ENCHANTED WORLD SERIES BOOK 3: THE DRAGON'S KEEPER

Some Time Later....

THE HUMAN REALM

Maya passed through the watery passage and found herself standing at the edge of a hill overlooking the brightly lit up city just below. It felt so familiar yet it wasn’t anymore. Suddenly her head started aching as memories began flooding her mind. She started remembering her entire life. She was a Sous Chef in a popular restaurant. She worked there and was awaiting a promotion at the end of the year.

Maya had gone with her friends for a reunion party. They always met every year and did something crazy but that year, the crazy thing they decided to do, cost her her life.

“I remember everything, Drake.” She said suddenly turning to the man behind her. “I remember my parents home, I remember my friends! Oh God, I remember everything!” She trembled as she looked for place to sit down before she collasped. Zach and Drake stood behind her with Drake holding her, steadying her over the graveled road that wound itself around the hill and down towards the city.

“You’ll be alright. Just take in a few good breaths.” Drake rubbed her back lightly.

The sky was dark with countless starts twinkling down at them. Maya didn’t know just how much two worlds could resemble each other yet be totally different. She felt the difference in the air that breathed and in the smells that surrounded her.

Take it easy. Danya’s voice filtered into her head and she frowned. Drake had warned her that she might not be able to connect with Danya while in the Human Realm but Danya’s represence was as strong as it was in the Enchanted World.

She felt the dragon smirk. I am not just any dragon....

Nuff said, Maya thought.

During the few weeks that she was in the Enchanted world, the dragon went through drastic changes. She grew up at such a rapid rate that Maya couldn’t quite catch up. Now, Danya was a fully grown dragon and her powers were nothing like Maya had imagined.

Maya managed to pull her first transformation with the help of Queen Malenna now that they were living in the Fire Fortress. Her dragon form was amazing, one that left everyone’s mouths gaping and eyes gawking. Danya was created by a red fire so when she transformed, her entire body was covered with glassy scales and a red fiery body stretched within them. Two fiery wings and fiery horns sprouted on her back and head. She was twice the size of Queen Malenna’s Dragon and when she roared, every dragon answered her cry.

Maya was terrified of such a power. She felt small and unable yet she was the one thing that every being in the enchanted world was counting on to keep them safe. Now, she felt the burden that Drake had been carrying on his shoulders for a long time.

Drake was proud of her and though when they soared the skies together, Red was much smaller than Danya, Maya still felt like she was still under his protection.

“Have you contacted Ruvin?” Drake turned to Zach.

Zach nodded. “Yes, he’s meeting us in twenty minutes.”

“Good.” Drake found a boulder and helped Maya sit on it before sitting next to her. “I brought you here first because there is someone I want you to meet. I know you’ve seen where I grew up and my clan but you have...you have not met my mother.”

Maya’s eyes widened. Being in the place that Drake grew up in made Maya understand him more. He was from a very prominent bloodline of dragons and so the pressure to impress was very high. When they saw him after such a long time, no one could believe it. They were all stunned and proud at the same time. They were happy, something Drake didn’t expect because of what happened with his father. They treated him like the clan chief that he rightfully was.

When he introduced her to them and told them that she was from the Human Realm, everyone wanted to talk to her. They asked so many questions about her world.

Now, Drake wanted her to meet his mother. Did that mean they were going steady? “Your mother is here? How come?”

“Long story but I will tell you all about it one day.” He touched her hands lightly and smiled and Maya could tell how nervous he was to see his mother after such a long time. She placed her hand over his and squeezed it softly.

“Your mother will be happy when she sees you again.” She assured him.

Several minutes later they saw the black range making it’s way up towards them. Drake stood up and approached it. Soon the car reached where they were and two men jumped out, pretty blonde and brown haired.

“Yo pup!” Zach exclaimed raising his hands up.

“Harry Potter.” The blonde grinned showing off his dimples as Zach pulled him into a rough bro hug. “I fucking miss your ass, charm caster.”

“I can’t sleep at night thinking about it creating spells that would actually work in this world, like shrinking your dick for example.”

Maya’s face brightened with color.

The brown haired cleared his throat while nudging the blond haired then pointed at her. “Be descrete.”

The blonde did a wolf whistle as he manoeuvred around Drake and Zach to her. “Hello caramel. My name is Ruvin and you are?”

“I’m Maya and I’m Drake’s.” She grinned at him.

Ruvin’s eyes widened. “You--scales--how?”

Drake placed a heavy hand over Ruvin’s shoulder making him wince. “She’s my mate, you raging pup.”

Ruvin straightened and turned to Drake pulling him into a bro hug too. “Well done scales, well done.” He patted him.

Drake smirked. “How have you been and who is the half-blood?”

Ruvin shrugged and turned to the brown haired. “That Edon. He is my muscle. Everything is great...until that silver orb shows up in the sky and all hell breaks loose. Weakbloods are tedious to deal with.” He shook his head.

Drake moved around Ruvin and came to her and snaked his hand around her waist. “Ruvin is the last known pureblood Lycanthrope.”

Oh, so werewolves also exsited. “As in werewolf?”

That earned her a frown from both Ruvin and Edon making Zach and Drake chuckled.

“She called me worse, believe me.” Zach assured them.

“We are not werewolves sweetheart, we are either Beasts or Lycans, nothing in between.” Ruvin asnwered. “Werewolves are from fairytales.”

“Oh?” Maya’s eyebrows snapped up. “So, you don’t change at full moon?”

Edon groaned softly and Ruvin looked utterly stunned. “You sound human.”

“She was human....until Drake’s dragon plague rubbed off on her.” Zach grinned stupidly.

“That makes sense.” And just like that, the offense written on Ruvin’s and Edon’s faces disappeared.

Somehow when someone was introduced as human, they got away with a lot of things. “Why is it that every time someone mentions that I was human everything starts to make sense to everyone?”

Drake chuckled and placed his hand around her shoulders. “Because humans are like babies, they always never know anything.”

“That is racist!” Maya exclaimed as they all walked to the range laughing. “Being human does not mean ignorance. I’m not ignorant!”

“You’re not human.” Drake reminded her jumping in the car and pulling her on his lap then placing a kiss on her cheek.

Maya stuttered. “But I was.”

“You never were--hey Ruvin, did you find any information about Balthazar?” Drake asked.

“Yeah.” Ruvin started the car towards the sloping gravel road down the hill. “I found it written on his tombstone in the cemetary at the other side of the city. He is dead.”

Maya felt her heart heave. Though she didn’t know the man, him being her relative meant something and she felt sad that she didn’t meet him. Drake’s hand around her waist tightened.

“Oh.” He said then looked up at her. “Sorry love.”

Maya smiled and shrugged. “I didn’t even know him.”

“What about my mother?”

“I’ll take you to her.” Ruvin smiled at the rearview mirror.

Drake and his mate together with Zach, Ruvin and Edon entered what looked like a bookstore/gallery. There were several people sitting around the startegically place sofas drinking some hot tea or cold juice while chatting and looking through the books.

Several paintings were placed around the area and they brought Drake memories he had thought he lost with time. They showed different places of the Realm of Fire but no one knew that. Drake saw the volcanic mountains of the Phoenix, saw the valley of Phury bloodline. He saw the barren lands of the dragon mountains and the silan forest. His heart ceased in his chest as laughter filtered to him and he remembered it.

“She doesn’t remember anything, Drake. She doesn’t even know how she did these paintings.” Ruvin warned him but Drake wasn’t listening. Right in front of him, at the counter was the female he thought had died for many years; Sheyster, his mother.

She still had the beautiful face though he noticed new lines the in corners of her eyes. She still had the beautiful black hair with several grey strands at her temples. She was talking to a young woman who was asking about something in a book.

Drake took a book from the shelf and opened the pages. They were fairytales of what was really happening in the enchanted world. His tears almost rolled down his eyes when he opened a page and his saw his home clearly illustrated. The double storey building stood at the background and in front there was a purple eyed boy hugged and grinning up at him from the page....and she was right there with him, hugging him from behind. Drake remembered that picture. He had lost it in the war with Kruk.

“That is one of my favourite books.” A voice came from behind and Drake stiffened. He tried to swallow down the painful clog in his throat but it wouldn’t go away. Maya, who was standing beside him suddenly moved away to give him space to talk to her. “Every time I look through those pictures, my heart feels at ease.”

“Is this your son?” Drake rasped, not recognising his own voice as he pointed to the grinning child.

Sheyster moved forward and touched the corner of the page then ran her fingers over the picture fondly. “It must have been someone I knew a long time ago. I couldn’t tell because I suffered a bad accident some years back and I lost my memory....but I feel he must have been someone special to me.”

Drake couldn’t believe his mother didn’t remember him. She looked up at him and frowned. “Oh my goodness, why are you crying?”

Drake didn’t know he was until he felt her hand over his cheek wiping away his tears. “I’ll be fine, you thank you.”

Sheyster nodded. “Why don’t you keep that book....” she looked up at him and their eyes clashed. Both of them had violet eyes. She opened her mouth to say something then closed it again and frowned.

“It feels like we met somewhere, doesn’t it?” Drake asked her.

Sheyster nodded. “Yes....I feel like I know you.”

Drake smiled feeling relieved that his mother didn’t forget him entirely. “Why don’t I come here again and let’s talk about it?”

Sheyster nodded, her frown and confusion still marring her beautiful face. “Yes, yes, I would that very much. Can I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

“Can I give you a hug?”

Drake straightened and nodded. “Yes.”

Sheyster moved forward and embraced a son she was forced to forget while she fought for her life. Wounded and desperate, Sheyster called on for her death, anything to escape the pain and humiliation that Kruk had forced her to endure for such a long time. They were going to kill her and she hoped that they did it quickly so that she didn’t witness her son seeing her in such a weakened state.

I’ll take you somewhere where all this pain you feel will go away. She heard a voice in her head as a male staggered to her. He too was wounded as he dropped in front of her clutching what looked like a red pendant.

I’ll take care of you, Sheyster, I’ll take care of both of you. The voice said.

Yes....Sheyster answered as warmth and assurance went through her body. She disinteragrated into nothingness together with the wounded male and after that every else was blank.

Memories came gushing in when she touched his tears and looked into his tormented eyes and now she feared telling him everything at one go. He will be back again and again and Sheyster was going to tell him everything she remembered. It was a shame that Balthazar didn’t live long enough to meet her son, her pride and joy. But Balthazar had a family of his own and now that she looked at the female that entered with Drake, she could see the striking resemblance of her and Balthazar’s human mate, Jodie.

“Next time you come and visit me, bring her with you. I have a great story just for her.” Sheyster moved back preventing her own tears from running down her eyes.

Drake turned to the woman and the love that shone in his eyes made Sheyster’s chest puff out in pride. Finally her son was getting his happily ever after.

“I will.” Drake promised and moved away from her before he approached the female and placed a kiss on her forehead then turned to her once more and grinned before waving goodbye and walking out.

Tears ran down Sheyster’s eyes. Finally she and her son were re-united again. This time, nothing was going to keep them apart. Kruk was gone and she was going to protect him like how a mother should.

“Sheyster,” her assitant came over and smiled. “Your favorite fan is here.”

Sheyster smiled as she moved towards the young pregnant female sitting at the corner. “We are alone again today?” She asked her as she stood in front of her.

The woman grinned up at her. “Yeah....the baby wanted to hear more fairy stories this evening.” she rubbed her lightly swollen girth fondly.

“I have a great story for you today.” Sheyster pulled out her newest book and placed in front of the pretty female. “Oh, almost forgot.” She took the vase of flowers and placed it in front of her. “Fresh from my garden.”

The female grinned and touched the periwinkle petals softly. “Thank you.”

Sheyster nodded and walked away leaving her to her book. The two of them shared the loss of memories because for her, she just woke up in a hospital not remembering who she was or how she got there. Now she was staying with one of the doctors who found her, giving her therapy to try and recall what happened to her. The painting of the Dragon Mountains on display at her window drew the girl into her shop and for several weeks she had been coming in to read and just get away from the hectic world outside and into a fairytale.

Maya looked down at her family house. Right after meeting with Drake’s mother, Danya was able to pull the flashing act and land them just outside her home. Her father was just arriving and she saw her mother making her way to him. She always did that. She helped him with his bag and jacket and they walked hand in hand back into the house. Maya had missed them terribly but seeing how happy they looked she felt a sudden warmth.

“How long has it been?” She asked Drake.

Drake circled his hands around her and kissed her hair. “About ten months.”

Maya breathed in hard, her tears threatening to choke her. “I’ve been dead for ten months.” Her eyes followed her parents into the house. Several minutes later then both came out and with a big candle and placed it on the decorated stand outside the house. They lit it, said a little prayer and went back inside.

Maya remembered what that meant and she smiled, an action that brought down her tears. “They remember me.”

When grandmother Frida died, they lit a candle everyday for a full year to show the world that they still remembered her. This one was hers and was happy that her parents did that for her. “I miss them so much.”

Danya tried to ease Maya’s pain in her chest.

“I bet they miss you too.” Drake whispered to her.

“Let’s get out of here.” She turned to Drake and rested her head on his chest closing her eyes and keeping the memory of her parents so close to her heart. They were going to be alright, that much she knew.

Danya carried them away to where her friends were. They looked happy, drinking and talking but she felt the sadness that dwelled in their hearts. Everyone was missing her.

Danya, please make them accept my loss. She begged the dragon.

I’ll try. Danya said as her energy filtered from within her and engulfed her friends, giving them a measure of peace and acceptance. It was the only thing she could do since she couldn’t let them see her.

They returned to where Zach, Ruvin and Edon were and Maya was exhausted. Using Danya’s power in the human world was hard. Drake realised that and turned to his friends.

“I better take her back.” He told them.

Zach stretched. “I can feel the weight on me too. I wondered how Tron and Willow are managing it being here with you.”

“They are returning into the enchanted world to recharge for a few days.” Ruvin assured them.

Drake nodded and helped Maya up. “See you around Ruvin. Take care of yourself and watch out for sorcerers and rogues around here.”

Ruvin flashed his teeth at Drake and nodded.

When they crossed the gateway, Maya felt difference almost immediately. Danya was bouncing again in her head. She wondered if truly the dragon had become of age or she was still that baby dragon.

That earned her a frown.

“Hey, before he go back, I want to give you something.” Drake stopped her as she started off towards the Ducati parked just around the corner.

“And I am off.” Zach grinned and winked at her then disappeared. She was no longer yelping every time someone did that because now she, too, could pull that off.

“Yes.”

Drake pushed his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box. “I wanted to give you this ever since we were at the human world but I didn’t get the right moment to do it.”

Maya gasped and clasped her hand over mouth. Was Drake proposing? “Drake...”

He opened the box and inside was a ruby pendant just like the one she lost. “I know how much this meant to you and I had the Mage of Earth make the replica of it.”

Disappointment went through Maya as she looked down at the pendant.

Drake frowned. “You don’t look happy. You don’t like it?”

“I am--I mean I do like it...it’s just that.” Maya sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “I thought--maybe we have reached that point in our relationship....urgh nevermind.”

“Hey!” Drake called to her as she stomped away. “What did I do wrong?”

“I thought you were proposing!” She exclaimed turning to him. “I thought that was a ring, Drake.”

Drake’s eyes snapped up his face. “But we don’t propose in the enchanted world.”

Maya was getting frustrated. She wanted her happily ever after which including a set of church bells, a big cake and matching rings on her and Drake’s fingers. “Why not?”

“Because...being true mates does not need a proposal!” He growled. “We are destined to be together forever. The only thing left is to unite in front of the High Priestess. She is the one who crafts the rings because she knows what gemstone is good for each couple. I--I--told her to craft ours a week ago.”

Now, it was her turn to have her eyebrows snap up her face. “You did?”

“Of course I did!” Drake answered in frustration. “I want a Union with you, one that even the heavens will witness.”

A smile slowly spread across her face as she returned to him. “Why didn’t you tell me? And did we just have an argument?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise.” Drake groaned when she flashed her body against his. “And yes, we did have an argument.”

“I’m sorry, Drake. Sorry I spoiled your surprise.” She looked down at the box still in his hands and pointed to it. “Can you please help me put that around my neck?”

He nodded and removed the pendant from the box then clasped it around her neck. Maya bit her lower lip as she looked down at the pendant. “I love it, thank you.”

Drake smiled. “I love you.”

Maya stood on her tippy toes and placed a kiss on his nose then tangled her fingers with his. “Let me make it up to you.”

Drake frowned but followed her. “How?”

“You’re going to make love to me on your bike.” She stated as if it was the simplest thing to achieve.

Drake’s eyes twirled with liquid fire as a cross between a purr and a growl escaped his lips. Maya knew how to drive him crazy with her sexy adventures. It was dark and they were somewhere where no one had easy access to.

Maya slipped her thong from under her short skirt and turned to Drake before throwing it to him. Drake caught it and stuffed it in his jeans pockets before he practically jumped on her on the bike.

The feverish cries and groans were carried into the night as the two lovers lavished each other with the heavens watching over them. That was the beginning of the rest of their lives together. They both wanted to enjoy every moment they had with each other because no one was sure of what was going to happen tomorrow....what mattered to them and everyone else was then and now....