The Sunken Tower

by J A Campbell

  Thompson’s head dropped as the Lords and Ladies of the Council pronounced death on him. He’d already well-earned the sentence, but this was the clincher.

  Hagatha repressed the urge to raise her fist in the air as the bailiffs removed the odious man from the room and returned him to his chamber, hopefully for a quick end.

  Lord Phoenix adjourned the meeting, and they quickly dispersed.

  Ladies Ledgister and Nightingale were the first to depart the high table, and they came to claim Melanie.

  Hagatha joined with her kindred leaving. Marcus silently led them to his office, walking fast enough to shed off anyone wanting to stop him. He went to a cabinet, opened it, and brought forth a decanter of liquor. He raised the pitcher and when the rest demurred, poured himself a stiff shot, drank it in one gulp, and sank tiredly into his chair

  “One more death sentence for a woman we cannot kill.” Marcus’ voice was bleak. “And she’s done irreparable damage to our House and likely many others. If any of us had known, we would have guarded the nursery far better. She delivered her daughter and just walked away, leaving Agatha to nurse the two of you.”

  Hagatha exchanged a startled glance with Elise, whose face was stark white with spots of red on her cheeks. Elise’s hand reached out to touch her father’s shoulder, but she stopped, her expression shocked, like she’d touched an electrical socket.

  “What did Agatha say to you?” Being the crazy cousin, Hagatha had the guts to ask. From Elise’s grateful expression, she was hoping someone would.

  “She asked if I am well,” Marcus replied. “I told her I was, and said I would care for the two of you. I also said I hope to wed a woman I love.”

  “Hope to?” Hagatha asked.

  Marcus’ expression went bleak. “Valonna will kill Melanie if I do—so we must pretend the arrangement is strictly politics in public. I will go to Dallas to train her, but we’ll continue the public quarrel.”

  Hagatha grimaced. Marcus might be good at hiding his feelings, but Melanie was the kind of person whose emotions were writ plain on her face.

  “What do we do now?” Elise asked.

  “We find Valonna,” Marcus said. “Get her into custody and wait until someone can figure out how to end her.”

  Hagatha paced out of Marcus’ office. The second item she’d managed to keep hold of from Valonna was the power from the enchanted garter. As a youth, she’d gathered bits of Valonna’s power, hoping someday to find a way to use it against the hateful woman. Her kinswoman was inherently incautious. She’d managed to accumulate a small store of various spelled items and bits of power. She made a gesture and used a Way to return her tower in Colorado, wondering if there was a way to combine those bits into some kind of lethal missile.

  Valonna had managed to kill both of her parents, despite their blessings from the Myriddn. If they could die, so could Valonna—and it needed to be soon.

  It was past time she got her vengeance for all the harm the woman had done.

  Elise stood with Darien, watching as the waves lapped against the white, sandy beach. The sun blazed overhead, and a slight breeze kept the humidity bearable.

  Darien gripped Elise’s hand and squeezed. She returned the pressure.

  “You’ll do great.” She tried to reassure her new friend.

  “They said the change doesn’t alter who a person is, but what if they’re lying? What if they hope we’ll turn to their evil ways?”

  “Even Marcus said that not all of the sea dragons were bad, and he’s not overly fond of your people.”

  Laughing, Darien nodded. “I suppose he has a right to feel that way.”

  “Look, there Angie goes.” Elise smiled and watched as the first of the dragon-kin took hesitant steps toward the ocean. From what she understood, most sea dragons had their first change as babies, and no one was sure how the prolonged delay would affect them. All they knew was that without salt water, the change couldn’t happen.

  The Hispanic-looking young woman paused at the edge, waves lapping against her toes. When nothing happened immediately, she cast a quick look back to her family before taking another step, then another, until the water reached her waist.

  Her back arched, and they all heard her gasp. A couple of the others took quick steps forward, but stopped before the water could touch them.

  Angie held up her hand, telling them to stay back, as she collapsed below the gentle surf.

  Water thrashed and bubbled while all watched. Elise held her breath, wanting to rush forward and save the woman, but not knowing if rescue was even needed.

  Darien clutched her hand, almost crushing it. She ignored the discomfort and stared intently at the water.

  Moments later, sleek purple scales broke the surface before vanishing. Next, a tail with darker purple fins surfaced. Finally, a dragon head stuck out of the water, looking this way and that, thick whiskers drooping from grinning jowls.

  Angie flipped around and looked out to sea before looking back at her kin. They’d agreed that the first would come back and reassure the others, but obviously the pull to swim was strong as Angie moved away from the shore.

  Those at the edge of the water backed away. They’d all expressed fear of becoming like their parents.

  Finally, Angie ducked beneath the waves before swimming toward shore. She slid through the water gracefully, as if she’d always known how to be a dragon.

  Elise gasped out the breath she’d forgotten she’d been holding and forced herself to stay rooted in place as Angie came out onto the beach. The dragons weren’t as graceful on land, but they could move easily enough, and she’d had enough experience with those razor claws to not want anything to do with Angie if she’d decided to follow in dragon ship-sinking tradition.

  After a moment, Angie twisted, writhing and falling to the sand as her limbs changed, absorbing scales and replacing it with light brown skin. She lay on the beach, her clothing having changed with her. She took a few deep breaths before climbing to her feet and raising her hands to the sky.

  “It’s wonderful!”

  Her family rushed toward her, peppering her with questions. Darien hesitated.

  “Go. I’ll wait.”

  He squeezed her hand again before letting go and joining the others. Though all were of the same race, sea dragons, none of them looked the same. Some had white skin, others dark, or black. They could have been from all over the globe. Marcus had explained that it helped them fit into wherever they lived. It was part of the adaptive nature of the sea dragons. Usually, they adapted as children and would naturally imprint their appearance based on those around them.

  Angie finished answering their questions and ran back to the water. Others hurried after, no longer worried about the change.

  Darien returned to Elise’s side. “She says it feels like she could choose her appearance in the first moments of change, both to dragon form and back to human. She likes the way she is though and sees no reason to make adjustments. It sounds just like the stories we heard our elders tell.”

  “Darien, go. If you want to find me again, I live in Neutral and Boring, Colorado. Just ask for the dark ladies. I’m not hard to find. If you don’t, well...I live far from any bodies of water.” She smiled and tried not to show how disappointed she’d feel if he didn’t look for her.

  “Dark lady? You’re not dark.”

  Elise gave him her practiced evil smile. “Don’t let the town know that. I have a reputation to maintain.”

  “Gotcha.” He reached out and touched her cheek, staring into her eyes.

  “I...” she trailed off, heart thumping.

  “Can I kiss you?” Darien smiled.

  “Uh, yes,” Elise stammered.

  His lips brushed hers, and Elise returned the pressure. He wrapped strong arms around her shoulders and hugged her close while he kissed her.

  Elise held him tightly, trying to remember how he felt in case she never saw him again.

  Finally they broke apart,
and Darien looked deeply into her eyes.

  “What?”

  “I’m trying to remember the color of your eyes. I want to get it just right.”

  Elise wasn’t sure what to make of that as he stepped away from her.

  “I’ll see you again, Elise Macrow.” He turned and ran toward the water, not hesitating as his bare feet splashed into the surf. He ran until the water impeded his movement; then he dove, disappearing under the waves.

  Anxiously, Elise watched for one last glimpse. The water bubbled and splashed for a moment; then an emerald green dragon rose above the water, glistening in the bright sunlight. He raised a clawed hand.

  Elise waved back and watched as Darien slid between the waves, vanishing from sight. She’d wondered what color he would choose, though she wouldn’t have guessed green. Elise’s jaw dropped, and she touched her face. Emerald green, just like her tear-filled eyes. He’d gotten the shade perfect.

  The End

  Keep reading for a sneak peak of book two

  Neutral Zone and Boring, Colorado

  “Elise, they took him!”

  “Mom?” Elise glanced at the caller ID on the landline just to be sure. The voice on the other end did sound like her mother’s, but instead of the normal elegant tones, her voice sounded brittle.

  “They took him. I know we don’t talk much about your other life, but you must know someone who can help.”

  “Took who?” Elise tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her gut as she clenched her hands on the phone. There was only one person her mom could be referring to.

  “Your father. He’s...he’s gone.”

  “Who took him?” Elise fought to slow her breathing, to control her fear, to keep from breaking down on the phone while her mom needed her. This couldn’t be right. Her father joked he had the safest job in the world: the biggest threats he faced at the National Archives were allergies and hernias from lifting a box that’d been too heavily loaded.

  “I...I don’t know. He’s just gone. The police don’t know where he is,” she sobbed.

  “Mom, I’m on my way. I’ll get some help and we’ll be right there.”

  “Thank you.” Her mother sobbed harder.

  Elise wished she could reach through the phone and hug her mom, but she’d be there soon enough. Traveling the Ways would get her across the country in almost no time.

  Though her heart was breaking, she kept her voice calm and buried her free hand into one of her border collies' fur to keep herself grounded. Sensing her distress, Jett and Raid pressed against her legs. “Mom, I’ll bring help, but I have to go so I can call. I’ll be there soon.”

  Her mom sniffed, sobbed a few times, before she managed to get out. “I love you, honey.”

  “Love you too, Mom.” Elise hung up the receiver and stared at the phone for a moment, taking deep breaths.

  Someone had her dad. Who could possibly want to hurt my dad? He worked for the government, sure, but not in any capacity that would make people angry. No secret research, or hidden agendas, he was a historian. These days, he worked for a branch of the government involved in preserving antiquities. How could he possibly have pissed someone off? He wasn’t even in charge of acquisitions.

  Elise pressed her palms into her eyes before glancing around for her cell phone. She needed to call Tallon. Then she needed to call Hagatha. She also needed to call Marcus. Then they needed to hit the Ways between her little town of Neutral and Boring, Colorado, and Alexandria, Virginia, where she’d grown up. She tugged at her hair and tried not to completely stress out.

  She picked up her cell phone and found Tallon’s number. Though it was afternoon, the vampire would likely be awake. Ever since she’d made him a charm that allowed him to go outside in sunlight, he’d spent more time working during the day. The former cop would be the best one to help her with this problem.

  “This is Tallon,” he answered. She could envision him from his voice: a tall wiry man with dark curls, whiskey colored eyes, and an infectious grin.

  “Tallon, it’s Elise. Well, you probably knew that, caller ID and all.” She laughed, forcing herself to stop when she heard the frantic edge to her voice. “Sorry. I’m...just...”

  “Take a breath and tell me what’s wrong.” His voice calmed her.

  “Someone has my dad. Kidnapped or something. Will you help?”

  “I’ll be right there.” The line went dead.

  Elise dialed her kinswoman’s number, hearing the old rock Hagatha used as a ringtone in her memory. Usually that amused her. Today, Elise wanted her to drop whatever experiment she was working on and pick up the phone.

  Finally, she did.

  “Hi, Elise.”

  “Hagatha... Someone has my dad.” Elise’s voice broke, but she held back the tears long enough to hear Hagatha reply that she’d be right over.

  Before she could call Marcus, she heard a knock at her door. Both dogs perked their ears. Though she was in the observatory at the top of her tower where she conducted magical battles—all in fun—against Hagatha, she'd enchanted the door so the knock would be heard anywhere in her tower. Slade, her ghostly servant, would answer and bring Tallon up.

  Elise stepped out onto the balcony, followed by her dogs, letting the fresh spring breeze dry the tears on her cheeks. The small valley town she and Hagatha lived near, and protected, stretched between their two towers. She spied a dust cloud that had to be Hagatha racing her way at breakneck speeds. Mountains bracketed them on all sides, though the valley had some unnatural features, like the deep canyon that ran east of town, and a few random hillocks resulting from magical battles of the not-so-friendly sort.

  She loved her home, and she clung to that feeling while she tried to hold herself together.

  Raid and Jett turned to stare at the door. They both liked the vampire now and wagged their tails when he walked out onto the balcony. He murmured a quick thank you to Slade before setting down his go bag with a laptop and supply of blood, another with clothing, and kneeling to greet the dogs. They pressed against him while he scratched behind their ears. Finally, ritual complete, Tallon stood.

  “What happened?”

  Clenching her hands together, Elise looked at the vampire and shrugged. Even as worried as she was about her father, her heart skipped a beat when she met the handsome vampire's gaze. Something of the predator he was always showed n his eyes.

  “Mom called, frantic. She didn't give me any details, just said he'd been taken and asked for my help. Obviously she knows a little of our world. I thought you'd be the best person for the case.”

  Tallon nodded. “I'm at your service, Elise. Once Hagatha gets here, we can go straight to your mom. Do you want to pack a bag?”

  “Oh, good idea.” She nodded. “Slade, see to it.”

  The ever-present ghost, a cowboy and ne'er-do-well in life, materialized next to her. “Ma'am,” and vanished again.

  Elise had gained his loyalty in death. He and the other ghosts who hung around her tower kept the place up for her. Slade was strangely adept at packing clothing, among other things, like caring for her dogs and her skeletal unicorns when she was away.

  “Let's go down to the sitting room. Hagatha will be here soon, and then we can leave.”

  “Of course. Do you mind if I ask some questions before we head out?” Tallon and the dogs followed her back into the tower.

  She led him out of the observatory before answering. “Of course, Tallon. Whatever you need to know. I'm afraid I may not have any good information, though.”

  She opened the door to the spiral staircase that connected all the levels of her tower. She could have put in an elevator, or some magical contraption to make traversing her home easier, but she liked the exercise, and if she really needed to go quickly, she could use magic.

  The dogs’ nails clicked on the stone floor. She'd added traction spells to her floors when the dogs moved in. They had the run of the tower and she'd added several outdoor gardens on a few of the othe
r balconies for them. It seemed unfair to make them go all the way to the ground floor when they needed to relieve themselves. The dogs seemed quite happy with her. She'd even added ghost sheep for them to herd with Slade's supervision.

  “What does your dad do for a living?”

  “He works for a government agency in charge of preserving antiquities. He's a historian. He teaches a couple of classes at a local university sometimes in the evenings, too.”

  “Does he do anything on the side that might make people angry? Gambling, or that sort of thing.”

  Elise paused on a step before continuing. “I don't believe so. We can ask Mom, but I'm pretty sure his biggest chance of angering someone is by winning a competitive game of golf.”

  Tallon chuckled. “Okay. Is their relationship good?”

  Elise tensed, angered by his questions, but she knew he wouldn't ask if he didn't need to know. She’d called him because he’d worked twenty-plus years as a homicide detective and was licensed as a private investigator. He had a keen mind and was Head of Investigations at Grayson Security.

  “Yes. As far as I know, they get along quite well. Mom is active in a lot of community groups and a gardening club, Dad golfs and helps with the gardening. Unless they've changed their routine, they go on a date night every week, usually Wednesday, and every Saturday morning they have brunch at the country club. They have plenty of money, some of it from Dad's writing books related to his work. When they were younger and Mom worked too, they saved every bit of her income and invested it while Dad paid the day-to-day bills. I don't think Dad has so much as watched a horse race in years, and I don't believe he ever gambled except for fun now and again. Mom told me once how he managed to pick the winning horse, even though it was a long shot, and take them on a cruise. That's it. They have a perfect life, or so Mom says. They both enjoy what they do and each other. It's all very drama free, in fact.”