by Rain Oxford
By then, we realized there was a balance in the universe and that we were mildly compelled to obey it. The minor demons absolutely couldn’t resist it.
That was when the Ancients started considering an alternative to the void. One of us slipped passed Janus and entered the universe, only to discover that we could possess the living, so the rest of us tried it. The fact that the person we possessed died meant nothing to us compared to the thrill of feeling life for ourselves. No longer did we have to watch from a distance.
Unfortunately, I was greedy; I wanted a permanent life. It was the balance that pushed me to seek the little immortal child. After being fooled into believing he was my salvation, I realized Samhail was not compatible right before Dylan pulled me into himself. When I possessed Dylan for about five seconds, I knew I had made a terrible mistake, for I had crossed someone far more powerful than any creature I had ever encountered. And he didn’t have a clue.
So he banished me to the void and I considered myself grateful he didn’t destroy me altogether… at first. By the time the gates tried to reopen, I knew I would return to Dylan. I had to take the chance, because either he would allow me to stay in the universe, or he would destroy me, and I was happy with either outcome.
* * *
I was disappointed when Dylan told me to get out of his sight, not that I thought I deserved better, but because I felt like I deserved a little mercy. After all, Sydney’s death was a loss to me as well. I realized by the end of the day, however, that it was mercy he was showing me.
Everything changed for me once Dylan gave me a body to live in. I had moods, emotions, and needs that I had to discover on my own… but I would take it over the void any day. Therefore, when Dylan told me to leave him, I got a motel room.
It was a week later, when they boys started back at school, that he called me back. I wasn’t offended one bit that he only wanted me to protect Ron and Hail, especially since I was actually very fond of them. If only Ron would stop trying to train me like a dog, everything would have been perfect. In fact, I got an apartment two doors down from Dylan and became the official free babysitter.
While a girlfriend would have been nice, I didn’t hold my breath. I never told Dylan about Sydney and I, but he seemed to think I needed to grieve along with the dragon. Therefore, it was my intention to be as nonchalant about it until he dropped the whole matter…
Maybe then he would stop saying her name.
I was surprised when Mordon knocked on my door one day after school. For an incredibly powerful dragon and not-too-shabby wizard, it was peculiar to see him look so subdued, which could only mean he was about to ask a favor of me.
“Hello, Mordon? What can I do you for?”
“Taylor, the sheriff, has asked me to be his deputy. I accepted.”
“Oh… You didn’t think that through, did you?” I asked. He glared. “If he’s the sheriff and you’re the deputy, it means you work for him. Can you take orders from a younger dragon?”
“We have already discussed it. For public appearances, he will be in charge. In private, he knows I am far more powerful and that Rojan knows best. I haven’t told him I’m only half dragon, but it doesn’t seem to be necessary. In fact, being the deputy works out perfectly because I have the say most of the time, but I don’t have any leadership responsibilities.”
Wise my ass. Rojan may have been wise, but Mordon was still a kid. Neither seemed to know much about human culture.
“The problem is, I have to be able to drive to do the job. Dylan taught me enough English writing to pass the written test… but I need someone to teach me how to drive and Dylan flat out refused.”
“Did you offer him a Jolly Crunch?”
“Ron did, and he said to bring him a snowball from Hell. Hail proceeded to use Ron’s power to make it snow in the kitchen, which pissed Divina off because she was making potions.”
I grabbed my jacket and keys by the door. “Alright then, I guess we’re going to Hell.”
Mordon was a deplorable driver. If anyone could kill an Ancient via traffic accident, it was this dragon. I tried to be patient, but we didn’t make it to the end of the road without magic on my part. Fortunately, my determination paid off and, six hours later, Mordon could drive in a circle in a parking lot without hitting the security light-post more than twice.
At school, the boys developed a little fan club of misfit crime-solvers. Ghidorah finally returned to Skrev, but not before gaining Dylan’s eternal gratitude by curing Drake’s illness with Skrev medicine… which Mordon was allergic to. Also, Stacy was pregnant.
Blue Jay and Phoenix became the new wardens since Janus was missing and presumably dead, but Dylan had Ronez watch over them and teach them. He put together another search party to look for Janus and any remaining gatekeepers.
The boys got early Christmas presents when Shiloh dropped off a specially made bow and set of arrows for Hail. Dylan got it in his head that the eleven-year-old needed a bow made especially for him with azurath metal. To my shock (not) Ron could yield it as well as Hail, while for everyone else including Dylan, the string couldn’t be pulled back. The arrows included in the gift could slice through diamond. The boy couldn’t have been more thrilled.
Ron got a very nice violin. Having never seen a violin before, he fiddled with it and tested out sounds awkwardly. Within an hour, he figured out how to hold it and make all the notes. After dinner that night, it sounded like he had been playing professionally for thirty years.
I was sitting at the table in Dylan’s apartment, way late into the night. In fact, I was just about to head back to my own place when Divina walked in, dressed only in a white tank top and Dylan’s boxers. Her hair splayed out over her shoulders in beautiful, messy tresses, and it was obvious she had been woken from sleep by more nightmares. She sat across from me.
“Are you going to tell Dylan your secret?” I asked.
“How did you know?”
“That you were pregnant? I think it was pretty obvious.”
She snorted. “Not to Dylan. I think I’m happier than I have ever been that he didn’t figure it out.”
“How did you lose the baby?” I asked. “Was it the lightning attack on Ilea?”
“No, it was when I pulled him and Mordon from Skrev. How can I tell him? It would break his heart.”
“Yes, it would.” She had to have been very stressed out, for she didn’t see Mordon standing in the doorway. The look on his face said he had heard it all. Divina lost Dylan’s baby saving Mordon. “Was it Alice?” I asked.
She put her face in her hands. “I don’t know.”
About the Author
Rain Oxford is a middle school teacher who is compelled to spend every free moment writing. The Asian-influenced cultures she creates were inspired by Japan, where she attended Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto on an exchange program. She does most of her writing in a secluded cabin in the woods, with a four-pound Maltese as a companion. When she’s not teaching or creating worlds, she usually enjoys cooking, playing the piano, or photographing exotic wildlife.
Books by Rain Oxford
The Guardian Book 1: The Guardian’s Grimoire
The Guardian Book 2: The Dragon’s Eyes
The Guardian Book 3: God of the Abyss
The Guardian Book 4: The Demon’s Game
The Awakening
