Sands and Tombs (Dragon Thief Book 4) E-Book

Mac Flynn

• Herausgeber: Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Millie Lucas and her handsome dragon protector Benjamin Castle are about to find themselves in a very sandy situation.

Their jaunt to the seaside port of Pernix is interrupted by the arrival of a stranger interested in their magic. Before they know it, they’re whisked off to the island nation of Kalea where it’s revealed that the king himself demands they give over a part of their spell-casting abilities for the sake of his kingdom. Their unique system of protecting themselves is failing, and only the infusion of fresh magic will save it from collapsing.

They’re rescued from the theft of their magic by the vouching of Ben’s cousin, a wealthy prince of the nation. Unfortunately, his cousin’s position, too, has recently become shaky with the king. A horrible curse hangs over their house, brought upon by an unknown assailant, and their hiring of a hag, to prevent worse misfortune has alienated many allies, the royalty included.

Now Millie and Ben must discover not only the source of the trouble for his cousin but what’s causing the failing of the island’s protective barrier. Danger looms in the background as shadowy forces seek to stop them from finding the truths they seek, even if it means resorting to murder.

Leseprobe

SANDS AND TOMBS

DRAGON THIEF BOOK 4

MAC FLYNN

CONTENTS

Copyright

Author’s Note

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

Chapter 37

Sneak Peek: Storms and Crones

A Small Favor

When’s the Next Book?

Series by Mac Flynn

About Mac Flynn

COPYRIGHT

Sands and Tombs (Dragon Thief Book 4). 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.

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You can keep in touch with me by joining my newsletter or checking out my website for the latest updates.

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Thank you for giving my book a chance, and Happy Reading!

- Mac Flynn

CHAPTERONE

What a view, and what a racket.

I stepped off the carriage and winced as the din of the port city of Pernix rang in my ears. Men shouted at one another, ordering their compatriots about for the loading and unloading of cargo from the countless ships of countless sizes. The port was laid out with the central focus around the curve of the large crescent-shaped bay. Low natural sea walls surrounded the bay and left a gap of about a mile for the ships to enter and leave. Docks of various sizes stretched out into the blue-green waters that lapped at the white-sand beaches. Warehouses lined the large wharf, and at this noon hour their doors were wide open for the intake and outtake of the many different goods that were being unloaded by the burly, tanned men. Vendors had set up shop all along the wharf and offered their wares freshly caught or freshly unloaded.

The city proper was a hodgepodge of mansions, stores, and small dwellings. The cheapest were made from the cast-off remains of ships and docks, and the most expensive were white palaces with gardens that overlooked the crystalline waters. They were set out at odd angles according to the angle of the nearest dock so that the streets sometimes crashed into each other at odd spots and then continued on their merry way or merged.

A half dozen wagons rolled past us filled with crates and boxes. Little kids leapt onto the rear board and bounced their way down the city streets until they came to the sweet shops. Women hurried past us with baskets on their arms laden with fresh fish and vegetables of all shapes and sizes. There were even bags of flour and rice, and the sweet aroma of spices filled the air.

“This is. . .chaotic,” I commented to my companion.

Ben smiled down at me. “Wonderful, isn’t it?”

I tilted my head to one side and cleaned out one ear. “Well, it’s certainly telling me I don’t need hearing aids.”

He nodded at the boardwalk of merchant stalls. “Care to have a look around? There may be some sweets from afar.”

My ears perked up at the idea and I grabbed his hand. “Why didn’t you say that sooner?”

I tugged him down the wharf and into the jungle of vendors. There were fewer sweet stalls than at the thunder race, but I found a delightful one that featured strings of gummy bonbons and jars filled with hard candies in all shapes, sizes, and flavors.

While I slobbered over the many varieties of goodies, something else caught Ben’s attention. He wandered over to a nearby stall that featured a wide range of walking sticks. One corkscrew-looking piece of wood in particular captured his focus, and he drew it out of the large pot that held a dozen of the staff.

Curiosity brought me over to him, much to the chagrin of the sweets vendor. I noticed that the black surface of the wood had a smooth shine to it. “What is it?”

“A number of these trees grow around the Rookwood estate,” he told me as he examined the stick.

The middle-aged vendor with a relatively toothless mouth grinned and nodded. “Yes, sir, I know that home. It abuts the Werewald, doesn’t it?”

Ben nodded. “Yes. That is where this stick was gathered, wasn’t it?”

The proprietor bobbed his head. “Just so, sir, just so. It came at a great personal risk to me to fetch it considering the werewolves, but this wood makes for a very pretty stick, don’t you think?”

Ben smiled. “And very expensive, I imagine.”

“I did risk my soul to fetch it,” the vendor reminded him.

“How much?”

“A hundred denari, but I have change to trade for a baron.”

Ben reached into his pocket and drew out his purse. He rifled through it before bringing out the required coinage. He received a few other coins back and the ownership of the stick.

The vendor was all smiles as he bowed his head. “Thank you very much, sir. I hope you enjoy your purchase.”

“So what’s so special about that stick?” I asked him as we wandered back to the eager sweet vendor.

“I remember as a youth venturing into the Werewald for these branches,” he mused as he admired the smooth surface. “This particular tree is called the ‘witch’ because of its bewitchingly smooth bark that masks tiny barbs.”

I squinted at the wood. “I don’t see any barbs.”

“They’ve fortunately been filed off, leaving behind only the-ouch!” He stopped us at the sweet stall and stuck his finger in his mouth.

I blinked at him. “Are you okay?”

He removed his finger and glared at his digit which was slightly puffy. “Most of the barbs have been filed off.”

I noticed something along one end of the wood. “What are those? They look like tiny holes.”

He nodded. “They’re holes made by the nightmare slug. The creature is commonly found in witch wood, which is another reason for its name.”

I wrinkled my nose. “How about you tell me more about the slug after I’ve eaten my candy?”

Ben smiled and swept his hand over the vast array of goodies. “Purchase what you wish, provided it isn’t the whole cart.”

I picked out what looked most delicious, and in a few minutes we found ourselves strolling the wharf trying to avoid being crushed by crates and angry workmen.

“What do you think of the port?” Ben wondered.

“It’s certainly busy,” I mused as I sniffed one of the candies. A snort escaped my nostrils. “I swear I can still smell thunder fumes whenever I eat candy.”

He chuckled. “It’s the lingering excitement of the event in the air of the port. Sometimes it lasts for weeks, or at least until the last foreign spectator has ventured home on one of the boats.”

I looked out toward the sea and the glistening waters. “What is that way? I think you mentioned there was some kind of island country where an aunt of yours became a noble.”

Ben pointed due south from our position. “That would be Kalea some fifty miles out. You can just make out a low hill in the distance that is the sandstorm that protects the island.”

I swept my eyes over the wharf. “Is there a spot where we can enjoy the water without also admiring someone’s tattoo?”

His eyes twinkled. “We’re headed there now.”

Our feet took us down the wharf to the eastward arm of the sea wall. The commercial noise was replaced by the soothing call of the sea as the waves glided over the white sand. An ancient path of weathered boards, each of a different size and age, led to the very tip of the narrow land mass. The earth sloped steeply down near the end so we were able to take a seat facing outward and have our legs dangle over the edge.

I leaned forward and admired the view. The green-blue sea of Ceorulus stretched out before us as far as I could see. The only blemish on the horizon was the dot of Kalea in the far distance.

The waters gently lapped at the stones beneath our feet and created a sweet lullaby. “It’s so peaceful.”

Ben stiffened by my side and his eyes darted toward the port. I looked at what had caught his attention and discovered a single man strolling toward us. He was dressed in white cloth of some light material and some of it was draped over his head in a hood that partially concealed his face. One of his hands was tucked into his open shirt that revealed his very tanned skin.

He stopped a few feet away and smiled at us. “Excuse me. Would I be interrupting you if I passed?”

Ben shook his head. “Not at all, but I suspect that isn’t all you wish to do.”

The man chuckled. “You are a very astute person. Perhaps that is why you give off such an imposing presence of magic?”

“And how would you know that?” Ben wondered as he slowly climbed to his feet. For my part, I scuttled to my feet.

The man drew out his hand and revealed a small ball that appeared to be made of sand. The countless bits of colorful dust gave off a soft glow of yellow light. “This, my friend, is what tells me you are needed.”

I blinked at him. “Needed for what?”

He snapped his fingers. A strange ripple appeared around him, and the next moment a half dozen men leapt out from behind the stranger. They wore the same garb but also sported very large sticks with strange sapphire stones on the tips. The men raced toward us and Ben positioned himself in front of me. They lifted their sticks and the stones let off a soft glow.

It was at that moment I felt a strange lethargy fall over me. “B-Ben,” I whispered as I dropped to my knees.

Ben spun around to aid me and one of the attackers hit him hard on the back of the head. He crumpled to the ground beside me and blood pooled at the point of impact. I covered his body with my own as the men surrounded us.

Their leader stepped forward and there was an apologetic look on his face. “We are sorry to do this, miss, but it must be done to save our people.”

I couldn’t find the energy to reply as all the strength was sapped from me. The world grew dark and I fell into unconsciousness.

CHAPTERTWO

I woke up with the mother of all hangovers without the satisfaction of at least a cup of drink. A groan escaped me as my weary body complained of my shifting. It didn’t help that I lay atop a rather hard surface covered in some flimsy and torn sheets.

My eyes fluttered open and I found myself staring up at a short ceiling some six feet above me. The roof over my head had been hewn from some hard sand-like yellow stone, as had the walls. I eased myself onto my arms and discovered I sat in a small square space and beyond it lay a narrow, dingy hall.

My heart dropped as I realized a wall of bars kept me from escaping. That, and the disappearance of a particularly important person.

“Ben!” I shouted as my poor thumper in my chest now skipped a beat.

“Beside you,” came the smooth but tense reply.

I whipped my head to my left and the wall that stood there and I scrambled close to it. “What in the hell is going on? Where are we?”

A deep sigh escaped my compatriot. “I believe we’re in the dungeons of the kingdom of Kalea. Mind you, I haven’t actually seen them myself, but the dry air and yellowed walls do point toward that being our location.”

I blinked at the wall. “Kalea? But why were we taken here?” A heavy clank of a metal door caught my attention.

“We may very well be finding out,” Ben mused as I heard his feet scuff against the floor.

Four male soldiers came into view, or so I assumed that’s what they were. They wore tight-fitting shirts and pants over their muscled frames, and on top of those were metal armor plates that perfectly sculpted to their forms. The light and broad-footed boots hardly made a noise on the floor, and each of them carried a heavy staff nearly as tall as them and with trident-like metal tips on the top that featured hideous barbs jutting out at all angles.

A fifth person scuttled over and unlocked my cell door before he stepped back. One of the guards slipped into the cell and caught my attention before he nodded at his compatriots. “You will come with us.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stepped off the bed. The guard grabbed my left arm and wrenched me forward into the arms of his cohorts.

It was then I realized my ribbon was no longer on my arm. Panic overtook me as I whipped my head around to examine the cell, but there was no sign of it in there.

We stood in a long corridor lined with about two dozen cells. A door in the center was the only escape. Two of the soldiers moved over to the adjoining cell where Ben waited at the front. The lowly cell manager opened his gate and he stepped out before the soldiers could offer their ‘help.’

Ben’s eyes immediately fell on me. “Are you alright?”

I nodded. “I think-”

“No talking!” the lead soldier snapped as he pushed his spear against my back. “And march!”

I stumbled forward and Ben made to catch me, but one of the other soldiers performed the task. The other two soldiers grabbed Ben’s arms and held him back as he shot a deadly look at my assailant. His voice was low and dangerous, and there was a glint of red in those dark eyes. “Don’t touch her again like that.”

The soldier’s bravado wavered under Ben’s warning, but only for a moment before he recovered himself and nodded at the doorway. “Through there!”

Ben’s warning, however, had the effect that the head soldier avoided touching me, especially as he slipped past me in the hall and took the lead. The doorway led to a winding staircase, and as we climbed the air became less stifling. The top of the stairs led to a wider hall where the walls were made of huge stone blocks cut and smoothed to fit perfectly together. Not even an ant could have fit between those boulders.

We were marched down the hall to another corridor where the decor became more opulent. Tapestries covered the plain walls and nooks featured human busts and animal statues. Servants in simple but clean white attire stepped aside from their duties to allow us to pass. We eventually found ourselves in a large entrance hall with a wide set of stone steps covered in red carpeting. The stairs led up to a pair of doors flanked by more guards. They opened the doors and revealed a long, wide throne room where more soldiers stood in front of the columns that held up the high ceiling. Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows on either side and revealed a large city that sat in an expansive plain. The only high spot appeared to be the palace in which we found ourselves.

A throne of gold stood at the end of the long walk across the room, and a tall man in elegant white and red robes was seated on its plush seat. The man appeared to be about forty with a short stiff beard and dark mustache. His brownish hair, however, was draped over his shoulders. He wore a wreath of gold leaves decked with jewels atop his brow and his fingers were likewise covered in gilded rings.

The man was shorter than Ben, but his bearing bespoke an ancient lineage that knew their lofty place in the world and wouldn’t let anyone else forget it, either.

My heart skipped a beat when I noticed a small end table beside the throne. The Prima Staff in its flute form lay on the top with its canister beside it. My untied ribbon was draped over both of them.

Our escort stopped us ten feet short of the platform on which sat the throne. The four men bowed to the royal and stepped to the side of us in pairs.

Ben stretched himself to his full height, a scale which exceeded the average height around us. “Your hospitality is legendary, King Ramaal, but I had no idea you invited guests to your palace at the tip of a spear.”

The king stirred from his reverie and lifted his chin slightly. “My sincerest apologies, but the desperate hour calls for desperate action.”

Ben lifted an eyebrow. “What desperate hour?”

“My kingdom is in need of your unique gift of magic,” Ramaal explained as I noticed he grasped the front of the arms of his chair. “The magic which protects my island is dissipating, and new sources must be found and siphoned.”

“So why are you telling us this instead of just taking it?” I asked him.

His Highness turned his nose up at me. “We are not heathens. I would ask a boon from you, merely a touch of your gift.”

“And if we refuse?” Ben spoke up.

A spark of dark light flickered through the king’s eyes. “I hope that you will not, but should you choose that path then the magic will be taken from you.”

“Have you tried looking for the source of the problem rather than looking for new trouble?” Ben suggested.

The king frowned down at him. “Of course we have, but to no avail. There is nothing that can be done except to take a little portion of the magic of others and siphon that into the Thaqiba.”

Ben focused his attention on the flute as he nodded at me. “Then you have no need of this woman. You have all the magic she held on the table beside you. She herself holds no such ability.”

I whipped my head about and glared at him. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Quiet,” came the soft but cool warning from the king. His dark eyes settled on me as he twitched a finger. One of the men behind him scurried forward. “Bring Taq to me.” The man bowed his head and scurried off as the king adjusted his position in his seat. “We will see how the aqara judges her. If the sands do not react to her then she will be released.”

“And Ben, too,” I insisted as I nodded at my companion. “You’ll let him go, too.”

The king’s lips curled back in a barely repressed sneer. “I warned you before, woman, to remain quiet. I will not repeat my command.”

Ben caught my eye and gave me an unconvincing smile. “I’ll be alright.”

I scowled back at him, but the serious look in the king’s eyes kept my lips shut tight.

Ramaal returned his attention to Ben and set his hand on the staff and ribbon. “The woman with you had this in her possession. The aqara has revealed them to be items of powerful magic, and yet I have never heard of such artifacts. The ribbon is most curious.” He picked up the ribbon and wrapped the cloth around his finger. His appearance transformed into that of a young man of twenty. He removed the ribbon and laid it aside. “A most useful tool for deceit.”

“They’re nothing more than trinkets to us, Your Majesty,” Ben assured him. “We use them to amuse ourselves.”

“Then you will not mind if I retain both of them for my own amusement?” Ramaal wondered.

My heart skipped a beat, but Ben bowed his head. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

We were interrupted by the arrival of the same man Ben and I had met at the mouth of the harbor. He held an engraved wooden box in both hands and scurried up to the side of his king.

Ramaal waved a hand at me. “Test this woman and see if she holds any magic we might use.”

CHAPTERTHREE

Taq bowed and turned to the nearest guard, who stepped forward and accepted the box. The servant opened the lid and drew out the same strange sand ball he had held on our last encounter with him. He clasped the orb in both hands as he stepped off the platform and over to me.

I watched in a mixture of apprehension and fascination as he held up the ball in one palm before me. Silence fell in the throne room and for a moment there was nothing. Ben opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment the grains of sand softly glowed as they had before. I couldn’t tell who was more surprised, Ben or me. The wave of lethargy, however, didn’t come.

Taq turned to his king and bowed his head. “She has the gift, Your Highness.”

Ramaal nodded at Ben. “And the man?”

Taq stepped in front of Ben and held up the ball. The orb glowed, but there was a strange flickering in its light, almost like a light bulb about to go out. Taq furrowed his brow. “The man has magic, Your Highness, but it is of a strange kind.”

The king looked less than pleased as he leaned forward. “Can it not be used?”

Taq stepped backward and studied Ben with his keen eyes. “I believe it can, Your Highness, but the extraction may prove difficult.”

Ramaal’s tense shoulders settled a little and he fell back against his chair. “If that is all the matter then the priests will merely need a warning.”

“I object to this intrusion on our person,” Ben spoke up as he took a step toward the throne. A half dozen soldiers leapt forward and two of them barred his way with their spears. Ben didn’t move an inch as he cooly met the gaze of our ‘host.’ “We are citizens of Validen, and such an intrusion on our person, after having kidnapped us, goes against the treaties between our countries.”

Ramaal closed his eyes and shook his head. “In such times treaties will be ignored for the betterment of my kingdom. However, you need not worry about your safety. The extraction process is painless and takes only a moment.” His dark eyes settled on the guards and he gave a slight nod.

The soldiers grabbed our arms and dragged us away from the throne. Ben thrashed in their hold as he focused his sights on the king. “You would not dare to touch one of the oldest houses of Validen!”

Ramaal settled back in his seat and scoffed. “Many have tried to proclaim protection of the crown before.”

“But I have someone who will vouch for my identity,” Ben protested as he dragged his feet. “Prince Salah Sharif will bear witness to my lineage!”

The king’s eyebrows shot up and he sat up. “A moment, guards.” Our dragging was paused as Ramaal looked Ben over. “Prince Sharif? Do you speak with truth?”

Ben met the king’s disbelieving gaze with a steady one of his own. “I swear it. Call either he or his wife, and they’ll vouch for me.”

The king pursed his lips before he turned his head toward one of the guards. The man nodded and hurried off. I hoped it wasn’t to order our execution for sullying someone’s good name.

“We will see if your words are true,” King Ramaal mused as he returned his attention to us. “Though with such a patron doubt may remain.”

Ben frowned. “The house of Sharif has always been an exemplary cadet branch. What has caused that to change?”

The king lifted his chin and frowned down at us. “Time changes everything, but if Prince Sharif knows you then he may tell you of his troubles. You may await his coming in your cells.”

The guards yanked us down the throne room and through the doors. Ben had a worried look on his face as we were led back to the dingy dungeon of the King of Kalea. We were pushed into our cells and the doors slammed shut behind us. The soldiers marched away and the keeper of the cell block returned to his seat near the entrance.

I plopped myself down on the hard cot on which I’d awoken and leaned my head back. The sandy wall was hard and cold, but there was comfort in knowing that Ben was just on the other side of them. “I’m guessing it’s not the usual custom of the king of Kalea to kidnap his guests and take their magic.”

“Quite the contrary,” Ben told me, and I detected a faint hint of aggravation in his voice. “King Ramaal’s predecessors have always been known for their hospitality to visitors to the island, provided they abide by the local customs.”

“Which don’t include sucking out someone’s magic?”

“This is a new ritual, as far as I’m aware,” he mused as I heard him shift atop his own bed. “I hadn’t heard there were problems in the kingdom of Kalea, but its naturally insular policies means little information leaves the high sand walls.”

“So what was that ‘thack’ thing the king mentioned? The thing he needs to sacrifice magic to.”

“The Thaqiba are the foundations of the magic barrier,” Ben told me.

I stared down at my upturned palms in my hands. “You really think that ball of sand is right? About me having magic without the staff?” There was a long enough pause from my compatriot that I began to worry. “Ben?”

He shifted again. “The aqara have, as far as I’m aware, never failed to find a source of magic.”

“So I’m not just getting lucky with using the staff?” I guessed.

“Apparently not.”

I turned my head to one side to rest my cheek against the wall. “You’re worried about me having magic.”

He sighed. “I wish the discovery had happened at a more opportune time. As it stands, we’re both trapped here.”

I snorted and stared ahead. “We’d both be trapped here, anyway, because I wouldn’t have left you.” I set my hand on my bare arm. “You know, it feels kind of strange not having that canister on my arm. Like I’m missing one of my arms.”

“We’ll be hard-pressed to have the king return it to us since his discovery of its magical properties,” Ben mused.

I wrinkled my brow. “You don’t think he can siphon magic from a piece of wood, do you?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know. I’m not familiar with this siphoning ritual, and would need to see it performed to understand how it works.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Do you think you could understand it even then?”

A low chuckle escaped him. “While I don’t know nearly as much as Professor Impara, my mother wasn’t remiss in teaching me how to identify the intrinsic workings of magical spells.”

“Meaning?”

“I need only watch the spell performed to understand how it works, and perhaps stop it, if that’s in my power.”

“You mean if you can reach it?”

“In a word, yes, but such details are better left to places that haven’t ears.”

I glanced in the direction where the cell keeper had gone, and though I couldn’t see him I had no doubt his ears were perked up at our conversation. “How much faith do you have that your cousin will come for us?”

“All the faith in the world, though I wonder why the king has such a lowly opinion of him. Though the house of Sharif is a cadet branch, they’ve always been loyal to the family.”

I folded my arms over my chest and closed my eyes. My body was stiff and my mind exhausted by the stress. “This isn’t going to be easy to get out of, is it?”

“I fear not.”