Fire of Stars and Dragons (33 page)
Read Fire of Stars and Dragons Online
Authors: Melissa Petreshock
“Dante, what am I transforming into?” I don’t expect a real answer, I suppose, but if I keep asking, I can hope for something a tiny bit satisfying.
“The North Star of the Dracopraesi’s Goddess Houses,” he replies, soft voice lilting.
Quite literally, I growl at him, not a vampire or dragon growl, but a distinct clarification that he has not made me happy. The demigod gives his typical thoughtful amused expression, and I want to slap it off his face. “And what does that mean?” I ask, the tone of my voice daring him to give me another sarcastic answer.
“Caitriona, the North Star has long been the legendary star of guidance for sailors, explorers, and the like, as a means to find their way in the night, and to determine the direction they must traverse in order to reach their destination. Overall, the world has changed, yet some things have not. There is a need for guidance in bringing a new era, and guidance to evolve that which has not changed as greatly as believed.”
Exhaling a deep breath while imagining what might happen if I slapped him, I shake my head. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous this sounds, Dante? Maybe I’ve always been different, but am I really this North Star the dragons have been waiting for?”
“Have you any idea how ridiculous it is you ask such a thing, Caitriona?” he retorts. “There is a reason you are unlike others, why you have lived the life you have, why you are the woman you are. This is who you are. You were born this way. Theo’s tears awoke it as only a dragon’s could when the time came, but if it were not in you, there would be nothing to awaken, no transformation to occur. Dragons are drawn to you, Caitriona. You command their loyalty like none other than my mother.…I am drawn to you, Caitriona, and though I refuse to lie, to pretend I do not love you, know that I am your friend. You need a guide through this, someone capable of better understanding what is happening, and I will be here regardless of our previous relationship’s failure. Not even I can alter what is not meant to be.”
“You said I would be more than you.”
He stares at me for a moment, silent, a flash of something crossing his features, and his eyes brighten to a brilliant, vivid blue. “Oh, Caitriona, you are far more. You are to be eternal, yes; but what you are is unlike anything the world has quite had the joy of experiencing before. Mother knew the dragons needed you to come. The world needed you to come. I needed you, in some way.”
I laugh at the serious tone, maybe because it’s too much right now. “You know, if I look past the specifics of this, it just feels like home again, the way it was when my uncle was still alive. We always had close friends we considered family around us, our home full of activity. And growing up, he never stopped telling me I was destined for great things.” Taking another sip of my wine, I stare into the glass. “Though now, I’m surrounded by dragons… and a deity… and somehow, it feels more natural than anything I’ve ever known.”
“This is the home where you belong, Caitriona. With Theo, with your dragons, and with me. We are your family and your future. We will not die. We will not leave you.” He gently places his arm around my shoulder in a reassuring gesture. “You are not alone in the transformation you face. We are here for you, as you are here for us in ways we do not yet see.”
“Am I interrupting?”
Dante moves away from me with graceful elegance, slipping his hands into his pockets. “No, of course not, Theo. We were having a chat. Forgive any impropriety of appearances.”
Theo laughs, shaking his head as he walks into the kitchen, one hand hidden behind his back. “Let us be serious, Dante. I do believe we are beyond that. I have no fear of your relationship with
my
wife.” He leans down, kissing me softly on the lips, no hint of an alpha male battle cry of territorial war before revealing a bouquet of carefully crafted, blue paper roses.
“Perhaps it is it I who am interrupting,” remarks Dante, heading toward Corrin’s room, and I say nothing about it, though I’ve noticed he’s begun spending time with his grandson after yesterday’s events.
Running my hand up his pathetic, worn, Pink Floyd shirt, I look at the flowers with a smile. “What is this about?”
He takes my hand, placing it over his heart, and I take my eyes off the delicately folded origami, meeting his gaze. “I did not believe it possible I could give you the love you deserved, yet I promised you the impossible. I have already given you my heart, but I owe you the flowers, Cait. I am remedying that dilemma.”
“As much as I love the flowers, and I definitely do, I truly love knowing you tried for me.” Theo lays the bouquet on the island and wraps his arms around me, running his fingers through my hair when I lean into his chest. “But I think what you still owe me is more than a bunch of flowers.”
I hear the rumble of laughter against my ear. “Are you going to hold it over me for an eternity that I refused to dance with you at the gala?”
“Maybe.”
Without warning, Theo scoops me up his arms. “Other men can glide across a dance floor with you, Cait. Dante may waltz and even tango with you. Corrin might cha-cha until his heart is content. Yet there is one thing you have told me you wished for that neither can give.”
“Theo, what are you…”
“
Dracosi Hezab Nacgqo, utaq
,” he calls out in a deep, commanding voice as he carries me into the living room, and all my dragons assemble within seconds.
“Well, this certainly looks as though it could lead to something exciting,” comments Claaron, eyeing us in amusement, smirk firmly in place.
A snort of laughter escapes Theo as he carries me to the balcony doors. “Our North Star wishes to dance with me. We shall dance like dragons.” Striding with confidence toward the railing, and leaping barefoot onto it, he balances with no difficulty at all. “I will not let you fall,” my dragon tells me, lowering me to touch my feet to the metal with my back pressed against his body, he keeps his arms tight around me.
Claaron, Liam, and Oliver have joined us to the right, and Jai and Clifford to the left, as if my balcony railing is some dragon launch zone. I take a deep breath, not looking down. “I trust you.”
“Hold your arms straight out at your sides.” His powerful arms grasp me around the chest and waist. “Very good. Now, I will take it easy. I do not wish to frighten you.”
“No, Theo. You’re a dragon,
my dragon
. Be a dragon. Show me everything.” As I look up at him over my shoulder, he smiles at me rather dangerously, nodding.
“Alright, Cait, but I have witnesses. You did indeed ask for this.” His voice dances in delightful anticipation.
“I hear,” remarks Jai. “Cait fly. Cait be dragon too.”
Then the wind is in my face, Theo’s laughter in my ear, and I have a momentary sense of free-falling, and adrenaline rushing through my veins before he shifts. I’m in the arms of a massive, emerald-green dragon, sharp talons gently avoiding harming me. I can feel the movement in his body as he works his wings hard, picking up speed, soaring through the air, careening at a sharp angle, sending us barreling through an undersized gap between buildings.
“Oh, my Goddess, you are a crazy dragon,” I scream, closing my eyes for a second until I feel the wind blowing on us in the open sky again. Reaching up, I hit the softer underbelly of his dragon body, which is still tougher than leather. His chest rumbles, and Theo releases a bellowing roar followed by a series of fireballs into the air. “Show off.”
My other dragons roar around us, a few shooting fireballs, others spewing streams of fire. Looking down at the deep blue of the Atlantic, I see the darkened shadows of six dragons gliding through the cloudless November sky. Raising my face, my eyes closed, the crisp wind hits me, refreshing, leaving me feeling the most alive since my uncle’s death.
Theo unexpectedly climbed inside the walls in which I’d barricaded myself, brought them crashing down, promised to always to be here, and shielded me when needed most. But his most incredible feat, what makes me love him beyond all reason? Theo gives me the wings I’ve always wanted.
THE END
Acknowledgements
Above all, huge thanks to Jim and my kids for your patience and ability to put up with my obsessive writing. You’ve dealt with crazy hours, lost time, forgotten dinners, last minute laundry, mental absences, and blank stares while I’ve disappeared into my own world of dragons. This book would not exist without your support and willingness to deal with the insanity that comes with the desire to pursue my dreams.
Millions of hugs to my beta team lead, confidante, motivator, advisor, music supplier, willing accepter of all job descriptions and titles I place on her, but forever my sister and best friend first and foremost, Jen Streck. Thanks for letting me blow up your phone, email inbox, and Google Hangouts with every random thought, crisis, or whatever. You’ve been a lifesaver through learning how to work HootSuite with me, co-hosting my first Blog Talk Radio show, and anything I drag you into, playing the sidekick to my shenanigans while finding it amusing.
Thanks to my brother-in-law, Stu for just rolling your eyes and understanding how wrapped up in my insane writing adventures Jen gets.
My bestie, Michelle Alcorn, I swear we were twins separated at birth. You’ve been amazing as a beta reader and all around support. You’ve suffered the ups and downs of the story through all its revisions and kept going. I love ya for it, girl! Hugs and a thousand thanks for girls’ days/nights outs, keeping my stress in check and sometimes giving me a much-needed reminder there’s life outside my house.
Gary Wayne Alcorn, you are now forever immortalized as a dragon, the essence of everything that makes you awesome captured in Claaron Graywyne. Don’t ever change, G. Thanks for keeping a certain dragon from flying dangerously fast on the roads of Owen County and for being the brother I always wished I had.
Of course, I MUST acknowledge and thank the entire All-Stars Team, my amazing beta readers: Jennifer Streck, Jim Petreshock, Scarlett Petreshock, Danita Colbert, Michelle Alcorn, Gary Alcorn, Zara Hoffman, Carol Wooten, Rachel Done, Crystal Leach, Cedrix Clarke, Kelley Harvey, and Theresa Snyder. You’ve all had a hand in making my dream a reality.
A special mention goes out to Joshua J. Johnson, my first REAL author friend on Twitter who has become a true friend. Thanks for pre-reading
Fire of Stars and Dragons
, giving great feedback, supporting me every step of the way, and cheering me on through word count anxiety, deadlines, sleep deprivation, edits, revisions, and everything only other writers understand.
I must also mention my awesome hair stylist Jamie Riley for helping me stand out the way I want and my incredible photographer Candy Ailstock for managing to make me look good in front of a camera. You two are miracle workers.
Saving the best for last, an exhaustive string of thanks, happy dances, hugs, and high fives to my publisher Georgia McBride for falling in love with my dragons, taking a chance on something outside the box, and signing me with Swoon Romance. I hope this is the beginning of a long-lasting relationship. Erica Rose, thank you for patiently taking your time editing
Fire of Stars and Dragons
, ensuring what goes to print is the best it can possibly be.
Melissa Petreshock
New Adult fantasy romance author Melissa A. Petreshock lives on a small farm in rural Kentucky with her genius husband, three children, and their feline overlords.
When not inhaling or exhaling words, she subsists on unnatural doses of coffee, sarcasm, and music. Spending most of her time weaving myths, reality, and imagination into a fantasy of dragons, deities, vampires, and elves in a world she created, Melissa often forgets she lives where there are no faeries or dragons in the woods surrounding her house… but she never stops hoping.
For more info on Melissa or her writing, go to
melissapetreshock.com
.
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