stepped forward with his mouth agape and looked up at the skylight. “Is this the fabled Mallus Library?”

I followed him and frowned. “Yeah, but how’d we get here without a door?”

“Even an archway is a door to a new place,” a voice spoke up.

We both turned to the free-standing pathway to see Crates striding down it toward us. He slipped around the corner and stopped a few feet from where we stood with a smile on his face. His gaze fell on Xander, and he inclined his head. “It is an honor to meet the son of Cate, wife of Alexander the Tenth.”

Xander arched an eyebrow. “You knew my mother?”

Crates nodded. “Yes. She was very curious and often found herself here in search of answers.” He chuckled. “At one point her visitations were so often I wondered if I shouldn’t make a room for her.”

“So, were we brought here so you could give us a book only Tillit can read on how to paint the world?” I asked him.

Crates shook his head. “On the contrary. It is I who need you.”

CHAPTERTWO

I blinked at him. “Help with what? Dusting?”

All humor fell from Crates’s face as he shook his head. “Unfortunately, the favor I ask of you is quite serious. The gods of the world must be returned to their ancient home.”

I arched an eyebrow and looked up at Xander. “Have you ever dealt with a god?”

He shook his head. “None but the fae.”

“The fae may be immortal, but they are not gods,” Crates spoke up. He half-turned back the way he came but kept his gaze on us. “Come with me. I have something that will explain what I mean.”

He led us across the path to the circular platform that hovered over the void in the center of the library. There, on a pedestal with a book stand, lay a large, thick tome. The leather cover was brown, aged by countless years, and its binding was worn from countless uses.

Crates stepped to one side and gestured to the book. “This is of what I speak.”

We stepped up to the pedestal and studied the pages. The book was opened to a wide picture in the style of medieval paintings that stretched across both pages. The right-hand page showed scenes of fields of yellow grain, many rivers, thick forests, snow-topped black mountains, a wide desert, and open plains. The areas all came together around a single silver-colored tower of stone.

On the opposite page were human figures all pressed together and facing the other page. They wore white robes, and their heads were surrounded by halos. There were men and women alike in the bunch of two dozen people, but they all had the same expression of longing as they gazed upon the beautiful geography.

Xander set his hand over the part of the right-hand map with the open plains and furrowed his brow. He looked to Crates. “Is this not a map of our world?”

Crates smiled and nodded. “It is. All the realms of the dragons and those beyond your control.”

I pointed at the figures. “So those are the gods?”

His smile faded as he again nodded. “Yes. They were tempted by the beauty of this world and came down to reside among its inhabitants in the hopes of alleviating their eternal boredom. That is why they descended from their world to this one twenty thousand years ago.”

Xander and I started back. “Twenty thousand years ago?” he repeated.

A smile touched the corners of his lips. “In the life of an immortal that is hardly a day, and in their world that is nothing.”

“So where exactly is their world?” I asked him.

“The world you have glimpsed of late, with all its shades of gray at a standstill, is the one in which the gods reside,” he explained.

I winced. “No wonder they like our world.”

He pursed his lips and nodded. “Yes. Theirs is a dreary world without time or beauty, an empty reflection of all the joined worlds, if you will. That is why this world holds so much interest for them, but their presence causes only harm.”

“What harm could they be causing after being among us for so long, and how can we be of use?” Xander asked him.

Crates frowned and raised his hand. The pages of the tome flipped on their own to a spot further back in the book. Another map of our world was revealed to us, but the geography was changed. The plains of Cayden’s realm were scorched black by fire. A volcano sat where once the Heavy Mountains proudly stood. The Island of Red Fire was gone, swallowed whole by the ocean.

Xander’s eyes widened as he reached out and brushed his fingers over the area that represented Alexandria. The city was a mess of ruins with a tempest in the lake.

I looked up at Crates who studied us carefully. “Is this what could happen, or what’s going to happen?”

“It is a possible future should those gods that remain not be drawn back into their world,” he explained.

Xander lifted his gaze to Crates and pursed his lips. “How can we do this?”

Crates’s eyes fell on me, and he smiled. “With your unique gifts.”

I held up my hands in front of me. “Wait a sec. You’re talking about me going up against gods? My little water dragons could barely take out that psycho red dragon!”

Crates chuckled. “The experience on the Island of Red Fire changed you more than you realize. It has granted you abilities beyond that of a mere half-fae, otherwise you would not have been able to defeat the Red Dragon in his full form.”

I wrinkled my nose. “So, I’m what? Three-quarters of a fae?”

He smiled and shook his head. “No, you are something more than a mere fae. I believe in your old world it is called evolution, but that is such a poor word. It cannot begin to recall the immeasurable awakening that has occurred within you and continues to change you.” He paused and furrowed his brow. “I believe the term ‘transcended’ has a better grasp on what has happened to you.”

I looked down at myself and frowned. “I hate to break it to you, but I don’t feel ‘transcended.’ Hell, I don’t feel any different at all.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Not even a little?”

I bit my lower lip and turned away from his prying eyes. “Well, I… I’ve kind of been hearing these voices.”

“And?” he persisted.

I frowned and shrugged. “And what? It just sounds like a bunch of people whispering around the corner.”

Xander frowned. “For how long have you heard these voices?”

I shrank from his stern gaze. “Since after we fell into that pool. I just thought I was imagining things.”

“What you hear are the voices of the gods, noises which are beyond the plane of normal humans, and even many fae,” Crates told me.

“So, I’m not going crazy?” I asked him.

He chuckled and shook his head. “No.”

My shoulders drooped and I let out a heavy sigh. “Well, that’s something, but I really don’t understand what hearing voices is supposed to do for me.”

“They are supposed to help you save the world.”

My shoulders fell and my face drooped. “Seriously? Didn’t we already do that?”

Crates shook his head. “No, or rather, you saved this world for but a moment. The threat presented by these gods and their destructive power will lead you over your travels and test your strength as nothing else has.”

“How do these gods differ from the fae?” Xander asked him.

Crates smiled. “Fae are mere children in comparison to the gods. A Mare fae may move the tides and a Rus the wind across the plains of wheat, but a god is capable of upending entire oceans or uprooting the ground to create a mountain.”

Xander furrowed his brow. “That is a great deal of power.”

The librarian nodded. “Yes, and that is why I ask you to do this terrible task.”

I cringed. “There’s got to be somebody more qualified than me. You know, like some other god.”

He looked past me at Xander and smiled. “There is someone equally qualified.”

I looked over my shoulder at my Dragon Lord and arched an eyebrow. “Have you been hearing voices, too?”

He shook his head. “No, nor have I felt any effects from the episode in the pool.”

“But you were able to defeat the Red Dragon, he who had fulfilled the tenth generation promise of power restoration,” Crates pointed out.

Xander shrugged. “His mother was not a true Maiden so he could not be the fulfillment of the tenth generation.”

Crates took a few steps back away from us and tucked the book under one arm as he raised his hands together beside his head. “Then I hope I am not making a horrible mistake.” He clapped his hands twice in quick succession.

I heard a flutter of wings above us, and a horrible screech echoed down from the lofty heights of the library. Xander and I tilted our heads back and looked up at the glass domed ceiling. The shadowy form of a familiar beast shot downward toward us.

Xander wrapped his arms around me and pulled me away a second before the beast slammed down on the spot where I had just been standing. Its eagle talons dug several inches into the hard stone floor and cracks spread across the stone to where we stood. The creature raised itself to its full height and glared at us with its bright golden eyes.

It meant death, and that death would be ours.

CHAPTERTHREE

I looked at the deep cracks and swallowed the lump in my throat before I lifted my eyes. My gaze met the terrifyingly cold eyes of the griffin. It opened its beaked mouth and let out a squawk that rattled some of the nearby bookcases and their books. The beast stalked toward us. Xander slipped in front of me and growled at the creature.

The griffin squawked and leapt at us with its claws splayed out. Xander grabbed the wrists of its outstretched eagle arms and dug his heels into the ground. Its lion hind legs hit the floor and pushed against him so that he slid back. I lunged out of their path and hit the railing hard as the two combatants passed by me.

I whipped my head to Crates who stood in the center of the end of the platform and glared at him. “Call it off!”

He smiled and shook his head. “I think you will find this rather interesting.”

The screech of the griffin forced my attention back to the fight. The creature had pushed Xander against one of the bookcases and leaned forward so its snapping beak nearly bit off his nose. He clenched his teeth as he turned his head to the side to avoid its monstrous jaws.

“Xander!” I yelled.

A green light appeared around his hands, wrapping them in a bright glow that forced the griffin to lean back away from him. Xander turned his face to stare into the eyes of the ghastly beast, and the color of his eyes was a brilliant sea green. His hands tightened their grip on the griffin so that the creature cried out in pain. He released it and slipped beneath its long, thick body. In one quick movement he lifted the griffin by its stomach and threw it across the chasm and the long path.

I ducked low as the griffin tumbled over us and crashed into the bookcases. Books toppled onto its head, burying it beneath pages and covers.

Xander held his hands out in front of him and studied them with wide eyes. “By the gods… ” I heard him whisper.

A soft snort came from Crates. “Hardly.”

A shrill screech echoed over the library. The pile of books exploded outward, and the griffin raised itself from the mess of paper and leather. It lifted its head and let loose another screech that made the walls and floor tremble.

Xander took a step toward the griffin and curled his lips back in a snarl. His hands at his sides transformed into claws and his wings burst from his back. They were thicker and longer than I remembered.

The griffin spread its own wings and flew across the chasm. Xander leapt into the air and the pair collided above the round platform. The griffin slashed at him, but Xander dodged the blows and gave the creature a few hard punches in the beak. The beast lost its flapping timing and nearly tumbled back. Xander grabbed its long neck and flew downward, slamming the beast into the balcony to our right.

The griffin slowly climbed to its feet, but it wasn’t unscathed from the tussle. Its wings were limp, and its feathers were ruffled. The fur on its behind had patches missing and its tail hung limp behind it. The injured creature, however, raised its head and spread its wings wide, causing Xander to tense and dig his feet into the floor.

My jaw dropped open when the griffin took a step forward and bowed its head to Xander. He furrowed his brow, but force of habit made him return the gesture. The griffin leapt up into the air and disappeared into the heights of the library, leaving behind a mess of books and feathers.

“What the hell?” I whispered.

A noise in Xander’s direction forced my attention back to him. He’d take a step toward me but lost his balance and stumbled into a bookcase to his right.

His clothes were shredded, but his flesh was unscathed. He took a deep, shaky breath and the glow in his hands disappeared. His wings slipped back into his back and his claws changed back to hands.

I scrambled to my feet and rushed over to his side where I propped him up against me. “Are you okay?” I asked him.

His face was pale, but he nodded. “I believe so.”

The sound of a slow clap came to my ears. I turned to see it was Crates who did it as he walked up to us. The librarian stopped three feet away and stopped his clapping as he smiled at my exhausted Dragon Lord. “An admirable fight, Lord Xander. I did not expect you to defeat my champion so swiftly.”

I narrowed my eyes at our homicidal acquaintance. “So, you were trying to get him killed?”

He returned my glare with a smile as he shook his head. “On the contrary, I wished to prove to you both how exceptional were Lord Xander’s new skills.”

“Was it you who granted me such strength?” Xander asked him.

He shook his head. “It was not I who changed you, but the Sæ. With the powers of your admirable mate-” he nodded at me, “-you were able to absorb the infusion of ancient energy and yet remain yourself, and in doing so you became the fulfillment of the tenth generation of Dragon Lords.”

I arched an eyebrow. “So, you’re saying Xander has the power of the ancient Dragon Lords?”

Crates nodded. “Yes.”

Xander straightened and turned to Crates with pursed lips. “Then it is with these powers alone that we may defeat these gods?”

The librarian shook his head. “Not merely with your abilities, but with your mortal lives.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Come again?”

He chuckled. “Your mortality gives you a strength no god can fathom, for only a mortal can understand what it means to fear death and love life. That strength, that determination to fight against death and love life to its fullest is a power no god can defeat, and you, both of you, hold that power in great quantity.”

My shoulders drooped and I ran a hand through my hair. “You’ve got a way of flattering people into taking suicide missions.”

“Then you will accept the task?” Crates asked me.

I pursed my lips and looked up at Xander. “Well?”

He smiled down at me. “It seems the fates have decided to give us another adventure, and-” he held up his normal hand and furrowed his brow, “-I wish to see the extent of this new power so I might control it.”

I returned my attention to Crates and sighed. “It looks like you’ve got yourself a Dragon Lord and Maiden.”

He smiled and bowed his head. “Excellent. Now I have something for you. If you will come this way.”

Xander and I arched our eyebrows but followed Crates over to one of the long glass cases that lined the center of the balcony. Atop the case was a small wooden box, but it was inside that interested us most, for in the glass case atop a velvet pillow lay a familiar sword with a blueish tinge to its thick blade.

“Bucephalus!” Xander whispered.

Crates smiled as he gave a nod. “Yes. I asked Valtameri to retrieve it from the sea and bring it to me.” He opened a small panel in the case and drew out the blade which he handed to Xander. “Beriadan himself imbued it with a greater power than before so that its blade is now as sharp as the point of a new needle.”

“With this power will Bucephalus be capable of vanquishing the gods?” Xander asked him.

Crates shook his head. “No. Its power lies in protecting others from the gods, especially when placed in your hands. I have something else that will assist you in evicting the gods.” He grasped the wooden box atop the glass case. It was of a plain birch bark with a hinged lid. He opened the lid and held it out to us. “It is this.”

Xander and I leaned forward and looked inside. There, nestled atop a nest of soft, pure white cotton, lay a bell that shone like silver. On its top was a short handle of wood that glistened like polished stone. The light above us caught the smooth surface of the bell and reflected our curious faces.

“Can I try it out?” I wondered as I stretched out my hand.

I yelped when Crates snapped the lid shut inches from my finger. “When the time demands it,” he scolded me as he shoved the box into my hands.

I glanced down at the box before I looked up at Crates. “So now that we’ve got all this stuff what do we do?”

Crates shook his head. “That is a task I cannot help you with. You must decide your own course of action.”

“But we know nothing of these gods,” Xander pointed out.

“Then you had best start your journey and learn,” Crates replied as he stepped toward us. He spun us around, placed his hand on our lower backs and shoved us down the walkway and toward the door that was the typical entrance to the library. “I wish you a good journey, and happy hunting.”

“Wait!” I yelped as I dug my heels into the floor. Crates had prodigious strength for an old man so that we continued our slide toward the door. “What do these gods look like? How many of them are there?”

“Five of the gods remain, and they are able to change their appearance so any description I could give you would no doubt prove useless,” he told us. “I can, however, advise you to listen to those voices and heed them well.”

We arrived at the door which opened on its own. Crates slid us onto a dirty path, and before us stretched the majesty of the lake. We spun around to face him as he stood in the doorway of the temple that graced the small peninsula of the lake.

I hugged the box tight to my chest and glared at him. “Can you even tell us how we’re supposed to find them?” I questioned him.

“I would suggest you consult books, ask your friends, or-” his eyes flickered to me, and he winked, “-inquire of family members for that bit of information.” He stepped back and smiled at us as he grasped the side of the door. “Good day, and good luck.” Xander and I jumped when he slammed the door shut in our faces.

I blinked at the doorway before I glanced up at Xander. He held an equally confused expression. “Why do I get the feeling we just got volunteered by a used car salesman to sell his cars?” My modern analogy was lost on my medieval Dragon Lord. “Never mind…”

Xander grabbed the handle of the door and opened it. Inside was the expected interior of the temple. He shut the door and looked down at me with a furrowed brow. “The librarian is a rather peculiar fellow.”

I snorted. “You only know the half of it. Anyway-” I looked down at my treasure, “-he forgot to tell us how to use this thing.”

Xander held up Bucephalus and studied the blade. “Both of these fine objects are worthless unless we are able to learn who can lead us to the gods.”

“I think that’s going to be the easiest part of this mess,” I argued.

He arched an eyebrow at me. “Then you know to where we must travel?”

I looked up at Xander and grinned. “He told us to go see family, and for me that’s only one person. Are you ready to see your mother-in-law again?”

A sly smile slipped onto his own lips. “She is not an unpleasant face to see, especially as she takes after her daughter.”

“Nice save. Now let’s go.”

CHAPTERFOUR

“Horses. Always with the horses…” I grumbled to myself.

I sat atop a fine gray stallion that trotted down the road to the High Castle. It was several days after our meeting with Crates. We were close enough to the castle that I could see a hint of towers in the distance, so that in a few miles or two we would see if I was right about his hint. Beside me on another fine horse was Xander, and behind us came Darda and Spiros.

Another tinge of pain from my rear made me wince. “What I wouldn’t do for some twenty-first century comfort…”

“How has travel progressed in my old world?” Darda asked me.

“To the point where you can travel for hours in a comfortable seat or fly anywhere with a good drink beside you,” I told her.

“I would dearly wish to know the secret for how humans fly and drink without falling,” Spiros spoke up.

“They fly around in huge metal machines piloted by humans who don’t get to drink,” I explained.

His face fell. “I see. How disappointing for these ‘pilot’ humans.”

I laughed and glanced at my Dragon Lord. His lips were pursed as he stared straight ahead. I leaned toward him and leaned across the void between us to poke him in the arm. “You okay?”

“I was just thinking back to our interview with the librarian and his avoiding our most pertinent questions,” he told me.

I shrugged. “Maybe he just didn’t want to make this god-hunting thing too easy-or easy at all-for us. Or maybe he’s testing us so we can fight some inter-dimensional beings next.” Xander turned to me and arched an eyebrow. I smiled and shook my head. “Believe me, it’s not something we’re going to have to mess with. Anyway, I’m pretty sure my mom can tell us something about gods. She’s almost one herself, at least according to Crates.”

Spiros furrowed his brow. “Gods and fae are not the same?”

I glanced over my shoulder at him and shook my head. “Not according to the librarian. He said fae were immortal, but not gods.”

Darda frowned. “What creature could have a greater power than that of the fae?”

“The librarian informed us the gods controlled the natural elements while the fae merely use them in a small way,” Xander explained.

Spiros whistled. “That is a great deal of power, and this librarian expects you two to protect the world against them with a sword and that-” he nodded at the small wooden box behind Darda’s saddle that held the bell.

Darda fidgeted in her saddle and frowned at the road ahead of us. “Such abominable manners not to inform you of what you needed to know.”

“At least it gives me a good excuse to see my mom,” I reminded our party as the High Castle came into view.

The majestic former residence of the Red Dragons was empty now but for a small staff of caretakers. They would be taking care of us for the evening, but we first had work to do. We continued fifty yards past the castle and stopped on the road where the ground sloped down into the woods.

Xander and I dismounted, as did our companions. I handed my reins to Darda and Spiros was given charge of Xander’s horse. Together we two followed the barely perceptible path that wound its way through the woods. In a few short minutes the way opened up and before us a small pool sparkled in the late afternoon sun.

A few gentle bubbles on the calm surface of the pool heralded my mother’s arrival. She rose from the water in all her majestic beauty. Her sparkling eyes smiled at me as she stepped up to the edge and held out her hands to me. “My daughter. It is good to see you.”

I hurried over and gave her a hug which she returned with equal effort. “Hi, Mom. Miss me?”

She drew me away from her and studied me with those beautiful shimmering blue eyes. “Always, but I gather from your eyes that you have not traveled such a distance merely to see me.”

I winced. “That obvious?”

She chuckled. “Your face hides no secrets, and for that I love you the more.”

“Well, to be honest there was something we needed to talk to you about. You don’t happen to know anything about gods, do you?”

She arched an eyebrow. “You mean the fae?”

Xander stepped up to stand just behind me and shook his head. “No. The keeper of the Shadow Library has tasked us with overcoming gods.”

Her eyes widened and looked from Xander to me. “Gods? Those of the natures?”

“You know about them?” I asked her.

Some of the light left her eyes as she pursed her lips and gave a nod. “Yes. They were those above us with whom we did not interfere. Only my father, Valtameri, would dare their fury. However, that was many thousands of years ago. I have had such little news of them from the waters that I thought they had gone from this world.”

Xander stepped forward so he stood beside me and looked my mom in the eyes. “You know where they are?”

She nodded. “Yes. That is, under certain conditions.”

“But how?” Xander persisted.

My mom sighed. “As a Mare fae I am capable of feeling vibrations through the water so that I can learn of distant happenings merely by touching the water.”

“And these happenings encompass the doings of the gods?” he wondered.

She nodded. “Yes. That is, if they have used their great power, then the waters tell me.”

My heartbeat quickened as I searched her eyes. “Can you teach me how to do that?”

She shook her head. “I cannot. Though you are my daughter you are still only half of my lineage, and thus you have not the power.”

“Even with her increased abilities?” Xander asked her.

My mom glanced from me to him and back again. “Increased abilities? What does he mean?”

I shrugged. “I kind of got soaked in this gooey water on the Island of Red Fire and-”

She tensed and her hands squeezed mine. “The Ealand of Reod Fyr?”

I nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“The goo you speak of, was it the Sæ?” she persisted.

“Yes, but why?”

She drew me over to a large rock and sat us both down on its flat top. “Please tell me this story, and I will see if I cannot help you.”

I told her the long tale of our adventures on the Island of Red Fire and the demise of the last of the Red Dragons. When I finished my tale my mother’s beautiful face was a mixture of expressions. There was fear, and not a little bit of interest.

“Have you experienced any effects from the Sæ?” she asked me.

I shrugged. “Well, there are the voices.”

She tilted her head to one side and a smile teased the corners of her lips. “Voices? What do they sound like?”

I nodded. “Like somebody whispering around a corner.”

The smile slipped onto her mouth. “That is very interesting, and very wonderful, news.”

I arched an eyebrow. “I don’t see how me going nuts is good news.”

My mom chuckled and shook her head. “You are not insane, Miriam, but have achieved a higher state of being than is natural for those who are only half fae.”

“So, what are they trying to tell me?” I asked her.

She gave a short step back and met my eyes. “Let me show you.”

My mom took a longer step backward so that I was forced to step up onto the rocks that surrounded the pool. She continued her move backward, but I dug my heels into the stone. “I’d rather not go for a swim,” I told her.

She shook her head. “You will not, so long as you have faith and let me guide you.”

I took a deep breath and stepped out onto the water expecting to resemble a drowned rat. My eyes widened as my foot stepped onto the surface of the water but didn’t sink down. Rather, I walked on the surface and the water tickled my arches. I gaped down at my feet as we walked over fish and reeds.

We stopped in the middle of the pool and my mother moved so we faced each other. She smiled as she stepped away and let go of my hand. I gasped as I felt my feet start to sink into the water.

“Calm your emotions and imagine the water ever beneath you, bending to your will,” my mother instructed me.

I took a deep breath and took another step forward on my own. My foot remained above the water. I raised my head and grinned at her.

She knelt in front of me and held her hand out in front so her palm hovered over the surface. “Now let me show you how it is done.”

My mom dipped her hand into the water and spread her fingers out. The water shifted around her fingers and looped around her hand like my tiny dragons. She held out her dry hand to me and smiled. “Give me your hand, Miriam.”

I set my hand in hers. She drew me down so I knelt in front of her and dipped my hand down into the water, and she clasped both her hands around mine. The little streams of water slipped around my hand. I clenched my teeth and tried not to laugh as they tickled my skin with their soft touch.

One of them touched me. I gasped as my vision changed. One moment I was staring at the pool of water, and the next I was looking out on a large waterfall. The falling water was surrounded on all sides by huge pine trees so thick I couldn’t see more than a few yards into the forest. A small deer strode gracefully through the waters at the bottom as fish swam in the small pools that dotted the gentle slope.

I blinked and the vision disappeared, and I was back at the pool. My mother studied me. “What did you see?”

I shook my head. “I… I think it was a waterfall.”

Her smile widened. “With a deer beneath the falls?” I nodded. “You saw that place because the deer disturbed the surface of the water. The water then carries that disturbance across the land to my pool.”

“And this waterfall is where?” I asked her.

“The falls are the gateway to your dragon lord’s domain beneath the foot of the Heavy Mountains. What you glimpsed happened there only a moment ago.”

Xander started back. “But those falls are a day away, even in flight.”

She looked past me and nodded her head at him. “Yes. Though the water itself is slow, its messages travels faster than any creature.”

“So, if a god uses their powers near some water, I can see it?” I wondered.

She nodded. “Yes, though my pool is a poor source of information. It gathers water only from the center of the continent, and even then, only from particular points. I have sensed no god activity for quite some time, so you will have to find larger rivers in which to test the waters.”

“And how am I going to know where they are? I didn’t even know where that deer was,” I pointed out.

She cupped my cheek in her hand and smiled. “That is something you must learn on your own, but perhaps some of the maps in the castle of Alexandria will help you on your journey.”

Xander nodded. “That is true. There are no finer maps in the world than those stored in the library.”

I wrapped my arms around my mom and gave her another hug. “Thanks, Mom. I owe you one.”

She drew us apart and studied me with a soft smile. “You owe me nothing, my dearest daughter. I will always be at your service whenever you need me.” She paused and pursed her lips. “There is a limit to this power, however.”

My face fell. “What kind of limit?”

“My small streams are rarely traversed so that you saw only one deer. However, the streams and rivers that travel through the realms of the dragons are very busy. Should you try to read the waters you may experience a great deal more visions than you can handle,” she warned me.

“What would that do to me?” I asked her.

She shook her head. “I cannot tell, having never gone beyond my pool. I can only advise you, should you find yourself overwhelmed, to focus on yourself. That will ground you to one location and bring you out of the reading. Also-” she grasped my hands and looked into my eyes, “-under no circumstances must you read the ocean. I have no doubt the strain would kill you.”

The color drained from my face. “That… that’s bad.”

A smile slipped back onto her lips. “Yes, but I am sure the waters of the continent will give you the information you seek. Now-” her eyes traveled down my attire, “-perhaps something can be done for your clothes.”

I followed her gaze and winced. I wore my old jeans and t-shirt, but their age was starting to show. Darda had patched and sewn to the best of her ability, but their cloth was so thin that they were nearly transparent.

I raised my eyes to my mother’s smiling face and sheepishly grinned. “Well, they haven’t fall off.”

“Yet,” Xander spoke up.

My mother chuckled. “You are like your father in regard to clothes, but your mate is right. Fortunately, your increased powers may help in this regard. Do as I do,” my mom told me as she spread her arms out. I mimicked her gesture. “Now focus on the water at your feet and imagine it rising up and replacing your weary clothes with new ones.”

I closed my eyes and furrowed my brow. A mental picture of my attire came to my mind even as I felt the water beneath my feet stir. Soft, cool threads slipped up my legs. I opened my eyes and looked down.

Small tendrils of water like my dragons slithered up my body. They cut my clothes into pieces and parted the fabric as they climbed, but at each cut they flattened and transformed into a perfect replica of my ruined clothes. In a few seconds I was dressed in a perfect, watery copy of my clothes as I bought them new. The water bundled my torn clothes into a tight bundle that floated beside my feet.

“Wow…” I whispered as I touched my clothes. They moved and felt like fabric, and on the inside, it felt like I was wearing silk. I looked up at my smiling mom. “So can I change them into other clothes?”

She nodded. “Yes. They will bend to your will and create any clothing you desire.”

“I hope this will encourage you to wear a dress,” Xander teased.

I stuck my tongue out at him before I returned my attention to my mom. “So do I have to worry about the sun drying my clothes off my body?”

She shook her head. “No, nor the wind blowing the water away or the cold freezing you. Your body itself is the pool, and so long as your body remains as it is the water will not fail you.”

I smiled and gave her another hug. “Thanks, Mom,” I whispered.

She drew us apart and I detected a few tears in her eyes, or perhaps they were just the water. “Now off with you.”

We parted, Xander and I were on our way. Spiros and Darda eagerly awaited us at the road.

“Well?” the captain wondered.

“My mom gave me a neat trick to find a god near water, so now we can track them down,” I told him.

Darda arched an eyebrow as she studied my attire. “Is this ‘trick’ able to change your attire, as well?”

I grinned and shrugged. “Well, that’s another new trick. Anyway, all I need to do is put my finger in every puddle and stream we find and hope the gods are upstream.”

“That could take some time to find them,” Spiros mused.

Xander mounted his horse and turned to face our small group. “But we must find them, nonetheless. We will return to Alexandria tomorrow and stop at every stream. If nothing is found, we will continue the search across the continent until we are successful.”

I took the reins of my horse from Darda and looked up at my steed with a sigh. “More riding…”

CHAPTERFIVE

The return journey was a little longer because we had to stop at every river, stream, creek, and overflowing puddle so I could stick my hand into the water. Some of the waters weren’t as glamorous as the pool.

I winced as I slipped my hand into the sixth puddle that day. The gooey mud squished around my fingers. I shuddered when something slithered over my knuckles.

My three companions sat on their horses nearby. One of them, Darda, had a frown on her face as she looked down at my hunched figure. “Must she do this for every puddle we come across? It is very demeaning to My Lady.”

“Unfortunately, it is very necessary,” Xander answered her with pursed lips. “The five gods may be anywhere in the world, so we must check everywhere.”

I drew out my hand and flicked the mud off as I stood. “This puddle only goes up to an underground spring, and the only thing in there were a couple of blind fish.”

Darda slipped off her horse with a handkerchief in hand and pursed her lips as she scrubbed my fingers. “Surely there must be a better way than for My Lady to stick her hand in every muck hole.”

Spiros turned his face to Xander. “Would it not be better to try the larger bodies of water first? After all, if what the librarian says is true and these gods are a danger to our world than they are most likely going to cause trouble where they can do the most damage.”

Xander furrowed his brow. “What you say has merit.”

A sly smile slipped onto Spiros’s lips. “Merit, sense, and a certain quickness to our otherwise slow speed.”

A smile teased the corners of Xander’s mouth. “Are there any other adjectives you wish to add?”

Spiros furrowed his brow a moment before he shook his head. “None that quite capture the great weight of those I have already used, but here me out. There is the majestic lake at Alexandria. It is fed by a great number of streams and creeks, and-”

“-and is cleaner than these horse-trodden puddles,” Darda spoke up as she finished cleaning my hand so that we both climbed back onto our horses.

Spiros bowed his head to her. “I accept the addition, and say it is certainly a cleaner location to start the search. If such a grand lake holds no clues then flying may be a better option.”

A shadow passed over Xander’s brow that made me frown, but he nodded. “We will try the lake first and go from there.”

We continued on our journey, and I didn’t have to stick my hand into any other dirty puddles or quick streams. Unfortunately, my mind was now muddied with thoughts of Xander’s dark look.

I sidled up close beside him and lowered my voice. “What’s wrong?” He shook his head, but I leaned over and set my hand atop his and caught his eyes in mine. “Tonight. Our tent. Be there and tell me.”

He smiled and bowed his head. “As my Maiden wishes.”

I slipped my hand off his and gave a wink. “As Miriam wishes,” I corrected him.

Night couldn’t come soon enough, but eventually we stopped and made camp for the night. The fire crackled in the makeshift ring of rocks Spiros had constructed as I wandered over to Xander’s and my small tent. It was one of those triangular operations with flaps on either end for privacy. I lifted the front flap and found my dragon lord stretched out on the blankets we shared. It would have been a sensually tempting sight except for the contemplative expression on his face.

“Spiros sure can use his breath to start a fire,” I commented as I slipped inside and plopped myself beside him.

Xander nodded. “Yes. He has always had an excellent talent for outdoor activities.”

I leaned my back against his stomach and looked him in the eyes. “So, are you going to tell me why you suddenly have a problem with flying, or do I have to tickle it out of you?”

He pursed his lips and looked down at the ground. “I do not trust myself.”

I arched an eyebrow. “With what?”

“With my transformation.”

“With your dragon transformation?” He nodded. I sat up and frowned at him. “But you just did it a week ago in the library.”

“It was at that point that I became concerned about my transformation,” he revealed as he lifted his eyes to mine. “As a dragon lord I have always known power, but not in the quantity I felt when I battled the griffin.”

I wrinkled my nose. “But you had that much power when you fought the Red Dragon, and when you fought me in the cavern.”

He shut his eyes and turned his face away. “That is what I fear.”

“You think you’re going to turn into that huge dragon?” I guessed.

“Yes.”

I shrugged. “That’s fine.”

His eyes flew open, and he whipped his head in my direction. “You would wish for me to attempt to kill you?”

I snorted. “No, but I beat you before, so I can do it again. You’d just need a good slap across the face with my water powers and you’d be as right as rain.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Have you mastered the skill that purifies people?”

“No, but the slapping part should be fun. Besides-” I grinned and playfully pushed against his chest, “-maybe I’ll knock some sense into you, and you’ll remember that I’ll never let anything happen to you, and I expect the same thing from you.”

A crooked smile slipped onto his lips and one of his arms wrapped around my waist. He pinned my back against his chest and pressed a teasing kiss on my cheek. “My little Maiden. My ever-loving and caring Miriam.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t hide my smile. “You say that to all the beautiful, adorable…”

“Modest?” he suggested.

“And modest Maidens,” I teased.

Xander wrapped both arms around me and drew me down so I was forced to stretch myself out on the blankets beside him. He buried his face in my neck and took a deep breath of my scent. “There is only one Maiden for me.”

I turned around and snuggled against his warm, smooth chest. A sigh escaped my lips as I closed my eyes and let myself relax. “Good. I’d hate to have to kill a rival.”

He chuckled. The soft vibrations rippled through me. “I would hate to watch such a pitiless battle.”

My face fell and I looked up into his face. “You think we’re up for a battle with these gods?”

He pressed me closer to himself and sighed. “I cannot believe they would leave this world willingly.”

“Maybe it’s as easy as ringing the bell and they leave,” I suggested.

“Perhaps, but if the librarian entrusted both of us with this task, then he must believe it will not be easy to get near them,” he pointed out.

There came a soft scratching at the front of our tent followed by Spiros’s playful voice. “Do not discount your loyal friends so easily, My Lord. We, too, would like a chance to offend the gods.”

Xander chuckled. “You will no doubt get that chance, my dear captain, but at this moment not to sleep is our offense-”

“-and tomorrow we do battle with the saddles,” I added.

“A good night to you, then, My Lord and Lady,” Spiros replied.

“Goodnight,” I returned.

“Sleep well, My Lady,” Darda called to me.

“‘Night, Darda,” I replied.

I heard our companions retire to their tents. The gentle crackle of the fire and a soft breeze against the side of the tent allowed me to drift to sleep.

CHAPTERSIX

A few days later we found ourselves back at the majestic city of Alexandria. It was late morning when we passed through the gates and down the streets to the castle. The shimmering surface of the lake greeted us with soft waves that lapped against the white sands of the banks.

The shuttle ship to the castle awaited us and servants stood on the dock to take the reins of our horses. I dismounted and handed off the reins, but I didn’t go down the dock to the ship. My attention lay on those shimmering waters.

I stepped off the start of the dock and walked the short distance across the sand to the blue-green waters of the lake. The waves lapped at my shoes as I knelt before them as though in prayer. That wasn’t too far from the truth as I stretched out my hand but drew it back and bit my lower lip.

Footsteps crunched across the sand and Xander appeared at my side. He stooped and caught my gaze. “Is something the matter?”

I gave him a shaky smile. “I’ve mostly been touching puddles, so I’m a little-well, a little reluctant to touch this much water. I don’t want to see that many deer or have my head explode.”

Xander grasped my left and smiled at me. “I will be here to prevent your head from exploding.”

I snorted. “Thanks.” I stretched out my hand and gingerly touched my fingertips to the water.

The experience was, well, overwhelming. All the puddles and streams ever told me were about rabbits hopping through their waters or deer tramping among the river rocks. They were small stories in the lives of smaller animals.

The lake, however, told me a saga of life. It was like viewing a movie with more characters than a Russian novel and more scenes than an international crime thriller. There were animals in the pictures, but much more than that. Fisherman traveled across the surface in their boats. Children played in the shallows while their mothers chased after the naughtier ones. It was life. The full, unabridged life of the life-giving waters.

One of those lives stood out from the rest like a bonfire among matches. The backdrop for the drama was a large lake, larger than the one in which my fingers were submerged. The water was surrounded on two sides by tall, steep mountain walls. Their tops disappeared into thick white clouds, but just beneath the clouds was a dusting of snow.