Dragon Wish Read online

  Dragon Wish

  by

  Judith Leger

  Wild Child Publishing.com

  Culver City, California

  Dragon Wish

  Copyright © 2011

  by Judith Leger

  Cover illustration by Wild Child Publishing © 2009

  For information on the cover art, please contact Valerie Tibbs.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or

  transmitted in any form without written permission from the

  publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for

  review purposes. If you are reading this book and did not purchase

  it or win it in a sanctioned contest, you have obtained this book

  illegally. Illegal copies hurt both the author and publisher. Please

  delete this book immediately and purchase it from either Wild

  Child Publishing or an authorized distributor.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person,

  living or dead, any place, events or occurrences, is purely

  coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the

  author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Editor: Deborah Herald

  ISBN: 978-1-936222-90-2

  If you are interested in purchasing more works of this nature,

  please stop by www.wildchildpublishing.com.

  Wild Child Publishing.com

  P.O. Box 4897

  Culver City, CA 90231-4897

  Printed in The United States of America

  Dedication:

  With Love to Terri, Amber, Linda and Debbie

  Dragon Wish

  Chapter One

  Afraid to blink in case the dragon’s image appeared

  behind her lids, Seren glanced around her spotless, steam-

  filled bathroom. Eyes burning from fatigue, she repeated the

  plea in her mind. Show me what you want or leave me

  alone. Whatever was causing the dragon to appear needed to

  know she’d had enough. She’d force an end to the vision.

  Low classical music emanated from the radio. She’d

  plugged it into the nearest socket so it sat on the smooth

  angled slope of the tub’s lip. The soft, lulling notes did little

  to ease her restless thoughts.

  She wanted to relax after using her psychic abilities to

  help the police solve a string of murders. In the past, the

  resulting closure for the families helped her to go forward

  with her life too. However, this time, a week before catching

  the killer, the first vision struck, leaving her emotionally

  drained and physically exhausted. The images of the dragon

  dug deep into the darkened sections of her mind. They

  stirred old memories of fear and pain she longed to forget.

  Terror made her shiver as wispy strands of horrors from

  her past drifted through her mind. She couldn’t focus on

  anything solid as crimson flooded her memories. Seren

  fought against the rise of utter helplessness. In an effort to

  escape, she squeezed her eyes shut. The vision appeared,

  seeking to destroy her sense of normalcy.

  A single dragon, cold and menacing, rested atop a

  pinnacle. In profile, under the heavy brow crowned by six

  curving horns, one blue eye with its slit pupil watched her.

  Wings hung straight at its sides. They concealed most of the

  creature’s body. Pearly white scales glistened in a darkness

  that swirled with charcoal and silver clouds. With the first

  touch of its gaze on her, a tremendous weight settled over

  her body. On the outer edges of her awareness, the force of

  an unseen entity threatened to drain the life from her.

  She snapped her eyes open. The mental pictures

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  Dragon Wish

  evaporated, but left her trembling. She studied the clear

  water gushing in glimmering streams from the faucet. What

  was she missing? The message lay hidden, beyond her

  comprehension. She rested her head against the back of the

  tub.

  Sirens echoed outside her apartment, announcing

  another emergency on the streets of New Orleans. Eyes

  burning from lack of sleep, she hoped the police didn’t call

  her to work for them again. She needed rest, but the vision’s

  hold on her tightened with each new day.

  With a soft sigh she sank lower in the tub, knees bent.

  Damp air chilled the bare skin on her knees. Ripples in the

  water moved out from her as the liquid covered her

  shoulders and the heated wetness licked against her clenched

  jaw. The tub’s rim hid the rest of the room from her. A strong

  scent of herbal shampoo mingled with the mist rising from

  the water.

  Seren tried to connect something from her past to the

  present—anything to trigger this sort of reaction. She’d

  married and became a mother at eighteen. Ten years later,

  she was single. Her husband and daughter, the child she’d

  loved so much, gone forever. Over the last two years she’d

  tried to be happy, or at least content to exist alone.

  In a flash, ten years of her life had disappeared along with

  everything she’d loved.

  She drew in a deep soothing breath and released it by

  slow degrees. She’d decided two years ago that she would live

  the rest of her life without a man or children. No emotional

  ties connecting her with anyone. The thought of love along

  with loss sent bone-deep chills through her soul. The very

  idea frightened her so much that she’d buried herself in

  work. She hadn’t wanted to spread the word about her

  psychic ability but word had gotten out, and during the last

  few years, her slight psychic ability had increased to the

  point where she was called upon many times to aid local law

  enforcers with some of their most daunting cases. She’d been

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  Dragon Wish

  happy helping others find resolution for their own losses

  since she’d never found any for her own.

  She frowned, concentrating on the last case. Nothing

  concerning the murders should have triggered this kind of

  reaction. No, the image of the dragon was real, yet not. She

  grunted. Dragons, they were nothing but myths created by

  the over-active imaginations of ancient people. They didn’t

  exist—except man-made ones.

  The thought ended, and the vision erupted in her mind

  with a screeching cry.

  Darkness surrounded her. The wind buffeted her with a

  constant stream of cold. She stood on a high peak across

  from where the dragon waited. Like before, its eye was

  focused on her. Moonlit-rimmed clouds drifted overhead.

  The sting of salt in the air burned her nostrils. Her breath

  caught in her throat. She tried to scream a question at the

  beast, but no words came.

  In an instant, the bathroom materialized. She jerked,

  struggling to maintain control. Water splashed against the

  side of the tub, sloshing over the rim to pour down the side

  and pool on the floo
r. She gripped the sloped edges, taking

  deep cleansing breaths to control her pounding pulse. Was

  this what the vision meant? Had it been warning her of what

  to expect in her future—cold emptiness?

  Once calm, she raised her foot, and with her toes, pulled

  the knob down to shut off the hot water. Determined to

  finish her bath in peace, she shoved her troubling thoughts

  aside. A slow drip slipped from the faucet, plopping below,

  sending ripples in the water to circle outward. Seren braced

  her feet against the tub. With a slight push, she forced her

  body forward. She reached toward the Sweet-Pea scented

  soap sitting next to the radio. Hand trembling, she sent one

  last heartfelt plea for release from the vision. When she

  picked up the soap, she brushed against the side of the radio.

  The radio slipped toward the water.

  7

  Dragon Wish

  * * * *

  Avaris, 1111

  Age of the Great and Mighty White Dragon

  The Crakkintaw Inn boasted the best drink, but lacked

  the niceties richer places in the port city of Gilliesport

  offered. Numbed by the overindulgence of the potent house

  drink, Captain Paladin Fulcan weaved down the dim paneled

  hallway of the second floor. Musty clouds of dust rose with

  each step from his booted feet. The wicks in the wall lanterns

  needed a trim. The blue flames gave off barely enough light

  to see by, and the smoke rising from them added to the stale

  odor in the building. He grunted. The place needed a

  thorough cleaning. He had not chosen this place for its finer

  aspects, but for the solitude along with the liquor.

  He’d passed on an earlier opportunity to attend a dinner

  gathering at a friend’s home. The idea of a night spent eating

  a delicious, savory meal and visiting with several high-

  ranking men alongside their splendidly robed families

  seemed appropriate, but the thought of mouthing platitudes

  while whispers swept across the room turned his stomach.

  Sympathetic, the guests would have offered comfort, yet at

  the same time, averted their eyes, none of them bold enough

  to meet Paladin’s steady stare. Everyone would have been

  uncomfortable with him there. So instead, he had come here

  to drink and mourn alone.

  Through the grimy multi-pane window at the end of the

  hall, stars glinted in the night sky. Paladin narrowed his eyes,

  concentrating on the glittering beacons as he approached his

  room. He needed to get to the second door from the end—

  almost there.

  A shooting star blazed across the sky beyond the window.

  At the sight, he stumbled. It was beautiful, so fleeting. Much

  like life.

  He made a wish, violating the one cardinal rule for all

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  Dragon Wish

  dragonseeds of Avaris. The dragons would know and their

  decision to grant him a child would, most likely, lead to dire

  consequences. What had he done?

  Regret flared in his heart. He clenched his teeth to fight

  the pain.

  Fool.

  His wife was gone, lost to him along with his unborn

  child. His wish for a son was impossible now. He had no

  intention of ever marrying again. To do so meant he must

  trust another female, which was unlikely to happen.

  He stopped and rubbed the heels of his palms over his

  eyes in an effort to erase the horror of finding her along with

  their babe. The burning hatred the memory provoked

  threatened to overwhelm him. He lowered his hands and

  staggered forward, wanting to reach his room where the

  comfort of his bed waited. Once stopped in front of the door,

  he fumbled with the key.

  A brilliant light burst against the window where he’d

  viewed the shooting star. He stiffened, surprise rendering

  him motionless. The other end of the hall disappeared in a

  blinding whiteness. Within it, a solid white door formed.

  Caught off guard by the strange sight, he stepped away

  from his room, a chill moved down his back. Out of habit, his

  right hand grasped the cool, solid handle of his long sword.

  What magic worked in this inn? Paladin tried to recall if

  there were any wizard apprentices in the building, but there

  were none that he knew of.

  He took one step closer and lifted his free hand to touch

  the door inside the bright glow. He snorted then half smiled.

  Excellent sorcery. The power radiating from the light amazed

  him. None but the six great dragons acting in conjunction

  possessed such strength.

  At this thought, horror over his regretted wish widened

  his eyes. Was this the dragon’s answer to his plea? He should

  turn and go to his room but curiosity drove him forward.

  Without any further consideration, he twisted the golden

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  Dragon Wish

  knob then gave the door a shove. The door swung wide,

  banging into the wall on the other side.

  A room appeared before him with its smooth floors,

  walls, and even the ceiling painted white. Amazed at the

  difference between this room and the dank, dim hallway,

  Paladin stepped over the threshold.

  Across the room, a woman, her short dark hair slicked

  against her scalp from the abundance of steam in the air,

  leaned forward in a vessel filled with water. Her hand

  stretched toward the opposite end, but her gaze was caught

  by a strange box emitting a tune. The silver box slipped

  toward the water.

  Fire flared in his veins. His dragonblood roared to life. It

  warned him of danger with the box. In one long leap, he

  clasped its sides a moment before it touched the water. With

  a swift jerk, he flung the contraption behind him.

  * * * *

  The radio crashed against the wall, pieces flew out,

  scattering the floor with debris. Seren, at first unable to tear

  her eyes from the broken pieces, glanced toward the

  stranger.

  He was bent over next to the tub, his body twisted at the

  waist with his back hunched. A long fitted coat flared around

  his middle and fell to his knees. From her side, she saw

  underneath the coat, gold hued skin of a solid chest peeked

  through the gap in his white shirt which opened from the

  neck to mid chest. Lower, a wide black leather belt wrapped

  around his slender waist, holding up dark pants which clung

  to his long legs; the hems of his pants were tucked into knee-

  high black boots.

  Golden hair fell in strands angled toward his face and

  shoulders. His light blue eyes were narrowed in his lean face.

  Just past him, a brilliant light from the doorway added

  brightness to the gold strands.

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  Dragon Wish

  She glanced at the water. Then, unable to stop, her stare

  moved toward the shattered radio. What the hell had just

  happened? Was she imagining this or was it part of another

  vision? Her body felt numb, but her mind raced through the

  events of the last few seconds. Yes, it had to be another />
  vision, just another weight to add to her already miserable

  day. She reached out and poked the arm closest to her. He

  faced her, straightening and staring down at her with a cool,

  almost curious look in his eyes.

  He was real. Oh, God! How had he gotten into her

  apartment? The shock of having a strange man in her

  bathroom added to the fact she came close to death sent

  adrenalin rushing through her body. Only one other time had

  she experienced such a feeling, and that was when Mandy

  had died. Without thought of her nakedness, she grabbed the

  tub to stand, determined to escape. A phone—she had to call

  the police.

  He gripped her hand. She wasn’t sure if he meant to

  capture her or help her stand. A sense of security came over

  her, but she wasn’t going to take the chance his intentions

  were good.

  “Let me go,” she demanded, pulling from his hold. He

  held tighter. She gave one fierce tug. He released her. Free,

  she splashed back, landing with a dull thump against the far

  corner of the tub. She watched in slow motion as water flew

  out and a drop landed at the corner of his eye. Pain lanced up

  her left side, ending in her shoulder.

  Their gazes clashed, his pupils dilated. The water droplet

  slowly drifted down his check like a tear. A second later, he

  wrapped his arms around her and lifted. He set her on her

  feet and made sure she was steady. Water cascaded in

  streams off her body and his soaked sleeves to pool on the

  floor. The drop on his cheek fell free.

  He touched her lips and muttered words she couldn’t

  understand. She had no idea what he was doing. Whatever it

  was, he’d better stop and get the hell out of her bathroom. In

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  Dragon Wish

  one sweep, he shrugged his coat off and wrapped it around

  her. Heat raced up her neck to end in her cheeks as she

  realized her nakedness was covered. How had she forgotten

  she was nude? He hadn’t thrown her down or hurt her.

  Maybe he didn’t plan on hurting her.

  “What do you want?” Seren tried to shove him and his

  coat away, but she slipped on the wet floor. Her body tilted

  forward, she started to fall, but his body stopped her from

  hitting the ground. Instead, she landed hard against the

  width of his solid chest.

  Stunned, she panted, gathering the strength to fight this

  strange man. He picked her up. His voice, so deep and