Cupcake Kisses & Dragon Dreams (Dragon Guard Book 29) Read online

  Before Murdock could answer, Calysta laid her hand on the high back of the chair at the head of the table and asked, “Murdock, please come stand here.” Smiling as he did what he was told, the Priestess added, “In this case, you and I are going to work together to find our girl. It’s gonna take everything we have to break through the power of a god.”

  Doing as he was told as Della placed a tall, broad white candle next to the copper pot in the middle, Dock took Calysta’s outstretched hand while all the others joined them around the table. Whispering, “Solas,” the Priestess lit the small Sterno burner under the copper pot triggering thin ribbons of smoke to artfully rise into the air.

  Inhaling deeply, the Guardsman took in the combined scent, immediately feeling the calming effects and increased clarity from the sharp peppery aroma of the Kava Kava. Letting the powerful herbal concoction roll over and through him, he recognized the earthly scent of the hex-breaking herb – Devil’s Shoestring. Then came the sweet fragrance of Yellow Star Jasmine and the cedar, sweet grass perfume of Mugwort that boosted the power of both the Witches’ and the Dragons’ mind’s eye. Smiling down at Calysta, the Guardsman let his appreciation show in his expression for he simply did not have the words to properly show his gratitude. There was no doubt that the Priestess had earned her position and wanted Kalliope back almost as much as he did.

  Gently squeezing his hand, Calysta began, “Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, those who govern the Air we breathe; I do humbly ask that you witness our ritual and guard those gathered in our Circle.”

  No sooner had the Priestess spoken the words than the wick atop the purple candle sitting in the eastern corner of the table sprang to life, it’s flame long and tall, indicating the Keepers of the Air were in attendance. Continuing with the rite, she also called to the Watchtowers of the South for Fire, the West for Water and the North for the Earth. Each time the candle immediately lit and Murdock’s confidence that they would succeed increased.

  With all the flames burning bright except the one in the center, Calysta instructed, “Please bow your heads as we seek the Blessing of the Goddess.”

  Closing his eyes and letting his chin fall to his chest, Murdock let his magic flow freely, feeling Raibert doing the same as the Priestess prayed, “Hail, Great Goddess, Mother of All, who shines above. Grant me and mine strength, peace and love. Hear my words upon this hour. Sacred Mother, send to this circle your unending and supreme power. Blessed be. Blessed be.”

  Unable to stop himself, Murdock rolled his eyes upward, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the brilliant light of the Goddess candle lighting the entire room. Holding tight to Calysta’s hand, a surge of magic raced up his arm, wrapped around his heart and combined with his as she beseeched, “Most Merciful Goddess, Hecate, Wayfarer, Path Finder, Mistress of the Thresholds we all must cross, Goddess of the Triple Crossroads where destiny meets choice, Keeper of wisdom, teacher of the wise, Destroyer of illusion and Guardian of the Gates. All Hail, the Owl-eyed Goddess of Magick and the roads of Mystery. We, Your Priestess, Your Dragons, Your Witches ask You on this night so dark, so full of loss and trepidation, for your guidance as we seek one of Your own, a Child of Your choosing, one of Your faithful. Shine Your mighty lunar light on our journey. Clear the way of the one who seeks to take Your Blessed child, Kalliope. Please join our Circle, and Bless our work here today that is done in Your Honor. Welcome, Hecate. Blessed be! Blessed be.”

  Bright, wonderfully warm and accepting, Murdock could feel the light of the Goddess on his face. Raising his head as Calysta instructed, he thanked Hecate for her help, and he began to recite the last invocation along with the others.

  “Dragon Kings of the Darkness and of the Light, of the Air, Fire, Water and Earth, hear our call. Aide us this night to right an evil which has been wrought against one of our own in the manner which you have taught. Thank you for your Blessings upon the ritual and the gift of your magic to power our search. Blessed be. Blessed be.”

  Roaring with such fervor that Murdock’s mind shook within the confines of his skull, the Guardsman witnessed the miracle of the joining of Raibert with each and every Dragon who shared their souls of his brethren in attendance. The Dragon King’s brilliant turquoise scales sparkled and changed like the tides of the ocean and the ever-evolving sky.

  Raising his head and observing into the eyes of his fellow Guardsmen, Dock smiled as he watched the pupils in their brilliantly glowing eyes elongate into those of their Dragon. Looking down at the mirror, he held his breath as the once clear reflective glass clouded over, with swirling puffs of light and smoke.

  Faster and faster, looking as if it might burst forth, the funnel cloud immediately stopped and shattered into minuscule pieces. With his eyes glued to the picture of the cliffs overlooking the angry sea, he watched as the view widened, covered the long, willowy grasses, then a tall rock wall and finally, a long-abandoned castle where he and Atticus had explored as children.

  Dropping Calysta’s hand, he sped out the door, calling over his shoulder, “I know where she is. Dinnae try to stop me.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Look, asshole, I’m sure it’s been a long time since you got your groove on. I mean, there can’t be very many eligible hotties in the Outer Realm, and I do have a certain appeal, especially if you’re into curvy girls with attitude, but ya’ gotta know I already have a mate.” She watched as the Celtic god’s minions - stupid-crazy zealots dressed in brown, woolen, hooded robes and masks of Cernunnos face with what looked like authentic deer horns poking out the top – secured the manacles on her wrists and ankles to the huge spikes sticking out of the top of the stone altar she was laying on.

  Talking, trying to stall for time as she prayed that Murdock, Daph and Merrie, somebody, anybody was coming to save her, Kallie snorted with forced laughter, “Sure, we haven’t formally met. I mean, I fell into his arms, and I’m thinkin’ he tried to take care of me before you snatched my happy ass again, but our mating is blessed by the Goddess and the Universe, two beings waaayyyyy more powerful than you.”

  She watched his left eye twitch, a sure indication that she was pissing him off, and continued to taunt the dumbass god. “Do you really want to fuck with Fate and Destiny, on top of the all-powerful Ones? You have to know how hard they work to make one woman for one man, even more so with the Dragons. The Universe loves her chosen warriors like no other, and you’re fuckin’ with one of her special ones, a two-natured Dragon. She had no idea how she knew that, but she did, and it seemed to be making the stupid idiot stop and think, so she just went with it. “Do you have a death wise, Cernie? Is that it? You want to go out in a blaze of glory?” She shrugged her shoulders the little bit that she could and raised her hands, ignoring the pull of the chains and the burn of the iron. “Well, I can do that for you. I know a serious Hellfire spell that will incinerate your stupid ass, but good.”

  With both eyes twitching and his cloven foot tapping, she pressed on, knowing she would either distract him enough to escape or cause him to zap her with his godly powers. Either way, she would be free.

  Promising herself to haunt the bastard for all eternity if and/or when he killed her, Kallie snickered, “I know. It just hit me. You’ve lost your spark. Your magic’s on the fritz. Your little winkie,” she held up her pinky finger and wiggled it, faking a gasp as she pushed on, “I mean, your round torc thingy.” She winked simply to add insult to injury before going for the jugular, “Just isn’t what it used to be. You’re having a failure to perform. Letting the girls down both magically and sexually. That’s it, isn’t it?”

  Barely getting a breath before the Celtic god snapped his fingers and an iron shackle snapped tight around her neck and into the rock slab. Walking towards her, a look of satisfaction on his face, Cernunnos stopped at the edge of the altar and grabbed her face. With his blunt nails digging into her cheeks, he leaned forward until their noses touched and in a low, satisfied tone, boasted, “Babble away, little Wit
ch. It matters not. With the power I can draw from the animals in the forest around us, the Hellmouth beneath this castle and the Sùdrach magic flowing through your veins I no longer have to wait until the third quarter moon.”

  He shoved so hard that her head bounced off the stone altar and flashes of light and black spots danced before her eyes. Slamming his lips to hers, he kissed with such aggression that she tasted her own blood and felt its warmth as it dribbled down her chin.

  Standing up he cackled like a madman as he threw back his head and victoriously bellowed, “As the moon reaches its darkest point and the hands of the clock are together at the top of the face, then I shall utter the words that will tie not only your soul but more importantly your magic, will be irrevocably bound to mine.”

  Rolling her eyes, even though her heart was pounding and sweat poured down her back, Kallie waited until Cernunnos was once again looking at her and gave a shrug. Pretending to yawn, she sighed, “Yeah, I’m sure you’re gonna...”

  Never getting to finish what she immediately feared would be her last smart-ass remark ever, Kalliope fought to breath as Cernunnos fisted the hair on either side of her head and as he pounded her skull against the granite dais shrieked, “You will be mine. Your magic will be mine. You will do as I say. You will yield to my…”

  Thankfully, she blacked out, her last vision being of Murdock racing across a moonlit pasture as he roared, “NO!”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Searing, white-hot, shards of pain sliced at the back of his head. His vision blurred. His steps faltered and then like a gift from the Universe, Murdock caught sight of the image of Kalliope – still alive, but very much in need of his help.

  Reaching for her through their ever-growing Mating bond, he tried to push healing magic into her badly battered body only to have it bounce right back to him. Calling her name, pleading for her to answer, he finally let his anguished scream of denial echo across the countryside as his one, and only mate lost consciousness.

  Launching himself over the seven-foot rock wall surrounding Tantallon Castle, a stronghold with one of the bloodiest histories in all of Scotland, Murdock had to stop, tighten the reins on his fury and attempt to think clearly and strategically. He was, after all, charging into battle a god and save his one and only mate. There could be no mistakes. He would save Kalliope or die trying.

  Scaling the wall of Douglas Tower, using the misshapen rocks and holes left from battles long ago, Murdock followed the scent of Kalliope’s blood, thankfully Cernunnos had unconsciously let his blanket of magic fall away. Once atop the nearly fifty-foot high curtain wall, he carefully maneuvered the narrow edge until he could feel the malevolent magic of the Hellmouth seething just under what used to be the castle’s prison.

  Ghostly apparitions of the men who’d fought and died, been tortured to death or simply perished from neglect called out to Murdock, begging that he use his Dragon magic to banish them from their ungodly existence. It was hard to ignore but something he must do. There simply was no time. Cernunnos’ magic was ramping up. The Celtic god was pulling power from every possible portal, both living and dead, holy and unholy, that he could tap.

  Racing through the endless maze of corridors and secret passages, letting his preternaturally sharp night vision and sense of smell guide him, Murdock knew the moment that Cernunnos opened the Hellmouth. Tortured wails beat at his consciousness, reverberating off every wall and stone as the spirits relinquished to Purgatory begged to be saved from the never-ending torment of the Underworld.

  Speeding past the crumbling walls, bent and broken iron bars and rusted chains of what was left of the notorious prison, the Guardsman stopped just outside the largest chamber, one known as the Executioner’s Den. Ducking behind what was left of the two-foot thick wooden door, Murdock’s eyes immediately landed on Kalliope’s lifeless body and the blood freely flowing off the edge of the altar she was chained to.

  Holding the raging Raibert back by the thinnest of mental threads, he begged the Dragon King, “We need tae tak' th' bastard by surprise if we ur tae rescue our mate.”

  “Aye,” the Dragon snarled. “But dinnae mistake me fur weak. Ah will crush his bones and eat his liver, god or no.”

  “Aye, and I shall let ye.”

  Slowly pulling his broadsword from the leather scabbard riding his spine, the Guardsman waited until Cernunnos’ back was turned and his fool-hearted followers had exited the chamber. Creeping out from behind the cover of the door, Murdock stalked into the stone room on silent feet, raised his blade over his head and was just about to strike through the heart of the Celtic god of Fertility when monstrous flames of hellfire, dark plumes of acrid smoke and balls of ash and soot spewed from the portal to Hell.

  Dropping his blade just in time to block a bolt of magic from Cernunnos’ brass torc, Murdock fell back against the wall from the backlash of godly magic mere seconds before Arawn, the Celtic King of the Underworld rode in upon a pair of his Hounds of Annwn. Gawking at the humungous, snow-white Celtic hounds, their ears as red as the fire in the pits of Hell and their red eyes glowing with the unearthly madness of the Wild Hunt.

  “Praise be our Great King, Arawn,” Cernunnos roared, drawing Murdock’s attention as he fell to his knees, bowing his head in reverence.

  “Ye dae thes in mah honur, Cernunnos?” The God of the Underworld’s voice was so deep, so incredibly low, so full of power and his brogue so thick that it was as if his words had a life of their own, swirling around the cavern, leaving an oily malevolence in their path.

  “Aye, Mi Lord, tis in your honor I do all.” Cernunnos sounded like a giddy child taking his first glance of his hero. “Please show favor upon this ritual, and I shall use my newfound powers to only glorify you.”

  Pulling the ebony, horned, iron great helm from his head, Arawn furrowed his brow as his long mane of thick bright red hair flowed down his back. Staring with an intensity that made Murdock’s heart pound against the confines of his chest, the god shook his head, obviously ready to give some proclamation, but his words were never heard as his hounds threw back their heads filling the cave with an unearthly howl.

  Thunder roared in the skies overhead as lightning continually struck the ground above the prison, its spidery currents of electricity skittering through the air of the cavern, striking at Kalliope’s cuffs. Gale force winds, stronger than any hurricane or tidal wave Murdock had ever experienced blasted through the cave, throwing the Guardsman, along with Cernunnos across the stone floor and into the far wall.

  Keeping his eyes on Kalliope, relieved that she was still chained to the altar and not being thrown around like he was Murdock was momentarily blinded as a burst of light, as bright as the sun joined the wind, flooding the cave with a burning heat that made even Arawn’s hounds screech in pain. Unable to move, plastered against the rock wall, the Guardsman was sure he and Kalliope would be entering the Heavens hand-in-hand when the millions of ghosts haunting the great castle flew in from every crevice, hole and crack.

  Fighting to get to his mate, Murdock summoned every ounce of strength and magic he and Raibert had and placing one foot in front of the other got close enough to Kalliope to throw himself over her lifeless body. Turning his head to the side as a voice he’d heard before summoned, “Murdock, Guardsman of Land and Sea, fear not. We come only to free your mate and punish those responsible for her pain,” Murdock was finally able to see through the debilitating light and see Lugh, the Celtic God of the Sun and Kayne’s father.

  Beside Lugh, stood a tall, thin woman with dark hair that hung to her ankles and a snake around her neck. Getting more and more of his sight back as Lugh pointed a golden shield at Arawn and the point of his staff at Cernunnos, Murdock saw that on either side of her head was another face, more ghostly in appearance but no less inspiring in their countenance.

  “Hecate,” he whispered.

  Nodding, the Greek goddess, all three personas, motioned towards the army of ghosts, using her power of necr
omancy to command them in their attack on Cernunnos. Bloodcurdling screams filled the cavern as the spirits tore at the Celtic god, forcing him towards Arawn and the gaping Hellmouth.

  Raising her gleaming dagger, made with the metal of the gods and fired by Hephaestus, Hecate commanded, “Arawn, Celtic King of the Underworld, return to the depths from whence you came and take the traitor with you. See that he is punished for no less than a millennium for the crimes he has committed against those under not only my protection but that of the Almighty Universe. Never again shall you enter the Earthly Realm with ill intent, lest you be given to Hades to toil in the Pits for all eternity.”

  With only a bow of his head, Arawn returned his helmet to his head, gave a sharp whistle to his hounds and disappeared back into the Hellmouth, dragging a still screaming Cernunnos with him. Unable to believe his eyes, Murdock watched as Hecate thanked the ghosts for their help and granted the ones whose penance had been paid release into the Heavens.

  “Rise, Murdock,” the goddess motioned with her outstretched hand as she moved to the opposite side of the altar Kalliope was still chained to.

  Waving her hand over his mate’s body, she smiled down at Kalliope as the shackles and chains fell away, and her wounds were healed. Leaning forward, all three of the faces of Hecate kissed Kalliope’s forehead before stepping back and allowing Lugh to approach.

  Reaching across Murdock’s mate’ torso, Lugh waited until the Guardsman placed his hand in his before firmly shaking it and speaking in low, even baritone. “I received your call from my son and notified Hecate of Cernunnos’s betrayal. Please know that I am always available should you have need of my help.”

  Overwhelmed and unsure what to say, Murdock could only mumble, “Thank you, Sir.”