by Mandi Oyster
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Copyright ©2019 by Mandi Oyster
Cover Illustration by Mandi Oyster
Typography & formatting by Mandi Oyster
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
This book is dedicated to the Princess and the Monster.
May your dreams become your realities.
Chapter 1
Scorched Pajamas
Trees crash to the ground, exploding into slivers.
Leaning over my horse’s neck, I breathe in his fear. We speed up the mountain, ducking under aspen and pine branches, leaping boulders and splashing through streams.
“Come on, Sherman, faster.” I kick my feet into his sides.
A tree falls to my left, and I jerk the reins to the right. Sherman’s footing is sure. He gallops faster than ever until …
Silence.
Sherman slows to a trot, and I sit back. The forest remains eerily still, not a bird sings nor cricket chirps. Sunlight filters through the canopy, casting moving shadows.
We climb an outcrop. Shattered trees litter the mountainside, a path of tornado-like destruction, but Mother Nature can’t be blamed for this devastation. What caused this is much worse.
Sherman lifts his head, flattening his ears. He skitters back.
I follow his gaze. Blackened talons rise over a rocky ridge. A red dragon crests the cliff, standing on a pile of downed trees. They creak and groan under the beast’s weight. Its fierce, black eyes glare at me as smoke rolls out of its nostrils.
The dragon roars, and fire bursts between the trees. I rein Sherman to the side. Flames sting my arm, and Sherman rears. Thrown from the saddle, I land on my back. The air is forced from my body. I gasp, sucking desperately, but my lungs refuse to expand. The corners of my vision darken. I fight the panic building within me. A small breath sneaks through. Then another. My sight clears.
The earth trembles as the dragon advances. It stands as tall as an elephant. Folded wings run the length of its body. Its tail swishes from side to side, felling mature trees and bending saplings to the ground before they spring back up.
Fire blasts from the dragon’s jaws.
I throw my hands out, and ice flows from my fingertips. Sizzling against the flames as they struggle to overcome it, and in the end, the ice swallows the fire.
The dragon roars. Branches and leaves vibrate free, falling all around me. I lower my arms, readying myself to stand.
The dragon charges.
My heart pounds against my ribcage, fighting to free itself. There’s no way for me to move fast enough to stop the monster.
Between one breath and the next, a tingling sensation runs the length of my body, and I disappear. I push myself back on my elbows, scrabbling for a place to hide.
The dragon stops. Sniffing the air, it lowers its horned head and stalks forward. With every step, I can see hatred grow in its eyes.
“Show yourself, coward!” The beast’s voice sounds like the low rumbling of timpani drums.
I close my eyes and will myself back into my dorm room.
When I opened them again, I lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. My pajama shirt was ruined, and my burned arm throbbed.
Over the last couple of weeks, my nightmares had become more frequent. In each dream, a different dragon hunted me. The first time, I had been flying through the air on a pegasus when a black dragon attacked. It was followed by purple, blue, green and white dragons, each more fierce than the last. Even though red dragons had appeared in my dreams before, this one was different, more ferocious and more persistent than the others.
I descended from my loft, changed my pajamas, and snagged a bottle of water from the fridge. I grabbed Glacier, my teddy bear, and asked her, “Why can’t I be like everyone else?”
My dreams had a nasty habit of coming true, especially when they contained vicious beasts. If my nightmares were any indication, I would be facing one or more of these dragons in the real world soon.
My name is Dacia Wolf, and nobody knows better than I do that there is another side to this world, one which contains all the creatures of dreams and nightmares and some that are even more horrific. I’m eighteen years old, and I have already saved the world once. Not many people know about it—only the few who were involved in one way or another. I kept a journal of my experiences, but to most people, it would sound like a work of fiction, a story of the underdog defeating the goliath, typical good versus evil. In reality, it happened at the beginning of my freshman year at college.
I thought that phase of my life was over. But it was happening again.
Chapter 2
Written In The Stars
My first year of college raced to the finish. One week left. I pulled my duffle bag out of the closet and tossed a few things into it.
It’s hard to believe how much things change.
A year ago, if my emotions got out of control things fell off shelves or caught on fire. Thanks to Sarah I’d learned control and somehow I’d even managed to defeat a demon.
Until my nightmares worsened, I’d been looking forward to going home. For the first time ever, my parents, John and Caitlin Wolf, weren’t going to have to worry about me losing control of my powers. Maybe they wouldn’t be ashamed of me anymore. Maybe we could move on as a family. But now, who knew what would happen.
If my dreams were like other people’s, it wouldn’t matter, but if I dreamed I got cut, I woke up bleeding; if I dreamed a dragon hit me with a blast of fire, I got burned. By morning, my wounds were almost always gone, but if this happened at home, how would I explain to my parents why I went through so many pairs of pajamas or why I was burned or bleeding or why I woke up screaming most nights?
“Don’t think about it right now, Dacia. Cody’ll only be a couple miles from you; you won’t be alone,” I said, hoping hearing my voice would stop this train of thoughts.
I might’ve found comfort in that thought, but since I hadn’t told him yet, I couldn’t expect him to be there for me. I exhaled a long, drawn-out sigh. I was going to have to tell him, but as soon as I did, everything would change.
The door opened, and I shoved my bag into the closet.
“Hey, Dacia, are you ready to go?” Samantha walked into the room wearing a red sundress. The color brought out her brown hair and eyes. Her high heels made her almost as tall as me.
“You look stunning,” I said as I smoothed my dress down. “Dan’s eyes are going to pop out of his head when he sees you.”
“Cody’ll feel the same about you.” Samantha shot me an approving smile.
“Are you sure? I don’t know if I should pull my hair up or leave it loose. I thought about scrapping this and putting on jeans.”
Samantha laughed. “You look great.” She turned me around so we were facing the mirror. “This dress is perfect. Green makes your eyes bright and contrasts your red hai
r. If I had curls like that, I would never pull them back.”
I crinkled my nose at my reflection. “If only I could do something with the freckles.”
She waved her arm. “There’s a certain sweetness about them.”
“That’s easy for you to say. They’re not all over your face.” Admiring myself in the mirror, I had to admit this year had been pretty good to me. I had always been skinny, but after defeating Nefarious, I’d started working out. If I was going to be fighting monsters, I needed to be in shape. My months spent at the gym were starting to show—I looked toned.
“Yeah, I guess I’ll wear this.” I walked over to the window and looked out over the parking lot toward the men’s dorm. I could just make out Dracaena Hall through the trees. “I figured Cody and Dan would be here by now.”
“Did Cody give you any idea where we’re going?” Samantha asked. “Dan won’t say a word.”
“No, I don’t know what they’re planning.”
Samantha huffed as she plopped down in Big Bird, our yellow fluffy chair. “They’re probably going to take us bowling or something like that.” She folded her arms over her chest in mock severity and grinned at me.
“You know, I could actually see them doing that to us.” I giggled. “If they do, we’ll find a way to get even.”
I gave up on packing, deciding it could wait until tomorrow. Samantha and I wouldn’t have too many more opportunities to sit around gabbing. “So, do you ever get used to Dan’s smile?”
“It’s a great smile. Isn’t it?” She got a faraway look in her eyes, and I imagined she was picturing him. “I love how it brightens his face, and his dimples are so cute.”
“Cody winces when I say he’s cute.” I sat down in our blue chair, Cookie Monster, crossing my legs. “It’s like it’s an insult.”
“I know, right.” She shook her head. “I don’t get it, but Dan doesn’t like it either. He says little kids and puppies are cute. I guess he wants to be handsome or hot or sexy.”
“I’m glad you two got together. You’re such a cute …” I put my hand over my mouth and laughed. “Oops, I didn’t mean cute. You make a great couple. You look like a little pixie next to him, and it’s nice to hang out with you two.”
Cody and Dan showed up at our door around five o’clock. I’m not sure if their eyes popped out when they saw us, but mine did when I saw them. Dan was dressed in black, giving his auburn hair a redder cast. He looked sharp. I spared him the briefest of glances before focusing my attention on Cody.
Cody was always handsome with his golden blond hair and tall, muscular build, but tonight he looked better than ever. His blue button-down shirt made his eyes look like sapphire pools. As I looked at him, I was once again reassured that we made the right decision about dating. I couldn’t picture myself with any other guy; Cody was the one for me.
I grabbed Cody’s black tie and pulled him toward me. “You look cu—gorgeous.”
“Thanks.” His eyes softened. “And you’re beautiful.” He held my face in his hands, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs. Then, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine in the kind of kiss that melts you and leaves your knees weak.
“So, where are you taking us?” Samantha bounced up and down on the balls of her feet.
“Well—” Dan shot Samantha one of his famed smiles “—we were going to go for a walk, but since the two of you are wearing heels, I don’t know now.”
“But where are we going?” Samantha asked again.
“You’ll see. Just relax.” Dan wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You are way too beautiful to be so impatient.”
“I’m not sure if that was a compliment”—Samantha snaked her arm around his waist—“but thanks. You look pretty good yourself.”
“Grab jackets.” Cody walked toward the door. “Might get chilly.”
Cody’s Camaro was pulled up to the front of the dorm. The four of us piled into the car. Conversation was light as Cody navigated the winding mountain roads. About an hour later, he pulled into a parking lot at Cougar Lake.
I reached for the door handle, but Cody said, “Wait.” He and Dan grabbed our jackets out of the trunk. Then Cody opened my door.
“Very chivalrous,” I said as he took hold of my hand. Once I was out, Dan extended his hand to Samantha.
“This way.” Cody offered his arm to me. We walked to the boat dock and onto The River Otter. Once on board, we climbed the stairs to the open deck where a table was set for four. For a small-town girl like me, it looked like a scene straight out of a movie with its white linen tablecloth, sterling silver place settings, crystal glasses, and two dozen roses. Pink rose petals were scattered over the tablecloth and deck.
“Wow.” Samantha’s eyes widened, and a smile lit up her face. “This is really nice.” She wrapped her arms around Dan’s neck.
“It really is.” I squeezed Cody’s hand.
“I hope you enjoy it. It’s for you.” He gazed into my eyes, pulling me toward him. He tucked a loose curl behind my ear, letting his fingers linger against my skin. My face tingled, and shivers ran the length of my body. “We need to find the captain and let him know we’re ready.”
The four of us headed back down the steps to the pilothouse in search of Captain Matt Shepherd. We didn’t have to go far before we found him sitting in the main salon. He was a familiar-looking man around six feet tall with a stocky build and a pleasant smile.
“Hello,” he said getting to his feet and reaching his hand out to shake Cody’s. As he took mine, recognition dawned in his eyes. “Hello, Little Sister.”
As soon as he spoke, I recognized him. “Hello, nice EMT.”
“So, this must be your brother.” He lifted his eyebrow and looked at Cody. “You look much better than last time I saw you. I was one of the EMTs that took you to the hospital.” Matt returned his attention to me. “Are you sure he’s not your boyfriend?”
My face flushed. “Well … he wasn’t, but he is now. I’m Dacia by the way. This is Cody, and these are our friends, Dan and Samantha.” I pointed to each of them.
“Nice to meet you,” Samantha said while Dan nodded in agreement.
“The pleasure’s mine. I’m Captain Shepherd, but call me Matt. A little history about myself, I served in the Navy for six years, and when I got out, I decided it would be nice to run shoreline cruises. The River Otter does four cruises a day in the summer, and in my spare time, I’m a volunteer EMT, as you know.” He started to walk away. “Shall we get started?”
I looked around. “Nobody else is coming?”
“Nope, these two booked the entire cruise for you.” Matt winked at me. “The staff will serve you on the open deck. Since this is a dinner cruise, it will last about three and a half hours. Enjoy yourselves!”
“Thanks,” Cody said before the four of us headed back to the open deck.
When The River Otter departed, soft music began playing. Dan and Samantha headed off to take their seats, but Cody and I stood at the railing and looked out at Cougar Lake. The sun hovered just above the mountains, but it would be a couple of hours before it set. Gentle ripples ran across the smooth surface of the lake as the boat left the dock.
“This is really beautiful,” I said.
He brushed his thumb across my cheek. “Pales in comparison.”
Warmth spread from my neck up onto my face. Even the tips of my ears were on fire. “I’m glad Matt didn’t say any more about your injuries since Dan doesn’t know what really happened.” Dan thought Cody had gone to the hospital for a kidney stone, but in reality, Cody’d been beaten for trying to keep me safe. He’d had two broken ribs, an injured knee, a broken nose, and numerous bruises and cuts. His eyes had swelled shut. Since his injuries had been so severe and he’d healed in just a matter of hours, thanks to my powers, not many peop
le knew the truth.
“Yeah.” His face darkened, and the gentleness left his voice. “I didn’t recognize him. I couldn’t open my eyes.” His fists clenched and unclenched. “I was supposed to protect you.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist. “I know, Cody, but you’re all right, and we’re together now. Let’s not think about it tonight.” I nodded toward the table. “You have a wonderful evening planned for us. Let’s enjoy ourselves.”
After a few tense moments, Cody relaxed. “You’re right. It’s over.”
A chill crept up my spine. Is it, though?
With his arm around my shoulders, we headed over to the table where Samantha was reading the card from her roses. As soon as we sat down, Cody handed me mine.
I took it out and read the sweetest words. “Dacia, loving you is like breathing. It comes naturally, and I couldn’t live without you. Yours Always, Cody.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “Thanks, Cody. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this night. Everything’s so perfect.” I took his hand in mine and gazed into his eyes.
The moment was interrupted by the arrival of our waiter. “Can I get you something to drink?” he asked as he handed us menus.
After ordering drinks and appetizers, we tried to decide what sounded best. After a lot of suggestions from everyone else, I settled on a New York strip. Cody ordered a bigger one. Samantha opted for ginger crusted salmon, and Dan ordered a bacon-stuffed chicken breast.
“This is perfect, guys.” Samantha fiddled with the hem of her dress. “To be honest with you, I figured you were going to take us bowling or to a movie or something like that. This is really, really nice.”
“Why would we make you get dressed up to go bowling?” Dan’s eyebrows pinched together, and he shook his head. “That doesn’t make sense.”
