2. Chapter One
Chapter One
Ionus
“Again!” I commanded. As usual, Odem, the one who continually goofed off and caused us to run late during our daily practice sessions, took it upon himself to break into a whirlwind of figure eights. That one, always without a care in the world. I swear, had my brother not been gifted with fire he’d have died in battle already. Charring your opponent often led to their imminent retreat, which in my opinion was borderline cheating. “Stop messing around.”
If the jackass blew one more flame my way I’d lock him in the dungeon myself!
Yes, we had a dungeon and a system of underground caves and tunnels that connected our five homes. Along with our most precious hoard—the gemstones that gave us our gifts that were buried deep within the maze. We were more than prepared for the impending apocalypse and had places to await the rebirth of our beloved earth. Providing the Goddess allowed us to.
Every morning just like clockwork at the crack of dawn, my brothers and I met on the practice field we’d erected many moons ago on the acreage we owned that our houses too stood upon. His insolent behavior only served to fuel my anger.
“Come on, Ionus. We’ve been doing this like, forever,” Odem complained as he dropped to the earth with a roar and shifted into his human form. “We haven’t battled anyone but ourselves in decades. Can’t we take a break? Hit a club and blow off steam? I’d like to see other faces besides your angry mug.”
“Enough!” I roared so loudly the earth shook, and birds fled from nearby trees as tornadic winds erupted around us. My gift was controlling storms, triggered by anger and rage such as this idiot had just done. “You think this is a joke? Can you not feel it too, brother, or are you so selfish you choose to ignore the hum of the stones? Darkness is upon us. Something evil lurks nearby.”
“Listen to the way you talk, Ionus.” Mattias shook his head. “This isn’t the dark ages. Hell, we slept through most of that in the hoard with Mother.”
Our mother, may the Goddess rest her wary soul, was a saint among saints. She kept us secure and warm and taught us all she knew. Once she felt it was safe enough, we emerged from the cave and right into ravaged lands. The bodies of our brethren were strewn across the earth as far as the eye could see. The one that sent her over the edge as she dropped to her knees and released a pain-filled scream was our father’s. He died protecting us, shielding all who tried to gain entrance to where we lay. Silently we shed our tears and said our prayers, and each removed one of his scales we still carry with us to this day.
Mother built a massive pyre and one by one we helped her first send our father and then the others to the Goddess and bore witness as they crossed over to the other side. After that she was never the same.
With our kind, once mated and one of the mates died, it wasn’t long after the remaining mate crossed over to be with them. Somehow the powers that be took pity on Mother, having been left with five hatchlings and allowed her to stay with us until we were capable of taking care of ourselves before they allowed her to cross over and be reunited with Father.
Her memory will never be forgotten, at least, not by me. As the eldest brother, I assumed the roles of caretaker and commander. Positions I did not take lightly.
Caro firmly gripped my shoulder. “We hear the stones, too, brother. As much as it pains me to admit, Odem is right.” Odem did a ridiculous dance. “Though he’s an ass,” Caro growled at Odem, halting his celebration. “I believe a break is in order. Who knows, maybe a trip into town could answer a few questions.”
“Hmph,” I groaned, refusing to acknowledge he had a point though I was certain the four of them had more than answers on their minds. A bed and a warm body were what they sought. “Fine. But I won’t have fun.”
Quint rolled his eyes. “We’d expect nothing less from you, Ionus.”
To put an end to this unnecessary commentary and before I choked one of them, I turned on my heels and left them to their own devices, bound and determined to get to the bottom of this disturbance before it was too late.
Our homes were hidden within the hills on our property, built into the landscaping to mask them in case the wards ever failed. The mage, and friend to our clan, Raven Cochran, cast a spell to cloak our private lands from prying eyes. The magical warding kept all but the five of us and our caretakers from locating us.
For centuries, the Cochran family has lived on dragon lands and have overseen our needs from caring for our homes to running most errands for us. The very land once soiled with our ancestors’ blood. It called to us and kept us here. This was home and no one would take that from us. Raven, like her mother Zelda, and grandmother before her, was blessed with magical gifts, though that didn’t extend to their entire family.
Other mages, dragons, alphas, and omegas resided within Dragon City, the town at the base of the mountain on which we lived. It too held wards but ones that didn’t deter visitors, though they did alert the local authorities of shifter presence. Over the years many took root here while others merely passed through. The town now roughly held around ten thousand humans, mages, and creatures, give or take a few.
While my siblings and I were formidable in our human forms, towering over most, we were a force to be reckoned with as dragons. But letting that go to our heads would be the worst thing we could do. Cockiness would get you killed.
As many over centuries past had learned the hard way.
Discreet wireless cameras covered the property along with the cave entrances. Overkill? Maybe to some but the depth of the stones’ force and purpose left no room for error. We were tasked to protect them with our lives. The stones were buried deep inside the caverns in locations where cameras would never transmit from, which was where the additional wards were place. We’d sense another’s presence had they been anywhere near the lifegiving gems but one could never be too safe. Our beloved and trusted mages wove magic into the wards, alarms would you, that would alert us had another ever gotten that far.
I stood before the wall of computer screens in my office, checking every nook and cranny on them for any abnormalities and came up empty. Frustration didn’t cover how I felt. Scales ripped across my skin, warning me that something was amiss.
“Nothing.” I tossed the remote aside and the papers fluttered as it landed atop my desk.
Was it too early for a drink?
The persistence of the constant niggling at the back of my neck drove me mad. If I stayed home any longer I’d surely pace a groove into the tile floor. I fired off a text to my brothers, it was time for me to visit Dragon City and nose around.
I parked in front of the sheriff’s station once I arrived in town. Flying would’ve been faster and preferred had it not been daylight. If anything was up with the locals or there was new blood here, Sheriff Larkin would be aware. As a fellow dragon, he had heightened senses, and a keen eye that kept Dragon City and its inhabitants safe. Over the centuries we’d crossed paths with others of our kind. Some were friendly while others…not so much. Though it had been forever and I feared there were very few of us left.
“Afternoon, Ionus, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?” Marge, the front desk clerk greeted me as I stepped inside. She wasn’t a shifter but as a member of our law enforcement team, she was aware of our existence.
“Hello, Marge, is Larkin in?” Short and to the point. I wasn’t one for small talk and all who knew me were well aware of that.
“I am,” Larkin’s gruff voice came from inside his office. “Come on in, Ionus.”
I stepped inside and shut the door. I’d either sound insane or be spot on but either way I trusted Larkin to be a fair judge of that and Marge’s prying ears need not be a part of this conversation.
“Larkin, have there been any rumblings in town? Errant townsfolk?”
“Errant townsfolk? Ionus, you do remember you live in the twenty-first century now, right?” Larkin rolled his eyes. A gesture many shared when I spoke, much to my annoyance. “But no, nothing out of the ordinary. What’s got your scales in a bunch?”
Modern day humor was wasted on me. Hell, humor was period.
“The stones are humming. Something is awry.” Larkin shook his head at me. “I can feel something coming. Something uninvited.” Or so I guessed. No clue what had me on edge as I was. My scales itched, and while normally calm, I was anything but that now.
“If nefarious is your next word there’s the door. You know as well as I do, Ionus, Dragon City has zero crime. Honestly, most days I wonder why I remain in a position of authority when nothing ever happens.” Before I so much as opened my mouth he held his hand up. “I know why, I was merely making a point. I take it you found nothing on the cameras, nor any alarms have been tripped?”
“Not so much as a rock out of place.” Maybe reality was slipping through my talons. Being alone as long as I had been, time would do that to a lonely soul such as mine. Why had the Goddess forgotten to send me a mate? I longed for someone special to share my life with and deliver my offspring.
“Well, Ionus, may I recommend…”
Now it was my turn to hold up a hand. I knew where this was headed. “So much for being a trusted member of the community. Good day, Larkin.”
“Ionus.” I’d just reached the door when Larkin spoke. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
With a nod, I left and on a whim, chose to walk to the bar where my brothers would be in lieu of moving my car a few blocks over. That would grant me time to clear my head and nose around for myself. It was rare I came into town and the whispers and stares only served to annoy me and reminded me why I didn’t. All my business dealings were handled remotely so for someone like me, working from home was a blessing though lonely as hell.
Over the years, my brothers and I had amassed quite the empire. As it was, we owned Dragon City, and land far beyond it. We had investments across the US and into foreign territories as well. We’d done well for ourselves and silently engaged in many philanthropic endeavors as a way to give back to the community we wished to remain aligned with. It was imperative we lived in harmony with humans and other species as best we could. And while we stayed out of their affairs, for the most part, there were still times we stepped in when lives were at stake.
As I entered the bar, the heavy scent of stale beer invaded my senses. Though smoking was no longer allowed inside public establishments, the stench remained. One by one I spotted my brothers, each engaged with local omegas. Figures... Within the next hour they’d bed them at a nearby hotel and be home by ten. More than once, I too had engaged in sating an omega’s heat while satisfying my own urges. But today, they had no draw for me. Their scent held no allure as my mind remained elsewhere.
Brothers.
I spoke through our bond and watched as they reluctantly joined me at the private table in the corner I’d managed to snag. I swore, if I didn’t keep them in line they’d have their own jail cells in Larkin’s office. Drunken debauchery would not bode well for the town when it involved a dragon.
Nor was it an example I cared for us to set.
“Ionus, I have a horny omega waiting for me so this better be good. Little guy is randy as hell.” Odem smirked and rubbed his hands together. I had an overwhelming urge to warn said omega of Odem’s less than stellar ways, but had a feeling my words would fall on deaf ears. In our human forms, my brothers and I had been labeled the most eligible bachelors in the area on more than one occasion. The Goddess was kind when she gifted us with good looks and…well, good graces, if you know what I mean.
“Odem, you’re riding my last nerve. If I were you, I’d keep it in my pants and worry about more pressing matters. Now, have any of you heard anything or have you even bothered to poke around and ask questions?”
Quint was the first to speak. “I came when you did, surprised you didn’t see my car behind yours.” That shot my scales up. Not paying attention to my surroundings was an issue as diligence was a virtue I proudly possessed. Where was my head today? “I’ve been up and down Main Street and witnessed nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe the hum isn’t a warning but more of a cheer, for lack of a better word.”
“A cheer. Really? Did you give the stones pompoms and pleated skirts? Do they perform when you enter the cave?” Goddess, there were times I felt Mother should’ve named them Dumbass one through four. “Fine. If getting off is your only agenda then I shall take my leave.” I had no time nor desire to deal with their shenanigans.
“Wait,” I turned as Mattias called out. “Did you just make a joke?”
The urge to flip him off was strong, though they’d find even more pleasure in that and making my brothers happy was never on my agenda. At least, not that I’d ever admit to.
The drive home took less time than it should have, and I’d likely broke every road rule along the way. I was beyond frustrated with myself for not only this latest obsession, but for not spotting Quint tailing earlier.
“I need my hoard.” I hung the keys in the box in the garage that housed the remotes to my prized automobile collection and stripped down in the mud room just inside the house. No use ruining perfectly good clothes by shifting while wearing them.
As soon as I reached the eight-inch Kevlar door that guarded my beloved treasures, I shifted a hand and placed my palm and talons against the biometric scanner to gain entrance. Once the door closed behind me I drew in a deep, cleansing breath as a sense of calm flowed through me and I fully shifted and landed atop the piles of gold and jewels I’d amassed over the many centuries.
“How long has it been since I’ve last visited you, my beauties?” I asked though none of the inanimate objects replied. Had they done so I would’ve immediately called Raven to come and check my head.
I circled a few times, the items beneath me shifted and slid from their piles. Their sound was like music to my ears, the metallic chink-chink as gold and coins clanked together. My dragon needed this break as much as I did.
Yes, we did. How easily you forget about my needs, Ionus.
I’m sorry, you know how I get.
I do, and there will come a time when I’ll ignore you and take what I desire.
That much I knew, without a doubt. My dragon was surlier than I was, and I was thankful he’d waited patiently for as long as he had. I would not have been so lucky in my youth before I learned to control the beast.
I promise to do better, friend.
He snorted, a plume of smoke exiting our nostrils before he drifted off. I was still well awake and glanced around at the shiny mounds. Fine silk linens from around the world in every shade of amethyst imaginable. Yes, my obsessions ran in every lavender, lilac, and orchid hue, and all purples in between. If it were rare and precious and in my color palette it called to me, and I had to have it. Money was no object which pleased more than one mercantile vendor I’d bartered with over the centuries.
The rarest of baubles I kept locked away behind glass in the shelves that lined the massive space. The ceiling was three-stories high, and the walls were lined with the same Kevlar as the door. No one but me had ever stepped foot in here since the room was built and no one ever would.
Save for our mate, my dragon purred.
If they even existed.
With my dragon and I aligned, we drifted off but no sooner had that happened than Mattias was pounding on the hoard door as the cave alarms screamed inside my once quiet sanctuary.