Enchanted Bookstore Legends (5-book complete epic fantasy romance box set)

by Marsha A. Moore

  “Thank you. I’m ready to start.” Lyra pointed to a paragraph in the book to guide the Tortoise. “I studied the beginning of this section earlier, when I wanted to find Sorcha’s book. Brigid had traveled to southern Indiana and placed it in the honey keep tree. Her cousin, Draora, played a big role, and it looks like she’s involved with the fluorite keystone as well.” After a sip of water, Lyra began reading.

  With tremendous displeasure, I left the exhilarating world of Dragonspeir and returned to my home. The coach ride proved more tedious than usual. I’d grown so accustomed to the quick pace of magical transport. But, my poor mother needed me. Her health had taken a turn for the worse when she contracted cholera during the last wave of infection. Papa couldn’t nurse her alone, what with his own ailments.

  Finally, I managed to arrive in Nawbone, a tiny village in southern Indiana. I’d never quite felt at home in that locale after our recent move from the East, but being near my dear cousin lifted my spirits.

  The very day I arrived, Draora paid me a visit. She spent time helping me change and burn linens and sanitize the sick room, as was possible to keep the disease from spreading. I was grateful for her assistance but still fell into my own bed that evening so overly tired.

  It was a wonderful treat when she brought me and father dinner the following evening. I had so little time to prepare any type of healthful meal. Her kindness was a great comfort.

  Later, after Mama and Papa had turned in for the night, Draora and I sat out on the porch swing, talking and laughing. The warm summer breeze lifted our long curls, both the same shade of chestnut. She was like the sister I never had.

  “Brigid, I have a secret I want you to know. Do you promise not to tell anyone? Not a single soul?” Her wide brown eyes looked right into mine.

  We hooked pinkies, and I agreed.

  “I’m a witch,” she whispered and sunk back toward the far end of the swing, watching my expression in the clear glow of the moonlight. I wasn’t certain how to respond properly. I wondered if she could see my Alliance sorcery powers, if, in fact, they showed here in this world.

  I concentrated, using my aura just a tad, then jumped. “There is something around you, like a blanket I cannot view.”

  “I feel something surrounding you too. I felt it when I first saw you yesterday. You’ve changed somehow. What strange things did you involve yourself with while away?”

  I placed my hand on top of hers. Both her finger and mine still held the friendship rings we’d exchanged when we were children back East. “I’ve been to a far away land. Let me tell you all about my adventures.” We talked late into the night, walking the woods between my parents’ house and hers. The tall oaks and hickories leaned in and the crickets quieted as if to listen when we passed. We spent many long evenings that way, delighting each other with our different types of magic.

  A fortnight after I arrived home, my mother passed. With much sadness, my papa and I burned the rest of her clothing, anything she might have made contact with during her her illness. I saved only a few mementoes of her jewelry from when she was a young woman.

  The eve before my coach departed to return north, I walked one last time with Draora. “I need to give you something to keep safe…guard it with your life. It’s in this pouch.” Under the starlight, I opened the top and allowed her to peek inside. This book is two hundred years old. Its words contain magic.”

  “Like a grimoire?”

  “In a mysterious way, yes. The magic hides in the words. You must have my type of magic to read it.” I grabbed her arm. “Please tell me you’ll protect it.”

  “I will. Who am I keeping it for?”

  “A girl born of my daughters, generations to come.”

  “She’ll inherit the gift like you did?” She led me along a path into her backyard. “Here, I’ll hide it inside this honey tree I’ve enchanted. The bees don’t seem to mind, in fact, they rather like the spell. I’ve already hidden important things, magical and otherwise, in the wide crack at the top. Let me show you.” She lifted her arms wide to the tree and said words I didn’t understand.

  The limbs whipped wildly, and the bees buzzed inside their hives. The crack widened, and Draora lifted out several cloth bags of various sizes.

  “This one tells me it belongs to you.” She opened the drawstring and dropped a purple chunk into my open palms. “This gives off the same magic you do. I knew the stone was powerful the first time I saw it. It poked up through the garden dirt when I went to plant beans. My brother said it was nothing but a common rainbow stone mined from these hills.”

  The purple banded gem did, indeed, hum with Alliance magic. “I read in Sorcha’s book about keystones that were stolen from the Alliance hundreds of years ago by the Dark Realm. She attempted to find them all but failed. Some she declared totally lost, without clues to find them. I wonder…”

  “I think it is.” My cousin smiled and grabbed me by my shoulders, whipping us around in a dance on the dewy grass.

  “How do you think the stone got here?”

  “The fact that it is here is the wonder, returning to its homeland, the only directional sense remaining after being taken over by evil,” Draora said and spun me all around the honey tree until our skirt hems were soaked.

  I stopped our dance, feeling a slight dizziness pass over me. “Should I take it back to the Alliance?”

  “You’ll find the answer.” She held my hands in hers.

  “The stone should be hidden where the next Scribe can find it when she needs it. I will have faith good will win.” I reached into my skirt pocket, withdrew Mama’s ring, and dropped it into the bag. “Only a child of my blood will be able to open this at the time she needs it.” I waved a handful of my magic over the parcel and passed it to my cousin.

  “And I will make certain both of these sacks stay in the bowels of my enchanted honey tree, guarded with my own grave underneath until your daughter Scribe arrives. Our daughters will help each other.” Draora deposited them into the tree and picked up a pocket knife. “Take hold on top of my hand. Together, we’ll seal the magic bond between us and our daughters.” My cousin guided us to carve a line drawing, in the shape of an ornate letter A, into the bark of the tree. She lifted her arms and mine into the air to resemble the tree’s boughs.

  The bees responded to her call and buzzed out of their hive, agitating the calm night air into a whirlwind.

  Lyra looked up from the text with a smile. “That explains a lot about my cousins who are related to Draora and what I learned when I visited there last month. I’ll look forward to seeing them again.” She flipped forward a few pages, checking to make sure there was no other mention of the keystone. “I think taking some time at Aunt Jean’s looking through the collection of old family photos would help me. I need to know more about Draora before I meet her ghost again. She seems so friendly and spirited here, full of energy, unlike the scary apparition that rose from her grave.”

  The Tortoise yawned. “We’ve made good progress. It’s late. Let’s hurry along and discuss how you might find the four keystones.”

  “There are two in the human world, the moonstone along the Wachatoo River in Michigan and the fluorite in Nawbone, Indiana. To save time, I’d try to find those in one trip. The pearl is supposedly in the Alliance, in the Sea of Cogadh, but I’m clueless about how to find the Emtori Ruby or the Staurolite. Cullen and I could search the desert of Cerid’s Crux for weeks and never find them.”

  “Have you consulted the Spheres of Sidus?” he asked.

  Mimio nodded.

  “I tried reading that device once more, asking where to find the Staurolite,” Lyra replied. “It showed me a confusing image—what looked like the back of my hair, in a single braid like I sometimes wear mine, but dressed in an odd skirt held out by a petticoat. I had the Staurolite in my hand, but the ruby wasn’t attached. That made no sense, since the background looked like a cracked, dry desert. Those two stones should call to each other if they�
�re close.” Lyra folded her arms on the table and leaned her head down. She turned to face the Guardian. “I don’t get it. After all, the Staurolite is supposed to be the one I’m destined to find, the one that controls the four keystones.”

  “You’re tired. We all are. Perhaps the answer will come to you in the morning,” Mimio suggested.

  “Maybe.” Lyra sighed and sat up. “I think the point to start is with the pearl since it should be here. It seems simple enough to feel in the enchanted pool of the Sea of Cogadh for whatever empowering talisman Heilia mentioned. The pool is calm now with that in place, right?”

  “Yes. Unless it has been altered with the recent influx of evil in our land. Our boundary along that sea is under my watch as the Water Guardian. I checked it shortly before Maxime Eviligo was declared.”

  “Then will you come with me to look for the pearl?”

  “Of course.” He grinned and pushed away from the table, waving the references back to their storage areas. “In the morning.”

  They quickly said goodnights, and Lyra wasted no time finding a warm spot in bed next to Cullen. After the long day, relaxing into their magical touch soothed her more than anything else could.

  ***

  In the pitch black, Lyra felt Cullen’s hand shaking her shoulder. She sat upright, eyes not yet focused. “What’s wrong?”

  “Lyra, we’re under attack. The Dark Realm has sent dozens of ice drakes during the night. They are freezing water sources our people badly need and sealing the entrances to their caves and stone dwellings. We need you to fight the cimafa. We’re outnumbered.”

  Chapter 16: The Ruby Answers

  Lyra pushed herself to sit on the edge of the bed, eyes half closed. “What about my seizures?”

  “You are to stay with Sire Drake, so he can heal you immediately if there is a need.” The Imperial Dragon’s voice sounded tired and stressed. “It is not what any of us wish to do.”

  At the sound of the leader’s voice, her eyes opened wide. He never entered their private chamber.

  “Lyra, I’ll be with you.” Cullen, dressed for battle, lit a candle and rubbed her back. “I’m hoping if we ride Yord together, because we’ll be touching, we can utilize each other’s auras like we’ve done before. I can use mine to stabilize your energy extremes. I know that will help.”

  “What time is it?” She ran her hand along the wool of Cullen’s riding cloak. “You look like you’ve been out already.”

  “Just before dawn,” replied the leader. “Warlord Oasth brought a patrol in and reported the deteriorated status. We’ve been in conference the past hour.”

  “Mimio treated all injuries again with my help,” Cullen added. “What little she would allow me to do, sternly instructing me to save my strength for battle.”

  “How are the wounded?” Lyra asked him.

  “Those with minor injuries are mended enough for battle. The other two will remain here for at least a week.”

  “What about finding the keystones? I have a plan to find the Pearl of Pendola in the Sea of Cogadh as soon as we can. The Tortoise Guardian will help.”

  The Imperial Dragon nodded. “That will be our first order of business as soon as we can force some retreat from the Dark Realm.”

  “What happened during your meeting with Nillea?” Lyra asked.

  “She was fairly hysterical but did eventually become still. I hope she listened.” The leader headed toward the door. “She understands that Kessa can help people. I was glad for that much. Of course, her priority is still protecting her daughter. She doesn’t trust us to do that.” He shook his head.

  Lyra stood. “That’s a start. I’ll be ready in five minutes.”

  “Meet us in the kitchen for a light meal before departure.” The leader left and closed the door behind him. The opening let in the noise of footsteps all along the main corridor, two doors down from their chamber.

  Cullen swept Lyra into a quick hug. “Are you afraid?”

  “Yes. But we’ll be there to help each other. We’ll get through this.” She kissed him, then pulled away to conjure her grooming and a new set of clothes, jeans and a long-sleeved tee-shirt. “Anything special I need for battle?”

  A second later, a heavy tunic covered her torso and a dense cloak draped from her shoulders to the floor. “Wool is an excellent flame retardant. This will protect you from sprays of sparks and hits of weak fire. Bring your—”

  “Staff. Ready.” Eager to help in the battle, she quickly shrunk her staff to a size that fit inside the cloak’s inner pocket. Hand in hand, they exited the room.

  In the hall, fighters and guards moved back and forth, filling the main hallway. This level of activity would seem normal for the lair on a regular morning. At this hour of the night, the commotion seemed surreal. Clipped speech and quick steps created a mood of panic.

  The kitchen walls reverberated with nervous chatter. Lyra wound her way to the central counter, which was filled with a buffet breakfast of items for dragons and humans. A bite of toast stuck in her tightened throat. A few swallows of milk was all her agitated stomach would tolerate.

  Moments later, two squadrons led by the Imperial Dragon and Yord marched down the wide corridor, through the grand gathering room to the foyer. The images of past Imperial Dragons, woven into tapestries along the wall, seemed to salute the passing contingent.

  Yord paused only long enough for Lyra and Cullen to mount and to position Yasqu to his rear left side for protection.

  Blue fighters leapt into the air from the edge of the landing.

  Lyra’s heartbeat rose into her throat, even though she’d ridden many times before. This was different.

  Darkness shrouded the familiar ground landmarks. The dragons navigated by the stars, sailing directly for the Village of the Meadow of Peace.

  Villagers’ cries cut the silence, followed by sounds of wings flapping near the ground. Evil dragons took to the sky like a clutch of vultures scattered from their prey.

  A high-pitched wheezing whistle caught Lyra’s ear, a chilling cry she’d heard before outside of Tarom’s Versula Solus retreat—ice drakes. Their serpentine bodies, covered with metallic frost-blue scales, reflected the star light. They undulated through the air along the perimeter of the battle, preparing to strike. This position would allow them to dart into battle, using their icy breath to instantly freeze flesh.

  Magma drakes eagerly took the lead for the Dark Realm. Dozens radiated out, spewing jags of fire with even more dangerous lava sparks.

  The blue squadrons divided and attacked from two directions.

  The Imperial Dragon opened fire from the Alliance, shooting a massive spike of flame three times the length and width of the others. His shot hit two magma drakes. One dropped dead, plummeting straight down, while the other spiraled to an awkward landing.

  That exchange signaled additional fighters from both sides to join the battle. Seconds later, the sky lit with lightning bolts, flames, and magma sparks.

  Cullen glanced briefly over his shoulder. “Watch for attacks from the greens and ice drakes. Hang on tighter.”

  “And the cimafa?” She clamped her thighs harder against Yord’s spine.

  “Not yet. They’re too valuable for the enemy to waste in the initial rush. Keep an eye out, and try to save your energy for them,” he replied, keeping his gaze on the battle.

  Cullen leaned forward and brought a mass of blue aura into his hand. Unlike Lyra, he didn’t pause to take aim. In one smooth motion, he put the whole weight of his torso into a forward thrust of his arm. It sped directly to its mark—the head of an incoming green dragon.

  Lyra squinted to see who was injured. She noticed three blues with long bleeding cuts across their flanks. She struggled to keep track of the opposing dragons but heard moans from the ground that no human could make.

  Yord made a sudden ascent above a filmy cloud of chlorine gas. A slight whiff of the pineapple and pepper scent stung the back of Lyra’s throat.

&
nbsp; The fighting moved higher to avoid the toxin. Another volley of fire in all directions left Lyra’s head spinning.

  Cullen rose in his seat and hurled his arm forward. A massive ball of his blue aura sped from his hand. It struck an ice drake square on its side.

  The evil dragon slithered downward out of sight.

  With only a moment’s glance at his target, Cullen launched another powerball of equal size. Like a heat-seeking missile, it curved around a fire drake and left a deep burn in the dragon’s flank. The accuracy of Cullen’s aim left Lyra in awe.

  People in a nearby cave below coughed and cried out, their eyes and lungs burning from the dropping chlorine gas. Lyra hoped the Phoenix Guardian protected them. It relieved her to see the unmistakable white outline of the Unicorn fly toward the cries.

  Sensing the dire situation, Lyra filled her free palm with power. She glanced at the powerball—more densely packed than Cullen’s, with aura from every Scribe. If only her aim would be as good as his. Her other arm wrapped more tightly around Cullen to be ready to balance her aura with his.

  The blue-white tail of an ice drake came at them from the side, out of a cloud of smoke from a magma drake’s fire.

  Yord didn’t react, apparently not seeing the ice drake.

  Reflexively, Lyra hurled her powerball. Connected to Cullen, she used the precision of his aura’s aim to improve her own. Watching the course, her pulse thundered in her ears. The powerball shot true, neatly delivering an accurate strike that vaporized the beast’s tail.

  Yord reared away from the explosion of golden light, then glanced back at his riders.