DRAGON'S GAP: Set Includes Stories 1-3 Plus Love's Catalyst Read online

The couple had stumbled upon a small settlement with sixteen neglected children hidden away. All half and full shifters stolen or sold by their parents unfortunately it was usually the fathers or another male relative that sold them. Sadly the mothers were seldom found alive. In this instance it seemed that the small settlement was owned by shifters and they all seemed to be benefiting from the sale of the young shifters. Children were becoming a very lucrative form of currency by unscrupulous shifters and humans alike.

  Sage asked. “Mitch I presume?”

  “Yeah, that’s me.”

  “Can you get the door for me please?”

  Mitch leaned over and opened the back door. “Thanks, hold him for me, will you?” She handed him the warm bundle, he pulled back the edge of the blanket from the face of a tiny baby. “Oh my Goddess!”

  “Yeah.” She answered even though he hadn’t asked a question. “I found his mom a young girl, fifteen maybe if she was lucky. She didn’t make it. He looks like he was just birthed. Lucky I fell down the hill.”

  Mitch laughed. “You say that, like you got pushed?”

  “I know, right!” Sage said and thought hard at the Goddess. You could have just said where he was, you know.

  She heard a soft voice answer. What would the fun in that have been?

  Sage sniped back at her. You have been hanging out at Dragon’s Gap to much.

  A soft laugh was her only answer. Sage placed the little girl who had stopped crying in a car seat strapping her in. She kissed her forehead and closed the door. Took the baby from Mitch and walked around the car and tucked the baby into a carrier. He said as he followed her. “You are well prepared.”

  “Experience.” She closed the door and went to the children in the back. They had all cuddled down on and under the blankets. Enthusing a soft calming tone in her voice, she said. “Hello little ones. I am Sage, and I am going to take you to your new homes. Where there will be food, warm beds and loads of toys, and best of all dragons to watch fly in the sky. So if you are really lucky, you may get to ride one.”

  Fifteen, soft yips, purrs and yeahs sounded.

  “So it is just a little ride now. Sleep you are safe.” Then she said a small sleep spell she had perfected for children and before she closed the back door, they heard soft sighs, as each child fell into sleep.

  “Neat trick.” Mitch said with a smile.

  “It is and it works every time.”

  He looked up to the sky and rocked back on his heels with his hands jammed into the back pockets of his jeans. “So will they really see dragons and go for rides?”

  Sage laughed at his wishful tone as she leaned back against the door of the vehicle. “Oh, most definitely to both. So Mitch when are you and Sara coming home? It is getting dangerous out here.”

  He stared off into the dark. “I made a promise to Sara. When we find her sister and brother dead or alive. Not until then, she needs to know.”

  Sage nodded her head in agreement. “Yeah, she does, okay then, remember if you need help. Call. I have dragons, and shifters ready to come to your aid.”

  Something in her voice told him he would not see her out of Dragon's Gap again. “Not you. I think?”

  “No, my time in the field is up. I have fulfilled my vow. I will stay at home now and co-ordinate.”

  Mitch laughed at her dry tone, then saluted her saying. “Well so long Sage. It was nice to finally meet you.”

  “You as well Mitch and give my respects to Sara. I hope your hunting goes well. Before you go. Do you need anything?”

  “No, we are fine, we picked up the new phones today.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. “For you, ages and names of the young. There are as many family names as I could gather. Some of them remember.”

  Sage took the paper putting it into her shirt pocket. “Thank you, this helps. We will reunite or adopt out, whichever. Don’t worry they will be well cared for.”

  “I know, otherwise we would not be doing this.”

  “Do you have enough money?”

  “Yep, the bank account is padded nicely, mom.” He said with a cheeky laugh in his voice. “Stop worrying we are fine.”

  Grinning she said. “Smart ass! Get out of here. Stay well and stay in touch.” With a nod he started down the way he had come. As he faded into the night, she called after him.

  “Stay away from the settlement. I called in the Hunters.”

  “Shit!” She heard, accompanied by running feet. She laughed out loud as she mentally said a small blessing to keep him and Sara safe. Then she hopped into her vehicle and was on the road in a matter of minutes with seventeen young shifters ready for a new life. She and her new daughter included.

  Sage could not stop the smile as she drove, glancing into the mirror occasionally she watched her baby girl sleep. Now she understood the reason she had been compelled to insert the clause into the agreement with the Goddess.

  CHAPTER EIGHT:

  T hree hours of driving and one slip through a portal. Found Sage and all the children in her vehicle entering a tunnel made entirely of trees. This was a magical gateway into the town of Dragon’s Gap. Halfway through the tunnel, Sage felt the clammy gel like feeling wash over her from the dragon’s ward which kept the town hidden from the world

  She gunned the engine making it through the barrier quickly, it was an uncomfortable feeling which never got better, no matter how many times she passed through it. She knew it was the clash of powers but still if she never had to feel that again she would be happy. Out the corner of her eye just after she had exited the trees, she caught a sight that made her brake hard. Her eyes widened in surprise and her jaw dropped open with awe. “Wow!”

  Looking fully to her right she saw a huge stone castle, straight from the pages of a medieval novel. It rose up from the clearing, or what had been a clearing before the Castle arrived the stone monstrosity seemed to go on forever. She was sure it went all the way back to the start of the mountain range. It was impressive and hauntingly familiar.

  The stone walls looked like they seemed to take up the entire night sky, stone towers sat at each corner. Turrets she thought they were called, they were magnificent. There was also a wooden draw bridge which led to two large double doors. Shaking off the sensation of Deja vu,’ she scolded herself as she muttered. “An over imaginative reaction, that is all. I must be tired.”

  She slowly continued onto her destination, with the castle staying in the corner of her sight. She came to an old fashion, cobbled street and drove up a slight hill. Having skirted around the town to the registration and healers building, where she could wake all her passengers for the start of their new lives.

  Minutes later she pulled up in front of a big stone building. Just inside the glass doors waiting, were the staff made up of shifters and dragons. They were the healers, nurses and just maternal types that would tend to the new arrivals. The older shifters were usually the support staff and crossed the gap between the younger shifters and dragons. It was a good mix because everyone knew the only important people in that building were the young ones she was bringing in.

  As Sage took the sleeping girl from her car seat, she whispered the counter spell and all of the children woke. She told them they had arrived and as they exited the vehicle she asked them to shift back to their human skins. Which was the term that was used to differentiate between forms. Then they were immediately gathered up into waiting arms. She directed a female to the waiting newborn. Sadly she realized this was becoming to frequent a scene.

  She was positive she saw three or four people that had been on duty when she left. And they had looked tired then, now they looked exhausted. Something would have to be done maybe they needed a schedule and structure. It was just as well, she was going to stay at home now. She rubbed her chest where her heart hurt, as she watched some of her kids cry when they were held in loving arms. For some it could be the first time; for others a remembered embrace, and sadly there were a few who would ofte
n remain stoic from fear. But as she knew that stance would not last in the face of relentless kindness.

  The ones she felt the sorriest for were the truly frightened children who had been taught cruelly that no good was going to come from an adult. They fought the hardest to stay aloof to keep themselves protected. It was always an uphill battle for the child and the new parent, but again she knew time and love would win out.

  Sage wished there was a way to just take the memories away from all the little ones. In truth from all the ones rescued. But as far as she knew there were no magical shortcuts, all they had was time and patience with heaps of love. That usually brought the little ones around. They were all in this for the long haul and as she felt little hands touching her face, she was thankful she was not in this alone. Looking down into the eyes of the sweetest baby girl, she had ever seen she said. “Let’s go find someone to check you over, what do you say little one?” The baby cooed and dribbled. Sage took that as a yes, and with a heart lighter than she’d experienced for a long time. She walked through the doors, only to come face to face with one of her best friends, June.

  “Huh! Did not know you were back?” June fell in beside her as they walked through the large hall, she nodded to the baby. “Yours?”

  Sage answered her second question first. “Yep all mine. I just got back, you?”

  “Yesterday, just checking up on one of my kids before I leave again. She was very upset when we arrived, they had to sedate her.”

  Sage stopped. “Injured…how old is she?”

  June rubbed her eyes, tiredness a constant friend these days. “She’s fifteen months old. Her name is Molly and she is a pistol, with a temper. She has the normal bumps and bruises. You won’t believe this but her grandmother waved me down when I was driving back through a small, no named place in England. Not what we could call a town or even a village.” June let go a short laugh before she said. “How she knew who I was, she would not say or how she knew I was coming.” She shrugged as much to say another mystery of life. “The Grandmother was very old, if I had to bet I would say she was not long for this world and she was very worried about Molly. So she asked me to take her with me. She was scared her parents would return and snatch her back. When I asked where the parents were, she said she had no idea or if they are even alive. They are dead beats apparently, she said they were into a bad life style, and she wanted a better life for Molly.”

  June sighed and stretched trying to get the kinks out from her shoulders. “Molly was fine until we got here, then she started crying and causing a commotion. The strangest thing really. She is a cutie, a chubby little bundle of joy with blonde curls and the most beautiful colored eyes, I’ve ever seen. What the old ones would call blue bonnet. Almost like the skies on a summer’s eve that we use to have at home. You can see her grandmother looked after her well.” She stopped talking as she seemed to wander off into her own world. Sage thought she was probably remembering instances from her past.

  Then she seemed to give herself a full body shake much like a wolf would, and came back to herself. “Anyway, it was like little Molly expected to see someone here and when she didn’t, she kicked off. She worked herself into a state apparently, so they had no choice but to put her under.”

  At Sage’s look she growled. “As if! Without chemicals, the healers here don’t need that stuff. You know that? Girl you are so suspicious!”

  Sage sent her a grin at the truth of her words, and looked her friend over. June was tall around five foot ten, aged somewhere in the vicinity of thirty. She had told Sage and their other friend Claire when they had first met that she was not quite sure of her age. Being raised by her grandmother who had never liked the wolf side of her and had barely anything kind to say to her granddaughter. She would never discuss anything of a personal nature it seemed June’s age and parentage fell into that category. Sage had an idea her upbringing was fraught with pain and danger, so neither she nor Claire pressed the point. June had the slim, athletic figure all full or half-wolves had. And was lucky enough to be blessed with long wavy sable colored hair and topaz eyes fringed with thick black lashes and pencil lined eyebrows. She was beautiful in the classical model way of wolves. Very different to Sage of course.

  She was also possessed of a wild streak, as some wolves were. Although she mostly controlled it well, unfortunately at times it escaped her, and she was prone to becoming wolf crazy as Claire termed it. The state was an actual serious affliction and thankfully not every wolf was afflicted by it. Sadly those that were, often did crazy and extreme things. They had no fear and no thought for any consequences of their actions it could and often did lead to their deaths or the deaths of others.

  Usually, June had what Sage often thought of as a comforting presence which mostly out shone her beauty. She had met June and Claire at the first gathering Sage had attended. June came from the old country as she called it, meaning somewhere in England, from her accent it would have been hard to detect. Claire was from somewhere in America. Sage thought probably the east coast, although she barely had an accent so it was hard to know apparently she had moved around a lot while growing up. They both knew Sage was a witch as well as a wolf. Funnily enough both June and Claire had their own special abilities. This June often thought was probably why they were all drawn to each other and why the two of them followed Sage into the rescue unit.

  Lately, though Sage had heard the tiredness and stress in their voices. Now as she looked into her friends eyes, she saw the same dispirited shadows that haunted hers. And knew that both her friends were also destined to remain at Dragon’s Gap. Although she would have to find some very good reasons to keep them home. Neither female was a fool, if she didn’t have some honest work for them. They would never agree to remain here. Without thought she blurted. “June, you look tired!”

  “I am, but aren’t we all?”

  “Yeah.” Having nothing more to say she asked after the little girl. “So June, what species is she?”

  “Well, that’s the thing. Her mother is human, and her father is Lynx. Molly is Lynx and can shift.”

  Sage stopped and looked at her. “That is impossible! No half-blood can shift!”

  June nodded as she looked around them to make sure no one was near enough to listen, then whispered. “I know but her grandmother had her secretly tested. She was terrified Molly’s mother would find out that she could. Anyway, she tested full-blood. I got them to run a test here just you know to make sure.’ Sage nodded as she would have. “Donald did the tests, so you know they are correct. Sage, she tested true, and she is only fifteen months old.”

  “What is going on? I have never heard of that happening before. Have you?”

  June shook her head. “No, but then I have never heard of a child born to a wolf and witch either!”

  Sage grimaced. “Well, that is true. No one knows?”

  “No, I told Donald I was just uncertain what species she was, just normal procedure.”

  “Okay so let’s keep it that way. What has happened to her?”

  “Apparently she is awake and calmer.”

  “Oh good, well, if I get time, I will call in and see her.”

  June gave a heartfelt sigh. “Thanks Sage, it is a mystery. I’m not sure what to do for her.”

  “Yeah well, we will see.” She and June had moved through the entryway as they had talked and arrived at the reception hall. It was basically a large dining room with small four seater dining tables, and cozy lounge areas where people could wait to see the medical personnel. At this time of the morning it was empty, they made their way heading towards the medical unit, to change the subject, Sage asked. “Hey, did you see the castle?”

  June grinned. “It is all everyone’s talking about.”

  Just then Claire walked up, a little girl in her arms. Claire was a half cougar, a year older than Sage’s, twenty-eight years and she was not much taller than Sage. Claire always dressed like she lived on the streets, where it seemed she had
for many years. It was camouflage to some extent. Today she wore a threadbare tee shirt with a black leather jacket over the top combined with ripped stone washed jeans and her steel toed boots. Her short curly red hair haloed around her freckled face. She had the typical English rose complexion and yet she had never lived in England. She considered herself plain. She was wrong, although she had a smattering of freckles, they did not distract from her attractiveness which was highlighted by dimples when she smiled. She had light green eyes with thick eyelashes and was blessed with a snub nose and bow shaped lips.

  Claire was an expert marksman she never missed a shot and practiced constantly. She had several issues that Sage and June were aware of, mainly with trust. Claire liked many of the people she came in contact with and was liked by most people. However, she did not trust any of them. She had told Sage she trusted only two people Sage and June.

  The little girl in her arms was small, undernourished and seemed to have a lot of fading bruisers, she was about two Sage guessed. When she was healed and filled out, she would be adorable. With light red and gold blonde hair and green eyes with an amber ring, she scented as a cat. Claire came to a halt before them. “Hey, you two, have you seen the castle?”

  Feigning shock Sage asked. “There is a castle?”

  June gasped. “Really! A real-life castle. Where?”

  Claire sighed. “Hardee har har, so funny.” She addressed the little girl. “They think they are funny, but we know they are not.”

  The little girl sleepily snuggled closer to Claire as the other two females laughed. June nodded to the girl asking. “Yours?”

  Claire grinned. “Maybe, we sort of found each other today. Her name is Kammy. She is not very well at the moment. We just came from seeing Healer Heidi. We like her.”

  Kammy stared drowsily at them from the safety of Claire's arms, while she sucked her thumb. Claire gave them both the look, indicating Kammy had gone through a rough time. Quickly taking the interest off the small cub Sage commented. “Red hair, so that is new!”