They finally reached the town where Sigrid’s favorite boot shop was located. She still didn’t have enough savings to pay for the boots she’d been eyeing for months. Every time she visited, she was afraid they would have sold. They were so costly, she was hopeful no one else would buy them in the meantime. The bootmaker refused to put them on layaway for her, stating others had burned him on sales that way, and he was stuck with merchandise he never could get rid of after that.
She wouldn’t do that to him, unless she died, of course. But the boots were so beautiful, she knew anyone who could afford them would want them, except for Kayla. She preferred suede to reptile skin.
They landed on the stone paving in front of the bootmaker’s shop, and Sigrid went straight to the display window. Right up front, her boots were on exhibit—the black leather made from a deadly sea serpent that one of the dragons had caught and sold to the bootmaker. He’d made ten pairs of boots out of it, but only one pair that were made for a woman, size seven boots. Her size! Her boots!
A SOLD sign rested beneath her boots. Her heart took a dive. No, no, no.
Kayla frowned. “I’m so sorry, Sigrid. I told you I’d buy them for you, and you could pay me later for them, but you hadn’t even needed to do that.”
“I don’t borrow from friends. And they were way too expensive for you to buy for me. I was saving up. I never exceed my budget. I’ve seen too many fae losing their homes when they owe taxes to the royals.” As disappointed as she was, Sigrid shrugged it off. “No big deal.” Yet she hadn’t ever seen anything so exquisite in her life. Though she wasn’t big into fashion, she’d fallen in love with those boots. She cast them one last long look, then headed inside the store. “Who bought the boots?” she asked the bootmaker, pointing in the direction of the window.
He cast a nervous glance in Kayla’s direction.
“Oh, for heaven’s sakes, yes, I was interested in purchasing the boots, as well you know. I’m like Glinda, the good witch of the south. I’m not like the wicked witch of the west,” Sigrid said, annoyed.
“I thought you didn’t care for being likened to a witch,” Kayla said, looking through a bunch of boots on a sale rack.
“I’m not saying I’m a witch. I’m just saying…oh, forget it.” Sigrid stood nearby Kayla, staring at the boots she was looking through, and folded her arms.
Halloran, Dragon at Arms for the dragon fae queen, walked into the boot store and paused when he saw Kayla and Sigrid. He smiled at the two of them, then handed a small bag of coins to the bootmaker. “I’ll have the rest tomorrow.”
“More new boots?” Kayla asked. “You just got some around the time of the dragon races. I can’t imagine you’d wear them out that fast.”
“Can’t ever have enough. Besides, I had to have a pair of the serpent-skin boots before they’re all gone.”
“Everyone’s been hush-hush about who actually caught it. Do you have any clue?” Kayla asked, slipping a blue boot on, then the other and modeling them in front of a mirror. They were leather, but of a denim color. Sigrid wondered if Kayla meant to wear jeans in the human world with Alton. The dragon wore them here too, making him stand out from the rest of the fae who preferred their tunics and trewes or gowns.
“Rumor is your dad and your uncle went after the serpent together. As big as that beast was, and with a pack of them traveling together at the same time, it would have taken at least two male dragons to do it. Though I never imagined anyone could take one on and live to tell about it,” Halloran said.
“Why have they kept it secret? Wait, don’t tell me, they fished it out of griffin fae waters and so they don’t want to say.” Kayla glanced at the bootmaker.
The bootmaker raised his hands in a way that said he had no clue.
Sigrid laughed. “They had to have sold it to you, so you would know.”
“Whoever it was sent a representative to my house in the middle of the night. I really didn’t know the fae, and he wouldn’t say who had caught the creature.”
“Was he a dragon fae?” Sigrid asked.
“Aye, he had the dragon fae aura. But he’s not from around these parts. I agree with Halloran. It had to have been a couple of big male dragons. Or more.”
“I’ll take these,” Kayla said, handing them to the bootmaker.
“I thought you had plenty of boots,” Halloran said.
“I wanted a pair to wear to the human’s world.”
Like Sigrid had thought. “With jeans to match Alton?”
Kayla smiled. “He swears he’s wearing jeans to the dragon ball. Hopefully, I can talk him out of it before the big day arrives. You are coming, aren’t you?”
Sigrid had thought she would be wearing the sea serpent boots. If she could catch one herself, she would, and then she could have them made and sell the rest of the skin to the bootmaker. “Yes, I’ll be there.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to look at any other boots?” Kayla asked.
“No, thanks. Wanna get some ginger tea before we leave?”
“Not me,” Halloran said. Not that they’d asked him. He only gave Sigrid a dark smile.
She shook her head, wishing he was a falcon fae instead of a dragon shifter.
After having tea at the Spicy Tea & Crumpets Shoppe, Sigrid returned home to the golden fae kingdom to gather herbs in the garden, while Kayla worked in her lavender gardens. Sigrid looked at all the jars of potions she had created, sitting on her shelves.
Even though she wielded powerful magic, she wasn’t called a mage because her abilities were inherent, part of her, not given to her through the art of learning magical spells. Some called her a witch, fearing what they didn’t understand. She tried to pretend it didn’t matter, but it did. She’d received the power from her grandmother, who had raised her mother and an orphaned boy, the two growing up to wed each other. And Sigrid was their only daughter before they were killed in a fight with a fae she didn’t even know the name of.
As far as she knew, none of her kind existed any longer, at least none that lived anywhere near here. Her grandmother had brought her mother and her dad here to live among the golden fae so they could remain safe. When they were gone, Sigrid had continued to live here, doing the queen’s bidding, and anyone else’s—for a price. All magic came at a price, after all.
At least since the Great Griffin Battle of the Dunes, the golden fae hadn’t had another fight with them.
She cut some peach roses from her garden and put them in a blue vase, then took them inside to put on her kitchen table in the stone cottage where she lived. Not all her plants were used for potions or spells. She enjoyed the beauty of the flowers too.
She had made friends with a dream-weaver fae, Tanya, and with Kayla, who had lived near her cottage in the woods. When she’d helped Kayla to be with the dragon fae shifter she’d fallen in love with, Sigrid had become good friends with the dragon fae shifters too.
Sure, Sigrid had a crush on a couple of dragon fae shifters, but she wanted something more. A falcon fae to love. Even if a dragon fae shifter was interested in her as a prospective mate, it wouldn’t work. How would she have falcon fae offspring? She wanted her kind to survive. Though, what if she did have falcon fae children, and they couldn’t find mates of their own when they were grown?
She wouldn’t quit searching. Maybe it was because she’d come of age, and her inner self was instinctively telling her she had to do this: to search for her own kind.
She was about to put a note on her door, telling anyone in need of her services she would be out for a couple of hours, so she could get on with the business at hand. Daily, she’d been flying for hours in different directions, trying to discern where her grandmother must have come from when she had stumbled upon the golden fae kingdom. So far, Sigrid hadn’t had any luck learning anything, probably because it had been so very long ago. Then she heard someone coming. She cocked her head, listening carefully.
One person was approaching, no two, no three people. They weren’t opening
her garden gate and walking along the stone path to her front door like everyone would who wished to pay for her services. Instead, they were sneaking over her picket fence that kept the deer from grazing in her garden. Now, the intruders were carefully walking on her garden path on the opposite side of the cottage, trying not to make a sound. Didn’t the trespassers know a falcon could hear something scurrying in the leaves in the understory beneath the tall pines while the predator was soaring high above the treetops?
Didn’t whoever it was, know she was a powerful magic user? And how awfully dangerous it could be to confront her like this?
She carefully slid open a side window, shifted into a falcon, and flew outside. Flying for the trees, she found a high branch and perched, then looked down to see who was trespassing on her land.
Three young men, who looked to be about her age, surrounded her cottage, nets in hand. A blond with curly hair touching his shoulders, wearing a green tunic, brown breeches, and boots, and a sheathed sword was moving toward her front door. A fae with dark, wavy hair, wearing similarly colored clothes, which told her they had been seeking to remain hidden in the forest, was working his way around back. Were they common thieves? The third fae had dark hair, but streaks of gold ran through it as if the sun had painted it. He was motioning to the others, wearing the same kind of clothes, but she noted his sword grip had a ruby. She raised her brows. Royalty? She narrowed her falcon eyes and studied the other men’s swords. Ah, yes, each had a jewel on the sword grips. All royalty—not thieves then—unless they’d stolen the swords from royalty.
Thieves would be easy to deal with. Easily dispatched. Royalty were more problematic. If she eliminated them, someone would be sure to come looking for them. And someone was sure to have sent them and would have armies to back them and take her down. Or at least…try.
What bothered her the most was that they were carrying nets, as if they were going fishing. Fishing for a fae. They hadn’t come to talk with her, like civilized fae would do. As if they knew from the start she wouldn’t agree to whatever it was they wanted of her.
The nets had to be made of iron, the only way they could keep a fae from transporting to another location if they threw one over her. She didn’t see any fae auras surrounding them, which was odd. This was golden fae territory, and she was the only magic user in these parts, except for Tanya and her dream-weaving abilities. So how could they hide their fae auras?
But she did see a shimmer of magic emanating from them.
They must have used their magic to hide their aura. Or someone else did. Someone from another fae realm. Or they were like her friend, Ena, a dragon shifter fae who could hide her aura, just a natural state of being, no magic involved.
Did they mean to kill Sigrid? Imprison her so she’d work for whoever they worked for?
All she’d have to do was fly to see Kayla and her dragon friends, and they’d come and take care of these men. Or, she could take care of them herself. What if she destroyed them and then others came for her? She was certain they would, or they wouldn’t have sent royalty after her. Why send royals instead of hunters?
She had to know who they were and what they wanted.
Then she saw Tanya heading to the cottage and Sigrid’s heart tripped.
No…no…no…
As a falcon, Sigrid flew toward her friend. The men saw her and saw who she was trying to intercept.
She heard them running in Tanya’s direction. She screeched at Tanya, warning her of trouble, and her friend glanced up to see her heading for her as a falcon. Sigrid shifted into a fae, her wings stretched out in flight and flew toward her, then grabbed her hand, and transported across worlds to a suburb of Houston.
“What…what are we doing here? What’s going on?” Tanya glanced around at the dog park Sigrid had taken them to.
Sigrid quickly hid her wings, and was glad no one was here with any big dogs they were exercising in the park right this moment.
Huge live oaks and pines shaded the whole park and Sigrid felt safe here.
“Royal fae, not sure what kind, were planning to take me hostage. At least, I think. Unless they were going to kill me. I had to get you out of harm’s way since they realized you were coming to visit me. Didn’t you see them?”
“No. I saw you coming for me and that’s all. I didn’t know what was wrong because you were headed straight for me. Were they golden fae?”
“No one I know and they were hiding their aura.”
“Then they were up to no good.”
“My thoughts exactly, if the fact they were sneaking onto the property with iron mesh nets hadn’t clued me in.”
Tanya frowned at Sigrid. “We have to tell the queen. She wouldn’t want to lose the only magic user she has in the kingdom.”
“You’re a dream-weaver.” Sigrid couldn’t understand why Tanya always put herself down as far as her own talents were concerned. Sigrid had never seen her use her magic, personally, but she did have magic abilities.
“Yes, but I can’t do all the stuff you can do. Dreams…are just dreams.”
Sigrid knew that wasn’t true. Tanya could make people’s dreams come true. Or turn them into their worst nightmares. Imagine trying to get a good night’s sleep while running from some terror all night long? And then having to cope with getting anything done the next day? Particularly if it happened night after night. It could drive someone mad. “I can take care of this on my own. I just didn’t want you to get into harm’s way.”
Tanya snorted. “Why does everyone think because I adorn myself with flowers, I’m too sweet and innocent to fend for myself?”
Sigrid smiled, then frowned at her. “Because you are too nice. Why don’t you go home and… Wait, why were you coming to see me?”
“You were right when you said that everyone wanted something in life.” Tanya sat down on one of the benches in the dog park.
“You said you wanted to use vampire persuasion on someone called Shane to do your bidding,” Sigrid recalled. “Who is he?”
“A golden fae. He works for the queen as one of her royal guards.”
“So, make him dream about you.”
Tanya smiled. “I want it to be for real.” She sighed. “He’s sweet and kind, but he only has eyes for the women in the castle. Me? I live in a cottage like you. And I’m sure he’s not interested in getting mixed up with a dream-weaver.”
“Don’t you need to be with a dream-weaver so that your kids could carry on your dream-weaver abilities?”
Tanya shook her head. “Dream-weavers would kill each other. We can marry any kind of fae and pass on our abilities to a child who has the affinity for it.” She frowned. “What about you?”
Sigrid sat on the bench next to her. “I want to find some of my kind, I hate to admit.” She loved her independence. “Not to pass on my magic. It hits and skips generations. But to be able to soar like a falcon with my mate, and for our kids to be able to also. I’ve flown with Kayla when she’s a dragon, enough to know I want something that doesn’t blow fire and is more my size.”
“No dragon marriage in the future for you then?” Tanya asked seriously.
“No.”
“You’re homesick then?”
“Yes. Not for a home I’ve never known, but to be with my own kind. I loved flying with my grandmother, and with my parents too.” Sigrid shrugged. “Even if I found some of my kind, they may not like me, and I might not like them. They might not have my magical abilities and think of me as a witch too. You know the old human saying goes that the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence. I have to remind myself that what I seek might never bring me any real happiness.”
“I’ll help you find other falcon fae, if they still exist.”
Sigrid frowned at her. How could her friend help? Sigrid had to fly over the tops of trees and search for where they might be.
“I’ll help you find them. And when we do, if they give you a hard time, I’ll just make them wish they never did.
”
Sigrid smiled. “What about the men sneaking around my cottage?”
“You could see Kayla and Alton for a while at their castle in Morcalon. I can speak with Queen Avalon’s guard and—”
“You mean to see Shane?”
Tanya blushed.
“You might be stuck seeing someone else, if he’s off doing other duties.” Sigrid sighed. “I’ll take care of the men sneaking around my cottage. I wanted to follow them to see what they were planning to do next, but then I saw you and had to protect you.”
“I’m glad you let me know what’s going on. You know, you don’t always have to take care of everything by yourself. That’s what friends are for.”
“There are three men. All armed with swords and iron netting. Are you sure that you want to return with me? It could be dangerous.”
“You’re dangerous. Yeah, I can’t thank you enough for helping Kayla. Let’s go.”
Sigrid didn’t want to tell Tanya she was afraid the three male fae would be her undoing. Sigrid had to know what the men were up to. She couldn’t keep up her guard always, and she wasn’t leaving her cottage to hide away somewhere else either. Not unless she was forced to.
How would that look to everyone who thought she was all-powerful?
She knew the queen wouldn’t send some of her guard to protect her. Not when the queen would remind her she could use her own magic to take care of herself.
“You said you were coming to me to ask my help with Shane. If you don’t want me to use magic to make him aware you exist, what do you want me to do?”
“Help me to get a new wardrobe, haircut, and makeup like you did with Kayla.”
“That won’t make Shane feel any differently about you.”
“No, but maybe he’d at least notice me.”
Sigrid was torn between taking Tanya to a beauty salon in Houston or returning home to see about these men, pronto. Her job was to help others to find happiness, and so she would aid Tanya first. Though she kept feeling this was a mistake. That Shane wasn’t worth the time. And that Tanya was beautiful just the way she was.
“Shouldn’t I have a short haircut like Kayla got?” Tanya asked, holding her long hair up to her face.