by Tia Didmon
Legion’s hands tightened on her for a moment. “A treasure hunter?”
Mara touched a finger to her lip. “Yes, but she doesn’t care about money. For Alana, the thrill is finding what she is looking for. She takes the money to pay her bills and to finance her personal hunts.”
Legion smiled. “A seeker then.”
Mara considered his words. “That’s an accurate description.”
Legion nodded. “How old is she?”
“Alana is almost twenty-two. We are just over a year apart.”
Legion nodded. “It is too soon to say if her caving interests are akin to her druid ability.”
Mara licked her lips. “How can you be sure she will have any?”
Legion picked up her hand, kissing her fingers. The action reverent, as if he was unsure, she was real. “She was at that camp. She is a druid and will have magic of her own one day. Whether she is a dragon mate, however, remains uncertain.”
Mara huffed. “I pity any dragon that tries to pin my sister down. If she has magic at her disposal, even more so.”
Legion turned her hand over, so he could kiss her palm. “Dragons are patient and persuasive when needed.”
Mara smiled at the soft caresses against her fingers. “Really, I hadn’t noticed.” He smiled against her hand.
Legion closed her fingers over his kiss. “Can you email her? Tell her it is imperative she contact you.”
Mara grabbed her phone from the nightstand. She sent off a quick email, doing as Legion instructed. “I said it was my birthday and something unbelievable has happened. I doubt she will care about my birthday, but she is curious, so she may call just to find out...” Mara turned when her phone dinged. “I don’t believe it. Alana is calling me in a minute.” Mara tried not to let her excitement show. She knew better than to expect anything from Alana. Her phone chimed and an unknown number flashed before she picked up. “Hello?”
Alana cleared her throat. “Hey, Mara.”
Mara glanced at Legion. “Hi Alana, it’s good to hear from you.”
Static crackled on the line. The sound of rushing water rumbled in the background. “Yeah, sure, you said something happened. It’s your twenty-third birthday. Was it... weird?”
Mara blew out a long breath. “You have no idea. Listen, it’s not something I can discuss on the phone. It’s...”
“Was your birthday magical? I don’t mean birthday cake and presents. I mean lights flickering and shit blowing up kind of magical.”
Mara’s chest squeezed. “What made you say that? How did you know?”
Papers rustled as if she were folding a map. “Shit, mom had it wrong. I’m on my way home. I will be there tomorrow night. Stay indoors and don’t trust anyone except, Natalie.” The line went dead.
Mara dropped the phone. “She knew. This whole time, Alana knew.” The tears rolled down her face as Legion pulled her against his body.
Mara smiled at Legion as he opened the door that led outside. She appreciated his attempt to lift her spirits and admitted the smell of fresh rain enhanced the beautiful ambiance. “It is lovely here. I can understand why you built a cabin here.”
Legion pointed to the gigantic mountain in the distance. “We own property that covers a good portion of the mountain. Over a hundred dragons sleep in those caverns.”
Mara squinted. “A hundred?’
“There are caverns like this all over the world. A few remain awake and guard the rest as they sleep in each location.”
“You are guarding Colorado?”
“Technically, my location is the United States. We have another unit in Canada, one in Europe and one in Russia. Our original home is Scotland, but as the druid magic was disbursed abroad in order to protect it, the caves there are empty.”
Mara looked around. “It’s incredible you have a species hidden throughout the world and no one knows about it.”
Legion kissed her hand and led her down a rock pathway. “Being able to erase human memories has had its perks. Still, your history has come up with some inventive ways to glorify us.”
Mara winked at him. “I had white sheets with pink dragons on them as a child.”
Legion laughed. “I have never seen a pink dragon. That would be a miracle.”
Mara stopped. “The transmutation spell you told me about. If I learned it, would I turn into a pink dragon?”
“As transmutation is a spell, not a shift into one’s born form, you can turn into any creature or color you can imagine.”
Mara tapped her chin. “A pink dragon. That has possibilities.”
Legion pulled her under his arm. “It a complex spell. It will take many years to learn, but if you wish to hone your skills, why don’t we start with something simpler.”
“Like what?”
He kissed her forehead. “In order to restore the temple, we need to find the druids that were at that camp.”
Mara looked up at him. “There were more than six girls at that camp. How do we figure out which ones we need to restore the temple?”
Legion ran a finger along her cheek. The low hum of his magic caressing hers, made it seem like his fingers were singing to her. “All the druids need protection. While the six will restore the temple far more are required to protect it.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why do I have the feeling you know how to find them?”
“I can’t find them, but you can.”
“How.”
“Use your magic. Until now, you have waited for a vision. You have not attempted to induce one. Try to enter the temple. See if she allows your entry at your will, instead of hers.”
“I still find it weird you are referring to the temple as a she, but I will try.” She closed her eyes. “Nothing is happening.”
“You must think of the temple. Picture every detail you remember in your mind. Reach out to her. Ask permission to enter.”
Mara pictured the drawbridge along with the blue light that emanated from it. She thought about the hallway, and the alter with old leather-bound books. It took her a moment to realize she was there. The picture in her mind was now her reality. Her outline was hazy, her translucent body hovered above the dusty stone ground. How do I find the druids?
The room changed as if it shifted beneath her feet. Mara heard Legion call her name, but it was distant. Muffled. She drifted in the room, stopping before the bones that lay at the base of the table. She tried to touch them, but her hand passed through. The blue haze around the window cleared to reveal a rolling hill. No construction marred the landscape, and the sky had a different hue.
She went to the table when she noticed the six cups had engraved images on them. Legion, can you hear me?
I am here. What do you see?
A table. There are six cups. Each has a symbol on it.
What do they look like? Describe each symbol.
She went to the first one, scrutinizing it before moving to the next. Her fingers hovered over the familiar symbol that brought her pain. She was about to move on when she felt a jolt of power, pulling her back to the present. She gasped when she opened her eyes. The wave of exhaustion hit her within seconds. “Holy shit.”
Legion held her steady. “Your magic is new. Think of it as a new muscle, one you need to strengthen and hone. It takes time to run a marathon.”
“I only got to see three symbols. I want to go back, but I don’t think I can.”
Legion nodded. “I am surprised you lasted as long as you did. Tell me what symbols you saw.”
“The first had two hands and a gate between them.”
‘The gatekeeper. We knew we needed her.” Legion said,
“The other was a singular gigantic eye.”
“The seer. That’s you. What else?”
“The other one looked like a fox with one eye. I didn’t have time to see the other symbols.”
Legion huffed. “The seeker.”
“Alana.”
Legion rubbed his chin. “Maybe. You could ente
r the temple with your magic. I assume the other druids will be able to also, but it will take those six to enable a gate to our plane.”
“Our plane?”
“Our layer of existence. The temple resides in another, and until the six of you open that gate, it will stay there.”
Mara pursed her lips. “What do we do next?’
Legion stared into the distance. “We retrieve the gatekeeper.”
Mara swallowed hard. “We are going after Devlin.”
“Yes.” Legion’s words echoed on the wind.
Chapter 16
Mara sat at the large oak table in the kitchen. Conner rolled out a blueprint to Devlin’s mansion as Draco entered the room. He nodded to her before taking a seat.
Legion ran a hand over the map of rooms. “The property is extensive with several outbuildings. It seems the darks need to keep up appearances hasn’t changed.”
Conner nodded. “It’s true. The grounds are immaculate. There are more dark dragons than I suspected, too.”
Legion looked up. “Truly?”
Conner pointed to a location on the map, away from the main house. “I flew over several times. They’re armed like humans and patrolling the grounds. They have an evolved unit. I have never seen the darks work together like that. They are maintaining a shield around the property as well. With several of them feeding it their power. It forced me to keep my distance, so they wouldn’t detect me.”
Legion rubbed his face. “So you have no idea how many are inside?”
“No. I monitored them for two hours and counted thirty dragons and fifty humans.”
Legion raised an eyebrow. “They are using human soldiers at their home residence?”
“Yes, and those humans know they possess magic.”
Legion growled. “They shifted in front of the humans?”
Conner shook his head. “They never switched forms where a human could see them, but they did display their gifts.”
Legion growled. “The dark dragons never risked exposure before. They know that the humans outnumber us. With the advancements in human technology, a war would ensure our extinction.”
Mara leaned forward. “Why do you assume humans, discovering dragons exist, would result in a war?”
Legion glanced at Conner before answering her. “It happened before. The humans rallied against the druids, dragons and mages alike. They outlawed anything with magic. Their numbers were smaller then, and we averted a full-scale war. We used magic to erase humanity of magical beings. Every faction possessing magic has adhered to that rule... until now.”
Mara nibbled her lip. “Human thinking has grown. We are more accepting now.”
Legion sighed. “While you have evolved since those dark days, there are still factions of humanity that are unforgiving toward that which is different.”
Mara wanted to refute his claims, but she couldn’t deny that some humans would try to enslave the dragon race. People who would use magical creatures as an asset to exploit. “I understand.”
Legion nodded. “We will infiltrate with a compact unit. I can shroud the four of us from the dragons and humans. It’s essential that we retrieve the gatekeeper.”
Draco scratched his neck. “You can infiltrate their shield without their knowledge?”
Legion’s eyes flickered. “My power is the source of all dragons, including theirs. I also have access to the power of every dragon faithful to the Rule clan.”
Draco whistled. “I didn’t realize you could take our power.”
Legion shook his head. “Not take it. Siphon off a little from each of you to enhance my own. I have never utilized it before.”
Mara glanced between the men. “You said four of us. Do you mean me?”
Legion touched her face lightly. “Mara, you are the only one of us, Tempest knows. I am hoping you will use your past interactions to gain her trust. While Tempest hasn’t come into her power, we know she is a druid. I would prefer not to use magic on her.”
“You used magic on Natalie.”
“I didn’t know she was a druid and Conner had trouble removing her memories.”
Mara glanced at the pink and yellow trees surrounding the property. It was a fairy tale setting with the princess inside, unaware she was the captive. “Are we doing the right thing? I mean, if Tempest believes Devlin loves her then she won’t believe anything I say.”
Legion took Mara’s hand. “I know we’re destroying a young girl’s fantasy, but that is what it is. Devlin is maintaining this facade until she comes into her power, but her make-believe world will crumble with or without our help. We are just ensuring her safety when it does.”
Mara nodded. “I get it. I just feel awful for her.”
Legion kissed her cheek. “That’s why you are the seer of the druid race. Your compassion will lead your sisters into the modern world.”
Mara nodded. “Okay, let’s get Tempest. I have to return to the loft before Alana does. Tempest isn’t the only one living in a fantasy world.”
Mara held Legion’s hand as they stood at the far corner of the mansion grounds. Lush greenery crested the rolling hills with intricately carved white archways and a multitude of colored flowers. All clustered together in perfect symmetry. She had a moment of regret, pulling Tempest from the beauty of the property, until reminding herself the sweet blind girl from her past, couldn’t see it. The beautiful oasis was nothing more than a sculpted mirage. A perfect picture that hid the monstrosity within its walls.
Legion glanced down at her. “I will create a bubble of invisibility. We will see everything around us, but those inside Devlin’s walls will not see us.”
Conner motioned to the men patrolling the grounds. “Can you sense Devlin? I can hear several dragons speaking within the walls, yet I don’t hear him.”
Legion concentrated on the mansion. “I do not sense him. It is possible he is shrouding his presence.”
Draco surveyed the grounds. “I doubt it. He would have expected us coming to expend that much magic.”
Mara frowned. “It takes a lot of magic to shroud yourself?”
Draco glanced at his leader. “Not from humans or lesser dragons, but Legion is the source of our magic. Even if he could do it, the effects would be short term.”
Mara blew out a long breath. “Okay,” she said.
Legion pulled her hand to his lips. “Don’t be nervous. I have every faith in you.”
Mara nodded as he led her onto the property. The magic that rippled around them was powerful and soothing, as if they were being wrapped in a warm blanket. A cocoon that muffled the outside world and shimmered around them.
They walked past the first guard. She found the experience unnerving and strange. The dragons were unaffected, as if invisible walks in enemy territory were ordinary. Her heart skipped when the guard stopped, looking around like he was being watched. His eyes flashed red. A crystalline sheen that exposed his species’ origins before receding. He shook his head and continued down the path toward a large outbuilding.
Legion looked after him. “That was Annock. I thought he died years ago.”
Mara squeezed his arm. “He will hear you,” she whispered.
Legion narrowed his gaze. “The bubble is soundproof. No one can see or hear us.”
She smacked his chest. “You might have mentioned that before.”
Legion’s lip twitched. “My apologies.”
They entered the mansion through a large oak door. While Legion reassured her that nobody would see the door open, the reverberating crack when it closed made her jump. “I wonder if this is how ghosts feel when they haunt us?”
Legion frowned. “There are no such things as ghosts.”
Mara huffed. “Says the golden dragon,” she snipped.
The house was littered with pictures. All from different eras and all of Devlin. She stopped to touch a picture of him in a pin striped suit. The car in the background was a Model-T Ford. “Narcissist much? I am surprised he has th
ese displayed so openly.”
Conner leaned over a picture of Devlin in a German uniform. “He likely says it’s a relative. That or he doesn’t allow anyone here who isn’t aware he’s a dragon.”
They ascended the red-carpeted steps. The paisley pattern was perfect, but looked out of date. Mara attempted to figure out the inconsistency when a young woman’s laughter floated toward them. The silver notes caressed the bubble, drawing them toward the angelic sound.
Legion pointed at the room at the end of the hall. “Tempest is there. We will guard the steps to give you time to speak with her. If you cannot get her to see the truth, I will put her to sleep and take her.”
Mara nodded, hating the alternative of taking Tempest against her will. She walked down the hallway. She glanced back to the men before entering the room, but nothing was there. Once outside Legion’s bubble, even she could not see or hear him. She opened the door to a pink bedroom that looked like it was for a child.
Tempest was sitting on the bed with frilly pink lace and matching pillows. The white wolf lifted its head, eying her, judging her, before nuzzling her owner. The blind girl ran a hand down her pet’s back. “May I help you?”
Mara cleared her throat. “You probably don’t remember me. We went to camp together as children. My name is Mara.”
Tempest swung her feet to the floor. Her long black hair flipped over her shoulder, creating a cascade of black silk. “Mara, you’re Alana’s sister, right?”
“Yes, I am surprised you remember us.”
Tempest cocked her ear to the side. “Alana was my roommate at the camp. Of course, I remember you. Why are you here?”
Mara frowned. She didn’t remember Alana being Tempest roommate. She forgot Alana had not been in hers and Natalie’s room. Why would she forget that? “This is going to sound strange.”
Tempest folded her arms. “That Devlin allowed you in here, or that Daisy didn’t alert me to your presence, is strange.”
Mara held her hand out to the dog, smiling when Daisy licked her hand. “She is beautiful.”
Tempest ran a hand over the white coat. “She likes you, which is weird. She is dreadfully overprotective and even growls at Devlin.”
