DRAGON'S GAP: Set Includes Stories 1-3 Plus Love's Catalyst

by L M Lacee

  Lars remembered his papa Rene` saying, sometimes one must remind people who you are! It looked like this was to be one of those times as he snarled. “You call me foolish and boy! Whom is it you think you are speaking to? I am Prime to the Dragon Lord…

  His Dam cut in. “We know and expect you to handle this?” Lars stopped and thought on what she had said, there was so much more going on here. “We? Who is we?”

  His grandfather smirked as he threw a scroll at him. Lars caught it in his right hand as he looked at the four in the room. They all watched him with sharp eyes that never missed an expression, he made sure to keep his face impassive.

  Lars was not impressed either with them or the show of unity they were trying hard to reflect. He flicked the scroll, and it unrolled. He read the list of twenty family names, all nobles. He saw that his parents and grandparent’s names were first and second on the list. “What is this?”

  But he knew. Sadly he knew, his parents and grandparents had gone from supporters of John Morton to traitors of the dragon nation and the realm. This was confirmed when his grandmother told him. “It is a list of nobles who wish the realm dissolved and a new one established!”

  Lars jerked when he heard the bald statement as though they were discussing a list to a ball, not overthrowing the realm. “Who have you decided to assume the position in Lord Reighn’s place?”

  “Quenton Poult.” His father told him with pride.

  Lars shook his head in disbelief, a nice dragon but naive in many ways. He asked with an incredulous tone. “He is only three hundred and forty years old, somewhat naive and uneducated. Does he realize what you are asking of him?”

  “Goddess no!” Trilled his grandmother, she waved her lace handkerchief in front of her face as though to wave away his question.

  His mother explained. “He is a stupid boy, but he is malleable. Which is all that is necessary. His parents are pleased with our decision in choosing him.”

  This made Lars bite back a smile, now he understood their reasoning in why he had not been nominated for the position. Lars was the least malleable person he or they knew. She then told him. “As for education, we know he is lacking in this. But we have decided that the old saying, a little knowledge would be a dangerous thing. So ignorance will work best for him and us.”

  Meaning Lars knew if he understood what was expected of him he would probably not go along with it. His father said. “With your guidance he will be exactly who we need.”

  “My guidance! And the royal family?”

  His grandfather brushed imaginary lint from his sleeve as he refused to meet Lars eyes while he explained. “What of them! They will have to go! There will be no place for them afterwards.”

  Incredulous he said. “You expect them to just move along!”

  They all looked at him and then the females laughed, his Dam shook her head at him as she brought herself under control. “Do not be a child of course not. We will see to that. Deaths of families happen all the time, food goes bad, air turns sour. Those animals that he has aligned himself with might tear him and his family apart. Or his shadow, the witch could accidentally cast an unfortunate spell. All manner of things kill families.” She shrugged nonchalantly, then said with her eyes narrowed. “Seriously you are very badly educated for someone who lives at the castle, did they not teach you historical intrigue? Well never mind we, your parents and grandparents will handle this.”

  His grandmother said with a tone of disappointment shadowing her words. “It is as I suspected, this will be too much for you. All that brain washing I suppose. We had hoped not to involve any outsiders, into what is a family matter.” She sniffed delicately and flapped her lace handkerchief once more. “I see we are left with no choice.”

  Lars stood absolutely still for a minute. He thought her words rang untrue. There would be no outsiders to call on. It was a bluff to see if he would be stupid enough to volunteer. Foolish people they did not know him at all! He asked quietly. “Surely you do not expect me to help you with this?”

  “You are our son!” His father stated as his grandfather told him with righteous undertones in his voice. “It is your family duty!”

  Lars frowned as he told them. “It is treason you are proposing here.”

  “Rubbish!” Blustered the Elder Axton as he took a swallow of his whiskey. “Mild rebellion at most!”

  Lars shook his head as he tried to make them understand they were wrong. “No! It is treason. You saw the Elementals yesterday, what they did. The judgment they handed down. You will be risking their wrath. You wish to pit yourselves against them?”

  His father sighed loudly then scornfully stated. “Do not be ridiculous, of course not!”

  Lars was relieved he may not like these people, but he did not wish for them or anyone to suffer the same fate as the people. That had been on trial for treason the day before. “Then what do you have in mind? Will you refuse to swear to the Dragon Lord?”

  His Dam said archly. “Of course not, it is our duty to do so! Your father and grandfather will swear fealty on behalf of us our family to the Dragon Lord and the nation. Then we will over throw him!”

  Lars laughed he could not help it. These people were insane or so naive it was criminal. “And you say that is not treason!”

  “Of course it is, rebellion is acceptable if done correctly and orderly. We are accomplishing both. The Elementals will have nothing to say about it!” Stated the Elder Axton.

  “Why is that?” Lars asked bewildered with their reasoning. His Sire spread his hands wide as he explained. “This is a dragon issue that is why! Nothing to do with the Elementals.”

  “I see, your thinking is that by swearing your loyalty to the Dragon Lord and the nation. Anything you do afterwards will be considered an internal matter and you will not incur the Elementals wrath. And as the Dragon Lord and his family will not be here to complain you have no fear of them retaliating. Of course your new Dragon Lord will take no action as he will be under your control. Does everyone on this list think the same?” Lars asked as he shook the paper with the names on it at them.

  His father nodded saying. “Yes and there is you of course.”

  “Me…why me?”

  His grandfather explained with a certain amount of smug pride. “After the Dragon Lord and his family are gone, you are next in line. As we have already chosen the next Dragon Lord, you will step aside and serve him. Dragon society will not want to be seen to be questioning your as your decision. We as your rightful family will make sure everyone understands you are in mourning for the Kingsley’s, after all you were their nest son and brother.’

  “And you believe this will stop speculation?’

  “Oh no!” His father told him pityingly. “Seriously who is there to go against us? We have the Hunters and Shields at our command.”

  Lars was amazed they thought it would be that easy. The Hunters and Shields were not commanded as such. They were who they were because they were loyal firstly to the Kingsley family and secondly to the dragon nation. How he asked his dragon. How did they not know this?

  Because they see what they want to. Not what is true?

  His mind swam with the stupidity of the four people in the room with him. He asked because he could not seem to help himself. “What of the Elementals, have you forgotten them? Reighn is their chosen!”

  “Why are you being so difficult?” His Dam whined.

  His grandmother sneered as she told his father. “I told you he was a waste of time. They have brain-washed him.”

  “My Dam is right. You are truly disappointing as a son. Can you not see the bigger picture here?”

  Lars wanted to tell them they were wrong and he so wanted to unleash his dragon on these foolish people. But he did not, he closed his eyes, desperately wanting to be gone from these obscenely entitled delusional people. Finally he could hide no more opening his eyes, he sighed as he opened the door behind him and in a strained voice he told them. “There were s
o many things for you to have taken away from court yesterday. The one important piece of information for you to have heard and then accounted for was technology!” He showed them his left hand and the phone in it. “This allowed my Lord to hear and understand everything that was said here this morning. There will be no going back from what you have planned.”

  It was only then they all heard the booted feet approaching the room. Reighn stood with his brothers and guards in the doorway and received the scroll from Lars. He looked his brother in the eye as he softly said. “There will be no reprieve!”

  Lars bowed his head. “I understand, the young dragon Quenton Poult knows nothing of this.”

  “I am sure he does not.” He signaled a guard closer. “Arron, go and collect Quenton Poult and secure him somewhere safe please.”

  “As you will my Lord.” He saluted and left with two others. Reighn, after he gave the scroll a quick look handed it to Storm and Keeper. “If you will my brothers.”

  “With pleasure!” Keeper said as he gave the four ashen faced people a hard look. Storm squeezed Lars’s arm in comfort and said to the four slack jawed Axton’s. “As if you had not done enough!” With one more look at Lars, he left with Keeper and several guards to round up the other conspirators.

  Lars asked Stan. “Make sure everything is removed to storage please, and the servants are taken care of.”

  “As you wish Prime. Both residences?”

  “Yes please.”

  Without a backward look at the people who purported to be his family, Lars walked away. He did not halt even when the outraged shouts from the males and the cries from the females rang in his ears. He just kept on walking, closing the door on the house and that part of his life forever. He flew to Verity landing on her balcony and stepped into her open arms. “It is over now my son. Mama Verity has you now!” He sighed in relief and stayed with her throughout the day and the night. He stayed with her when they felt Reighn breathe dragon fire on the homes of the guilty. When he felt the Elementals remove his birth family and all the conspirators from the world.

  The following weeks were very hard for Lars and his family coping with the fallout from the betrayal of the nobles. As well as the attacks on the retrievers and the kidnapping of Grace.

  Now weeks later he sat here, in this place on this day, drinking really good coffee while he watched his town come alive. Reliving an event from his recent past that still haunted him his dreams. His dragon sighed within his mind. Time to place it back in the past dragging it up only makes us hurt. Lars mentally nodded to his dragon in return.

  I know let us find something to smile about instead.

  CHAPTER SIX:

  H e grinned as he watched a little boy skip beside a teenager. Laughing up at her as they walked with two brown bakery bags oozing, he bet with sweet cinnamon rolls.

  He had woken this morning just as the sun had risen, from a particular nasty dream. Neither he nor his dragon had been able to resist the lure of the crisp air as the skies lightened to blue. They had flown far surfing the air currents high above the world for what seemed like hours.

  Eventually, they had returned to the Gap, circling high above the castle for many enjoyable minutes. Before he had landed briefly to leave a message with June, to give to Reighn. As castle liaison she relieved him of having to hunt him down to pass on messages left with him overnight. He blessed the day Sage had introduced her into their lives, especially his. Life for him was less busy now.

  After refusing tea and a longer visit with June he had launched into the sky once more. Thirty minutes later he and his dragon had felt centred with the remnants of the dream almost gone.

  He had landed to walk the early morning streets, finally settling at this table to enjoy his first coffee of the day.

  He had found that he loved to sit and watch the different people walking the streets. He felt a wave of despair flow over him as his dragon wondered. If they would ever find their shadow. Lars tried to comfort him. It will happen when it does. She is out there somewhere we will have to hunt for her. She is unlikely to drop into our lives.

  Now he thought about it, he too wondered, if he would ever get the opportunity to raise young like his brothers and friends were doing. He hoped he would and knew in that he was like every other dragon wanting a family. He shook off the feeling of gloom. It was a changing world he was living in, and he loved every minute of it. Whether he was lucky enough to find his shadow or not, he was still loved by his family.

  Seeing his lifelong friends find their shadows or mates as the shifters called them, was a balm to his heart. Even Stan, his nest brother had found his shadow Jacqueline or Jacks for short. She was a tall, slim, very beautiful studious Leopard. Who wore glasses and business suits, which he had to admit she suited. Not that he thought Jacks would have been a good fit for him, she was too serious minded and reserved for Lars’s way of thinking. He wanted a female that had a sense of humor, someone who was demure in her dress. A well-polished female that was tall with a slim figure. A female who would understand his need to be active and present in his job as Prime to the Dragon Lord. Someone who was discreet because as Prime, he was required to know everything that went on within the dragon nation which would mean she would as well.

  She would have to realize he would need to be on call day and night and sometimes he would be placed in danger. Lars smiled as his thoughts went over the kind of person his shadow would be like. He and his dragon would have no concerns if she was a shifter. In fact he hoped she would be. It would be different and exciting.

  He sighed again and sipped his coffee as he went back to people watching. He caught a flash of orange from the corner of his eye but when he turned his head and looked along the street, he saw nothing. Frowning he shrugged and went on with his thoughts as he idly looked around him. He loved this town, over his lifetime he had visited other towns in other countries and still even with all the growth around him. He loved the feel of Dragon’s Gap, often he had the thought he should live right in the middle of it all, rather than at the castle. Especially now that the Gap was growing so fast, it would be invigorating to be part of the bustling activity.

  So involved in his thoughts he did not see the flying kitten until it landed rump first on his table. She spun towards him stopping on her third rotation to look up into his eyes. Lars lost his heart right then and there as he stared down into two green clear and beautiful pools that stared back at him. When the kitten got up on all fours and crawled over to him nudging his hand. Which he automatically lifted and began to stroke the soft fur from her head to the tip of her tail. He was smitten.

  Oops! Kammy thought. I really am a good jumper. Like Uncle Rain said. When she felt Lars’s hand stroke her fur, all thoughts fled from her mind. His soft touch made her purr which surprised Lars and enticed his dragon to croon a dragon’s song in return.

  Lars was stunned, he had no idea his dragon could make that sound. Suddenly he heard loud voices calling out from the street. He scooped the kitten into his arms where she proceeded to wash his fingers and purr even louder.

  His dragon grumbled and stopped his song as June walked over and sat in the vacant chair while she talked into her phone. “No, I have her. She has found Lars… No, she looks fine!”

  Hanging up she looked at the kitten which had now placed her little head in the palm of Lars hand. “You are in such trouble little missy!”

  Lars cuddled her closer. “Who is this that says she is in trouble?”

  June laughed. “That would be her mother that is who. You should maybe let her go because if I am not mistaken, her mother is coming now?”

  Lars looked over his shoulder to where June was looking and saw a small female around five foot tall walking toward them. With curves that made his dragon sit up and pant. Really panting? Lars asked him but his dragon was too busy staring to reply.

  The female had short spiked hair, striped black and white. Her jeans had seen better days as had her tee shirt th
at barely covered her ample breasts. The shirt had been washed so many times the color was faded, it may have started out grey but was bleached white now. She wore a leather jacket which was well worn and weathered as were her calf length black biker boots. She was pocketing a phone as she came nearer.

  Lars inwardly shook his head unable to believe someone like this female was mother to this precious bundle in his arms. Instinctively he held the cub more securely as he watched the female advance, he was sure he would see the usual tattoos and piercings but as she came closer he realized his mistake. This was not a Gothic outfit or clothes to make a statement like people he had encountered over the years wore. Studying her, he knew she wore clothes she could afford or deemed necessary and it shamed him to think he had jumped to an erroneous conclusion.

  Then his dragon roared to escape, trying to push through his skin, wanting to touch. To feel his shadow, she was here finally. His dragon roared again to escape Shadow!

  Lars struggled to contain him and not drop the cub. Then a small hand, calloused with use, touched the skin on his chest above the open collar of his shirt. Immediately his dragon ceased its struggles, beyond coherent words. Lars nodded his head in thanks to the female who slowly removed her hand. She stood folding her arms looking at him as he held the cub in his arms. She looked him up and down and leant in a little and sniffed and then sniffed again, just as the cub he noticed was doing.

  June stood and placed her arm around the female with affection and protection. He wondered what she saw in his face to warrant that reaction. Then he realized it was for the comfort of the female not because of him.

  Fear looked out at him from green eyes, not as deep as her daughters but just as vibrant. He bent down a little way and sniffed her neck between her ear and shoulder. Much as she had done to him and could scent her anxiety. He leant in closer and rubbed his cheek against hers and whispered in her ear. “Shadow!”