Page 2 of Waking Her Dragon

Smiling at the use of Kara’s favorite term of endearment, my special girl, in the language of the Ancient Dragons, Sydney sighed and stood tall. “But enough of that. We can enjoy nature another time. We’ve got way bigger fish to fry.”

Walking down a path that cut through a gorgeous meadow and went past a pond full of ducks, it wasn’t long until both she and Kara felt the pull of another Dragon. “Carrick,” they breathed in unison.

Making her way through a line of magnolia trees in full bloom, Sydney caught sight of several tall, brass finials atop turrets jutting from a roof with at least seven different peaks of what had to be the largest house in all of Texas.

The closer she got, the more of the house she could see and the more her mind was blown. It was huge. It was massive. It rivaled some of the castles and fortresses she’d seen all over the world.

And it was old. Well cared for, but still very old, with a history that quite literally sent ripples through the fabric of Time and Space. It pricked at Sydney’s highly tuned intuition, begging her to come closer, to listen to all the stories it had to tell.

Tightening the light blue scrunchie holding all her curls atop her head, Sydney snorted, “It looks like the Haunted Mansion.”

“Well, Carrick’s Mate is a Necromancer,” Kara snickered.

Laughing despite the situation, Syd added, “Let’s hope we don’t need her expertise this time.”

“Amen, my girl. Amen.”

Opening the ivy-covered wrought iron fence, she stopped mid-stride when Carrick’s voice drifted out an open window. Sydney knew he had been on the phone. She’d heard bits and pieces as she drew near.

No, she wasn’t one to eavesdrop. It wasn’t her style, and it was disrespectful on a whole other level. But sadly, unintentionally hearing others’ thoughts was one of the hazards of sharing her soul with one of the original Dragon Queens, combined with being the Special One, plus being so tired she was having a hard time keeping all her mental shields in place.

On this occasion, it was the happiness in his voice and the joy in his heart and soul that had her listening longer than she probably should have. The delight in his voice was palpable as he regaled, “You’re never gonna believe who was on the phone.”

“How about you just tell me?” A woman, most assuredly his Mate, teased. “After bobbing and weaving through a sea of well-intentioned and adorable older people pushing shopping carts through the market, I don’t have the brain power to do much more than get the milk in the fridge.”

Smiling at the banter of a couple in love, she couldn’t ignore the pang of jealousy tightening its stranglehold around her heart. It was maddening and something Sydney hadn’t ever planned to feel.

It wasn’t that she begrudged Carrick and Ginnie their happiness. Oh, hell no! Quite the opposite. Sydney was thrilled for them, overjoyed, and undeniably elated, especially for Carrick. She’d always thought of him as a surrogate grandfather and only wanted a lifetime of happiness for the renowned Guardsman. The Great Goddess and the Ancients knew he deserved it more than most.

“It’s just that…” She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I want the same thing.”

“And you will have it,” Kara reassured, filling the bond they shared with love and understanding. “How many times have Shavon and I told you that anything worth having is worth working for?”

“Enough.”

“Then there ya’ go.”

There was no reason to argue. She knew Kara was right. She just hadn’t planned on having to work quite so hard.

Inhaling deeply, she counted to three, straightened her spine, and marched through the gate. On the way up the walk, she heard Carrick announce, “It was Gunnar! He’s…”

Pushing the glowing doorbell button, she felt unease skitter down her spine and immediately knocked. “Carrick’s not going to like that, but…”

“But he’ll get over it,” Kara assured with a grunt.

“Were we expecting anyone?” Sydney heard him ask his Mate. She thought about announcing herself through the thick wooden door but decided to wait.

“I wasn’t,” his Mate’s reply was instant and filled with curiosity. “You’re the one always getting unannounced company,” she added with a giggle.

“That girl’s a keeper,” Kara snickered. “Sassy enough to keep up with the Old Man. I like her already.”

“Yeah,” was the only reply Sydney could muster.

As his footsteps grew closer to the door, her anxiety took on a life of its own. Sweat dotted her upper lip. Her toes tapped in her shoes as her fingers rang the doorbell again of their own volition.

Her heart skipped a beat, and all she could do was stand entirely still as the door was jerked open and Carrick snarled, “What in the hell…?”

Stopping mid-sentence, his eyes went wide, and his mouth hung open for half a second. She didn’t need her enhanced senses or the plethora of Magic running through her veins to know what he was thinking. It was written all over his face. He felt bad that he’d growled and unsure why she, of all people, was standing on his front porch.