by Max Andren
“What do you have there, Dreah?” I asked with trepidation.
“Before I answer, will you all trust me with a strange request?”
We all answered that we would and without reservation. We trusted her implicitly, just as she trusted us. We were family—plain and simple.
“Come over here then, if you would?” She asked.
She grabbed a charcoal grey woolen throw off the back of the sofa and threw it onto of the coffee table, before placing the silver amulets on top. Some were more masculine appearing than others, with wider leather cords and thicker silver.
Each amulet was about the size of Cipriano’s thumb and intricately molded, and had a glossy black stone at the center. Dreah pulled a sharp looking knife from her pocket and laid it next to the amulets.
“Dreah, please explain why it looks like we are about to start a drampire reaping ceremony?” I asked with a bit of humor, but in all seriousness.
“I know,” she said simply, but filled with emotion, “just trust me, okay?”
“What do you need us to do?” Cipriano and I asked at the same time.
We all watched as she poked her index finger with the sharp blade and proceeded to place a drop of her blood on each stone.
“The stone will absorb my blood. It’s similar to what drampires do, yet not at all. I need each of you to do the same.”
We each did as she requested and knew that she must have a good reason to ask us to do so. Once finished, Dreah waved her hands over the amulets. They briefly glowed and swirled with the blue iridescence of our dragon essence and then turned back to stone. The color of each stone had changed. Now they had a marbled blue-and-black appearance, instead of just a glassy-black.
Dreah picked up one of the feminine amulets and slipped the cord over her neck and the whole thing disappeared.
“Where’d your amulet go?” I asked.
“I’ll answer you in a minute,” she replied, then handed each one of us an amulet.
“Now, slip your amulet over your head,” she directed.
We did as she asked. Each amulet disappeared from view, but when I looked down at mine, I could see that it was still there.
“I can still see mine,” I said.
We looked to Dreah, who was smiling from ear to ear, happy with her accomplishment.
“Now, I will explain. First, I wanted to be sure the amulets would disappear from view and they did. Yet, each person can still see their own. That part worked out just as I’d thought,” she said.
I noticed her fair skin was now glowing bright red.
“We are family by choice, but at the risk of sounding childish, I wanted us to be connected by blood and now we are.”
We all approached Dreah and took turns enfolding her into a hug. We were a family by choice and not by blood, but we were a strong family unit despite that.
I loved the gift she had given us, as we were all connected by blood now. Even though it was only ceremonial, we were bonded for life and you just never knew when that connection might be necessary.
7
The family remained at the estate for a few more weeks to rest.
I was walking the grounds, trying to shake this creepy-crawly sensation that had me on edge, when Cipriano reached out, through our mental connection, to let me know that visitors were coming to the estate.
Two men, representing separate European dragon clans, had requested to speak with Cipriano about joining our place in the Ozarks. Sanctuary had been steadily growing over the past couple of years, as word spread of its existence.
There was an air of expectation that hung over the estate, like ominous clouds before a storm—a deluge just waiting to unload.
The strangers had arrived.
A flash of distrust exploded through my connection with Cipriano, but quickly disappeared, before he directed, “Come to the great room and convince Dreah to stay in her room.”
I rolled my eyes. I’d try, but that girl had a mind of her own. She was stubborn to a fault and I loved it.
As I made my way to the great room, an electric current crawled over my skin and made the hair on my arms stand on end. A feeling of inevitability washed over me and I stopped.
I did not want to enter that room.
Thick emotions permeated through the door to douse me in their residue. There was a mixed bag of feelings; distrust from Cipriano and expectation from the strangers. The rest of the family were oddly silent and void of emotion—never a good sign.
I was blasted by these emotions when I entered the room. I didn’t bother trying to decipher them all, as there were too many to separate.
I looked towards the strangers and then to Cipriano, who stood staring at the pair without expression. I walked towards Cipriano and stood by his side in a show of support and solidarity.
The silence was uncomfortable.
To break the tension, I began to introduce myself, since no one else was doing the honors.
“Now that we’re all here…” Cipriano began, interrupting me before I could begin.
“Now…we’re all here,” Dreah interrupted, as she came barging through the door.
She walked over to stand next to me, grabbing my hand as she did so. Her ring began to warm where our fingers were joined together. She gripped my hand tighter just before she let it go and placed her hands at her sides.
Cipriano began anew, “Now that we are all here, what can we do for you?”
The two strangers looked at each other with uncertainty, clearly they hadn’t decided who would speak first. They spoke in unison, stumbling over each other.
“My name is Sterling…”
“My name is DeChadik…”
They stopped. DeChadik turned red, while Sterling merely nodded.
“I suppose we should have decided on the speaking order ahead of time. Apologies, My Lord,” DeChadik said in deference to Cipriano.
It was still strange to hear Cipriano addressed as such, yet not surprising. He was leader of men and that was evident in how he carried himself and his interactions with the various clan leaders and their clansmen.
They treated me with respect, but mostly with distant awe, especially after Cipriano introduced me as the last true Phoenix.
I was their legend—their prophecy come to life. I felt like a fraud.
“I’ve come from a small clan in northern Romania. We have suffered too many losses because of the drampires’ pursuit of immortality. Our clan can no longer afford to stay insular. I have repeatedly begged and finally succeeded, in convincing the remaining clansmen to seek an alliance outside of ourselves. I’m here to inquire about joining your sanctuary,” DeChadik said with passion and desperation.
“I’m encouraged to hear that you heard of us so far away,” Cipriano replied.
“We have minimal contact with other clans, but a messenger came to tell us about a new sanctuary for dragons. The concept of protection in numbers is extremely enticing. We have no mated dragons and there haven’t been any dragon births in centuries. We are truly a dying breed. I left immediately to investigate.”
The love and distress DeChadik felt for his clan’s precarious position was evident to see and feel. His demeanor was forthright and open. He wasn’t afraid to show vulnerability or admit that he desperately needed help. Some clans hadn’t been as accepting and yet, they had come to us nonetheless.
Collectively, we had to change the mindset of these centuries-old clans. It should be relatively easy, I thought, and almost laughed out loud at the enormity of that task.
“Thank you for allowing me into your home,” Sterling said, “I’ve been searching for our clan leader and his mate for over a quarter of a century, with no luck. I heard you were in Scotland twenty-five years ago and traveled here, on the off-chance that you may have some information about them,” he addressed Cipriano.
“No, I’d already relocated to the States by then,” Cipriano answered, but then asked, “Have you been to Scotland?”
&
nbsp; “Yes, but the Scots were less than helpful. No one remembered them or anything about their mission. More than likely, they simply refused to say,” Sterling finished, clearly disgruntled.
“The Scots don’t particularly like strangers. I swear, they have to be descended from dragons with how little they are willing to interact with others,” Cipriano stated deadpan, then barked out a laugh, but just as quickly sobered.
Sterling wasn’t happy, if the brooding stare he shot Cipriano was anything to go by. I noticed Sterling avoided looking at me, though he did scan the others, if only briefly. He kept his attention focused on Cipriano the entire time, while DeChadik smiled at me and the others. I sensed he was curious about who I might be.
“My name is Charani,” I interjected since no one else was going to introduce me, “I’m pleased to meet you, DeChadik and Sterling. As you know, this is Cipriano, my brother, and next to me is my sister, Dreah.”
This pulled Sterling’s attention briefly in our direction.
“By the window are my brothers, Tarrin and Tauric. And over by the fireplace is my brother, Ian, and his mate and my sister, Isabella.”
“I am pleased to meet all of you. I can’t wait to relocate my small clan to sanctuary. I feel we can thrive and flourish there,” ingratiated DeChadik.
Sterling tipped his head.
DeChadik and Sterling were both tall, as was typical of male dragons, but that was where the similarities ended. Sterling was dark and brooding and DeChadik was all light and sunshine, except for his brown, earthy-colored eyes.
Sterling radiated authority, much like Cipriano did. They were definitely contemporaries. Whereas, DeChadik lacked the command of the other males in the room, but he seemed a likable sort and would blend in well at sanctuary. He might be good at bringing the clans together with his easy going nature.
I continued to watch Sterling and DeChadik as they interacted with the family. DeChadik’s aura was swirling with the blue of our dragon, as well as a subtle pink and green iridescence. However, Sterling’s aura was much more contained and I only saw our dragon blue.
Sterling continued to explain how he and his clansmen had tried to piece together what happened to their leader and his mate while on their mission to Scotland.
“We’d been dealing with an increase in brethren deaths and wanted to form a task force with other dragon clans to stop drampires from killing our people. Our clan is small and we’ve suffered grievously.”
The sensation of inevitability increased exponentially. This moment, this interaction felt like it would become a defining moment in my life. Sterling’s gaze swung towards me and momentarily lingered on my face. He focused on my eyes before he turned back to Cipriano. The intensity of his emotions receded, as if behind a shield of protection, similar to what I did. I couldn’t tell what exactly he was feeling, just that some strong emotion had moved him.
He addressed Cipriano, “I was told that you and your clan originated from Scotland. Do you perhaps still have clansmen there that might be of assistance?”
I could feel Cipriano’s demeanor marginally relax as Sterling spoke with him about his clan’s plight. Their clans had suffered similarly and at the hands of a common enemy. They would be united in that, just as we hoped all the clans coming to sanctuary would be.
“No, I’m sorry to say. I don’t have clansmen there that can help you. Do you think they are still alive somewhere?”
I opened myself up to the collective and to Sterling and nearly fell over from the brief influx of emotions.
“You know what happened to them, don’t you?” I asked.
Reluctantly he turned his head towards me, causing his long dark hair to sway and partially obscure his face. But once it settled, I had a clear view of the pain swirling in his crystal blue eyes. It caused my heart to pinch in sympathy at his loss. I knew what was coming—could feel it.
“We know they’re gone,” Sterling said, “I felt it resonate through my dragon essence the moment they each died.”
8
The rest of that day and the next morning, were spent making plans for DeChadik’s clansmen to relocate to the Ozarks. We had streamlined the process at this point, so it wasn’t too difficult. Plus, his clan was small and we had enough homes to immediately accommodate them.
DeChadik would be leaving in the morning, so we decided to have a special dinner tonight. Isabella and I were driving downtown to pick up dinner, while Cipriano and Ian finalized the relocation plans with DeChadik.
Sterling was tagging along. I think he wanted to escape DeChadik. He was going to be bored senseless, but it would serve him right for inviting himself on our little outing.
I knew there was more to Sterling than just as an emissary seeking information—his emotions were too locked-down behind an impenetrable mask. I did feel his emotions briefly, but this inability to feel him gave me pause. I’d always been able to sense and feel other people’s emotions and the fact that I couldn’t…
He would be watched and our trust withheld until we could ascertain his motives.
The echo of raised voices slammed into us as soon as we stepped out the front door. Alarmed by the potential threat, I felt a familiar static electricity—the precursor to shifting. I quickly reached out to stop Sterling, knowing he was the source.
“It’s okay, Sterling. It’s merely Dreah having her defense lessons with the twins.”
The twins were fanatical about her having the ability to protect herself and I agreed with them. She’d been having lessons in self-protection for years now. It didn’t hurt that Dreah adored the twins and wanted to learn everything she could, especially after all that she’d suffered at the hands of Hulbetto.
We made our way over to the west lawn, careful not to interrupt or distract Dreah as the twins sparred with her. We sat quietly on the edge of the fountain Cipriano had commissioned years ago by a local metal artisan.
It featured a magnificent copper dragon caught in mid-flight. It was old and weathered with a beautiful patina to its scales. I loved to sit here in peaceful contemplation.
After long walks around the estate and through the rose garden, Dreah and I would come here to talk, as would Isabella and I. The tinkling water was soothing to my ears and my soul.
Tarrin and Tauric were a rare set of identical twins. With their white-blonde hair and Nordic blue eyes, they could have passed for Viking warriors. They were quiet, but gentle giants—unless you tried to hurt their family. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of their battle skills when they were in human-form or when they were flying in their fierce dragon-form.
No drampire would dare to come after them as Death would be the result.
Dreah was a beautiful contrast to the twins coloring with her auburn hair and amber eyes. She was diminutive in height and had a slight frame, but she used those to her advantage as she was extremely agile and deceptively strong.
She was poetry in motion, but despite being adept with today’s weapon of choice, the staff, Tarrin was pushing her hard. They wanted her to be fearsome and she was. I loved sparring with her and Isabella. The three of us often had lessons together.
Tauric snuck in behind Dreah to take her unawares, while Tarrin was engaging her from the front.
She whirled around with a grunt to raise her staff, blocking his attack. The wooden staffs connected hard—the sound resonating across the lawn.
Dreah whipped back around, expecting Tarrin’s attack—which came straight away and with no break in the action. He swept his staff at her feet. Jumping over it, Dreah kicked out with her foot and caught him in the abdomen—knocking the breath from his lungs.
In the process of landing, Tauric managed to wrest the staff from her hand. She jumped out of the way, when he jabbed it forward for a kidney blow.
Dreah murmured a few words under her breath and waved her hand, then snapped her fingers. A new staff appeared, as if out of thin air, into her opened and awaiting hand—she immediately dropped into a
fighting stance and raised her chin.
The twins laughed at her cocky challenge.
“We concede this round, lille venn,” Tauric told Dreah, calling her little one, as we all liked to do.
The three of them bowed to each other and then to their audience. Dreah blushed when she realized Sterling was with us and had seen her show of magic. She looked directly at me and shrugged her shoulders.
“Dreah you have far exceeded me in skill,” I praised.
“No way, Charani. You’re my hero, along with Isabella!”
“Thank you, sweet Dreah.” Isabella said, then asked, “We are heading downtown to pick up dinner. Did you want to tag along with us?”
“Thank you, but I have a few things to do. I’ll see you guys at dinner, okay?” she replied, and then headed off towards the house after saying goodbye to everyone, including Sterling.
As we headed downtown, Isabella intentionally drove by some of Kansas City’s historical buildings and monuments. I described the history as I knew it, and Sterling avidly listened, seemingly interested in our city’s culture.
As we passed Liberty Memorial Tower, where the only National World War I Museum and Memorial was located, I explained to Sterling how it was the only museum in America dedicated to sharing the stories of the Great War.
Liberty Memorial was an inspirational piece of art and history that sat atop a hill overlooking all of Kansas City. Below it and towards the north was Union Station.
The architecture of Union Station was both beautiful and intricate. The old train station had been lovingly restored and repurposed hosting a variety of exhibits throughout the year.
At dinner that evening, we chatted about our trip downtown and about both of their clans. DeChadik spoke eloquently about his life in Romania and about his clansmen. He was excited about the upcoming move and it was evident that he couldn’t wait to leave tomorrow.
“I’ll leave straight away. The sooner I get my clansmen to sanctuary, the better I’ll feel and can relax knowing they are safe and will be cared for.”
