The air around her began to crackle, and then on the palm of each hand, a swirling ball of fire appeared. The flaming orb grew, spinning and swirling, tendrils of fire shooting out to singe the demons. Amy raised her hands in the air, a look of shock and wonder on her face, then said, “Be gone from here.”
A gigantic crack filled the air, making the ground shake and the trees sway; the orbs flew from Amy’s palms, striking the frozen earth with another bang, and a black swirling hole opened up in the ground. The demons began to scream as they were pulled toward the swirling black mass, then in an instant, they were gone. There was a small pop when the vortex closed, then total silence, but Michael hardly noticed as he swooped out of the air toward Amy.
She stood swaying, looking around the yard, then she looked up at him and collapsed onto the porch. He reached her just as Molly did, scooped her up in his arms, and held her to him. At first, he didn’t think she was breathing, but then he felt the warm tickle of her breath on his neck and her hand pulling at his arm.
“I can’t breathe,” she said. “You’re crushing me.”
He felt Molly’s hand on his arm. “Ease up, Michael. I think she’s okay,” she said.
“I thought you were dead,” he said, looking down at her and grinning, tears running down his cheeks.
She reached up and wiped the tears away. “I’m not sure what just happened, and right now, I don’t want to think about it, but I’m okay,” she said.
Michael put his hand on her belly, and she put hers over it. “We’re both okay,” she said.
He let out the breath he’d been holding. “We’ll have Gabriel check you out just to make sure,” he said.
“Did I hear my name?” a familiar voice asked.
He looked up, surprised to see Gabriel and Vincent and his mother standing behind him. “When did you get here?”
“Just in time to witness Amy sending the demons back to hell,” Vincent said. “Nicely done, by the way. I’m Vincent.”
“Ummm, thank you,” Amy stammered. “I think I’d like to get up now.”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Michael said, sweeping her into his arms. “You’re not stepping onto those pretty feet of yours until Gabriel says it’s okay.”
“What’s wrong with her?” he heard his mother ask.
“Nothing nine months won’t cure,” he threw over his shoulder. “Let’s go, Gabriel.”
Amy slapped him on the chest. “Did you really have to tell her that way?” she asked, cringing when they heard his mother screaming questions at Molly.
“Molly can handle her,” he said. “Right now, I just want to make sure that you and the little one are okay.”
Amy rested her head against his chest. “As long as I’m with you, I’ll always be okay,” she said, then looked up at him. “I love you, Michael. You’re my fairy tale come to life.”
“I love you too, Amy, and we’re going to live happily ever after. I promise,” he said, then leaned down and sealed his promise with a kiss.
I hope you enjoyed the second book of my new series Guardian Dragons of Prospect Falls and thank you for reading. Order the next book in this series “Dragon Hero” by clicking HERE.
***
Dragon Hero
Chapter One
***Vincent***
Vincent set his empty coffee cup down next to him on the little table, stretched his legs out, crossed his feet at the ankles, and closed his eyes. The easy chair was more comfortable than the chair in his office, and it was much quieter in the farmhouse, but he’d only have a few minutes before the caffeine hit his system. A quick nap would restore some of his energy, but before long, he’d have to get some real sleep.
It felt like only a few minutes but must have been nearly an hour when he opened his eyes to find Gabriel sitting next to him in the other chair. He had a cup of coffee in his hands but was staring into the fire, his eyes rimmed with dark shadows of exhaustion. Vincent pushed himself up and ran his fingers through his dark blond hair, trying to clear the sleep from his brain.
“You look like you could use more than a cup of coffee,” he said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “When is the last time you slept?”
Gabriel took a long swallow of his coffee. “Two nights ago,” he said, finally looking over at Vincent.
“Sounds like we both need to go home and get some sleep,” he said, standing up and stretching. “How are the patients?”
“They’re both asleep,” Gabriel said, taking another long swallow of his coffee. “As far as I can tell, neither was hurt by Amy’s...I’m not sure what to call what she did, but they’re all fine. Molly and Amy were both asleep when I left them; as far as I can tell, the babies are both fine, but I still want them to stay quiet for the next few days.”
Vincent walked over to the fireplace, thinking about how quickly things had changed in Prospect Falls, not sure he was happy about the change. “This is going to sound strange, and it might just be the exhaustion talking, but do you have the feeling that things have gotten beyond our control?” he asked, turning to look at Gabriel.
Gabriel looked at him, and he could see that he didn’t understand. “Don’t you see? Adam meets Molly, and almost immediately, they’re bonded and she’s pregnant. Now, the same thing has happened with Michael and Amy,” he said.
“Are you afraid that you’re going to be next?” Gabriel asked, the first smile he’d seen all day on his face.
“Why does it have to be me?” he asked. “It could be you.”
“Well, then my mystery woman is going to have to be a nurse or a patient because those are the only people I see these days,” Gabriel said, still grinning. “So that leaves you.”
“And you think I’m just sitting around waiting for romance?” Vincent asked. “I haven’t seen a moment of free time for the last six weeks; between the demons, the Medieval Festival planning, running the paper, and this town, I don’t have time to think about myself.”
They both fell silent, then Gabriel said what he was thinking. “We need help.”
Vincent didn’t respond. Instead, he crossed the room and grabbed his coffee cup, refilled it, then Gabriel’s. “Adam isn’t going to like that,” he finally said, sitting back down in the chair.
“I don’t think we have any choice,” Gabriel said, draining his cup in one long swallow.
The sound of the front door opening and Michael’s mother calling out interrupted them; they exchanged a glance and then a nod. “We’ll tell him at dinner,” Vincent said, getting to his feet to go help.
Adam and Michael finally emerged long enough to sit down and eat with them, but there was an uncomfortable silence around the table. Michael’s mother was still angry at him for bonding with Amy, but also secretly pleased with the idea of being a grandmother. Arthur was deep in thought, still slightly angry that no one had told him about the prophecy, an ancient text stored away at the bookstore.
But the food was excellent, and as the bowls and platters slowly emptied, the tension in the room began to fade. “Thank you for dinner,” he said. “It was just what I needed.”
Michael’s mother beamed at his praise. “I thought you all needed a good hot meal,” she said. “It’s not much, but I like to help out when I can.”
“Speaking of help,” Adam said, “I was thinking that it might be time to ask the council to send us a demon hunter.”
Vincent’s fork clattered to the table, but no one seemed to notice, all eyes on Adam. “I just think that we’ve got a lot going on, and I, for one, know that I’m going to be a bit distracted for the next few months. Michael and I talked about this earlier this afternoon, and it seems like a good idea,” he explained. “I think you both need a break; you look exhausted.”
He could only stare at Adam, too shocked to reply, but Gabriel sighed heavily and said, “Vincent and I came to the same conclusion just a few minutes ago.”
“Then all we need is for Arthur to draw up a formal request for the council,” Michael
said. “Sebastian will have a hard time denying it if we make a formal request.”
“Do you think he would?” Michael’s mother asked, shocked.
“In a heartbeat. Don’t forget, we’re pretty sure he’s behind all the problems with the demons,” Michael said.
“I just can’t figure out how,” Arthur said. “But I’ll put all that aside for now and draw up those papers. When I’m finished, I want to see that book. It may be the key to stopping Sebastian.”
***Charlie***
Charlie crossed her legs, shifted onto her hip, then straightened up again, realizing that she’d been sitting there so long, there was no longer any comfortable way to sit. After hours of waiting, she was beginning to give up hope, but walking away was admitting defeat, and she wasn’t ready to do that yet. If she didn’t get in to see Sebastian today, she’d just come back the next day, and the next, until he finally agreed to see her.
They’d been playing this same game every year since she’d come of age, and she was sure that this year her perseverance would pay off. Letting her mind wander, she thought of everything she’d done over the last year to prepare for this meeting: all the training, all the studying. It made her stomach hurt to think that Sebastian could brush it all off with a flick of his wrist just because she was a woman.
The sound of the door to the office opening brought her out of her increasingly angry thoughts, but it was only a messenger carrying a stack of envelopes. “It’s about time. Where have you been?” Samuel’s assistant asked, his voice hard. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you? You’d better hope he doesn’t ask who delivered these.”
The messenger turned pale and quickly handed over the stack, then backed out of the office, apologizing the entire way. “Stupid boy,” the assistant mumbled under his breath as he sorted through the stack.
A look of satisfaction spread across his face as he opened the envelopes, but when he got to the last one, he sat down heavily in his chair and stared at it. Then he quickly ripped it open, scanned the pages, shoved it back in the envelope, and got to his feet. He knocked on the office door, and without even noticing that she was still there, disappeared inside.
Charlie didn’t think about what she was risking as she crept over to the door and peeked through a crack. Sebastian was sitting in a huge leather chair, looking out his office window at the park that surrounded the building; his assistant was standing next to the desk, letters in his hands.
“I hate to bother you, sir,” the assistant said.
“Then don’t,” Sebastian barked. “Can’t you see I’m busy.”
“Yes, sir, but the messenger was just here, and I have word from Prospect Falls,” the assistant said, his voice quavering.
Sebastian swiveled his chair around, and she had to jump back, afraid that he might see her. “Well, what are you waiting for?” Sebastian demanded. “Give it to me, Thomas.”
Thomas held out the bundle of envelopes. “I can’t read all of that,” Sebastian said. “Just tell me what’s in there.”
After taking a deep breath, Thomas said, “There’s a request for a demon hunter and a natural witch, both formally sent through the council.”
Sebastian turned his chair around and looked out the window again. “That surprises me. I never thought Adam would ask for help,” he said.
“But, sir, with a baby on the way,” Thomas said, then hesitated, “and, well, there are rumors that Michael bonded with a human, and his mother is running all over town saying that she’s going to be a grandmother.”
A grin spread across Sebastian’s face. “So, we have two guardians distracted by their impending fatherhood; that only leaves two more. This isn’t exactly what I planned, but we might be able to make it work to our advantage.”
“What do you have in mind?” Thomas asked, clearly relieved that Sebastian was taking it so well.
“Deny both requests,” Sebastian said, an evil grin on his face. “It will be fun to watch them squirm.”
“But, sir, it was a formal request through the council; they’ll want to know why you denied their petition,” Thomas pointed out.
Sebastian slumped back in his chair, the smile fading from his face. “Who signed the petition? Which council member?”
“Arthur Miller,” Thomas answered, risking a quick glance at his boss. “He’s been in Prospect Falls for a few weeks.”
“Why is this the first I’ve heard of this?” Sebastian demanded, slamming his fist down on the desk.
“This is the first I’ve heard of it, sir,” Thomas answered, his eyes focused straight ahead, but his body stiff. “I might have an idea, if you would indulge me.”
Sebastian stared at Thomas for a moment, then pointed to the chair across from him. “Sit,” he ordered. “Tell me what you have in mind.”
Thomas picked up a file and set it in front of Sebastian, then sat where he’d been told, but when he started to speak again, his voice was so quiet that she couldn’t make out what he said. He kept looking over his shoulder as he talked, and after the third time, she scampered back to her seat, afraid she’d be caught listening.
A few minutes later, Thomas came out of the office and said, “Councilor Wright will see you now.”
She was so shocked, it took her a second to get to her feet, then to her utter embarrassment, her foot caught on the deep carpet, nearly making her topple to her knees. But she stayed on her feet, and with as much dignity as she could muster, she walked past Thomas and into the office, preparing herself for the usual brush off, but Sebastian sat behind his desk, a smile on his face.
“Ms. McKensey, how nice to see you again,” Sebastian said. “Has it been a year already?”
Thrown by the pleasant, friendly tone of his voice, she could only stare at him for a second, trying to figure out what to say. “Yes, it has been,” she finally managed, then quickly added, “I think you’ll see from my application that it’s been a busy year.”
Sebastian picked up her file, paged through it, then put it back on the desk. “Which is why I’m happy to tell you that we’ve finally found an assignment for you,” he said, smiling at her.
The smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and she immediately became suspicious, but he was offering what she’d always wanted, so she pushed the feeling away. Instead, she said, “That’s wonderful. You won’t be sorry.”
Chapter Two
***Vincent***
Vincent leaned back in his chair and looked at his desk. It had taken two days, but he’d managed to organize everything into three sections. Medieval Festival planning on one side, newspaper business on the other, and a small pile of town business in the middle. As daunting as the piles looked, none of it was too difficult on its own: a bunch of food tastings, a preview of the entertainment, the annual Medieval Ball. The newspaper was practically running itself, but there were still advertisements to approve, proofs to be read, and the editorial he wrote each day.
When he’d taken over for his father last year, he had no idea how much he’d inherited, or how much he’d miss his parents when they moved to Florida. But until now, he’d been handling things fine, balancing his duties as mayor and running the paper, with the occasional demon-killing thrown in to keep things interesting. That had only lasted until it came time to start planning for the festival, and he realized just how much his mother had helped his father. Thanks to him, they were behind, but he’d spared as much time as he could.
That’s when the solution hit him: he needed to hire an assistant, someone to do all the running around, meet with vendors, do the food tastings, and if he was lucky, she might even be able to help out at the paper. The more he thought about it, the better the idea sounded, and for the first time in days, he felt a surge of relief. Before he could change his mind, he logged into the classified section of the online paper and posted the job.
Sitting back in his chair, he stretched his arms over his head and smiled, pleased with himself. Now, if they could get a demon hunt
er, he’d feel better equipped to handle the barrage of responsibilities that were threatening to drown him. And he might even be able to enjoy the festival instead of just looking forward to it being over.
His moment of pleasure didn’t last long; he looked outside and saw the piles of snow still clogging Main Street, reminding him that they might have to move the campground if the snow didn’t melt soon. But the weather had warmed after the freak storm moved off, leaving everything covered in two feet of heavy and wet snow.
He was digging through one of the piles, looking for the Farmer’s Alamac, when a dark shadow filled his doorway. Looking up, he found Gabriel grinning at him, a gold-edged fist full of papers and a bottle of whiskey in his hands. Vincent sat back down at his desk, opened the bottom drawer, took out two tumblers, set them on the desk and waited until Gabriel poured them both a glass.
“Are we celebrating what I think we are?” he asked, raising his glass in the air.
Gabriel nodded and raised his glass. “The council approved our request for a demon hunter; he’ll be arriving any day now.”
He took a long swallow of the amber liquid, feeling burn all the way down to his stomach, then a warm feeling spread through him. “I thought that Sebastian would deny our request,” he said, setting the glass down on the desk.
“Well, it’s not all good news,” Gabriel said, setting the pages in front of him. “We got our demon hunter, but our request for a natural witch seems to have been forgotten.”
“So, we just ask again,” Vincent said.
“I suppose we could, but I think we should try again on our own,” Gabriel said. “I have a couple leads that might just pan out.”
“I’ll leave that up to you,” he said. “Now, tell me about the demon hunter; is it someone we know?”
Guardian Dragons of Prospect Falls: (A Paranormal Shifter Romance) Page 25
