by Rain Oxford
“No. I have my magic and can help you better in our upcoming adventures. This is how I was meant to be. I was always a wolf.”
“Are you sure you weren’t always a dragon?”
He scowled at me. “I have had enough identity crises to last me a lifetime, thank you.”
* * *
Merlin, Kalyn, Arrow, and I returned home. We hid the heart in a safe place in the castle, where we were sure that Erica wouldn’t find it if she ever escaped the unknown place Merlin put her. Then we all got a long, much-needed rest.
Of course, people were at the doorstep first thing in the morning to have their curses broken. Since many of them had been waiting for days, I decided not to ignore them. It turned out to be relaxing after the adventure we’d just had.
At one point, I answered the door to an urgent knocking and I was knocked off my feet by Goat. She was a small black goat with blue eyes, but while there was nothing too unique about her appearance, I could always recognize her by her personality. She was so beyond herself with excitement that she was hopping, kicking, and ramming everything. I was very worried until the old farmer who accompanied her explained. “We found her running along the road and got word that she had been for several days, so we caught up to her and let her rest in our wagon. I had never seen an animal so determined to get home to her master in all my life.”
“That’s kind of sweet.” I turned and found her standing behind me with three of my socks hanging out of her mouth. “Stupid goat. You didn’t want me, you wanted my socks.”
She frolicked around the room again.
When Mason and Thaddeus returned that night, we had quite a lot to catch them up on. Kalyn needed to tell her mother she was safe and sound, but she assured me she would return soon. Before she left, however, Arrow gave us matching bracelets. They were simple, brown, leather straps with a single, round moonstone.
“If either of you need help, the other will glow.”
We both thanked him and Kalyn left. Arrow decided to stay until he figured out his next step. When I asked about him and the woman he loved, he was cryptic at best. The most I could get out of him was that “something” was looking for him.
Not someone.
Something.
I was worried there would be another adventure on the horizon.
* * *
A few days later, Merlin and I were at the creek, practicing dragon water spells. I wasn’t good at the fancier tricks, but I could make an impressive wave. Then our lovely lesson was interrupted by a dragon I really wasn’t interested in talking to at the moment.
Cennuth landed in the grass, towering over us with authority and anger. I was not going to bow to someone who wouldn’t help us when we needed it. Merlin was a little more forgiving, but he didn’t bow, either.
“You gave your heart to a woman who was not your soul mate. What were you thinking?”
“That I could save her life, and I did.”
“You have no idea of the consequences you have brought upon yourself. You cannot reach your full potential with only one heart.”
“I will make due.”
“Dragons share their hearts to create a bond. You will never have that with your soul mate.”
“I highly doubt my soul mate, if I ever find her, will be a dragon.”
“I have clearly failed to teach you what it means to be a dragon.”
“I am not a dragon.”
“You will regret this decision.” With that, the black dragon flew away.
“You had a lot of terrible friends before I came along,” I said.
Merlin smirked. “Yes, I did.”
Epilogue
I thought we were done with drama and confrontations for the next few months, but as Merlin and I arrived home from practicing at the creek, I found my father and grandmother being led into the great room by Mason. Assuming something was wrong, I contemplated hiding in my room. Ultimately, I decided they wouldn’t go away until they got what they wanted.
They both had rust-colored eyes, but Shaerl’s facial structure was softer. Her long, braided black hair was draped over her shoulder, accented with a ruby necklace. My father looked stoic, like he was doing a chore he hated and wanted to get it over with. Shaerl, on the other hand, smiled pleasantly.
That couldn’t be a good thing.
Then I noticed the baby my father was holding and I knew something was very wrong. “Hello, Grandmother,” I said, barely holding in the “go away” that I wanted to follow it with.
“Good morning, Ayden.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No, actually. We have wonderful news… for Thaddeus.”
Everyone looked at Thad, who went pale as a ghost. “Me?”
“Yes. Oh, I am Shaerl Rynorm, your grandmother. More importantly, I would like you to meet my newest granddaughter, and the seventh born girl. Her name is…”
“Lilith,” my father said when she hesitated.
She scowled. “Really? That’s not a good name at all. Let the mother know it will be changed.” She looked back at Thaddeus and smiled. “Anyway, the name is not important. When she comes of age, she will be your wife.”
I didn’t think Thad could go any paler, but he did. And it was about to get worse.
Shaerl took Lilith from my father, holding her out at arm’s length like she was going to puke on Shaerl, and held her out for Thad. Thad took Lilith out of obligation, but wouldn’t cradle her. “I can’t… I…” He shook his head.
Shaerl’s smile was dangerous. “Of course you can. Get to know her. In twelve to fifteen years, she should be ready to marry, and then you will have seven daughters with her. Let’s hope for twins.”
“I have to go sit down,” Mason said, leaving.
“Wait! You can’t leave me with her! Please!” I was pretty sure my brother was about to start crying. Thad looked at our father for help, but he just narrowed his eyes in warning. Nobody denied Shaerl Rynorm.
Except I had apparently reached my limit of being pushed around for the month and decided that it was as good a day as any to die. “No,” I said to Shaerl. I took Lillith carefully before my brother dropped her.
“No, what?” Shaerl asked.
“No, you are not forcing Thaddeus to marry someone, especially a baby. No, you’re not going to make him have daughters. And Lillith is a pretty name, so if that’s what her mother named her, that’s going to stay her name.”
Her smile disappeared and she scowled at me. “How dare you---”
“I’m still talking,” I interrupted.
That was real fear on my father’s face, but he tried to hide it.
“Your relentless, desperate efforts to control everyone in the family so that you can have as many Sjau Rynorms have gone too far. It doesn’t matter! A Sjau will be born or not. No amount of matchmaking and fertility potions will change fate. If Thad is meant to have a Sjau child, he will, but it’ll be with the person he loves.”
“You are a Rynorm and you will mind your tone with me.”
“I am a Sjau. I make my own rules. Do you want me to discard the Rynorm name, too? I will in a heartbeat, and then you’ll have no Sjau in your family. You don’t control me, or my brother. You can’t kill me. And by the way, I might marry another Sjau.” I wasn’t dumb enough to give a name, though. Now she was grinding her teeth. “And you can’t do anything about it, because you can’t kill any Sjau.”
“You really need to stop,” my father warned me.
Shaerl ignored him and wrapped her hand around my throat. Merlin growled, but she ignored him. “Why are you so confident that I won’t kill you?”
“There are only fourteen Sjau alive at a time. If you could kill us, you would have been killing us off at the moment new babies would be born in your family to make sure all fourteen were in your family. You won’t kill us because we are chosen by the dragons.”
With that, she smiled and released me. “Very well. There are plenty of powerful sorcerers who are wi
lling to father the next Sjau.” She took a few steps back so that she was next to my father, who was in shock. “You did a good job raising this one,” she said to him. “I’ve never seen a Rynorm who didn’t cower at my feet. He can go far and make the Rynorm name proud.” Then she walked away.
My father was slow to follow because he was too stunned. “Wait, take Lilith!” I said. Shaerl kept walking, but my father returned to take the baby before they both left.
“What just happened?” Thaddeus asked.
“I think she was testing me.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know, but I bet we’re going to find out.”
About the Author
Rain Oxford is a retired teacher who has been writing stories since she was twelve. She attended Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. Some of her interests include magic, psychology, and ancient history. She has four children: a Maltese, a Chihuahua, a Great Pyrenees puppy, and a Golden Retriever puppy. The only thing missing in her family is a dragon. When she’s not creating worlds, she enjoys reading, playing the piano, or photographing exotic wildlife.
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/rainoxfordauthor
Website: rainoxford.wordpress.com
Amazon Page: amazon.com/author/rainoxford
This book was made with 100% recycled electrons. If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review. Thanks for reading!
Books by Rain Oxford
The Sorcerer’s Saga 1: The Sorcerer’s Quest
The Sorcerer’s Saga 2: The Wizard’s Secret
The Sorcerer’s Saga 3: The Raven’s Curse
The Sorcerer’s Saga 4: The Dragon’s Price
The Sorcerer’s Saga 5: The Hero’s Peril
The Sorcerer’s Saga 6: The Wolf’s Heart
Casters of Syndrial 1: Book of Names
Casters of Syndrial 2: Sword of Draskara
Casters of Syndrial 3: Curse of Sekhmet
The Guardian 1: The Guardian’s Grimoire
The Guardian 2: The Dragon’s Eyes
The Guardian 3: God of the Abyss
The Guardian 4: The Demon’s Game
The Guardian 5: The Wizard’s War
Elemental 1: Dark Waters
Elemental 2: Hungry Earth
Elemental 3: Furious Flames
Elemental 4: Insidious Winds
Elemental 5: Soul Guard
Elemental 6: Revenant’s Call
Abyss of Shadows 1: Hunting Shadows
Abyss of Shadows 2: Whispering Shadows
