Dracones Boxset Books 1-5

by Sheri-Lynn Marean

  “Look, my mother told me if they ever came for us, to call this number and ask for Zander and I’ve been calling all morning.” The sound of sniffles interrupted her words. “They killed her.”

  “Who killed her, and who is this?” Concern furrowed Sami’s brow. Whoever she was, she sounded young, early twenties maybe.

  “I…go by G-Goldy.” She paused and Sami could hear her sob. “My mom, they killed her and set our house on fire. I got away, but, I always thought she was delusional. Why didn’t I listen?” Sami could hear her sobbing.

  “Okay Goldy. Take a deep breath and try to calm down, just for a minute.” Sami sat down on the side of his bed trying to think—to understand.

  “I can’t calm down! I need to talk to Zander. Please!”

  “Look, you can’t talk to Zander right now, but I’m Sami. I can help you. Tell me where you are.”

  “I’m in Calgary. In Canada. I’m at Tim Hortons on Fourteenth Street south-west, not too far from where we lived.”

  “All right Goldy, just hang on a minute, I’m going to find a place for you to go and stay for the day. A motel.” Heading over to his many computers, Sami quickly found an obscure little motel that she could go to. He quickly took care of everything so she didn’t need to do anything but get a key. “I will text you the address, and it’s all paid for.”

  “You didn’t need to do that, I-I have my purse, I can pay,” she said, beginning to babble and Sami knew it was the shock of everything that had happened.

  “No, I don’t want you using your credit cards,” he said, texting her the address while he was talking to her. “I need to go talk to my brother, but one of us will be out to get you as soon as we can. You just sit tight, okay? I’ve got your number. I’ll call you back in just a few minutes.”

  “Okay.” She sounded so scared that Sami hoped she’d be okay until they could get to her.

  Sami had just hung up when the vision hit. He saw a stunning, golden-haired beauty in her early twenties, and two men had her by the arms. They were dragging her to a black tinted van. Then he saw her later gagged and chained to a wall alongside other people, assumedly other Supes. Suddenly the vision changed, shifted and he saw a different version, one where he helps her escape and later, he sees her smiling. Her golden dragon was glowing with red swirls displayed on her neck and arms where her T-shirt didn’t cover her. She looked at him and thanked him for saving her life.

  When the vision cleared, Sami found himself on the floor. Getting up he sat down on the edge of his bed as he realized what this meant. He needed to talk to Tierney and Jax. Someone needed to go get this girl and he had a feeling that someone…was him.

  Walking into the room where Zander rested, Sami heard soft, soothing music playing. Then he noticed that the phone was unplugged. No wonder no one had answered it. He nodded at Zander, who was awake. “How are you doing?” he asked him.

  Zander started to shrug, then winced in pain and Sami felt bad for asking.

  Tierney and Jax glanced up at him, and Sami nodded toward the door, indicating he needed to talk to them. But as they started to get up, Zander stopped them. “What’s going on?”

  At his raspy voice, Tierney jumped up and held a glass of water up to her dad’s lips. After taking a long drink, he let his head fall back to the pillow without taking his gaze from Sami.

  “Ah, it’s nothing to worry about.” Sami didn’t want to burden Zander with something that he wouldn’t be able to do anything about in his condition.

  “I may not be able to get up, or do much but I need to know what’s going on around here,” he said. They all heard the hint of desperation, along with the frustration in his voice so Sami nodded. He understood that Zander needed to feel in control of something.

  “A young woman just called, said her name is Goldy. She wanted to talk to you, but I told her you weren’t available. She claims someone killed her mother and her house was set on fire. She barely got away..”

  Upon hearing the news, Zander paled. “Goldenthorn. Oh no—Summer.” He closed his eyes for a second, opened them again, and looked at the three of them. “I need one of you to go for her.”

  “Who is she, and where is she?” Tierney asked with a worried frown.

  “She’s in Calgary,” Sami said.

  “What?” Jax and Tierney looked at him, and Zander nodded.

  “Who is this woman?” Jax asked.

  Sami cut him off. “Look, she’s really scared. Someone needs to go get her.”

  Tierney looked at her father, and then to Jax. “I can’t leave but, I guess you could go.”

  Jax pursed his lips. “We have the Ilyium here after us, after Thaniel and Mark. I really don’t like the idea of leaving at this time, but—”

  “Someone needs to go. Goldenthorn is Summerthorn’s daughter, one of the Genesis Dracones babies, and if Summer’s dead, we need to get Goldy here right away,” Zander explained.

  At his words, they all sucked in a breath. The Genesis babies were very special. Adariasthorn, Summerthorn, and Solaristhorn were three of only six children left of the sire of all Dracones. The three, having lost so many children to the Ilyium, had combined their blood and magic, putting it into three mandrake eggs. Together, they had created three very rare and possibly, very powerful beings. After incubating for hundreds of years, the eggs finally began to hatch. The first hatched almost twenty-two-years ago, while the other two followed not long after. But as soon after the last egg hatched, someone stole Genna, whose real name was Phoibos, away from Adarias.

  “I guess I can go—” Jax started to volunteer but Sami shook his head.

  “I’ll go.”

  “No, Sami—” Jax started to protest.

  Sami cut him off. “I know you’re worried about me but I promise, I won’t try to kill myself again,” he said, getting annoyed. They’d all been walking on pins, and needles around him, and he was getting tired of it.

  At Zander’s gasp, Sami felt his face turning red. “Sorry, guess they didn’t tell you.” Turning back to Tierney and Jax, he said, “I’ll let you tell him, but I had a vision. I think I need to go, as much as I’d rather not.”

  “Sami,” Jax growled, but Tierney held up her hand to stop him from saying anything more. Walking over to Sami, she laid her hand on his arm and looked up at him, purple eyes seeing so much. “I know Hellfire hurt you, but you don’t need to run off and prove anything, Marcius—”

  Sami shook his head. “This has nothing to do with either of them.” He took a deep breath as sudden weariness set in. Hellfire’s rejection still had the power to cripple him, and his feeling conflicted about not feeling bad about killing Marcius, along with some other stuff. Well, he’d have to deal with that someday.

  Tierney nodded. “Okay sweetie, just stay safe okay?”

  “I’ll go book you a flight.” Jax pursed his lips and left the room while Tierney gave Sami a hug. It may have had something to do with her being an empath, and some of her other funky powers and abilities, but her hugs always felt great.

  “Summer bound Goldy’s powers when she was a baby, so she could hide her—to keep her safe. She’ll have grown up living like a human so I’m not even sure how much she knows about our world,” Zander warned him.

  “Okay.” Sami wasn’t sure what Zander was getting at, but he’d be careful about what he said to the girl.

  “I have no idea what will happen now that her mother is dead. Her powers will no longer be bound and she may not have any idea how to use them. Sami, I need you to do whatever it takes to ensure she survives, and makes it back here safely. We can’t lose her too,” Zander said in a solemn tone.

  Sami nodded and wiped sweaty palms on his jeans, suddenly sure he’d let them down.

  ***

  AFTER SAMI LEFT, Zander and Tierney were alone.

  “You said he killed Marcius?” Zander asked, his furrowed brow deepening.

  “Ah, yeah,” she answered, not sure why he was asking, since they’d tol
d him about what Marcius had done. Well, most of the story. Knowing that it would enrage Zander, they left out the part about Marcius almost raping Tierney. To think that if it hadn’t been for Sami …

  “Well, Sami’s soul stone choker was partially hidden, but I think the one representing Marcius is still lit up,” Zander said, leaving Tierney gaping at him in horror, and confusion. Oh gods, should she point it out to Sami when he was about to leave and go save this girl? Unsure, she decided to talk to Jax first. He’d know what to do.

  ***

  JAX KNOCKED ON Sami’s door and stepped into his room when his brother didn’t answer. He glanced around and found Sami packing a bag. “Sami?”

  “I’m just about ready.”

  “Right. Are you sure you want to do this? I could go,” Jax told him, worry lacing his voice.

  “Stop Jax. Honestly, all our lives you’ve been protecting me. Enough already. I appreciate it, I really do but you shouldn’t have to protect me all the time. We should never have even been in the position that you had to protect me….” Sami turned away muttering. “Fucking Marcius.”

  Jax stepped in front of him. “You’re wrong Sami, you’re my little brother, and I’ll always try to protect you.”

  Sami looked at Jax. “Don’t you get it?” He ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head. “Every time you stopped Marcius from hitting me, he hit you even harder and much worse—”

  Jax interrupted his tirade by pulling Sami into a hug. “I’m sorry Sami.”

  “Fuck…Jax. No. I’m sorry…this…it builds up and I feel like I’m smothering.”

  “I know bro…I know….” Jax held onto his brother. “You will call me when you get there—right?”

  “Geez, you’re starting to sound like Tierney and I feel like I’m a fricking kid.” Sami huffed.

  “Yeah, whatever,” Jax said, finally letting him go with a smirk.

  Leaving his brother to finish readying himself for his mission, Jax stepped into Zander’s room, his expression grim as he looked at Zander and Tierney. “I think you’re right. He’s wearing a sweater with a thick collar, so I couldn’t see his whole choker but I’m pretty sure the soul stone for Marcius is still pulsing with life, which means the bastard must still be alive.”

  Anger seeped from Jax until Tierney wrapped her arms around him, soothing him. “Did you say anything to him?” she asked.

  Jax shook his head. “No, he doesn’t need that on his plate right now.”

  “You will have to tell him sometime,” Zander said trying to hide the discomfort that was building inside of him. He was going to need to go back into the coma soon.

  Jax frowned at him. “Are you okay?”

  Zander clenched his teeth and nodded. “He needs to know.”

  Jax looked down at his hands. “I know, but I don’t want him distracted any more than he is. I’ll tell him later, when he gets back.”

  “Okay…” Zander and Tierney both nodded their agreement.

  “I hate that he’s going somewhere where I won’t be able to help or protect him,” Jax murmured, his thoughts filled with fear.

  Chapter Eight

  Calgary

  SAMI LANDED AT THE AIRPORT IN CALGARY and glancing out the window, shivered. It was dark and big white fluffy flakes were falling to the ground. Knowing he had no time to waste, he hurried to the kiosk where Jax had rented him an SUV.

  Only the SUV Jax reserved for him was no longer available. His choices were now a Ford Focus or a silver colored Camaro. With a groan, Sami glanced outside, and then turned back to the human man behind the counter. “I’ll take the Camaro.” He had a feeling he might need the faster car.

  With a grimace at the chill wind and snow coming down from the heavens, Sami hurried through the parking lot. He quickly located the car and using the fob, unlocked the snow-covered Camaro and climbed in. He got the heater going before texting Goldy.

  I just landed and I’m on my way to you.

  She texted back almost immediately: I’ll be ready. I’m not feeling very good.

  Just great! Hearing she wasn’t feeling well, Sami figured it might be her powers starting to manifest and it was anyone’s guess, as to what might manifest. Using the GPS, he drove as fast as he could without drawing too much attention to himself.

  Still, when he pulled up to the motel, he found two men trying to push a woman into a black tinted van. Goldy! Sami sucked in a breath as all his pent-up anger filled him. Hadn’t the enemy taken enough of his people? How dare they try to take her as well? This was the first part of his vision happening, and he’d be dammed if was going to allow the rest of it to happen.

  The Camaro’s tires squealed as he spun around in the parking lot and stomped on the brakes. He threw the car into park, jumped out and leaving the door open, glanced around, happy to see there were no curious onlookers. Then he darted over to the two men and Goldy. As furious as he was, the fight didn’t last long. Sami glanced at the bodies he’d left lying on the ground then at the woman who stood shaking against the side of the van. Damn, he wished he were anywhere but here.

  “Hey, are you all right?” he asked her, worried she was going into shock.

  “S-Sami?” she said, stepping towards him.

  “Yeah, it’s me. Goldy?”

  “You came, you…saved me.” A second later, she hurtled herself at him. “You came,” she whispered again, as if she didn’t believe it.

  Sami shivered at her touch as sudden longing shot through him. She smelled like sunshine and new spring flowers all mixed together. Her heady aroma sent his senses spinning as it wrapped around him, bathing him in delicious warmth. Sami’s body started to tingle and he could feel something inside of him sit up and take notice. What the hell?

  “C’mon, we need to get going,” he said, angry at the way his body was acting.

  “Oh, of course, I’m sorry. I’m not usually so—” Pulling back but still holding onto his arm, she stared at the men on the ground. “Ah, um…I’m…they tried to kidnap me,” she whispered, disbelief and shock in her voice.

  “Yes. But, you’re okay now, you’re safe, though we need to go before more of them show up,” he said. Goldy looked around as if expecting more Ilyium to pop out of the shadows and grab her.

  Sami opened the door to the passenger side of the Camaro and helped her inside when a large black Escalade turned into the parking lot.

  “Is…is that more of them?” Goldy asked panic rising in her.

  Without a word, Sami shut her door, and ran around to the driver’s side. He was pretty sure it was more of them, but didn’t need her freaking out on him. Sliding into the seat, he pulled the door shut, and threw the car into drive. He shot out of the parking lot as if his tail was on fire.

  “How did they find me?” Goldy asked, her voice shaking.

  “Probably your car. Or phone,” he said as he steered the car quickly down an alleyway and up a side street while watching the rear-view mirror. The Ilyium were hot on their ass. Sami stomped on the gas and quickly pulled away, all of a sudden grateful for the horsepower under the hood. Finally, after weaving in and out of traffic and ducking down a few more alleyways, they ended up on Macleod Trail headed north. A minute later, he pulled into the parking lot of a large, packed mall called Chinook Centre. Sami waited as someone pulled out of a parking spot then he backed in and turned off the headlights so that they faced the street.

  “Did we lose them?” Goldy asked.

  “I don’t know,” Sami said, watching the cars go by them on Macleod trail. Only a minute or so passed when they saw the Escalade fly through the lights, and rush past still heading north. He turned to Goldy. “Take your case off your phone and give it to me.”

  Goldy did as he asked, handing her phone to him without a word. Sami slid the back open and pulled the Sim card out. Lowering his window, he broke the card into pieces and tossed it out. Pulling out of their spot, Sami worked his way into the line of cars waiting to leave the parking lot. He h
ated having to wait for the light to change, but couldn’t do anything about it. Finally, the light turned green allowing him to pull out and head north along the same road after the Escalade.

  “Why are we going the same way as them?” Goldy asked, fear showing in her eyes as she stared at him.

  Sami glanced at her then back to the road. “Because either they will continue north or they will turn around and come back looking for us. Either way, with the heavy traffic, they shouldn’t notice us.”

  “Shouldn’t?”

  “Yeah well, nothing’s perfect,” Sami said as he maneuvered into the far-right lane. Not two seconds later, they spotted the Escalade heading back towards them on the other side of the highway.

  “Is that them?” Goldy asked fearfully.

  “Yeah, it is.” Sami swore, hating their luck, or lack of it.

  ***

  TIERNEY OPENED ZANDER’S door to find Thaniel waiting nervously in the hall on the other side. “I…ah, made some supper,” he whispered, with obvious uncertainty.

  With her empathy, Tierney could feel his apprehension. She had tried to re-assure him over the last week that he didn’t need to do anything, but it didn’t matter. She knew he needed to prove he could be useful.

  “You did?” Tierney smiled.

  Thaniel nodded.

  “Well then, Jax and I will be right there,” she said then watched him hurry away with catlike grace before turning to Jax. “Thaniel made supper.”

  Jax looked up at her in surprise. “He did?”

  Tierney smiled and nodded then she looked wistfully at Zander as they left the room. “I wish he could stay awake long enough to eat, and meet Thaniel.”

  “Yeah,” Jax agreed then added, “So Thaniel seems to enjoy cooking.”

  “He does. I saw him watching the cooking channel again earlier, guess he decided to try his hand at whatever they were cooking. Still, I think there is more to it,” Tierney said as they made their way through the great room.