Page 2 of Song of the Shadow Prince (The Dragon’s Ballad #1)

1

CAT

A s the searing California sun baked the asphalt, I stood on set wearing a costume that was an absurd amalgamation of medieval armor and sci-fi gadgetry. Whoever designed this had clearly drunk one too many espressos. I glanced over at the director Marty, a tiny whirlwind of energy and clashing Hawaiian shirts, who was currently animatedly discussing how my next stunt could “really use more... pizzazz !”

“Yeah, because jumping off a three-story building while fighting CGI monsters isn’t pizzazz-y enough,” I muttered under my breath.

“Alright, everyone! Let’s make magic!” Marty clapped his hands and like obedient schoolchildren, we scrambled into place.

Beside me, Jake, the special effects guru, grinned and handed me a gadget that looked suspiciously like a futuristic toaster. “Just in case you want some toast on your way down, Cat,” he quipped.

“Great. Breakfast and a show. You know, Jake, if this acting gig doesn’t work out, I could always join the circus,” I offered with a wink.

Jake chuckled as he checked the rigging one last time. “With your skillset? You’d be the star performer.”

My skillsets included being a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 82 nd Airborne, which had given me the perfect talents to become a stunt woman in Hollywood.

The assistant director, a no-nonsense woman named Trish, gave the countdown. “And in three, two, one… Go!”

As I sprinted, the metal plates of my costume clinked comically. I approached the edge of the rooftop, my heart thumping—not from fear, but from the absurdity of the moment. As I launched into the air, the so-called “futuristic” toaster slipped from my grasp and spiraled into the camera-dense zone below.

“Oh, no, not the toaster!” I heard Jake’s mock despair from the rooftop.

Mid-air, the world slowed down. For a strangely serene second, it was just me and the breeze, until I crashed into the airbag below with all the grace of a deflating balloon.

As the crew rushed over to make sure I was still in one piece, I sat up with a wide grin. “So, who caught the flying toaster?”

Marty, ever the dramatist, clapped his hands with glee. “Brilliant! But let’s try it one more time. I think the toaster could use a bit more... trajectory.”

Rolling my eyes, I stood and dusted myself off. “Sure, Marty. Maybe this time we can aim for popcorn.”

The crew laughed, and even Marty cracked a smile. It was ridiculous, it was chaotic, but moments like these made me love this crazy new world I was part of. Maybe it wasn’t quite as structured as the military, but it was certainly just as adventurous.

I started the trek back to the rooftop, shaking my head slightly as I passed the costume assistant trying to reattach a rogue piece of armor to my shoulder. “It’s a lost cause, Rita. I think we’d have better luck teaching it to fly.”

Rita, a sprightly woman with a seemingly endless supply of safety pins and tape, simply chuckled and patted my arm. “Honey, if anyone could do it, it’d be you.”

Once back on the roof, I saw Jake fiddling with another bizarre prop. “What’s that? Another kitchen appliance for me to juggle?”

“Nope, this time it’s a blender. Figured you might want to make a smoothie on your way down.” Jake’s face was deadpan, but the twinkle in his eye gave him away.

I snorted and grabbed the blender. “As long as it's a frozen margarita coming out of this thing, I'm game.”

The crew set up for another take. Marty was directing with even more gusto, if that was possible. “Let’s focus on the emotional trajectory! This is not just a stunt; it's a metaphor for life’s perpetual plunge into the unknown!”

I nodded solemnly, though I felt a smirk tugging at my lips. “Deep, Marty. Real deep.”

The countdown started again, and this time when I ran and jumped, I held the blender aloft like a trophy. The wind whooshed past my ears, and for a moment, amidst the absurdity, I felt utterly free.

This time, I landed perfectly on the airbag without dropping the ‘essential’ blender. The crew erupted into cheers and applause, not just because I had nailed the stunt, but because I had managed to keep a straight face while holding a blender in mid-air.

Marty rushed over, his face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. “Perfect! That’s the shot! Who knew a blender could be so... symbolic?”

I got to my feet and handed the blender to Jake with mock solemnity. “Keep this for the Oscars. It deserves its own award.”

As everyone on set burst into action, packing up cameras and props for the next scene, I felt a warm glow of camaraderie. These people were as much a team as any squad I had been part of in the army. We might not have been in life-or-death situations, but we sure knew how to make a splash.

Trish came over, clipboard in hand. “Great work. You ready for the lake scene, or do you need a break?”

I grinned, feeling the familiar thrill of anticipation. “I was born ready. As long as it doesn’t involve any kitchen appliances, I think I’ll manage.”

Trish laughed. “Don’t jinx it!” With a shake of her head, she walked off to coordinate the following scene of chaos.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the lot, I took a moment to appreciate this bizarre, exhilarating world of stunt work. From military boots to movie sets, it was definitely one hell of an act to follow.

The crew shifted locations to a nearby lake specifically chosen for the movie. The next scene was straightforward and yet thrilling—a high dive into the murky waters below, chased by an explosion. Classic Hollywood spectacle.

Luckily, I had a bit of downtime before my scene while everyone set up. I was well acquainted with the mantra of hurry up and wait , so I chilled near the snack bar while things were situated.

Finding a stool, I plopped down and pulled out my phone to text my boyfriend, Fernando. I hadn’t heard from him lately and I was getting antsy. Instead of sending him a text, I dialed his number, but the asshole sent me to voicemail.

“Bitch,” I muttered, barely restraining the urge to hurl my phone across the set.

Calming my nerves, I was about to pull up my best friend’s number when an incoming text from her flashed across the screen, followed by her calling. Instead of reading the text, I answered.

“Hey girl, what’s up?”

“Cat!” Angie said, slightly out of breath. “Sorry to bother you at work, but did you see my text?”

I shook my head as if she could see me. “No, you called like, a second after it came through. Why? What’s going on?”

“Cat!” Trish, the assistant director waved her arms and called me over to start shooting.

“Be there in a sec!” I yelled back. “What’s going on, Angie? I gotta go.” I sensed her hesitation and rolled my eyes, wishing she would just spit it out. “Look, I’m going to hang up if you—”

“Fernando is cheating on you!” she blurted.

I paused. The blood running through my veins turned to ice as I slowly pulled the phone away and looked at the text message she’d sent. Sure enough, it was a picture of Fernando cozied up with another girl in Beverly Hills when he was supposed to be in Malibu spending time with his parents.

“Son of a bitch,” I growled.

“Cat?” Angie called out. “Cat!”

I brought the phone back to my ear. “Where did you get this?”

“It’s circling through the crowd. Everyone knows,” she mumbled, sounding miserable. “I’m sorry, Cat. I wanted to tell you before you found out from someone else.”

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “Thank you, Angie. For being a loyal friend.”

“What time do you get off work?” she whispered. “I’ll bring ice cream and we can binge watch Bridgerton in our pajamas.”

I scoffed. “You think I want to watch Bridgerton and eat ice cream right now?” I was met with silence. “I want to slash his tires and super glue his balls to his a—”

“Cat!” Trish called for me again, cutting me off mid-tirade.

I gritted my teeth and squeezed my hand around my phone. “I have to go, Angie. I’ll call you when I get off work. It’ll be late.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay up.” Her soft tone told me she was worried.

Marty snapped his fingers and raised his voice to be heard above the chatter. “Alright, people, let’s get to work!”

I hardly registered his words. I handed my phone to one of the assistants and walked over to Marty and the rest of the crew. He was briefing the team, his arms flailing like a conductor leading an unruly orchestra. I was listening, but also, I wasn’t. I was so angry, it felt as if I was having an out of body experience.

The director turned to me, his eyes shining. “When you hit the water, I want chaos, but beautiful chaos. Think… mermaid meets Michael Bay,” Marty said as he clapped his hands.

“Cat, did you wrap up your new tattoo?” Trish pointed to her forearm.

I nodded. “Yeah, it’s tightly wrapped. It’ll be fine for the shoot.” I’d gotten a new tattoo last night, not knowing I had a water stunt today. But it should be fine. I had a whole sleeve of tattoos, so I was a pro at taking care of them at this point.

Trish patted my shoulder. “Okay, good.”

I adjusted my gear, the earlier lightness replaced by a slight edge of concentration. I was wearing a long sleeved, black wet suit that was practically super glued to my skin, filled with all sorts of gadgets to make the costume look futuristic. No matter what was happening with my personal life, I couldn’t allow myself to be distracted. Not now. Diving was second nature to me, but every stunt had its risks.

Beside me, Jake was checking the small explosive devices designed to go off just after I entered the water, adding to the drama of the scene. “Ready for a swim?” he asked, giving me a thumbs up after his checks.

“Ready as I’ll ever be. Just no blenders or toasters this time, please,” I quipped, peering into the water.

It looked a bit more ominous than your average lake, dark and seemingly bottomless, but I shrugged off the unease. Learning you’d been cheated on didn’t feel good, especially when your job involved dangerous stunt work. But that asshole didn’t deserve my attention right now.

I climbed to the designated jumping spot, which was a high ledge that overlooked the lake. Below, the crew was in position, cameras aimed at the water to catch every angle of my descent.

Trish’s voice came through the walkie-talkie, clear and professional. “On my mark in three… two… one… jump !”

I took a deep breath and leapt. The air rushed past me, a thrilling whisper against my exposed skin. I hit the water with perfect precision and the coolness enveloped me in an instant, a welcome respite from the simmering California heat. Underwater, all was calm and quiet. My thoughts were no longer overpowering, and I felt as if I could relax. Thoughts of Fernando filtered away and the tension bled away from my shoulders.

But when I plunged deeper and spun to start swimming back toward the surface, I felt a sudden, sharp tug on my ankle. The initial rush of the dive was quickly overtaken by panic clawing at my chest. I flailed, trying to understand what had ensnared me. My costume, perhaps too intricate for such a stunt, seemed to have snagged on something unseen beneath the water's surface. Despite my attempts to free myself, the grip was unyielding, pulling me deeper into the murky depths.

The water pressed in on me from all sides, cold and unyielding, as my lungs burned for air. My mind raced with training protocols and emergency procedures, but my body couldn't respond effectively against the relentless pull. My eyes stung when I forced them open, desperate to find something, anything, that could offer a clue or aid.

That's when I saw it—an almost ethereal glow emanating from below. As my eyes adjusted, I caught a glimpse of my reflection on the underside of the water's surface. But it was different—startlingly so. Instead of the tangled mess of my stunt gear and my increasingly panicked expression, there was a calm, almost serene version of myself staring back. This other 'me' wore a flowing dress that shimmered with the dark hues of the lake, untouched by the chaos of my current predicament. Her face was composed, but something about it made me uneasy.

The sight was surreal, a stark contrast to my frantic desperation. A mix of wonder and fear washed over me. As my consciousness waned, the edges of my vision began to darken and the mysterious reflection faded into a void. The last thing I felt was a gentle warmth, as if the water itself was comforting me, embracing me in its depths. Then, everything went black.

The cold grip of the lake released me not into death, but into an entirely different existence altogether.