Page 37 of Lahaina Noon (Modern Legends of Dragons & Shadows #1)

Chapter 37

N ot this shit again, Bridget thought to Vaughn.

He was now standing by her side, growling quietly at Hilde. All eyes were on Bridget.

Hilde smirked and stated, “If she has truly mastered this beast that you all seem to fear, she should be able to prove it easily enough.”

Bridget knew they were afraid of him, but really, they were acting as if he planned to take down the whole dragon race. Maybe that’s exactly what they feared.

He squeezed her hand in encouragement as she started to step forward, but he held her back. Channel me, he urged her.

What? she demanded, looking at him sharply. Last time I did that, I short circuited the elevators in your building for two hours.

Vaughn looked at her, I know but you didn’t understand it then, you do now. You’ve so much more control. You need to show them what we can do, how strong we are together. I have a reason for asking, my love. You know I would never do anything to harm you. I promise, you will be okay. I’ll help control it from my end.

Bridget nodded. She did trust him. If he needed her to make a show, he had a good reason.

Ivan stepped forward, silent until now. “If it pleases the Council, I have business elsewhere to attend to. I’ve no interest here,” he stated as if he was bored with the whole proceeding.

Bridget stared at him in confusion. Why wasn’t he supporting his son? Ivan did not meet either of their gazes and waited patiently for the Council to answer.

Baltrus waved a hand negligently, “Go, go, your only role was to deliver him to us, and you performed well. Be about your day.”

Ivan gave a slight bow, turned, and walked out, leaving them alone in the room.

Bridget turned a bewildered stare on Vaughn, and he looked at her with equal confusion. Had the whole ‘Ivan returned home to reclaim his relationship with his son’ merely been a ruse to lure Vaughn here? She let her anger boil at the Council for using him, and the way they had kept him like a prisoner, away from his own family when he’d needed them the most. Suddenly, she had the cold calculation she needed to channel Vaughn’s magic as sharply as the blade of a knife. She smiled darkly and raised her hands. They wanted a show? She’d give them a spectacle.

She closed her eyes and opened herself to the magic. It began whirling through her, and she welcomed it like a long-lost friend. It was warm and buzzing, snapping and crackling. Her skin thrummed as the sensations coursed over her body like an electric current. The hairs on her arms and neck stood at attention. Her scalp tingled, and she realized her hair was floating up from her head. Her eyes flew open, and she smiled at Hilde, who flinched. She heard gasps as the room went pitch black a moment before a beam of pure light shot from Bridget’s fingers. It burned brightly; several of the Council shielded their eyes from its glare.

She saw Baltrus snarling, so she twisted her fingers slightly and directed them at him. Her light swirled into a flaming dragon, which leaped from her fingertips. She watched his eyes widen in alarm and gave a satisfied smirk as it passed inches from his nose. Then, she flicked her wrist and sent the light hurtling at Hilde, who squealed, jumping back from the table and ducking out of sight.

Enough, my love, Vaughn chuckled, the pride evident in his voice. You’ve made your point .

Bridget let the magic relax, and the dragon returned to her, disappearing into her fingers. The room slowly brightened again, and Hilde regained her seat.

She pulled her shirt aside, revealing the mark, and looked up at Vaughn.

“Your eyes are as black as my scales,” he said with a beaming smile that stole her breath. I’m so proud of you, Bridget, my love . He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her passionately. Council be damned. When they came to their senses, her eyes were once again her own.

She smiled shakily at him, and he winked. They linked hands, turning to face the Council together. United as one.

Wu clapped, and Silver Hair joined him. “Well done, my dear. Well done. Mistress Hilde,” Wu turned to her, “You challenged, she answered. Do you accept? ”

Bridget could see that the answer would cost her some pride, tasting like sour grapes, but she couldn’t deny what she’d seen.

“I concede if I must too… this… woman,” she sneered.

“Bridget,” Vaughn said. “Her name is Bridget. If you address my mate as anything less again, I will take great offense.” He snarled and spit flame at her feet as an indication that he was deadly serious.

She saw Hilde’s eyes widen; she remembered that most dragons could not produce flames in their human form, so it was an exclamation point to his statement.

“Bridget, I concede my challenge to you. You have proven to this council that you are indeed the Drake’s true mate. I commend you for your excellent, um, control,” Hilde concluded with a tentative smile at Bridget.

She nodded with grace and squeezed Vaughn’s hand. Things were looking up.

“So. What,” Baltrus said with anger in his eyes. “That only proves my point. He took a mate against our orders and a strong one. Imagine what their children could do! He should be punished, now.”

Bridget was stunned, she hadn’t thought of it like that.

Wu contemplated in silence before stating, “Fortunately for Drake, it is not up to you but the Council as a whole. I call for a vote to decide.”

Baltrus slammed his fist on the table. “Why a vote? It is law! He was given terms; he willingly and knowingly broke them. He admits, do you not?” he growled at Vaughn.

Vaughn dipped his head in acknowledgement.

“See? We do not need to vote on this, it’s clear as day. ”

Wu finally snarled at Baltrus, who was jabbing his finger on the table. Baltrus sat down with alacrity. “How quick you are to judge Baltrus, have you never been wrong? Were you never young and passionate once? Have you always been so stuffy and angry? I called for a vote, so vote we shall. Those in favor of prosecuting?”

Baltrus’ hand shot up. Hilde wavered as if she wanted to vote against Vaughn but was a little afraid. Baltrus glared at her, and she raised her hand.

Wu nodded, “Two to prosecute, those opposed?” He raised his own hand, and Silver Hair raised hers too. They all looked at Hood who continued to sit still, remaining silent. Bridget wondered if he was asleep.

Wu nodded again. “Two for and two against. It seems, my friend Tar’n, the vote has come down to you.”

Baltrus spluttered in anger.

Bridget saw the hood move slightly as if he was focusing on her. Good God, could this GET any more cliched! s he thought. I mean, really. Two for and two against, down to the last vote, and it’s up to some Jedi wannabe hooded dude who might not even be alive under there. Could this be any more like a fiction novel?

Vaughn snorted, catching some of what she was thinking. Down girl, he sent her, two weeks ago, you didn’t even believe dragons existed. And remember those myths and legends are usually based on a kernel of truth.

She sighed, waiting. Where did he get off being so reasonable? She was tired of standing, tired of being judged. She wanted to get back home and figure out how to kick some shadow ass .

Tar’n finally stood and folded his hands. “Drake,” he said in a whispery voice.

Creepy, Bridget shivered.

Tar’n continued to speak, and his words sounded like leaves rattling in the wind through the branches of a dying tree on a cold fall night. Wow, I’m getting morbid, Bridget thought.

The whisper asked, “Why is it you come to us now? You spoke of needing help but have yet to ask. You demonstrate this incredible bond, this show of power, knowing it could endanger your cause. But you stand before us, putting on a spectacle. Why?” The whispering stopped, and Bridget felt the warmth return to the room. She half expected to see snow falling.

Vaughn drew himself tall, nodding; Bridget realized this was the reason he requested the show of power. “Thank you, wise one. I come before you to ask your help to battle the Shadow Claw.”

The Council hissed at the name. Baltrus jumped up, shouting, “You haven’t changed! Vengeance in your heart! Always looking for a fight!”

Tar’n raised a hand, and he sat back down.

“Tell us!” commanded Wu.

Vaughn launched into his tale of how the Shadows had been attacking in broad daylight in front of others, trying to snatch Bridget, burning her house down and ambushing families, killing some of them. At this news, the Council burst into shouts and unintelligible words. A cold wind whipped through the room with the force of a hurricane, whipping papers into the air and blowing out the torches. The room fell silent .

A small flame appeared next to Bridget as Vaughn walked to the torches and casually relit them. The Council sat silently, staring at the hooded Tar’n. Once Vaughn had returned to his position, the whisper came again.

“Why?” it asked simply.

Vaughn rolled his lips inward like he didn’t want to answer.

A cold chill swept over him, and Bridget saw frost gathering on his skin. She wasn’t sure who this Tar’n was, but she knew he was powerful. She nodded at Vaughn, encouraging him to tell them. “They are after Bridget because she is the Wielder of Prophecy.”

The council was silent for a moment as they regarded him. Silver Hair finally spoke. “So, you found the Wielder of Prophecy, and mated her. Well done, Drake.” She laughed and applauded.

Vaughn dipped his head.

“It’s not possible,” said Hilde in confusion. “The shadow killed the Wielders of Prophecy years ago.”

Wu nodded slightly, narrowing his eyes on Bridget. “That is true, but here she stands, enormous light wielding at her control, I wonder.” He tapped a finger to his lips. He turned to Baltrus, “You are the historian, are you not? You interpreted the Prophecy and gave us the identities of both, or so you claimed. Explain.”

Baltrus eyed Bridget with barely disguised malice. “There were two Wielders of Prophecy. We know the Shadows hunted down the first one fifty years ago in the Alps, buried him in an avalanche, a Jacob Slonsky, his body never recovered. Then we received word that they killed the second wielder almost nine years ago. Another man. He was killed in an accident of some kind at a military base in America, in Texas. What was the name? A moment,” he shuffled some papers.

Ice wrapped around her heart. “No,” she whispered. “Please, God, no.” She noticed the hood focusing on her, like a physical touch.

Vaughn turned to her and said her name, but it sounded like he was underwater, muffled, far away.

“Here it is.” Baltrus waved a paper in slow motion. “Brian Ridgeway, he was the other Wielder. They killed him, too.”

Bridget’s world crumbled around her. Brian, her Brian, was dead because of her. Because the Shadow Claw thought he was the Wielder, but it was her. It was her fault. She saw Vaughn speaking, but she couldn’t hear him. Why does he look so scared ? She thought before she hit the floor, and the world went blessedly dark.

“Bridget, come back, Bridget!”

No, I don’t want to go there, that way is pain. Let me stay here, let me stay. She slipped back into the dark, gladly letting Morpheus take her in his arms to keep the pain at bay.