3- Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World

by Love, Dianna

  He shook off that shock. “That dragon was an imposter.”

  All three deities turned to him.

  Shit. Indicating a second dragon loose in this world probably would not help Daegan, but Quinn had just told the truth. They didn’t know about that bloody ice dragon under Treoir castle, which meant there had to be three dragons alive.

  Three dragons equaled three dangerous beings capable of threatening Loki, Justitia, Hermes, and the other deities.

  Loki crossed his arms. “You mean to say you learned of a second dragon and said nothing to us about it?”

  Hermes returned to playing his lyre, but the tunes he plucked were harsh.

  Quinn fought the urge to wipe his forehead or grip his neck to break loose the tension there, but any movement would be seen as a weakness. Tension drove his words to come out hard. “There is a lot going on.”

  “Where is Daegan?” Loki’s blunt words sent a message Quinn would waste his time bluffing.

  “The dragon causing damage is not Daegan,” Quinn countered, losing what patience he’d managed to this point. “Daegan is hunting this other dragon to find out who is pretending to be him, where that dragon came from, and why that dragon is wreaking havoc.”

  Hermes paused in strumming and asked, “Daegan has the only fire-breathing dragon, correct?”

  Everyone turned to the musical god in surprise. He never spoke.

  Quinn had to tell the truth in this place or turn bright red. After that, he’d likely burst into flames. Loki would enjoy that show of death. “As far as I know, Daegan has the only fire-breathing dragon, but I have not lived forever. Daegan is searching for the imposter, because he doesn’t want a dragon out there causing trouble any more than you do.”

  “Daegan must come here and answer these questions himself.”

  Hell, Quinn did not want to say Daegan was hunting the damn grimoire volumes. Quinn believed in his leader and would fight for Daegan with all he had. “I swear to you the dragon causing that damage is not Daegan’s.”

  Nothing happened. Quinn did not turn bright red.

  Loki was not sold. “While it is clear that you honestly believe what you say, that does not make it true. Inform Daegan he must return the grimoire or face the end of his people. As for a concern over him calling in his goddess mother, I have already spoken with other deities in alliance with VIPER. We are ready to stand together. If the volume is not returned immediately, the Beladors will be hunted and taken down until it is returned. The first to die will be the ones in the holding cells.”

  This could not be happening.

  Rushing to find a solution, Quinn intended to turn the tables on Sen and have the Tribunal question him. That demigod could teleport. He had access to the damned vault.

  Sen made a hissing noise.

  Quinn looked over his shoulder to see the liaison grab his leg. “What’s wrong with you, Sen?”

  Spiking a homicidal look at Quinn, Sen said, “I was struck by two Imortiks. The healers are trying to clean the venom out. It’s not all gone yet.”

  Hell. If Sen had that grimoire volume, he’d have control of the Imortiks, based on what Daegan and Garwyli had said. He wouldn’t have allowed venom to be shoved inside him.

  Justitia called out, “Please return to the healers, Sen.”

  “I don’t mind waiting until this is done, goddess.”

  “We will call you back if we need you.”

  “Thank you.” Power pushed away from where Sen had been standing.

  Quinn took up the fight again. “Daegan did not take that book. I would know.”

  Loki lifted his shoulders in a nonchalant dismissal. “Perhaps not, but protection of that volume originally belonged to his ancestors. It is his responsibility to return the grimoire volume, based on the agreement made when a Tribunal at that time took possession of it.”

  Grasping at any thread, Quinn asked, “Who handed over the volume to put in the vault a thousand years ago?”

  Loki and the other two had a muffled discussion. When Loki turned back, he said, “Macha helped close the rift opened when that volume was found once before. As soon as she located the volume this last time, she brought the grimoire to be locked inside the VIPER vault.”

  Time ticked by with every heartbeat that thumped too loudly in Quinn’s ears. What would it take to get this Tribunal off Daegan’s back?

  How much time did Quinn have left to contact Reese? Twelve minutes? Ten?

  Quinn argued, “That doesn’t mean Macha didn’t take it this time. Why not ask her, Maeve, and Cathbad, who all are capable of teleporting? Queen Maeve has been after Daegan nonstop. She will have learned of the Imortik master’s offer to any being who can deliver the grimoire volumes. How can you justify expecting Daegan to bring in the grimoire and not allow us time to hunt it? You are threatening to destroy one of the largest communities of supernatural beings without unequivocal evidence of this crime. We have been here to support VIPER over many generations.”

  Loki lifted a finger to his chin, tapping a finger. “We called Cathbad earlier and have not heard from him. I will give him what we feel is enough time to appear. I will call Macha and Queen Maeve to testify at this Tribunal as well.”

  Quinn’s chest expanded with relief, then Loki crushed his relief by adding, “But Daegan must be here as well. He is first on our list.”

  Quinn had no idea where Daegan was, but he’d run into a wall here. He had to call their dragon king to the Tribunal. He announced, “With Sen unavailable, I wish to request a moment out of the Tribunal realm for a better chance of locating Daegan. He’s overseas.”

  Loki sighed. “Very well. We will allow you what we consider enough time to locate Daegan and bring him here. I shall teleport you to just outside the entrance of VIPER. We will uphold the midnight deadline for terminating Devon of the Beladors, but we made no such agreement on the other two Beladors. If you leave or fail to bring Daegan in, we kill those two Beladors by nine o’clock in the human world tonight and close this Tribunal to any additional conversation.”

  “I will not leave and I will find Daegan.” He hoped to hell he could.

  Loki smiled, not a bit of humor involved and warned in an icy tone, “See that you do. I would take great pleasure in dismantling the entire Belador organization ... starting with its Maistir.”

  Chapter 20

  Daegan led the way through the forest that climbed sharply upward. He’d offered to carry the backpack, but the lass had strapped it on, determined to keep her sword close.

  The wooded spot they left behind had been too open between trees even at night when animals roamed. They needed a dense area with foliage so difficult to easily pass through a person or animal would walk around to avoid the trouble.

  Feminine grunts and struggles filled the otherwise quiet forest air.

  As he turned to check on her, she stumbled sideways and tipped downhill.

  Lunging, he grabbed the backpack, lifted it, and swung the pack around with her attached. He dropped all of that in front of him.

  “What?” she snapped, wrenching the backpack into position again.

  “I will not keep the sword from ya. If ya give me the pack, I promise to toss it to ya if we are attacked. I do not wish to run up and down this mountain every time ya go tumblin’. The pack would not be so top-heavy on me.”

  Blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes, she muttered something to herself and yanked at the strap across her body to unlatch it.

  She dropped a shoulder and dumped the backpack off to hand him. “Where exactly are you headed?”

  He pointed to his left. “Across this ledge to a darker area of trees which may offer us a place to give this hidden doorway a knock.”

  She waved her hand. “Move on. I’ll follow.”

  “Ya lead. ’Tis easier to stop ya on the way down.”

  “For the love of puppies. I am fit for this climb. I just missed my step back there. I would have recovered.”

  He pulled
the backpack strap over one arm and waited.

  “Fine. Try to keep up.” She pushed forward.

  A smile tugged at his lips. He could not help admiring the fight in that one.

  When he caught up to her, she angled toward the area he’d indicated. Before dropping down into the small gulley, she paused and looked over her right shoulder.

  Her eyes rounded in surprise.

  Daegan followed her gaze to an unobstructed view all the way down the mountain to what lay between them and the ocean besides trees growing up the incline.

  The lush green forest blanketed the mountain for three thousand feet down, parting around a village built at the edge of a sparkling deep-blue ocean. A cove had been formed by the cupped shape of the coastline along this part of the mountain range. White single story buildings with bright orange roofs stacked uphill from the water. Boats floated in a bay protected by long, sturdy dock-like structures.

  “Spain,” she whispered.

  “Do ya believe that is this land?”

  “I think so. I don’t recall the name of that settlement or village down there, but I’ve seen pictures of this cove in magazines. I think we’re in the Basque region on the northern coast of Spain.”

  “’Tis beautiful.” Daegan began scouting the surrounding area. “We must watch for villagers.”

  Casidhe pointed to her left. “If we head over there, I think we’re high enough up from the homes we shouldn’t run into foot traffic unless someone has a need to burn their calves.”

  “I shall cloak us while we are in this world.” He did not like taking her with him to the hidden world, but until he could teleport her, he had no choice. Plus, she made a valid point about being able to identify a volume of the grimoire.

  She had more than skill. She had a gift and power.

  He’d watched her translate the parchment.

  Just as Reese had said from when she used remote viewing of Luigsech’s movements in the centre. When the lass ran her fingers above the text and letters, the symbols changed and rose to the surface. Luigsech had sent him away to leave her alone so she could hide that gift.

  He’d allow her the secret for now. No point in starting a conflict when it gained him nothing.

  She had taken a couple steps and paused again, staring out to sea this time.

  “What is it, lass?”

  “Those jets.”

  Daegan watched two airplanes travel in the distance along the coast. “’Tis a normal sight in your world.”

  Shaking her head as the airplanes came into view, she said, “Those are F-35s. They’re launched from aircraft carriers.”

  “Aircraft carrier?” This new world had endless mysteries for Daegan.

  “Huge ships that can carry an entire squadron of jets.” She glanced at him. “I think a squadron is twenty-fourish aircraft, but it could be more. That’s not my expertise.”

  Daegan understood Tristan and Evalle’s warnings. Not even a dragon would survive being attacked by a group of those jets with weapons capable of massive damage.

  Luigsech picked up speed as the ground leveled out and dropped slowly. The woman seemed to enjoy leading in spite of her earlier protests.

  “Why is the sight of those jets unusual?” Daegan asked as the aircraft went out of view.

  “Just weird. That looked like the American military. If so, why are they patrolling Spain? What’s going on?” She grabbed the trunk of a small tree and whipped herself around it.

  He couldn’t answer her questions, but he called out telepathically to Tzader. This is Daegan. Did Tristan arrive?

  Good to hear from you. I wanted to talk to you. Yes, Tristan returned. Garwyli is working on him again and Lanna is helping. That old druid snarled at Tristan for teleporting so much when he hadn’t finished healing. With Tristan’s healing going slow, Garwyli won’t allow Tristan out of his sight for a few more hours. Tristan keeps calling to me to break him out. Hell, I don’t want to go up against that old druid when he’s pissed off. He’s been a bear lately.

  That settled Daegan’s internal debate on calling Tristan to teleport something from the castle here, which Tzader and Brina would agree to without question. When he had time, he would have to remove the need for his presence to gain any of the Treoir hoard in the future. This trip had taught him the flaw in a plan he created with Tzader and Brina.

  Tristan could not teleport Luigsech home at the moment either, even if Daegan did not need her.

  He told Tzader, Tell Tristan I wish for him to heal completely before leavin’ again. What were ya wantin’ to talk to me about?

  Tzader hesitated a moment, then said, You have to be careful. Militaries all over the world are sending out patrols looking for any dragon after a new incident. A power plant in Spain was burned.

  What? Daegan almost missed his step. Is a power plant a living thing, house, or what?

  It’s a large facility where they generate power for an area of homes and businesses. Thankfully, no one died. They have reports of sightings in other countries, too, but some or all may be bogus, just people wanting their ten minutes of fame. Still, you can’t risk flying.

  ’Tis not a problem I foresee at the moment, Tzader. This new attack must be Brynhild.

  Oh, yes. Tristan told me about her. What a piece of work. We have to prove it’s not you.

  Daegan wished it were that simple. I agree, but it does not matter at the moment. A dragon is a dragon to humans. Daegan hated to leave Tzader, Quinn, and the others to answer for the phantom dragon attacks, but he could do no more than them. He would return home as soon as he found the grimoire hidden in Hadrianna’s world. That reminded him of something Tzader needed to know.

  One more thing, Tzader. Do not worry if ya cannot reach me for a short while soon. I may or may not be where I can answer telepathy

  Why not, Daegan?

  I have a chance to find one volume. It means leavin’ this world to enter an alternate one, not exactly a realm.

  Damn. I want to be there to back you up. You have no one with Tristan here, but we need him healed. I don’t want Brina teleporting anyone else right now. She needs rest.

  ’Tis fine, Tzader. Ya ease my worry by being in Treoir to watch over Brina and the others. I hope to sneak in and out of this other world without bein’ seen. I do have backup, Daegan admitted, not sharing more.

  Luigsech might not be one of his warriors, but she had proven her ability with a sword and owned a weapon equal to his.

  Should I ask who it is? Tzader prodded.

  Tristan knows the person and I spoke with Garwyli about where I am goin’. I shall explain all as soon as I can. Daegan’s thoughts jumped to Atlanta. Tell Quinn to stall VIPER if I run late contactin’ them. I intend to do my best to return to VIPER before the Tribunal’s deadline for Devon.

  Tzader updated him. There are three in the holding cells now. I’ll get in touch with Quinn. You know he can talk circles around anyone, even powerful beings, when motivated, which he is. Be careful.

  Daegan ended the telepathy and considered his options, which became more limited by the moment. Tristan had to heal fully if Daegan could not teleport out of here with the lass. One problem at a time.

  First, he and Luigsech had to find a way into Hadrianna’s world.

  When the lass entered a heavily shaded location they’d been heading to where a shelter of thick leaves overhead blocked the sun, he searched around them before following. They were very far from any homes. He ducked his head and pushed limbs aside as he stepped down into the pocket of trees and dark shadows. Then he took in every potential spot where they could sink farther out of view just in case someone did wish to burn calves.

  The lass seemed to be doing the same thing, no doubt wanting to be a step ahead of him. She had a competitive streak to win every tiny battle. He spied a location that should work, but waited to hear her determination.

  Turning to him, she pointed out a different spot than his. “I think we can tuck in there and no o
ne hikin’ by would see us without really lookin’.”

  He joined her and gave the area a serious inspection. “I agree.”

  She did nothing at first as if she’d expected him to argue, then moved forward, pushing branches aside. He followed, stepping down as the rocky ground dipped even more to create a gulley before the rock jutted up again.

  Once she chose a place to sit that suited her, Daegan lowered his body on her left, butting his shoulder up against hers.

  She tensed.

  He should not be put off, but he’d given her no reason to react frightened to his touch. “Did the oracle not say we must be close for both to enter the world?”

  “I’m not arguin’.”

  Her body appeared to be.

  Again, he wished to not take her with him to this unknown world, but he could not make her decisions. Neither of them wanted to forfeit this chance at a grimoire volume after what they’d been through to find it.

  The lass had held up her end.

  She dug out the book she’d offered earlier. He had stored it in her pack again while they climbed the mountain. The book she chose smelled of old leather and ink, reminding Daegan of his da’s library. She lifted it to her lips, gave the cover a gentle kiss, and handed the tome to him.

  Daegan’s body clenched at watching her lips touch the old book. The desire to feel those lips on his skin swelled inside him. What the devil had gotten into him?

  His body had chosen a poor time to take an interest in a woman, especially one he could not be touching.

  “Earth to Daegan,” Luigsech said in a dry tone. Her strange words yanked him from the foggy moment.

  “What earth?” He frowned at her.

  “You clearly need some tutoring in pop culture for this era. It’s something said in science fiction movies. It means hey, pay attention.”

  He took the book and placed it on his outstretched legs. “Ya should hold my arm or shoulder so I do not lose ya.”

  Her small fingers wrapped around his right arm.