His eyes cut to mine, and a wrinkle formed in the middle of his forehead as he considered. “You may ask.”
“When did they start the curfew and why?” I held my breath. I knew what my mom had told me, but if my instincts were right, Mr. Crawford would have a different story.
His grip tightened for a split second before he let go of my arm altogether. “Your mother has told you, has she not?”
“She told me the history on it. That it’s to protect those non-supernatural, not from anyone who lives here but from newcomers or rogues. But I think there is another reason, and the only person I could think who would know is you.” I held my breath again, hoping he would answer.
He nodded his head. “She is right. No matter how much we trust each other, bad things can happen after the sun goes down.” He paused and looked at me, considering what to say next. “What have you learned in your readings?”
I heaved a sigh, my shoulders sagging. “Not much. It’s hard filtering through the fiction from the truth.”
He nodded, encouraging me to go on.
“If I am right, the actual founding fathers of the town were shifters and not human as our history teacher taught us. Though they hid their nature well and blended in with humans so well they lived a long and prosperous life here.”
“Yes, and…” he prodded.
I hesitated. The story I found seemed too farfetched to be true. But I had learned that those crazy stories usually ended up being the real history of the town. “Well, reading between the lines of the stories…” I stopped walking and looked at Mr. Crawford. I wanted to see his reaction to what I said next. “They installed the curfew because of their son. Because he went crazy and began killing after the sun went down.”
Mr. Crawford gently touched my elbow to begin our walk again before answering. “Well, that’s a very CliffsNotes version of the story, but you are right in a way. The first settlers were shifters, and yes, they instilled the curfew back then because of an increase of deaths. Where you went wrong is assuming their son was the killer. He was the one who increased the protection for our town. A band of rogues had decided our town was a prime hunting spot because the humans here trusted us and our kind. They were ripe and easy pickings. The curfew went into law when their son’s betrothed was attacked and drained of her blood.”
My hand flew to my mouth as I gasped. I hadn’t read that in any of the stories. “But it was decades ago. Things have changed, and yet we still have a curfew we adhere to. Why?” My curiosity was getting the better of me.
“Because we are still a target for those who don’t agree with how we live with and among humans.” He stopped walking, and I realized were at the gate to my house. “Here you are, Miss Seraphim.” He bowed his head and opened the gate for me.
I walked through and turned to face him as he closed it behind me. “Thank you, Mr. Crawford.”
“No thanks needed. Now get inside before the last rays of the sun are gone.” He turned and slowly walked back toward his building.
My brain was a bit slow, and his words clicked as I watched his back disappear. He had said “we are still a target,” including himself in the shifter group we had been talking about. I turned and walked up the sidewalk with the biggest grin of satisfaction on my face as Mom opened the door. I knew Mr. Crawford would tell me more than my mother would, and he had.
7
Wyatt
I had spent the day riding around Jerome’s land with no destination in mind. I let the wind whip past me and tried to release the tension and stress that had been building. Finding that dragon scale on the porch still had me shook up and then the cryptic message Gran had given me… Follow my heart. Yeah, easier said than done, I thought to myself. I learned years ago how to turn that organ off. The only thing I followed these days were my instincts and my head. Adding emotion to it would only put myself and those I protected in danger.
“Maybe it’s time to let our heart decide.” My dragon spoke up. He had been unusually quiet since we had met the wrinkled old woman.
“Now you talk. What’s up with the head bowing and everything back there?” I asked, pissed at how he had submitted so easily.
“She is old power; didn’t you feel it? She knows all. She may look old, but she could take us down with a snap of her fingers. If she says we have a mate, then we must find her.”
I stopped the four-wheeler and stilled myself. It was then I felt the pain and hope radiating from my dragon. I forget some days just how old we really are. He was getting tired of just living, and the hope of finding a mate had awoken a feeling he hadn’t felt in centuries, but with it came the pain of those years alone. I knew then, for him, I had to search. “Okay, we will look. But don’t get your hopes up. We both know dragons died out long ago. We were lucky to escape.”
He chuffed at my words. “We will see, now go pack. I want to fly.”
I returned the four-wheeler to the garage, walked back to the cabin I was staying in, and packed the saddlebags on my bike with the few meager things I had brought. The only item I wanted to protect was that lone scale, and I tucked it into the inner pocked of my leather jacket. I jotted a quick note and left it on the counter. I knew Suzanne would most likely send Mack to check on me soon. I hated leaving that way, but I wasn’t in the mood for questions or long good-byes. I straddled my bike, and with the press of a button, it roared to life. I drove to the end of the road leading to the pack compound and stopped.
“Okay, big guy, which way?” I let him take over. His sense of direction had always been better than my human one ever was. He nudged me to turn right. Okay, east it is. His urgency spurred me to keep a heady pace as I drove along country roads until we finally hit the interstate with a sign announcing we had officially crossed the state line and were in Kentucky. Drago seemed to have fallen asleep, so I mentally nudged him. He was the navigator on this trip.
“Keep going till the road ends,” he grumbled and went back to his slumber. I stopped briefly to fill the tank and empty mine and continued. Day turned to night, and the fatigue of riding so long started creeping in. When the sun finally set, Drago awoke and stretched internally. I pulled off the road at a rest area and turned the engine off. My legs were cramped, and I had lost feeling in my ass miles ago.
“What’s the plan, big guy?” A good night’s rest sounded good to me, but I felt his need to keep going pushing at me.
“We keep going. Can’t you feel her? She’s closer.”
His words made me stop stretching and pause. I took a deep breath and focused inward to center myself. Then I let my senses widen slowly, searching for what he felt. Energies bombarded me, and as I sifted through each one, my hope lessened. Our age was finally catching up with us and Drago was losing his grasp on reality. I sighed and began to pull my senses in when there it was, a spark so different from everything else. I sent my mind out searching again and found it, red and golden and female. It was small, an ember of energy, but still there. I pulled back in and opened my eyes. A smile split my face as hope bloomed in a corner of my heart. Maybe that old woman wasn’t crazy after all.
“Nope, she’s out there, but she needs us. Her spark, it’s too small. It should be bigger.”
Drago’s matter-of-fact statement shook me. “Then let’s keep going.” I straddled my bike ready to continue the journey when he stopped me.
“We’ll find her faster if we fly. She’s hidden. I may not feel her spark grow from the human roads.”
I looked at my bike and sighed. We had done this before, shifted and flew during a ride. Drago’s claws were large enough to carry my bike with no problems. “Fine, but if you scratch my new paint job, it won’t be pretty.” I dismounted and moved to the middle of the parking lot. It was empty except for my bike. I glanced around and saw no traffic, so I relaxed and let Drago take over.
The transformation was one I enjoyed and nothing like other species of shifters. It was pure magic, literally. I didn’t feel bones cracking or rea
ligning. There was no pain involved at all. It was like having an out-of-body experience, my essence floating on a warm breeze as the power of my dragon infused every cell. The total makeup of my DNA to his was flawless and instant. As his form finally emerged, my essence floated back down, and we became one again. The change took less than a minute, and I was looking through the eyes of the largest predator in the world, who had the heart of a teddy bear. When the shift happened, Drago and I became one, though a part of my humanity became a spectator, a voice of reason when primal instincts took over. Two entities living in one body and sharing space.
I was thankful part of the magic that made us what we were also cloaked us from sight unless we wanted to be seen. I could feel this time the magic would stay and help us remain invisible. In this form, I felt the pull of her much stronger, the magical connection no longer muted by my humanity. We gently cradled my bike in a claw and took to the sky. The only evidence we were there was the wind gusts made by our wings.
As we flew, I focused on the spark that called to us. The farther we flew, the stronger it got. Just over an hour into our flight, a mountain range came into view. If we had continued on the bike, it would have taken another half day to reach this point. We drew closer and caught the glimmer of magic within the trees.
“She’s there.” Drago’s excitement made our skin tingle.
“We must be careful. There is magic at work here. Strong magic,” I warned him. Sometimes when faced with something he wants; common sense went out the window. “Let’s circle and see if we can tell how far the boundary goes. It looks like a protection bubble. Without knowing who set it and when, it would be foolish to try to fly through it.”
He huffed his unhappiness but flew the perimeter before finding a clearing to set down. There was a small rundown cabin, probably a hunter’s shack, at the edge of the grassy field we landed in. The shift back was just as quick and painless. I checked my bike for damage before pushing it toward the cabin.
“Told you I wouldn’t hurt it.” Drago scoffed at me.
“So you did, thank you. Now let’s see if this shack is clear. We need a good night’s rest and to figure out a plan.” I knew he wanted to barge in and find her, but this was a delicate situation. I had no idea what we would be stepping into. A few days of reconnaissance was in order, and a phone call to a couple of high-tech friends would ease my mind and help me prepare a plan.
The cabin looked to have been abandoned a long time ago, except for a family of raccoons that took off the moment they caught my scent and a couple dozen spiders who didn’t seem to care if I was there or not. The interior was sparse, a bed frame with only most of the mattress it once held, two ladder-back chairs with the woven seats chewed through, and a small uneven table between them. The fireplace brick was falling apart, and it looked like termites had taken up residence in the walls, but the roof was still intact, so that was a positive. After the interior and exterior inspection, I pushed my bike through the door, not taking the chance that we might not be alone out here. Then I took the time to walk a perimeter, a half acre on each side, and set up small traps to notify me of any intruders.
Once Drago and I both were satisfied we were as safe as possible, I settled down on the floor and pulled out the few things I had saved from my lunch earlier, then ate them for dinner and washed it all down with the last bottle of water I had.
“We need to go to her,” Drago persisted, his agitation and being made to wait evident in his restlessness. These moments are when I am thankful of the training I did as a human within military, special security, and private investigation.
“Waiting a day or so won’t hurt. I won’t rush into a situation blind. You know this. Her spark is there, which means she is safe wherever she is. Remember, she may not even know who or what she is.” Drago huffed and curled up in a corner of my mind, pouting. He didn’t like waiting.
I tuned into my senses, checking for danger. After finding none, I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall to get some sleep. I quickly fell into a restless slumber, and for the first time since I was a child, I dreamt.
8
Natalie
Mom had made a fabulous peach cobbler when she arrived home from work, so of course we had to have a serving when I walked in. It was still warm, so we each topped a slice with a large helping of French vanilla ice cream. I avoided her questions about what I had been reading about as best I could.
“Nat, you know you can always talk to me about anything. No questions.” Her eyes were full of concern as she pinned me with her gaze. I knew then I wouldn’t be able to keep it from her.
My shoulders slumped as I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms. “You’ll think I’m crazy.”
“No, I won’t.” She leaned her elbows on the table, giving me her full attention.
“Well, you remember I went to see the gypsy.” I paused.
“Yes, just like I did at your age. What did she tell you?”
“What exactly did she tell you?” I knew Mom went to see her at my age, but I always felt she left something out of the story.
Mom reached across and squeezed my hand. “You already know she foretold of meeting your father and of the change in the shifter world, but I didn’t tell you the rest.” She took a deep breath. “Neevie also told me my daughter would one day make a choice that would change the world. That her heart would save a race.” She patted my hand and sat back. “Now, hearing all this at such a young age was scary, and I didn’t believe her at first. You know the crazy gypsy lady, but when I got pregnant with you, everything clicked, and I knew everything she said would come true.” She smiled, love pouring from her eyes. “Now what did she tell you?”
I let the breath I was holding out slowly, hoping she wouldn’t reject what I said like my so-called best friend Sandy had. “She told me I was destined to be the last dragon’s mate.”
“And that’s what you have been trying to research all day?”
I nodded yes. “I figured if anyone would have history on dragons, it would be Mr. Crawford. I thought they were extinct, but now I am not so sure. I got through a lot of the old stories and legends and pieced a few things together, but I have a lot more to go through.”
“How do you feel about it?”
No one had asked me that question. I took a moment before answering. “Excited but a little scared. I feel like my life has a purpose though, and I feel driven to discover it and him.” I covered my mouth as a yawn slipped from me.
“You’re tired, dear. We can talk more about this tomorrow.” Mom stood and pulled me into a hug. “Please be smart and use your head. Remember, I am here, no judgement, to help you work through anything confusing you.” She leaned back and kissed my cheek. “Now go upstairs and rest. Tomorrow will be here before you know it.”
“I love you, Mom.” My chest ached with emotions as her acceptance sank in.
“I love you too, Nat.”
I grabbed my bag and made my way up the stairs toward my room. Each step felt heavier than the last as the stress of the day wore off and all that was left was bone-deep exhaustion. I tossed my bag near the bottom of my bed barely registering the top had opened and something was sliding to the floor.
* * *
My dreams were filled with snippets from the stories I had combed through that day. My imagination brought the words to life until I ended up in a clearing on the side of a mountain. I didn’t recognize it as any part of the range around our town, but I felt drawn to it. It felt like home. The scent of rain and evergreen wrapped around me with an undertone of something hot and burned like the smell after you blow out a candle. The sky was full of stars, and a sliver of a moon hung low on the horizon, the rays of the sun just starting to peek out. It was beautiful and peaceful. I sat in the dew-filled grass and took it all in. I looked down at myself when I realized the moisture from the grass wasn’t seeping through to my ass.
I wore a pair of tan leggings that felt like leather, a knife and
sheath strapped to my thigh, and knee-high riding boots worn with age. A light tank top covered with a vest of the same leather as my leggings covered my upper torso. Two more sheaths, smaller than the one on my thigh, were strapped to my upper arms, and my hair was braided down my back. I stood and turned around, trying to look at every inch of me. This is not an outfit I would normally wear, not with my plentiful curves, but I liked it. It seemed to be more function than fashion, though the knives worried me a bit. They most definitely weren’t decoration. When I grasped and pulled them out, the handles fit my palms perfectly, worn and molded with use. The wind kicked up around me, and a loud cry from above grabbed my attention. I looked up to see three huge dragons circling the sky where there were none moments ago. The rising sun glittered off their dark ebony scales and spiked tails. Their wings were massive, easily half a football field or more across.
Fear took hold, and I ran toward the nearest covering of trees. These weren’t nice, friendly dragons. They radiated danger and death. I looked up again when I reached the trees, and they were still there, circling. I knew they saw me. Why weren’t they coming down?
“Because they are the sentinels marking where you are, little one. Hurry, you don’t have much time. There is a path just behind you. Take it and I’ll meet you in the next clearing.” A deep resonating voice echoed in my head. I didn’t stop to wonder how. My instincts spurred me to follow its instructions. I ran down the path and burst into the clearing, my eyes cast downward watching where my feet planted and my breath heaving from the exertion. I looked up and stopped dead in my tracks.
There before me was the most magnificent dragon I had ever seen. It had to be at least four or five stories tall and just as long from snout to tail. His scales—because it had to be a him—shimmered in the morning light. Some were silver, some a grayish blue, and some a deep fire red. He had eyes that glowed yellow-gold, rimmed in a royal blue that deepened in color as he looked at me. He wrapped his tail around him, bringing attention to the talons on his front claws, again larger than life and easily five feet long.
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