Dragon's Flame (Dragons Secret Society Book 3) Read online

  “Can I let you know tomorrow?” she asked, touched by Natasha’s concern, which seemed genuine.

  When she shut the bedroom door behind her, she waited for the sound of the lock clicking into place out of habit, but heard nothing and sighed with relief. She was free to go anytime she chose, but thinking about leaving left her with an empty feeling she couldn’t identify.

  Deciding that exhaustion was making it difficult to think clearly, she slipped out of the clothes Natasha had lent her and climbed into bed, skipping the pajamas. Feeling the cold sheets against her skin, and the plush mattress soft under her back, she wondered what it would be like to stay with the Carlsons, who were being far nicer to her than they should be.

  It was risky to start thinking that way, but she couldn’t help it; deep down, she longed for a place where she belonged. But she had to be careful of that need; it had gotten her in trouble with Lucas, allowed her to believe all the terrible things he’d told her about Daniel and his family.

  Now, she wondered how she could have ever missed the signs that Lucas was filling her full of lies, how she’d missed the evil lurking inside him. But she realized now, she’d wanted to believe, wanted to find someone to save her from her life of loneliness.

  Maybe she was looking at staying with the Carlsons all wrong, she thought, reviewing the last few weeks in her mind. Instead of looking for a home, she needed to enjoy their hospitality and protection until it was time to move on, then walk away without looking back.

  Feeling better than she had in days, she snuggled down into the bed and closed her eyes, knowing that until her magic came back, she could hide here. It wouldn’t be comfortable, there would always be eyes watching her, but it was a small price to pay for a little safety while she healed.

  The next morning, she showered and put on another borrowed outfit, then quietly crept down the stairs, feeling like an intruder. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she stopped and listened for the sound of voices, not sure where to find everyone, then followed them out onto a patio that opened up off the dining room.

  When Natasha saw her, she got to her feet. “Good morning. Are you hungry?” she asked, crossing over to where Willow was frozen, everyone’s eyes on her.

  Natasha took her by the arm and led her over to table filled with food. “We’re not very formal about breakfast around here, so help yourself,” she said, handing Willow a plate.

  Once she was seated, she made eye contact with Daniel and said, “I’d like to take you up on your offer to stay for a while, at least until my magic comes back. It’s a generous offer, and I really appreciate it.”

  Daniel nodded his head. “We’re happy to have you,” he said, although it didn’t sound like it to her. Then he said, “Just so you know, my study is off limits.”

  Willow didn’t miss the tone of his voice. The implied threat wasn’t that hard to miss. “Well, now that we’ve got that settled, let’s finish our breakfast,” Natasha said, breaking the tension.

  After breakfast, Willow headed for the grounds, desperate to be outside for the first time in days. The manicured garden called to her, with its artfully trimmed bushes and bubbling fountains; it was a peaceful place, and she needed a little peace.

  She found a bench and sat down, letting the sun warm her, its rays as healing as any medicine she could have taken. But her thoughts just wouldn’t seem to quiet, and soon she was thinking about Lucas and the mistakes she’d made, and the guilt rushed to the surface.

  Tired of her dark thoughts, she got up and wandered around again, trying to focus on something positive. But no matter how hard she tried to relax, she just couldn’t push the dark thoughts away, and the garden soon lost its charm. Sinking down next to one of the fountains, she leaned over and put her face in her hands, wondering if a good cry would chase some of the demons away.

  She’d never been one for tears; they’d always been a luxury she couldn’t afford. But suddenly they were streaming down her face and dripping onto the ground. Before long, she was sobbing, huge gasping sobs that shook her whole body, and instead of fighting them, she let them come.

  ***Taylor***

  Taylor felt like a stalker, but that didn’t stop him from following Willow into the gardens. Daniel had told them all to keep an eye on her, but what he was doing went a little beyond that; still, he couldn’t seem to stop himself.

  At first, she’d walked around enjoying the gardener’s hard work, but then her face had changed, and she’d begun to look sad, and something deep inside him began to stir. When she sat down and put her face in her hands and began sobbing, he couldn’t stop himself from going to her.

  It was like an invisible force was drawing him to her: a force he couldn’t deny. When he reached her, he sat down next to her on the bench and put his arm around her, drawing her closer. She didn’t fight him, just turned her head and sobbed onto his shoulder.

  Gradually, the sobbing stopped, and Willow looked up at him, her tear-stained face full of embarrassment. She tried to pull away from him, but he held onto her until she relaxed in his arms. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

  Willow reached up and wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hands, then looked up at him. “I don’t know why I was crying,” she said.

  Taylor thought about that for a second, then said, “I do. You got tangled up with the wrong person, and your reputation’s been destroyed; you nearly died, and your magic was taken away.”

  Willow was shocked at first, then she couldn’t help but smile. “You say it like it is, don’t you?”

  Taylor hadn’t meant to say all that, it had just popped out of his mouth, but everything he’d said was true. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so abrupt. I think what I was trying to say is that you’ve had some setbacks. You’re entitled to a few tears. I’d cry too if I’d been through everything you have.”

  Willow pulled away from him and sat up, unable to stop the grin that spread across her face. “I didn’t picture you as the crying type,” she said.

  Taylor’s heart started beating a little faster when he saw the smile on her face. “Oh, I do it all the time,” he said, waving his hand in the air.

  She actually laughed this time, a sound he’d never heard her make. He grinned at her. “Now, there’s something I haven’t heard before.”

  The smile disappeared from her face, and he was sorry he’d said anything. “I miss my magic,” she confessed.

  “Michelle said that it would come back,” he offered.

  “But she didn’t say how long that was going to take. I was in too much shock at the time to ask her. I think it would be easier if I knew how much longer it’s going to be gone,” she said, her shoulders slumping.

  Taylor didn’t know what to say; he knew nothing about the kind of magic Willow had, and no dragon shifter that he knew of had ever been stripped of their gifts. “I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I wish there were a way we could find out.”

  Suddenly, Willow perked up. “Maybe we could call her,” she suggested. “If I know when my magic will be back, I know I’ll feel better.”

  He couldn’t see any problem with the idea, so together they went back into the house. “We’ll have to ask Daniel or Natasha for Michelle’s number. I don’t have it,” he said, heading for Daniel’s study.

  When they got to the door, Willow held back. “I’m not supposed to go in there,” she said. “I’ll wait out here.”

  Taylor left her in the hallway, feeling guilty that she was still being treated like a spy. When Daniel saw him, he said, “I thought you were keeping an eye on Willow.”

  That caught him off guard for a second, but he should have known that his brother would be watching him like he did everyone else. “I was, I mean, I am. She’s waiting out in the hallway,” he stammered.

  Daniel gave him a long look. “I’m assuming you want something.”

  Taylor nodded. “Willow wants to call Michelle; she wants to know when her magic is comin
g back.”

  His brother thought about that for a second, then said, “I don’t see any harm in that; you can use the phone in the kitchen but stay with her.”

  He was grinning triumphantly when he came out of the study. “Thank you,” she said, surprising him by throwing her arms around him and hugging him.

  He couldn’t move, couldn’t speak for a second as his body went haywire, desire racing through him. Finally, he managed to croak, “We can use the phone in the kitchen, but I have to stay with you.”

  She pulled back and grinned up at him, her eyes glimmering with happiness. “I don’t care; I’ll just be glad to talk to Michelle.”

  Taylor’s heart swelled, and he realized not only that it made him happy to see her so pleased, but that she was even more beautiful when she smiled like she was. Her blue eyes sparkled, her face seemed to glow, and for the first time, the worry lines had disappeared from her brow.

  He had the overwhelming urge to lower his head and kiss her, could practically feel her lips on his, but she stepped out of his arms, and the moment was lost. A crushing sense of disappointment washed over him, and for a second, all he could do was stare at her, wishing he’d kissed her when he’d had the chance.

  But he shook it off, knowing that kissing her would have been a mistake. “The kitchen is at the back of the house,” he said, pointing down the hallway, his voice nearly betraying him.

  Chapter Five

  ***Willow***

  Willow had been sure that Taylor was going to kiss her, and at first, she’d wanted him to, but then she’d panicked and pulled away. Under other circumstances, she might have welcomed the kiss, but there was too much else going on for her to trust her feelings, too many things clogging up her brain.

  She couldn’t deny the pull she felt toward him, or the feeling that she’d met him before, which had slowly changed, become more defined, especially after the dreams she’d been having. But without her magic, she was afraid to trust those feelings, and she felt the loss of her spirit guides even more deeply as she tried to navigate life alone.

  Her spirit guides had been with her as long as her magic had been, the only constant in her life, and since her magic was gone, so were they. She felt their loss deeply and wished that there was someone she could talk to about the mess she’d made of her life.

  “The staff should all be gone on their morning break,” Taylor said, pulling her out of her thoughts.

  She looked around the huge kitchen, which was immaculately clean and well organized. The long stainless-steel counters and sinks gleamed in the light coming through the enormous windows, and in the center, a scarred table beckoned to her.

  Running her hand over the wood, the scars of generations bumpy under her fingers, she suddenly got a flash of people sitting at the table. It was gone almost instantly, but she was left with a strong sense of Taylor’s family.

  “This table has been in your family for generations, hasn’t it?” she asked, wondering if her magic was coming back.

  Taylor shrugged his shoulders. “It’s been here for as long as I can remember,” he said, looking at her funny.

  She realized her mistake. “I mean, it looks old, like something they used to make,” she quickly said.

  The look disappeared from his face, and he shrugged again. “I guess so,” he said, then turned and walked to the back of the kitchen where there was a little desk. “Marie won’t care if we use her desk.”

  Willow sighed with relief; she was tempted to touch something else in the kitchen just to see if she got anything more, but resisted and instead followed him over to the desk. She sat down across from him, suddenly nervous now that the moment had come, the possibility that it might be a long time before her magic returned looming large in her head.

  Heart pounding, she watched Taylor dialing the phone wondering what she would do if Michelle told her it would be months or years. Before her thoughts got too out of control, she took a deep breath and listened to the phone ring, afraid that Michelle might not answer.

  Just when she’d given up, Michelle’s voice came on the line, and she got butterflies in her stomach. “Hi, Michelle, it’s Taylor and Willow; we’ve got you on speaker phone in the kitchen,” Taylor said.

  “I thought I might be hearing from you soon,” she said, then asked, “How are you feeling, Willow?”

  For the second time that day, Willow found herself in tears; talking to Michelle, the words poured out before she could stop them. “It’s not just the magic that I miss. I haven’t talked to my spirits for days. They’re gone,” she finished, fighting a sob.

  Michelle was silent for a second, giving her time to get control of her emotions. “I’m sorry this has been so difficult for you, Willow,” she said, and Willow felt a wave of comfort wash over her.

  Taking a deep breath, she asked, “Can you tell me when my magic will come back?”

  There was a big sigh on the line, then a short silence. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that; it’s a bit complicated. I should have explained before I left.”

  “I’ve never seen a spell that can strip someone of their magic,” Willow said.

  “And it’s a good thing,” Michelle said. “It’s not a spell very many witches can do without using black magic.”

  “Then how did you do it?” Willow asked suspiciously, wondering if Michelle was a good as everyone said.

  “It’s complicated, but I’ll explain it as simply as I can,” Michelle said. “The spell takes three things: the participation of the witch, the permission of the spirits, and a true need for the spell.”

  Willow thought back to the first time she saw Michelle, remembering nodding her head when Michelle asked if she would voluntarily give up her magic. “I remember giving it up, but what did you mean about the spirits? What do they have to do with this?”

  Michelle sighed. “You still have so much to learn,” she said. “Your spirits are there not only to give you support and advice but to protect your magic. That’s why it usually takes black magic to strip a witch of her power, but in your case, your spirits felt that this would be good for you.”

  It took a second for Michelle’s words to sink in but when they did, she felt a sense of betrayal that left her feeling even more dejected. “They thought it would be good to leave me alone, to disappear just when I need them most?” she asked.

  Michelle responded with her own question. “What did your spirits tell you about Lucas?”

  Willow was silent, remembering all the times she’d shut her spirits out when they’d cautioned her about trusting Lucas. “That I shouldn’t trust him, that he was filled with evil, but I didn’t listen,” she finally answered.

  “You turned your back on them when what they told you didn’t match the reality you wanted,” Michelle said, “and they think you need some time figure out who you are without them or your magic.”

  “I’m nothing without my magic,” Willow said, completely dejected, her worst fears coming true.

  ***Taylor***

  Willow looked so upset, his protective instincts kicked in and he had to fight the urge to comfort her. But Michelle wasn’t quite finished. “The magic is still inside you, Willow, you just need to find it,” she said.

  “How am I supposed to do that?” Willow asked, her voice a whisper.

  “All I can tell you is that the spirits promised to give you a path to follow. When they’re satisfied that you’re ready to truly appreciate the gifts you’ve been given, those gifts will be returned to you along with the spirits,” Michelle said. “But don’t forget to look for them along the way; they might just surprise you.”

  Taylor watched the emotions play across Willow’s face, disbelief, frustration, and anger all competing for space, but then she squared her shoulders. “I’ll figure it out,” she said, the first hint of determination in her voice.

  “Good luck, Willow. I wish I was there to help guide you through this, but I’m only a phone call away if you need me,” Michelle said.r />
  When Taylor disconnected the call, Willow sighed and sat back in her seat. “I’m not sure I’m up to this,” she said.

  Taylor wasn’t sure what to say, wasn’t sure exactly what Willow was supposed to do. “What did she mean when Michelle said the spirits would show you a path? I don’t know very much about witchcraft and your kind of magic,” he admitted.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I have no idea; the spirits work in their own way at their own pace,” she said. “All I can do now is wait. Something will happen eventually, and it’ll be clearer what they want from me.”

  “You don’t seem as upset as I thought you would be,” Taylor said. “It could be awhile before your magic comes back.”

  She gave him a smile full of resignation. “Thanks for pointing that out.”

  “Sorry, I did it again,” he said, then fell silent.

  It wasn’t long before they were chased out of the kitchen by the staff, so they headed for the patio, but when they passed the stairs leading to the upper floors, Willow paused. “I’m suddenly exhausted; I think I need a nap before lunch.”

  Taylor felt a pang of disappointment but nodded. “You’re still recovering from the fire, and it’s been a long morning; some sleep would probably be good for you,” he said. “Would you like me to walk you to your room?”

  Willow shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine,” she said, then she started up the stairs.

  She’d only gone up a few steps when she stopped and turned back to him. “Thank you for helping me call Michelle; it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear, but at least now I know what to expect,” she said, then gave him one of her rare smiles.

  His heart went crazy in his chest, and for a second, all he could do was smile back at her. Finally, he managed to say, “I’m glad I could help.”