Releasing the Dragon: Myths and Legends, Book One (3 page)

Rook looked like he wanted to say more but he
kept whatever he was thinking to himself. We both knew I was right.
There could be no halfway for me. I could give all or nothing, and
only my mate would have all of me and my kingdom.

I left Rook's office and decided to go see
Claire. I wanted answers and she was the only one who could give
them to me.

"Do you have any idea how many problems your
invitation is likely to cause," I asked Claire as I strode into her
studio.

"Good afternoon Donovan, it's nice to see you
too," she replied with a hint of disapproval in her tone.

She looked up from the tarot cards she had
been laying out on the table. The tarot cards were for show, along
with the crystal ball and fortune teller costume she wore; all
meant to entertain the tourists and keep them coming back for more.
As the resident psychic and a member of the resort staff, Claire
could put on wondrous shows promising futures full of love and
money that her many fans would eat up like cake at a birthday
party. But I wasn't interested in the vague premonitions she
regularly had and recounted in her shows. I was interested in the
vision that brought a human to my doorstep.

"I don't have time for pleasantries," I
retorted. "I need to know why you invited a human to participate in
the dance auditions. We have many humans working throughout the
resort, but none of them are in the entertainment division. Those
positions are reserved for supernatural beings for good reason. Our
guests come here for the magic - the magic created by the
entertainment division - the magic that will likely make this human
feel like she needs to be committed when she discovers its true
source. So please Claire, explain this to me."

I knew that I was practically growling at her
but I couldn't seem to help it. I'd been feeling unsettled and
easily agitated all week with my emotions going from one extreme to
the next without any warning.

"She's here to fulfill the prophecy of
course," Claire said brightly as if I should have already known
that. Which in a way, I did. Claire wouldn't invite anyone here
unless she'd seen the need to in a vision or prophecy.

"And which prophecy would that be?" I asked
impatiently.

She bit her lip then crossed her arms over
her chest readying herself for a fight. "That woman, Ms. Serafina
Leroux, is here to fulfill the Phoenix Prophecy."

"Not that again," I bit out, my patience
thinned to the point of breaking. I started pacing around the small
room trying to keep my temper under control. Any mention of the
Phoenix Prophecy was a sure way to make my blood boil. Of all the
visions and prophecies Claire has revealed over the years, that is
the only one I believe came from her own wishful thinking rather
than whatever higher power she normally receives her messages
from.

"As you well know, every golden prophecy I
have ever cried will eventually come to pass. Granted, this
prophecy has taken longer than most, longer than any of us should
have had to wait, but it will come to pass whether you want to
believe in it or not," Claire replied in that calm tone she used
when she thought I was being unreasonable.

"What I know, is that the Phoenix Prophecy no
longer holds any power over me." I ground out. "I spent centuries
hunting for this mythical Phoenix of yours only to find she does
not exist. I have accepted that none of us will ever be whole again
and you should do the same. I had to choose between believing in
fairy tales and keeping my people safe and I chose to leave the
fairy tales to the children."

"Think about it Donovan, you couldn't find
her because she hadn't been born yet. You know how difficult it is
for me to pinpoint when my visions will take place until I see the
signs coming together. I started noticing scenes from the Phoenix
Prophecy several weeks ago. All the signs led me to a small town in
Upper Michigan where Serafina has been living since she was born
twenty-seven years ago. I invited her here for the auditions
because she has always dreamed of being a professional dancer. Now
she will be able to live her dream while helping to restore
thousands of shattered souls," Claire told me, urging me to believe
her with her determined gaze.

I stood there stunned, my mind unwilling to
accept what she was telling me.

After a moment she smirked at me and said
seriously, "
Search your feelings
Donovan,
you know it to
be true
."

That snapped me out of my shock. "Quoting
Star Wars will not convince me that this woman is somehow the
savior of our people. She may be an exceptional dancer, but beyond
that, she is human. She could not possibly be the Phoenix and I
refuse to get my or anyone else's hopes up with this nonsense."

Even as the denial passed my lips I
remembered what I’d felt when hazel eyes had locked with mine. The
burning in my soul that could ignite the tiny spark of hope I
wanted to feel. But I could not let that happen. I could not allow
myself to be distracted now, at a time when our enemies were
closing in.

"Why do you think you've been so out of sorts
since she arrived last weekend? The spell might still be in place,
but your dragon can sense her now that she is physically nearby,"
Claire argued.

I didn't bother asking how she knew I'd been
feeling off. It was probably obvious by my behavior, and even if it
wasn't, she'd more than likely say she saw it in a vision.

I took a deep calming breath then gave her a
level look letting her know I expected her to heed my directives.
"I will allow the human to remain at the resort because I trust you
and your abilities. Although I do not believe in this prophecy, or
that she is the Phoenix it speaks of, she must be important in some
way or you would not have seen her in a vision. However, I do not
want to hear any more about the Phoenix and you are not to tell
anyone else of your suspicions."

Claire pursed her lips for a brief moment
before responding. "I will abide by your wishes and keep this
between us. In time, you will see all that I have seen and know
that what I tell you is true. I will speak no more of this except
to say, that which you hate the most shall save us all in the
end."

Claire turned back to the tarot cards leaving
me to wonder what that could possibly mean. Psychics! Sometimes
they could be so exasperating, always scheming and trying to move
the rest of us around like pieces on a chessboard.

I left her to her craft and headed to the
underground gym thinking a brutal workout was just what I needed to
blow off some steam. Then maybe I would be able to think more
rationally about this situation and figure out how to keep it from
spinning out of control.

Here it is, the moment of truth! The moment
I've waited for my entire life!

The final day of auditions had been grueling
but it was finally over. Now, Scarlett stood in front of us about
to reveal the names of the dancers who would be joining the Myths
and Legends entertainment staff.

It was nearly impossible to stand still. My
hands were clasped together in front of my lips while I held my
breath, waiting, praying I would be one of the chosen dancers.

"If I call your name, welcome to the team. If
I do not call your name, thank you for trying out, but better luck
next time. Sadia Romano, Patrick Easton, Celia Ramirez, and
Serafina Leroux."

My heart stopped and I nearly fainted when I
heard my name called. I did it! I was finally going to earn a
living doing what I love. Scarlett kept talking and I realized that
I should be listening if I wanted to know what would happen next.
"....should go get cleaned up and return here in one hour. Leave
your belongings in your room and we will have them delivered to
your new apartment. When you return, each of you will be assigned
to a member of the security staff who will take you on a tour of
the resort and show you to your apartment. Please pay close
attention on the tour as it will also serve as your security
briefing. Report here at nine o'clock Monday morning to receive
your assignments and start your training. Thank you."

When I returned an hour later dressed in
jeans and a comfortable blouse I found the other new recruits
waiting near the stage. Shortly after I arrived four men entered
the club and walked in our direction. Three of them wore uniforms,
black slacks and red, long-sleeved button-up shirts with the resort
logo embroidered on the left side. They looked more professional
than typical rent-a-cops, but still like they were low rung
employees.

The man who approached me was nothing like
them. He also wore black pants but his were made of worn leather.
His deep red shirt had no buttons and clung to his muscular chest
and shoulders like a second skin. Long ebony hair hung loose around
his shoulders and fell straight down his back to his waist. His
black eyes were watchful and his body was tense as if he was ready
to spring into action at any moment. The hairs on the back of my
neck stood on end as he prowled towards me.

When he stopped in front of me I looked up at
his towering height and decided he had to be at least six-foot-six,
a whole foot taller than my five-foot-six. I watched as his cold
eyes warmed and his lips curved into a smile that transformed his
mid-thirties face from lethal and predatory to friendly and
welcoming. I was still leery of him, but at least he no longer
looked like he wanted to slit my throat and hide my body in a
shallow grave. He reached out his hand which I shook while he
introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Rook, head of security here at Myths
and Legends." His deep voice was tinged with an accent I couldn't
place - maybe Eastern European?

"I'm Serafina. It's very nice to meet you
Rook, but as the head of security, don't you have more important
things to do than take new employees on tours?"

One side of his mouth lifted in a grin. "I
heard about the trouble you had when you checked in for the
auditions and I wanted to make sure your initial orientation went
smoothly. Now, if you're ready, we can get started. I will be
talking a lot along the way, giving you information about security
protocols as well as interesting facts you may find useful during
your stay at the resort. If you have any questions please feel free
to interrupt me at any time." He held one arm out towards the door
in a gesture that implied I should walk in that direction.

We exited the club and turned right. As we
began walking down the hallway Rook started with, "For the most
part the resort is a safe place to live and work but we do get the
occasional wacko who thinks we should all burn in Hell for
worshipping demons and vampires. Of course we don't worship such
beings, but once a fanatic has his mind set it's pretty hard to
change it. If anything like that occurs you will be given
instructions and you will need to follow them to the letter." He
underscored the importance of what he was telling me with an
authoritative look.

When he was sure his message had gotten
through he nodded and continued, "You obviously know how to find
The Catacombs, though I have to say it looks completely different
at night when the Goth crowd, bikers and anyone else who likes body
piercings, black clothes, chains and hard core rock music comes out
to play. Have you been to any of the clubs or restaurants since
your arrival at the resort?"

"I visited the casino a couple of times which
turned out to be an addictive pastime I should probably avoid," I
told him with a rueful smile. "The Dragon's Lair has a casual feel
that I like so I've eaten several meals there, and last night I
spent some time in Mystique."

Rook looked at me sharply, some of the
darkness I'd seen earlier bled back into his eyes. "And how did
that go?"

I groaned and covered my face with my hand
then I looked up and met his worried eyes. "Let's just say that as
soon as my feet hit the dance floor all my PG-13 intentions flew
right past R heading for X. I'm not sure what happened to me in
there but I was lucky someone distracted me long enough that I
could make my escape before I did anything I would really
regret."

We stopped walking and he grimaced. "I'm glad
nothing bad happened to you. Mystique can be overwhelming,
especially for anyone who doesn't know what to expect. As a dancer
here at the resort you may be required to work in Mystique. If that
happens I would advise you to stay on your stage or pedestal and
never, ever go into one of the private party rooms unless you're
with someone you trust implicitly."

"What private party rooms?" I was trying to
picture Mystique but my memories were too foggy.

"On the lower level the walls are lined with
doors. Those doors open into private party lounges. Each lounge has
a pole for private dances and comfortable sofas and chairs for the
guests. Anyone can swipe a credit card and enter one of the rooms.
They can go in alone, bring friends along, or invite one of our
dancers. There really aren't any rules and once you're inside
there's no one watching your back. Most of the time, our dancers go
in pairs if they go into the private rooms at all. It is always
their choice to make. But since you're so new to the scene you
should avoid the lower level altogether."

The fact that I hadn't even notice the doors
frightened me. Chills went up my spine when I imagined what could
have happened if I'd gone into one of those rooms last night.

"Thanks for the advice." My voice quavered
and I had to clear my throat. "I wish I'd gone on this tour before
I decided to check out the local nightlife. I honestly don't even
know why I went out last night. I've been so dead tired after the
auditions all week that I practically fell into bed as soon as they
were over."