He had two weeks plus the time it took for the betrothal formalities to plan and execute his escape.
Rising fury turned his vision red. With a screech of rage, Leo grabbed his pack in his talons and lifted into the air. Powerful beats of his wings had him departing the castle stronghold. As he flew over the bailey and courtyard, several dragons and humans lifted their heads in curiosity, but given his anger, he arrowed through the sky and over the ridge before they could do more than blink.
A human village nestled in the next valley. Whitewashed cottages perched on the hillside and overlooked the sea. The residents were the descendants of Viking explorers, lost fishermen, and smugglers who now made their home on Hissing Isle.
Hissing Isle, so named for two reasons. Caves littered the coastline. Visible if the tide was low, they created a distinct hiss as the incoming water refilled them. Instead of the sand of the other islands, small rounded pebbles covered the beaches here. They rattled and hissed as the waves churned them back and forth. Hissing Isle comprised one large island and two smaller ones, uninhabited because of their rocky terrain.
Mountains thrust upward from the largest island, their slopes covered with fresh-scented pines. The alpine meadows grew nutritious grasses for livestock and valuable herbs, prized by humans and dragons alike. Two principal towns—one inhabited by dragons and the other by humans—hugged the coast where the temperatures remained moderate during the depths of winter.
Leo flew onward, the familiar scents and the natural terrain releasing his stress. Familiarity and pride settled in his gut as he glided over his plot of land, high in the mountain region on the east of the island. Few dragons flew this far east, but it was Leo’s favorite spot. He settled on a rocky outcrop. From here, Leo gazed over the North Sea. Perfume Isle and a faint smudge of volcanic smoke from Smoking Isle were visible on the horizon.
Nan, The Strongminded, came from the clan who lived on Smoking Isle. Perfume Isle, which was closer, was home to a third dragon clan. The druids who powered the protective magic that shielded their world lived in an isolated corner of the same island as Nandag.
“We are not mating with The Strongminded dragon,”his dragon informed him.“I refuse.”
“We require a plan,” Leo stated aloud, his mind buzzing with anger.
“I will help to think of a scheme to rid ourselves of this Strongminded female.”
Fury pulsed anew at his parents’ highhandedness. For years, they’d ignored him and now they decided he was useful to their plans. Leo spat out a frustrated curse and surveyed his surroundings. The wind changed, and a whiff of death carried to him. He scowled, knowing he should investigate. He lifted off, immense wings beating fast.
His bloody parents.
Once he’d mated with Nandag, they’d expect him to dwell in the castle. He’d lose everything he valued. Leo shrieked his frustration, a blast of hot flames punctuating his vexation. He soared on the airwaves, letting them draw him down and over the sea toward the other islands instead of investigating the death stench. Mindful of intrusion into the neighboring clan’s airspace, he veered until he flew parallel to the mainland. Although he couldn’t see it, he sensed the mass of land and heard the whisper of the waves as they struck the shore.
His great maw opened to taste the wind, and his giant wings slowed to a less frenzied beat. His body dropped lower until he skimmed the sea, and for a moment, he could’ve sworn he heard a woman singing.
2 – She Wanted aNew York TimesBestseller, Dammit.
Liza drove along the coast path—a B road—and since it was midweek, she passed few cars. The roiling North Sea reached to the horizon, calmer than usual, sparkling under the afternoon sun. She caught glimpses of Lindisfarne or Holy Island, as it was referred to by locals. The island’s castle dominated the landscape silhouette. One day, she’d arrange a trip to the island, accessed via a causeway from the mainland. Maybe, once she finished her book. A visit would be inspirational. She could imagine a dragon living near that castle…
Since the afternoon was sunny, she’d rolled down the roof of her sporty Mazda and drove with the wind whipping her ponytail and an enormous smile on her face. She belted out the words of an old rock ballad about a lover who’d shaken her world the entire night long.
Halfway through the chorus, her phone rang, and she ceased singing to answer the call using hands-free.
“Hey!”
“Liza, it’s Cherry. Are you driving?”
“I am, but the hands-free is working fine. My research visit took longer than I’d hoped. Can you still collect Joanna from school? If you’re busy, I can get Rena to meet her for me.”
Her younger half-sister enjoyed time with Joanna. Meeting Rena had been the second magnificent thing to come from her move to the UK. Family was important to Liza, and she wanted this support for her daughter. Here in England, she had her father, a half-sister, and in Cherry, a loyal friend. She also had a psychotic husband who refused to release her from their marriage and wanted interaction with Joanna, not because he loved his daughter, but because he thrived on harassing Liza for daring to grow a spine and leave him.
“Rena called me.” Cherry hesitated.
“What?” Liza demanded, her warning antenna alerting her to trouble.
“Tony rang the school and informed them you’d agreed to let him pick up Joanna after classes finished. Joanna told the headmistress this wasn’t true, and that you were doing book research today.” When she spoke again, Liza heard her friend’s admiration. “Joanna told them Liza had authorized Cherry and Rena to take her home, and the headmistress should ring us to confirm. She got hold of Rena first.”
“Popsicles,” Liza muttered instead of a more suitable pithy Anglo-Saxon curse. She tried to keep her swearing down on account of her daughter. “I’m still an hour from home.”
“Rena and I have got this. We’re both collecting Joanna, and the headmistress agreed to let us wait in the staff car park. We should avoid Tony since he’ll be loitering out the front with the other parents.”
“Thank you.” Liza gripped the steering wheel, her gaze on the road while her mind struggled with a way to get rid of Tony Richards, short of paying him off. “I hate that you and Rena are getting dragged into this mess.”
“That’s what friends and sisters do.” Cherry’s airy reply raised gratitude in Liza. “Rena suggested we fashion a doll in the image of Tony and stick pins in it.”
Liza barked out a laugh as she scanned the glorious beach to her left with its white stretch of sand and the rocky cliffs. The road followed the line of the cliff, and on this portion, a guardrail created a protective, if somewhat flimsy barrier. She drove up a hill, and the panorama from the top stole her breath. Blue sea. Blue sky. She could still see the outline of the castle. The odd white cap on the waves. A boat. Probably a cargo ship heading to Dover or another port on this coast.
