Dragon Bonded: A Bumblespells Novel

by Kath Boyd Marsh

  But the Jinn who called himself Jeima roared again, knocking her down with the waves of energy. He strode up to her and stood over her. “You, Queen of Elm, deserve to die. We will make your death slow. But first you will reveal where our Silkkie’s remains lie!”

  Monad screamed, “Give her to me. Don’t let the wizard speak. She’ll use a spell and stop you. I’ll kill her!”

  Jeima looked at Monad. He cocked his head, looked around, squinted his eyes, and nodded.

  Monad chuckled, but then Jeima raised his arms and hissed in a low voice much scarier than his roars, “Jinn to me. We will destroy this Hall. The Jinn will have their revenge.”

  The Jinn ball broke, spewing Jinn who landed on their human and animal-like feet. Each held a weapon that glowed and shot light. Gaelyn had never seen or heard of such weapons.

  Jeima stood still for a moment and nodded. “I sense our Queen’s body is nearby. We do not need these others. Kill them all. The unicorn as well,” Jeima said and swung back a golden scimitar whose arc would take it through Gaelyn’s neck. Her arms were pinned under her. She desperately whispered a spell to set a shield between her and the sword. But the sword was almost to her neck, and she had not finished the spell.

  “Stop!” screamed a voice Gaelyn knew well. The air all around shook so hard, the scimitar jerked out of Jeima’s hand. Everywhere in the Hall, Gaelyn heard weapons thudding to the ground.

  The earth beneath Gaelyn quaked as hard as the air shook. She bounced away from Jeima and scrambled to her feet. “Silkkie!”

  The little cat-Jinn stood next to Gaelyn grinning. “You do get yourself into scrapes when I’m not with you, don’t you? I’ll stick with you. You need me.”

  “Who are you?” Jeima grabbed for Silkkie but stopped short, frowning.

  Silkkie scooted away from him. “Really? You don’t recognize your Sister Silkkie?”

  “Sister Silkkie?” Gaelyn asked.

  “Later. I need to dump the disguise. They need to recognize me. A little help?” Silkkie asked.

  Gaelyn put a hand on Silkkie’s back. Jeima jumped forward, but Silkkie hissed. He stopped.

  Together Gaelyn and Silkkie quickly reversed Silkkie’s disguise. When they were finished, Silkkie still looked the same to Gaelyn, but she knew the Jinn could see a fellow Jinn.

  Jeima fell to his knees, as did all the other Jinn. “Sister Silkkie,” the Jinn said as one.

  “You’re some kind of ruler?” Gaelyn whispered to Silkkie.

  Silkkie shrugged. “We call our leader Sister, not Queen.”

  “No wonder they attacked Elm in revenge,” Gaelyn said. “Why didn’t you tell them where you were long ago?”

  Silkkie shrugged. “Sometimes being Sister is a pain in the tail area. Let’s just say I took a vacation that went badly.” She jerked her head at Monad who was on her feet and edging slowly toward Gaelyn.

  “That doesn’t answer why you didn’t tell Uncle Firth who you really were,” Gaelyn said.

  “Who says I didn’t?” Silkkie butted at Gaelyn with her head. “I did. Your uncle and I decided I was the best sort of Jinn to guard and help a Fae Queen.”

  Jeima cleared his throat. “I take it the treacherous unicorn lied to us before about your kidnapping. And she indeed wishes ill to you and the Elm Queen?”

  “Yes, she does,” Silkkie said. She lunged forward. “I mean right now!” she yowled.

  Gaelyn whirled around to see Monad, fully unicorn, charging with her poisonous horn aimed at Silkkie. “You die, Jinn. You will serve me, Elm Queen.”

  Silkkie jumped to Gaelyn’s shoulder, sinking her claws in so deeply that Gaelyn staggered to one side from the pain. Her stumble took her just out of the unicorn’s path. But Monad stopped quickly and turned back to charge again.

  “Grab that!” Silkkie screeched at Jeima. She pointed to the Fang lying unattended on the ground.

  Monad slid to a stop and turned. “Give it to me at once!”

  The Jinn scooped the Fang up, holding it by the tips of two fingers. His head cocked to one side he said, “This Dr’gon’s Fang calls. It summons a wizard and a Dr’gon.” He slit his eyes at Monad. “Not a unicorn.”

  Faster than a blink, Monad was on him, stabbing Jeima. Immediately the Fang lost its sparkle. It became a dull, dark tooth.

  Monad, shifting once more to her Morgu form, glanced down at her pearly body, now lightly covered in a shiny fur. The unicorn’s eyes were red with the killer’s gleam. “If you want to live, Jinn, give me the Fang.”

  Jeima took a labored breath and fell to his knees. He looked up to Silkkie. The little cat tried to jump to him, but Gaelyn grabbed her. “No. This is mine.”

  Still clutching Silkkie so she wouldn’t attack Monad, using the sleeve of her robe Gaelyn took the Fang out of Jeima’s loose grip. “Do only one thing, Silkkie. Cure him. Remember what we were going to use on Cl’rnce. I’ll chant the cure, you take care of staving off death.”

  “It won’t work,” Winter cried out. “The unicorn’s poison is too powerful. Only the Fang will work.”

  “Fool!” Monad spit out. Her image changed back and forth so fast Gaelyn felt a bit nauseous. “You can’t save the Jinn. I will kill everyone. The only way to save them is to give me the Fang. You can’t use it. You can’t even touch it! Only I can.” She stopped in her unicorn shape and looked like she’d just said something that confused her. “I can! I don’t need you.” Her eyes popped with fire and she charged at Gaelyn, just missing her with her poisonous horn.

  As Monad charged, Gaelyn tossed the Fang into the air. She needed both hands to wield the magick signs to block the unicorn. To imprison her. Monad skidded past Gaelyn and across the moss floor halting in the center of the hall as she watched the Fang arc up and then down. For a second no one moved. Then faster than Gaelyn could think, Winter, Summer, and Monad converged on the Fang.

  If what Great and Mighty had translated from the scroll was correct, as the Fae Wizard Partner, Gaelyn should have some sort of control over The Fang.

  The problem was the legend said the Fang needed both the wizard and the Dr’gon. Was it even possible that without Hazel’s help, Gaelyn could handle the Fang alone? Paying attention to only part of a spell meant results that were not right. Trying to make The Fang work for her without Hazel might do anything, including damage herself. But as the Fang arced down to her, she had to try.

  First, she slowed time. Then she called the Fang to her and searched for the any trace Hazel might have left on the Fang when it had been in her possession. Maybe it would be enough to allow Gaelyn to control the Fang. She found a few Hazel-molecules and blended a spell that would first cause the tooth to send out a burst of ear-deafening noise.

  The blast rocked the hall at least as much as Jeima’s roars. Summer, Winter, and Monad turned away covering their ears and hunching down. As they did, Gaelyn called those Hazel-molecules back to her hand and snatched at the Fang as it flew through the air.

  She closed her fist on the now egg-sized Fang and stood perfectly still. For a moment she hoped none of them would know she had taken it. Hoping it was enough, she quickly whispered the Curing Spell she knew belonged to the Jinn and not her.

  She watched Jeima and saw him rise, but there was no time. The Spell she had cast to divert the others wore off, and they all turned to her and the flare of light leeching through her fisted fingers.

  The Queens said nothing. For once their faces were not creased in disapproval of their Elm relative.

  Gaelyn forced herself to stand still. She checked the Jinn who had been behind her. They stood nodding, their weapons in their hands, but their eyes focused beyond Gaelyn. She turned to Monad who was in full unicorn form still. Her eyes flared as if on fire. She lowered her horn and charged so fast, Gaelyn’s feet tangled as she tried to jump backward. She fell on her back.

  Desperately, Gaelyn called out, “Dr’gons. Hazel. Come!”

  The air split with a thunderous explosion. Right between Gaelyn
and the advancing unicorn, two large Dr’gons, a small wizard, and a fluffy Fae appeared. Cl’rnce threw up, wiped his muzzle, winked at Gaelyn, and extended a paw. Hazel charged at the unicorn.

  Moments after Ian appeared and Silkkie disappeared, Hazel heard her friend’s plea. “She needs us!” Hazel said. “Can you take us to her, Ian?”

  “Absolutely.” He held out his hands, closed his eyes, and Hazel, Cl’rnce, Great and Mighty, and Jeschen transported at a dizzying pace.

  They tore through what felt like hot air and landed. As his feet hit moss flooring, Cl’rnce vomited. Hazel would have scolded him, but she still felt that he had not recovered from what the Fang had done to him. Where was Gaelyn?

  If Great and Mighty’s translation was correct, it all fell together. Her partnership with Gaelyn wasn’t just because they were best friends, but because she and Gaelyn were The Partners: the Fae Elm Queen and first Fae wizard and the royal Dr’gon. They were always meant to protect and control the Fang and step up and save the Primus. Hazel and Gaelyn were not just helping Cl’rnce and Great and Mighty as they learned to be Primus, the two of them were an essential part in making sure this historic double Primus survived. The Fae who were once the enemy were now … not? Hazel wasn’t sure about anyone but Gaelyn, but her renewed faith in her Wizard Partner made her heart sing.

  Hazel scanned the woodsy hall they’d landed in. It was bigger than even the biggest chamber in Wiz-Tech. It was almost the size of the Great Hall of the Dr’gons. At one end, the unicorn was charging straight at Hazel and her group. She looked behind her and spotted Gaelyn and Silkkie. An army of weapon-carrying Jinn stood behind Gaelyn. Monad raced forward toward everyone. Gaelyn held out her hands, the Fang sparkling from her fist.

  As fast as one breath could suck in and spit out, Hazel turned and fired flame just as the unicorn veered around her headed directly at Gaelyn. Monad kept going, but because Hazel had tailored her Dr’gon Fire to follow and surround the unicorn, Monad was hit by the fire and stumbled sidewise, finally cowering in a corner.

  As Hazel strode to Gaelyn, she heard Jeschen whimper. The Fae’s eyes were fixed on the two stunning Fae who stood at the far end of the Hall. Tall like Gaelyn, the two females were different. One appeared to be rimmed in a green haze, but not the same rich color of trees and vines on Gaelyn’s favorite robes. This Fae looked and smelled of overripe plants. The other Fae was so pale a white she could have walked into a snow drift and disappeared completely. Hazel thought of the descriptions from History of the Fae. They were the Queens of Summer and Winter Courts.

  “Mother,” Ian bowed his head briefly to the green-hazed Summer Queen before he walked to Gaelyn.

  Hazel glanced at the unicorn. Fenced in by the Dr’gon Fire, Monad morphed back and forth like a flickering flame between unicorn beast and a Fae-like being with a unicorn head. Hazel could smell a creature losing all reason.

  Hazel checked Gaelyn who stood smiling. In her outstretched hand balanced the Dr’gon’s Fang. Hazel was relieved to see it, but for a second, she fought jealousy that the Fang gave Gaelyn, a Fae, the rainbow of colors that meant power.

  Then Gaelyn pushed it forward to Hazel. “Here. This is yours,” Gaelyn said.

  As much as she wanted that to be true, Hazel shook her head. “Not just yet. You called us.”

  Gaelyn took a deep breath. “I called you, Hazel. I’m just a wizard. We need the Fang, but it only started to show its colors again when you arrived.”

  Hazel fought the satisfaction that Gaelyn said the Fang needed her too. Or at least Gaelyn’s power with it was connected to Hazel. The enigma of the Dr’gon’s Fang would have to wait though. For now, more important things stood in front of them. “So, tell me about the unicorn. And the Fae Queens.”

  “The Winter and Summer Queens, and of course you know Monad,” Gaelyn said as if introducing visitors. Hazel was impressed with her calm, but she needed more.

  “Indeed. Looks like Monad is in a snit. Dangerous.” Hazel scanned the hall they stood in. “Where are we?”

  “Elm Hall. My court,” Gaelyn said apologetically, her eyes searching Hazel’s as if expecting Hazel to start a new fight over a Fae Wizard Partner who did not tell her Dr’gon Partner the truth.

  “Pretty,” Cl’rnce said and wiped his muzzle on a stretch of moss. His head didn’t snap up when he finished. He was definitely slower than before.

  Great and Mighty glanced at him, took a breath, and walked to the edge of the flame surrounding Monad. “How long will this last?”

  Hazel shrugged. “No clue.” She looked at Gaelyn. “You have a plan?”

  Gaelyn nodded then shook her head “no.”

  Pacing to the unicorn, Hazel said, “You attacked Elm.” She looked up at the Queens. While she was sure the unicorn was a “yes,” she was surprised that the Queens were involved. As hateful and warlike as the Summer and Winter Queens were, why would they attack Elm Queen Gaelyn or any of their kind? Dr’gons would never … well, there was the Killer Dr’gon Clan. Hazel sighed, evil lived everywhere.

  “They aren’t. I think they are trying to help. They sent Jeschen to spy on me or guard me, depending on how you want to see it.” Gaelyn shook her head as if she was more than a little amazed.

  Winter wasn’t looking at Hazel or Gaelyn, which made Hazel uncomfortable. What was the Queen doing with her hands? A snowball appeared, leaking dark water out of its white core. Winter smiled and lifted it in one hand as if about to toss it.

  Hazel got ready for the Fae Queen. Gaelyn might think Winter was here to help, but Hazel thought Winter looked like pure trouble. Grinning at the fierce Winter, Hazel cleared her throat. “Hand me the Dr’gon’s Fang, Gaelyn,” she said loud enough that the Queen heard and jerked her head over to stare into Hazel’s eyes. “I know a little spell, that anyone who thinks to attack us will, let us say, find themselves regretting the thought.” She let a little fire slip from her nose, and she smiled as wide as she could.

  Hazel held out a paw. It was a bluff.

  “No, really, she’s … an ally,” Gaelyn said.

  Winter ignored them and threw the ball. As it arced Gaelyn dropped the Fang in Hazel’s paw.

  Hazel could think of only one way to stop Winter from causing everything to blow up or worse. As Gaelyn put the Fang in her paw, Hazel took a breath and tried the words she had learned as a Dr’gonelle. She used a chant that years ago she had been surprised to discover held a great deal of trouble. Those simple words had reversed one of Cl’rnce’s practical jokes back onto himself and made her little brother obey her from then on, mostly, for a while. “On the curser, on the initiator, on Winter!”

  Silkkie yowled, and screamed, “No! Keep the path! With me, Gaelyn. Look at Monad. Winter is protecting us.”

  Gaelyn turned, her lips already repeating “Keep the Path.”

  Hazel swung around to look to the spot where the unicorn had been trapped. Monad was free and halfway across the Hall headed straight for Gaelyn and Hazel. The snowball hurled into the unicorn’s path and exploded. A sheet of ice appeared, and the unicorn slammed into it.

  Hazel kept her deadly-serious and deadly-deadly look on her face, allowing a slow drip of flame to seep out of her mouth. She put her paw out catching the fire and tossed it at the unicorn. But the ice wall surrounding the unicorn stopped the flames. Monad bashed against the ice over and over, but it did not crack.

  “Well that was interesting,” Cl’rnce said. “I’m hungry.” Using his claw tips, Cl’rnce nipped a purple fruit from a branch next to his head. He sniffed it, and his tongue stuck out at it.

  “Don’t eat that!” Gaelyn said.

  “Why?” His eyes were blurry and squinty. Hazel’s stomach knotted; he was getting worse. They needed to get out of Elm. Somehow, she and Gaelyn needed to make the Fang that held both Dr’gon Death and power she was sure could save life, save the newest Primus.

  Hazel, Gaelyn, and Great and Mighty said at the same time, “Because once you have eaten in a Fae
court you are bound to stay in it forever. We already told you that.”

  Cl’rnce dropped the fruit.

  In a soft voice, Great and Mighty said, “I’m confused. Cl’rnce is sicker. The Fang did this to him? Why would it allow itself to be used this way? I thought it was supposed to be a tool for the Primus Dr’gon and the Wizard.” She shook her head. “This … doesn’t make sense.”

  No one spoke at first. Then, Silkkie strolled over to Cl’rnce. “He is sicker. We can try a combined Fae and Jinn spell. There are enough Fae here and enough Jinn to make a powerful spell.”

  Hazel looked at the Fang. “Why would it poison any Dr’gon? It doesn’t make sense. I heard what Great and Mighty read aloud about the older the Fang became the more it was poison to a Primus, but why?” She dreaded the possibility that the Death stored in it had taken over the Fang.

  Monad snickered. Everyone turned to where she lay surrounded by ice. “You are so stupid. Who is it who would want a Primus dead? Who killed one?”

  Great and Mighty walked up to the unicorn. “You. You tampered with the Fang? You did this to Cl’rnce? How?” But her frown said she was remembering something. “You were the unicorn the First Primus tried to protect Dr’gons from. Your horn. You.” Her voice got higher. Her face got red. Her fists were clenched. “I will destroy you.”

  “Try.” Monad stood up. She kept her form stable. It was as if she had for a moment regained her sanity behind the ice.

  Putting her hand on Great and Mighty’s shoulder, Hazel said, “Let’s accept that Monad poisoned the Fang against a Primus all those years ago. Can you check the translation? I bet it was never a co-Primus who was fated to use the Fang. What if it’s the Dr’gon Partner and the First Fae wizard who were the only ones meant for the Fang? Maybe Gaelyn and I together are all we need. Maybe the Fang is poisonous to Cl’rnce because he was never meant to handle it.”