Her Dragon's Soul (Dragon Guard Series Book 9)

  Her Dragon’s Soul

  Dragon Guard Series #9

  By

  Julia Mills

  There Are No Coincidences.

  The Universe Does Not Make Mistakes.

  Fate Will Not Be Denied.

  Copyright © 2015 Julia Mills

  All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictional manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  NOTICE: This is an adult erotic paranormal romance with love scenes and mature situations. It is only intended for adult readers over the age of 18.

  Edited by Lisa Miller, Angel Editing Services

  Cover Designed by Linda Boulanger with Tell Tale Book Covers

  Formatted by Charlene Bauer with Wickedly Bold Creations

  DEDICATION

  Dare to Dream! Find the Strength to Act! Never Look Back!

  Thank you, God.

  To my girls, Liz and Em, I Love You. Every day, every way, always.

  Also by Julia Mills

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  Her Dragon to Slay, Dragon Guard Series #1

  Her Dragon’s Fire, Dragon Guard Series #2

  Haunted by Her Dragon, Dragon Guard Series #3

  For the Love of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard Series #4

  Saved by Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #5

  Only for Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #6

  Fighting for Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #7

  Her Dragon’s Heart, Dragon Guard #8

  ***

  Her Love, Her Dragon: The Saga Begins, A Dragon Guard Prequel

  HER DRAGON’S SOUL

  Index of the Words from the Original Language of the Dragon Kin

  Draoi Wizard

  A Chumann Sweetheart

  Mo chroi’ My Heart

  Mo ghra’ My Love

  Ta’ mo chroi istigh ionat My Heart is Within You

  Srutha’n Burn

  E’adrom Light

  Mu’scail Wake Up

  S’aoire d’uimm Leave

  Dul as ais I gea’a tu’ bhaineann Go Back Where You Belong

  Riamh ar ais Never Return

  Dofheicthe Invisible

  Le Feicea’il Appear

  Ar bhaile Our Home

  Scriosta Obliterate

  CHAPTER ONE

  “No way! No freaking way! It’s just not possible. Hannah has NOT become one of Cleland’s mindless followers. You’re wrong, Liam, just wrong!”

  Liam looked from Melanie to Jace and back again, trying to decide if he’d done the right thing by telling them. The young nurse was pacing, throwing her hands in the air, alternating between yelling at him and mumbling to herself. He’d known it wasn’t going to be pleasant, but was in no way prepared for the tirade he was watching.

  It had been necessary. He’d waited as long as he could. The last thing he wanted was to upset his best friend or his mate, but after what he’d seen in Hannah’s eyes earlier, there was no way he could put it off any longer. Telling them the beautiful girl with strawberry blonde curls was the one the Universe made for him had been easier than he thought it would be, but telling them he was sure she was being controlled by a malevolent force had royally sucked!

  They’d already suffered so much at the hands of Melanie’s grandfather. A few weeks earlier, Cleland (aka Grandpa and the Grand Draoi of the Dorcha) had kidnapped his only granddaughter with the hopes of marrying her off to one of his minions, turning her white magic dark, and using her incredible power to rule the world. Needless to say, he is not in the running for grandfather of the year.

  It was something the Dorcha—a group of black magic wizards who descended from the dark aborigines from the 13th century, the Firbolgs—had been trying to do since their inception. They almost succeeded! It had taken Liam, Jace, the Dragon Guard, and several very talented white witches to stop Cleland’s plans and save Melanie and her friends. Unfortunately, the piece of crap had gotten away. Now, Liam was faced with the horrible task of telling Mel he was sure good ol’ Grandpa was still meddling in their lives, albeit from afar.

  Does this shit ever end?

  “Mo chroi’, please stop pacing. You’re wearing a path in the carpet and I really don’t want to listen to Rory bitch about his precious décor. Besides, my neck is killing me from trying to keep up with you.” Jace’s attempt at lightening the mood was met with a death stare as he grabbed his mate’s hand, pulling her towards him. “I know you heard what Liam said. Hannah is his mate. There’s no way in hell he’d make this shit up.”

  Pausing, the newly mated dragon and recently initiated Dragon Guardsman looked directly at Liam. “Tell us exactly what happened.”

  Clearing his throat, Liam began to recount his breakfast with Hannah. His nerves threatened his resolve for the first time in years. “Everything was going great, just like every other morning for the last couple of weeks.” He paused for half a second then rushed on. “Breakfast has kinda become ‘our thing’.” He failed at holding back his grin then shrugged as he regained his composure. “It’s been our time to get to know each other. I wanted to make sure she really knew me before I dropped the big ‘I’m your mate’ bomb on her. Things had been going so well that I’d decided today was the day to tell her. She feels the pull of the mating call, of that I’m sure. I definitely know how I feel and my dragon thinks I’ve waited way too long as it is. From hanging out with y’all, she knows what being a dragon’s mate entails, but I knew I owed her a direct conversation about my intentions, ya’ know what I mean?”

  He stood staring out the large picture window in the small cottage the Blue Dragons, more specifically Rory, had provided for Melanie and Jace while they continued the search for Kyra’s mom, Calysta, the Grand Priestess of pretty much all the white witches in the world. Liam knew what he was about to tell his friends would probably start the pacing and the yelling all over again, but just like everything lately…it had to be done.

  Turning, he looked Melanie right in the eyes, praying she could see the sincerity in his words and feel the pain they caused. “I reached across the table to hold Hannah’s hand, the way I’d done every other morning, but this time she jerked away like I’d burned her. I thought she was just surprised, so I joked, ‘Jumpy this morning?’ When her eyes met mine they were lifeless, completely devoid of the brilliance or electricity I’d come to expect. The sparkling blue eyes I dreamt of looking into for the rest of my life were dull and sunken. The pupils so wide her eyes were completely black except for a thin rim of blue around the outside. What scared me the most was the way she stared over my shoulder, like I wasn’t even there. It made the little hairs at the base of my neck stand on end. Then I tried to connect with her through our mating bond, only to be met by a wall of slimy, dark muck that turned my stomach and caused my dragon to growl.

  She must’ve seen or maybe felt my surprise and revulsion because in an instant, the brightness returned to her eyes and she reached out and touched my arm. But something was still off, so I tested our link again. The wall was gone, but so was my beautiful mate. All I found was nothingness. The longer I poked and prodded at our connection, the more I realized ‘something’ was pushing back at me.

  Hannah didn’t acknowledge any struggle or give any clue she even knew I was reaching out to her. That had never happened before. Not since the day
our eyes first met. She always gives me one of her sweet smiles, winks, or a mental nudge…something to let me know she knows I’m there. I know you don’t want to believe me, Mel, but I swear Hannah is not Hannah right now, and as much as I know it hurts you…it is killing me.”

  Liam watched Jace and Melanie mull his words over for several minutes. Their silence like a ticking clock taking away time he knew his mate didn’t have. Something evil was attacking her from the inside and if he didn’t stop it, Liam feared he would lose Hannah forever. There was no way he was letting that happen. Just about at the end of his rope, the young Guardsman stood, prepared to leave with or without his friends’ help.

  Melanie’s eyes met his as she slowly nodded. “I would know if something was wrong with my Jace.” She looked at her mate with such love that Liam had to smile despite the shit storm they were once again facing. Looking back to Liam, Mel continued, “Since Hannah is your mate, I have to believe what you’re telling me. However, I refuse to believe whatever is happening to her is her own doing. There’s just no way she’s following Cleland. She wouldn’t do that, not after all he’s put her family through, not to mention what he did to me.”

  Liam remembered every detail Hannah had told him concerning the atrocities put upon the McKennon family by Cleland and his followers. It had all started when Hannah’s father, Jedidiah, joined the Dorcha after the slaughter of his own coven. He and Sarah Beth had returned from their honeymoon to find their tiny village burned to the ground. The bones of their friends and family strewn about like a set of Lincoln Logs.

  After performing the burial rights for their murdered coven members, the young couple traveled on foot for over a week through treacherous terrain to the sister coven Jed had visited many times over the years. The smell of burning flesh and embers reached them as they crested the ridge. It was the same picture as before. Death and destruction as far as they could see. The stench of black magic permeating their every breath.

  While once again performing the ritual that would ensure the safe passage of more of his people’s souls into the afterlife, Jed came upon an amulet only partially scorched by the fire. Carefully wiping the soot from the silver disc, he discovered not only the mark of the Dorcha, but also the markings of several low level demons. The white witches of both covens had been sacrificed in an effort to summon the dredge of the underworld. It was then he concocted the plan to infiltrate the Dorcha and somehow get revenge for those who’d given their lives.

  Jedidiah and Sarah Beth spent the next several weeks perfecting their ruse and the magic they needed to hide their true natures from the dark wizards they sought to destroy. What they hadn’t counted on was the depth of the Dorcha membership or the power they drew from the underworld.

  Year after year, they continued their quest to conquer the evil that had taken their family and friends from them. As each of their seven children was born, Jed and Sarah Beth coated them with love, light, and heavy mysticism to hide and protect their pure, white magic. When the girls were old enough, each was then taught to conceal their true nature. As Jedidiah welcomed his youngest child into the world, he realized his family had been blessed beyond anything he could’ve imagined. Not only had his beautiful daughters received some of the strongest white magic in history, but they’d also been given ‘The Gift’. It was what made the McKennon magic legendary, but hadn’t been seen in centuries. They only had to be close to one another and their power amplified. His heart sang as he realized they truly had a chance to defeat their enemies.

  The girls grew and blossomed into not only gifted witches, but also amazing women. Jedidiah and Sarah Beth couldn’t have been prouder. The only thing dampening their joy was Cleland and his followers’ continued existence. It seemed no matter what the McKennons tried, the Dorcha always escaped, most times by nothing but pure and simple dumb luck. Tired of wasting time and watching his daughters hide their true natures, Jed hatched a plan to do away with Cleland and consequently, destroy his followers.

  He waited patiently until the day before the Festival of Souls, a jubilee to celebrate the fallen Dorcha and enhance the dark power of those still living. Thankfully, the celebration took place just before the last leaves had fallen from the trees and the days had grown shorter, something Jed could use to his advantage. Using the cover of darkness, he hid behind a large boulder at the mouth of the cave Cleland always used to enter their Sacred Circle. Ready to pounce, continuously repeating the spell in his mind that would immediately steal the breath from Cleland’s lungs and leaving the Grand Draoi dead on the ground, Jed prepared to finally end the captivity his family had endured for far too long.

  He held his breath, listening as the evil wizard’s footsteps echoed louder and louder the closer he came to the tunnel opening. What took only seconds seemed like hours to the loving father and devoted white wizard who wanted nothing more than freedom for his lovely wife and daughters. Jed had taken one step towards his goal when Cleland’s words froze his next movement.

  “Now that we know for sure the McKennons possess “The Gift”, we must find a way to get them to publicly use it. Jed and Sarah Beth are highly respected. The coven will not blindly follow in their sacrifice and that of their daughters without proof. I knew from the moment I met the young couple they were the ones, but it was the birth of their seven daughters that fortified my belief. They may think they are hiding their lily white magic, but I am the Grand Draoi. No one hides anything from me.”

  “Do you have a plan, Master?” one of Cleland’s many minions asked.

  “Oh, indeed I do.”

  Jedidiah could hardly believe his ears. He knew the Dorcha suspected his deception but had no idea they knew for sure. A million thoughts ran through his mind while he stood stock still, deciding what course of action to take. The crackle of footsteps on fallen leaves broke his concentration. Spinning, Jed’s next breath froze in his lungs as he witnessed the one thing he hadn’t planned for…Hannah!

  Their eyes met. Hannah stopped. Fear and insecurity flashed in her eyes before immediately being replaced by her signature determination and fearlessness. She even had the audacity to squint her eyes, shake her head, and throw back her shoulders. It was the same stance Hannah had taken during every conflict since she’d uttered her first words and taken her first steps. Any other time, Jed would’ve laughed. He shook his head at how far from normal their lives had become. It was in no way what he wanted for his family.

  That one thought strengthened his resolve. Without further deliberation, Jed marched forward, grabbed Hannah by the arm, and within a few seconds had them securely hidden from Cleland and his minion.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Hannah?” Jedidiah growled through gritted teeth.

  “I could ask you the same thing, Father.” Hannah returned his growl with one of her own.

  “I am…” Stopping short, Jed took a deep breath, looked his daughter straight in the eye, and in a split second decided to tell her the absolute truth. “Setting us all free. Something I should’ve done a long time ago.”

  Even he could hear the resolution tinted with just a bit of sadness as the words crossed his lips. He wasn’t surprised when Hannah‘s fists landed on her hips and she scowled before asking, “And?”

  Not wanting to share the details of his plan with the most unpredictable and definitely most hotheaded of his daughters, Jed raised his eyebrows, shrugged his shoulders, and waited for Hannah to continue. He wouldn’t lie to her, but he wasn’t going to offer details if she didn’t ask for them.

  Moving closer, Hannah’s voice took on an ominous tone as she asked, “What exactly does ‘setting us all free’ entail?”

  Jed wasn’t surprised Hannah had asked, just pissed that the Goddess had seen fit to ignore his prayers. Cursing under his breath, he ran through all the things he could tell Hannah without revealing the one fact he’d purposely neglected to share with even his wife…Jedidiah McKennon was on a suicide mission. No matter what scenario he played
out in his mind, it always ended with him dying alongside his nemesis. He’d made peace with the outcome. It was what he was willing to do to ensure the safety of his family. No sacrifice was too great if it meant Sarah Beth and the girls would be free of Cleland and the Dorcha’s tyranny.

  “Hannah…” Jed’s next words were cut off by the sound of approaching footsteps. Acting completely on instinct, fearful they would be discovered, Jed grabbed Hannah’s hand and murmured, “Dofheicthe.”

  Immediately, both he and Hannah were rendered invisible to everyone and everything around them, but thankfully, could still see one another. He mouthed, “Quiet,” and was pleased to see Hannah’s immediate nod of recognition.

  A voice he recognized as the man who had been with Cleland shouted, “There’s no one here.”

  “Keep looking. I know I heard voices,” Cleland ordered.

  The dark wizard’s footsteps sounded to the left of the trees Jed and Hannah were using as cover. Pride filled his entire being as he marveled at Hannah’s calm resolve, but there was no way he could risk her safety. Without thought, Jed let go of her arm and shouted, “Le feicea’il!”

  Surprise and anger colored Hannah’s expression as he reappeared for all to see, while she remained invisible. Cutting off whatever colorful retort he was sure his mouthy daughter was about to let fly, Jed mouthed, “I love you,” a second before whispering, “Ar’ bhaile,” the two words they both knew would send her back to the safety of their home. Her expression turned to pure rage as she fought the spell, while evaporating into mist before completely disappearing from his sight. If only he’d known how strong his daughter truly was.

  Jed prayed to the Goddess, the Universe, and any other deities he could think of that she would understand he’d done what he had to. Nothing mattered more than the safety of his family…absolutely nothing. All thought fled as Zander, one of Cleland’s most trusted henchmen, burst through the foliage.