Finding the Dragon (Dásreach Council Book 1) (2 page)

“So, you called this meeting, you going to join us or should we come out there in the hallway?” Sasha called from his place in the room.

“Yeah, o’fearless leader, what’s the deal?” Jack yelled from a seat next to Xander.

Dar and Malkum stood by the windows with their arms crossed, always in Enforcer mode, their eyes scanning the room and taking in everything. Damon and Gabriel were over in a corner having a whispered conversation, which probably meant they were planning some sort of prank. James and Rickard sat with some old tome of a book between them.

“Come on Kai, come in and put us all out of our misery.” His best friend called from his seat in the circle.

George puts in his two cents from the seat next to him, “Right. I think we all have other things to be doing.”

“Where’s Corbin?” Kai asked when he realized the Spirit Guide wasn’t in the room.

“Behind you, if you’d like to go have a seat and get out of the way.” Corbin smacked him on the shoulder.

Realizing that he had no choice, but to present the crazy plan that had grown in his mind since the weekend, he entered the room. Dumping the tools for his plan on a table by the chairs, Kai turned to the men that he had called brothers for almost 19 years.

“Well… I… um…” Kai stumbled over his words. He had no idea how to start this conversation.

“I’m figuring we should all have a seat.” Charlie called out. His Beta always had his back.

All of the men came into the circle of chairs and found a seat. Kai still found it funny how those that had a partner in their position always seemed to migrate to each other. The only sort of exception was Damon and Gabriel who were always together, like he and Charlie, the two men had been friends since they were young. Their partners, George and Sasha, always took position on the outer sides of the pair. George was a natural loner and Sasha seemed to prefer the company of his twin when not at a meeting of the Thirteen. They were all so different, but they agreed on one thing, they took their oath to their people seriously and it was killing all of them to think they would fail to do their duty and take their places as the next Council. Kai, Charlie, and Corbin were the exceptions with their positions not having a partner. Kai and Charlie were always together and Corbin spent most of his time at Tiranam Dásig with the Shaman. So, they all had some sort of support in their daily lives.

“Kai, sometime today would be great.” Jack called to him. His fellow Healer gave him a jab in the ribs. Jack and Xander couldn’t be more different, Jack was outspoken and said it like it was, where Xander was watchful and full of compassion for others.

“Aye. Well, I’ve been thinking about how we can take a more active role in finding our mates. The Great Spirit and Destiny may have a plan, but I can’t imagine it is for us to sit on our arses and do nothing.” Several of his brothers started to argue with him, when he continued. “I’m not saying that traveling and searching is nothing, but it isn’t getting us anywhere. It’s leaving it all up to chance.”

“But, isn’t that part of the point of destined mates, that they are left up to chance… to Destiny and the Great Spirit to guide us to them?” Corbin asked. As the Spirit Guide, the man was a constant well of calm, always looking for the will of the Great Spirit in everything.

“Aye, Corbin. That is true, and we are still going to leave it up to them to guide us, we’re just sort of going to give them a shove.”

“How?” Malkum gave him a look.

The Enforcer was one of only a few Dásreach that were not happy about having to have a mate. Kai wasn’t sure why, but the man basically had resigned himself to being shackled to a woman chosen for him. Both, Malkum and Dar, seemed to be resistant to the idea, but Dar had accepted his duty as a member of the Thirteen a bit more graciously.

“We’re going to throw a dart.” Kai stood and waited for the reaction to begin.

“What?” Damon laughed and looked at Gabriel for some help.

“Aye. We will start with a globe and then I have maps. Each of us will throw darts until we narrow it down to a particular city. Then, we will travel to that city and set up a Tattoo shop. Obviously our mates are not in the cities where the Dásreach already have shops. In the 18 years since we were chosen, not once have we received a call about a possible mate. I’m taking this as a sign that we need to branch out.”

“And, this will help us how?” George sat forward in his seat.

“I thought Corbin was researching about mate symbols for us. Didn’t we agree that the fact that all of us, not to mention Dar’s friend Riordan and my brother Hunter, having the same mate symbol had to mean something? Why do all of us have the crossed arrows of friendship as part of our Warrior Marks? What does the symbol tell us about our mates? Is Corbin still researching them?” Sasha fired off as he gave the man in question a look.

“Finding information on mate symbols and the times when multiple Dásreach have had the same one is slow and tedious. We as a people have a lot of history. James and Rickard have been helping, but we have only found a few instances and they have never been the symbol for friendship.” Corbin updated the group. “I don’t think we have the time to hope that the symbol provides the answer.”

“But, isn’t that what the symbol is supposed to do? Help us find them by telling us something about them?” Gabriel spoke up for the first time.

“Yes and no.” Corbin replied cryptically.

“Damn it. You’re as bad as the Shaman lately.” Damon grouched. “I seriously think we need to get you away from him for a while.”

Corbin just looked at the man for a bit, and Kai watched as Damon relaxed back into his seat. The Spirit Guide was obviously using his ability to calm the Educator.

Kai didn’t blame his brothers for their questions, he had the same ones running through his own mind. He rubbed his Warrior Mark on his left bicep. It was strange how the Great Spirit told them so much with just a few additions to the tattoos of their spirit guardians. The small symbol to the left of the mark that indicated that they were one of the Thirteen, not that Kai needed it since there was only one dragon selected every twenty years, but with the others it marked them as different from the other panther, bear, wolf, fox, mountain lion, falcon, and eagle shifters. Kai didn’t really need his ability symbol either, since all dragons had the same ability. Neither did Charlie or Corbin for that matter, since only the bear, wolf, fox, mountain lion, and falcon shifters would be gifted one of two abilities. The dragons, panther, and eagle shifters were different from the others in a few ways. He shook his head. The differences weren’t important, the similarities were the issue. The mate symbol was supposed to indicate some unique characteristic about each man’s mate. The symbol was supposed to help lead a Dásreach to their mate, but for him and his friends, they all had the same one in the center area of their tattoos. What did a symbol of friendship tell them about the fifteen women that were supposed to be their mates? For the Thirteen weren’t the only ones who hadn’t found their mates, Riordan and Hunter hadn’t found theirs either. But, not finding a mate was a severe problem for the Thirteen, which led to why Kai was here with his brothers.

“The point is… that we have no definite answers or direction, and I for one can’t sit on my arse and wait around.” Kai looked at each man in the circle. “Can you?”

Charlie looked at him for a bit and then stood, “Alright then, what exactly does this plan have us doing?”

Kai walked with him over to the table with the globe and the darts.

“Well, I was thinking we’d sit the globe on the table, someone would spin it, and one of us would throw a dart at it. Then we will pull out a map for whatever location the dart lands and tack it to a wall and throw another dart. We can keep getting more detailed maps until we know a city.” He looked at his friends; they all looked as if they were trying not to laugh at him. “After we have a city, the man who throws the dart will go to that city and set up a tattoo shop.”

“What then?” Gabriel asked while obviously fighting back a laugh.

“Then, you do what you’ve been doing. Work the shop and wait for women to come in and show them the book of Dásreach Warrior Marks.” Kai clenched his fists. He knew the plan was a bit cracked, but it was all they had at this point.

“I think we need a test. Kai, it’s your idea, so you should be the first one to follow it through. If it’s successful then the rest of us can throw our darts.” Gabriel suggested.

“Yea, Kai should go first.” Sasha backed up his fellow Steward.

“Alright.” Kai opened the box of darts and took out one. “Charlie, will you spin the globe for me?”

“As long as you promise not to hit me with the dart.” Charlie grinned at him.

Even his best friend wasn’t holding back his opinion of the plan.
Damn it.
Kai thought his Beta was supposed to have his back no matter what. He growled at Charlie and walked about 15 feet back from the table. He closed his eyes and sent a prayer out to the Great Spirit.
Please guide this dart and help me find my mate. The Thirteen need this.

“Go.” Charlie spun the globe and all of the men stepped back.

Kai inhaled a deep breath and let the dart fly straight at the globe. It hit with a loud crack as the dart penetrated the hard shell of the round ball. His heart sped up, where would this lead him? Would it actually work and help him to find his mate? He asked the Great Spirit for guidance, all he could do was trust that it would be given.

He looked at Charlie, “Where did it land?” His nerves were shot as he waited for his friend to answer.

“Well, the globe is pretty detailed, so it’s in the state of Ohio in the States.” Charlie called back to him.

“Ohio?” Jack laughed. “There’s nothing in Ohio, man.”

“There’s something in Ohio all right,” Kai looked at them all, “my mate.”

He walked to the table and pulled out the stack of United States maps. Pulling out the map for Ohio, he looked around for the best place to tack it to the wall.

“Give it here.” Malkum said as he grabbed it from Kai’s hand.

He stared at the Enforcer for a moment; he had no idea what the man was doing.

“I might not be able to use my ability to find our mates, but I can find the city for the tattoo shop. No need to poke holes in my walls.” Malkum spread the map flat on the table and moved his finger around on the surface.

Malkum’s eyes were closed and Kai prayed again to the Great Spirit,
Please.

“Here.” Malkum poked the map towards the center.

Everyone crowed around and looked closer.

“Is there anything there?” Damon asked.

“It’s in the middle of nowhere isn’t it?” Gabriel chimed in.

Malkum gave both men a cool look. Maybe he had at least one of the Thirteen on board for his plan.

The Enforcer looked close at the map, “Delmar. It’s not too far from the capital of Columbus, so it might not be too bad.”

Chapter 1

A cold winter day in January.

Alvena Irene Anderson, known as Al to her friends, walked swiftly across the icy parking lot where Maureen dropped her off due to the ice and traffic. The wind whipped her sling bob styled hair into her eyes, and between it and the snow blowing across her vision she could hardly see. Fighting to keep balance with her carry-on bag while dragging her suitcase across the icy and uneven ground, she couldn’t stop to pull up her hood, which would have kept her hair back. Her suitcase bumping along behind her as she hurried towards the entrance to the Port Columbus International Airport made her thankful that she hadn’t packed her larger bag. Glancing at the time on her phone, she quickened her steps, since thanks to her boss she was late for her flight.

Her boss was a jerk. There was no getting around that fact, since as always he had found a way to keep her at work when he knew she had somewhere to be.
Sigh. At least Maureen had waited and hadn’t straight out told her “I told you so.”
She had planned on being at the airport two hours ago. With check-in and security, she was afraid she wouldn’t make it. Damn her boss for keeping her at work until 6 p.m. He tried to keep her longer, but she had finally told him that she had to leave and promised to check her email while she was gone to get him off her back. But to hell with that, this was her first real vacation in years and she was not ruining it because of the toad that was her boss.

She loved working only a short distance from her apartment, but working for a small mom and pop software company had its setbacks. Like a boss that constantly expected her to work 12 hour days, even when she had set up time off for appointments or vacation. He always pushed the envelope and sadly, she let him get away with it. If it wasn’t for the fact that she could walk to and from work and was paid well, she would have quit today. But, alas, she wanted to keep her job. She was comfortable there and it worked to her benefit. With what she was saving by not having to have a car, she would be able to travel to many of the romance book events that she and her friends in her online book club enjoyed. This trip to New Orleans was only the second event in which she would travel with two of her best gals, Nat from upstate New York and Rogue from Tennessee. It didn’t matter to Al that she had only met Nat and Rogue in person on one other trip to meet Jeaniene Frost, they had known each other for over two years. There were actually a total of fifteen gals that had struck up a friendship on Facebook. Al had only met a few of them on a couple of occasions when they were able to attend the same book signing events, but all of them were addicted to books, specifically romance novels, and they just clicked. She had a few friends, but none as special to her as the Book Worms.