Legends of Litha
Wheel of the Year
Anthology
Volume 3
Cherron Riser, Taylor Lexus Brown, Ashley Nicole Davis, Tara Ann Moore
Copyright © 2016 by Cherron Riser, Taylor Lexus Brown, Ashley Nicole Davis, and Tara Ann Moore
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address below.
Published by Luna K. Publications
[email protected] Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, June 21, 2016
www.facebook.com/wotya
Editing by Kelly Hartigan (XterraWeb)
Cover Design by Paradox Book Cover Designs
Blurb by Vanessa Brinkley
Acknowledgements
Cherron Riser
For all those who believe in magic and know there is more out there than what can easily be seen.
Ashley Nicole Davis
To my greatest love, best friend, and biggest supporter, Adam Davis. Thank you for continuing to encourage me to write even when I thought everything I did was garbage. Words can't express what you mean to me. I can only hope to show you.
Tara Ann Moore
To R.B.R. for showing me the rainbow after the storm.
Taylor Lexus Brown
To Jamie, you’ve never let me down and you’ve always supported my writing. The blood of battle is thicker than the water of the womb. I love you, brother.
Stories of Legends of Litha
A Dragon’s Heart and Sparrow’s Soul- In life, love can drive men to do the strangest of things. All I wanted was the woman I loved, but she was taken from me. It would take hundreds of years for my soul to get any resolution.
Blood and Ashes- Family secrets put a rift between two sisters. With all the lies, betrayal is just around the corner. Will it be fate or family who wins the battle?
Thunder Born- What would you do if you found out every aspect of your existence was a fabrication. a fiction written to protect you from the dangerous truth of your past, your family, and your birthright? Follow along as one young woman is forced to leave behind the simple life she loves to become the ancient warrior she was born to be, change the fate of a powerful race, and save the world.
Allure of the Sea – Enraptured by the sight of a mermaid off in the ocean, a young man becomes obsessed with finding her again. He follows her, desperate for answers, but is the call of the sea all he had hoped for?
Confession – Beast murdered and maimed the children of this small town. However, the “Returned” have become far more fascinating than what awaits in the darkness. Deformed and deranged, have these children come back to a life far more broken than the ones they left?
Table of Contents
A Dragon's Heart and Sparrow's Soul- Cherron Riser
Blood and Ashes- Ashley Nicole Davis
Thunder Born- Tara Ann Moore
Allure of the Sea- Taylor Lexus Brown
Confession- Taylor Lexus Brown
About the Authors
A Dragon’s Heart and Sparrow’s Soul
Cherron Riser
I will always remember most the way her hair shone in the sun and the smile on her freckled face. Spearwa, my beloved, the only woman who could tame both man and beast. It was a time of magic and power, when my family, my clan, was strong, feared, and respected. However, in that moment, I felt weak as a babe swaddled for the first time. Only Spearwa could make me feel this way, and yet no one understood the attraction I felt for her.
We stood together atop a cliff near the edge of Loch Glass, far from the influence of my family and our home at Foulis Castle. A priest and a baker our only witnesses. Spearwa was no one special. She had no family to call her own and lived a poor life on the lands surrounding my home. I never saw that. No, I only saw the light of her green eyes and the beauty when she danced around a midnight fire. She, and not her sorcery, had entranced me, but my family did not see it that way. All they saw was her lack of importance and how she could never help expand our relationships with others. It was always intended for me to marry one of my kind and keep our bloodlines strong.
Dressed in my red and green tartan, I showed my noble and warrior family roots. They may not support me, but I would not turn my back on them. Spearwa looked both elegant and plain in her white silk. It draped over her body, showing just enough of her precious curves to make my mouth water with anticipation for the night to come.
The priest said pretty words about union and devotion, none of which reached my ears. Turning slowly toward each other, I felt the cool fabric of my family colors wrap around each of our hands, binding us together and warming at our touch.
“I vow you the first cut of my meat, the first sip of my wine.
From this day, it shall be only your name I cry out in the night
and into your eyes that I smile each morning;
I shall be a shield for your back as you are for mine,
no shall a grievous word be spoken about us,
for our marriage is sacred between us,
and no stranger shall hear my grievance.
Above and beyond this, I will cherish and honor you through this life
and into the next.”
They were the only words I remembered from that day. The words we spoke to each other, vows that to this day keep my heart beating when I would rather die. I took a deep breath. So much had changed since that glorious day. I sat, my legs hanging over the edge of the cliff, as the memories played over and over in my mind.
“Why do you look so serious, Liam? There should be a smile on your face today.” Spearwa laughed a moment after our kiss. Her laugh was like the sound of birds singing on the wind. My lips couldn’t help but curl up into a smile when she spoke.
“It is a serious affair. We are together, forever more. Nothing in all my life will take you from me.” I leaned in and kissed her once more.
That night we spent under the stars. The baker had given us bread and wine to celebrate with, and I had stolen cheese and meat from my family’s kitchen. It was a feast fit for two. “Oh, my love, tonight you have made me the happiest woman in all the world. Surely, no one could feel what I feel. Please, take me to the sky. You promised you would.”
Since we had started our courtship, I had told her my beast form was meant only for times of war. It frightened the people, and we did not use it unless necessary. She had seen me as my beast before, but we never took to the sky. It was a promise I had made for our wedding night, and I refused to let her down. “If that is what you wish, my love, then it shall be so.”
Stepping away from her to allow for the change in my body mass and size, I let the magic take me. Fire formed over my skin, burning away the man and revealing scales sharp as razors. I grew larger and taller, talons growing from my hands and feet, a tail lashing out as I fell forward. No more was I Liam Munro the man, I was Liam Munro, a dragon of the clan. Tall and proud, I stood, arching my neck toward the star-filled sky, and roared out a mighty column of flame.
Slowly she swayed toward me, her joy and laughter heavy in her voice. My tail curved toward her, and she stepped onto it so I could lift her to my back. It was a strange
sensation having someone ride me in such a fashion, but I loved the sensation of her all the same. Once she had a firm grip, I took flight, spreading my wings and soaring high above the land.
“This is wonderful! I feel so alive!” Spearwa called out, squeezing her legs tight against me so her hands could fly up into air. If I could have smiled in that moment, I would have. But try as I might, dragons didn’t smile.
We flew for what felt like an eternity before I finally landed and shifted into my human form. I turned toward Spearwa and pulled her into me, kissing her with all of my love and passion. That night was a night of magic, love, and passion. A night I would remember for all time. If only it didn’t have to end. If only I had not had to go back to my family and tell them what I had done.
“What have you done? Are you trying to ruin our family, our lineage? You are my son, and you were meant to marry for purpose. Love has no place in marriage!” My father spoke to me as if I were a child and not a man capable of making choices. “And to marry the witch! She has corrupted you with her vile magic.”
“Spearwa has not corrupted me. I have tried to speak to you about this many times before. You refused to listen. This will not hurt our family. I swear to you, it will strengthen us,” I protested, angry that even after showing my strength and desire, my father refused to believe in me.
“It is no matter. I will not support this marriage. You are a disgrace to me.” My father turned his back on me, and I was left to stand there in the eerie silence which remained after our argument.
Standing just inside the opening of the grand hall was Spearwa, her hair pulled back in a long crimson braid. She had worn a dress of green trimmed in gold to meet my father. It did not seem she would get her opportunity. Shaking my head, I turned toward my bride and stormed out of the room. If my father was going to turn his back on me, then I had nothing more left to say to him.
“Liam, Liam, please wait,” Spearwa whispered as I walked past her. My hand took hold of hers, and I pulled her along after me. “Liam, you cannot give up your family for me. They are important, and you need them as much as they need you.”
“I have already given them up for you. Spearwa, you are my family now, and that is all that matters. He will come around. I have to believe that,” I answered, not slowing my pace.
“Liam!” Spearwa pulled back on my arm, forcing me to stop and look at her. “He is your father.”
“Yes, and you are my wife. I chose you for my life, and I refuse to change that because he does not approve. I’m sure with time he will find peace with my choice, but for now, there is too much anger. Let us go. There is nothing more I can say or do,” I answered, pulling her into me and kissing her softly. My kinsmen saw me kiss my chosen bride and said nothing. There was no shame or holding back in my kiss, and there never would be. My father would change his mind or he would lose me.
When I pulled away, I grinned seeing the drunken smile left on Spearwa’s lips. It was a look that made everything worth it. “Come on. Let’s go, and I can help calm this fire in you.”
“Try as you might, I don’t believe you will ever calm my fire,” I teased back, kissing her once more before we left the family grounds. I had no idea it would be the last time I would see my family whole.