by Leilani Love
Violca’s Dragon
The Dragon Ruby Series
By Leilani Love
Violca’s Dragon
Dragon Ruby Series Novel
By: Leilani Love
Copyright © Leilani Love 2014
Published by Leilani Love
Cover Design © Probookcovers.com
Edited by Judy B. Roth
License Statement
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 no part of this publication maybe be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by or any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of authors imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be constructed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons living or dead, is completely coincidental.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to two of my favorite people my mom and my oldest son Xavier. My mom who always had time to read to me. Xavier for being my biggest cheerleader.
This book is also in large thanks to Anissa, Ashley, Jenny, and Rachelle. Without your guys encouragement I would have never made finished this. And James who supported me during this new adventure. Without you guys I could have never done this. Love you all!
Prologue
“Violca.”
The name feels like a caress as the wind brushes the skin along her back. Her hand comes up as she pushes her hair back behind her ear. Looking around, she realizes she is in the woods for some reason. The trees are sparse and the light from the moon is bright enough for her to see everything. As she turns around she notices she isn’t wearing any shoes and the grass feels soft under her feet. She looks up the path and there stands the cabin her parents used to take them to before they passed away. She heads toward it.
The woods are quiet except for the sound of her dress gliding over the grass and the occasional hoot of the white snow owl sitting in a tree watching her approach. As Violca gets closer to the cabin she notices a light coming from inside, and the door is slightly open.
“Violca.” This time the voice sounds familiar and again feels like a soft caress, like her name is a whisper on a light breeze. She realizes the voice is louder and is coming from inside the cabin.
Pausing as she reaches the porch, Violca has a moment of doubt but decides she needs to know why she is here and slowly climbs the stairs. The owl hoots behind her as if he is trying to encourage her to go on, and she takes the last few stairs a little faster.
As she reaches for the door, it opens slowly on its own and Violca looks in and sees the old cabin just like she remembers. The brown couch and chairs in the living room are complete with the red blanket folded over the couch that she and her sisters would use to cuddle with when their mom read to them.
A flash of red catches her eye and she looks toward the fireplace. Standing near the hearth is a woman wearing a long red dress with long black hair that hangs just past her waist. Her feet move, as if on their own, into the living room. The lady turns and Violca stops. “Mom,” she gasps.
A slow smile spreads across her mom’s face as she holds her arms open in invitation. Violca runs into her embrace, hugging her tight. Looking at her face Violca sees her own violet colored eyes mirrored back at her and blinks back tears. “Mom what are you doing here?”
Violca’s mom lightly runs her hand through Violca’s hair. “I’m here to see you, sweetie.” Kissing her lightly on the cheek, she says, “It’s time for you and your sister to remember and learn about your family. We started to tell you when you were younger, but when the hunters came and tried to kidnap you and Eva…”
Violca pulls back. “Mom I don’t understand. Remember what?”
“There are things that you will remember shortly. Not all the memories will be yours, but they are all important.”
Wrinkling her brow while chewing on her bottom lip she tries to think about what her mom is telling her. It makes no sense, sure she forgot some things from when she was little, but she remembers a lot. What was she talking about, hunters? “I don’t understand.”
“You will sweetie, I promise.” Violca’s mom looks toward the door and then back at her, and Violca can see the worry on her face. “It’s time to run.” Her mother pushes her toward the door. “Whatever you do, don’t let him catch you.”
Violca looks over her shoulder as her mom looks at the door. The house starts to shake and rumble under her feet. “Run V! Run!” her mom yells, practically shoving her to the door.
Violca does not want to let her mom go. It’s been so long since she’s seen her, but Violca feels her mom give her one last shove and the house shakes more violently as if it’s about to collapse. Violca runs outside and through the woods. The further she gets from the house the darker the woods become. The light from the moon becomes less and less visible and the ground that was so soft under her bare feet becomes rocky and full of roots from the trees that seem to be growing closer together.
Looking over her shoulder she suddenly becomes aware of a figure behind her. Whatever it is, it is huge and is quickly catching up, growling like an animal but running on two feet like a man. She can feel the soles of her feet being cut by the rocks, and she feels the sting of the branches as they hit her.
The growling gets louder and a quick glance over her shoulder shows that whatever is following her is getting closer. Suddenly Violca trips over a root and finds she is lying at the base of a big tree. Scrambling backwards, the figure looms over her, and she finds herself staring into a pair of blood red eyes that not even the dark of night can hide. Unable to get to her feet she lets out a scream.
“Mine.” The word comes out like a growl as it opens its mouth and the little bit of light that is available shines on pair of fangs. Violca lets out another scream as its head lowers and it growls at her again. Frantically turning, she tries to stay out of reach. She screams in frustration as she finds herself against the tree with nowhere to go.
Chapter 1
Shooting up in her bed, Violca reaches for her throat, feeling for any cuts or bruises. She knows rationally that nothing would be there, but her heart is pounding and her breath is coming in short pants.
Turning her head, she hears her door open slightly and sees her youngest sister, Angyalka, peaking her head in. Her sister’s name is Hungarian for Angel since she was born with hair so pale blonde that it looked like she was born with a halo. Their father also had pale blond hair. The rest of the sisters have dark hair just like their mother. “Hey Angel, what are you doing up?” Violca asks, patting the bed next to her.
At ten, Angyalka still loves to cuddle with her. “I heard you scream.”
Running her fingers through her little sister’s hair, she sees her lip quivering as she makes this little statement. Since their parents’ death two years back, Violca has been raising her four sisters, in large part thanks to the life insurance policy their parents left. It helped that they owned a four bedroom house not requiring too much upkeep.
Violca dropped out of college and took a full time job as a receptionist in a law office to make sure she would be home nights with her sisters. Angyalka, being so young, often clings to her, and she feels her heart tighten at the obvious fear in her sister’s voice. “It was just a bad dream sweetie. I am okay, I promise.” Feeling her sister curl up closer to her side she adds, “Why don’t you stay with me
tonight and help keep the bad dreams away.”
“Okay,” Angyalka mumbles while snuggling under the covers and finally putting her head down on the pillow.
Kissing her sister on the forehead, Violca lies down next to her and curls her arms around her. Angyalka quickly falls asleep. Listening to the slow rhythmic sound of her sister’s breathing helps pull Violca back to sleep.
The alarm goes off at 5:30 AM like normal, and she quickly turns it off, hoping to not wake up her sister as she gets out of bed to hop in the shower. Still feeling groggy since her sleep was interrupted, she is thankful that after her sister climbed into bed her dreams left her alone for the rest of the night.
Feeling the hot water run down her body, Violca can’t help but think of her dream about her mother. While heading out for their 25th wedding anniversary, their parents were hit by a car that ran a red light. Last night was the first time she had dreamt of her mom in over a year, and even though she knows it was just a dream, she can’t help but wish her mom could talk to her. Violca first felt so overwhelmed when she started taking care of her sisters, but they are a family and nothing is going to keep them apart.
Stepping out of the shower, Violca wraps the towel around her body and blow dries her hair. While all the sisters except Angyalka have their mother’s jet black hair, Violca is the only one with their mother’s violet eyes, giving her the name Violca, Hungarian for Violet. The other girls were all born with their dad’s sparkling blue eyes. Finishing with her hair, Violca applies the bare minimum of makeup, lipstick, eye shadow, and mascara and proceeds to finish her routine so she can get the girls’ breakfast ready.
Walking into the kitchen, she sees that the girls are already up. Sari, the second youngest, is standing behind Angyalka doing her hair in a light braid. They are the closest, being the youngest two, and they always seem to be whispering to each other. Kati is washing fruit in the sink, and Eva is getting the bread out for sandwiches.
Taking out the pancake mix, Violca notices one of her sisters has already turned on the griddle, and she starts mixing. “Hey guys, you all got your homework done. Right?”
“Of course, V. I have a party this weekend and know you won’t let me go if I slack off,” Eva answers. Eva, at seventeen and a senior this year, is constantly being invited to parties. Since she is the second oldest, she helps out the most. As soon as she was able to drive, she took their dad’s Corolla and helps with transporting the kids, mainly taking them to school or running errands while Violca is still at work.
Angyalka and Sari both answer at the same time, “Yes, we finished early so we could watch cartoons.”
Violca looks over at Kati, who looks back at her and nods, yes. Out of all the girls Kati is the quietest, keeping to herself. She is fifteen years old, about to turn sixteen, and Violca knows this is a rough time for her. She has a quiet strength and her blue eyes show wisdom beyond her years.
While passing out the pancakes, Violca can’t help but wish her parents could see how the girls are turning out. All of them are doing well in school and excelling in their own areas. Sitting down she listens to the girls talk about what they have planned and who needs to do what. Not much for talking in the morning, she enjoys the sounds of their laughter and the chatter that just seems to be a natural part of their lives.
Chapter 2
Chase wakes up slowly. The beast within him is getting restless. Ever since the name Violca Grey appeared on his computer screen his dragon has been wanting out more and more, scratching at the surface, wanting to go and find her. Whether she knows it or not, she and her sisters are important in the fight that is to come. Grabbing a pair of jeans, he slips them on and runs his fingers through his spiky blond hair before heading downstairs to make a cup of coffee.
With the squeak of the back door opening, Kassandra walks in. Her long blonde hair is down, and she is wearing a pair of skin tight, black leather pants and a green tight fitted blouse that emphasizes her green cat like eyes. The look she gives him makes him smirk. “Coffee?”
Her only reply is an unlady like snort. His lips curve in a half smile as he grabs two cups. Kassandra Knight has the ability to blend into her environment so well she cannot be detected. She has been spending her nights trying to get information on what Dmitri’s men are up to. Handing her a cup of coffee he sits on the chair, stretching out his long legs “What were you able to find out?”
Taking a sip he sees her inhale deeply, and she sighs before she looks at him, “Dmitri is sending someone, he needs to verify that this Violca girl and her sisters are the descendants of the original Earth witch. We don’t have much time.”
Raising an eyebrow at that he takes another sip of his coffee. “What do they know about her?”
She shrugs. “Not a whole lot. They know about what we know. Their parents died a few years ago. They have no relatives so the older sister Violca chose to keep them all together and take care of them.”
Chase thinks about that for a minute. From the little bit of information they have gathered so far, by all accounts, these girls are living normal everyday lives. Who would think that between them they have the power to find and unleash the power within the Dragon’s Ruby. The Dragon’s Ruby is a stone that the Gods made when they agreed to spare the original dragons’ lives after they helped kill the titans. If the power is released from the stone, they will go back to their former size and strength, which in turn will start a war with the humans. Dmitri is the younger brother of the Dragon King Viktor and decided that the dragons’ place was to rule the world. Humans were nothing but inferior to them and should bow before them.
Getting up, Chase goes to the kitchen and put his cup away. “Since they seem pretty sure that the sisters are the ones, it won’t be much longer until they try to take them.”
Chase notices Kassandra watching him, a small smile playing on her lips. He narrows his eyes. She has been teasing him ever since his strange reaction to Violca’s pictures. “Dmitri knows he has to win them to his side. He can’t threaten to kill one of them. He needs all five. Plus he fears that if he angers them, they will turn their power against him.”
“It’s funny to think Dmitri is scared of a ten year old girl,” Chase says with a bit of a laugh as he tries to picture the big dragon cowering before a child.
Shaking her head, she laughs too. “Well you know what they say about small packages.”
Raising an eyebrow, Chase says, “Small packages huh, I don’t think your current lover would appreciate that statement.”
Rolling her eyes, Kassandra checks her email on her phone. “I think it’s time one of us goes to join Scott and Eryk. Those girls seem innocent so far, and they are going to need our help when Dmitri’s men show up.”
Chase nods. “I’ll go, you’re needed here. I can’t sneak in and out of Dmitri’s as easily as you can.”
The look Kassandra shoots him lets him know she doesn’t believe him. “I’m going to shower and pack some stuff. Would you mind letting Scott and Eryk know I’m coming.”
For the past few weeks Chase has been itching to do something. He is not a man who enjoys sitting around for very long. Gathering intelligence is an important part of any mission, but the beast within him is ready to come out and fight.
Landing in an airfield, Chase slowly descends from the Cessna Citation Bravo. He misses the days when he could just shift into a dragon and fly from place to place, but he does enjoy the little luxuries their king gives them to do their jobs.
Looking around, he smiles when he sees a black SUV pull up. The driver side door opens and out steps Scott Tanner. Chase is tall at over six feet with wide shoulders. Scott is slightly taller but leaner. The Tanner brothers were sent to watch after the Grey sisters when they first found out who they were almost two months ago. Scott has dark brown hair that is cut into a buzz cut. His emerald green eyes stand out against his olive complexion.
“Where’s Eryk?” Chase asks when he notices Scott is alone.
&n
bsp; “He gets out of school in ten minutes. We enrolled him in the high school that the two older girls go to so he can keep an eye on them.”
Chase nods as he takes his suitcase to the trunk. “Are you enjoying your job as a security guard?”
Chuckling Scott gets in the SUV and waits for Chase to get in before he starts the engine. “My desk is not too far from the receptionist, so I am able to watch the oldest.”
Scott backs up and leaves the small airport.
“What have you found out about her?”
“She seems nice, keeps to herself at work, but is friendly.” Chase notices Scott smiling. “One of the lawyers has the hots for her but she doesn’t seem to be interested in him. There is one guy who comes around, but from what I can tell, they’re just old friends.”
Chase feels his dragon under his skin scratching to get out. The earth witch is important, and his dragon isn’t pleased about the idea of some stupid human sniffing around her. Even hearing that they are old friends doesn’t ease his dragon. “Are there any signs that they have come into their powers yet?”
“Not that I can tell. No scent of magic or anything. Her scent is almost undetectable. If her mother cast a spell to make the girls undetectable she did a great job. You can’t even smell any residual from the spell.
Chase sits back and thinks about that. Magic left a scent. If she isn’t using it there is a possibility they are chasing after the wrong girls. The sound of his dragon snorting in his head almost makes him smile. His dragon knew she was the one the moment he saw her name.
Scott takes a left turn down a long driveway. The property is big, built back from the road to give them some privacy. The house is a light green with dark green trim and a white door. “So what’s the plan?” Scott asks as he watches Chase get his suitcase from the truck.
