Spirit (Legend of the Dragons Book 1) Read online

  Prologue

  “MY TRISTAN! MY TRISTAN!”

  “Briahnna!” Adriahnna tried to yell above the child’s screams. “We are not going to Tristan’s today! Stop screaming this instant!”

  Briahnna jumped up immediately and ran around her mother down the stairs to the front entrance.

  “Briahnna!” The queen tried to get ahold of her, but the little tyrant dodged her grasping fingers. “Someone grab her before she escapes!” she yelled, chasing after the two-and-a-half-year old.

  Briahnna ran as fast as she could toward the two towering doors. They loomed ever nearer…

  “Gotcha!”

  Kicking and screaming, Briahnna howled as Darian hauled her over his shoulder. “Calm down, Briahnna! Wow!” he said, trying to dodge her attacks. “What’s gotten into you kid?”

  “TRISTAN! MY TRISTAN!”

  Queen Adriahnna sighed, shaking her head. “Apparently Bri really wants to see Tristan. She just won’t take no for an answer this time,” she said, taking Briahnna from her son’s arms.

  Adriahnna turned and began struggling up the stairs as Briahnna’s screams echoed in the corridors. Turning the corner to take Bri to her room, Adriahnna heard a loud banging on the front doors causing her to pause her ascent. Briahnna used the distraction to push herself away, and dropped from her mother’s arms.

  “AHHH! BRIAHNNA!” the queen screamed. She sat down on the top stair, and stuck her head in her hands. “What has gotten into you?” she said to herself.

  “Adriahnna?”

  Adriahnna exhaled and looked up at her husband. “Your daughter is running away. I suggest you get to her before she escapes.” She pointed down the stairs.

  “MY TRISTAN! MY TRISTAN!” Briahnna screamed.

  Puzzled, King Rinald looked down at his exasperated wife then started jogging down the stairs toward his unusually noisy child. From the sounds of it, she wasn’t the only one making a raucous. Someone was persistently banging on the front entrance doors.

  Rinald’s head of household answered only to get knocked to the side by Lord Tristeil, striding through the doors straight to King Rinald. Tristeil looked down shortly as Briahnna ran passed him and into the grounds and then he looked up and stopped the king from pursuing. “I need Daniel,” he demanded.

  The king looked passed Lord Tristeil and yelled to his head of the guard, “Reed! Stop Briahnna before she escapes!”

  Lord Tristeil’s eyes widened, remembering the screaming child that ran through the entrance, and turned to run after her.

  “Wait! Why do you need Daniel?” Rinald yelled descending the palace steps after Tristeil. Everyone paused when Briahnna stopped her screaming abruptly and tumbled to the ground, lying on her side with her knees tucked into her chest.

  “No!” Lord Tristeil ran to the child and lifted her up shaking her as he yelled, “Where is he? Where is Tristan?”

  Part 1

  Chapter 1

  King Rinald watched his ten-year-old princess wield her magic with the maturity of a full-grown mage. She was magnificent as the wind blew her auburn hair around her freckle-sprinkled face. She laughed when she made a fountain of the palace pond. Rose petals opened to their fullest within the surrounding garden. She was wielding three of the four elements at once. Unheard of.

  “Bumble Bee,” said Rinald, “your mother will have my hide if you don’t run along into the palace. You need to be bathed and primped for the ceremony, and I know she will be angry if you get too tired. A magik can only handle so much.”

  Briahnna groaned in disgust. “Father, I’m like a doll to them. They all have to dress me, and tease my hair. I hate it. Pleeeease, just a little longer. If I linger here, they won’t have time to fuss so much.”

  Briahnna was Rinald’s fifth child. King Rinald and Queen Adriahnna had four girls and one boy, Briahnna having been born seven years after their fourth child. She was thought of as a miracle, for the queen was sure she would bear no more.

  King Rinald laughed at his daughter. Her large, green, almond-shaped eyes pleaded with him.

  “Please Father!” she begged “You don’t have people tugging at your hair trying to make you perfect. You don’t understand.”

  “I do, Bri. More than you know. Now run along,” he said as he patted her back.

  Slowly ascending the palace steps, Briahnna tried to think of a way to bide her time before her sisters assaulted her.

  “Walk tall, Bumble Bee,” laughed her brother, Darian. He was heading toward the King. “You’re not marching to your death yet.” After this evening, he and Briahnna would be the only ones left at the palace; Darian, because he was the crown prince, and Briahnna because she was obviously too young to be on her own. Darian was much older than Briahnna, and had a small family of his own.

  “Did our sisters attack you and make you pretty, Darian?” asked Bri.

  “They tried, but I barely escaped with my life intact,” he laughed.

  “Well then, can you help me escape, because I don’t think mine will be when the evening is through!” she exclaimed.

  “Bri, they adore you, and just want to see you at your best. They rarely get to see you at all. Think of it as their way of expressing their love.” He laughed when she rolled her eyes. “Well, good luck all the same.”

  She entered the palace slowly placing one foot in front of the other, walking to her sister’s quarters. As was tradition, all of Briahnna’s sisters were joining in Angelina’s room to get ready together and support Angelina on the evening of her wedding.

  Bri still couldn’t think of a way to thwart her sisters. So she gave up, rolled her shoulders back, and did as Darian told her; she walked tall into Angelina’s room and was bombarded with hands.

  “Oh Bri! What have you been doing?” exclaimed her oldest sister, Rosalia. “Your hair is a tangled mess. We have a bath drawn for you. Take your clothes off at once. There is much to do.”

  Bri’s gaze slid past Rosalia. “Oh Angel, you’re beautiful!” she cried.

  “Thank you Bumble Bee,” Angelina said as Bri slowly made her way around the beautiful bride. “Bri… I know what you are doing,” Angelina laughed.

  “Oh, I don’t think you do,” whispered Briahnna. “For unless I circle you and cast my spell, your luck will fade and your poor husband won’t be doing any worshipping tonight.”

  “Luck?” scoffed Angelina. “Stop, and get yourself into the bath,” she said smiling.

  Bri huffed. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  She struggled out of her clothes while the hands of her sisters tugged and pulled, sighing as she lowered herself into the bath. Rosalia gently washed her hair while her second sister Emiliya took care of her dress and undergarments, laying them on the bed to air out from being stored in the armoire.

  Bri was actually very excited to wear the beautiful dress. They measured her and made plans for the bodice a month before. She saw the dress two weeks ago and almost arrived to her lessons in it without incident. She was positive that her mother really could see through walls.

  . . .

  The wedding ceremony was held in the great hall of the palace. It was followed by a wonderful feast and ball in celebration of the happy union. Lords and their Ladies from the many cities within the kingdom of Mageia had arrived in the capital city of Estreed to attend the ceremony.

  Bri loved celebrations and couldn’t help but feel the happiness and elation of the occasion. However, as the evening wore on she felt unease creep through her belly. She looked at the double doors across the floor, feeling the need to run to them and get away. She almost did just that. She shook her head trying to reassure herself that sh
e was being ridiculous. Why would she want to leave such a wonderful party?

  “Briahnna?” King Rinald snapped Bri back into reality. “Are you alright dear one?”

  Briahnna quickly nodded and laughed to show her father she was fine, having a difficult time putting words together, wanting to scream because they felt frozen in her mouth.

  Rinald eyed her suspiciously. “I shouldn’t have let you do so much magic today. You’re obviously exhausted.”

  “I’m okay!” she forced out.

  Taken slightly aback, King Rinald smiled and held out his hand. “Come. Maybe a waltz will make you feel better.”

  As Briahnna danced with her father, she felt anxious and completely frustrated. She looked up at her father. What? She thought to herself, this doesn’t make any sense, so she ignored it and kept dancing, pretending to enjoy herself.

  After she and her father waltzed, Briahnna sipped her punch watching the couples dance; her anxiety beginning to peak, she looked around cautiously. No one was paying attention to her. No one was even looking her way, yet she felt like something bad was going to happen at any minute. She gulped down the rest of her punch and walked slowly around the great hall, observing everyone carefully. She felt her stomach plummet in fear. Dropping to her knees with tears making a steady trail down her face, she shook her head trying to clear it. She couldn’t figure out what had happened. This was such a happy occasion. Why was she feeling this way?

  “Briahnna!” exclaimed her mother. “Whatever happened sweetheart?”

  Bri couldn’t seem to wrap her brain around what she was feeling… finally she figured it out. These horrible, anxious, and scared feelings she had were not her own.

  “Mother,” breathed Briahnna. “I…think my body is weary and I need to sleep.”

  “Oh! Of course, your father let you do too much today. Magic can make even the most powerful mage weary.” Adriahnna shook her head and gestured to Gabriela, Briahnna’s lady’s maid, to come to her. “Your father indulges you so.”

  Gabriela took her to her room so she could rest for the evening. Briahnna was more than happy to retire. After they reached Briahnna’s room, Gabriela helped her into her nightdress, turned down the bed, and left her to sleep. Bri exited through the window, descended the tree near her roof, and escaped the palace grounds.

  . . .

  Briahnna felt drawn to the oldest part of the city. She stumbled down the deserted streets, knowing that she was walking through the slums, never really having been there herself. But she knew where she was because the buildings were old, leaning, and crumbling. Princess Briahnna had never really known fear until this moment. She cringed as she frantically searched the streets. The person she was looking for was here…she felt it.

  Shouts and curses emanated from a nearby shack of a house. Briahnna crouched low as she made her way over. She located a low window with shutters hanging from the window casing. As she peeked in, she saw a boy huddled in a corner of the house. He was trembling on the floor. It was he whom she felt, this boy who looked to be barely alive. He was skin and bones.

  Bri cried out in anguish when she saw him, unwittingly drawing the attention of the men arguing. She dropped from the window and swiftly started crawling to the back of the house when thick arms encircled her. She screamed and lashed out as she was carried inside and tossed into the corner with the boy.

  “Well, what have we here?” sneered a big man. “I do believe I found myself a gem. Rare in this part of town, eh Brode?”

  Brode grunted a response as he leered at her.

  Bri was terrified! Why had she left the palace? Why did she come here? What was she thinking? She had never taken such chances before. She had done it without thought, without the fear of consequence. Then she turned and saw the boy in the corner staring at her through grit and dirt and strikingly bright blue eyes.

  She felt his astonishment at seeing her. She looked at his ragged clothing and dirty hair. So dirty she couldn’t discern the exact color of it. It occurred to her then that this was why she was here. She shared a connection with this boy. As she looked at him, his presence filled her, causing a sense of familiarity.

  She realized just then that the men who had taken her were talking to her. Tearing her gaze away from the strange boy, Briahnna looked at the man crouching about a foot away from her.

  “I asked you a question girl!” the man growled.

  “I bbbb…beg your pardon sir?” she squeaked.

  “Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!” he laughed. “I do believe we have a Lady in our midst.” The big man turned and addressed someone else whom Briahnna just barely noticed, a man standing by the door.

  “Keep guard. Brode and me are gonna gather the boys. We need to decide what we’re gonna do with this little Lady.” And they took off without a backward glance, leaving the guard in charge.

  “What’s your name?” Briahnna whispered.

  The boy looked at her skeptically as if he was deciding why she wanted to know.

  “Can you feel it?” she asked.

  He gave her a confused expression.

  “Feel what?” he asked.

  “Feel me,” she said.

  He looked down at their hands wondering why she was asking such a question, when they weren’t even touching.

  Sitting so close to him, she could feel the hum of his magic, and she just wanted to touch him. She reached out, unable to contain herself, and grabbed his dirty hand.

  His eyes widened, feeling the sudden surge of her magic within him. He didn’t know what to think.

  “What are you doing to me?” he gasped.

  “Do you feel it now?” she asked. She could feel her own power strengthen when she held his hand.

  “My name is Briahnna,” she whispered.

  “Jerrick,” said the boy

  She smiled at him and he thought he’d never seen anything so beautiful.

  “What are they going to do to you?” asked Briahnna.

  He shrugged. “They think I stole from them,” he answered simply. The guard was almost asleep.

  “Did you?” she asked

  Jerrick snorted out a, “No.”

  “Did you tell them that?”

  “It doesn’t matter. They believe what they want to believe. They like to make us scared sometimes by taking one of us and beating us senseless,” answered Jerrick.

  “What!” shrieked Briahnna.

  “Hey!” growled the guard. “Shut your mouths, before I do it for ya!”

  Wide eyed, Bri couldn’t help her shudder. What had Jerrick done to get himself caught up with these people? She had to find a way out. She had to save him. She had to save herself!

  Briahnna had no doubt that her father would find her. He had the best tracker in the Kingdom. Daniel was an earth mage and could track anyone with his powers. She kept trying to get him to teach her the skill but he would only tell her that the earth had chosen him and that is why he was the only one with the skill. She was counting on the earth to show him the way tonight.

  As the guard was falling asleep again, Briahnna whispered to Jerrick, “We have to get out of here.”

  Jerrick snorted. “No one leaves these guys. Anyone who tries usually gets beat to death.”

  “Who are they?” she asked.

  “Thieves, men who take children when they’re young so that they can raise them to steal real easy. It’s easier to learn when you’re little. Who suspects a three year old to steal in the middle of market?”

  “That little?” exclaimed Briahnna.

  “Well, it makes sense,” said Jerrick with a sheepish shrug of his shoulders. “Do you have to steal for them?” she asked

  “Well, yeah. What else am I gonna do?”

  “Did they take you from your family?” Briahnna asked hesitantly.

  “I don’t know,” he answered.

  The guard was asleep, and Briahnna knew they had to move fast.

  “Come on,” she insisted, grabbing his hand and rising t
o her feet to look out of the window.

  “What are you doing?” exclaimed Jerrick. “You’re going to get us killed!”

  “We have to get out of here. I can’t be here. I need to go home,” she said

  He could actually feel her panic. He could feel her fear and her hesitancy. Then he felt her resolve and knew that she was going no matter what he said. And he wasn’t letting her leave without him.

  “It’ll be easier if I go first and pull you through the window,” he whispered. “Lace your fingers together and let me stand on your hands.”

  Briahnna was elated that he was actually going to help her and did as she was told. Jerrick pulled himself out of the window then reached in for her hands.

  The two were so preoccupied by what they were doing that they didn’t hear anyone making their way towards them. The door burst open and Briahnna heard a curse while Jerrick was snatched from outside.

  “STUPID BOY!” shouted the big man as he opened the door and threw Jerrick onto the floor.

  Briahnna stood by the window trembling as more men clambered into the house. Her breathing became erratic when Brode started beating Jerrick. She watched him hit Jerrick over and over causing her to freeze where she stood. She could feel Jerrick giving up. She could feel him wishing for death, for a way out. Her own fear and panic escalated and something new began to form. Something she had never felt, a new magic…a magic that was screaming to be released. She threw her body on top of Jerrick’s as a shield.

  Brode stopped mid-kick, astonished that Briahnna would try to take his punishment. His hesitancy gave Briahnna enough time to grab Jerrick's hand. The magic increased within her when she touched him.

  “We don’t mind hitting little ladies,” another man stated simply. He walked over, hand ready to strike then cursed, “What-”

  Light erupted from Briahnna and Jerrick’s clasped hands, then expanded around their bodies, forcing the men away from them. The room brightened perceptibly as Briahnna stood with Jerrick by her side. Jerrick, dazed, felt her reach inward and release the magic. He closed his eyes when the illumination exploded from her body.