Dragon Oracle Urban Fantasy Boxed Set (Dragon Oracle Complete Series: Books 1 - 9)

by Jada Fisher

  “I— Wha— You just… At least let me carry your groceries.”

  “That would be unnecessary.”

  I reached the door of the market and let myself into the building. Unfortunately, he followed me.

  “At least tell me your name, please?” he asked. “I can’t very well go about calling you seer, or oracle.”

  “That’s none of your business,” I said, making my way to the fish vendor. Some salmon would be great for Mickey. All those amino acids for her brain.

  “Fair enough. My name is Lohikarmme Bronne, but most of my friends call me Bron.”

  “I’m not your friend,” I responded tersely, pointing to the slab I wanted and handing over a wad of cash in exchange.

  “True, but you could be.”

  I said nothing in response to that, and once the vendor finished wrapping the length of pink fish in paper, I tucked it into my bag. I had enough extra for a little bit of a treat, so I was half-tempted to stop by the butcher that dominated the end of the building and buy us some red meat. Goodness knew we could use some more iron in our diets.

  “Look, I know we might have gotten off on the wrong foot, but—”

  I decided that I had earned the treat. Nodding to myself, I walked off while the man—Bron, apparently—was in the middle of his sentence.

  “I would like one of your chuck steaks, please,” I asked the man behind the counter, trying to send him a friendly smile despite my obnoxious shadow.

  “Give her two of your nicest cuts,” Bron interrupted, handing the man a card.

  “We only take cash here,” the butcher said in a low growl, looking from me to the white-haired pest. He shot me a look, clearly asking if I was alright. I just rolled my eyes and shrugged.

  “Uh, fine.” Bron reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick fold of cash that looked like it had enough to pay my bills for the entire month. “Give her whatever this can buy and tip yourself.”

  My mouth dropped as he handed a crisp hundred to the man. That was my budget for our entire list, so I couldn’t imagine spending that on red meat alone.

  “Whatever you say,” the butcher said with a shrug, picking out several different cuts.

  A few minutes later, I was being handed a heavy bag full of meat. “How am I supposed to carry this?” I asked myself. It was too big to fit into my backpack.

  “You’re not,” Bron said with a smile. “But I will.”

  I’d had enough. “Look. I appreciate this food so I’m going to forget how annoying you’ve been up to this point. But if you don’t leave me be, I swear to God that I will straight up call the cops right now and we will see just how far that little black card in your wallet will get you.”

  He sighed. “I don’t know why you are being so defensive. I just want to…”

  I took a step toward him, teeth bared. “I don’t care what you want. What I want is to be left alone so I can go about my life. I do not want to be dragged into whatever world you crawled out of where seers and men with swords jumping down from rooftops is expected, so you will leave me alone!”

  “Alright, alright.” He held his hands up in defeat. “I apologize deeply that I have obviously not handled this as best I could. Here is my card. Please, find the address on there if you ever want to know about the real world.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Then you will never hear from me again. But I will tell you, Miss Seer, that these things have a habit of sneaking up on you when you least expect it.”

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Thank you for the protein, sir. Now as I finish my shopping, I don’t want to see a single shred of white hair.”

  He bowed, then walked off, leaving me shaking where I stood. Everything came rushing at me in that moment, like the fact that I’d just had a taste of something that didn’t make any sense at all.

  A seer? What could he possibly mean by that? It wasn’t possible to tell the future! And yet…that was exactly what I did, wasn’t it? The voices I heard and the visions I saw were about things that had yet to be as often as they were about the past. I had firsthand, empirical evidence.

  I thought about it the entire way home, my mind never resting for a moment. If what he said was true, what were the implications? Should I stop taking my medicine? That seemed like something a delusion would say, and the last thing I wanted to do was be sick again. Not after I had fought for so long to be well.

  I still had no idea as I finally reached our apartment door and let myself in.

  “Oh hey, you’re home a little earlier than I expected. Did you get everything we needed?”

  “Everything?” Crap! I had been supposed to get some fruits and veggies too. Quickly, I thought of an excuse. “Not quite. But that’s because something amazing happened and I had to come home ASAP!”

  “Really? And what kind of miracle was that?”

  My mind churned and a solution came to me. “You won’t believe it, but I won a raffle! A month’s supply of awesome cuts from the butcher! Only cost me a dollar.”

  Her eyes went wide and her hand went to her mouth. “No! You’re kidding.”

  I slung my backpack onto the counter and opened it, pulling out the bag stuffed to bursting what the butcher had given me. “Check it out! I think there’s sirloin in there, maybe some lamb? I didn’t really have a chance to check it out. I was in such shock.”

  “Oh my gosh, I can imagine!” She let out a giddy laugh that eased a whole lot of my stress. How long had it been since I had seen her look so relieved? “There’s gotta be like… at least sixty bucks worth of cuts in here.”

  “Try about a hundred, give or take.”

  Mickey squealed, clapping her hands and running over to crush me in a hug. It was lovely, and it made my opinion of the white-haired pretty boy soften a bit. Maybe he wasn’t the harbinger of doom.

  Or maybe he was. It was hard to say. I knew he was real because there was no way that I could have afforded all of these meats, but that was all I knew.

  “Well, how about I make us a couple of these bad boys and we have steak and potatoes for dinner tonight?”

  “Sounds good to me!” I said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “You sure you don’t want me to cook?”

  “I’m sure. I’m really starting to feel well again.”

  “That’s wonderful. You think it’s the medicine?”

  “That, probably, and the rest. But don’t worry, I’ll be back on my feet and working in no time.”

  “Don’t rush yourself. Between work, the fundraiser, and the few benefits we’re getting, I’m comfortably keeping us afloat.”

  She ruffled my hair. “Yes, but you’re the little sister, so don’t get any ambitions about being in charge. It’s my job to take care of you.”

  I laughed lightly, sliding into one of our chairs and watching her as she went about her business. A feeling of nostalgia settled over me as she puttered about, prepping food and humming to herself.

  The hours passed in a dreamy haze, full of jokes between us and tons of laughter. The food was delicious, of course. Nothing could compare to Mickey’s cooking. She had a knack for everything in the kitchen, which explained the softness around my middle and thighs despite our tight budget.

  Night eventually fell and I knew that I needed to get to bed. I headed there, almost dreading what might come tomorrow, but I sank into sleep without much resistance.

  I was at work, but something was different. Something that I couldn’t put my finger on. I looked up, scanning the café to see if I could spot what was amiss.

  Mallory was on a stool at the bar as usual, a sardonic grin on her face and sporting a black eye. My coworkers were busy spot-cleaning, as we often did when we were a bit slow. And strangely enough, Mickey was also there, sitting at a table and sipping on a latte. Odd. Mickey hated hot drinks.

  Also, she wasn’t wearing her going-out hat. Mickey never went anywhere without it, just like I never went anywhere without my glove. Too many people stared otherwise
.

  My glove!

  Looking down, I saw it wasn’t present. There was no way I would ever leave the house without it, so that meant the entire scene in front of me was a dream.

  The building began to rumble before I could get the thought out, and everyone started shouting in alarm. I knew something terrible was coming, so I vaulted over the counter, intent on shielding my sister. Mallory turned with me, probably thinking the same thing, but before either of us could get very far, the ceiling was ripped off in its entirety.

  I froze in my tracks while everyone else screamed, diving in different directions to avoid the rain of rubble. Looking up, I saw shadowy, fanged creatures above us, holding their massive bodies up with long, bat-like wings.

  I didn’t need a fantasy glossary to know what they were.

  “Dragons…” I breathed, whether as a curse or a prayer, I didn’t know.

  It was like my words set them off. Red, serpentine eyes settled on me before a fanged maw opened wide. I kept staring, utterly transfixed, as that vermillion mouth became pink with illumination and blue-hot fire came rushing down.

  I could feel the heat of it, melting and lethal, but for some reason, it seemed to rush around me, leaving a cone of safety.

  I couldn’t say how long the fire burned, only that it ravaged the room with a virulence that I had never seen or felt before. When it finally stopped, I felt like I had been teleported into an entirely different world.

  Everything was either black or white ash, completely burned to a cinder. I stared with an open mouth, shocked by it all, before I remembered that I was not the only one present.

  I shook my head and looked for Mickey, wanting to make sure she was alright. I barely moved a step before I saw her silhouette against the wall.

  And only her silhouette.

  My mouth opened, but no sound came out. Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes, white-hot and choking. My brain couldn’t function and I fell to my knees.

  I knew the outline of my sister anywhere. The slope of her brow, the waves of her long hair. And now an outline was all that remained. Her body must have been pressed against the wall when the fire hit, and there she was burned until nothing remained but a slightly less burned shape on the wall.

  “No,” I gasped, turning my head to escape the image.

  But I was only met by the shape of Mallory, sprawled out on her side. For a moment, she almost looked like a statue completely comprised of grey and black, but then the breeze shifted and she crumbled into ash.

  I screamed, sorrow wracking me. I had already lost so much to fire, did it have to take everything I had? I looked up to the beasts that had caused this and they were still there. Watching. Waiting.

  They wanted to know what I was going to do. Would I try to fight them, me, a puny human? Or would I curl up into a ball and accept my fate?

  I felt steely resolve fill me as the dream faded and I was left alone in my room.

  Something was coming, I knew that now, and it wasn’t something that was going to let me peaceably squeak by. Whatever was happening, I needed to be proactive about it.

  So…where exactly had I put that business card?

  7

  Welcome Guest

  I stared at the massive mansion in front of me, partially in disbelief that it was real, and partially because I was sure I had the wrong address.

  It was practically a study of gothic aesthetic, towering spires and sharp edges everywhere. It looked to be about four stories tall, and I was pretty sure I could see further wings stretching out in the back. A stately fountain dominated the massive driveway out front, sparkling water spurting out of the top like half of the country wasn’t struggling with a drought.

  And finally, a gate loomed before me, made of metal and spires and points and everything that looked like it might impale you if you were to take a bad fall. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to get in, until I saw what looked like one of those comm-boxes that you saw at rich places in the movies.

  More than a bit nervous, I walked up to it and pressed the buzzer. It let out an almost musical sound, then a few seconds later, the dark screen illuminated to show a guard.

  “What?” he asked, not an ounce of warmth or politeness in his voice. It was such a jolt compared to Bron’s platitudes that I just stared at him with wide eyes for several seconds before realizing that I was gawking.

  “Oh, uh, I’d like to see Bron.”

  “So would many people.”

  Geez. Someone hated their day job. “Um, he asked me to come here.”

  “Sure, he did. Along with Abraham Lincoln and a Gorgon.”

  “Look, I realize that your whole life is unfulfilling, so for some reason you’ve decided to find your satisfaction in lording what little power you have over poor people stuck outside this gate.” He drew in a breath like he was about to tell me where to shove it, but I pulled a little rectangle of paper from my bra. “Oh, also, I have a business card,” I said with a smile.

  That stopped the man short, and his eyes frantically bounced between me and the card. “This didn’t happen,” he said finally before pressing something that caused the gate to let out a beep and slowly swing open.

  “Oh really?” I countered. “I guess that depends on how generous I feel.” With that, I waltzed onto the drive and up toward the house.

  My newly-gained confidence from that interaction didn’t last long as I drew closer and closer to the massive doors. They were painted a combination of black and silver and looked utterly ominous. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was walking headfirst into the bad guy’s lair. It was certainly spikey enough to be a stronghold for evil.

  Intimidating architecture or not, I was on a mission and I would not let myself be deterred. Taking a deep breath, I marched up to the door and went to give it a knock. I stopped before my knuckles made contact with the metal, however, noticing that there wasn’t really a good place to hit that wouldn’t somehow damage me. Looking around again, I saw yet another buzzer.

  “You know, a doorbell would suffice,” I grumbled to myself, reaching over and pressing a button.

  This time, what I assumed was a butler answered, judging by his sharp uniform and professionally pleasant expression. “May I help you?”

  “What, did the snarky security guard not give you guys the heads up that I was here?”

  “No,” the man said slowly. “He did not.”

  “Ah. Well.” I held the business card up to the view of the camera. “Bron wanted me to come here when I, uh, got a little less occupied.”

  “I shall inform him that you are here. May I have your name?”

  “Actually, that won’t do you much good. He kinda…doesn’t know it. Um, maybe tell him that Miss Seer is here?”

  “Whatever you say.”

  He bowed to the camera before the screen went black again, and I waited patiently. Or at least, I tried to wait patiently. It was hard considering that every fiber of my being was telling me to turn around and go home. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t let what happened in my dream come to pass. It was hard to say what was metaphorical and what was literal about the vision, but I knew that if I didn’t do something, something terrible was going to happen to everyone I cared about.

  The door flung open with surprising speed and I was surprised to see Bron standing there, a wide smile on his too-handsome face.

  “You came!” he said, green eyes alit with sheer happiness. “And much sooner than I expected.” Suddenly, the smile was gone and his face fell. “You weren’t attacked, were you? Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine,” I said, holding a hand up to stop the oncoming deluge of questions I sensed teetering on the edge of his tongue. “I just have…questions.”

  “Of course. I apologize, I didn’t realize before that you might have lived your whole life as a human, ignorant of any of the underworld. I assumed rather that you were some sort of fugitive. I apologize for my error.” He bowed and gestured for me to enter. “Please
, come in, Miss…”

  “Davie,” I supplied as I stepped in, walking past my tall host. I looked around, trying not to gawk, but it was so hard. We were in what I could only describe as a foyer, but one that had been jacked up on rich-people steroids.

  The floor was alternating checkers of black and white, polished to a high shine that made me think twice about ever wearing a skirt here. A double staircase dominated most of the massive room, going up a story or so before splitting right and left to separate landings. The stairs were framed by a gold and mahogany banister and covered with a pure white carpet. I was almost afraid to step on it, lest I dirty it with my peasant shoes.

  As if that weren’t enough, a beautiful chandelier hung in the center of the room, glittering and sparkling in the subtle light it cast off. It had three different tiers, each with at least a year’s worth of my salary in crystal form.

  “Wow,” I couldn’t help but mumble.

  “A bit ostentatious, I know,” Bron said, blushing slightly. “But you know how old-fashioned things are.”

  “I don’t, but I’ll take your word for it.”

  “Right, of course. Apologies.” He looked nervous. Why did he look nervous? I was just a no-account girl who may or not have either delusions or prophesies. “Shall we go to the study? I have a lot to explain.”

  I shrugged. “Sure. Lead the way.”

  He smiled again, looking absolutely pleased with himself. I had never had a person who wasn’t family look so happy just by my arrival. If I didn’t know better, I would be flattered by the attention.

  Thankfully, I knew better. Nothing was more dangerous than being in a rich boy’s territory that I didn’t know. Let alone a rich boy who had stalked me previously. Dreams or not, I needed to be careful. But I couldn’t be so careful that I didn’t get any answers, so I followed him up the staircase and to the right.

  The hall we entered was just as fancy as the foyer, but with a whole lot more portraits hanging along the white and gold walls. I saw lots and lots of stern-looking old men, slowly growing younger and younger as we walked down the corridor until finally there was a striking painting of the white-haired young man beside me.