Dawn of Legend: Dragon Dusk Book 1 (Dragon Shifter Romance) Read online

  “What’s going on there?” a man called out. I looked over my shoulder to see a burly fellow with a cleaver in one hand and a stained apron over his ample belly. He stopped five feet from us and eyed both of us with suspicion. “Well?”

  “She wants to eat us!” Enid called out.

  The man blinked for a moment before a smile slipped onto his round face. He cupped his belly and threw back his head for a great, big laugh. “Eat you, Enid? You’re not fit to be eaten by a scrawny cat!”

  Enid jumped to her feet and her head just barely peeked above the barrels. “I am, too! I’ll be eleven soon!”

  “And not an ounce of good meat on you,” he countered as he strode up to us. He looked to Tristan’s horns and his grin didn’t disappear. “You really need to learn to hide those things, Tristan, or someone might think you’d look good on a wall.”

  Tristan sighed, but his expression was one of good humor. “You know I can’t, Rhys.”

  Rhys shrugged. “Maybe a hat, then, or a cloak with a hood. Like this young woman has.” He gesture to me. “And what a pretty thing she looks in it, too. I don’t believe I’ve seen you before.”

  “She’s a monster who wants to eat us!” Aeron piped up as he climbed to his feet. His short statue meant he couldn’t look over the barrels.

  Rhys frowned and wagged his cleaver-filled hand at the pair. “Now stop spreading those lies around here. Nobody’s gonna eat anybody except for those ellyll.”

  Tristan arched an eyebrow. “What’s this about the ellyll?”

  Rhys shrugged. “I wish I could say for sure, but nobody knows. One of the hunters was out the other day in Harlipren when they found the body of some poor soul. The man had been ripped apart and his body sprinkled with acid.”

  I looked up at Tristan. “Harlipren?”

  “The woods where the ellyll dwell,” he told me as he frowned at Rhys. “The ellyll have warned you to stay away from there.”

  “A man’s got to feed his family,” Rhys countered.

  “The king wouldn’t find that a convincing argument if he should catch you,” Tristan argued.

  “But what I want to know is if you think it was the king’s work,” Rhys wondered.

  Tristan shook his head. “I can’t be sure, and I’m no more welcome there than any other creature.”

  I felt a tug on my sleeve and turned to find Enid and Aeron standing behind me. It was the little girl who held me, and her eyes were as big as saucers as she looked me over. “You’re really not going to eat us?”

  I turned and bent down so I was face-to-face with her. “No. I much prefer sausages made by Chloe.”

  “Who’s Chloe?” Aeron asked me.

  “She’s the shifter who lives with Tristan,” I told them. “I’m sure you’ve seen her around.”

  Enid nodded. “Yes, I’ve seen her, but she doesn’t talk much.”

  “It’s because she’s a witch who eats people,” Aeron insisted.

  Enid frowned down at him. “Oh hush. Nobody’s going to eat anybody.”

  “But you said-”

  “Just forget what I said and listen to what I’m saying,” she ordered him before she returned her attention to me. “I’ve never seen anyone walking with the dierth before. What are you doing with him?”

  I tapped her nose. “His name is Tristan, and he’s taking me to get some new clothes.”

  She wrinkled her nose, but still held her smile. “So you’re living with him, too?”

  “For a while, at least,” I told her.

  “Do you want to play with us?” Aeron asked me.

  “That’s not how you ask that, dummy!” Enid hissed at him. “You have to be more polite!”

  “Christine,” Tristan called to me.

  I stood and ruffled both their heads. “I’ll play some other time, okay?”

  Aeron swatted away my hand, but Enid smiled up at me. “Yes, please!” The pair scurried off to play.

  Tristan and I continued down the street. “The children seemed fond of you,” he mused.

  I nodded. “Yeah, they’re not bad kids.” I looked up at him. “So how come Rhys likes you?”

  “I cured him of an illness some years back,” he admitted.

  “So what do you think attacked that guy?” I wondered.

  He shook his head. “It’s impossible to say without seeing the body and where it was found, and even then the mystery might remain unsolved because of the many wild beasts that roam the Halipren.”

  I winced and wrapped my arms around myself. “They don’t come onto your property, right?”

  He smiled down at me. “No. Even if they were to wander out of the pren-that is, the woods, Gwill would take care of them. Ah.” He stopped us in front of a two-story home. “Here we are.”

  We walked inside and a little bell above the door rang. The shop was small, but was filled with shelves upon shelves of fabric, buttons, sashes, and all else needed to make any variety of clothing. A central aisle stood in the middle of the room and led to a small desk at the back with a peddle-powered sewing machine on its top. Narrow stairs in the right-rear corner led to the second floor.

  “Wow,” I commented as I admired the many different colors and types of fabrics.

  “Vaughn is very proud of his diverse inventory,” Tristan told me.

  “I recognize that sweet voice,” someone cooed. Footsteps hurried down the stairs and a slim man appeared. He wore a simple white blouse with gray pants, but the fabric of both were of a much higher quality than the sparing attire I’d seen the other villagers wear. His black, sharp-pointed shoes were smooth enough to show our reflections as he hurried over to us. He grasped Tristan’s gloved hands in his and smiled up at him. “It’s been far too long, Tristan. I thought you were running around naked months ago.”

  “Your clothes will outlast the spires of Laethion.”

  “Speaking of Laethion, I have the latest fashion from that dazzling city. Would you-” The man noticed me for the first time. He smiled and bowed his head. “If you would wait just a moment, miss, I’ll be glad to-” He paused and squinted at my clothes. The man scurried forward and grasp the cloak in his hands. “This is the cloak I made for Chloe.” He raised his eyes to me. “How did you come to have it?”

  “Chloe allowed her to borrow it until you make her one of her own,” Tristan explained.

  Vaughn’s mouth dropped open as he looked from Tristan to me and back again to him. “You. . .you’re with this celibate priest?”

  A snort escaped my lips before I clapped my hand over my mouth. Tristan straightened and looked down at the man with a slightly hard expression. “This is Christine. She is a guest at my home and in need of clothes. Can you supply them?”

  Vaughn’s eyes lit up and he grasped my hands. “Make clothes for such a beauty! Why, I am your servant, and you my master, my dearest dear Christine! Tell me what you wish to have and I will make it! Even if I have to go to the edges of the world, I will make it!”

  “Could you make me some pants?” I pleaded.

  He blinked at me for a moment before a barking laugh escaped his lips. “Ah, the simple type, aren’t you? A simple style for a woman who is far from simple.” He cupped his chin in one hand and walked around me. His head bobbed up and down, and a few hums and hahs slipped from his lips. “Yes, quite an extraordinary face, and what pose!” He stopped in front of me and smiled. “My dear, you have the elegance of a queen, and some of the looks, too.”

  I shrank beneath his praise and shook my head. “I’m not really that-” He pressed a finger to his lips and leaned in close so our noses almost touched.

  “You’re beautiful, my dear,” he whispered to me with a wink. “And don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.” He straightened and gestured at my body. “Now how would a couple of nice blouses and some pants work for you?”

  I smiled and nodded. “That would work just fine.”

  Vaughn looked to Tristan who stood beside us. “I can have the clothes do
ne by tomorrow. As for you-” He set his hand on Tristan’s lower back and guided him toward the back wall. “Step right over here, my dear Tristan, and feast your eyes on the latest fashions from the capital.”

  I was left to my own devices, but I didn’t mind that at all. There was so much to look at, and so many colors to admire, that I didn’t even notice the shadow that leaned out of the end of the shelving.

  A hand appeared out of the corner of my eye and clapped over my mouth. My eyes widened as I let out a muffled scream as an arm wrapped around my waist. My assailant drew me out of the main aisle and into the shadows of the corner of the store. A hot breath wafted over my ear as a few whispered words came from my unknown but definitely male attacker.

  “Hello there.”

  14

  My eyes widened and my heart quickened. I prepared myself for a muffled scream. My captor stiffened. “Don’t scream. I don’t want to hurt you, I just want to talk. Okay?” I nodded my head. “Good. I’m going to let you go now, so don’t scream.”

  The person released me. I spun around to find myself face-to-face with a slim man of thirty-five with a slightly balding head at the front. He had a wide smile on his face and wore a tight-fitting suit of some sort of leather, but a shimmering cloak hid his clothes from a good look.

  The man glanced at the front of the store before he returned his attention to me. “We don’t have much time, but hear me out. You’re the new girl with the Dusk Dragon, right?”

  I furrowed my brow. “The Dusk Dragon?”

  “The dierth,” he rephrased.

  I nodded. “I’m with Tristan, but-”

  “No time to explain. Just know that I can help you out. That is, if you’ll let me. I’m sure he’s already been cruel to you.”

  I shook my head. “Not really. He’s been very kind.”

  He cast a quick look at the back of the store. “Yeah, well, most people around here already know about his cruelty. That must mean you’re not from this village, so why’d you leave home to be with him?”

  My heart fell and I dropped my gaze to the ground. “I can’t go home. At least, not yet. He’s trying to help me.”

  He flashed me a grin. “Your home must be pretty far, but not so far that I couldn’t help you myself.”

  I looked up at him and arched an eyebrow. “You know magic?”

  He nodded. “And the best kind. It can get you back, no matter where in the world you’re from.”

  I bit my lower lip. “What if I’m not from this world?”

  His eyes widened, as did his smile. “Really?” He cupped his chin in one hand and studied me a moment longer as his yellow eyes glistened. “Well, that would make it trickier, but not impossible.” A noise from the rear of the store made him stiffen. He fumbled in his pants pocket and drew out a shimmering item about the size of a thumbnail. The man grabbed one of my hands and stuffed the item into my palm before he closed my fingers over it. “Take this and meet me in Harlipren tonight at midnight. I’ll be under the thorny tree about a mile down the road from the house and a hundred yards into the woods. When you get there I’ll take you home.” He gave me a wink. “But don’t tell the Dusk Dragon. He’ll try to stop you.”

  The man slipped away and out the front door. The little bell announced his leaving. I followed him for a few moments before I looked down at my hand. I opened my fingers and saw that he had set a smooth, slim stone-like square into my palm. A slight tilt of my hand made the surface shimmer like the surface of water.

  “What was that about?” The voice was Tristan’s and it came from behind me.

  I spun around and hid my hand behind my back as I gave him a shaky smile. “I-it was nothing. The guy was just-um, was just asking about you and me.” Not quite a lie, but Tristan’s golden gaze studied me for long enough to make me shrink under the scrutiny. I looked past him at where Vaughn was busy picking out fabrics. “So did you get what you wanted?”

  He stared at me for a while longer before he half-turned to our eager friend. “And more. Vaughn is generally a little too enthusiastic about any job I give him.”

  “It’s because you’re just such a wonderful challenge!” Vaughn gleefully shouted from the back as he dropped layers upon layers of fabric onto his desk. He waved his hand at us. “Now shoo, both of you! I must create!” He plopped down in the seat and began to sew away.

  We left the store and walked out into the warm light of the sun. I tucked the strange square into a pocket of the cloak and looked to Tristan. “That guy was pretty curious about you.”

  “It’s not uncommon for that to happen,” he mused as we walked down the road back to his home.

  “Because you’re a dierth?” I guessed.

  He stared ahead and nodded. “Just so.”

  I furrowed my brow as I thought back to the conversation. “He called you a ‘Dusk Dragon.’ What does that mean?”

  “It refers to many things, depending on the user,” he admitted as we walked past the flower workers. “The one who found me gave me the title because he found me, newborn to the world, at that time of day.” A small smile slipped onto his lips. “He was fond of referring to that time as the kiss between day and night, so I imagine he meant to tease me.”

  “But when others use it?” I wondered.

  Some of his humor fled. “Dusk is the point between light and dark, and not everyone appreciates the beauty of the darkness because of the terrors that hide in its shadows.”

  I looked up at the clear sky with its shimmering sun. “The night can be pretty scary.”

  He looked down at me and his eyes twinkled with mischief. “Surely the darkness doesn’t frighten you?”

  I sheepishly shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not exactly a fan of it.”

  “Then I will be sure to have Chloe keep extra candles in your room,” he promised.

  “How’d she come to work for you?” I wondered.

  He smiled. “You mean to ask why she would work for me when so many others are terrified in my presence?”

  I winced. “Sort of. . .”

  “You needn’t avoid the topic. I am quite accustomed to their stares,” he assured me as we strolled down the road. “As for your question, Chloe came to me rather unwilling. She was orphaned at a young age, and I took her in as a companion and assistant.”

  “Assistant?” I asked him.

  “She acts as an agent of sorts for me in order that I might purchase the many magical items and tomes that become available on the many markets,” he explained.

  “So what would happen if she wasn’t your agent?” I wondered.

  “The price for the items would no doubt be higher, or they wouldn’t sell at all,” he guessed.

  “Because you’re a dierth?” I surmised.

  There was a look of sorrow in his eyes as he stared ahead. “Unfortunately, yes.”

  I looped my arm through one of his and clasped his hand in mine. He looked down and looked at me with child-like eyes. I smiled up at him. “I don’t mind that you’re a dierth.”

  His eyes softened and he set his other hand atop mine. “I am very glad to hear that.”

  Our quiet walk back wasn’t uncomfortable. I didn’t feel like we had run out of conversation, but that the topic required us to be silent. That topic was the beautiful world around us, even as we left behind the open, colorful fields and entered the trees. Everything was just like my world, and yet not. There was a scent in the air that made wonderful shivers run up and down my arms and legs. It was like a secret that I could almost touch, a secret only a few people in the whole world could ever learn. Maybe this was what it meant to be an athrylis.

  My mind invariably returned to the conversation in the shop and I pressed my hand against the outside of my pocket. I’ll take you home. Those words thrilled me, but not as much as I thought they would. There was a certain melancholy inside of me that made me both surprised and angry. How could I feel anything other than gladness at the chance to go home?

  I l
ooked up at Tristan. The sun caught the shimmer of his smooth horns and the golden light of his bright eyes. His handsome features stood out against the dark coat he wore like night and day. That heaviness struck my heart, harder and stronger than before. Could I be in-?

  No. I turned my face away. I couldn’t do this to myself. I was going home. I had to go home.

  We reached his house in time for lunch which Chloe had graciously prepared. When my lonely meal was over-Tristan once again didn’t partake of anything save for a little wine-we both stood.

  “Would you like me to teach you more magic?” he asked me.

  I shook my head. “I’m kind of tired. I think I’ll go take a nap.”

  “I might make you some herbal medicine-”

  “Thanks, but I really would just like to be alone for a while,” I insisted.

  Tristan studied me for a moment before he bowed his head. “Of course. I hope you sleep well.”

  I hurried upstairs and shut the door to the my bedroom behind me before I flopped onto my bed. My bedroom. My bed. How could I become to comfortable so quickly? How could I leave behind so much without a brief bit of regret?

  I buried my face into the pillow and sighed. “You’re going home tonight,” my muffled voice insisted. I turned my face to one side and lay my cheek on the pillow. The small mirror above the vanity showed my reflection. There was almost a sad look on my face as a spoke a few soft words. “You’re going home. . .”

  I really was tired, though, and slept the day away. When I awoke I found that the sun had set and the light from the clear sky shone into my room. I sat up and reached into the pocket of the borrowed dress. The strange square was still there.

  I hopped off the bed, but paused. A chair stood near the bed, and over the back was my old clothes, cleaned and pressed to perfection. I lifted up the pants and admired the job Chloe had done for me. My heart fell at the thought of not saying goodbye to her.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered before I slipped into my old attire.

  I crept over to the door, but paused with my hand hovering over the knob. This didn’t feel right, sneaking out without saying goodbye.