by K.N. Lee
“Come, my darling, and I will tell you everything."
Chapter 4
Cecelia led Cailyn from the manor and into the dark woods that surrounded the estate.
They walked for quite some time, and for a moment, Cailyn considered turning back around and heading to class.
But, something made her resist. A tingling in her throat and chest told her that there was a great mystery about to be solved, a revelation she could not shirk.
When they came to a clearing, where the sun’s light barely reached, a small cottage was revealed.
Cailyn paused, and stared at the squat, stone structure that looked like something from one of the fairy tale books she spent hours reading as a child. To her, it looked exactly like the witch’s house from Hansel and Gretel.
She glanced at her mother, who stood at her side.
“What is this?” Cailyn asked. “I don’t remember this being here.”
She would know. She’d played in those woods since she could walk as a toddler, and all the way into high school. She knew them inside and out. But, never had she seen that cottage before.
Cecelia gave her a sidelong glance, a smirk on her lips.
“Ah, yes,” she said, folding her arms. “It is because it was cloaked in a spell that kept it from you, and anyone else who dared to come looking.”
Somehow, that gave her little pangs of warning in her gut.
She took a step back. “Why? What’s in there?”
Cecelia reached out and clutched Cailyn’s hand. She held it tight, unwavering, and the message was clear; Cailyn was not getting away.
She would not be able to run from this.
Her heart began to thump a little harder—a little deeper, and she breathed in, hoping to slow its pace.
Much had changed since the cottage was revealed. The air grew thicker, and the area around them was significantly darker.
It was then that she realized that there were flat stones on the ground that shimmered as if made from crystal. It led from their feet, and toward the door of the cottage.
“Keep on the path,” Cecelia said. “We wouldn’t want you getting lost in the magic.”
Cailyn nodded, and held onto her mother, not wanting to be left behind now that she could feel the gravity of what was happening.
They took the stones across the barren soil that surrounded the cottage, and once they reached the door, Cecelia gave it three taps.
For a moment, there was silence, and Cailyn wondered if whoever dwelled inside wasn’t there. Tense, she looked around, and noticed how the forest around the cottage wavered, as if it were the dream, and not this odd structure that had been cloaked with magic.
She’d always know of her abilities. She was especially gifted, with second-sight, and empath traits. Not only that, but her prophetic dreams and proficiency with spells and magic. Somehow, though, she began to doubt her abilities as she stood there with the uncertainty of what would occur next.
All she had to comfort her was that she knew hew mother would never let any danger befall her.
When the door swung open, there was no one there to have done so. It opened on its own accord.
Cecelia stepped inside, and beckoned her to follow, a smile still on her lips.
“Come, dear,” she said. “You’re ready.”
Cailyn followed her mother and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, bracing against the cold and stagnant air.
Once the door shut behind them, Cecelia lifted both arms, and several candles were lit, their flames dancing tall and bright.
In the center of the mostly-bare room, was a black sphere that was set on a pedestal, and little cushions around it.
Cecelia sat on her knees before the sphere, and Cailyn did the same.
“See,” she said, and ran her hand over the sphere.
All Cailyn could see was the pure black crystal and the shimmering bits within. But, as she looked a bit deeper, she nearly lost her balance, and entered a trance-like state.
“Goodness,” Cecelia said. “You can enter a trance quite easily, dear. I fear I sometimes underestimate your power.”
Cailyn’s breaths came out quicker, and she fought what seemed to be taking over her body.
“Ease into it,” she said. “Don’t resist, and it’ll be much more pleasant.”
Heeding her mother’s warning, she tried to relax, and her mind became a blank slate, where there was nothing but darkness as she stared into the crystal ball.
“I just want you to see,” Cecelia said. “What you truly are...what we are.”
And, what’s coming, Cecelia said inside of her head.
Cailyn did see. She saw a series of images that left her breathless, and gasped at the final one.
In the darkness was her—her body hovering in the air.
She stared back at herself, and began to relax.
It was then that she began to change.
She changed from that of a beautiful young woman with dark hair, to that of a sleek dragon.
Her heart raced as more were revealed—more dragons lined up behind her.
There were dragons of all colors, and sizes, and as she looked deeper into this vision, crests were revealed on their wings.
She could barely make sense of what she was seeing, and Cecelia must have sensed this, for she spoke again.
“Now you know,” she said. “Now you see.”
“What am I seeing?” Cailyn asked, her voice an echo inside of her head.
“The dragon clans, dear. You now know who you are.”
Her voice was lost to her.
“You’re ready to heed the call—the call of the dragons.”
Chapter 5
Cailyn left her mother with a renewed lease on life—with a fire in her eyes that wouldn’t be smothered by any mundane class. She now knew the truth, and there was no going back.
As she tapped her feet on the carpeted floor before her, she ran her fingertips across a raised image in an old book.
The picture was beautifully drawn. The dragon was a majestic creature, revered in mythology from cultures all over the world.
Learning that they were real thrilled Cailyn—and discovering that she had dragon blood running through her veins left her in awe.
I am a dragon.
Those words continued to replay in her mind, and left little room for anything else.
The Internet was great for basic research, but there was nothing like the library for really digging into a subject. So, here she was, having skipped her class because Cecilia’s revelation had made her ridiculously late anyway. Twenty minutes of intensive Internet and library database searching had given her everything she needed to surround herself with towers of books and piles of printouts.
What she would never find in any of the text books, was the lush past of the thirteen dragon clans that inhabited the world.
She stretched and rolled the crick out of her neck. While digging through all this research was a little mind-numbing, at least when she found an answer, the books and articles didn’t turn around and disguise the answer as a riddle.
Cecilia had led her out of the forest, calmly collecting her shoes, and headed back to the house. Along the way she had dropped various tidbits of instruction about life as a shifter.
Never reveal your ability to wizards.
Be wary of revealing your ability to other shifters.
Never fly around humans either in human or shifter form. No levitation of self or things, either.
Always stash clothes where you can find them. Make sure they’re easy to slip on and off.
“Wrap dresses work especially well,” Cecilia had smirked. “Undergarments are optional.”
Cailyn bit back a sarcastic snort and turned back to the book before her. The dragon had the body of a snake, with long outstretched wings. Numerous cultures had all embraced the dragon in their mythologies.
The dragon had been captured in stone, bronze, marble, and paint. It symbolized cour
age and strength.
The next bit of information Cailyn uncovered made her uncomfortable.
According to medieval lore, dragons mated for life, and if one mate died, the other followed soon, dying from a broken heart.
She couldn’t help the way her thoughts flew to Asher. He was human, without magic or shifting abilities. He didn’t know anything about her world, but he was her world.
But, why does the man in my dreams become a dragon? Why am I the one who is dying?
“That’s Edward Alexander’s daughter.”
“The one who lives in the huge manor in the countryside?”
“The haunted one?”
“Yeah.”
Really?
The voices broke through Cailyn’s concentration, ripping her from research and worries, and dragging her back to the workaday world of rumor and gossip.
“Yeah. Her family is in the mob. I’d stay away from her unless you want to end up dead.”
Cailyn cringed at hearing herself being talked about. She hated being the subject of gossip. All her life, everyone from teachers to baristas had whispered behind their hands about her. The kids she grew up with took rumors and turned them into playground and locker room taunts.
The worst part was she couldn’t deny it. At least, she couldn’t refute the part about her family being in the mob.
But why did people think her house was haunted?
Alexander Hall was a beautiful Victorian house, immaculately restored by her mother, and used by her father to host elaborate parties not just for Haven Cove society, but for ‘business associates’ from Chicago, New York, and St. Louis.
The gambling rings and drug-running took place well away from the home. If anything, that was a mob rule that was inviolable. Never involve innocent family. Never hurt wives, daughters, and children.
She shook her head and tried to lose herself again in reading.
“They say her father was into some pretty bad stuff. That’s why he was killed.”
Cailyn felt her cheeks begin to burn. She shot a glare at the girl that kept whispering about her family. She considered turning around and using her new abilities to knock them out of their chairs. Then, she thought of how much trouble she’d be in if her secret got out.
She tensed.
Only if I used magic.
No one would learn of her secret if she walked over there and slapped them both. That was a purely human thing to do, right?
Still, it was a terrible idea, even if it was an almost irresistible idea.
She closed her eyes for a moment, visualizing marching over to them and slapping them both silly in order to calm herself.
I’ll be free in a few more months, she reminded herself. I can leave all of this behind.
“What are you up to?”
Cailyn slammed the book closed, ignoring the pain that came from the fact she had just shut the book on her own fingers. She looked up to see Asher standing next to her in a navy button-up shirt and jeans.
“Whoa, take it easy, babe!” Asher chuckled, extracting her fingers from the book and kissing them better.
“You scared the crap out of me.” She tried to laugh.
He canted his head to the side, reading the title of the book in front of her. “‘Mythological Creatures.’ Doesn’t sound like anything that’s going to help you with your trigonometry exam.”
“Lower your voice,” Cailyn hissed, rising and stuffing her books into her bag. She grabbed Asher’s hand and pulled him after her, ignoring the girls at the other table.
Outside the library, the sun tried to break free from the dark clouds that continued to gather. It made the light spotty and harsh, and the air was heavy with the smell of rain.
They stood on the white stone steps looking out to the lush green quad that connected the buildings of the University. The beauty of autumn was all around them. Trees were covered with orange leaves, the ground was littered with them.
Cailyn clutched her notebook to her chest and held down her skirt as a gust of wind swept through the campus.
“Are you okay? You’re acting weird.”
Cailyn put her notebook in her bag and hugged Asher, burying her face in his chest. She breathed in the scent of his fresh-smelling deodorant.
“I’m fine. My nightmares are back.”
He rubbed her back and rested his chin on the top of her head. “I’m sorry, baby. Tell me everything.”
She shook her head and pulled away. “They don’t really make any sense. I just keep dreaming about really disturbing stuff.”
Asher held her hand. “You sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
She bit her lip. There was so much she wanted to reveal about being a wizard, but making humans aware of their presence was forbidden.
Sighing, Cailyn started down the steps and to the stone walkway. “I guess I still haven’t gotten over my father’s death.”
Asher followed her. “I know. And, that’s fine. It will take some time to heal, and even then you might feel some sadness when you think of him.”
She nodded, comforted by his words.
They walked together, in silence, along one of the paths. At least, Asher held her hand, and seemingly shielded her from the world.
Cailyn kept her eyes down to avoid making contact with any of the students staring at her. They made a path for her, some silent, some whispering, as she walked by. She should have been used to the whispers, but they still bothered her. She wanted to run and be free of their judging eyes.
“Don’t you have another class to go to?”
Cailyn wanted to be alone. She needed to sort out her thoughts in silence before something bad happened—something she couldn’t control.
Things never seemed to go well when Cailyn couldn’t control her emotions, so she tried to keep her breathing even. Everything that had confused her while growing up all made sense.
She was both a wizard and a dragon.
Insanity, she thought, shaking her head. And I can’t tell a soul.
“I do. But it can wait,” Asher said. “I want to make sure you’re okay first.”
The sting of tears burned her eyes. She couldn’t let him see them. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t hide anything from Asher.
He pulled her around and held her face in his hands. “Baby, talk to me.”
Cailyn shook her head. “You wouldn’t understand, Asher. Your family is perfect.”
Asher wiped her tears away.
“I do understand,” he said. “Why don’t you come stay with me for awhile, and take your mind off of everything?”
Nodding, Cailyn wrapped her arms around his waist. “You’re right.”
“I’m glad you agree. Why don’t you bring enough clothes with you to my place?” He grinned, anticipating her next question. “You don’t have to make a decision about moving in just yet.”
Cailyn couldn’t help the smile that came to her lips.
“Really?”
He kissed her. “Of course. I’m going to do my best to cheer you up.”
“That sounds like just what I need,” she said.
“Good,” he said. “I better get to my next class. You be strong for me baby. One more night in Alexander Hall and I’ll be there to help you take your mind off things.”
She smiled, and nodded, and watched him leave.
As she gazed at the gathering clouds, she closed her eyes.
Perhaps all would be well.
As her eyes re-opened, she sensed just how wrong she was.
Chapter 6
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Tessa watched Cailyn as she stepped out of her afternoon shift at the bookshop.
Cailyn nodded, offering a half-hearted smile to her best friend. They met up every Friday after her shift for coffee.
“I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”
“Crazy that he just died in his holding cell. From a freaking spider bite! How does that even happen?”
Cailyn shrugged.
You’d be surprised what could happen when you’re on my family’s bad side.
Tessa adjusted her red-rimmed glasses as she gazed at the gray sky. “It’s about to storm.”
Cailyn smoothed her wavy black hair down. “Well, let’s hurry over to the coffee shop.”
“Sure. I can’t stay out late tonight. I have to study for my Physics test.”
“Okay. I can’t stay late either,” Cailyn said as they made their way down the main road.
Tessa shook her head with an annoyed grunt. “You’re so lucky you chose English instead of biology. My physics class is killing me.”
“You’re right. I’m a writer. I’ll stick to the words.”
“How about you write me an excuse from my exam,” Tessa said with a sigh.
“I wish I could.”
Another wind brushed her hair across her face. A cool droplet of rain splashed on her nose. “Let’s hurry. I just felt a drop!”
Cailyn was glad she wore her ankle boots as they ran the rest of the way. A man held the door to Kate’s Coffee open for them, and they hurried inside.
“Thanks,” Tessa said as she pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail. A loud crash of thunder made her jump. “Whew. Close one.”
Cailyn’s eyes scanned the coffee shop for a seat somewhere discreet.
Kittie’s Coffee was one of the coolest places in town. Inside it felt like they weren’t in Haven Cove. Appropriately named, all of her fellow geeks could hang out in a judgment free zone. With colorful tables that didn’t quite match, hanging plants, colorful artwork, and everyone with their tablets and laptops, it felt as if they were in a quaint coffee shop in Paris or something.
One day Cailyn would see Paris. She’d see the world and would forget this small town.
“What are you wearing to the Halloween party?”
Cailyn shrugged. “I haven’t thought about it yet. What about you?”
She breathed in the room’s delightful scent of roasted coffee beans, cinnamon, and apples. The low hum of chatter mixed with the sound of a guitar playing.
“Naughty nurse. Get it? Since I’m going to be a registered nurse,” Tessa said, nudging her.
