The Golden Dragon (2 page)

* * * *

“I’m April…”
Oh, my God!
This man was Drake Delfavaro, the most powerful dragon in the world…and she just told him her name. Was she retarded? Now what should she do? She had to get out of here before he realized what she was and killed her. Since she couldn’t lie worth a hill of beans, April knew she had to stick as close to the truth as possible or he would smell an untruth. She cast a nervous gaze behind her before turning back to him. “I was just sneak—I was just leaving my sisters to go for a much needed walk…alone.”

“Sneaking out, eh?” He inquired with a chuckle. “I don’t blame you. As I recall, life with my brothers was rather tedious, to say the least.” April snorted. When she did, Drake grinned at her.

“Your brothers can’t be anything like my sisters. I 11

have twelve of them.”

Drake cleared his throat. “Did I hear you correctly?

You have twelve sisters? I would love to meet the formidable woman capable of that feat. Your mother must either be a very strong or very tired woman.”

Crap! Why did she tell him that? He didn’t need to know how many sisters she had. Dang it! She couldn’t change her story now. “Actually,” she paused and tilted her head to the side wondering how much more to tell him of her life. “At the moment, she is very dead.”

“I’m sorry.” He picked up her hand that, until that very moment, hung loosely at her side and she stiffened.

“Please forgive me.”

She frowned. “Forgive you for what? You didn’t kill them. That dubious honor goes to one of my sisters.”

* * * *

“I beg your pardon.” Did she just say that one of her sisters killed her mother? He fought the urge to stick his finger into his ear and wiggle it vigorously. “I could have sworn you just said your—”

“My sister killed my mother. She killed both of our parents really.” She looked down at her feet and 12

shrugged as if this wasn’t the most bizarre conversation in the world. “It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t mean to.”

“Ah, an accident of some sort.”

“Yes, an accident.” She pulled her hand from his and started up the alley as the toadstools disappeared into oblivion.

Drake stood, watching them fade away with his mouth open for about ten seconds before the word
witch
popped into his soggy brain for the umpteenth time. The woman was a witch, with twelve sisters.

Thank the Gods, he had finally found himself a witch. Thirteen witches, if what the woman said was true, she and her sisters were a true coven. Bound to catch her before she got away, Drake sprinted toward the mouth of the alley only to look both ways and find his newfound treasure…gone.

13

April stayed hidden in the shadows of the doorway, her cape pulled about her and her hood up to hide her hair until the man gave up his search for her and left. Her heart pounded so hard, she was surprised it didn’t burst from her chest. “Great goober’s ghost!”

She had just met a real live dragon and lived to tell about it. To think she had even been attracted to the creep before she heard his name and realized what he was. She had to let her sister’s know Delfavaro and his minions were in town. They must all go into hiding before he captured and killed them.

Scowling, April thinned her lips, wishing she had the power to kill him and his rabble as he and his kind killed countless witches and other otherworld beings during the dark ages. She ran back to the shop her parents left to her and grabbed the twins, Marigold and Daisy, as they met at the door. “You can’t leave yet. We have to 14

call a family meeting.”

Marigold crossed her arms and scowled. “We just had a family meeting and if you think I’m going to subject myself to any more of Tansy’s pyrotechnic spells, you’re as out of your mind as she is.”

“Drake Delfavaro is in town.”

“Riiiight,” Marigold said as she tried to force her way to the door. “I’ll believe that when it’s carved in stone and hung in the Louvre.”

“I met him outside in the alley. It’s only a matter of time before he finds one of us out and realizes what we are.” April left out the part about him being utterly drool worthy man material.

“Does he look like all the photos I’ve seen of him plastered all over the internet?”

“The internet?” April gasped. “He’s gone public, had his photo blasted all over the world?” Was the man as stupid as he was beautiful? He couldn’t be. According to Ancient witch lore, the strongest, mightiest of the European dragon sect was a genius. It wasn’t possible that the man she met was daft if he was truly Drake Delfavaro.

“Of course he hasn’t gone public with the whole immortal dragon business, you dweeb.” Marigold 15

punched her on the arm. “He’s taken his business public.” She crossed her arms and raised a brow. “I know you’ve heard of Delfavaro industries.”

Of course she did. They made everything from video games to auto parts. There wasn’t a person alive who hadn’t used something made by one of their subsidiaries.

“Damn, damn, damn.” April stomped over to the sofa and plopped down in the center of it. “I can’t believe that I was attracted to the goon until I found out what he was.”

“Really?” Daisy perked up at that. “You’re never attracted to anyone.” Her eyes went all dreamy the way they did when she talked about the newest romance she’d read. “Maybe it’s a sign and you’re the woman who can change his wicked ways.”

“Stop that!” April snapped the words as Daisy began to dance around the room with an invisible partner.

Daisy came to an abrupt halt and thrust her bottom lip out. “You never let me have any fun.”

“Bull chips! I let you have all kinds of fun in the bookstore.” April waved her into the bookstore proper.

“Go find yourself a romance or two to keep you busy while Marigold and I call the others and arrange a place to meet. We can’t possibly stay here now that he’s seen 16

me. It’s only a matter of time before he puts two and two together and comes up with thirteen witches to roast.”

April sighed. Why hadn’t she just stayed inside today and went out to commune with nature tomorrow?

It’s not as though it wouldn’t be there. Nature had waited eons for her to commune with it. Waiting for her another day wouldn’t have hurt it a bit.

After calling everyone and agreeing on their new meeting place, the three of them piled into Marigold’s dinky foreign car and headed out to the country to their parent’s farmhouse.

None of the siblings could bring themselves to sell the farm after their parent’s accident, even though they all knew the possibility of their return was slim. Just the slight chance that they could come back from whatever ether Rose sent them to kept them from selling their precious home. When Rose blew up their SUV, there wasn’t a piece big enough to pick up without a pair of tweezers. That was the reason why they all held out hope that their parents weren’t really dead…just missing.

The explosion was unexpected. Rose merely wanted to lift the SUV out of the pond it was stuck in, like a hot air balloon. Instead, when she visualized the sport utility 17

growing lighter like a balloon, she also envisioned it becoming larger. There was nothing left of the truck.

The explosion even scared off the two beautiful herons that had been so still until that point that they had gone unnoticed.

Now that their parents were gone, it was time to grow up, to rely on themselves and each other to meet their mates and survive the years to come. The boys, being boys, took their inheritance and ran with it. The girls, sentimental boobs that they were, couldn’t seem to let go of their home. They even still spent holidays on the farm.

At least they had all finally moved out though. A thorn in their parents’ side since the day they all turned twenty-one, they moved out on their own when their parents were no longer there to fall back on.

Some would say that the accident had been a blessing in disguise. In fact, a few people
had
said it, damn them all to the underworld. Their aunts and uncles all agreed that doing without the love and guidance of their parents was the best thing that happened to them.

What April wanted to know was where in the hell was their compassion? The jerks!

“Look at the herons in the water.” Daisy pointed out 18

the birds that seemed to hang out at the farm in the summer months. “They’re always here when we come to visit.” She looked at Marigold. “Sometimes, I like to think that it’s Mom and Dad looking over us.”

“Just so long as they aren’t flying over us and I’m not wearing a hat,” Marigold replied dryly.

Daisy smacked her on the arm. “I was being serious!”

“You were being melancholy and I hate that shit.”

Marigold scowled at her as she rubbed her arm and thrust the gearshift in park. “Get out of my car, wench.”

“My pleasure.” Daisy threw the door open and unfolded herself from the front seat. She clearly forgot about April in the back because she shut the door, effectively locking her in the back until Marigold got out.

“Bitch.” Marigold threw her door open, got out of the car and slammed it behind her.

“Hey! I’m still in here,” April called after them both, then sat back in the seat, dejected. Why did her sisters always forget about her sitting in the backseat of compact cars with no room to crawl into the front and get out on her own? One of these days she was going to be the one in front slamming the door on one of her 19

hapless sisters in the back, dammit!

Fifteen minutes went by before they realized they were missing a sister and came looking for her.

“Sorry, sissy,” they said in unison as they both hung their heads, appearing contrite…at least until they looked at each other and grinned.

“Sorry, my Aunt Fanny,” April groused as she climbed out of the back seat.

“You don’t have an Aunt Fanny,” June said as she came around the back of the car. “I know this, because neither of us even
know
a Fanny.” She bit her lip as she eyed Marigold’s rear end. “Not unless you want to count the inordinately large one hanging off the back of Marigold.”

“Bite me.” That came from Marigold who turned her back on everyone to watch the herons on the pond in the side yard. “You’re just jealous that I can manifest.”

“Ha! You manifest food and only food. What does that tell you?”

“It tells me that she has some man issues, or lack of man issues,” Ginger said as she moved to align herself with June. No one wanted on June’s bad side. When June got mad, vines tended to grow and strangle everything in sight—even people. Marigold ignored 20

both Ginger and June and continued to stare out over the water, her hands on her hips.

“Okay, okay.” April, finally out of the car, straightened her favorite, white blouse and brushed the imaginary dust off her pants. “Do I have to be the adult here again?”

“You’re the oldest. Why not?” Daisy crossed her arms.

April shook her head. “I’m the oldest by days or months. Like that really makes a difference.” She had to stop the fighting and get their minds back on the urgent subject at hand—namely, the appearance of dragons in their midst.

* * * *

“What did you say?” Drake was desperate. He had to find that woman. She or one of her twelve sisters could be his familiar. Even if they weren’t, there were other dragons in search of their mates as well. They had to find them.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t find anyone matching that description.” Martin looked at the computer screen in front of him, his hand clicking away at the mouse on the 21

desk. “There was a little boy who talked about the magic woman in the bookstore.” He shrugged and wrinkled his nose. “But the mousy bookshop owner hardly sounds like the woman you described.” He frowned at the screen. “This photo says it was taken just after the accidental death of the woman’s parents.” He tilted his head to the side and stared at it critically.

“What photo?” Drake hurried to his side to see.

Damn he wished he could remember what she said her name was. He had been so taken aback by the fact that he was talking to a real live witch, it was as though his brains had turned to overcooked macaroni. It was too much to remember something as simple as a name when he stood staring at the embodiment of all of his dreams and wishes over the last several hundred years.

“This one here. The shop owner is April Flowers.”

That’s it!

Martin’s fingers moved fast over the keyboard and the photo disappeared just as Drake came up behind him.

“I just found the obituary for her parents.” He squinted as he read the fine print. Then he grinned. “I think we found her.”

“I think we have. The woman said her name was 22

April.”

Turning, Martin gave Drake a strange look. “I thought you said the woman was the most beautiful creature you have ever seen?”

“She is.” Drake scowled at the other man. “Even if she is not my mate, she is still beautiful.” He gestured toward the screen. “That photo does not do her justice.

Her hair is a thick, glossy white-blonde with gold highlights and her eyes are as blue as the Caribbean.” He glanced back at the monitor. “Does this say where to find her?”

Martin looked at him and cocked a brow like he thought Drake was stupid. “I would imagine you could find her at her bookshop. The address is sixty-six twenty-three Hendry.”

Drake didn’t waste any more time talking with Martin. He grabbed his keys and ran for the door. His current familiar had just redeemed himself. If he found his mate, he wouldn’t kick Martin to the curb as he should, he would keep him on for his computer abilities.

Every executive needed a good computer man.

He risked traveling fast through the ether. He just hoped that he didn’t collide with someone while doing so. The ether, for his people, was a place where they 23

could use their powers of flight and preternatural speed without anyone seeing them. Unfortunately, on the ground, they took the chance of colliding with someone in the
real
world. Not that the ether wasn’t real. It just wasn’t widely publicized.

Even though it took half the time to get to her bookstore than it should have, she wasn’t there when he arrived. The shop was closed. On the door hung a sign that said,
Store closed due to family illness. We
apologize for the inconvenience.

“Damn!”

“What’s the matter, mister?” a teenager on a bike asked. The girl, quite pretty for her age of about fifteen, dressed in goth style minus the piercings, sat with one foot on the ground, the other on the pedal. She had an MP3 player attached to her waist and earbuds in her ears. She glanced past him to the sign and rolled her eyes. “She could’ve called me. I hate it when I ride all the way out here to find out the store is closed.” She shook her head. “I need to get a better job.”

“You work here?”

“No, mister. I just ride here every Saturday and Sunday for my health.” She glared at the sign. “This is the second time in two months she’s gone out to her 24

parent’s house and left the shop closed.” She shrugged.

“I wouldn’t mind so much if she called to let me know. I turned down a date with Billy Carver to work and now I’m going to be staying home with nothing to do.”

Drake reached for his wallet and pulled out a hundred dollar bill, the only denomination he kept in his wallet. “I don’t know how much you usually make here, but take this as compensation and go to the mall.” He had heard about how much teenage girls loved the mall, especially when they had money.

She eyed him suspiciously. “I don’t take things from strangers, mister. I like my life, as boring as it is. I’ve heard about your type. If I reach out to take the money, you’ll grab me and graphic photos of my body will be featured on the six o’clock news. No thanks.” She started to pedal away.

“Wait!” Drake wadded up the bill and threw it at her.

“I’m not a serial killer. I just want you to have this for the inconvenience April has put you through.”

“You know April?” she narrowed her eyes, then bent to pick up the money off the sidewalk. She watched him as she did so. She may have wanted the money he threw at her, but she obviously wasn’t stupid.

“Yes, and I know she would want you to have this 25

for your trouble.” He didn’t know anything of the sort, but the girl didn’t know that. He just didn’t want her throwing negative energy April’s way. The more positive energy that surrounded the witch, the more likely she was to manifest what he needed—even if it was another witch for his mate.

Drake frowned at that thought. He wasn’t sure he wanted another witch as his mate and his familiar.

Something about April Flowers struck a chord in him.

She had snorted at him, something no other woman had ever done. Every other woman bent to his will or became what they thought he wanted—the perfect trophy to hang from his arm.

He didn’t want that. He wanted a woman who could hold her own and keep him from railroading her and everyone else. His father had always taught him that a good woman, a good mate, would complement him, not bow to his every whim. Something told him that April Flowers was that woman.

“Man, you must know her. You’re just like her.” The girl shook her head. “April spaces out like that, too.”

She smiled. “You’re meant for each other. She started to pedal way again, then turned to call back, “Tell April to call me if she’s going to have the shop closed tomorrow, 26

will you?”

He nodded and waved. He would tell her if he found her. The girl obviously thought she’d gone to her parent’s home. The siblings must have kept it after their deaths. He would begin his search there.

Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, Drake pressed the speed dial number for his office.

“
Drake Delfavaro’s office, this is
—
”

“It’s me, Martin. Did you happen to get the address of April’s parent’s home while you were digging?”

“Uh…no I didn’t, but I could look it up real quick. I think I can find it using the database for old phone numbers.”

This was the first time in a long time that Drake thought owning the majority of stock in the local phone company was worthwhile. “Do it, then call me back.”

“Yes, sir.” Martin hung up the phone.

Before shoving his phone back into his pocket, Drake called his driver. “Pick me up at sixty-six twenty-three Hendry as soon as possible.” Wherever he was headed, he couldn’t show up without a vehicle. He would scare the woman senseless if he just stepped out from the ether before her. Witches had hidden themselves from dragons for centuries. There must be a 27

reason. Whatever it was, he would convince her that she had no need to hide from him. Their kinds once revered each other. He would like to know why the witches had suddenly decided to keep themselves hidden, even from the people destined to be their mates.

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