Goran Thoreaux, apprentice Dragon to Marylebone, had found himself, very inconveniently, Earthbound in Raven’s Creek because of Alanna and her sister Beth’s magical mayhem. He stood in the doorway looking out onto the river streaming past the rear of the yard and inhaled the morning air. It was crispy fresh, but the dew on the ground was disappearing fast. It was going to be another scorcher of a day. He tilted his head, closed his eyes and tried to sense exactly why he felt this unease in his soul. He might be Earthbound, but he hadn’t lost his wit or his power.
He searched, using his minds’ eye for answers as to why he felt this odd uncertainty. His first concern was for Beth, the youngest of the Greenwood witches, who lived next door in Clematis Cottage, but he knew without going deep that all was well in her world. He couldn’t help the upward tilt of his mouth as his sharp hearing zoned in on her while she tinkered about in her kitchen, humming as she worked.
He moved on to Rosa, the eldest sister and then to her new husband, Aden. Both lived and breathed Marylebone, yet they chose to live in Rose Cottage situated across the road from his temporary home of Lavender Cottage. But all was quiet. In fact, no one was home at all. He surmised they were at Marylebone.
It had to be Alanna. She was the troublemaker in the family. Not an intentional one, but a troublemaker all the same. He closed his eyes, went inwards to find his center and focused on the Gallery. It came into view in his mind and instantly he knew that was where trouble lay. So. It was time. Finally.
He called his familiar to his side. Within seconds, there was a quick puff of brilliant light and his miniature dragon, Clarissa, appeared. “We have a disturbance at Greenwood Gallery and I need to investigate. I have a message for you to deliver to Grand Dragon Anton.”
• • •
“What do you want?”
Goran supposed he should have expected Alanna’s less-than-warm welcome. He was the one who should be sneering at her. “I think you know,” he said, hoping to trick information from her. He wanted to see her squirm.
What warmth there was in Alanna’s cheeks fled, leaving her pale and obviously rattled. “Know?”
Oh yes, something was definitely up. Where was her smart repartee? “The wards around the Gallery have been reworked.” He stepped back onto the pavement outside the Gallery entrance and looked upwards.
Alarm flared in Alanna’s eyes and her gaze followed his. “Reworked? How?”
“I was hoping you knew.”
Much as she didn’t want to admit it, she needed his help.
“Rosa would have felt something if the wards had all been broken.”
“She’s at Marylebone. The wards were reworked quickly, and she would only have felt a twinge if anything at all. I can see changes because I’ve been studying them.” He had grudgingly admitted to himself weeks ago they were an amazing network of spells crafted by all three sisters. The Maori Blessing, though, was something else altogether and all of Marylebone were in awe of its strength and intricacy. No doubt it was one of the main reasons his superiors had chosen the Gallery as a safe haven for Gregori.
Alanna shrugged, her hands deep in her jeans pockets, her shoulders hunched. “Being Earthbound must have addled your mind. There’s nothing much going on here.”
Goran voiced his disdain. “Gregori is free. Don’t even bother to lie to me.”
She was silent for several long seconds. He could almost see the cogs ticking over, weighing up the pros and cons of confiding in him. He saw the moment she decided it was futile to hide the truth from him.
“No one should have been able to rework any part of that blessing and get away without repercussions.” She palmed her arms and he noticed red welt-like marks on the surface of her skin. “But he did, and he’s free and he’s in my studio.”
“And you’re not afraid.” He could see her aura. She was agitated, irritated, and puzzled, but he saw very little fear. Her expression wavered from indecision to resignation. She poked her head out the Gallery door and looked up and down the street. It was early, but there were a number of pedestrians and cars on the road. The sisters were well known, and he knew that if he was caught so early outside the Gallery door with Alanna, tongues would soon be wagging. He’d wager there would be a rumor about how he’d spent the night with Alanna on everyone’s tongues before sunset.
She reached out a hand, gripped Goran’s arm and tugged him inside. “Quick. Get in before anyone sees you.”
“It’s possibly too late for the gossipmongers,” he said, but stepped inside and waited while Alanna locked the door. “And since when did you care what people thought of you?”
“Usually I don’t! But life is more complicated than ever. I don’t need to add to my current problems by having the town think I’m having an affair with you!”
“The feeling, believe me, is mutual,” Goran shuddered. He walked through the Gallery behind her, noting the courtyard door swinging on its hinges. He detoured over to it to view the damage. “What a mess.”
Alanna stopped on the stairs, watching him. “Is Gregori his real name?” She palmed her arms again and winced.
“It is.” Goran strode over to her, grabbed her hands, lifting them away from her forearms, a look of real concern in his eyes. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
She shrugged herself out of his grasp. “My skin hurts from the wards breaking. I thought Beth might have felt them and that Rosa definitely would. Other than that, I’m fine.”
“Beth didn’t sense anything. I checked. Gregori is powerful. I don’t know anyone his equal. I figure he crafted a spell to prevent any damage in the network of spells around the Gallery being broadcasted. I’m astonished you weren’t knocked unconscious. I understand Rosa was when Aden accidentally breached the web surrounding Gregori a few weeks back.”
“I felt the wards snap,” she admitted and palmed her arms again.
Goran reached out with his senses, sending a healing spell to her aura. Within seconds, he knew the pain had dissipated. “Is that better?” he asked.
Alanna nodded but didn’t thank him. Ungrateful wench. “So where is he? Upstairs?”
“He might be formidable,” she said, “but right now he’s weaker than a newborn dragonette. Tell me more about him.”
“I’ll explain who he is later. Right now, I need to see him so I can gauge how much danger you’re in. I’m going to craft a spell to protect us both just in case.”
“If he was going to hurt me, he would already have done so.”
“Never go into battle without protecting yourself first. First rule of the Dragon’s code of conduct.”
Alarm flared in Alanna’s eyes. “Surely, as apprentice Dragon, you’ve enough power to overwhelm him?”
“He’s far older and more wily than I,” he told her. “I’d be a fool not to protect myself.”
“Two powerful warlocks in my personal space is two too many. Follow me, then, and don’t worry. He doesn’t appear to be dangerous at all.”
Goran huffed his disbelief.
She narrowed her eyes and her mouth twitched. “Anyone would think you cared about me.”
He scowled. “I wouldn’t go that far. So let’s see what mischief you’ve managed to brew up this time?”
“Trouble seems to have a way of finding me even when I don’t try.”
“Hard to argue with you there.”
Alanna batted his arm. “Don’t be mean.”
“I’m only stating the truth as I see it.”
Goran dug deep, closing his eyes, tapping into all the resources he could, harnessing the power of the earth. Anything could be upstairs but he was confident he was about to confront one very pissed Dragon. Not exactly his idea of a good time.
His eyes snapped open and he called “Clarissa.” Within seconds, his familiar appeared in a burst of flame at his side.
“Clarissa is here,” the dragon puffed.
“No kidding,” Alanna drawled.
“Gregori is free as I suspected,” he told the little dragon. “Did you advise Anton?”
“Anton says he will be with you shortly.”
“We won’t wait for him. Alanna stands unscathed. She says he’s weak and I believe her. Just stay at my side and await my command. He’s been encased in stone for a long time and who knows what that’s done to his mind.”
“I will turn him to a pile of soot,” Clarissa muttered in a plume of smoke.
Goran chuckled. “Not yet. We will go in, ascertain his mental state only. We will not attack unless instructed by Marylebone.”