Table of Contents
Chapter 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
Book 1: The Missing Queen
Book 2: The Ripple Effect
Book 3: The Lost Tiro
Book 4: The Long Journey
Book 1: Cole
Book 2: Alexander
Book 3: Peter
Book 4: Nicholas
Book 5: Spencer
Chapter 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
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Awakening the Drgon
Exiled Dragons | Book 9
Sarah J. Stone
Contents
Awakening the Dragon
Extras
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Awakening the Dragon
Chapter 1
The torches were drawing closer. Penelope’s breath seemed stuck in her throat as she ran for what felt like miles through bramble and bush, the heavy thorns of the underbrush scratching her legs and leaving thin lines of blood seeping into her linens. It would only be a matter of time before they caught her, and there was nothing she could do to stop them.
There had been something in the potion she had been given, something that had rendered her incapable of protecting herself in the usual manner. It was the old woman that had done this to her, the one with the dark eyes and silver hair. How had she known what she was, and what were their intentions toward her now that they had a chance to capture her?
Fear was new to her, something she had learned not to feel a very long time ago when she had gone through her training. Her father had commanded her full attention at all times, teaching her the ways of their people and demonstrating a means of escape for all situations that might befall her . . . all but this one. Even her father had never seen a situation like this unfolding.
Penelope cursed herself as she darted in and out of the darkened brush that lined the deepest part of the forest. She thought of the man she had left behind, the one who had betrayed her. Hadn’t she known better than to get involved with a human? It had been his prudish beliefs and superstitions that had landed her here. She was certain of that. Had it not been he that had introduced her to the old woman?
Her mind wandered, bits and pieces of the days that had led up to the meeting with the woman all slipping into place to form a solid picture, one she had not been able to see until it was too late. How long had he been planning this with the old witch and why?
Her fear was quickly being replaced with anger. She was going to get through this, get away from them, and when she did, those responsible would pay dearly. The old woman could be expected to be nothing but what she was, but him–he was a different matter. She had loved him and thought he loved her. How could she have been so wrong?
The footsteps behind her seem to fall away. She was getting ahead of them, finally putting some distance between herself and her pursuers. It was a relief, but she was far from out of the woods just yet, literally. The incline grew steeper as she began to ascend the edge of the mountains that surrounded the area. It would slow her progress, but it should slow theirs, as well.
Winded, she paused for a moment, looking around. There was no sign of anything but more trees and more thickets. She could hide in some of the heavier foliage, but they had dogs that would surely smell her and lead them straight to her. No, she had to do better than that. For now, she had no choice but to continue to run. She took a deep breath and continued to make her way ahead through the darkness. At least her elevated sense of sight and hearing was intact.
As the night passed into dawn, she found herself emerging from the thickest part of the woods. She could still hear the men in the distance behind her, tracking her, staying on her trail. Her only advantage had been that the dense coverage had prevented them from coming for her on horseback. They were as much tied to groundwork as was she. Her efforts to elude, however, seemed to have failed. No amount of zig-zagging through the woods could put off the dogs locked onto her scent.
Now, the woods around her were growing sparser, letting in more light. She could move faster, but so could they, and there were fewer places to hide. The exhaustion consumed her, her body begging to be laid down just for a while to gather back some strength. They had been on her trail for more than a full day now, and she was near collapse.
Suddenly, the sun was all around her. She had emerged from the woods and found herself standing in an open meadow that spread widely to the right, but was banked ahead and to the left by steep, stone cliffs. She stopped, letting out a deep breath. There was only one way for her to go, and it was completely flat. That would make her an easy mark for their weapons, even if they couldn’t quite catch up to her.
The dogs barked in the distance, not upon her just yet, but still too close for her to feel at ease. If she stopped now, they would be on her in no time. She turned in that direction and continued forward, only to find herself boxed in by a second group of men coming out of the forest ahead. They were too far away to see her yet, but she could hear them, feel them.
“Okay, Penelope. Concentrate,” she said aloud to herself, willing every fiber of her being to change, to shift and save herself.
Nothing.
She could do nothing. Had the woman merely blocked her abilities for now or was it forever? Surely, after a day, it would have worn off if it was only a temporary potion or spell affecting her. A feeling of impending doom came over her as she resigned herself to whatever fate had been planned for her.
“No more running,” she said to the air around her. “I’m too tired.”
“What are you running from?” came a man’s voice behind her.
Penelope whirled around. How had she not heard him? Where did he come from? The sound of the men coming through the woods was growing closer.
He cocked his head in that direction. He heard them too, “Come with me.”
“To where?”
“Does it matter?” he replied.
Penelope studied his face. He seemed indifferent, for the most part. Still, he was offering her help, and wherever he led her to couldn’t be worse than what was surrounding her
on all sides, could it?
“Okay. Show me.”
CHAPTER 2
The man directed her to come with him directly toward the cliff wall. She had her doubts, but as they grew closer, she could see a recessed opening that led out of sight. She was hesitant about getting boxed into what might easily become a stone tomb for her and him, by association. Then again, did she really have any choice at all in the matter?
They quickly made their way across the rock ledge that hid the opening and into the crevice. Slipping inside, he turned and pulled a large rock in front of the hole to further block any notice of it. Penelope marveled at his strength, but said nothing. He turned as if it had been nothing at all and reached for a bottle that sat on a rock jutting out of one side of the narrow corridor. He poured it across the path behind them and then placed it back where he found it, pushing it backwards out of sight. The smell that arose all around them was repugnant.
“What is that?”
“Let’s just say it is a special recipe that the dogs won’t come near.”
“Masking our scent,” she said, understanding now what he had done.
“Exactly. Now, let’s get out of sight.”
They made their way further into the crevice, which seemed to be going downward into the ground. It was cool and damp. Penelope could hear the sound of running water that seemed to come from all around them. The crevice split off into several openings, and he took the one to the left, taking several more splits as they continued until Penelope no longer knew where she was or how to get back out of here.
“Look, I think I’m just going to stop here and rest a while. I’ll give the men some time to pass by and then slip back out and be on my way. Thank you for your help.”
“And where will you go once you’ve eluded them this time?”
“I don’t know. It’s my problem, though. Not yours. I do appreciate your help.”
The man looked her up and down. It was dark in the tunnels, but her enhanced vision allowed her to see him fairly clearly. He was ruggedly handsome with wild, brown hair and a bushy beard. His golden-brown eyes seemed kind, but there was also something foreboding about him that told her he could be just as cruel as he needed to be when necessary.
It occurred to her, as he made eye contact, that he could see her too. It was virtually pitch black in here. What was he? Definitely not human, but what?
“I’m just like you,” he replied, as if reading her mind.
“Like me?” she asked, unwilling to give up any information.
“A shifter. A dragon shifter,” he replied evenly.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she replied, wondering if it was a test. Dragon shifters could not sense one another. Unlike some other shifters, they lacked the ability to sense their own kind. How could he guess what she was then?
“Yes, you do. You’re right. I’m not human, well not entirely. I’m a dragon shifter, first and foremost, but my mother was human. I can read your thoughts as if you spoke them aloud.”
“What? That’s impossible.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not. Come on. Let’s get you settled somewhere comfortable and let you rest. I can see that you are so weary you’re about to drop where you stand. I smell your fear and your pain, as well. You will be safe here. They will most likely not pass through the rocks and the smell, thinking it is a sordid pit best not entered. If they do decide to venture in…heaven help them.”
“I can’t shift.”
“I know. We’ll talk about that once we get you rested up.”
Penelope felt the first sense of relief she had for days. Even before the events of yesterday, she had known something was not quite right, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She decided it was best just to get herself to whatever shelter he could offer and rest. Then, she would worry about what happened past that.
“Watch your step,” he told her as they approached what seemed to be an opening ahead. She could see light flooding in through the opening, along with the increasingly loud sounds of running water.
“Oh, God!” she gasped as she stepped out of the opening and found herself on a tiny ledge, slippery with water spraying against it from the heavy waterfall that spilled down from above.
“Just edge this way. We will only be out here for a moment,” he told her, reaching for her hand to ease her along the edge beside him.
A few steps along the ledge, plastered against the rock facing behind her, the man began to move backwards, moving her in with him. She found herself in another narrow corridor, but only for a moment. They came to a large, iron gate with an odd-looking box attached to the outside. She watched as he seemed to push in metal pins in a certain order. The gate creaked open.
“Here we are. Home, Sweet Home,” he told her.
“Seems a bit inconvenient.”
“Only in human form,” he said with a wink.
“There is no way you could get through that maze of tunnels in dragon form,” she replied.
“Correct,” he said simply, offering nothing further.
Penelope looked around. Aside from where it was located, it could be the interior of anyone’s home. Granted it was a bit manly in the way it was decorated, but it seemed quite normal. She shook her head in disbelief. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but she felt so tired.
“Alright. You are safe here. Let’s get you rested up, and we will answer all your questions when you feel better,” he told her.
Penelope looked at him, wondering again if he was really able to read her thoughts or just a very good guesser. He smiled knowingly, just making her wonder more about his skills. At any rate, he was right. She was beyond exhausted, and her feet were aching terribly.
“Thank you,” she said feebly.
“Let’s get those boots off your feet. They are bound to need attention.”
Penelope sat down in a wooden chair nearby and began slipping the boots free. She grimaced as they slid across blisters and bloody lesions. Looking down at them, she wondered how she had managed to keep going on them for so long. She had willed out the pain, but now, the damage was evident and so was the ache.
“Sit there, while I get something to clean them. Until you can shift, they are going to heal slowly, at a human rate. We don’t want them to get infected.”
Penelope looked up at him through what she was sure were haunted eyes. Normally, people described her as a great beauty. Her white-blonde hair and clear, blue eyes gave her the look of one of the pricey, porcelain dolls the wealthy, young girls of her former city had in their bedrooms. She could only imagine that, at this moment, she looked more like what the naughtier of those girls did to such beautiful creations in the dirt and mud of their backyards.
“Thank you. I don’t even know your name,” she replied. “I’m Penelope.”
“My name is Kergot.”
“Kergot? That is an unusual name.”
“I’m an unusual man,” he said.
Penelope looked up at his grinning face and felt somehow calmer. He didn’t take his eyes off of her for a moment, but then broke free of whatever held him there, standing and stepping away. He returned a moment later with a pan of water and some strips of cloth.
“I will do it,” she said, realizing that he intended to clean her feet.
“Let me. I suspect you will tip all the way over if you even attempt to bend forward,” he said kindly.
Penelope knew he was right and felt too tired to argue anyway. She let him clean away the blood that had gathered and the dirt that had crept into her boots, groaning every once in a while when he hit a particularly painful place. When he was done, he wrapped each of them in soft strips and put the pan to one side.
“Are you hungry? When did you last eat?”
“Yesterday, but I don’t think I can eat anything yet.”
“Broth. I have some bone broth that I made earlier. Sip some of that to give you a bit of strength, and then we’
ll get you into bed, so you can get some sleep.”
Penelope tensed at the thought of sleep. How could she protect herself if the men came? She was so tired that she knew if she was to sleep, she might not wake up until it was too late.
“Penelope, I will make sure you are protected. No one will hurt you here. Even if they managed to find you, they would have to get through the gate and through me. You’re safe. I promise you that on our ancestors’ wings.”
“Okay. I will try to trust you. You’ve done nothing but help so far.”
“Very good,” he told her.
The bone broth was horrible-tasting, but she got as much of it down as she could. She knew it would help, but her stomach was just too tied up in knots to take too much of it. When she pushed the bowl away, Kergot retrieved it and sat it to one side. She was taken by surprise as he leaned down and scooped up her long, lithe frame in his powerful arms and carried her to a large bed situated in the recesses on one side of the room.
The last thing she remembered was her body sinking down into a large, feather bed and being covered by warm, fur blankets. A darkness like none she had ever known took her into its black embrace and held her there, pushing her down into a deep sleep from which she feared she might not wake.
CHAPTER 3
“Ah, the princess awakens,” Kergot said warmly as Penelope awoke, blinking the sleep from her eyes.
She felt more rested, but still so very tired. Her feet throbbed with pain and her mouth was incredibly dry. Kergot was by her bedside with a vessel of water without her asking. It occurred to her that it could be both good and bad to be near someone who knew everything she was thinking.
“How long have I been asleep?”
“Almost a full day. The sun will be rising again soon.”
Penelope looked at him, looking around for a moment before speaking.
“I’m so sorry. I took your bed. Have you been able to sleep?”
“Of course. I was right beside you for quite a while.”
Awakening The Dragon (Exiled Dragons Book 9) Page 1
