The Dragon Shifter’s Desire by Harmony Raines

Chapter Sixteen – Ivan

“What happens if Hannah casts the spell and there’s no sign of the dragon to whom the pendant belongs?” Zara asked. They were seated outside on the porch with Tillywig twisting around their ankles purring loudly.

Hannah had requested privacy and quiet while she mixed the location spell. Ivan suspected she liked to keep her spells to herself and didn’t want to expose her secrets to outsiders. Which he completely understood.

She is like you and your recipes,his dragon said.

Yes, I can relate to that. Ivan turned his head a little to one side. As if he was trying to locate a noise. His forehead creased as he focused hard but there was nothing there.

“If she can’t locate the owner of the pendant then we could presume he is dead,” Karros replied. “Grandma Hannah’s spells are extremely potent. If she can’t locate him then there’s a very good chance he no longer exists in any of the worlds.”

“Dead.” Larisa leaned back in her chair and covered her mouth with her hand.

“You never considered that he might be dead?” Zara asked. “It all happened a long time ago. This dragon shifter might already have been old. And if he was as mean and as dangerous as it sounds then there’s a good chance he crossed the wrong person and was taken out.”

“Or someone killed him for revenge,” Ivan mused.

“You mean other dragons?” Larisa sat forward on her chair and rested her elbows on her knees. “Yes, that would make sense. There aren’t many dragon shifters, are there? So it makes sense that when your father was murdered, if other dragons found out about it, there would have been consequences.”

“But death?” Ivan’s face paled. “Do you think he was executed for killing my father?”

“Or he put up a fight and was killed in self-defense.” Larisa stood up abruptly and paced the porch. “How long does this spell take?”

“As long as it takes,” Karros answered lightly. “Sorry, I have asked Grandma Hannah the same question my whole life and that is always her answer.”

“Thanks for bringing us here, Karros. You, too, Zara. I know that you have both risked a lot for us.” Ivan shivered as if someone had walked over his grave.

Perhaps Hannah is casting another spell,his dragon suggested. One that involves us.

Ivan jerked his head around to stare at the cottage. He pushed his shifter senses out until he located the wise woman. But those senses told him nothing of the spell she was casting.

“Are you all right?” Larisa came to him and hunkered down by his side.

Ivan ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just...not feeling myself.”

That’s accurate, his dragon said. This spell of Hannah’s, the one we drank to hide who we are. It does seem to have some strange side effects. I don’t feel right.

The effects are temporary, Ivan assured his dragon, although they only had Hannah’s word for that. But he trusted her. In the same way he trusted she was not casting another spell on him without his knowledge.

She’s coming.Ivan stood up, making Larisa tip backward, and he reached out and caught hold of her arm before she could fall to the floor. “Sorry.”

Larisa dusted herself down as he helped her to her feet. “That’s okay. We’re all a little on edge.”

Ivan slipped his arm around her waist. “Hannah is coming.”

The cabin door opened, and Hannah beckoned to them. “Come on in.”

“Did the spell work?” Ivan was first into the house, but he kept hold of Larisa’s hand. Her touch comforted him.

Larisa is not the only one with a dark cloud over her mind,his dragon said. I’ll be glad to be rid of this spell. I don’t like it much.

Neither do I but it might make the difference between us making it to the fae Hannah says will have the answers we need and getting thrown out of the fae realm. Or worse.

His dragon grumbled in response and settled down, resting his head on his front legs but he didn’t close his eyes, he was alert, waiting for news of the spell.

“Come and see for yourselves,” Hannah answered as they entered her workroom.

“Wow.” Larisa let go of Ivan’s hand and hurried to the map that was spread out across the table, which Hannah had cleared of her ingredients. “This is a map of the fae realm and Wishing Moon Bay and my world.” She jabbed her finger at a large landmass in the middle of the ocean. “And this is the dragon isle?”

“It’s a lot bigger than I expected.” Ivan leaned over the map, his eyes were drawn to the place where his fellow dragon shifters lived.

“You’ve never seen Cairnnor?” Hannah didn’t cover her surprise.

“Cairnnor?” Ivan asked.

“That’s what the dragons call it.” She shook her head as she went around to the other side of the table. “Didn’t anyone teach you anything about who you are and where you came from?”

Ivan jerked his head up. “I don’t even know if I come from there. I was given to Valerie to raise from the world beyond. Everyone assumed that was where I was born, that was where my family was from.”

“Understandable.” Her jaw tensed and she stared down at the map.

She’s hiding something from us, his dragon said.

“Did Andor come from Cairnnor?” Ivan asked.

Hannah nodded. “So, if you are his son then this is your home.” She pointed at the landmass. “And this is where the dragon who owns the pendant is.”

Ivan narrowed his eyes as he stared at the map. “Nothing is moving.”

“Because the dragon isn’t moving.” She lowered the tip of her finger to a faint mark on the map. “This is where he is.”

Ivan went around the table and stood next to Hannah. He had to lean close to the map to see the small dot. “Do you know what’s there?”

“It’s the dragon stronghold. Stanma. Their place of power.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, this doesn’t tell us much. Your dragon could either be part of the dragon guard. Or he could be held prisoner by the dragon guard. Or he could be Argothorn Dragon Lord of Cairnnor.” She fluttered her hand across the map. “Or anything in between. A chef even.”

“But he’s there and he’s alive?” Larisa asked.

“He is.” Hannah’s expression faltered. “I wish he wasn’t.” She nodded at the map. “As you said, you don’t know if you belong here. You don’t know if they will treat you as a traitor, or a trespasser.”

“A traitor?” Larisa’s cheeks flushed red. “How can he be a traitor when he’s never been there?”

“Because the sins of his father are his to bear.” Hannah’s sadness deepened. “You need to know who you are and where you come from before you decide to track this dragon down.”

Ivan nodded. “Will you give us the name of the fae I need to find? Please.”

“I’ve written it here along with the last known address I have for him.” She slid a piece of paper across the table. “There’s an accompanying note from me. Give it to him. He’ll help you.”

“Even after so many years?” Karros asked.

“Yes. Even after this many years.” Hannah grabbed the edges of the map and rolled it up. “Take this with you, too.”

“Are we leaving now?” Zara asked.

“Yes.” She ushered them out of the room. “Go pack and help yourself to food while I prepare more of the spell to disguise Ivan. I was going to cook for you, but I think Larisa is right. You should leave. Things are stirring. You need answers before they boil over.”

“What do you mean things are stirring?” Larisa asked bluntly. “What things?”

“I don’t know,” Hannah admitted. “But I can feel it. It’s like when you catch a glimpse of something in the corner of your eye but when you turn to look at it, it’s gone. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”

“You’ve helped a lot. Thank you.” Larisa seemed satisfied with Hannah’s answer.

Hannah continued, “I’ll also give you another vial like the one Elise gave you. It’s a backup. Once my spell wears off, you should drink the contents of the vial and head straight for the portal.”

Ivan nodded. “Thanks, Hannah.”

“You’re welcome.” She studied him for a moment. “Just take care, Ivan. You have no idea what you are walking into.”

“No, I don’t.” He paused and went back to the table. “One thing...”

“Yes?” Hannah had her back to him, gathering bottles and jars from the shelves along the side of the wall.

“The pendant.”

Hannah emptied her arms and turned to face him. “He can’t sense it while it’s here.”

“But he could sense it when we were in Wishing Moon Bay?” Ivan asked.

“I expect so.” She pursed her lips.

This is like getting blood out of a stone,his dragon remarked.

“Why didn’t he come for it?” Ivan asked.

“He might not have been able to. Which would mean he’s a prisoner. Or the pull of it might not have been strong. If he has a lot of treasure, and a high-ranking dragon would, then this pendant might be like a nudge in his brain.” She faced Ivan. “You have learned to control the pull of your treasure in a short space of time.”

“I have.”

“If you had been raised around your treasure all your life then you would be used to it. It would be there like a part of you.” She went to a small, carved wooden box and opened it to reveal the pendant. “So the pull of this one small piece of treasure would be small. Almost unnoticeable. At least at first.”

“But the pull would get stronger?” Ivan rubbed the back of his neck. Was he experiencing that very thing? It was as if someone was whispering in his head, calling to him.

Singing,his dragon stated. Just as the tiara sang to us when we first felt its presence.

Ivan turned abruptly and left the room. Striding to the front door, he yanked it open and went outside. His dragon was right. His treasure was singing to him.

The spell is wearing off,his dragon said. And as it weakens, the song grows stronger.

What if it’s a trap?Ivan turned around in a circle, staring at the trees as they moved in the wind.

“Ivan.” Larisa ran to him and put her hands on his arms. “What’s wrong? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

His brows knitted together as he looked down at her. When she touched him, the song was less strong, less compelling. “I think my treasure is here in the fae realm.”

“Oh,” Hannah gasped. “That makes things more interesting and more complicated.”

“Complicated?” Larisa turned to Hannah.

“Yes. If Ivan wants to track down his treasure, then he needs to be free of the spell.” She pursed her lips. “Which means he’ll no longer be hidden from the fae.”

Ivan nodded. “I have to find it.”

“You don’t have to,” Larisa said. “You’ve lived this long without it.”

“Because I didn’t know it existed,” Ivan replied miserably. He didn’t want to put her in danger. He didn’t want to put any of them in danger. But he had to find his treasure. It was a part of him. It would be a part of their children if they were blessed with them.

Could he make Larisa understand how he felt without pushing her away?

Or would he be torn apart by the choices before him?