Page 62 of The Black Dragon
“I knew this day would come. I’ve tried so hard to protect you,” Leomuttered.
“You told me Mama died in a car accident. How did she die, Father? The truth this time. Tellme!”
But it was as if Leo couldn’t, or wouldn’t, hear her. He was in a world of hisown.
“It was all his fault, the blackdragon.”
Beside her Justin loosenedhis grip. “What thehell?”
Confused, she stilled. “What blackdragon?”
“Chase. A black dragon from her clan. He sought revenge against her after she left the clan to marryme.”
Ariel’s chest tightened. Oh goddess, she had a bad feeling aboutthis.
“Dragons seldom mate outside their own kind.” Justin’s deep, steady voice gave her footing on a slipperyslope.
“Marian did.” Leo rubbed his face, and she noticed he looked more haggard than she’d ever seen. But that didn’tmatter.
“Why would she marry you?” Justindemanded.
“We were madly in love.” Leo’s shoulders sagged and she suddenly realized all the secrets he’d kept over the years. Such aburden.
A burden he must reveal now. “Father, tell me the full story.” She was proud howher voice didn’tquaver.
“Marian was to marry a dragon from a rival clan to end a feud, but she was too independent, proud and wanted to marry for love. I met her while living at Mystic Shores. She came there to infuse the dying community with magick and while working together with crystals, we fell inlove.”
No wonder people from the community welcomed her. Leo was the one who foundthe crystal and her mother had been the dragon who used her precious magick to infuse them. “You told me that Mage community disownedyou.”
Leo shook his head. “I said that to protect you from going there and discovering the truth. Longtime residents like Vern knew exactly who your motherwas.”
Her father reached into a pack he set down and withdrew a long iron spear. “Chase wasa black dragon, likehim.”
He pointed the spear at Justin, who steppedback.
“Chase was from her clan and hunted her down. He killed your mother for disobeying her clan leader’s wishes.” Leo’s voice broke. “I thought we were safe. Hidden. He found heranyway.”
This couldn’t behappening.
“I spent years perfecting a spell to counter the black dragon’s powers in casehe returned to finish you off. I had to find a way to keep you safe! You’re all Ihad.”
“Impossible.” She backed away, her throat tightening. “I would haveremembered.”
“I cast a memory spell to make you forget.” Leo’s expression turned anguished as he lowered the spear. “I couldn’t bear your nightmares, your screams. I would have done anything to keep you safe. That’s why I toldyou dragons were evil after your motherdied.”
Oh dear goddess. Everything made sense now. Her love of dragons, the yearning she’d had to fly, the constant feeling she didn’t belong to anyone or anything and she was constantly in the wrong place. Her hatred of the cold and her love of warmth andsunshine.
Ariel squeezed her eyes shut, her heart racing. In the black SUV with Mama,sitting in the back seat and laughing as her mother tapped her fingers in rhythm to the song on the radio. A shadow overhead, and cold, dark fear. Mama telling her to pull the blanket always on the back seat over her.Hide.
I can outrace him. Unbuckle your seat belt and lieflat.
ButMama…
Do as I say! Lie on the seat. Be very quiet and he can’t seeyou.
And then ahorrible thump, the SUV sliding and grinding to a halt. Screams echoed in her mind, followed by terrible silence. Blood seeping into the back seat. Pain burning in her leg and tears flowing down her cheeks as she tried to be quiet, oh so quiet, as Mamainstructed…
“The black dragon followed us on the road.” She gulped down a trembling breath and wiped her streaming eyes. “It was the sizeof a commercial airplane. Mama warned me to be quiet. And then he landed on our vehicle, and Mama swerved and went into the tree. There was no time to run or escape. I was lying on the back seat, hidden, but my foot was caught beneath Mama’s seat. Mama was crushed todeath.”
