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When the very first cast iron stove ever Magicked into existence by the very first Brown Witch of Heart, Hearth, and Home, Auntie Martha burst through the original wooden floors of my home like a rocket shot off the launchpad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Huge splinters of wood, massive shards of glass, and all other manner of debris and detritus became weapons of mass destruction right before my eyes. There was nothing I could do but fall to my stomach atop my flying mattress and yell, "Put your head between your legs and hold onto your sprinkles, Ging. It's gonna be a bumpy ride."
2
“Just ten minutes.”
“Yeah, right, Lad,”Sith,the Dragon King with whom I shared my soul, answered with a chuckle.
At least my cousins couldn't hear him making fun of me. Speaking secretly and telepathically was one of the best parts of being a Dragon Guardsman. Sadly, I was still annoyed. And he knew that I was annoyed. But that didn't stop him. It only fueled his need to push all my buttons. I swear it was one of his greatest pleasures. I guess that's what happens when you're seven days younger than the universe - you find pleasure in the little things. Just my luck, huh?
"More like an hour, maybe twelve, more like twenty-four – after all, you are dealing with your cousins. In all our years together, you've never just stopped in for a quick visit. Not once since leaving the Isle of Skye and going your own ways, have you made it out of their company in less than a day. It's usually three or four. Reliving the good old days takes time, Lad."
“Not now,”I sighed.“We do not have time for reminiscing. I don't know how I know – but I do. We simply need to find out what is happening, ascertain how we are involved, and get to work.”
“I am impressed. You sound like the Commander you were meant to be.”
“Not today, Sith.”
But he didn’t stop. Oh no, he charged ahead.
“So, does that mean you’re ready to ask the hard questions and deal with all that follows?”
“Yes,”I growled, trying not to take my frustration and worry on him.“But I don’t know why you are so sure this has anything to do with my Mate – if she does exist. I just need to….”
But that was as far as I got before the front door of the home of my cousin Nate and his Mate flew open with such force the stained-glass window depicting a Witch riding a Dragon across a beautiful, wooded valley shattered into a million pieces. Getting as far as opening my mouth, I was forced to jump out of the way as not only Nate but all three of his brothers barreled out the open door and down the steps as if they'd shot out of a cannon.
Closing my mouth only to open it again, I didn't even get to utter a word as a whirling, twirling funnel cloud of Magic, Mayhem, and red hair followed my cousin out of the house, bellowing orders as if she was a General in the Army and not one of the renowned Brown Witches. "Nate, I sent the kids to Auntie Eleanor. She and the other Aunties will keep them as long as we need them to. Liam, get Ella down here from the North Pole. Christmas is over. This year, the Elves will have to handle the cleanup. Besides, Auntie Miranda is there. She can help. It will keep her from finding out what's happened – at least for a little while. Great Goddess in green go-go boots, this is an all-hands-on-deck situation. We have to get our brooms in a row. Mick, call Vi back from wherever she's gone, too. She should've already been here anyway. There are only a few days till the Brown Family Coven Founders Celebration. Chris, have you gotten a hold of Jackson and Davie? I know they're off on a long-awaited honeymoon, but Family comes first. Tell 'em I'm raising the Brown Family Coven Bat Wing Signal. Davie will understand. Go! Go! Go! We don't have time for lolly… Whoa! Holy shit!"
Holding up her hands and slamming her palms into my chest, the one and only Molly Brown-Archer, the Brown Witch who just happened to be the Keeper of the Sacred Pumpkin and the woman made by the Universe for my cousin, Nate, roared, "What the hell are you doing here, Noel? This is no time for a family reunion or one of y'all's four-day 'boys' time.' Get outta the way! We have to find Lucy! Her house is in shambles! Her stove – of all things – is gone. Just gone! As if that isn't enough, there's wild Magic wreaking havoc in a fifteen-block square. And worst of all, Lucy and Ginger are nowhere to be found!"
Her words rang in my ears like the Bells of St. Mary's. Black dots danced before my eyes. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. Hell, if Molly hadn't had ahold of the lapels of my coat, I would've been flat on my ass in the snow, babbling like a two-year-old.
"Noel! Noel!" Molly's voice sounded a million miles away. "What the hell is wrong with you? Now isdefinitelynot the time for games. Get with the program or get outta the way. Get your shit together, man!”
I was shaking. No. Check. I wasbeingshaken. Somewhere between Molly yelling at me and my brain trying to shut down, huge hands came from behind, wrapped around my arms, and were trying to rattle the eye teeth from my head with all their magical might.
I instantly knew it was Mick from the bellowed, "Damn you, Noel! Snap out of it!" ringing in my ears. I knew they were trying to help, but did he and Molly really have to treat me like a yo-yo?
Shaken forward by Mick and then pushed back by Molly, I felt like I might lose the breakfast I'd had an hour before as my vision narrowed to a tiny spot filled with my cousin-in-law's blurry visage. It was no use, but I still opened and closed my mouth and tried with all my might tobegthem to stop. Instead, I was tumbling backward into unconsciousness, and there wasn't a damn thing Sith or I could do about it.
It was just like my recurring dream. The one that had prompted my visit to the other side of Nowhere, USA, to see my cousins -and more specifically, Molly Brown-Archer. The one Sith swore had to do with the woman made for me by the Universe.
Falling into the dark abyss of whatever craziness my subconscious created, I lost all control of not only my body but my mind. There were flashes of lights, bolts of lightning, massive floating formations, and wispy clouds of Magic that reminded me of the crazy space movies we all boys used to watch when we were younger. Uncle Diarmuid, my mentor and teacher, always said those horrible excuses for cinema would rot our brains. All I could do was hope he was wrong. A rotten brain was not what I needed at the moment.
The first time it happened, I tried to fight the freaky sensation. I'd yelled and screamed. I'd thrown Magic and Dragon Fire in every direction. Basically, I'd acted like a toddler having a temper tantrum. Finally, I'd mentally roared so loudly that Sith returned the favor with a bellowing,“Shut your damn mouth, Lad. This is your mind’s messed up journey, not mine or anyone else’s. For the sake of the Ancestors, it's a nightmare, Lad. Either stop it or deal with it. There is naught I can do about it."
Of course, I’d gotten the message. I’m hardheaded, but when the Dragon King with whom I share my soul roars, I usually try to listen. It makes the headache go away quicker.
With each subsequent dream, I'd become more comfortable with the inevitable. The third, or maybe it was the fourth time I'd been sucked in, I actually looked for clues, for which Sith sarcastically grumbled,“Lookie there, he can be taught.”
For once in my long life, I chose to take the high road and not shoot back a nasty comment. Incessant bickering would get us nowhere, or so I'd been told a million times. Instead, I asked,“There has to be a reason it’s happening, right?”
“Indeed.”The only answer I got left me to continue my inner monologue with the knowledge that Sith would chime in when and if he wanted to. I could only hope it wasn't to remind me that he believed we were about to our Mate.
I'd been alive a hell of a long time, and I was one of the Universe's Chosen Winged Warriors. So, it only stood to reason that I wasn't having freaky dreams just for shits and giggles. Someone or something, or both, was trying to enlighten me or, worse yet, warn me. Since they'd chosen a rather unconventional way of communicating, I had to assume it was important.
Yes, I knew assuming usually made an ass out of you and me and had about a twenty-five percent success rate in the best of times. However, on that occasion, it was the right thing to do. Maybe I would finally find out what the hell was happening.
Focusing on my surroundings aside from the fantastic light show, I realized I wasn't in space, or some weird landscape created by my mind. I was actually deep within the Aurora Borealis.
