Dragon Storm, page 14
“I will make your hospitality known to those who need it, Josephine,” her grandfather answered. “Thank you for being willing to share your place of respite.”
She hugged him once more, knowing no further words on the subject of her cabin were necessary. He knew his Clan. He knew who would benefit most from taking the long journey to America. Josie let him go and walked toward her mates, away from the gathered Clan members. Only the patriarch followed her path toward the cliff’s edge.
It was time to leave. She had the snowcat amulet around her neck and felt it tingle and hum against her skin.
“When you get far enough away, you must call the storm, child.” Her grandfather’s urgent tone made her pay attention.
“Call a storm? How?”
“Do you remember your mantra? The one I taught you as a child.”
“I do.” She wasn’t sure where this was leading, but it sounded ominous.
“Repeat your mantra. It is yours alone. It will call the storm, if your will is strong enough. Center your thoughts and say your mantra. Do not lose focus.”
She thought she understood. The words to the mantra her grandfather had taught her were more complex than such things often were. He’d also told her never to practice it around others, though she did not understand why at the time. Now it all began to make sense.
“You taught me a magic chant, didn’t you?”
He grinned. She would remember that grin, whenever she thought of him. It was a much different image than the one she’d held in her mind in years past. She liked this one much better.
“I suspected you were meant for great things, even when you doubted yourself.”
“I never knew.”
“I know, child. Such is the way of life. The young never see what is right before their eyes. With age comes knowledge, and sometimes wisdom. I believe you are on the path toward wisdom.”
“I’m not so sure,” she joked, giving him a final hug. “I’ll do my best to make you proud.”
“I have always been proud of you, granddaughter.” His words rocked her to her core, and a warm feeling spread from her heart throughout her body.
“I love you, Grandfather.”
“As I love you.”
They said their final farewell, and she turned to mount. Once she was on Darius’s back, seated securely, the patriarch stepped back, though his shining eyes remained trained on her.
Just before Darius launched into the sky, she heard her grandfather’s final words of advice for her.
“Remember what I taught you and don’t lose focus. No matter what, don’t lose focus.”
His words followed her into the air and she had no chance to respond. She would remember his advice. She would do her best to remember everything he had ever taught her.
The night was black as pitch. As black as the hides of the dragons. Snowcapped peaks surrounded them, but the three who flew through the night sky had superior vision and were able to see obstacles before they became a problem.
When she could no longer see the village behind them, Josie began to chant. It drew the dragons’ attention, and they broke her concentration with their questioning thoughts.
“What are you doing, sweetheart?” Darius asked in her mind.
“I’m trying to call the storm that will bring us to your world.” There was just a hint of frustration in her tone. She’d barely gotten into the rhythm of her mantra before she was interrupted.
“Can we help?” Connor asked politely, flying closer.
“I don’t think so. Grandfather said I needed to concentrate. For now, just let me say my mantra and see what happens. Please don’t interrupt. If this works, I’ll need to stay focused. You guys fly. I’ll hold the storm—or whatever it is—as best I can.”
“We will do so, but if at any time, it looks like you are in danger, we reserve the right to interrupt.” Connor veered off to fly a few feet farther away, in what must be a more comfortable distance for the two dragons.
“Fair enough.” Josie breathed as deeply as she could and began again.
It took a while, but she felt the wind begin to pick up as the clouds began to swirl. Moments later, she saw an eerie green glow from within the clouds just ahead of them as it began to snow and sleet, soaking her in seconds. The icy precipitation melted and steamed against the dragon’s hot hide, keeping her warm, even in the deluge.
She fought against the fear that threatened to choke her, overcoming it with the discipline taught her as a youngster. She was able to watch and observe, as if from afar, as the storm swallowed them. She stuck to her mantra, focusing the magic of her words in the magic of the storm as the dragons labored on.
The violent green of the storm enveloped them, and that was the last thing she knew.
“Where are we, do you think?” Darius asked his twin as they awoke in a forest for the second time. This forest, unlike that other one, at least looked familiar.
“I believe we are somewhere near the Northern Lair.”
“Thank heaven for that, at least. We are back home. In our own world.”
“Is she awake yet?”
“Not quite.” Both had changed to human form upon waking, and Darius took charge of Josie’s still form. She’d been on his back when they came through the storm and aside from the faint they had all suffered, she looked as if she had come through it well.
“Someone comes,” Connor warned his twin.
Both men were armed with the Wizard’s Lances should there be trouble.
Darius carried Josie farther back, under cover, while Connor took point, jumping into a tree to see if he could get a better vantage point. Even in human form, they had superior agility and were able to make the leap from ground to limbs several man-lengths in the air with little difficulty. Darius looked around for a suitable tree should it become necessary to hide Josie aloft.
“Northern barbarians. I can see a troop of them behind their scouts. The two scouts are heading right for us. You’d better get our mate under cover.”
“Way ahead of you, brother. I’ve already got a tree picked out.” Darius broke cover for a quick moment, making the leap upward to a lower branch with Josie hoisted over his shoulder. He worked his way up the tall pine until he was hidden by the boughs, then found a little crook where he could stash her. She would be safe there until she recovered.
Darius tucked her into the tree, making her as secure as he possibly could. Seconds later, the sounds of skirmishing came from below. Connor had engaged the enemy, which meant he’d seen no other way. The scouts had found him.
“I need you, Dar.”
“On my way. Josie’s safe for now.”
“Good.”
And then there was little time for thought as Darius dropped out of the tree and into the fray. The scouts hadn’t been that far ahead of their troop, and a real melee was in progress as Darius fought his way to his twin’s side. They stood back to back, the Wizard’s Lances effective in keeping a wide perimeter around them clear. The three-bladed ends of the Lances were sharp as dragon talons and just as lethal as the twins wielded them against inferior fighters.
“We could go dragon and fry their asses,” Darius mused as he took down another opponent. “It would be faster.”
“We would also betray who and what we are. Obviously we landed on the wrong side of the Northern border. These heathens probably once belonged to Salomar.”
“Good point, brother. It would be helpful to learn what we can while we’re here so we can report back to Roland.”
“True, but how are we to learn if they are Salomar’s lot or some other group? These brigands don’t wear uniforms or signs of office.”
“Mayhap we should just ask them.”
Darius’s teasing tone was typical of him, but very often, his direct approach yielded unlooked-for results. As Connor expected, Darius spoke aloud to his latest opponent.
“I say, did you lot used to fight for Salomar?” The teasing tone and haughty words made Connor snicker even as he noted the anger on his current opponent’s face.
“I don’t think they like Salomar, Dar. The one I’m fighting made a face when you mentioned his name.” Connor taunted the enemy with his words.
“Good thing we killed him, then, isn’t it?” Darius shot back, then returned his attention to his opponent. “So who do you fight for now, eh?”
Only three men were left of the group. Most were out cold, some dead. Darius and Connor each faced one and the remaining brigand held back, as if watching. Connor saw his opponent’s eyes flicker to the one who observed.
“Did your man just look at the gawker over there?” Connor asked his twin privately.
“That he did,” Darius agreed.
Connor observed the observer as best he could while keeping his guard up. This last opponent was the best of the bunch so far. That wasn’t saying much.
“He doesn’t look like a barbarian leader, but he could be a lieutenant, put in charge of this lot. Chances are, he’ll have the information we want and more, if we can capture him. Once we dispatch these two, he’ll make a run for it, I’ll wager.”
“Then we need to try to down both our opponents at the same time and make a dash for him. If one of them goes down, he’ll start to run.”
“Agreed.”
Through careful maneuvering, Connor and Darius timed their blows. Connor’s opponent went down only seconds before Darius’s and then both men were off, after the sole remaining brigand, who was swifter on his heels than they would have credited.
“Stop, damn you,” Darius grunted as he ran at Connor’s side after the bastard, both hefting the metal lances.
The man looked back at them, already far ahead, then dove into a thicket, out of view. Darius and Connor chased after, arriving in the thicket only to find the man cornered by a glowing white snowcat, her claws unsheathed and pinning the man’s arms to a large tree. The big pads of her feet were on his, preventing him from kicking and his sword lay several feet away, out of range.
Darius let out a long whistle as a grin split his face. Connor wasn’t far behind as Darius sauntered up to the cat and the man. Making a show of it, he pet the snowcat’s neck, and she rubbed her head into his chest.
“That’s a good kitty,” Darius said with approval. “Now let’s find out a little more about you, my friend,” he addressed the captive. “Before I let my pet nibble on your bones. She hasn’t been fed in a while.”
Chapter Nine
“I’d say we got more out of that bastard than we’d have ever gotten under normal interrogation. You, my love, are a wonder.” Darius was chipper as he walked arm in arm with Josie. Connor scouted ahead as they neared the Northern border of Draconia.
They could have flown, but both were tired from the storm and the fight shortly after returning to their world. For now, they were better walking until they reached the river. They’d have to fly then, but it would be a quick jaunt across the water and then to the Northern Lair where they could recover in relative peace.
“We have to talk to Lana and find out who this Gebel person is.” Darius kept talking, though he was careful to keep his conversation low, so that only they could hear him. They weren’t out of the woods—so to speak—yet.
“And Lana is your brother Roland’s wife?” Josie asked in low voice. They’d tried to tell her all about their family and who was who. Even Connor admitted it wasn’t easy to keep the whole crowd straight.
“Yes,” Darius answered, patient with her in a way he seldom was with others. “She was stolen from her family as a girl and sold as a slave to these Northern barbarians. She served in Salomar’s hold until she was tasked to tend a dragon egg.”
“Tor was in the egg, right?” Josie asked, proving she had retained some of their stories.
“That he was. When he was old enough, Tor and Lana escaped to live in the wild, but Lana knows a lot about the Northerners. If anyone in Draconia knows anything about their new leader Gebel, I’m betting she does.”
Darius saw the spark of light off water as he topped the hill and knew they didn’t have far to go. They’d found the river. The trees thinned here, and only a wide expanse of green stood between them and the river.
“I think we should fly from here,” he said, stopping as the others caught up with him. “We can be across the river in less than an hour and then make our way to the safety of the Northern Lair.”
“A good plan,” Connor seconded.
“Are you two recovered enough?” Josie seemed worried about them. “That passage through the storm took a lot out of me. It had to be even worse for you two, since you had to fight those winds.”
“Which is why we walked this far.” Darius bent to kiss her quickly, unable to resist her allure. “We’re all right to fly this short distance. Actually, the first time we crossed—when we ended up in your world—we were in much worse shape. Perhaps it gets easier with experience.”
“Well if my grandfather’s right, we’ll get a chance to test that theory sooner or later,” Josie quipped as she stepped next to Connor to get a better look at the river. “I have to say this, your world is really beautiful. The air is so crisp and pure. That river sparkles, and it’s actually blue. I’ve never seen a blue river before.”
“Many rivers are brown with stirred sediments. The bed of this river is rock and stone, and there is a special kind of fish that thrives here. It eats plant and organic debris before it can accumulate,” Darius informed her. He too liked the look of this river, but it marked a very dangerous border.
Connor got to carry Josie across the border into Draconia. They crossed without incident, though they did see another small party of brigands patrolling the border farther away. The dragons could see the patrol, but it was doubtful the humans who made up the patrol could see the dragons in the descending twilight.
Both twins were truly weary when they made their final approach to the Northern Lair. An honor guard of patrolmen and dragons had come to escort them. They landed, to be greeted by Hal and Jures, the leaders of this Lair.
“It is good to see you, Prince Darius and Prince Connor. We thought perhaps something bad had befallen you when you did not arrive as scheduled,” Jures said, looking from one twin to the other as they shifted to human form.
Josie had already dismounted and stood between them, an uncomfortable look on her pretty face. Connor put his arm around her in a show of support as Darius stepped forward to exchange greetings with the knights who ran this Lair so well.
“We have quite a tale to tell,” Darius informed them. “Have you news of our brothers?”
“Roland is overseeing the search efforts from the castle. Collin and Trey are out looking for you along the eastern border. Trent is watching over Jon and Wil, who insisted on searching to the south. And Nico is—”
“I am here.”
Connor was never so glad to hear his older brother’s voice. Nico seemed to be buttoning his shirt as he made his way onto the landing ledge, his new wife, Riki, just behind him. Apparently they’d been caught off guard by Darius’s and Connor’s return.
Darius turned to meet Nico and was caught in a bone-crushing hug. Connor could see the emotion in Nico’s expression as the Prince of Spies let his guard down for just a moment. He’d been truly worried about them.
“How long have we been gone?” Connor asked, stepping closer with Josie by his side as Nico let Darius go.
“You’re three days overdue.” Nico looked from Connor to Josie and back again and jumped to all the wrong conclusions. “If you had us in an uproar just so you could hare off with some girl—”
“Hold, Nico.” Darius slapped his palm on Nico’s shoulder to halt his forward progress. “That’s not it at all. We’ve been…” Darius looked to Connor for words, but Connor didn’t know how to describe where they’d been either.
“They were transported through a violent, magical storm, to my world.” Josie saved the day, standing forward to face Nico’s fury on her own, not giving an inch. Not for the first time, Connor admired her courage. “I am a snowcat shapeshifter from a world where magic no longer exists in abundance. What little there is resides in a few supernatural races that must live in secret from the rest of humanity. My world runs on technology, not magic.”
“And it is a wondrous place, brother.” Connor moved to stand beside her. “We traveled great distances by air, but not under our own power. We rode with a hundred other humans in a hollow, metal craft with a giant wingspan. It flew high above the clouds at heights dragons cannot dream of and speeds we can only achieve for short bursts when in a dive.”
Nico’s head tilted as if he were testing the truth of Connor’s claims. He didn’t look angry anymore, which was a good start.
“It’s called an airplane,” Josie put in helpfully.
“And why could you not fly yourselves to wherever you needed to go?” Nico asked, suspicion clear in his tone.
“There are no dragons in my world. They are legends out of the distant past. Once I realized what they were, I knew they needed to talk to my grandfather, the leader of the snowcats, but we couldn’t let anyone else see them who wasn’t already aware of the existence of supernatural creatures. Ninety-nine percent of the people in my world are totally unaware of magic of any kind.”
“I would hear more of your tale before I decide if you’re telling me the truth or just making up some fantastical lie to get yourselves out of trouble.” Nico turned and led the way off the landing ledge, leaving the twins no choice but to follow.
“He really was worried about you,” Riki said as she took Darius’s arm, and they followed in Nico’s furious steps.
“That’s your big brother, huh?” Josie asked in a whisper as Connor escorted her after them. “He doesn’t seem too pleased with you.”
