Thank you, I thought. This has meant more to me than I ever thought it would. I am a dragon but I am also human. Can I stay connected when I am in the other Realm?
Didn’t we speak while you were there? Fangorn was irritated again.
Yes, but I’m checking. That’s what I do. Check to make sure things are the way they need to.
He huffed. I guess that was a kind of response.
Then let us say goodbye for a time, Imi said.
A song, just a single voice, sang a few notes. Then another joined in until the Cavern echoed with song.
It was not the song of birds, or anything sweet. This was the song of dragons, and it filled me with… strength, and fire, and how great it was to be a dragon.
As quickly as it had begun, the song was over.
Goodbye, Aodan George, a voice whispered.
I thought it was Voko.
Then everything was silent.
“Wow,” I said.
“Let us go now,” Fangorn said. He turned and led the way out of the main cavern toward the stone corridor we’d come in initially.
I knew he wasn’t happy with me.
That couldn’t be helped. I had to get Margrite and see what could be salvaged from our life.
“Are we flying or using a portal?”
“Portal. It will be faster.”
Well, okay.
Once we were outside the Cavern, Fangorn opened a portal, and stalked in.
Yeah, he was mad.
It had been a long time since I worried about disappointing any sort of parental type. It still felt as crappy as it had before.
I followed him, and we were back in the room where I’d first come with him.
Aine was there talking with Drake.
“You’re here? What happened?” She asked.
“Did you find him?” Fangorn was blunt.
“No. Nor did we find a body.”
“I don’t know how he escaped,” Drake said.
“I think he plans for plans within plans,” I said.
“What?” Drake looked at me.
“I kept hearing that he’s so smart and whatever, but I didn’t get that impression. I think he’s hard and ruthless, and has no regard for anyone not working for him, but I don’t think he’s a genius or anything.”
Aine crossed her arms. “Why?”
“Because he brags too much. He really does love the sound of his own voice. Like, way too much. People like that, they miss things when they’re too busy talking.”
Aine looked at me and nodded. “That makes sense. So how is he always one step ahead?”
“He plans like a guilty man. He knows everyone and their brother is after him. He knows all of you want to kill him. He plans for it.”
This seemed simple to me.
“In what way?” Brennan came in.
“If it were me, I’d plan for every worst case scenario. I’d have an escape plan for each room, you know, so if I got caught somewhere, I could still get away.”
I ran my hand through my hair. “That’s how Margrite and I had our place set up. We had multiple exits, and hiding places, and escape routes.”
“Has life been that dangerous?” Brennan asked.
“I lived in a building that wasn’t mine. No one was supposed to be there. I steal for a living. That pisses people off. I’m in this predicament now because someone isn’t happy with the last job I did. Anyway, that’s what I’d do if I was Eilor. And I think that’s what he’s doing. It makes him seem smart, but really, he’s more of a good planner.”
No one spoke after I finished. Maybe my reasoning wasn’t making sense to them.
“It would be smart to plan. We would all happily kill him.” Aine tapped her lip. “I don’t think we should ever underestimate him, but this makes his cunning a little less intimidating.”
“It does. Anything to take that bastard down is good with me,” Drake said.
“Where is the casket that you stole before this all began?” Brennan asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I was hired to do a job. I did it and delivered the item to the client. In the process, I had my own issues pop up, but those have been resolved as well. So I don’t have an answer for you.”
Brennan found. “I am not comfortable with a portal in hands I am unaware of. Those caskets are supposed to be well-guarded,” he finished and glanced at Drake.
“Well, there was that problem with some of the Keepers,” Drake said.
“Which won’t go away. I need you to find the couple who purchased the casket,” Brennan turned to me.
“Whoa, hold up,” I held up my hands. “I wasn’t kidding. I did the job I was hired to do. I don’t know who my clients are, or what happens after I deliver. Besides, wouldn’t they come here? I mean, isn’t that what a portal does? Brings you here?”
“So you have no morals in what you steal?” Fangorn asked.
Playing dirty? I asked.
He didn’t respond, only crossed his arms, waiting for my answer, I guess.
“I have quite a few. But this couple didn’t do anything to me, or Margrite, or even the guy who set up the job. She was kind of stuck-up, but that’s not a crime. They paid well for my trouble.”
“Then I will hire you,” Brennan said.
“I need to get back. Margrite was taken back, but she wasn’t looking so good. I need to see if she made it to our spot and make sure she’s okay.”
“Your spot?” Aine asked.
“When we get separated, we have a predetermined meeting place.”
Brennan smiled. I wasn’t expecting it, and it transformed his whole face.
“You’re a planner, too.”
I nodded.
He continued, “I like that. I am also a planner although I suspect you may be far more detailed. I have a job for you, Aodan. Once you get home, please contact Aine, or Fangorn. Then we can talk specifics of what I need you to do.”
“I’ll do that,” I said.
“I hope you find her and she’s better,” Aine said, coming to me and putting a hand on my arm.
“That makes two of us,” I said. “Thank you.” I looked at everyone. “Thank you for helping me. I’m not trying to be ungrateful, but I need to make sure the only family I’ve ever had is okay.”
“You have nothing to explain,” Drake said.
I turned to Fangorn. “You still mad at me?”
His arms were crossed, and he didn’t move. Then he sighed. “I am. But I understand. I have gone to extraordinary lengths for the remaining dragons. They are my family, and I would fight to the death for them. But before the war, we were not related, nor were we in the same clans. Only those of us completely disconnected were left.” He looked out the window, then back at me.
“Family is more than blood ties. I feel more strongly for you and Aine because you are my blood, and I have not had that pleasure for many years. I am not mad. Disappointed.”
“Disgruntled,” Aine said.
“Perhaps,” Fangorn didn’t look at her, but he wasn’t mad at her either. He smiled at me. “Go and find Margrite. I like her. I think she is a good friend to you.”
I nodded. “Can I get some help? I don’t know how to get back.”
“When you’ve found her, and she has healed, you need to come back. You need to learn how to portal, among other things. No matter where you live,” Fangorn finished.
“I’ll do it,” said Aine. She came next to me and took my hand. “Imagine where you want to go and let me see it.”
“Oh, okay.” I stared at the wall, seeing the block that the diner was on. I didn’t want to show anyone the diner.
Not yet.
Aine held a stone out in front of her and said something. A light popped in front of us, and when it was large enough to fit me, she squeezed my hand and let go.
“I am glad to meet you, brother.”
“You, too,” I said.
I hugged her, surprising us both. Then I gave a wave to everyone
else and stepped through the portal.
Once I was on a familiar street, the portal disappeared behind me.
I was home.
Now all I needed to do was find Margrite.
Turning, I headed for the alley that was behind the diner. That was the easiest way to get to the shed.
When I reached the back of the diner’s property, the little shed sat right where it was supposed to be.
Looking around, I crept inside—it was never locked; they’d given up on that—and felt around for the small pull in the floor that would open the hatch.
“Ouch!” I sucked at my index finger. I’d found the hatch and hit my finger right on it.
Carefully this time, I felt for the hatch ring, and pulled it open. A sliver of light shone through. Good. She was already here.
I opened the hatch further and slid down into the space.
There was a small bed that barely fit in the room. I could stand up in here, but my head brushed the ceiling. A single light bulb was installed on the side of the wall, turned off and on by a chain hanging down. The chain hung motionless in the still air.
Margrite wasn’t here.
I looked around. How could she not be here?
Then I looked at the bed.
There was a torn piece of paper, brown paper, like from a shopping bag. On it was one word.
‘Peaches.’
Shit. This meant she was in trouble, and couldn’t stay. I knew where she was headed, but this next stop wouldn’t be easy.
What sent her from here? Even though bums liked to hide out in the shed, most of them didn’t know about the door in the floor.
Something had happened.
Taking my time, I searched the rest of the room, hoping she’d left another clue.
She hadn’t.
Peaches was enough.
I clicked off the light and left the small room.
Making sure to conceal the hatch, I took care not to make a lot of noise, or draw any notice to myself. I inspected the door, and then eased out of the shed, checking that no one was around.
I had to go.
Next stop: Margrite.
Epilogue
Nala sat in the back room of her store, idly shuffling cards. It soothed her to handle them, to feel the smooth surface and hear the snick of the cards as they brushed against one another.
While it didn’t always happen, she often felt that in shuffling the cards, the outcomes and futures of many were in flux. Only when a client came in and held the cards themselves did their future take on a solid form with a confident outcome.
She sighed. It was a shame she had to lie to so many, but most people didn’t want to hear the real truth. The real truth often hurt, and carried pain and struggle. People didn’t come for a tarot card reading to discover pain or struggle.
Most knew more than enough about that.
When she first began reading the cards, it had broken her heart to be unable to help people. For most, it was that they made the same poor choices and decisions. Then they showed up on her doorstop, wanting change, but unwilling to do the things necessary to get what they wanted.
It was a vicious cycle.
But it was a cycle that paid the bills.
She looked down at the deck in her hands. It was the Dragon deck, the one she’d used for the reading for Margrite and her friend Aodan. It kept turning up in her hand, even though it wasn’t her favorite deck, or one that she used much.
Nala had been reading the cards for too long to not recognize a sign when it was being paraded in front of her. There was a reason these cards wouldn’t just sit in the box where she kept her decks. Why they kept moving to the top, so that they would be pulled out and used.
It was a gorgeous deck, both on the back of the card and the illustrations themselves. She’d bought it on a whim after seeing the artist’s work at a show. But the cards were intimidating. She didn’t talk about it much. Another reader would understand.
There was so much power, so much intensity in each of the cards. Those who were drawn to them were people with immense strength. She had not been surprised with the Strength card appearing in the spread.
That had been an intense reading, too. The hair on her arms stood up the entire time Margrite and Aodan had been in here. She hoped that she’d conveyed the importance of the spread to Margrite at least. Aodan didn’t seem like he believed it although she would swear that he had been shaken by some of the cards.
“What do you want?” She asked the deck. “Why are you always on top? What do you need to tell me?”
The cards didn’t answer. It would be so much easier if they did.
As she continued to shuffle, and glare at the non-cooperative cards, she realized she hadn’t seen Margrite in some time. The girl came in at least twice a week. She would sometimes watch the register for the shop out front, and she and Nala would sit and talk.
Not about anything major. Margrite was the very definition of a closed book. But she showed up regularly. And she hadn’t been there in over a week.
The cards exploded out of her hand.
Something was very wrong.
Acknowledgments
I say it every time, but no author is an island. This story has been percolating in the side of my brain for at least a year. I had other things that had to be written before Aodan could show his face to the world.
Thank you so much to my family. You all continue to support and cheer me on. And to my extended family - to my ladies - you know who you are! My writers group, RMFW. I have so many wonderful tribe members that I never would have found had I not joined RMFW.
To my cover designer, Steve Novak. The fact that he creates such beautiful covers and puts up with my plethora of emails is a testament to his professionalism.
To Dean Samed of Neo Stock Photography. When I saw this photo shoot, I knew this was Aodan and my Dragon Thief.
And to Daniel Gemsa. He’s the amazing model, and I have had so much fun working with his Neo Stock portfolio.
Thank you thank you thank you to all my readers. I could not do this without all of you.
About the Author
Lisa Manifold is a USA Today Bestselling Author of fantasy, paranormal, and romance stories. She moved to Colorado as an adult and has no plans of living anywhere else. She is a consummate reader, often running late because “Just one more page!” Lisa writes the things she does because she really, really wants to live in a world where these kinds of stories happen.
She is a fan of all things Con, and has an entire room devoted to the costumes created for Cons. She served on the board of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers for four years, and in 2016, was named the 2016-2017 RMFW Independent Writer of the Year.
Lisa is the author of the fae paranormal romance series The Realm, the Grimm fairy tale retelling Sisters of the Curse series, the Djinn Everlasting series which follows a freelance djinn, the Aumahnee Prophecy urban fantasy series, and the urban fantasy series The Dragon Thief.
She lives as close to the mountains as possible with her husband, sons, and three attentive dogs.
Connect with Lisa online:
www.lisamanifold.com
[email protected]
Written by Lisa Manifold
Dragon Thief
Dragon Lost
The Realm Series
Heart of the Goblin King
To Wed the Goblin King
Realms of the Goblin King
Rise of the Dragon King
The Companion Tales, Volume I
The Companion Tales, Volume II (2018)
The Aumahnee Prophecy
with Corinne O’Flynn
Marigold’s Tale (Prequel)
Eamonn’s Tale (Prequel)
The Portal Keepers (Tales from the Veil 1)
The Gimcrackers (Tales from the Veil 2)
Watchers of the Veil
Djinn Everlasting
Three Wishes
Forgotten Wishes
Hidden Wis
hes
Sisters of the Curse
Thea’s Tale
One Night at the Ball
Casimir’s Journey
Do you like being in the loop? Sign up for Lisa’s newsletter! Shenanigans, book recs, and the latest news abound!
Dragon Lost (Dragon Thief Book 1) Page 22
