A Phoenix Dragon Novel 02_Coalesce

by Max Andren

  A few that weren’t wearing their amulets, slipped them back around their necks. My heart soared with the implications, they were trusting in us, in me, and in Everlasting.

  Fate was a fickle bitch and trust was hard to keep, especially when half-truths were mixed with lies to taint the truth and cast doubt upon the message.

  22

  Over the past week, we’d definitely seen an improvement in clan relations and tonight’s celebration was a way to build on that momentum and progress. One thing I’d learned from my adoptive parents, Sebastian and Helena, was the benefits of bringing people together for a mutual cause.

  Tonight’s purpose was to celebrate Everlasting. I was determined to unite the dragons in purpose—protection of their clans and of the dragon race as a whole, especially in the wake of the devastating loss of DeChadik’s clansmen. That was a serious blow to the idea we were a safe haven for dragons.

  I felt responsible for their deaths, even though we were doing everything we could think of to protect every dragon here at Everlasting.

  I should have felt them. I should have known they were in danger, but I’d been deaf to their cries and insensate to their pain.

  I was failing my race as the last true Phoenix!

  DeChadik was helping, where I wasn’t, I had to admit. He was quite social and seemed to be everywhere all at once. Plus, the clans were rallying around him in support. It was refreshing to see them coming together—finally.

  Despite what happened to DeChadik’s clan, most of the clans were still wearing their amulets, though not all. I guess I couldn’t blame them for that, but they did work and I’d prove it somehow. But, first I had to figure out why the amulets hadn’t protected his clan.

  The Great Room was overflowing with food and drinks. Every clan had brought their favorite dishes to share. The delicious aroma from the various spices was truly mouth watering. I’d sampled everything.

  One of the Scot’s dragons, Janna, had made a thick steak and ale pie with a golden pie crust that had flaked to perfection. It was, by far, my favorite of all the savory dishes.

  When I asked her if she would share her secret to the flaky pie crust, not that I liked to baked, she surprised me and happily shared her secret.

  “Oh aye. Well ye see,” she stopped, looking left and right, she motioned me forward with her finger, then whispered, “I use a wee nip of the vodka. Now mind ye, I tried using the scotch, but it dinna taste proper like,” she finished with a sassy wink.

  She was a sweet lady and was one of the few clansmen that would socialize with others.

  “’Tis right silliness the ole ones be dragging their feet like. ’Tis time to move forward,” she told me one day during defense lessons.

  I wish everyone felt as she did, it sure would make things easier. Change was painful, I reminded myself for the thousandth time that day.

  Cipriano was across the room and alone for the moment. He was leaning against the log wall, a warrior guarding his charges. Grabbing two glasses and a bottle of honey mead off one of the tables, I made way to join him in blessed seclusion, behind the dessert table—perfect.

  Handing him a glass of vanilla-spiced honey mead, I smiled at his frequent glances at the dessert table, “Did you try the dessert Kestrel made?” I asked, sipping at my mead, the flavor mellow and soft in my mouth.

  “Do you mean the mile-high cake of chocolate perfection? That one?”

  Laughing, I replied, “Yes, that one. Who knew witches were such culinary aficionados. Though, I guess it makes total sense. But goodness, it was so creamy, and so rich and delicious.”

  He laughed, too. It was a nice reprieve to relax for an evening. We were on guard all the time. Looking out over the crowd of people, I saw DeChadik circulating amongst them all, thanking them for their support I would guess.

  “I began to wonder if they would remain fragmented forever, despite living together at Everlasting,” I said, nodding towards the roomful of clansmen.

  “The old ones worry unnecessarily, that they will lose what makes them unique. At this point, if we don’t worry about the decimation of the entire dragon race, clan individuality won’t matter because we’ll be dead,” Cipriano said, shaking his head in disappointment.

  The continued resistance has been so frustrating—to all of us. It was enough to drive me to drink, though I rarely, if ever did. It was too reminiscent of when I was drugged at the asylum. No, thank you, I like the being in control too much, but one glass of mead would be okay.

  Sterling was laughing with Kestrel, Dusky, Lyan, and Dreah. He was eating another helping of the chocolate cake of perfection. I smiled at my brother’s sweet tooth. The witches were hanging on his every word. I couldn’t blame them for that, Sterling was extremely handsome, with his black hair and blue eyes. But, I thought it might be his reserved countenance that challenged them.

  Dreah loved the witches, but she felt protective of Sterling with all the things she knew about his life. Clearly he could take care of himself, however, at the moment she looked like she’d break out her fighting skills to protect his honor and fend the witches off.

  Giggling to myself and sipping more of the mead, I saw Ian and Isabella were making the rounds as well. Currently they were speaking with Geoffrey and Alain—the stubborns, I called them, if only in my mind. Isabella dressed in loose dresses and blouses to minimize the size of her growing abdomen and the child within. She was beautiful before, but now, she truly glowed.

  Tarrin and Tauric had given the elite guard the night off and were on patrol duty. They wanted their guards to be here for the festivities and to show support for Everlasting and the unification of the clans. Mingling and getting to know the other clansmen was paramount to fostering cooperation and encouraging involvement.

  A few of the elite guard had wanted to help with patrol, but the twins were adamant the guards needed to be here. They wanted the guards to set an example of what it meant to participate in something that benefited everyone and not just one clan or another. They were very proud of their guards, as they should be. We all were.

  Cipriano and I had remained alone, behind the dessert table, despite being surrounded by hundreds of clansmen, resident witches, and a few other supernatural races that had come to live with us.

  “It’s time, isn’t it?” I asked.

  I continued looking out over the crowd because I wouldn’t be able to hide my facial expressions when he told me what I already knew was coming.

  “It is.”

  Once I compartmentalized my emotions, I could hide them behind the thick musical shield I engaged, only then did I trust myself to face Cipriano.

  “I’ve felt the time was near. You’ve stayed way past the timeframe we’d discussed.”

  “No, I stayed despite the timeframe you wanted, Charani. Aiden could wait, he’s been missing a long time. But setting up Everlasting, our sanctuary, could not wait. Too many dragons have died at the hands of drampires and we needed to do something to protect the rest.”

  There was pain and resignation in his grey eyes, though they were tempered by his determination to complete his journey to recover Aiden and bring him home.

  “Aiden needs you now, I can feel it.”

  “He does. I should have tried to bring the clans together before now but, we needed you; I, needed you, Charani. As the last true Phoenix, none of this would have been possible without you.”

  For once, I didn’t doubt the veracity of that statement. I knew why it was indeed the truth, my druid father and dragon mother made it so. I needed to tell him the truth, but it would keep. He needed to go and I wouldn’t influence his leaving by sharing all the new information I’d recently discovered.

  Tonight was turning out to be a monumental and pivotal night.

  Everlasting was working to fulfill its promise to the dragons living here. It started with the clans’ willingness to step beyond themselves to support DeChadik in his time of grief. A sense of community had been fostered in th
e wake of his clansmen’s deaths. Unfortunate, but instrumental in enacting a positive change and a huge step forward.

  Why must all forward progress be tempered by the inevitable steps backwards?

  23

  Earlier that evening, before the celebration had started, I fortified my protective shield as I played the cello. The notes I created had been woven together to make my shield impenetrable and stronger than ever.

  Cipriano was leaving and I didn’t want my friend and mentor to know just how much I still needed him. I’d become so adept at hiding my emotions behind my shield, that he had no idea of the doubt and fear that plagued me daily. Or about the demons that still haunted me within the dreaming.

  I couldn’t tell him. He needed to go. He had to find Aiden before it was too late to save his tortured soul—if it wasn’t already too late.

  Trapped in the Sword of Dramascus, Aiden had been forced to kill his brethren—for centuries on end, as the drampires’ instrument of death.

  Hulbetto had wielded Aiden with deadly precision, forcing him to mortally injure me. Later, Aiden had begged me to tell his brother, Cipriano, to destroy the sword so that he might die as well. I wouldn’t allow it and neither would Cipriano.

  I didn’t understand how or why I did this, but I had tethered both Aiden and Rowan, to my soul for safekeeping. Rowan, when I was a child of eight, and Aiden, twice.

  I dreamt of them often, both suffering unspeakably, but they were too far away for me to find and to save.

  Soul Seeker, my ass!

  “Sister, what has you frowning?”

  Surprised, I looked up. Searching his face and his emotions, I was shocked to see that he really couldn’t feel me and yet, I could feel him.

  “Nothing. I will miss you, my brother, but bring him home.”

  “I’ll try. I’ve been searching for him these long centuries and I won’t give up until he’s found. That apprentice took him from Hulbetto’s warehouse. I’ll start by looking for him.”

  “I saw that apprentice in Dreah’s vision. I watched him kill Kristóf with his damned crossbow and Damascus arrow.”

  I projected the picture I had of the apprentice to Cipriano’s mind one more time, just in case. After my recent nightmare where everything had been flipped upon itself, I had a clearer picture of him.

  I would eventually hunt him down and kill him, I vowed it!

  I still hadn’t shared my familial revelations with Cipriano. He didn’t know that Sterling was my brother and neither did Sterling. Kristóf and Júlia were my parents and neither one of them knew that either. Dreah knew and she was keeping it to herself. I was still trying to process it all and doing a poor job of it.

  “You’ll keep in touch, won’t you?” I asked.

  I couldn’t bear to be without Cipriano. He was my brother, my mentor, and like a father to me. I was so thankful that I would be able to feel him through our connection. I would always know where he was and if he was okay.

  “I can feel your worry, Charani. I’ll be fine and I will stay connected with you and the family—no matter the distance.”

  “I know you will. Now is a great time to go. Everything is settling down and the clans are finally working together.”

  “Yes and I will leave them in your very capable hands. You are a born leader, though you don’t feel it’s so, I know it is. The clans will come together and you will lead them into a brighter future—as one united clan.”

  “You, my friend, have been drinking too much wine!” I smiled and laughed, hoping to hide my rising fear of failing.

  “Come here, sister,” he said, and pulled me into his arms.

  It felt like we were in a bubble of isolation, so I allowed myself to sink into his warm embrace. I captured this rare moment to cherish for eternity.

  24

  Once I realized that my room had been compromised at Everlasting, it was far too late to save myself.

  I couldn’t wake from the dreaming fast enough and consequently, I was far too slow to react and my betrayers were able to secure my wrists with shackles made from ancient Damascus.

  Instantly I could feel the paralysis creep up my arms and take over my body.

  When I was asleep and within the dreaming, I became deeply immersed within my nightmares—completely trapped and remembering. I relived every heinous moment of what should have been my final internment within Dr. Hanley’s asylum basement.

  The degradation and helplessness I felt, along with the inevitability and acceptance of my impending death, had been the absolute lowest point of my life.

  Despair had eroded all my hope—I hit rock bottom and had given up the will to live.

  Those flashbacks loved to chase me down and haunt me. They were like a cancer eliciting doubt within my mind and my emotional progress suffered accordingly. However, I refused to let them take root and metastasize, instead, I used them to illustrate to myself just how far I’d come since my death and rebirth.

  In the wake of my nightmares, I’d throw open all the windows to clear the stinging scent of fear from my room. It clung tenaciously to everything, including my skin, which felt coated in its filth.

  I kept those nightmares to myself and stuffed them behind the musical shield I created to hide things from my family. I couldn’t bear to see their pity. Perhaps if I’d shared my burden with them, the strength of my nightmares would have diminished and I wouldn’t be wearing shackles now and paralyzed mute.

  While I was still capable of looking about my room, I looked at each clansman that had dared to breach my space. I watched as they shifted from shadow to human form and I wasn’t at all surprised by a few that I saw, but completely shocked by others.

  Though change was inevitable in life, it was generally considered to be quite painful, but especially for those clans mired in centuries of tradition. For them, it was proving to be excruciating. But, I wouldn’t have believed they’d turn against me—the creator of Everlasting.

  Secrets always manage to find the light of day and mine were no exception.

  I refused to open my mind to my family and call for help. I wouldn’t endanger them, but I would protect them with my very life.

  I was alone and my betrayers had known as much. Cipriano had finally left to search for Aiden. Dreah was visiting with the witches. The twins were on patrol and Ian had taken Isabella to the estate in Kansas City.

  Perfect timing.

  By the time we left my room, I was no longer able to walk. The Damascus steel had worked just as they knew it would, paralyzing my muscles.

  DeChadik carried me outside where everyone quickly shifted into their dragon forms. The static electricity from so many shifting at once, made my hair stand on end.

  DeChadik.

  If I hadn’t already been paralyzed, the shock of his betrayal would have finished the job. But, I understood. When his clansmen had needed me the most, I failed them. They were dead because I didn’t hear their cries for help. It was my responsibility as their Phoenix, to protect them and it was no wonder that he blamed me—I blamed myself.

  Heedless of how his talons would dig into my skin, DeChadik grabbed me hard and launched us into the sky to follow the others.

  There wasn’t a damned thing I could do about what was happening and my mind screamed in denial. I was resolute in one thing—I’d made a promise to myself after my rescue from the asylum: I would never willingly submit to imprisonment again. Once had been enough.

  Despite being immortal, I’d find a way to transition to the other side before I spent years imprisoned and I didn’t care what that said about me.

  But first, I would fight. I wasn’t willing to give up without looking for a way out of this situation.

  We didn’t fly for very long before we landed. I was dropped to the ground at DeChadik’s feet as he shifted back to his human form. I glared up at him, but the sentiment was wasted as I couldn’t cock my eyebrow to get a proper glare going.

  He carried me through the entrance o
f the cave before us. There were probably a thousand such caves located throughout the Ozarks. Some of these ancient caves would travel deep into the earth, such as this one.

  The winding path through the cave, narrowed and shortened the deeper we went. Sharp rocks encroached upon the pathway making it treacherous. At least I could see in the dark this time or could use my dragon essence to illuminate the space around me.

  Once we were deep underground, he walked into a rock enclosed cell and dropped me onto the dirt floor. After removing the shackles, he stepped back and closed the door behind him. The bars to the cell and the door were made of Damascus.

  I wouldn’t be able to get past those bars, but at least my whole body wouldn’t continue to be paralyzed from the shackles.

  No one said a thing. Not one word. I had no idea what was going on, but eventually they would tell me. Maybe they’d chat after I got my voice back. Not that I’d use it.

  I learned the power of withholding my voice the last time my freedom had been stolen from me. I’d gone years without speaking a single syllable. I would do it again, if for no other reason than to infuriate my captors and prevent them from attaining whatever it was they wanted.

  My immediate goal: frustrate them into action.

  25

  DeChadik and the clansmen left me laying on my side on the dirt floor, still paralyzed from the effects of the Damascus shackles. Unable to move, I remained where I’d been dropped, and stared through the bars of my new prison.

  The claustrophobic weight of the cave pressed upon me making it difficult to breathe.

  I’d been trapped before in a dungeon and awaiting a death sentence, only this time I could see in the dark, but it didn’t help. I was still afraid to close my eyes. I feared the demons that continued to haunt my nightmares would chase me down and destroy what was left of my fortitude.