Second Chances (The Extinct Race Series)

Second Chances

The Extinct Race Series

Book 2

By

Michelle Farrell

This e-book is a work of fiction. Names, characters places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher. 

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©
Michelle Farrell 2013

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

This book is for

My Mom and my Auntie Emelie

You were the first to read my first book and encouraged and pestered me to write more.

I love you both

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank everyone who has made this possible.
Firstly my wonderful husband who has encouraged me and thought up most of these little twist in the series. My children who gave me a standing ovation the day my first book went on sale. My mother who has never thought anything I did was dumb. I love you all so much and I love the fact that I can now put my dreams and imagination to work!

Chapter 1

Thousands of years earlier

Marsali is the last of the Dragons.
She lost her mate and her children long ago in the wars of the Dragons. Being the last of her kind she holds all the magic of her race and she is lonely. Before the war the races all lived separate from one another and all were jealous of the Pearl Dragons. The Pearl Dragons were the first Dragons and the most powerful in magic and everything else. Marsali wanted more, she wanted all the races to be unified and live as one family. But she knew that her dream could not happen now. She is the last Pearl Dragon and has not felt another Dragon in a very long time.

She traveled the world and finally found a mountain she thought she could call home.
The coast was near and there was also lots of forest surrounding the area. She found a large cave deep in the mountain and started thinking of how she could make her dreams come true and find peace. Since she was the last, she wanted to use all the magic that was inside her to make a difference.

Several years went by and as they did s
he watched the human race grow. She watched how families were and how the men protected their mates and their children. She observed how the men hunted for food to provide for the women and children. This was such an unusual thing for Marsali to understand. For what she knew from a male was only to mate. Then she was on her own to provide for the young ones until they were old enough to do it on their own. So the love she saw in these families she wanted more and more. She decided then what she was going to do.

She did not have to wait l
ong. There was a large group of humans that lived along the mountain itself. They made their homes in the caves and high in the trees. The village itself was on the ground, but at night they all went to the caves or to the homes made in the trees. She watched this group for several months. They were kind with other groups of humans nearby. They were very intelligent as far as the current times. She could tell right off that they had a hierarchy and followed what one man and woman said. She could see that this ruler was very loving of his people. He did not sit by and watch as other men hunted or fished. He went out with them and helped them. He brought the younger boys with him sometimes and he and the child’s father would teach them while encouraging them. The woman that was also the ruler was much the same way. She cooked and participated in the cleaning of the furs and the gathering of the grains and fruits. She also taught all the young girls the basics of what she did and how to use certain flowers and plants to treat common ails. Marsali knew that this was going to be her people. These humans had all proved themselves worthy of the gift she wanted to give them.

She waited and watched for a couple more months and thought about how she would approach them.
There were clans nearby, but not close enough to notice the difference. Marsali also had a protection spell in the works that would cover the mountain and hundreds of miles out. She wanted to make sure that her people would be protected from other humans and not be hunted down, also so they could be themselves without worry. The protection spell would make other clans move out of the area. The area within the spell would always be sort of hidden from anyone. She put lots of thought into the spell and decided that only the ones loyal to her people would be allowed in and be able to see what was really inside the area. Humans would be able to pass through, but would never be able to settle within and would never be able to see what was really there.

Once Marsali had all the things she needed and the proper spells planned out she decided to approach the
leaders of the group. She used her magic to make her look like a human and set out down the mountain towards the clan. Marsali chose this day because it was the day they all gathered in the center and celebrated the week’s hunts. They were all gathered to feast. The different smells of the meals being prepared hit her nose first. Then she smelled the humans and the smell brought a smile to her face, for all she smelled was happiness and safety within them. Marsali cast a quick spell of calm over the humans and made her way to the center of the group. Some looked to her with curious glances and some with smiles of friendship on their faces. Once the leaders saw her the male shouted out an order and Marsali was quickly surrounded by two large men.

“I come in peace and mean no harm to you
or your people.” Marsali told the leader.

“You are unfamiliar to us.
I am only taking a precaution for my people. Please come forward and let us talk.” The leader invited her forward.

The large men escorted her to the head table and stood there waiting for the leader to give another order.

“I would like to speak with you and your lovely mate in private if possible. I have a gift I would like to bestow on your group, but I would first like to see if your mate and you are willing.” Marsali told him.

The leader looked to his wife and then back to Marsali.
He nodded for the men to leave them. The leader then stood and his wife followed suit. He waved for her to follow them. They led her to a small clearing away from the rest of the group and took a seat on some fallen trees.

“I am Briec and this is my mate
, Neala. What can we do for you?”

“My name is Marsali, I come from a time that is unknown to you all and I am the last of my people.
There was a great war and I am the only one left. I have the powers of all my people inside of me and I would like to pass it on to you and your clan.” Marsali said

“I am sorry for your loss
, but I do not understand what you are trying to tell us.” Neala said

“Well I have thought this over many times and now I am unsure of how to tell you in words.
I have another way, I can show you what happened to my people, but I need to hold your hands for that.” Marsali told them. “Before we begin I must tell you that I am not what I appear to be. I am over one thousand years old and the only way I can die is if I am killed. My people do not grow old and do not get sick. I am the last because of a never ending war. My people all killed each other and I do not want to go back to that time. I am the first and the last of my kind. I chose your clan because of the leaders that you two are. You are selfless and you help everyone. You treat others as equals and the love you have for one another is like nothing I have seen before.

“You do not age?
There is no sickness that can harm you?” Neala asked bewildered

“Please show us what you need to.
I was chosen to lead these people and have done well so far, I think. There is always sickness and death that takes my people from me and I am curious at what you have to show.” Briec said lifting his hand into the air towards Marsali, Neala had also lifted her hand. Marsali took hold of their hands in hers and began to show them her life. They stood there for a very long time and once it got to the point where they grasped hands, Marsali let go. She had shown them her entire life up to the point of them joining hands.

Briec and Neala sat there in silence fo
r a while and just stared at Marsali for a while. Neala was the first to look at Marsali and there was no fear in her gaze.

“You wish to make us Dragons?”
Neala asked

“Well I wish to pass my magic to you and yes you would be able to shift into a Dragon.
There are some stipulations that I will make with my gift however. I do not want history to repeat itself. I want my gift to be just that, a gift. I would make it so that when a child is born they will be human until they find their soul mate and once the bond is complete they will become immortal and be able to shift into a their Dragon that will be asleep inside them until that bond. As you saw the hate and jealousy ruined us and I do not want that for you or your clan.”

“I would like to sleep on this and discuss it with my mate.
Would you please join us in our feast and tonight you will tell us all the stipulations there are before we decide to do this for our people.” Briec said

“I would be happy to join you and get to know your
people better.” Marsali said

They all went back to the main area and the food was all done cooking and set about on all the tables.
The rest of the clan was waiting for their leaders to return before they began eating. Once everyone was seated they all began to eat. Briec and Neala were deep in conversation with each other and Marsali watched the other clan members closely. She was deciding what race she would make each of them by the way they acted and carried themselves.

The feast lasted for several hours with dances and music performances.
Briec and Neala had disappeared to their hut and came back once the feast was winding down. They called Marsali back to the clearing and Briec made a small fire to keep them warm. She told them everything they wanted to know. She told them that her stipulations were to ensure the safety of the clan and the secret that they would all carry. She explained the protection spell she wanted to cast, making the land theirs forever. She explained that all children born after her gift was in place would all have a soul mate. That once they found each other they would be able to turn themselves. That all the Pearls will have a bit of magic in them, but that magic will have to be taught to them, so it will be up to the elders to keep a record of it all. That this mountain will always be protected from outsiders, it will always belong to Briec and Neala’s line.

“We have been unable to have children though.”
Neala said

“You will have children
, I assure you.” Marsali told her

At the mention of future children both Briec and Neala said yes to her gift.
They have been together for a long time already and they were the only ones in the clan that were unable to produce children. Marsali told them she still wanted them to sleep on it and left them for the night. She told them that she would be back tomorrow for their answer.

Marsali left them and walked back up the mountain to her cave.
In the cave she had chosen there was a large pool inside and she soaked in the naturally warm water. She knew they were going to choose what she was going to offer and she spent the night gathering all her magic. She decided then that she would also leave a little for herself and let Briec choose a mate for her. Their children would be the soul mate to Briec and Neala’s children. That way it insured there would be no mixing of blood lines and her child would hold just as much magic as her soul mate.

The next afternoon Marsali made her way back to the clan.
When she arrived she was met with the entire clan and the approving glances. She walked up to Briec and Neala and they told her that they had spoken to their people and everyone wanted this gift. Marsali nodded and stepped up to the front of the clan.

“Briec I wish to stay with you all and join your clan.
I would ask that you chose a mate for me and also two other couples to be the Pearl. These people need to be people that you would trust to take your place should something happen to you or Neala. Also, so that there will be no mixing of blood lines. If there are four Pearl couples then our children will all be soul mates to one another.” Marsali asked an told Briec

“I would be honored to have you in our clan
. You would also be able to teach us our new gift. Airic please come forward. Marsali this is Airic, he is the next in line to take my place and does not have a mate. Airic, Marsali will be your mate, I hope you will find happiness with each other.”

Marsali then had Briec chose which couples he wanted for each race.
She made sure that there were at least four couples per race that were not blood related. She then had the couples gather their children close to them. Marsali told them that the bonds they have now will intensify. Before she cast the spell she told them that they will always mate within their own race. She also explained that if the race ever gets to the point that it is for her right now, that there will not be enough magic left to do this again. Within the spell she will place a failsafe. She decides not to tell them of the true failsafe she placed, so she tells them the plan.

“
No child will be conceived unless the soul mate of that pair is born already or will be born within five years. You will all have to keep this a secret, as once you find your mate you will stop aging. For all intents and purposes you will be immortal in terms of aging. However we can be killed, so be careful with your lives.”

Marsali looks out at the crowd and all she sees is smiling faces and heads nodding up and down.
The clan has all agreed.

Marsali cast the spell of protection first.
“The mountain is now ours and will forever be ours. If you move away from the area you will only be allowed in this area after swearing fealty to the current Pearl King and Queen. I understand that our children and their children will move on to other areas over time. I cannot protect those areas now. This mountain will always be home to all Dragons who want the protection of this land. Briec and Neala this mountain will always belong to your line of future children.”

Briec and Neala nodded in approval and Marsali nodded back.
She then cast the remaining spells and fell to her knees. Airic caught her and carried her back to his home in the trees. She was so exhausted she forgot to tell them all that they needed to make love and bite to cement the bond and turn into a Dragon. Once Airic laid her on the bed and applied a cool cloth to her head she was able to tell him what needed to be done. He ran out to tell Briec and then was back with her within minutes.