Page 1 of Thorulf

Prologue

Franconia,NewHampshire

2000

“COME ON, JUST alittlebit further.” Convinced her other sisters would follow when they spied the tempting cave ahead, Jade yanked Maya after her. “If you’re along, nothing bad can happen to us. The animals won’t let it.”

The truth was none of them should be wandering out this far alone. Aunt Elsie wouldn’t like it. Not at their young ages.

“I don’t think the animals enjoy it here.” Maya stopped short and shook her head, eyeing the cave dubiously before her gaze swept over their surroundings. “They’ve all vanished, Jade.” She glanced at Trinity and Raven, who were even younger than Jade. “We should go back right now.”

“Or,” Jade countered, captivated by the massive, yawning cave beckoning her forward, “we could just take a quick peek.”

“I agree with Maya.” Trinity narrowed her eyes at the cave's darkness. At how black it looked against the bright summer day. She took Raven’s hand and walked backward. “We should leave this place.”

“No, we shouldn’t.” Raven yanked free and raced over to Jade, her eyes round with rare excitement. “You’re right. We should go look.” She notched her chin at the other two. “Wearedragons, after all. And dragons arefearless.”

“Fearless is one thing, foolish another,” Maya counseled. “The energy’s not right in that cave.” She shook her head and looked at Jade to do the right thing. To keep Raven away from it. “It’s too unpredictable, which makes it dangerous.”

“But it’s not,” Jade argued, confident it held intrigue rather than trouble. “I’ll show you.”

She told Raven to wait a minute, then strode that way, feeling, oddly enough, a little lighter with every step she took. But then she’d just spied something staring back at her from the darkness. Curious dragon eyes wondering just how close she dared to come.

“Close,” she vowed under her breath.

As close as possible. All the way inside. As far as it took to offer her a little escape.

She and her sisters suffered from vibrational issues, and things like this, a chance to take a break from negative energy, to explore new things when they came along, made her feel better. Sure, it was more of an adventure than she was allowed, but she couldn't help herself.

“There’s a boy dragon in there, so I’m sure everything’s okay,” she called over her shoulder when Maya started after her. She’d always gotten along better with boys than girls, so surely everything was fine. Or would be once she met him.

Rather than risk Maya stopping her, she picked up her pace, more curious than ever, when the little dragon’s eyes blinked twice and vanished into the darkness. Where was he going? She hadn't had a chance to say hello yet. Determined to stop him, she shifted and zinged into the cave only to halt when a younger, transparent version of Maya toddled by.

“Maya?” She turned back, confused, only to find the forest and her sisters had vanished. Instead, clouds floated by the mouth of a sky-high cave, and all versions of her older sister were gone.

“Who are you?”came a tentative voice in her mind.“Why are you here?”