Chapter 1 #2
Stopping mid-sentence, his eyes went wide, and his mouth hung open for half a second.
She didn’t need her enhanced senses or the plethora of Magic running through her veins to know what he was thinking.
It was written all over his face. He felt bad that he’d growled and unsure why she, of all people, was standing on his front porch.
Then she saw it. It was written across his face. He couldn’t hide it fast enough. Her appearance had him worried. Yep. It was right there for all to see. He was immediately worried and unsure what to do about it.
Sydney wasn’t surprised. After all, when they’d last met, she’d had everything under control.
She was back in the Earthly Realm, ready to revive her Mate and take her rightful place in the world of the Dragons.
She’d felt so centered, so self-assured, so powerful.
She thought there was nothing she couldn’t do.
“And that’s what I get for thinkin’…” she mentally mumbled.
Of course, things hadn’t gone as planned.
Not only had she been called back to the Realm of the Ancients to be blessed with the joining of her soul with Kara’s, but she’d been granted permission to visit the Hall of Knowledge and read from the Tome of the Original Dragons.
She was torn. Excited that she’d finally been granted access, and anxious to return to Earth.
Naturally, Shavon knew of her internal conflict and advised, “I know you feel as if you need to get back, but if you don’t take advantage of the gift you’ve been given, there’s no telling how long it would be before the Ancients give her another chance.”
“I know. I know. I know.” Sydney fiddled with a curl that had fallen from her messy bun as she quickly weighed the pros and cons of staying or going.
On one hand, she had been asking for permission since finding out the Hall of Knowledge existed.
She wanted more than anything to understand more of Dragonkin and her place in it.
She’d learned so much in the last twelve years, but there was still a piece of the puzzle missing…
A question of her purpose that not even Shavon could answer.
Then there was her Mate. “But I have to go to Garrett.” Touching her chest, the spot over her heart, she added, “The pull of the Mating Bond gets stronger every day.”
“The choice is yours, Child,” Shavon advised.
“Can’t you give me a little nudge in the right direction?” Bowing her head, Syd looked through her long, dark lashes and smiled.
Shoulders bouncing with barely contained laughter, the Elder chuckled, “Don’t you try that wide-eyed, little girl look on me.” Playfully wagging her finger, she teased, “That hasn’t worked in nearly a decade.”
Huffing, Syd sighed, “You can’t blame a girl for trying.”
“No, I cannot,” Shavon smiled slyly as she shook her head. “But I can tell you that I trust you to make the decision that is right for you. The one thing you have shown me in all our time together is that you, Sydney Kavanaugh, have a good head on your shoulders.”
“Well, thanks… I guess.” Pretending to be put out, even as she moved closer to the massive doors of the Hall of Knowledge, Syd finally smiled. “I’ve got to go for it. You know how long I’ve waited to be granted access. I just can’t squander this opportunity.”
“Indeed.”
“And the Ancients wouldn’t give this to me, knowing that it will delay my plans for my Mate, if they weren’t sure he would be okay… right?”
“Absolutely.”
Shavon’s conviction wiped away every remaining ounce of Sydney’s trepidation.
This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and that was saying something.
After all, Syd was pretty much immortal and not willing to wait thousands of years for another invitation that might never come.
She had to do it. She had to know what it truly meant to be the Special One.
She needed the clues to her future that she’d been told were held within those hallowed walls.
Giving Shavon a definitive nod, she turned and opened the door.
Instantly enveloped in a rush of rich, earthy, and musky aromas, she inhaled deeply, letting her eyes slide shut for a second.
It was sensory overload in all its glory.
Similar to old leather, wood smoke, or faint vanilla, she had to dig deeper and, with the help of Kara, found so much more.
The scents, the perfumes, were so much more distinct, timeless, and welcoming the deeper she went.
It was calling to her, and to the Dragon Queen with whom she’d recently been united.
Crossing the threshold without looking back, she heard the click of the lock when the doors closed of their own accord and felt instantly at ease.
The Hall of Knowledge was nothing short of magnificent. A room of immeasurable size with more rows of stone shelves than she cared to count, all filled with books, tomes, and volumes that held the knowledge of not only Dragonkin, but the galaxy itself.
The Dragons had always been the Universe’s Winged Warriors, but few knew they were also the Protectors of Her knowledge and Her secrets. She trusted them above all, and they had never and would never betray the faith She had in them.
Unsure where to look first, Sydney inhaled again.
Infused with a sense of immense knowledge, of unending hope, and of many warnings, she slowly stepped forward.
They had written the titles in long-forgotten languages on covers made of wood, leather, vellum, parchment, or even heavy fabrics like silk and velvet.
Everywhere she looked, there were more, and she wanted to read them all.
She longed to absorb everything there was to know about the Dragons, their allies, their enemies, the beginning…
their history. Not only was she fascinated by those willing to give their entire existence to the protection of humankind and Dragonkin alike, but she needed to know how all the pieces fit together.
Shavon jokingly accused her of having to know everything– even how the Magic was made– and the First Elder wasn’t far off.
Sydney’s mind, even as a child, had run at top speed in a million directions at all times.
Her first memory was of hearing her human mother’s thoughts, and her second was of trying to figure out how to respond.
Her curiosity was boundless. Her need for knowledge was unparalleled.
She’d been told it was part of her DNA. That the unquenchable desire to not just know what was out there, but to understand how it worked and its place in the makeup of the great galaxy we call home was part of her heritage, part of being the Special One…
part of who she was in the depths of her soul.
“And I am here to find out if that’s true.” Her murmurs echoed through the Hall of Knowledge, a gentle whisper waking the memories, calling on the reverberations of the past to reveal themselves and their secrets.
Closing her eyes, she reached for the Sight of the Seers she’d been given while visiting their Realm.
Inhaling deeply, she held it for the count of ten, then slowly exhaled.
Releasing all the tension and opening all she was up to the Enchantment that was all around, she whispered, “If it pleases you, dearest Fedelm, show me the Tome of the First Dragon Kings.”
Waiting for the woman, a Noble Woman who possessed the rare clairvoyant ability known as Imbas Forosnai, to respond, Sydney thought of all she’d learned during her time with the Seers.
Known as the Filí, they were an elite and privileged class of Ancient Gaelic Prophets, the only ones blessed with the talent to perform the Imbas Forosnai, a sacred trance and clairvoyant ritual more powerful than any other form of intuition.
Not only had they ascended to the Realm of Prophecy thousands of years ago to escape persecution and exploitation, but these extraordinary women, seven in all, had been rewarded for their tenacity and perseverance by the Powers That Be.
They had all been given the title of Noble Woman and were protected by every deity and Omnipotent Being in all the universe.
“Sydney.” Fedelm’s voice floated through her mind, along with a sense of welcome and the warmth of a true friend.
Before Sydney could respond, the Noble Woman continued. “What you seek is along the farthest wall on the east side of the building. It is old, nearly as old as Time itself, and the pages must not be touched.”
“Wait. What? I can’t…”
“Patience, Special One.” There was a levity to Fedelm’s voice that Sydney had become acquainted with during her stay in their Realm. The Noble Woman was smiling, just as she had every time Sydney’s impatience led her to speak before everything had been revealed.
“Sorry,” Syd apologized.
“Never apologize for your zeal and zest for knowledge and understanding.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Fedelm, please, dear girl.”
“Yes, ma… ahem, I mean Fedelm.”
“Thank you. Now, you will go where I have instructed. Once there, you will see three large books covered in leather the color of freshly tilled earth. On each spine, you will see gold lettering in the language of the First Dragons. The information you seek is in the second volume. Use your Magic to remove the book from the shelf. Place it on the velvet-covered table. Then, using the Enchantment of Drakara, the Dragon Queen with whom you share your soul, open the tome. As you read the words and search for the answers you need, continue to use that same Magic to turn the pages. Do you understand, Sydney?”
“Yes, Fedelm. I do.”
“And that is why the Ancients trust you in one of their most sacred places.”
“Thank you, Fedelm. I owe you a great debt.”
“You owe me nothing, Special One. We are one in the spirit, and that is payment enough for a lifetime of favors.”