Mythia stood on her landing. Wisps of her hair broke free from her braids and whipped around from the strong gusts of wind.

She walked forward, taking in the rolling clouds. The sky had grown angry. Where the sun was perched high with its warm rays shining down on the town of Saxon Hills, now appeared as if a storm was racing toward them.

Only it wasn’t a storm.

It was a dragon in her territory.

She looked around at the spacious landing pad on the top of the castle. It was perfect for departures and arrivals when in her beast form.

Mythia looked east, feeling the other beast getting closer.

Mythia gave into her animal and allowed her to break free. Her clothes fell away in tattered shards. Her magic swirled around her as her beast grew to its massive size of seventy-five feet long.

Onyx, leathery scales thick as armor covered her body. Her massive talons scraped along the concrete of the landing with her first steps. She stretched out her wide wings and threw her head back. A deep roar flew from her mouth to warn the incoming intruder.

Mythia jumped up into the air, her wings carrying her in the direction she sensed the other dragon. She cut swiftly through the wind, flying higher into the thick clouds.

This was her territory, and no one had the right to invade it. For hundreds of years, she’d protected it as a promise to a good friend. Now she had even more reason to ensure Saxon Hills remained safe.

Her mate was there.

She glided through the darkened sky in search of him.

A screeching roar sounded.

He was close.

She recognized the call of the other dragon.

Xomor.

He was an older dragon she was very familiar with. She’d met him in battle almost a century ago, defending her territory.

She’d kicked his ass and sent him packing with the threat if he ever returned, she’d do it again.

The clouds parted, and her gaze landed on the blue dragon that shot through the air, headed straight toward her.

You don’t belong here! she roared through the mental link all dragons shared. It was a form of communication when in their animal forms. I warned you before.

You don’t rule me, girl, he retorted as he flew closer to her, his talons braced for attack.

She spat a line of fire toward him. He dodged it, turning on his side and flying in another direction.

This area is mine, she growled. Her beast was pissed that another dragon was within miles of her mate. She swiftly dove after him, following him as he headed toward a mountainous range.

Their speed was faster than any airborne animal, cutting through miles within minutes.

The coward thought he would run from her? She would ensure he never returned again. She picked up speed, gaining on him, her dragon’s fire spewing from her open jaws.

Xomor cut left and dove lower toward the rocky edges of the mountain. She followed close by, twisting and turning her large body while avoiding slamming into a wall of rocks.

She cursed and pulled up higher.

He was crazy to fly so low and close to the jagged earth.

Her eyes trailed him as he went higher until he came to a leveled area and landed. She flew around in wide circles overhead, unsure of what he was doing. She eyed him warily.

Come down and meet me. We can talk in our human forms! he called out.

I’m supposed to trust you? She snorted. Her beast growled, not at all trusting the blue dragon. What business would he have to discuss with her?

Her curiosity was piqued. The human side of her wanted to hear him out, while the dragon side of her wanted to destroy him.

Xomor thew his head back and roared. The surrounding air swirled as he transitioned back to his human form. He stood tall with his hands in the air, as if to show he wasn’t a threat.

That was a joke.

He was an old and powerful dragon shifter.

Mythia circled around one last time before descending. The ground shook from the weight of her animal hitting it. She pulled back on her animal, who gave her resistance.

Her beast wasn’t as nice as she was.

After a battle of wills, her animal finally relented and gave her control of their body again. She transitioned swiftly and reappeared in her human form.

She wasn’t a dummy and had summoned her weapons. She was dressed in her warrior leathers and had her favorite daggers sheathed at her waist.

Mythia stalked forward, narrowing her gaze on the man. He was tall and broad shouldered. His muscular figure was dressed in a silver tone metal link armor shirt, leather pants, and dark boots. He too had conjured his weapons. A broad sword was visible over the top of his head. He had a hard jawline that was clenched, a crooked nose, and dark, piercing eyes.

“What do you want?” she demanded. There was no point in drawing out the purpose of this meeting. This wasn’t a personal visit. He needed to state his business and leave.

“Always like you to be so forward,” he snapped.

She stopped yards away and eyed him. He had a foot in height on her, and about fifty pounds, but she didn’t let that intimidate her. She was a seasoned warrior who had fought in her share of wars over her lifetime.

“And like I said before, if I see you in my territory again, I’ll kill you.” Her hand slid down to rest on the hilt of her dagger. She would be only too happy to carry out her promise. “What the fuck do you want?”

“You young dragons are so impatient.” He began to pace. She watched him, tightening her hand on the hilt. “There was an explosive amount of energy released here recently.”

Chills rolled down her spine. That wasn’t too long ago. Had he already been near and she had been too caught up with her mate to notice another dragon was nearby?

“It’s no concern of yours. I’ll handle it,” she replied. There was no reason for her to try to lie, since he would pick it up.

“It is very much my concern. Someone touched the medallion recently,” he stated matter-of-factly.

She kept her face void of any expression. Her dragon didn’t like the fact he knew of something that had happened deep in her castle.

“I see you aren’t going to confirm, but I don’t need you to.” Xomor’s lip raised in a sneer, the cocky son of a bitch. He knew something she didn’t, and it pissed her the fuck off. “That medallion was cursed centuries ago. I’m bound to it.”

She froze in place. That couldn’t be. She won it off her friend Paxton years ago. She would have known if there was magic on that damn necklace. She would have sensed it.

“You lie,” she hissed.

“Believe what you want, but I’m telling you, I need to know who it was that touched it.” His smile vanished. His eyes darkened as a growl rumbled from his chest.

“Who would bind you to something that doesn’t belong to you?” she snapped. Her anger was rising. There was no way in the seven hells she would reveal who had touched the necklace.

Xomor would never come near her mate.

“Oh, see, that’s where this gets really interesting. A witch bound me to it for a sense of protection for those who shall hold it in their possession—”

“I don’t need protection.” Her patience was wearing thin. She eyed the sky and found it was clearing up, the darkness fading to light. A few birds flew overhead, as if the bad storm had passed.

But there was a sense of dread in the pit of Mythia’s stomach.

The storm was far from over.

It was just beginning.

“My binding is to my descendants, who shall hold the ruby medallion. You may have kept me from my many times removed grandson before, but this descendent you won’t.”

Kelsey?

He would never come near her. She was the only person who would protect Kelsey. She didn’t need Xomor’s help.

“We’re done here.” Mythia turned and stalked away from him.

“You can’t keep me from them. I will find out, and I will come for my descendant,” Xomor hollered behind her. She ignored his ranting, shifted back into her beast, and took off.

* * *

“Why am I sent away to wait in a room as if I’m a child?” Kelsey muttered. She paced back and forth in front of the hearth. Once Mythia had stormed out of the room, Kelsey placed the medallion, still wrapped in the velvet material, on the nightstand. She didn’t know what else to do with it.

She just knew she didn’t want to touch it again with her bare hands.

Her footsteps faltered at the sound of a roar of a dragon. It was long and powerful, as if to warn something off.

Mythia.

Kelsey knew without even having to look. She could sense her dragon was near.

When did Mythia become her dragon?

When she fucked you into submission.

Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair. The little voice in the back of her head was right.

I must be going crazy.

She was already missing Mythia. Did she believe in fate? That this crazy thing between them was predestined by a higher power?

Kelsey didn’t have an answer. She only knew that she was drawn to Mythia, and the bond between them was growing stronger.

What was even crazier was that Mythia hadn’t even officially claimed her yet.

Once she did, the pull between them would be magnified.

Kelsey glanced out the windows, seeing the darkness fall.

Wasn’t it just morning? Mythia had said breakfast was waiting for them.

What was going on? It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Mythia was pissed about something. Kelsey had so many unanswered questions.

She was unaware of how long she’d been in the room. Her bag hadn’t been returned to her, so she had no way of being able to contact Jasper or her family.

“Oh, Jasper.” She was going to have to find a way to let him know she was okay. Her mother and grandmother wouldn’t worry. She sometimes picked up the night shifts for overtime, and could go a couple of days without speaking to them.

But Jasper, they spoke every single day.

She just hoped he wouldn’t do anything crazy, like try to overtake the castle to rescue her.

“I’ve got to get out of here.”

“Where would you go?”

Kelsey screamed. She spun around and found a tiny woman standing behind her. Her brown skin was flawless, with little to no wrinkles. Her silver hair was held back by two long braids.

“Who are you, and how are you so quiet?” Kelsey asked, holding her hand to her chest. Her heart was beating erratically from the surprise.

“My name is Sascha, and Mythia requested I see to you.” The woman bowed her head as the maid had done. When she lifted her head, Kelsey could see her wise eyes. The woman was much older than she appeared.

“You’re the seer?”

“I am. And no, I don’t have the magical powers of teleportation.”

Kelsey looked at the woman. If she didn’t teleport in here, was she able to read her mind?

“Okay. Mythia said you would come for me.”

“Yes. Please, walk with me.” Sacha motioned for her to follow as she exited the room. It was the first time she’d seen any other parts of the upper levels of the castle.

Their footsteps echoed as they walked along in silence.

“Have you worked for Mythia long?” Kelsey asked.

“Yes, since I was a young girl.”

They went down to the first level. The decor of the building was more modern than she would have expected. It was a mix of old and new. The woodwork throughout the castle was magnificent.

“You must be hungry, no?” Sascha inquired.

Kelsey was about to decline any offers of food until her stomach decided to answer for her.

“I guess I am.” She rested a hand on her belly and followed Sasha into an oversized kitchen.

Her mouth dropped open in amazement. It was a chef’s dream kitchen. It looked like a kitchen in a large restaurant. But then again, they were in a castle, and there were functions held here at least once a year. Though Kelsey had never been one to attend those lavish parties.

The aromas floating through the air enhanced her hunger pains.

“Fiona has made a wonderful breakfast for you.” They ambled past an island to the back of the kitchen, to a small breakfast nook. A round table built into a bay window that showcased the lush land that surround the castle. Off in the distance, Kelsey could see the cliffs and open sky.

There was a pale woman sitting at the table, dressed in all black. Her long hair was as dark as midnight, and the black eyeliner surrounding her eyes made them appear even larger. She eyed Kelsey as she grew near.

“She’s even more beautiful than you let on,” the stranger spoke up.

“That wasn’t of importance,” Sascha replied. “Kelsey, this is Raven, a trusted ally of Mythia’s. She is here to help you.”

“What do I need help with?” She took a seat across from Raven. She sensed the woman was a witch. She’d met one or two before, and the energy radiating from her confirmed it. “I’m sorry. Why do I need the help of a witch?”

“Mythia sent me a message that there was something you touched that activated a strong energy source. Something you said belonged to your family.” Sascha sat in the chair next to Kelsey, her voice was low and calm as she locked eyes with Kelsey.

“It does,” Kelsey responded automatically.

A woman dressed in a chef’s uniform entered the kitchen and waved from across the room. She must be Fiona.

“We can take you back in time to determine if you are telling the truth,” Raven said.

“I am!” she exclaimed.

“We can do this after you eat or before,” Raven remarked, shrugging.

“Wait.” She held up her hands. “What do you mean, you can send me back in time? As in, time travel?” She had never heard of time travelers before.

“In a way. You can walk through periods of time as if you were there. It will seem very real, but no one will know you’re there.” Raven leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table.

Kelsey leaned back. The action of seeing the past was fascinating, and she was actually contemplating it.

“Will I get hurt? Are you sure they won’t see me?”

“No, you won’t get hurt. You are just revisiting memories and bearing witness. You can’t harm anything or offset the timeline of our dimension.”

Kelsey glanced over at Fiona, who was putzing around near the stove.

“And this is something Mythia wants?” Was this why Mythia sent the seer to her? To show her the past and how she came to have the medallion?

“She only wants to show you the truth.” Sascha patted the top of Kelsey’s hand. “Only with your own eyes will you believe her. She doesn’t want anything to stand between the two of you.”

Kelsey stared at them before jerking her head in a nod.

“Let’s do it.”

Raven pushed back from the table and walked around it, coming to a stop next to Kelsey. Her lips curved up in the corner in a crooked grin.

“We’re doing this here?” Kelsey asked.

“Sure.” She placed her fingers on Kelsey’s forehead. “It doesn’t matter where we are. This won’t take long at all. Time in the past moves at a different pace.”

Her pupils dilated until there was barely any white left in her eyes. The warmth of her fingers grew.

Kelsey’s heart began to race.

“Don’t be afraid,” Sascha whispered. “Raven will pull you out at the right moment.”

“Okay.” The warmth continued down along her face and raced down her neck. Kelsey’s eyes fluttered closed, and darkness took her.