The Dragons Blood Key: Legend of the Dragon's Blood Key - Book 1 (26 page)

“I am honored to spend the evening with a
dashing young man as yourself, Aaron,” Dalaina said as she offered
him her hand.

Aaron looked at
Dalaina
and smiled nervously as he took the offered hand.
He paused a moment, unsure of what to do next when Frier pulled her
seat back, allowing her to sit.

“Thank you, Frier,” Dalaina said as she held
her eyes on Aaron, who still had her hand in his. “You may let go
of my hand now, Aaron.”

Realizing how foolish he must look, Aaron
let go of her hand then sat in the chair next to her without saying
a word.

As Frier sat in the chair next to Cassy, a
large man who sat by the orchestra stood, and made an announcement.
“Tonight is a joyous time for the Kingdom of Walandra and its
people. In honor of the return of the Royal Family, we shall
begin
with a waltz from the King
and Queen.”

Everyone in the room turned and looked as
the King and Queen stood and walked to the center of the dance
floor. Once in place, the music started, and the King and Queen
began to dance to a hauntingly beautiful tune. Cassy marveled how
they seemed to float across the dance floor as the orchestra
played. Suddenly, the King motioned to Frier to join them on the
dance floor.

“Shall we?” Frier stood and offered his
arm.

Without thinking, Cassy stood and wrapped
her arm
around
his. She felt as
though she were possessed, as she walked with him to the dance
floor. He then turned to face her with his eyes burning into hers,
making her feel as though at any moment she would find herself
consumed in flames. She had no idea what she was doing when she
rested one hand on his shoulder. Then she gasped when he placed his
hand on her waist and with the other, he held her free hand in
his.

“I don’t know how to dance like this,” Cassy
whispered.

“Neither do I, but I have faith in the Power
of the Dragon. I believe that we will do fine,” Frier smiled as
they began to gracefully dance across the floor.

Cassy held her eyes closed until she heard
Frier whisper in her ear. “Open your eyes, my dear Cassandra. I
want you to remember this night for the rest of your life.”

Cassy slowly opened her eyes and to her
amazement, she was floating across the dance floor, doing a proper
waltz to the hauntingly beautiful music.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she
giggled. “My sister, Melissa would never believe it.”

“Hey Sis, do you think Mom and Dad would
believe
that I can do this?” Aaron
chuckled as he and Dalaina twirled past her and Frier.

“Wow, look at you. I didn’t know you could
dance like that,” Cassy said with pride.

“It wasn’t all me, Frier did it,” Aaron
grinned playfully as he and Dalaina danced off to the other side of
the room.

Cassy looked up at Frier, laughing at the
smile on Aaron’s face.”

“Thank you for helping him, but I have a
question. When did you bestow a touch of the Dragon on me? I’ve
never danced this way before either.”

Frier leaned down and placed his cheek
against hers, as he whispered in her ear. “I did not need to bestow
the Power of the Dragon on you because you already have it within
you. You see, just because you no longer wear the sacred Breast
Plate and Blood Key, does not mean the Power of the Dragon removed
itself from you. What you don’t understand is it will be with you
for the rest of your life. It doesn’t matter if you are in Walandra
or in your realm. You are now and forever part of the Dragon.”

Cassy pulled away, unsure if she had heard
him correctly. “Are you saying that I still have the same powers I
did when I was on my quest to vanquish Alona? How is that possible?
The curse is broken, and your father returned from the Land of
Shadows. You must be wrong. I’m just back to being the same old
Cassy I was before I came here.”

Frier’s expression transformed to one of
sadness. “I thought you felt the power still inside of you as I
feel it in you. That is what draws us to each other.”

Cassy shook her head, trying to understand
the depth of his words. “I can’t be drawn to you in that way. I’m
going to turn seventeen-years-old next week. I’ll be returning to
High School in the Fall and if I keep my grades up, Mom and Dad are
planning to buy me a car. I’m not ready for what you offer. I’m
still a kid. Aaron and I need to return to our family. We can’t
stay here, I’m sorry,” tears flowed down her cheeks as she realized
what her words meant.

Saddened by her decision, Frier also
understood the desire to be with one’s family. After learning that
he had a family, the last thing he could do was to request Cassy to
leave hers.

“Then let us enjoy this night of dance
before you return to your realm.” Frier pulled her back into his
arms then they danced across the floor as though floating on
air.

Roupert sat in the corner next to the
orchestra, watching the dancers as they enjoyed the
festivities.

He could not help but wonder what would
happen now that Cassy had restored the King and Queen to the
throne. He knew that King Ashlym would want him to return as the
head of the Palace Guard. He had to admit there was a part of him
that had longed for that day, but he also had to admit that he
would miss his little hut in the woods. He would also miss his time
with the little dragon that had brought so much joy to his life.
Now that they had returned to the castle, he wondered how his
relationship with Frier would be from this time forward.

“Are you reminiscing about times long gone?
a small voice filled his mind.

“Keira, is that you?” Roupert turned his
head looking for the tiny Milif when he noticed her sitting on the
shoulder of one of the violinists in the orchestra.

“It is rather noisy in here. Let us step out
on the balcony for a short talk,” Keira said then in a flash of
light, she was gone.

Roupert had to laugh when the violinist
nearly jumped out of his chair from fright when Keira vanished.
Once he realized the poor man was okay, he stood and walked toward
the door leading outside.

“I’m over by the fountain,” Keira’s voice
sounded in Roupert’s mind.

“Okay, I’m coming,” he said aloud, feeling
the fool should anyone have heard him.

Once he was at the fountain, he sat on the
stone bench and waited.

“Thank you for meeting with me, Roupert. I
have important news for you.”

Roupert leaned back and crossed his arms
over his chest. “Okay, what was so important that you had to take
me away from the festivities?”

“It is about Abigail.”

Roupert’s breath caught in his throat at the
mention of her name. “What of Abigail? Why do you speak of her
now?”

Keira could see the sadness in Roupert’s
heart. “I know your feelings for Abigail. They burn with the same
intensity today, as they did all those years ago.”

Roupert shook his head, unwilling to have
his heart reminded of the pain he endured the day the Blood Key
returned her to her realm. “
Please,
that is one subject I would prefer not to
discuss.”

“I understand the pain you feel at losing
her, but I want you to know the day comes when the pain you feel
may disappear forever.”

Roupert shook his head, unsure if he had
heard her correctly. “I don’t understand. How is that even
possible? We no longer need a Champion, and with the Queen’s spell
broken, the Blood Stone is no longer a key. Soon Cassy and Aaron
will return to their realm, so any need for magic between our
worlds will no longer exist.”

“Please Roupert, I wish I could say more,
but I am forbidden. Just know that should things transpire as
expected, you will see your beloved Abigail again. You need to send
forth your desire to see her again and let her know that eternal
happiness awaits her with you in Walandra. For this to happen, it
will take the strongest magic in all the realms even more powerful
than that of the Dragon - The Power of Love. Of course, please
don’t tell King Ashlym what I said
,”
Keira laughed playfully.

Is it so? Could Abigail return to him?
Roupert felt his heart come alive and fill with hope. “I want that
more than anything, Keira. My heart has been empty without
her.”

“Then once Cassy and Aaron return to their
realm, you must put forth the love you have for Abigail so that she
will feel it across the vast distance between our
realms
. For that is the only way to summon her
back to you.”

Is it true? Can I
actually
be reunited with my beloved
Abigail?
The words caused his heart to leap with hope.

“Yes, it is true, my dear friend. The time
comes for Abigail to leave this life in her realm. She is alone,
and her heart aches
for
her one
true love. If you want to save her from death, you need to let her
know she is wanted here with you.”

Roupert turned and looked at Keira, his eyes
suddenly filled with tears. “What do you mean save her from death?
Is she in danger? Is someone trying to harm her?”

Keira flew closer to Roupert then reached
out and gently touched him on the cheek. “No, my dear friend, in
her realm she has grown to be an old woman who has come to the end
of her life. Soon she will die and be gone forever, so if you want
to spare her the journey of death, you will need to reach out to
her and summon her here to be with you. Do not doubt your love for
her, Roupert. She will come to you when the time is right. All you
need to do is ask, but you must not tell Cassandra or her brother.
They must not know of this as it would affect their decisions for
their own life paths.”

Roupert nodded his head. “I understand,
Keira. Thank you for telling me of this. My heart has been empty
for so many years, and now that Frier has returned to his parents I
had feared what my purpose would be.”

He exhaled, feeling the pain he had felt for
all these long years gone from his heart. “I best return to the
festivities before someone realizes that I am gone.”

Roupert bowed to Keira. She in turn returned
the bow out of respect.

“Roupert, I have something else important I
must do before the morning. We will see each other again, my
friend.”

Before Roupert could say anymore, she was
gone in a flash of light.

“Goodbye, my little friend. Thank you for
the joyous news of my beloved, Abigail.” With a new lightness in
his heart, Roupert returned to the festivities and sat at the table
with his friends.

“You look pleased with yourself,” Frier
teased.

“As do you, young Prince,” Roupert winked
when he noticed that he and Cassy were holding hands.

Realizing what Roupert meant, Frier lifted
Cassy’s hand and gently kissed it. “Yes, I am, and I fully plan to
enjoy myself for as long as our time together lasts.”

Roupert noticed the mixture of love and
sadness in Cassy’s eyes, and he felt his heart break at knowing the
pain of loss she and Frier would endure once she returned to her
realm. “Yes, enjoy each
prec
ious
moment, for you never know when you will have such joy in your
hearts again.”

The orchestra began to play another song.
“May I have this dance?” Frier held out his hand and waited for
Cassy.

“Yes, I would love to dance with you,” she
said in a soft voice as he led her out on the dance floor.

Roupert watched as Frier and Cassy danced to
the soothing music, and he wondered what their futures held for
them. He could see the love burning in Frier’s eyes for Cassy, and
he knew that once a Dragon fell in love that love lasted
forever.

“So much for a Dragon’s love being the only
one to last for all time. My love for Abigail has endured the
pain-filled
years as well,” he
silently said to himself, as he softly laughed at how life
sometimes will play cruel tricks on one’s heart.

As the music played, Roupert
watched each
couple dance across the floor. He
then breathed a sigh of relief that the dangers the Kingdom had
faced all those long years were finally behind them.

Everyone had danced late into the night, so
Cassy decided that she and Aaron would return home in the morning
at the King’s request.

As she lay in her bed, she thought back to
the beautiful evening and that no matter how much she did not want
to admit it she was in love with Frier.

“How is that even possible? I’ve only known
him a few days and most of those days he was a young, silly
Dragon.” She closed her eyes and his face appeared in her mind. She
had never known anyone as handsome as Frier. His eyes seemed to
hold her captive. She found herself lost in the deep, shimmering
emerald green with the swirling flames that seemed to dance on
their own. His hair was dark and wavy with soft, loose curls
teasing his neck and shoulders. As they had danced across the
floor, she found herself gently twirling his hair with her fingers
of the hand resting on his shoulder.

At one point, he had realized what she was
doing and
merely
smiled, as they
continued to dance.

“Stop thinking that way. You’re going home
tomorrow, and you will never see him again. Besides, he’s a Prince;
in line for the throne. You’re not Princess material, let alone
someone who could ever be a Queen. Just let this go, and get some
sleep,” she scolded herself for thinking such foolish thoughts.

As she struggled to fall asleep, Cassy heard
a soft voice in her mind. “Cassandra, we need to talk.”

“Who’s here?” Cassy sat up
on
the bed and looked around the room. She
suddenly noticed a small ball of light floating across the room
toward the bed.

“Keira, is that you?”