Dracones Boxset Books 1-5

by Sheri-Lynn Marean

  Soroyan frowned, and glanced back inside. “Have you talked to Raven?” he asked, wondering if she could do anything.

  “Yeah, I did. She might be able to help, but is scared of making things worse, so we don’t want to try anything just yet, not until we know more, or—” She stopped speaking, but Soroyan understood what she left unsaid. Or until it became a necessity. She smiled again when Taraven flew down and landed on the deck. A moment later, in a swift shift of magic, the bird morphed into the boy. “Did you have a good flight?” Tierney asked him.

  Taraven cocked his head to the side. “Yes. No one has ever asked me this question before.”

  Tierney laughed. “Were you allowed out to fly much while you lived with Val Jean?”

  “Well, no, but I’d sneak out the window at night sometimes.”

  Tierney laughed. “I hear you and Raven are taking a little vacation,” she asked as they all headed back inside.

  “Yes,” he said, meeting his mate’s eyes. She was smiling at him and his heart skipped a beat at the love.

  With a shriek, little Lilly hurried over to them. “You can fly too?” she asked, eyes wide.

  “Yes.” Taraven sidled closer to Tierney, clearly uncomfortable.

  “I saw you the other day, when you popped in here and took Tierney. Can you show me how to do that?” Lilly’s excitement was infectious, though Taraven just appeared scared of her.

  Soroyan figured it was because he wasn’t used to other children his age, when he noticed a faint glow just over Lilly’s head. What the …? He glanced out the window. The sun was shining in, yet, he didn’t think that was it. When he turned back, Lilly was off across the room to see Thaniel.

  He caught Tierney staring after the girl in surprise as well, then she shrugged and joined both her mates.

  “Here,” Raven said, handing him a plate piled with food. “Genna said she could teleport us to the portal if we go soon, she doesn’t want to miss watching The Walking Dead.”

  ““The what?” he asked.

  Raven shook her head. “No idea. Apparently, Xeata is watching whatever it is for the first time, and Genna loves someone named Daryl?” Raven informed him. Soroyan had no idea what she was talking about, but didn’t care. She was here, talking to him, and that was all that mattered.

  “Why do we need to be teleported there?” he asked, not sure if he was going to enjoy the experience.

  “It’s instant, and since we are going, I’d like to get there quick,” she said. “They are tough kids, but I’m worried.”

  Soroyan quickly finished the food. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Love

  Soroyan shivered as they entered the last portal. The one that would spit them out on the dark, cold planet of Norvafellan. He’d never been there, though Raven had told him all about it.

  He took in all the rounded bubbles covering every inch of the cavern they stood in. Most of the portals had stalagmites or crystals with every color. They were all jagged, beautiful, yet deadly. The portal they were presently in, was covered in smooth, rounded black-and-navy bubbles of every shape and size. It should have been dark inside, but the shiny surfaces reflected the light of the magic wafting through the long narrow corridor.

  “They are all so different, aren’t they?” he asked, his breath misting in front of him as he studied the magical portal. His wolf was sitting up, watching and waiting. For what, Soroyan had no idea which left him tense.

  “Yes, they are,” Raven said, quickly leading the way. She’d already warned him, before they entered the first portal, not to touch anything.

  Soroyan knew that even if he had wanted to touch, he wouldn’t have. “The magic feels like a living entity,” he said when they exited onto Tartaria. A living entity with differing degrees of emotion mixed in, as if warning one not to dare mess with its existence.

  Raven thought about it. “It’s magic, but I never thought of it as alive.”

  Soroyan shrugged, and when they entered the second portal, this one all red rubies and crystals, he could see her tasting the magic. “You might be right,” she said when they stepped out onto the other side. “I wonder why I never thought of it like that before?” Then she leaned into him and tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled his lips to hers. “I guess I just needed my wolf to open my eyes.”

  “Guess so,” he said as his lips landed on hers.

  ***

  “They are stubborn, and have been on their own for a while, I just hope they’ll come back with us,” Raven said, talking about the kids they’d come to find as they hurried down the tunnel on Norvafellan. She was almost running as they drew close to their destination.

  Then she pulled up and stopped. “Where are they?” she asked, staring into an alcove with the curtain pulled open.

  Raven turned in a circle. “Win?” she called. No one answered. Then she moved to the next alcove and pulled the curtain back, and the next. “They left, their stuff is gone,” she said and before he could pull her into his arms to offer comfort, she took off down the tunnel. “I’ll ask Mason where they went.”

  Soroyan followed her, hoping nothing bad had happened to the kids. He spotted a few kids, but not the ones Raven was looking for, and as soon as the children spotted him and Raven, they would scurry away.

  “Mason,” Raven called finally, and a large boy who appeared to be around sixteen turned and scowled at them.

  “You aren’t welcome here. Why are you back?” the boy asked.

  Mason’s eyes widened in fright when Soroyan growled at his tone.

  “Where are Win and his sisters?” Raven inquired.

  “They left,” Mason said, keeping an eye on Soroyan.

  “Left? To go where?” Raven asked.

  Mason shrugged. “Win said they were going home.”

  “Where is home?” Raven asked, and Soroyan could hear her frustration.

  “No idea, never asked,” Mason answered.

  Raven’s shoulders slumped in defeat. Then she thought about something else. “Are the Ilyium still camped outside the portal?”

  “No, there was a big fight, and then some other people came and took away some kind of contraption,” Mason said.

  Without another word to the boy, Raven turned to Soroyan. “Come on, no sense in walking all the way back to the other portal,” she said and led him through a door and up some stairs to the surface.

  “Is this one of the worlds that Val Dagan destroyed?” he asked, taking in the apocalyptic world.

  Raven nodded. “Yeah, well, between him and the dying sun, they did a number on it.”

  Soroyan swallowed and a shiver of premonition shot through him at the thought of Val Jean’s brother setting foot on Earth.

  “Thank you for coming with me,” Raven said, glancing gratefully at him.

  “I’m sorry we didn’t find the kids, but I would follow you anywhere,” he said and put an arm around her.

  “Thanks! I hope they are okay. Let’s go home,” she said and squeezed him.

  “I am already there.” Soroyan smiled. Home. It didn’t matter where they were, Raven was his home.

  They didn’t get far. “We’re being followed,” Soroyan whispered into her ear. Raven nodded and they both ducked behind a pile of overgrown debris to wait. A second later, another tunnel rat who looked similar to Mason, slunk out of the weeds, searching all around.

  “You looking for someone?” Raven asked, as Soroyan moved up behind the kid who looked to be about ten or so.

  “Maybe,” the kid said, glancing furtively back behind him. “I heard you talking to my brother, about Win.”

  Raven narrowed her eyes on the scraggly boy. “What do you know?” she asked.

  The kid shrugged. “I might know where they done went.”

  Raven pulled some coin out of her pocket. “Tell me where,” she said.

  The kid eyed the coin in her hand. “He took his sisters back to Alaseekera.”

  “Alaseek
era?” Raven said, frowning. “No one but the Alasee wolves live there.”

  The kid smiled. “That’s where they went.”

  Raven handed him the money and watched him hurry back the way he’d come. Then she turned to Soroyan. “Can some wolves disguise the fact that they are wolf shifters?”

  Soroyan nodded. “Some. Not many. Plus, there are herbs that help prevent shifting.” He frowned. “Do you think they were pretending to be human to fit in here?”

  Raven nodded. “Yeah, that is exactly what I think. At one point, I thought I caught a scent of wolf when I was with Win, but the kid was covered in years of grime, I thought I’d imagined it.”

  “Well, that would do it,” he said, then looked thoughtful. “We better go make sure they are not in any trouble.”

  Raven stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

  “Well, I figure you won’t stop worrying until you know the truth,” he said.

  Suddenly, Raven moved close and reaching up, she slid her fingers into his hair. “I love you, you totally get me,” she said as his lips met hers.

  “I love you too,” he breathed, taking her breath away. “Now lets go get your kids.”

  When Raven opened her mouth to speak, he put his finger on her lips. “I know they aren’t yours yet, but they will be.”

  Again, not the end …

  Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the first five books in the Dracones. As an author I highly appreciate the feedback I get from my readers. It helps others make an informed decision before buying. If you enjoyed this book please consider leaving a short review HERE

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Love

  Soroyan shivered as they entered the last portal. The one that would spit them out on the dark, cold planet of Norvafellan. He’d never been there, though Raven had told him all about it.

  He took in all the rounded bubbles covering every inch of the cavern they stood in. Most of the portals had stalagmites or crystals with every color. They were all jagged, beautiful, yet deadly. The portal they were presently in, was covered in smooth, rounded black-and-navy bubbles of every shape and size. It should have been dark inside, but the shiny surfaces reflected the light of the magic wafting through the long narrow corridor.

  “They are all so different, aren’t they?” he asked, his breath misting in front of him as he studied the magical portal. His wolf was sitting up, watching and waiting. For what, Soroyan had no idea which left him tense.

  “Yes, they are,” Raven said, quickly leading the way. She’d already warned him, before they entered the first portal, not to touch anything.

  Soroyan knew that even if he had wanted to touch, he wouldn’t have. “The magic feels like a living entity,” he said when they exited onto Tartaria. A living entity with differing degrees of emotion mixed in, as if warning one not to dare mess with its existence.

  Raven thought about it. “It’s magic, but I never thought of it as alive.”

  Soroyan shrugged, and when they entered the second portal, this one all red rubies and crystals, he could see her tasting the magic. “You might be right,” she said when they stepped out onto the other side. “I wonder why I never thought of it like that before?” Then she leaned into him and tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled his lips to hers. “I guess I just needed my wolf to open my eyes.”

  “Guess so,” he said as his lips landed on hers.

  ***

  “They are stubborn, and have been on their own for a while, I just hope they’ll come back with us,” Raven said, talking about the kids they’d come to find as they hurried down the tunnel on Norvafellan. She was almost running as they drew close to their destination.

  Then she pulled up and stopped. “Where are they?” she asked, staring into an alcove with the curtain pulled open.

  Raven turned in a circle. “Win?” she called. No one answered. Then she moved to the next alcove and pulled the curtain back, and the next. “They left, their stuff is gone,” she said and before he could pull her into his arms to offer comfort, she took off down the tunnel. “I’ll ask Mason where they went.”

  Soroyan followed her, hoping nothing bad had happened to the kids. He spotted a few kids, but not the ones Raven was looking for, and as soon as the children spotted him and Raven, they would scurry away.

  “Mason,” Raven called finally, and a large boy who appeared to be around sixteen turned and scowled at them.

  “You aren’t welcome here. Why are you back?” the boy asked.

  Mason’s eyes widened in fright when Soroyan growled at his tone.

  “Where are Win and his sisters?” Raven inquired.

  “They left,” Mason said, keeping an eye on Soroyan.

  “Left? To go where?” Raven asked.

  Mason shrugged. “Win said they were going home.”

  “Where is home?” Raven asked, and Soroyan could hear her frustration.

  “No idea, never asked,” Mason answered.

  Raven’s shoulders slumped in defeat. Then she thought about something else. “Are the Ilyium still camped outside the portal?”

  “No, there was a big fight, and then some other people came and took away some kind of contraption,” Mason said.

  Without another word to the boy, Raven turned to Soroyan. “Come on, no sense in walking all the way back to the other portal,” she said and led him through a door and up some stairs to the surface.

  “Is this one of the worlds that Val Dagan destroyed?” he asked, taking in the apocalyptic world.

  Raven nodded. “Yeah, well, between him and the dying sun, they did a number on it.”

  Soroyan swallowed and a shiver of premonition shot through him at the thought of Val Jean’s brother setting foot on Earth.

  “Thank you for coming with me,” Raven said, glancing gratefully at him.

  “I’m sorry we didn’t find the kids, but I would follow you anywhere,” he said and put an arm around her.

  “Thanks! I hope they are okay. Let’s go home,” she said and squeezed him.

  “I am already there.” Soroyan smiled. Home. It didn’t matter where they were, Raven was his home.

  They didn’t get far. “We’re being followed,” Soroyan whispered into her ear. Raven nodded and they both ducked behind a pile of overgrown debris to wait. A second later, another tunnel rat who looked similar to Mason, slunk out of the weeds, searching all around.

  “You looking for someone?” Raven asked, as Soroyan moved up behind the kid who looked to be about ten or so.

  “Maybe,” the kid said, glancing furtively back behind him. “I heard you talking to my brother, about Win.”

  Raven narrowed her eyes on the scraggly boy. “What do you know?” she asked.

  The kid shrugged. “I might know where they done went.”

  Raven pulled some coin out of her pocket. “Tell me where,” she said.

  The kid eyed the coin in her hand. “He took his sisters back to Alaseekera.”

  “Alaseekera?” Raven said, frowning. “No one but the Alasee wolves live there.”

  The kid smiled. “That’s where they went.”

  Raven handed him the money and watched him hurry back the way he’d come. Then she turned to Soroyan. “Can some wolves disguise the fact that they are wolf shifters?”

  Soroyan nodded. “Some. Not many. Plus, there are herbs that help prevent shifting.” He frowned. “Do you think they were pretending to be human to fit in here?”

  Raven nodded. “Yeah, that is exactly what I think. At one point, I thought I caught a scent of wolf when I was with Win, but the kid was covered in years of grime, I thought I’d imagined it.”

  “Well, that would do it,” he said, then looked thoughtful. “We better go make sure they are not in any trouble.”

  Raven stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

  “Well, I figure you won’t stop worrying until you know the truth,” he said.

  Suddenly, Raven moved close and reaching up, she slid her fingers into
his hair. “I love you, you totally get me,” she said as his lips met hers.

  “I love you too,” he breathed, taking her breath away. “Now lets go get your kids.”

  When Raven opened her mouth to speak, he put his finger on her lips. “I know they aren’t yours yet, but they will be.”

  Again, not the end …

  Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the first five books in the Dracones. As an author I highly appreciate the feedback I get from my readers and it helps others make an informed decision before buying. If you enjoyed this book please consider leaving a short review HERE

  Read on for a Sneak Peek of Saberthorn

  Saberthorn

  A Dragonkind ~ 52 Realms Novel

  Saber watched Fen until he was out of sight, then knowing the Predrac’s life wouldn’t be easy, he made his way through the outer ward. No Supe’s life was easy, but for all of dragonkind, or their offspring—the Dracones—it was even harder. Soul tormented, Saber barely noticed as the chittering night critters grew quiet. They sensed the beast within him.

  Certain that he stood alone, other than the creatures of the night, Saber drew on his power and let it consume him, reveling in the feel. Then in a quick shower of sparks, he yanked it in and with a sharp snap, he shifted into his large black-scaled dragon. The backlash of power at such a sudden shift stung hotly, yet sweetly. It felt good. Refreshing. It was something to feel other than rage and heartbreak.

  The white glow under each scale grew even brighter at the depths of his emotions. Emotions that he didn’t even try to contain. An out-of-control wildfire raged inside him. It constantly burned in his soul at the fate of his friends, family, and all dragonkind over the last thousand years.