The Island Of Dragons: A Paranormal Shifter Romance Page 17

  Dalton’s freckled face had begun reddening even before I’d finished speaking.

  Well on his way to bursting into full flames, he cleared his throat. “Oh, that. Well, it wasn’t just you and Chief Knight. I was actually going to go on to say that no one in the village should be having relations.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, I don’t know if anyone here on the island has noticed over the years, but lake creatures... whether they be Forms or a golem... are sensitive to the energy levels on the island. According to our father’s notes, a higher level of energy on the island should lead to them being ‘rowdier,’ for lack of a better word; harder to contain, and more troublesome. And when passions rise between individuals...” He paused, clearing his throat once again. “Well, it contributes to the collective energy level rising, which theoretically, in turn leads to any lake creatures being whipped into a frenzy. So, if you do think of some plan … if you can maybe get someone else to go into the lake and become a Form in Warren’s stead ... you and everyone else on the island will always have to be aware that passionate encounters will always likely result in increased activity down at the lake in return.”

  “Oh.”

  Honestly, having Warren gone to deal with problems at the lake for a few hours seemed like a small price to pay for the pleasures of making love to him.

  Just then, the metal arm of Dalton’s homemade seismograph began skittering all over the paper slowly moving beneath it. Dalton got up, studied the paper for a few moments, frowning, then picked up the whole contraption and told me to start heading outside with him. “Another quake coming. This island is really eager to fold in on itself. We may not even get the full thirty days Harold calculated.”

  Over the course of the rest of the day, small earthquakes jolted the island numerous times, though fortunately, none of the quakes caused any further damage to the castles or any of the other buildings in the village. Dalton and some of Warren’s men set up Dalton’s seismograph in an outbuilding, where it would be monitored every minute of the day. While they worked to set up the alarm system, so that people could return to their castles knowing that there would be warning to get out before the ground shook again, most everyone who wasn’t injured hung out in the little tent village down by the shore.

  While I sat in a lounge chair, surveying the brilliant, glittering ocean with a dull ache in my chest, Davy came by and “gotcha-ed” me by offering me a bite of a cracker, then claiming that I hadn’t just eaten part of a cracker that had been made with flour, but instead, made with the powdered bones of dragon shifters that had died in battle over a thousand years earlier. After I’d mustered a smile and complimented his creativity with this gotcha, he asked me when we might have tumbling classes on the outdoor events platform again.

  Trying to act nonchalant, I shrugged, forcing myself to smile again. “Hopefully soon ... once everything gets back to normal after the quakes stop.”

  Melissa, who’d just walked up with some fruity, tropical drink in hand, took a seat in a chair beside me. “Well, how much longer can they go on? Aren’t earthquakes just usually a couple of big tremors and then a few aftershocks? Seems like we should be near the end of it by now.”

  Clearly, Warren hadn’t told anyone about what was really going on yet, or at least not many people, because as a council member, it seemed like Melissa would be one of the first to know. Fortunately, I was spared in responding to her by Davy making a dramatic scene of feigning blindness due to the extreme brightness of her neon yellow bikini top.

  During a community clambake that evening, several people remarked how very stressed Warren had looked earlier before leaving the village to meet with Holden, the leader of the Sun Cove bears. I hoped Warren would tell everyone about the decision he’d made soon, so that I wouldn’t have to keep pretending that I wasn’t overly worried about him.

  After the meal, most everyone returned to their castles. I barely slept at all that night, though not because of any more quakes. My problem was that nearly every time I nodded off, I kept having nightmares of seeing Warren emerging from the murky lake as a Form, dark, shadowy, and red-eyed.

  ***

  The next day, he held a town hall meeting in the Great Hall in the heart of the village, and he finally, though very briefly, told everyone what was going on, and what he’d decided to do about it. I didn’t attend, unable to bear hearing him talk about the sacrifice he was determined to make. I only got a recap of the meeting afterward, when Melody and Melissa came rushing over to my castle, both of them thoroughly rattled and panic-stricken. Melody was crying, which made me start up my own waterworks for the second day in a row, but like the previous day, I refused to let myself cry for long.

  After drying my eyes with a tissue, I looked at them both, determined to keep my voice steady. “It’s all going to be okay. I just have to think of some way that everything can be fixed without Warren having to do what he wants to do. I just have to think of some plan, or... or something. I’m just not sure what that plan is yet.”

  They had no answers, either. It was clear that someone was going to have to go into the lake and become a Form in order for everyone on the island to be saved.

  Once Melody and Melissa had left to be with their husbands, I texted Warren, saying that I’d given him space as he’d asked, but now I really needed to see him. I miss you so much I can hardly stand it, I wrote, and it was true. I missed his deep, resonant voice, his masculine, woodsy scent, and the feel of his strong arms around me. I missed the feeling of complete safety I always had whenever I was with him. I missed the shared pleasure of our lovemaking, and the feeling of his long, hard body against mine. I missed every single thing about him. Most of all, I missed feeling certain that we were going to have a future together.

  After what felt like a really long delay, but was actually probably only a few minutes, Warren texted back, saying that he missed me unbelievably, but that he couldn’t see me alone right then. I may be a strong man, but I’m weak around you, and I’m scared that one minute alone with you would make me reconsider my decision, and I just can’t let that happen. I have to remain steadfast, for the good of everyone, and because it’s my duty to do so. I do love you, Ellie, more than you know, and I wish to God things could be different.

  That evening, Melissa let me know that Warren was holding a council meeting, and that the two other island leaders would be present. Though he hadn’t specifically invited me, he hadn’t specifically not invited me either, and I resolved that this was one meeting I was not going to miss. The town hall meeting had seemed to be just for giving information, but at a meeting with the council and other island leaders present only, I knew there might be a real chance for productive discussion about possible alternative ways to prevent the island from self-destructing. I was hoping that Dalton, who’d been invited to the meeting, might be able to help me in this, maybe with some ideas involving science. I hadn’t seen him since the day before, and though he hadn’t had any ideas for possible solutions that didn’t involve Warren then, I hoped he’d had his thinking cap on.

  When I arrived at the council meeting with Melissa and Dan, Warren was already seated at the head of the long, polished table in the council lodge, and I took a seat on his left, whispering hello with my heart feeling as if it were breaking. Warren said hello back in a low voice, avoiding my eyes just as he’d done the day before.

  Soon the rest of the council members arrived, followed by two men Warren introduced as Eric and Holden, the leaders of the wolves and the bears, respectively. They were tall, muscular, and very good-looking. Apparently, being unbelievably attractive was a prerequisite for being a village leader on the island. However, of the three leaders, I thought Warren was the most handsome, by far. There was just something about his physicality that I found magnetic, almost mesmerizing at times, though this wasn’t entirely just because of his classically handsome looks.

  There was also something else I just couldn’t put my finger on,
but it might have been the way he moved, deliberately and confidently, head always up and broad shoulders always back, though without even a hint of arrogance. It might have been how a tiny crescent-shaped pale scar on his chin made him appear somehow vulnerable yet rugged at the same time. Whatever it was, it was something I found almost impossibly potent and irresistible.

  To my dismay, Dalton wasn’t present in the lodge, nor was Hugh, and I’d hoped that they both would be, even though Hugh wasn’t a council member, and of course, Dalton wasn’t exactly Warren’s favorite person.

  Seeming to read my thoughts, Melissa briefly brought her mouth to my ear and told me in a low voice that she thought Dalton would be coming. “I ran into him earlier, and he said he had to fix something on the seismograph thing real quick or something.”

  Relieved, I nodded and thanked her, hoping he would be coming prepared with some brilliant alternative to preventing the self-destruction of the island.

  Once everyone was seated, Melody ducked into a narrow alcove on one side of the circular, stone-walled and floored room, and in this small, kitchenette-type place, she began fixing drinks for everyone. All of women present opted for passion fruit wine, except for Melissa, who asked for whiskey, like the men were drinking. She and Warren were the only two who requested theirs neat.

  Once everyone had been served, Warren drained his whiskey in one long gulp without so much as a faint grimace, and then got right to it. “Thank you all for coming, particularly the two of you, Eric and Holden. Now, the reason I called this meeting is not to tell any of you anything new, but simply to reiterate to you all my plan of action, confirm that my mind is made up, and then tell you all exactly how and when I’m going to execute my plan, which will be soon. I’d like some time to settle up a few things and say a few final goodbyes, though at the same time, I’m mindful that if these earthquakes were to go on for the full month they’re expected to, there would likely be further damage to our dwellings, more injuries, and possibly even deaths. So, therefore—”

  “But, wait. Please.” Melody had spoken, her soft, musical voice quiet but insistent. My heart seemed to leap up in my chest a few inches, and I prayed she was about to suggest a different way the island could be saved. She’d gotten everyone’s attention immediately, and now she continued, all eyes on her. “I apologize for interrupting, Chief Knight, but is that all this meeting is for? Just for telling us the details of your planned demise? Can’t we spend at least some of this time discussing alternate plans?”

  Expression unreadable, Warren dipped his head in a slight nod. “All right. What’s your idea?”

  A faint wash of color rose to Melody’s oval-shaped face, and she shrugged. “Well, I didn’t mean that I have an idea in particular, I just....”

  While Melody shrugged again, clearly struggling, Melissa finished a sip of whiskey and set her glass on the table with a thunk, gaze on Warren. “I have one I thought of earlier today. Instead of trying to prevent the closing of the wormhole by creating another Form, a you Form, why can’t we make another of those golem things, but just maybe a smaller and more easily contained one? Like, for example, we throw a bunch of palm fronds in the lake, and we make a ‘palm man’ golem. Or, if leaves aren’t a sturdy enough material for the lake to magically make another golem out of, why don’t we just use stones again? Worked well enough the first time, when you and all you men did it accidentally.”

  Warren shook his head. “I’ve already discussed this idea with Dalton, and he says it isn’t possible at present. For one thing, the lake can’t create a golem out of non-human organic matter, like palm fronds, and as far as rocks, the idea still isn’t possible. Something about how it takes much more stored energy from the lake to create a golem out of stone than it does to create a Form out of a living human or shifter, and right now, on the heels of the massive stone golem we created, the lake’s stored supernatural energy is too depleted to....” Warren trailed off because a new attendee had just arrived at the meeting. It was Hugh. And the suggestion he was soon about to make would just about have everyone’s jaws on the floor.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Hugh stood before the council table with beads of water glimmering in his salt-and-pepper hair and beard. A white sling around his left arm, which he’d been wearing to take pressure off his still-healing shoulder, was also dripping. The evening sky had been overcast earlier, and now it seemed that it had started to rain.

  Looking a little sheepish, he began to address everyone without even taking a seat. “Look. I know I’m not a council member, and I’m sorry to barge in here like this. But I just wanted to tell you, Chief Warren, that you don’t have to do this. I’ll do it. I’m an old-timer with a busted wing now, and you’re of much more value to this community than I am. I’ve had a good life, and I’ve had many wonderful years with Sadie, both before the island, and after. I’ll make the sacrifice myself, and Sadie will understand. She’ll have to, because my mind’s made up. I’ll go in the lake and become a Form to save us all.”

  “No, I will.” Dalton had spoken. Stunned, I recognized his voice but was confused because I couldn’t see him at first. Seeming to have arrived at the lodge and come down the short, darkened hallway right after Hugh, he now stepped out from behind Hugh’s burly form and away from the shadows so we could see him. “I’ll go in the lake. My father created this whole mess by setting the island to self-destruct, so it just makes sense that I should fix it.”

  Across from me, Melissa drained the rest of her whiskey in a gulp and set the glass on the table with a bang. “Oh my God. This island shouldn’t be called Black Lake Island, it should be called Martyr Complex Island.” She chuckled, obviously pretty pleased with her joke, but within a second, her chuckle was cut off by her making a little yelp of pain. It seemed that Melody, who was sitting across from her, must have kicked her in the shins or something, because Melissa glared at her, shrugging. “What? That was pretty funny.”

  Ignoring her, Dalton took a step closer to the council table, gaze on Warren. “Please let me do this, Chief Knight. I’m not really one of your people, so you’re not technically responsible for protecting me, so you shouldn’t feel compelled to hold me back.”

  Now Hugh sidled up next to Dalton, looking at him with what appeared to be a mixture of exasperation and pity. “You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, kid, and a sister here that you’ve only barely gotten to know. I think she needs you to stay in her life. So, for that reason, my offer should be the only one Chief Knight considers.”

  Conflicted, to say the least, though maybe more horrified than anything, I didn’t know who I wanted to go into the lake. I obviously didn’t want either of them to, simple as that. I just wanted to find a different way than anyone having to become a Form, but if Dalton hadn’t even been able to think of one, I doubted I could, either.

  Wearing an expression resembling a mix of exasperation and pity himself, Warren looked from Hugh to Dalton. “Thank you both, but as I’ve previously stated, my mind is made up. As an island leader, it would be cowardly of me to let one of my own people, meaning you, Hugh, or a guest of this village, meaning you, Dalton, to go in my stead, and that’s not the kind of leader I strive to be.”

  Momentarily, I thought about begging Warren to just let one of them make the sacrifice, but then I immediately felt terrible. I’d grown to love Hugh as a father figure, and I’d begun to love Dalton as a brother, but Warren was, of course, the one I loved the most. Though that didn’t mean I knew I could live with myself if I actively lobbied for either of them to go in Warren’s place. I just wanted there to be another way to solve things than someone having to become a Form.

  In response to what Warren had said, both Hugh and Dalton began to protest, but, rising from the table, Warren cut them off with a raised palm. “Stop. Both of you. I appreciate what you’re both trying to do, but I’ve made my decision, and it is final. Any further offers, from the two of you, or anyone else, will result in jailing and removal
from the community until my plan is executed.” With his dark brows furrowed, he shifted his gaze from the two of them to the rest of the group. “I’ll be going into the lake ten days from now, and this meeting is adjourned. Eric and Holden, as village guests, you’re both welcome to join me at my castle for another drink if you’d like. The rest of you, goodnight.”

  With that, he began striding out of the lodge without so much as giving me a backward glance. Frustrated, heartbroken, angry, sad, and even a half-dozen other emotions I couldn’t even describe, I wanted to follow him, wanted to grab him by the shoulders, shake him, and make him look at me. I wanted to yell at him, telling him that he couldn’t go into the lake because I couldn’t live without him. But, before I could even rise from my seat, Eric and Holden were already up and following him out of the lodge, and I knew it wasn’t the right time to confront him. But I was going to soon. I was going to make him look at me.

  ***

  Over the next several days, I didn’t get the chance. Warren was near-constantly away from the island, either surveying the lake or meeting with Eric and Holden in their own villages, and when he was home in Knight’s Shore, he was busy having meetings with Josh, who, as his right-hand man, would succeed him as village chief. A few times, I texted Warren asking to see him, but each time, his response was the same: Not yet. I knew what he was thinking. He was going to see me one final time to say goodbye, but not until time was nearly out. He didn’t want to draw out our goodbye or make it harder than it was already going to be. I just knew it. My heart ached perpetually for him, and us.

  No one in the village was happy about his decision, and in fact, the general collective mood became one of people attending a days-long funeral. Everyone seemed to wear a firmly-fixed frown, and a few women cried openly at random times doing different tasks out and about in the village, which, in turn, made me start up the waterworks as well. Dalton reported that he’d even spotted one man, one of Warren’s strongest shifters, having a good cry alone in the jungle, head in hands. It was clear that Warren was an incredibly beloved leader.