The Keeper of Dragons: The Prince Returns

by J. A. Culican

  The Keeper of Dragons

  The Prince Returns

  J.A. Culican

  Copyright © 2016 by J.A. Culican

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without the express written consent from the author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review. Trademark names appear throughout this book. Rather than trademark name, names are used in an editorial fashion, with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  The information in this book is distributed on an “as is” basis, without warranty. Although every precaution has been taken in preparation of this work, neither the author nor the publisher shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book.

  The characters, locations, and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarities or resemblance to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Edited by: Danielle Carioti

  Cover Art by: Rathin Sen

  Formatting by: Brina Brady

  ASIN: B01FYL5BD0

  For my youngest daughter Eva and her love of all things magical.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Connect with J.A. Culican

  Prologue

  I slammed the front door behind me and kicked off my shoes towards the closet. My mom constantly yelled at me for not putting my shoes where they belonged, but I couldn't be bothered today. My job search for anything came up empty once again. I graduated high school a month ago and had searched day in and day out for anything I could do to occupy my time. College was out of the question, my grades were barely mediocre and I had little talent elsewhere, so no schools knocked on my door when scholarship time came. All in all, I was close to hating life these days. I had sat back and watched all of my classmates talk about their grand post-high school plans and how excited they were to attend colleges. On my side of things- I had nothing going. And while all through high school, nothing was glorious and free, right now, “nothing” felt like a black hole, where I would disappear forever.

  “Cole, come have a seat. Your mother and I have something important to talk to you about.” My dad directed from the other room. His voice sounded serious.

  I wasn’t in the mood for whatever my parents had to talk to me about, I wanted to ignore my dad’s command, but something in his voice had me concerned. I stepped into the living room and plopped down on the old recliner. Sooner or later I thought for sure I would plop and hit the floor with all the groans and creaks the chair made. My dad had refused time and time again to get rid of it. I looked up at my parents as they sat across from me on the old rickety couch. They looked…scared? What could they possibly be scared about?

  “Cole,” my mom started and hesitated, she looked at my dad, lowered her head, and started to cry.

  “Mom, dad what’s going on? Is everything okay?” I started to shake as I spoke, unsure of what was about to happen. I had never seen my mom so frightened before. “Is everything okay?”

  My dad took a deep breath, “Cole, the last few days have been hard for your mom and me.” He paused and grabbed my mom’s hand. “I’m disappointed in myself. We let our fear lead us as we raised you. We were so worried someone would find out about you. We never pushed you to do anything, we completely sheltered you from everything.” He let go of my mom’s hand and put his arm around her shoulders. He squeezed as she continued to cry.

  I was confused, I hadn’t realized they were that disappointed in me. “I’m sorry dad, I really…”

  My dad raised his free hand my direction, in an attempt to wave off my response. “No, Cole just listen, let me finish.” He declared. “Cole, your mother and I always wanted a family. Unfortunately, we weren't able to. That was until you.” He paused and took a breath, beside him my mom nodded her head in silence. He continued, “You were our miracle, our chance at being whole.” He explained.

  “Dad, I don't understand.” I shook my head in confusion. “I know all this, so why do you both look so frightened?” I had heard the story a million times about how thankful they were for me, how they had tried for years to have children and were unsuccessful.

  My dad continued. “Cole, you came to us…when you were just a small baby.” His voice wavered as he stared at me with a look of uncertainty.

  Wait, what? I felt uneasy. A nervous sensation engulfed me and didn’t leave for quite some time. It felt like a dark, gloomy cloud that lurks in the sky on a rainy day. But a rainy day I don’t question. This I questioned.

  “Are you saying I was adopted?” I began to fidget in my seat as I digested what my parents were trying to tell me. I clasped my hands on my lap to stop the tremble that had begun to take over my body. “Why wouldn't you tell me this before? I mean kids are adopted all the time.” I started to ramble, but I couldn't help it. I began to feel angry at them, why would they keep this a secret? How didn’t I know? Okay, I was adopted, but why did they both look so scared as they told me this fact? Did they think I would leave or go look for my biological parents? That was a thought I was not ready to deal with.

  Letting go of my mom, my dad held his hands up to stop my rambling, “Let me finish Cole. Your mother and I, we love you as if you were our own. To us, you are ours and always have been and always will be.”

  This I knew, since I had no clue they weren't my real parents, until now. They had proven their love for me over and over throughout the years, but this thought didn’t stop the anger I felt towards them. I couldn’t grasp why they would keep this from me.

  “We honestly never thought we would be given the chance to have a baby, but then your parents came to us,” my dad gave me a look of doubt.

  “Wait, you met them?” I couldn’t believe it. My hands began to lose circulation from the grip I had on them. I released my hands and shook them out as my mind raced further. “Do you know them? Do I? Why’d they give me up?” I started to babble again, it was like I couldn’t get my thoughts straight. My mood jumped around just as much as my thoughts. I was mad one second and scared the next.

  “Your biological parents love you just as much as we do. That’s why they gave you to us. They trusted us to raise you and love you as our own.”

  Now I was confused, my brain couldn't even ramble this time, even the nerves that shook my body stopped. I was frozen as I sat there and stared at the two people in my life who had always been my home.

  “We made a promise to them. We promised…” My dad paused, and looked at my mom. She hadn't taken her eyes off me, almost like she thought I was going to just up and disappear. My dad finally turned back to me, “We promised to give you back when you turned eighteen.”

  “But, but that's like… in two days?” I stuttered as I gaped at my parents. I was so confused and a little ala
rmed by the short notice. They were just going to what, hand me over to two people I had never met? Then what? I began to panic.

  My dad stood up and came over to me, he grabbed me under my chin, which forced me to look him in the eyes. “It was part of our promise, we couldn't tell you until it was time. You’re special Cole, and your family, they’re protectors, just as you will be.” He stated. “I know your mother and I have just dumped a lot of information on you, and I am really sorry Cole. We had hoped we would have more time. But we don't.”

  Protectors? How am I supposed to be a protector? And a protector of what? I could barely take care of myself. My mom did everything for me; cooked my meals, cleaned my laundry…she even made my bed for me each morning. My mind raced with questions, but I couldn't get a single one out. I was confused, frightened, and even angry. I wasn't sure which emotion was most dominate at the moment. I could only imagine what kind of expression I had on my face. We sat in silence as the minutes passed by, our thoughts kept to ourselves.

  Finally, my dad broke the silence, “Cole, it's getting late. Why don't you head to bed, and we will talk more tomorrow. Let everything sink in, get your thoughts straight. I know this is hard, but I promise it will be alright.” My dad reached for my elbows to prop me up. As soon as I was on my feet my mom rushed over and threw her arms around me, my body stiffened from her contact.

  “I love you Cole, no matter what.” She whispered in my ear as my body began to relax in her hold.

  After she let me go, I turned and ran up the stairs to my room. I shut my door, ambled over to my bed and sat down. My thoughts were still all over the place, an internal uproar flurried in my head. I only knew one thing for sure, there was no way I would get any sleep that night.

  Chapter One

  Two hours and thirty-one minutes. That was all the time I had left before my real parents were scheduled to arrive. My thoughts weren't any clearer now than when my parents sat me down two nights ago. The questions I had, I received no answers to. It seemed my parents took me in on faith and faith alone. They never questioned why they were given me or why I had to be given back at eighteen. I attempted to talk with my mom the next morning at breakfast after news broke of my imminent departure. “Coley we wanted you so bad, it didn't matter the why, we loved you immediately,” that was the only reason I got from my mom. I didn't push further, as soon as she called me Coley, a name she hadn't used since I was little, I knew she was hurting. Her voice trembled as she spoke, it made me think she was scared. Which, in turn, made me scared. I stopped with the questions and went back to my room.

  I've spent the last two days holed up in my room with my cell phone turned off. My friends wouldn't understand. How could they? I didn’t even understand what was going on. What would I even say to them? Everyone was busy getting ready to leave for college anyway. Me, I had no plans, but I guess I did now.

  I figured this, once I got settled at where I was headed, I'd give them a call and we could all have a good laugh over it. At least that's what I banked on. My closest friend Eva had left for college a few weeks earlier, I remember she had mentioned something about summer classes. She was the only one who tried to get me to apply to college or, at least make a plan. She was unsuccessful, so here I sat. I hadn’t heard from her in a few weeks, I hope the distance didn’t pull us apart, she’s my one and only friend I could always count on.

  Eva was the one person who I had always trusted. Since the day she moved in with her grandparents next door, we were inseparable. That was almost eight years ago. Besides my parents, she was the only other person who got me, and accepted me. I guess I just never fit in anywhere, not athletic or smart, just average. Average everything right down to the way I looked. I had never been anything special, which was fine by me, it kept me out of the spotlight and behind the scenes, right where I felt comfortable. Eva on the other hand, I had no doubt would do great things, she was beautiful and smart. The girl could talk circles around me. I was definitely going to miss her.

  Of all things, the whereabouts of my new home had bothered me the most; my imagination and maybe my lack of sleep hadn't helped. Whenever I dared to close my eyes, outrageous visions of a place I had no name for filled my head. It made me feel like I was flying in an airplane. All I could see were clouds, but there was something special about those clouds. They almost looked like they were painted, too perfect to be real. The vision was so close, I almost felt like I was there. A noise outside my door startled me out of my daydream.

  “Cole,” my Dad’s voice sounded strange, “Can I come in?” He seemed worried, like I would actually tell him “no.”

  I got up off my bed to walk across my room and open the door. There stood my dad, hunched over. He looked…defeated? Instantly, my panic came back. I stepped backwards to let my dad in. He entered and took my spot on the bed I just vacated. Only then did I notice my bed was unmade, my plain blue comforter was smooshed at the bottom of my bed in a ball. My mom hadn’t been in today to make it like she always did.

  My thoughts quickly moved to my dad after I realized he hadn’t said anything yet. He held his head in his hands and stared at the ground. He looked like he was going to say something, but changed his mind. Finally after what felt like minutes, though really just a few seconds, he looked up at me. “Cole, no matter what, I just want you to know you always have a home here. You will always be our son.” He rushed all this out on one single sob.

  He continued to stare at me as tears fell from his eyes. I had no idea what I was supposed to say to that. I know I was confused about, well, just about everything. But I never questioned their love for me or that they wanted to hand me over or that they were kicking me out.

  Now that I had heard it straight from my dad, it hit me hard. I would always see him as my dad, but I now had another dad. A dad who I didn’t know at all, who gave me away as a baby, who I was just supposed to…accept? How did this thought never escape my mind the last two days? It was like all I had thought about was where I was going, and who my real parents were. It seemed like I basically had no choice but to accept this fate. But I did have a choice. Right? I mean I was eighteen, a legal adult, I could stay.

  My Dad continued to stare at me; he was waiting for some sort of reply. My thoughts had taken over again and I forgot for a moment he was there. “Dad, I don't have to leave. I'm an adult now. Tonight when my biological parents come by, I can meet them and send them on their way. Nothing has to change.” I was holding my breath, awaiting his reply. Whatever he said next could change everything.

  I could barely hear him when he responded, “I wish that were true, your mother and I would want nothing more than to have you stay here with us, forever.” The pain in his voice was almost unbearable. “Yes, you’re now a legal adult, but I fear where you’re going, your age won't make a difference.” He stopped and sucked in a breath, almost like he wasn't supposed to tell me any of that.

  Wait, did he say my age wouldn’t matter where I was going? But I thought, “What do you mean?” I didn’t mean to say this out loud, but I did. My father flinched. “I thought you didn't know where I was going?” Nothing else could come out of my mouth, I just looked at him while I waited for a response. Maybe I heard him wrong?

  He looked uncomfortable. “I'm so sorry Cole. I just, I just need you to trust me. Promise me you will go with them tonight without a fight. Keep an open mind. Your mom and I love you so much. We want nothing but the best for you, and this is the best.” I could tell each word that passed his mouth was more painful than the last. He looked like he was in complete agony.

  I was more confused now than before he came up the stairs. I just wanted this all to be over. For someone to answer my questions. Nothing made sense at all.

  My dad interrupted my inner debate, “Please, come downstairs and have dinner with your mom and me. Please, we...” He couldn’t finish his thought, I could tell he felt beaten.

  “Yeah…I'll be down.” For some reason, I couldn’t be mad
at him, it was clear he didn’t want any of this to happen. I just wished he would answer my questions. He seemed to know more than he initially let on.

  He stood up to leave my room, and looked back at me when he reached the doorway. “I love you Cole, no matter what, remember that.” With that, he walked out and quietly closed the door behind him. An ominous feeling was left behind with his parting words.

  I wasn’t sure how dinner was going to go, but I decided if I had to leave tonight, I didn't want to leave on a bad note. My parents, even with everything that had happened in the last two days, had always been the best parents anyone could ever ask for. That is the one thing I could be grateful for. At least my birth parents had left me with a couple who loved and cared for me better than any other parent could. They had always supported me in everything. I never would have thought I wasn't biologically theirs. It was this thought alone that propelled me from my room to head down for dinner. My parents deserved everything I could give them. Everything in my life was because of them, and I wouldn’t let them down.

  As I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen, I could hear my parents as they talked in hushed voices to each other. I wasn’t sure if I should wait a few minutes and let them finish their quiet conversation or just head in. I guessed my dad was letting my mom know how his talk had just went with me. I wondered if he thought it was successful or not? To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to think about anything anymore.

  Finally, I found the courage and walked into the kitchen. As soon as I walked in, both of my parents turned and looked at me. My mom had a relieved expression on her face. Did they think I wouldn't show? It took me a second to collect my bearings; I walked over to the table and had a seat in the same chair I had sat in for the last eighteen years, almost every night for dinner. Rarely did we eat anywhere else except this table, my mom always insisted we eat as a family every night. This might be our last family dinner. That thought alone depressed me.