Page 13 of The Mating Claim

He suspected it had less to do with his new powers as a wizard and more with the odd coincidence they shared the same blue dragonbirthmark.

Ego prohibited him from asking for help from the others. However, he had an obligation to duty, stamped into him since his mortal birth. She was his charge, and he’d made a pledge to their goddess Danu to judge and guard his dragon charges and do the honorablething.

So he swallowed his pride and asked the one wizard who knew almosteverything.

Caderyn.

In the Shadow Wizard’s vast library, Drust paced as Caderyn searched the three-story high shelves for the ancient texts he needed. The book told of the origin of the Book of Shadows, what spells it contained and how to destroyit.

Finally Caderyn floated down from the third floor, carrying a tiny leather-bound volume no larger than a postage stamp. Drustblinked.

“That’s it? Does not look likemuch.”

“Looks are deceiving with magick books.” The Shadow Wizard brought it over to a long wood table and unfolded it as one would unfold towel. The book increased to the size of a modern magazine and plumped up, revealing pages and pages of elegant inkedscript.

Drust groaned. It would take him months, perhaps years, to read through all ofthis.

“Use your powers to discern what lies inside. But take care. There are hidden lines within the book designed to show knowledge only as needed. So this book, unlike the Book of Shadows, will show nothing to mortals and only to those in greatneed.”

He caressed the fine leather, wistfully recalling his own vast library in his mortal life. He’d recreated it in his castle here in Tir na-nog, but it was not the same, for now he had little time toread.

And once in a while Drust had a flicker of sweet memory – sitting in a leather chair and reading alongside a woman who laughed at something he shared with her. The memory had vanished before he could examine itfurther.

“I have tremendous need right now. How the hell do I destroy the book? Will coldfiresuffice?”

Caderyn pulled free one of the twin swords strapped to his back. The Shadow Wizard had never been seen without his blades, as if he constantly expected battle. Twirling the sword, Caderyn sliced at theair.

“The book was created by a wizard while in the Shadow Lands for a witch, who cast a spell on it to make the book visible to mortals. It must be thrown back into the Shadow Lands to break the spell and erase all the spells inked upon theparchment.”

Drust began to see the difficulty of his task. “It cannot be destroyed bycoldfire?”

The Shadow Wizard did not answer, but selected an orange from a bowl on his massive desk and then tossed it into the air. With expert ease, Caderyn sliced through the fruit, halvingit.

“I did not come here to watch your swordsmanship, as impressive as it is,” he grated out. “I needanswers.”

“Patience, young one. You must learnpatience.”

Young one? Drust felt amused. He was hundreds of years old, but yet Caderyn had seen many more centuries. No one knew his true age, but for Danu. He could have thousands of years onhim.

“Is there no way to expedite destruction of this book?” hepressed.

The wizard finished tossing fruit into the air. Oranges lay scattered on the parquet floor. “There is one, but you will dislike it. The mortal who currently holds the book must die and the book dies with him. Orher.”

His chest tightened as if someone sat on it. “You mean, kill Lacey, the present owner. No. That is not anoption.”

Despite all her wrongdoings, Lacey still remained his charge, and he was her guardian and judge, not her executioner. Yet he had dispatched other dragons in his short tenure, and the book held more danger than the damage those dragons had caused. He wondered why he felt loathe to even consider the idea of executing her. It was a swift and easy answer to a complexproblem.

Lacey is not a problem. She’s a complicated and intriguingwoman…

Caderyn did not meet his gaze, but took a silk cloth from a desk drawer and began cleaning the juice-stained sword. “You must convince her to hand over the book to you before she uses one of the spells withinit.”

“Iwill.”

“You must convince her, Drust. You cannot destroy it yourself, not without terrible consequences. Trust me onthis.”

“It will be a challenge with that one,” he muttered, knowing Lacey’s stubborn and rebellious streak. “I killed her sire, and reasoning with her is not possible at thistime.”

“Such is the case with women,” the Shadow Wizard agreed. He wiped down his blade and studied the elegant runes upon themetal.