Page 3 of Sanctuary with a Dragon
And I'm proud of you.
I reached for a box of tissues to blow my nose, crying freely now, then took a sip of my now-tepid tea to soothe my aching throat and turned the page.
The magic will take effect tonight at midnight. I recommend you try to sleep. Waiting grimly won’t help—maybe take a sleep aid if you need it.
I'm sure you're shocked that magic exists. You might even think I've gone senile. But there is a whole world that humans know nothing about out there. I couldn't even begin to explain all of the beings that humans have made stories about, which actually exist. It's all true—well, most of it. But human stories differ a bit from the reality.
Let me just put it this way—vampires, shifters, fairies, pixies? They all exist. So do dragons.
Excited yet? I know I was when I found out.
I stared at the letter, horrified. No, Gran! That's not exciting. That's terrifying!
I love you, Everly. Always and forever. I hope the magic treats you kindly and that you receive something special for your fortieth birthday. I wish you a beautiful, wonderful, fulfilling life. I'm excited to see you again someday.
Grandad and I will be waiting for you.
All my love,Gran
I setthe pages of the letter down and covered my face with my hands, unable to suppress a chuckle. Gran had always had a taste for adventure, while the most adventurous thing I’d ever done was camp out in her backyard when I was nine.
I’d only lasted half the night.
I was not, by nature, adventurous.
A sudden urge to fold the letter and place it in a ziplock bag struck me. Baffled, I did just that—folded it, slipped it into the bag, and left it on the kitchen table before ordering from the local Thai restaurant.
As I sat at my table eating, my eyes kept drifting to the letter, reflecting on Gran’s words.
A buzz of emotions thrummed beneath my skin: excitement, terror, anticipation, dread.
I had been right.
Change was coming.
I just prayed it would be a positive change.
After dinner was cleared and the kitchen tidied, I changed into pajamas, brushed my teeth, took something to help me sleep, and slipped between the cool sheets, piling my triple-thick comforter over me as I snuggled in.
Despite the turmoil churning within me, I did my best to follow Gran’s advice and try to sleep.
It seemed I would need to be well-rested for whatever tomorrow might bring.
Chapter 2
Everly
Iwoke up feeling like I couldn’t breathe. Something heavy was pushing me into my mattress. I blinked my eyes open—then quickly squeezed them shut again as an explosion of colors surrounded me.
What?
I opened them again, slowly this time. I was... under something. My blanket? I went to throw it off so I could breathe, then froze.
I didn't have hands.
For that matter, I didn’t have feet, either.
I cried out in surprise, but the sound of my own voice made me startle and I cried out again, certain some kind of animal was in the room with me. And then I looked down at my feet again.
