by Julia Mills
“I have come to know your King Arthur. My kin and I have fought with him. His honor and integrity is above any I have ever met and that of his knights is awe-inspiring. After many talks and much prayer, the Universe has given her blessing. And this is where we need your husband’s…help…”
Alarick let the last word trail off. Abbie stiffened at Manus’ side and then asked with an authority that made him proud. “And what exactly do you need from my husband?”
The rumble that came from the Dragon King’s throat sounded like thunder in the distance but Manus knew from experience it was his chuckle. “Lord Manus warned us you were a woman of worth with intelligence and strength. I am glad to see such a mate for one of the chosen. I can hope that the others find women as worthy. To answer your question, there is a mage, older than any other, far more powerful than even Merlin and with the blessings of the Fates. He has the power to merge the soul of a dragon with the soul of a knight and in doing so, saving us from extinction.”
Abbie interrupted, “And exactly what does that mean for Manus, King Alarick?”
“What it means for your husband and by extension…you, is that the essence of one of the Elders of dragon kin will live within Lord Manus. It also means that at any time, your husband can call that dragon forth. He will be able to manifest the body of the beast.”
“So my Manus will cease to exist?”
Manus heard the anger and fear in Abbie’s voice and tightened his grip on her hand. Never one to back down, Abbie squeezed back, never breaking eye contact with the dragon before them. Alarick answered and Manus felt the reassurance the Dragon King was putting into his voice. “Never! It would be a crime against the Universe to extinguish such a valiant spirit. First of all, we are an old race, older than anything you can imagine and for the first time find ourselves on the precipice of extermination. We of dragon kin are magical creatures. It flows through our veins and gives us powers beyond human understanding. That being said, the dragon will come forward when called but only if the knight allows it and the beast will retreat when the knight demands it. Your husband’s consciousness will be the same whether in human form or in dragon. And if you are true mates, as I believe you to be, you will be able to communicate mind-to-mind after the joining.”
“True mates?” Abbie asked but Manus was sure she was simply getting warmed up.
“Yes, Lady Abigail, true mates. You see, all our females have been destroyed by our greatest enemies, the wizards and their evil counterparts, the hunters’. Our extinction is inevitable if we do not merge with humans. Each male dragon has one female, the other half of his soul, the light to his dark. She has been fashioned by the Universe especially for him. Dragons mate for life. Once we find our one perfect mate, there will be no other.”
“The way your husband speaks of you and the protectiveness with which you question me, makes me see that you and Lord Manus have a similar relationship. It only serves to strengthen what I have come to believe. Fate will not be denied. This is meant to be. Your husband will be one of the few to save my kin.”
Manus watched one thought after another cross Abbie’s face and could only imagine what she was thinking. She stood absolutely still and the Dragon King waited patiently. When she spoke, she was once again direct and succinct, “You spoke of a joining. Since I am unfamiliar with magic or how it works, I have to know that Manus will be unharmed, that he will be unchanged. I also have to know that he will be the same man I married…the same man I love.”
“I understand your concerns, my Adalinda was as fierce as you, a true credit to our kin and a blessing I cherish even as she guides me from the heavens. The process is painless. Lord Manus and the dragon that is to join with him will go into a trance. The mage will perform the sacrament and when it is complete, your husband will wake. He will feel the dragon within him and hear his thoughts. The only physical sign that anything has taken place will be a marking…a tattoo of sorts. It will be placed by magic, somewhere on his upper body and will be the physical representation of the dragon within.”
One quick shiver was the only reaction Manus felt from Abbie the entire time the Dragon King spoke. “I am sorry for your loss…all your losses. It is unfathomable for me to imagine what you have suffered. You and Manus have obviously discussed this at length. Now, I ask that my husband and I be given the time to do the same. When is your mage to arrive? When is the ceremony to take place?”
“One week from today the mage arrives, twenty-four hours later the ceremony begins.”
Nodding her head, Abbie asked one final question, “Can I be with Manus during the joining.”
“It would be our pleasure to have you at your husband’s side.” Alarick paused, then added, “I look forward to your answer.”
Silence accompanied them out of the cave, down the mountain and most of the way home. Manus knew Abbie needed time to think, time to absorb all she had seen and learned. He only hoped he wouldn’t be sleeping with the horses when they got home.
As they reached the wooden fence lining their property Abbie stopped, dropped his hand and took a step away. She looked at him with scrutiny and wrapped her arms around her middle. He wanted as patiently as possible, feeling the weight of the moment gathering around them.
“Is this something you want to do, Manus?”
“Aye.”
“So your mind is made up?”
“Aye. It is. But I want your blessing.”
“And if I can’t give it? Will you continue?”
“Aye. It will be hard but I feel it is something I must do.”
She nodded and stood perfectly still. For the second time in the same day, he watched more emotions than he could count flow across her beautiful face. Unable to resist, he closed the distance and stood as close as possible to his lovely wife without touching. The need to be near her, to reassure her, to make her see it was the right decision, a living being within him.
They stayed that way until the winds changed and Manus felt night on the air. Just as he was about to speak, Abbie leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her, running his fingers through her hair while rubbing small circles up and down her spine with the other hand.
“The way the wind is coming off the water, we are going to freeze if we don’t get to the house,” Manus whispered, kissing the top of her head.
Abbie giggled against his chest and lifted her head. The twinkle had returned to her eyes and the smile to her face. He was a happy man. Her words only served to make him happier. “If you feel you must become a ‘dragon man’,” she chuckled as she spoke. “Then I will be by your side every step of the way.”
King Henry had decreed the knights to be joined with the dragons were to be with families until after the ceremony. Manus and Abbie spent every minute of every day and night of those precious days together, strengthening their bond and their love.
Several times they spoke of dragons and all they had learned. More than once the discussion of the children had taken place. Manus assured her he had asked the question and found they could still conceive. They were happy at the prospect of a child carrying the soul of a new dragon, one to repopulate the race that had been all but driven from existence.
On the day of the ceremony, Manus and Abigail made their way to the caves and joined the eleven other knights that were accepting the soul of a dragon. One for each of the twelve clans that still thrived.
Abbie held tight to his arm as they walked through the lit corridors, brighter than their previous visit. They were led to another cavern even larger than the grotto. Four dragons lie in a circle around a tall, lean man wearing a long robe standing beside a small fire.
In a surprisingly booming voice, the man in the robe announced himself to be Goldwin. He instructed Manus, Michael MacLendon, Collin Walsh, and Robert O’Reilly to lay down, each next to a certain color dragon. He explained the dragons had already entered their trance and went on to say that due to their size he would be doing the joinings
in three separate ceremonies. As they neared the silver dragon, Abbie whispered, “Isn’t that King Alarick?”
“Yes, it is,” Manus answered and it was then he realize why the Dragon King had taken such an interest in him, in particular. It was Alarick’s soul with which he was to be joined.
“Don’t expect me to bow when this is all over,” Abbie chuckled and Manus was glad she still had her sense of humor.
The mage started with him, speaking in Latin while still a few steps away. Manus gave Abbie one last kiss before his world faded to black. When he awoke, he could feel the presence inside him and hear Alarick in his mind. Manus had believed it would be disconcerting before the joining but instead he felt peace and strength, and a sense of gratitude from the Dragon King.
Abigail marveled at the marking on his back, describing it in detail since he had no way to see it. “Alarick is in flight. He has long lean lines, an outstanding musculature and incredible expanse of his wings.”
He felt her fingers at the nape of his neck as she whispered in awe, “This is one of his wings.”
Her fingers moved over what Manus imagined were lines of the tattoo and electricity snapped between them. She continued to trace, explaining as she went. “His body is massive with intricate patterns of scales. They almost glow under my fingers, mimicking the silver of the Dragon King himself. He must’ve looked majestic flying through the sky.”
He heard her intake of breath and asked, “What, my love?”
Her fingers moved to his shoulder blade as she whispered, “The horns on his head and down his back are impressive and frightening all at once.”
She giggled as her fingers made their way down and across his back, “His tail wraps around your waist. Lower your hose, let’s see where it goes.”
The twinkle in her eyes made him follow her instruction and he was shocked find the large spade end of the dragon tail laying in the highly sensitive area next to his groin. Abbie wiggled her eyebrows as he covered himself. She then whispered, “Can’t wait until we are alone.”
They stayed in the caves for three days, acclimating to their new state of being, learning to deal with their new abilities and magic. On the fourth day, the mage took them far into the countryside just after nightfall. The twelve knights stood in a large clearing about twenty-five yards apart. Goldwin appeared at the center of the huge circle and instructed, “Tonight we will call forth your dragons. It is a completely magical process. All you do is tell the beast in your soul that he can come out and then relax. Let the magic of the dragon do the rest.
As the leader of the garrison, Manus took initiative. He closed his eyes and simply said, “I have trusted you this far, Dragon King and I will continue to do so. Come forth.”
His skin almost tickled, as if hundreds of butterflies were making him their perch. It lasted for less than a minute and when he opened his eyes, his perception had changed in a tremendous way. Where before his head had been six feet four inches from the ground, in dragon form it was at least three times that. From one breath to the next he was airborne, circling towards the clouds. Looking back, he caught sight of Abigail, his love, his mate, and knew in his heart what Alarick was repeating in his mind was the utter truth…
Your Abigail has the power to love, to heal, to uplift, and to rebuild. She is the perfect complement for you and for me. The one woman destined for you, joined for all times in this life and the next. She provides us both with love, light and hope. I have been given a second miracle in the form of your mate. She is now mine to protect, as well. Together, you and she shall provide heirs that will allow our great race to continue for all eternity.”
Now speak to her in the way of our kind, Manus O’Brien, dragon shifter.
Manus had only to think the words and they were given to Abbie in a beautiful language they both magically understood. “Is breá liom tú le mo chroí go, anois agus go deo.”
With his enhanced vision, he watched a breathtaking smile spread across her face and heard her voice in his mind, “And I love you with all my heart, now and forever, Manus O’Brien.”
And the Dragon Guard was born…
