Dragon's Gap: Set Includes Stories 6-7 Plus A Christmas Surprise

by L M Lacee

  They were sure he was stalking them. As he thought on it again, his eyes found Fin and Andre` who had finished his explanation and was looking at him. Before he thought twice about it he stated. “The male Definiao Kiltern is trying to pick us off one at time. Everything he has done so far has been aimed at an individual.” Andre` nodded. “That is our conclusion, if we are stupid enough to send individuals after him he will just make them disappear.”

  “After he has sucked every piece of information from them.” Sparrow told the room making sure they all understood that how he would do so would not be pleasant. Elijah said in his quiet way. “I am positive he is a master of torture he will get whatever he needs with little effort, he has had many, many years to perfect his technique.”

  “As much as I want to disagree with my commander and fly from here and track him down and extinguish his life. I cannot, for the very reason that my Lord has stated he wants to pick us off one at a time. Queen Scarlett agreed. “It is the conclusion the High Queen and High King have come to also.”

  Charlie and Harper stared at each other revising their plans. This put another spin on their thinking. Neither of them were stupid enough to think they could out smart a being intent on their destruction. Especially one that had hundreds of years to form plans, and probably controlled a vast network of spies.

  “So you think he has an army of spies and worse at his fingertips?” Ciana mused out loud.

  “Yes!” Andre` said bluntly. “This is a male that has had as you imagine years to establish his spider webs.”

  “All to what end?” Olinda asked Andre` before he could answer, Edith said.

  “To bring down the dragons although that seems extreme.”

  “What did you guys do to him?” Frankie asked, Johner spread his hands.

  “Nothing, we do not even know this male.” To Frankie and by extension the other non-dragons in the room he explained. “In the old days dragons tended not to leave any behind to come after us in the future.”

  “Oh…” Frankie eyes widened as she thought about the implications of his statement. “Oh!”

  Elijah smiled at her and Edee. “Edee it is far more than wanting to bring down the dragons.”

  “Oh holy crap, he wants to rule the world!” Charlie with a look at Storm stated. Andre` told them. “I wish it was that simple. I feel that the male wants to rule the universe.”

  Fin agreed. “He thinks if he brings down the dragons that will allow all the other beings to be controlled. Therefore, he can and will walk in and take over the planet and the other planets.”

  “But what about the Elementals?” Frankie asked. “They are not going to allow that to happen, are they?”

  “Unfortunately, you are thinking in our terms, not Elementals, think about what they did when magic became toxic on earth, how long they stayed away. Think about what they have done since returning then think of what they will do if we fall.” Rene` quietly stated.

  Sage paled. “We cannot fall. We cannot fail they will rend the world gone.”

  “Yes, they will.” Reighn told the now silent room.

  Frankie snorted. “Not blood likely! I will not allow it. I don’t know about you, but I have a shadow and the chance of babies. Plus all my nieces and nephews and family so I will not be willing to allow that to happen.” She shook her head as Johner reached for her hand.

  “They are Elementals Frankie dear.” Verity told her placing her hand over her free one. Fiercely Frankie said. “I do not care, no one takes my home. I just settled here.” With that statement the walls shuddered. “Hey girl cool your jets no one said it will happen.” Harper called out as Olinda asked. “I did not know you were English Frankie?”

  “She is not, she just hangs with Edee too much.” Harper said with a grin, only her eyes remained watchful as did everyone else’s.

  “Oh Harper!” Frankie giggled and the room settled again. Concerned once more, this was not the first time Frankie had displayed some sign of growing powers. Sage mind sent to Reighn, We have to find out what she is?

  As you say my heart. He sent back as his eyes focused on Frankie and the power sparking within her. He could see each time she used it how much there was of it. As though her use allowed her power to expand and yet he could still not find out what she was… and he knew it worried not just him.

  Reighn held his Sages hand as he said. “As Frankie said we have to do something, we will not allow our home to be taken from us. So we will discover where and who is helping this male then we will bring him to trial and wipe out his spider webs.” He took a breath as he told them his thoughts. “I was going to place a restriction on Dragon’s Gap, but I feel that is what our opponent wants. To cut us off from the rest of the world, restrict our movements.”

  “Isolate us, it would be like shooting apples in a barrel.” Storm said from where he sat at the end of the table.

  Reighn nodded. “Yes my feelings exactly. We would give him what he wants, and I for one refuse to play his game we are smarter, more resilient than that. We have centuries of knowledge as well as modern thinking between us all we will defeat this male by combining our talents and knowledge.”

  Fin stood as Reighn finished speaking. “To that end we need information. No matter how small or even if it is just a whisper. We need it recorded and looked at. If we can identify his ears and eyes in Dragon’s Gap, we can render him deaf and blind.”

  “We have traitors here?” Olinda asked. “Are you sure Fin?” He gave her a sorrowful nod knowing she would not like his answer. She looked at Ash. “Really?”

  Ash hated to see that frightened look in her eyes but he refused to sugar coat it for her, to lie to her may cost her, her life. “Yes my love we do. We have known for a while now since Storm and Charlie were attacked.”

  “But that is awful, how are we to feel safe?”

  “Olinda!” A deep voice that was seldom heard vibrated through the stones of the room causing every hair on every person to stand on end. They all turned with Olinda towards Conor. Olinda swallowed twice the sheer power of the Lion overcame her, making her voice squeak out. “Yes Conor.”

  He smiled, easing he hoped the feelings he caused. Conor knew the impact he had on people and shifters. It was after all who a ‘First’ was, he asked her now. “Who was it that kept you safe for those months you were alone before you came home?”

  She smiled and ducked her head a little. “Me!”

  “So you will do so again with much more tools at your disposal then you had before. I know I and Harper as well as your Shadow train you, do not sell yourself short. I have no doubt everyone here can keep themselves protected and safe.”

  “And if you cannot, we have millions of dragons, unicorns, shifters and now elves to do it for you!” Edith muttered.

  Olinda nodded. “Sorry wasn’t thinking.”

  Frankie shrugged. “Again you just said what we all were thinking.”

  Conor still standing said. “Because we know the threat is real we our Lord, myself, Fin, King Thorn and King Elijah have devised a plan. My Lord?”

  He asked permission of Reighn to reveal what they had come up with. Reighn nodded. “Yes go ahead, it is time we get some opinions on whether it is a viable plan.”

  Conor, a small smile on his lips, told them. “What we have talked about is our own network using the faeries, unicorns, selected shifters, humans and dragons as well as the elves.”

  Elijah stood as Conor sat. “We deploy people in shifted form or human around the town, groves and meadows and find out what is happening.”

  Fin stood as Elijah sat. “Somewhere out there is a web that is passing information from the Gap along a web to the male and we have to find it. We need to have our own spy network.”

  “Like the Elturnian?” Harper asked not happy at the thought, she was still ambivalent about that organization. Andre` said from where he sat. “Not completely. We will not only observe as they did, we will feed it misinformation. Then we will fo
llow it and remove its head as well as all the parts.”

  “How do we know they have not already figured that out? I would have.” Charlie asked, Andre` nodded. “I am sure he or they have but think about this they know us.” He smiled like a shark as he said. “They do not know the elves!”

  Smiles slowly replaced the confused expressions some were wearing as he continued. “They, of course, will assume the elves will have no reason to falsify information. Thorn if you would explain your ideas.”

  Thorn stood. “As we are new people in a new land, we will be ideal targets for information.” He spread his hands as he said innocently. “What would we Elves know of your troubles? And if Fin and Andre` have read this male and his intentions right he and his people here will assume you will have told us nothing. So why suspect us?”

  “He has a valid point.” Storm said. “I would not and normally we would not discuss our worries outside our race but we have not before now had others in our family.”

  “Which works for us and against them, clever plan.” Charlie agreed.

  “Will you tell your people?” Ciana asked worried some may be hurt saying the wrong thing to the wrong person.

  “No. As with the Dragon Lord and the Queen and King of Dragon’s Grove, we have decided only the people in this room will have knowledge of the plan.”

  Sage looked at Reighn. “Now I understand the silence shield you had me place around the room.”

  He smiled at her and looked at the room of people. “Yes, only those here now who are involved know of what was discussed here this morning. No other person no matter who they are to you must learn of this plan.”

  “You suspect our people?” Edith asked him and Conor who looked towards King Elijah as he stood up. “With a heavy heart we suspect and trust no one who is not in this room. Therefore, we ask you to do the same this we feel with our seer Lady Claire’s guidance, our plan will succeed.”

  Thorn said. “Elijah is correct the less that knows the smaller the chance of being discovered which is why we will just allow the conversations of my people to evolve naturally.”

  “So you are thinking they will cultivate some of your people straight away?” Charlie asked.

  Thorn shrugged but a smile in his eyes lingered. “Yes most definitely the temptation will be too great to resist. I would.”

  “As would I!” Fin told her.

  “How will you know if they do? Will your people tell you and what will they tell you, that someone asked a question that happens a million times a day to anyone person.” June asked as she thought about the plan.

  He looked around the table the twinkle in his eyes more pronounced at their curiosity. “I will know, they are my people.”

  “But…” Storm placed a warning hand on Charlie’s knee under the table as she went to ask how, she stopped her question at his touch.

  “One question?” Ciana asked at Thorn’s nod she asked. “How do we spot the informers, and the information gathers?”

  Conor said. “We have taken care of that. Remember we do not want to catch these people we only want to identify them and find out the other players in the web.”

  “How many do you think there are?” Edith asked Conor who shrugged. “None less the five, no more than ten. Anymore would be suspicious. Imagine a hundred people asking questions. No matter how subtle you were it would be realized that there were people asking the same questions. The fact we have not known until now shows you that we are probably right on our numbers.”

  Conor refrained from telling them they were going to identify the people from listening in on the thoughts of the town. Or at least that is what he thought Sage had said. Although he had no idea how she and her witches were going to do so and felt it would be better if he did not know. As she was not offering to explain he left well enough alone.

  “Okay, well I see the reason and cannot see any objections to it. He needs to be brought down and if this will keep us all safe and him and his web of destruction gone. I say let’s do it!” Harper said.

  Reighn asked. “A show of hands if we have a plan?”

  Everyone put their hands up. “Okay so now that is done we need to hear from Keeper about what he and Olinda have found in the books given to us by the Goddess.”

  Keeper stood up. “Olinda and I have scoured the two books that the Moon Goddess gave Uncle Andre` and we now know what the prophesy meant.”

  “Which is?” Reighn asked.

  Keeper looked at Olinda then his mother. “The prophesy says that a wrong will be righted, we know what that means. The females will fly. Or to be accurate they will have the ability to communicate with their dragons as some are already doing. They will also be able to transform to dragon fully and fly. What we did not know and learnt was that not only must the sun and moon dragons be here there has to be balance.”

  “What does that mean?” Verity asked Keeper who shrugged as he answered her in his quiet way. “Everything is in balance the sun and moon Goddesses, the sun and moon dragons. Male and female regardless of species.”

  “So…” Frankie frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  Olinda smiled at her confused expression and looked around the people there. “We know you do not, none of you do but think both twins are here and yet not one female dragon has transformed, why is that?”

  “Are we sure they are meant too?” Sharm asked what they were all thinking.

  “Oh yes very much so the books both volumes say they will, they must.” Olinda assured them relieving Verity’s anxiety. Olinda asked kindly. “Ciana have you or the twins shifted since you arrived here?”

  “No, only when we first arrived.”

  “And they will not.” Keeper stated. “Before you ask why, as you both already changed once, Elara fully and you partially. We found out that was a Goddess trick, she made it so we would take you seriously you and Elara.”

  “Oh, that seems a little cruel.” Grace said softly as Ciana shook her head at the Goddesses supposed wisdom. Thorn asked. “How else was she to make sure to get the Dragon Lords attention?”

  “I can think of many other ways of doing that.” Harper snapped.

  “But not so bluntly or decisively.” Phoebe murmured.

  “So if the Goddess did so for my attention and everyone else’s. Why can the females not shift the hatchlings are all here?” Reighn asked halting the discussion he could see brewing. Keeper answered for himself and Olinda. “Because we need the key, imagine if you will the sun and moon dragons are the lock.”

  “All locks need a key!” Frankie spoke her thought out loud.

  “Exactly!” Olinda and Keeper said at the same time.

  “So who or what is the key?” Edith asked them, they both shrugged. “No idea!”

  “Well, that is the problem. Obviously the books do not say.” Sage asked.

  Keeper shook his head. “No and we are at a loss to know where to search out the answer.”

  Ciana looked at Andre` her eyes resigned he shook his head as he closed his eyes in disbelief. While Ciana said quietly. “It is my sister, if you think it through, it is rather poetic.”

  “Really how do you know?” Keeper asked her trying to think how she came to that conclusion. It was one of the possibilities he and Olinda had tossed around but had not offered up thinking to spare Ciana and Andre`.

  She shrugged as Andre` replied when he opened his eyes and looked directly into Ciana’s sad ones. “If you think about it logically, it makes sense, twins, the twin sun dragons, the twin moon dragons. There is a balance, so it stands to reason the twins would be the lock and key. I think your conclusions that the moon and sun dragons are the key are wrong.” He told both Olinda and Keeper who asked. “How so Uncle?”

  “I think if you look at it from another perspective you will see that Ciana is the key, why else does she have to be here? Surely if the moon and sun dragons were the key, the Goddess would have just given them straight here. They would just have appeared one day. But they
did not. They had to be brought here and by Olinda because she needed to be the Unicorns catalyst for a new life. And for Ash of course.” Olinda smiled at him.

  “Ciana and her twin sister are not mystical unless you count they were magically given life from a male dragon and human female who were not bonded. Which is impossible as we all know and yet they are both here. So lock and key!”

  “I count that as mystical.” Ciana told him.

  “Which is which?” Keeper wondered Andre` shrugged. “Does it matter together they will make it possible for females to fly.”

  “Oh my, they the Goddesses screwed up!” Chortled Olinda in delight.

  Ash admonished her. “I do not think you should take such delight in their mistake my heart.”

  “I know I really shouldn’t but seriously they are so screwed.”

  Andre` grinned as well. “Yes I think they did.”

  “Wait…wait I am lost!” Edith turned to Andre` who grinned. “Alright, the Goddesses made two sets of twins.”

  “Yep got that, sun and moon dragons.”

  “Good but by using ‘magics’ they also made another set of twins.” Totally bemused now she asked eagerly. “Who?”

  Ciana laughed as she told her. “Me and my sister!”

  Edith thought about it as she worked it out. “Oh my no wonder Olinda is amused they made a key and a lock.”

  “Yes and they did not realize it, now they cannot bring her here, they lost her.” Ciana said sadly.

  Claire spoke for the first time. “It was worse than that. They ignored her, removed her from her twin sister and allowed each of them to grow up alone. Without that closeness twins have with each other. Then they lost her to the world. I bet the Goddess kept track of you Ciana your whole life. There would not have been a moment you were alone, always watched over. Assured your health never suffered, you never suffered. Who watched out for her I wonder?”