I wake with a parched mouth. Taran is holding me close to him, and I debate whether getting water is worth leaving his arms. The feeling of my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth has me slide out of bed.
Since Taran and I plan to spend most of our time in bed, I get us a pitcher of water and two glasses. I take a big drink, then refill my cup before walking back into my room. After placing the water down on the night tables, I cuddle back in bed with Taran.
I feel a rush through my body as my skin comes into contact with his. Taran must feel something too, because he groans. Reddish-orange reptilian eyes open, and before I can blink, Taran is on top of me. We spend the morning tangled in each other. By the end, my body feels both heavy and light. I am not sure my arms or legs will move any time soon. Taran’s arms wrapped around me when I finally catch my breath; I tell him, “I brought us some water.”
Taran lightly runs his fingers down my b
Taran and I land outside the cave in Scotland. It’s dark and cold, so he quickly pulls me inside. Taran has me wait in the council room as he gathers things from different parts of the ruins and the cave. Sitting on one of the benches, I begin reading a book that I packed. The lighting crystals flicker oddly. Looking around, I try to find something out of place, but I notice nothing.“Is everything okay? Why are you all flickering?” I ask.They stop flickering and glow brighter. Smiling, I say, “I’m happy to see all of you again also. I always love coming here.”I go back to reading my book and soon fall asleep.My eyes slowly open as soft music plays. I look around the empty room and notice how dark the crystals are. I call for Taran, but there is no answer. Standing, I begin walking towards the sound of the music. Walking out of the room, I follow the sound to the door to the dragon temple. The entry is activated, but
TaranTru looks around with a smile, then it fades, and she pulls on her ear. “What’s that humming noise?” She asks.I look at her, confused. Listening closely, I hear nothing but her heartbeat, “What humming noise? I hear nothing.”Tru messes with her ears again, “I must have water in my ears or something.”Not knowing what to say, I take her hand, “Come, I know you are tired. We can lay in bed, and I will hold you.”She smiles, and I begin leading her to the bed when she stops. Looking around, Tru moves towards the lighting crystals. “What’s wrong?” I ask.“It’s getting louder,” Tru says as if in a trance.“The humming?”Tru shakes her head, “It’s different than a normal hum. It is like vocalize, or singing sounds not words.”Her hand touches the rock that hides the necklace. I suddenly panic and try
We approach the altar for Arraya when a strong gust of wind blows. I hold Tru to me tightly, but it feels like something is pulling Tru from me. Using my magic, I create a barrier with the ground. In her, sleep Tru waves her glowing hand. The wind suddenly stops, and the wall I created collapses.“My darling girl is back,” a voice booms from the alter. Clutching Tru tighter to me, I slowly approach. “I’ve waited for so long to see her again. Bring her to me, young dragon.”I kneel in front of the alter with Tru in my arms. “Arraya, I need answers on what happened. Please tell me the names of those who betrayed me.”“Place Gesina on the alter. When she was a young girl, she would sit here, and we would talk. Little Gesi, her eyes were full of life, then they took her from us.” In an impatient voice, Arraya says again, “Lay her down so I may get a good look at her again.”Holdin
I wake up in the middle of a field. Looking around, I don’t see Taran anywhere. In the distance, I see what I believe is Tantallon Castle. It looks restored. Looking around, I notice there is no road; everything is quiet. The landmarks I saw last time are gone.Taking a step, I notice my clothes are different. The dress I’m wearing is a teal blue with a metallic thread design woven into the bodice. As I begin making my way towards the castle, I wonder what happened. Did I go back in time? Is this all a dream?Walking through the village, everyone stops to look at me. Seeing everyone stare makes me wonder if there is something in my hair. What is so special about me that the villagers are all watching me?When I make it to the castle doors, I tell the guard that I’m there to see Prince Taran. The guards laugh, “He isn’t looking for another companion. I’m not sure how far you’ve traveled, but you wasted your time. The prin
As Taran escorts me to his palace area, he points out little things on the way. Once we arrive at a large door, Taran squeezes my hand, “I hope you like everything. If something isn’t to your standards, please tell me, and we will replace it. Everything I picked was things I believed you would like. I wanted our wing completed before you arrived, so all that is needed is you.” I can see in Taran’s eyes how much he wants approval. It is destroying me that he loves Gesina and not me. Taran prepared for her for years and worked hard to prepare a place for them. Taking a hard swallow, I pull away, “Taran, before we go any further, I need to tell you something.” Taran looks around and nods, “Of course, dove. Let’s go to the study, and I will give you a tour of our hall later.” Taran opens the door and leads me to an office. He gestures for me to sit then asks if I would like something to drink. I tell him no and wait for him to sit down, then I say cautiou
Taran looks at me with sadness. In a soft voice, he says, “I cannot save Gesina.” “What? Why? Don’t you love her?” I ask in surprise. “More than anything in this world. But I cannot save Gesina.” “Why can’t you save her?” I ask, slightly annoyed. In a gentle tone, Taran replies, “Because I’m looking at her. You are Gesina, Tru. That is why you came here. Everything about you is almost identical to her. Ges had longer hair when I met her in my dreams, but it is the same color. And your eyes, no one has eyes as you do. I felt hypnotized by them even in dreams.” “Taran, I don’t hold any magic or anything like she does,” I say in defeat. Taran shakes his head, “No, it is because you do not know how to use it. Tru, the magic is sleeping inside you, waiting for you to awaken it.” I stare at him, confused, “How do I awaken it?” Taran places his hand on my chest, “Just relax.” A warmth begins to spread through me. In flashes, I see Gesina’s childhood. Her parents look like my parents,
Taran and I haven’t spoken much since leaving the isle. He refuses to talk about waking the other dragons. In fact, reclaiming his kingdom seems to fall at the end of his priorities. “I want to help you find your mother,” I tell him when we land back at the cave. Taran in his dragon form shakes his head. Crossing my arms I give him an annoyed look, “Why not?” A deep growl rumbles at the back of Taran’s throat and he refuses to look at me. In frustration I ask, “Is there something you are hiding from me?” The look in Taran’s eyes tells me there is more than just something he doesn’t want me to know. Pausing for a moment I ask, “There is something you want to hide from me?” Taran lowers his head. “Please tell me. Shift back and let me help you,” I plea. With a sigh of defeat, Taran shifts. He stares out at the water for a few minutes before finally speaking, “Did you see your death?” I nod, “I killed myself, so I could be born. Two of me couldn’t exist. All I did was step into- ” “N
The next day I helped Taran feed his gem, but it was a struggle for both of us. He seemed absent, and I could focus without him. It frustrated Taran more. Now the distance between us feels greater.We arrive at my apartment before sunrise. Taran and I cook together. It seems to help him relax; then we watch a movie before bed. Taran and I wake up in the middle of the afternoon. I check my phone on the charger and find that there are twelve missed calls from my father. Listening to his voicemails, I hear how frantic he sounds, "Tru, I need you to come home as soon as possible; it is about your mother." His other voicemails ask me why I am not calling back, where am I, and if I want to see my mom again, I should hurry home. All sound more panicked than the last.I quickly call him, "Dad, is everything okay? What's wrong with mom?""Just get here as soon as possible, Tru," is all my dad can say. He sounds heartbroken.Taran overhears the call; he puts on some clothes then turns to me, "L
Bryan’s mother gives the tailor a disapproving look, “Can’t you make her look a little more regal?”The tailor looks at her, “We can elongate the coat to make her seem taller and use a skirt instead of slacks, or we could try a dress?”“No, the straight dresses make her loose her shape. Her body is just so awkward. I’m not sure how to dress it. We need her to be seen as a wise and regal leader. No one will think that is she continues dressing like a broke college student.”The tailor nods and goes into the back to find more clothes. Looking at me, Bryan’s mother says, “Next, we need to work on your hair. It clearly doesn’t matter how often we go to the salon; you can’t style it yourself.”“Charlotte, I will never live by your standards. It doesn’t matter how many outfits you have, the pack makes me, or how many times you do my hair. I will always be this way.” I tell Bryan’s mom.She lets out a sigh, “I’m only trying to help how you are viewed.”“You’re trying to turn me into you,” I
“Tru? Are you home?” I hear Bryan call.“I’m in the office!” I reply. I’m stacking small rocks that I turned from paper. It is about twelve rocks high when Bryan enters.“You ready to go….” Bryan looks around, “Tru, is there a little green guy helping you? Are you wearing him like a backpack?”My concentration breaks and the rocks fall. “Look if that were the case, I would go find the dragons and say, this isn’t the sorceress you’re looking for.”Bryan smiles, “You are fighting against an evil emperor.”I pause for a moment and think, “Is the Dragon King evil? You never talk about him, no one does. I heard he got rid of the hunters and most of the vampires. Doesn’t that make him good?”Bryan shrugs, “He killed a lot of my friends. Have you forgotten that they killed your family?”The truth is I had forgotten. It isn’t real to me that my family is dead. Somehow, I’m lying to myself about it. I missed everyone’s funeral and Bryan won’t take me to the cemetery, so I have nothing to prove
Bryan and I head to a private elevator and take it up to the top floor. I notice Bryan looking slightly anxious, but he doesn’t say anything. As we reach our floor and step out, Bryan looks upset. I hear him mumble, “She better not do what I think she’s doing.”I am about to ask what he means as he opens the door to our home and a group of people yell surprise. I freeze and look around. None of these faces look familiar, yet all look happy to see me. A banner hangs reading, “Welcome home Luna”. Bryan’s mother suddenly appears, she hugs me tightly and welcomes me home. I am not sure what to say or do. Everything feels overwhelming. Who are these people? Why are they here? Why does nothing seem familiar?Bryan looks slightly annoyed at his mother, “I told you not to do this. Tru doesn’t remember anything. This is probably really overwhelming for her.”I squeeze his hand, thanking him for standing up for m
Bryan still isn’t back when I finish in the bath. After drying off and wrapping a robe around me, I go to find some clothes. Walking to the closet, Bryan said was mine, I found some of my old clothes, but almost everything was new. The clothes look expensive and more of Bryan’s mother’s style, not mine.Why is everything her style? Nothing here looks like something I would pick. The furniture, the clothes, even the bedding. I find an old pair of leggings and a T-shirt, then walk to the room Bryan told me was my office. There are four spell books on the glass desk. I hate the look of the desk, it will show fingerprints. I pick up one of the books and start flipping through the pages. I find it strange that there are no notes or marked pages.I pick up the second book and am surprised that there are notes, but not in my hand. The handwriting is that of a man and seems old. Curiously, I follow the directions for the hand motions and see a pink smoke illu
“She’s waking up, someone go get the doctor! Tru, baby, are you there?” My eyes slowly open to a hospital room, and Bryan stands over me. “Tru, you’re finally awake,” he says with a smile.A doctor rushes in and asks me, “Luna, how are you feeling?” he shines a light in my eyes as he continues to speak, “Do you have any pain?”I blink a few times, then ask, “Where am I?”Bryan smiles at me, “You are at the pack hospital.”“I’m where?” I ask, confused.The doctor interrupts, “What is the last thing you remember?”I pause momentarily, “The last thing I remember is being on the fairy to Scotland.”Bryan looks at the doctor, “Will she get her memory back?”The doctor shakes his head, “I am not sure. We will run some tests.” With that, the doctor leaves.Bryan sits next to me, taking my hand. I notice a ring on my finger. Confused, I ask, “What happened?”Looking at me with concern, Bryan says, “You were in an accident. We weren’t sure if you were going to wake.”“Was anyone else hurt?” I
Taran and I pull up to my father’s house. As we enter the house, I hear a voice, “Tru, come here. We can bring everything back the way it was!”I give Taran an odd look, “Do you recognize that voice?”Taran shakes his head, “No, but I hear its call.”“Whose call?” I ask, confused.Taran looks worried, “The stone. It is awake.”I feel a lump in my throat, “It wants us to bring everything back.”“Don’t Tru. We can convince it to keep things the way they are now,” Taran says in a plea.I shake my head, “It is too late. I brought everything back when my magic awoke. There is nothing we can do.”“I won’t lose you, Tru. You’re mine.”The same voice whispers, “I have a plan. We need all the dragons to restore the kingdom. I know how to keep them away from you.”Curious, I leave my room and get the stone out of its box. It is no longer black but glowing orange. Softly, I ask, “What is your plan?”“We hide you. I will block your memories of Taran. Then you can relearn your magic, then we out t
Taran squeezes my hand as we listen to the officiant speak. The room is full, and people are standing in the back. Some drove across the country to say their goodbyes. Looking at my mother in the casket gives me an odd feeling. It almost feels like I’ve gone numb. The woman lying there doesn’t even look like my mother.My brothers and I all decided to let Mike speak. We agreed on a story for him to tell while he gives her eulogy. I feel like it was the right decision for Mike to speak. I don’t think I can get words out now.As the officiant finishes, he asks if anyone would like to share stories about my mother. At least eight people share stories. Some of them were friends, some cousins, former co-workers, and the rest were from her support group. Cindy then stands and walks up to the stand. “Alice always gave the best advice. She felt more like my mother than my mother-in-law. Any time I had an issue, we would sit and talk. Alice gave me advice on everything from how to handle thing
I sit on the edge of my mother’s hospital bed. They called her time of death two hours ago. My mother went on bypass yesterday afternoon. When the hospital asked us to leave because visiting hours had ended, my mother squeezed my hand when I told her goodbye. Then when we arrived this morning, I knew she was gone. I no longer felt her presence in the room.“Dove,” Taran’s gentle voice pulls me from my thoughts. I look at him and see another man standing behind him, “They need to take Alice downstairs.”I nod and stand. Taran quickly pulls me to him. We leave the room and join my dad and brothers in a lobby area. “Are you okay, Tru?” Dave asks when we sit down.I nod, “We knew this day was coming. I will miss her, but at least she isn’t sick anymore.”“We barely left her side the past two weeks,” Dave says lightly. “I’m not sure how to go back to day-to-day life.”“The house felt empty last night without mom there,” Mike says with tears, “I’m not sure how I will step foot in there agai
I sit next to my mom, holding her hand. She fell asleep talking, and I hadn’t wanted to leave yet. Her fingers feel cold, and her skin feels thin.Taran stands in the doorway, “I made you some food. Please come eat. Your mother needs to rest.”I shake my head, “We were in the middle of a conversation. She was telling me about her childhood. I want to be here when she wakes up. Besides, I’m not hungry.”I can hear the desperation in Taran’s voice, “Tru, you haven’t eaten or slept in the past three days. Please, come eat. Your father won’t let me bring it here.”“What if she wakes up while I’m gone?” I tell him through tears.“Your mother will call if she wakes. Her phone is right next to her.” Seeing that I’m not moving, Taran offers, “I will stay with her if you want. Please go eat something.” Taran walks over and kneels beside me, “Tru, I’m worried about you. I don’t believe you are thinking clearly. Your mom is tired. She’s pushing herself while she is awake to speak with you. Look