She was wearing jeans and a long sweater, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She couldn't have looked more like an Earth girl if she tried, and it made him wince. Yesterday, with her vintage dress, she might have been able to fit in. But today, unless he gave her a moment to change, she was going to stand out like a sore thumb if she wanted to come with him.
He told himself that it was all right. After all, all the princes were married to human girls. One was a witch, and one was a carapace – the opposite of a witch – but they were all human and had lived on Earth at some point.
“You look pensive,” Katianna said when she approached him.
He tried to smile. “How was class?” he asked.
“It was all right,” she said with a shrug. “I'm taking the degree as a formality and hopefully to learn a little bit, but the truth is that I already know most of it from running the place. Everyone is learning check in information systems, and I've been using them since I was twelve.”
He smiled, offering to take her backpack as they walked. “So, are you top of the class then?”
“No, surprisingly,” she gave him a grin. “Apparently, there's a correct way to do things, and then there is my way. Besides, I couldn't focus too much today.”
“Oh?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Because I kept thinking of you,” she gave him a sly grin.
“Oh, I see,” he replied as they walked. He wanted to hold her tightly, but he wasn't sure if she was ready for that. He considered the fact, though, that if she wasn't ready to be hugged in the middle of a public street, she was probably not ready to journey through planets for him. “What are you plans for this afternoon?”
“Homework,” she said. “Aside from that, nothing. Today is my day off from reception, and I don't even have class tomorrow.”
He paused at that, trying to sound casual.
“So you don't have to be back until the day after tomorrow?”
“Indeed,” she said, turning to him. “Why, do you have something wonderful planned?”
“I uh…” he tapped his fingers against his leg, looking for the right words. “I have something planned.”
“Tell me,” she said with a grin. “I'm sure I'll like it.”
“I'm not so sure,” he said, turning to her. “But you have to know that I love you, even if you haven't learned to love me yet. And I would never do anything to hurt or harm you. In addition, I never want to be apart from you again.”
“Oh, God, are you proposing?” she asked him.
His jaw fell open. “No,” he said. “Not right now.”
She laughed. “I'm teasing you,” she said, amused by the look on his face. “Did I never tease you before?”
“You were always more serious,” he said.
“Oh,” she said. “Maybe I was a product of my time. Actually, though, Spencer, what is it that you have planned?”
“Maybe something equally as shocking,” he replied. “I told you that I am close with the dragon princes. They are summoning me to return. I don't know what it is, it may be urgent, but I doubt it will be long. I could go without you. But, my love, I never want to be apart from you again. I understand, though, if this is too much, too soon.”
“You want me to come with you?” she asked. “To the dragon planet?”
“Yes,” he answered. “If you'd like. You mentioned that you are free.”
“I would love to come,” she smiled. “You've spent some time in my home, why should I not see yours?”
“You'll come, then?” he asked.
“How do I go?” she said.
“I can take you. It's magic, and it doesn't hurt, although it can be a little jarring,” he said. “We cannot transport from anywhere, but there is a spot – a vortex – not too far from here. A train ride for an hour or two will take us, and once we reach the vortex, it's instantaneous.”
“And we can be back in a day or two?”
“Yes,” he said. “That I promise you. I will not whisk you away to an unfamiliar place and leave your commitments on Earth stranded.”
“Oy,” she said as they got back to the hotel. “Let me just lie to my parents then. And pack a bag. You should probably check out. “
“I can leave the room paid for,” he replied. “I have every intention of returning here.”
“Right, then,” she said, “just act normal, and I'll meet you back outside in an hour. Of course, I'm an adult and I'm allowed to go anywhere I choose, but a forty-eight hour whirlwind trip to a dragon planet might have them asking too many questions.”
“I'll be waiting with baited breath,” he replied, and she leaned in to kiss him.
“Don't look so nervous, Spencer, I trust you. And I've been dreaming.”
“Dreaming?” he asked. “About us?”
“Yes, about us. But I think it's been about things that I have done in the past. Was I nurse, ever?”
“You…” he searched his memory. “During the war, there were some fights here about whether to enlist or not, and it left some men wounded in the street. You held one of their legs after it was cut with a bottle until the doctor came. You were very brave.”
“That's sort of what I remember,” she said. “Bandages and a lot of blood. That must have been a long time ago. Does it always come back?”
“The memories?” he asked. “No, they don't. You will get flashes, and we will talk more, but you never remember a full life.”
“Perhaps it's for the best,” she replied. “I wouldn't want three lifetimes to come back. I can barely remember when I have class.”
“Right now, all you need to remember is to pack whatever you need for a day or two. There's Wi-Fi there,” he said. “It's an advanced civilization; you will be able to charge your phone.”
“Amazing,” she kissed him on the cheek. “I'll be right back.”
“I'll wait,” he said, used to the fact that she would probably take an hour to get ready. She was always meticulous in her packing, making sure she was prepared for anything.
It shocked him to no end when she was back downstairs in ten minutes.
“Don't you want to see your family?” he asked, looking at her backpack. “Are you sure that's everything?”
“It's only a few days,” she replied. “What did you expect? I said goodbye and told them I was going on a quick school field trip.”
“Already?” he blinked, wondering if he had lost time. She smirked.
“Oh no, I was one of those girls who packed everything and the kitchen sink, wasn't I?”
He smiled, reaching his hand out. “It's all right,” he said. “I'm sure anything that you have forgotten, they have on Umora. If you are truly ready, we should start our adventure together.”
She took his hand, trusting him to lead the way. For someone who had never been outside of town and had never even considered traveling, she was surprisingly brave. He thought it might have been left over from another life – this braveness; this comfort level. She even seemed to know how to board a train and hand her ticket over.
She leaned against the cold leather seat, watching as he put their bags up and settled down beside her.
“So, is it like a sci-fi movie, then?” she asked. “Umora?”
“No,” he knew instantly what she was talking about. “It's more of a medieval fantasy.”
“With Wi-Fi,” she said, and he smiled.
“Yes, that's right.”
“And these princes?” she said. “Are they like the books say they will be?”
“They are not to be feared,” he said. “You've met them in one incarnation, a long time ago, when they were much younger and just princes. The youngest, Cole, is half-witch and is married to a human girl, Enya. She is his opposite – calm and pure to his mischief. If anyone knows about reincarnation, it is him. In fact…” he pulled out his phone, shifting through it for pictures. They were recent ones, taken at Nicholas' recent wedding. “This is Nicholas, the former regent, married to Rosa, who i
s a witch. They have a daughter who's about two or three now.”
“Oh, my goodness, she's adorable!” she squealed. “A dragon-witch baby. Look at those eyes!”
The way her face lit up told him that she wanted some of her own one day. She leaned forward, cooing, and he slipped an arm around her.
“Are your eyes like that?” She turned to him and smiled. “They are. There's some yellow.”
“That's the dragon in me,” he said. “The yellow tint is always a giveaway.”
“I think they are beautiful,” she said. “To think that two weeks ago, we didn't know each other.”
“Except we did,” he pointed out.
“We did,” she smiled. “So, Cole and Nicholas. Is that it?”
“This is Alexander,” he zoomed into the picture. “The former king after his father died. He's the current regent, and his wife is the former dragon queen. This is Ariel, and she is carapace, which means she takes away all magical ability.”
“I know her! She's a dancer in The Nutcracker. She's the one that does the dancing on knives.”
“On knives?” Spencer raised an eyebrow, and Katianna took out her own phone, googling quickly.
“Here. She's revolutionary. We studied her in dance class in high school.”
“Oh.” She was half naked in the picture, which fit with the image of Ariel that he knew. The one time he had met their wives, she had been the most scantily clad, and the most provocative.
“And she's married to the dragon king? Wow, what a life.”
“It was a marriage of convenience, from what I understand,” Spencer replied. “Unlike the other three's marriages. And he is the former king. When King Richard died, he was the next in line. Until his brother, Peter, here, returned from what would be your version of heaven – the other world, whatever you want to call it. He is married to Yvette, who used to work with dragons who had returned from the Other, catch them up to speed.”
“Isn't returning from heaven reincarnation?”
“No,” Spencer replied. “Because it's the same body and the same memories. And that's a recent phenomenon that we can't quite figure out.”
“Oh,” she said, leaning back. “So, they don't know about me?”
“I didn't mention it,” he replied. “I thought...I thought they would think I'm crazy. But so much is changing. I think it's finally time.”
He didn't mention the sense of urgency that he had, the sense of impending doom, and the clock running out of time. She accepted this answer, leaning her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes. The train bumped along, and he closed his eyes as well, perfectly content to simply be by her side. Whatever was coming, they could figure it out now that they were together again.
Chapter 5
When the train finally reached the spot where Spencer knew there was a vortex, they had to shake themselves awake. It was a scramble to grab the bags and rush off the train before the doors closed. Katianna gave him a grin as they half stumbled onto the grass.
“Are you all right, all powerful dragon lord?”
“My love,” he said as they got some strange looks by other people exiting the train. “As much as I love you, you might want to keep your voice down.”
“Right,” she said. “Sorry. Slip of the tongue.”
“In a few moments, you won't have to worry about that at all,” he assured her. He took her by the hand, bringing her toward the back of the train station. “On Umora, you will be the one that stands out.”
“People have always said I stood out,” she said, touching her face. “My eyes are unique, too, remember?”
“Your eyes are how I find you,” he said. “I would never change them, not for a moment. I think they're beautiful.”
She smiled, leaning in for a kiss. No one had ever told her that her eyes were beautiful. They told her that they were unique or interesting, but Spencer made her feel like the prettiest woman in the world. He never so much as looked at another woman, his gaze constantly on her. She felt so much stronger, so much more powerful when he was by her side. It was as if the world was her oyster.
It also explained how she felt drawn to the TV when a dragon had appeared on Earth a few years ago. The media covered it up as a prank, but she always knew that something wasn't right. It was too real to be a doctored video, and people had died. They had quickly covered that up as well, but she had spent far too much time googling it. She had always been interested in sci-fi and the paranormal, although she had never told anyone just how obsessed she was. This was a dream come true.
“What do we do?” she asked, resisting the urge to kiss him again.
“Take my hand,” he replied, making sure that there was no one else around. He squeezed her hand, and then took the other one. “It's going to be jarring. You are going to feel the magic and then a whoosh of blackness. I'll do my best to hold you up, but you are probably going to end up on the throne room floor.”
“Oh,” she shrugged. “All right. Sounds easy enough.”
“It's jarring at first, but you'll get used to it. I hope,” he squeezed her hand. “Close your eyes.”
She did as she was told, trembling half with excitement and half with fear. She felt it exactly as he told her she would. First, it was warm, and then it was a bit concerning. She felt dizzy, like she was floating.
She was about to open her mouth to ask him if it was all right. But when she did, she nearly passed out. The world around her was swirling, and then it went black.
She crashed onto the hard, marble floor with a yelp, falling against Spencer's arms. He reached his arms out to hold her, trying to soothe her.
“It's okay, Katianna. It's all right.”
She was not used to that name, and she almost felt like correcting it. But she had no time to as she quickly found that they were not alone.
She looked up to see who she recognized as Cole standing in front of them. He said something, but she did not recognize the language.
He was taller than she had thought, long and lean, and with the flash of yellow in his eyes that she now recognized as dragon. He looked slightly different, with a shorter neck, and more human features. She remembered that he wasn't fully dragon, and wondered if he could transform just as easily.
It was amazing what facts she was accepting. Two weeks ago, she was a student who planned to run the family hotel the rest of her life.
Spencer responded in the same language, and she quickly realized that this was what he had been referring to when he said English wasn't his first language.
“Mmm,” Cole responded, before his eyes turned to her. She smiled, holding out her hand. Her parents had taught her to always be friendly.
“Hello, my name is…uh…” She turned to Spencer. “Bethany.”
He spoke at the same time. “Katianna,” he said.
Cole raised an eyebrow and switched to English.
“No,” he said, looking between the two of them. “It isn't.”
“It is,” Spencer replied, turning to his prince. “And it's a long story.”
“I've heard a lot of long stories around here,” Cole replied, looking at her closely. “Katianna as in your wife, correct?” He seemed to recognize her multi-colored eyes and cocked his head. “Huh.”
“Do we know each other?” she asked. Cole grinned.
“If you are her, then we know each other,” he said. “But I'm not sure what your crazy boyfriend is talking about, so let's sort that out, hmm? Spencer? Nicholas summoned you, correct?”
“Yes,” Spencer replied. “And I have returned, as a loyal lord does.”
“I see that,” Cole said. “With an enigma. Should I take our enigma to a room to take it all in while you meet with my brother?”
“Would you like to rest, Katianna ?” Spencer turned to her. “I imagine this is all a bit much.”
“Sure,” she shrugged. She was more curious than she was afraid, and Spencer had said that this was safe. “I can do that.”
“Are you from Earth?” Cole asked her. She nodded. “When my wife first came here, she was grateful for a soft bed. To your room, Spencer?”
“No,” Spencer replied, sharply. “We aren't married.”
Cole quirked an eyebrow.
“You were,” he said, shaking his head. “I don't have a lot of time on my hands to question what is going on here. Come with me,” he said to her, and she picked up her bag. She turned back to Spencer, who nodded, and she followed Cole out, scampering to keep up with him. “Thank you for having me. It's very kind.”
“I don't see how you can be Katianna,” he said. “She died nearly twenty years ago. I was barely a teenager when–”
“Eighty,” she said, and he turned to her in surprise.
“What?”
“The first time I died was eighty years ago,” she said. “At least, that's what Spencer said.”
“Oh, what Spencer said,” he replied. “And what do you say?”
“I am learning,” she replied. “Look, I know it sounds crazy. It sounds crazy to me, too. But I can't deny my feelings for him, and I can't deny that I remember things from long ago.”
“Really?” Cole stopped her in the hallway. “What do you remember about here?”
She stopped, taking in the hallway. The ceilings were high, and there were white, marble colors with gilded-gold paint that was straight out of a story book. It was breathtaking. She squinted at the paint and the swirls in the plaster for a moment.
“My grave has those,” she said, pointing to the corners. “Those wings.”
“Your grave?” Cole said. “He's buried you and thinks you've returned without so much as a disturbed plant?”
“Yes?” Katianna replied. “I think that is where he must have gotten inspiration, from your palace.”
“Right,” Cole looked doubtful. “And how long, pray tell, have you known Spencer this time around?”
Seeking The Dragon Page 50
