Falling

By Paula Fredericks

Rayne: What do I do now? Not only have I fallen off a bridge, I've fallen onto an island of mythical creatures to a part of the world you won't find on any map. Zinn saved me from death and has even taken it upon himself to help me acclimate to this new way of life and powers I never knew I had. I'm learning new things every day and am quickly finding out that I have enemies I never knew existed. Zinn: Why did I save her? It's what I do. I save people. I saved Loki from a life of crime, probably a darker life than I want to know. I saved Rayne from falling to her death. And what do I get in return? A student who barely does what he's told, a semi–student with enemies in every direction, stuck in a human body, and thrust into the middle of the dragon–fae conflicts. And what's more? I can't go where she needs to go. Loki: She's beautiful. I'm trying to stay away, but something within her calls to me. I can't follow her where she's going, but I know who her enemies are. I can't help her master her abilities, but she has powerful enemies I can get close to. With any luck, her enemies will be dead before she comes face–to–face with any of them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644623992

Book preview

Chapter 1

Rayne

The pain emanating from my side is what eventually brings me out of unconsciousness, and I can’t help the groan that escapes me. I roll onto my left side—to avoid what I’m sure is a broken rib—and open my eyes to better place my hands underneath me. I push myself onto my feet and turn around, looking for whoever saved me, and come face-to-face with a snout.

It takes up my entire field of vision, so I stumble back to get a better look.

The snout is covered in scales each twice the size of my hand and the color of the stone that nearly killed me; the color of the stone that builds the coastline of Northern Ireland beside the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge I now remember falling from. Letting my gaze wander further up, my eyes lock with another that’s at least the size of my head and blends with the scales.

The lizard eye that captured my attention has a soft dark light that emanates from behind the vertically slit iris. A voice that suggests age, experience, and wisdom, and is somehow male, echoes in my head.

Who are you, small human? vibrates through my mind.

I look around, trying to see where the voice is coming from. But since this very large dragon is obscuring my view of anything besides itself, I cannot see much and I refuse to put this animal to my back so I can look behind me because I’m so terrified. My mind is racing, and to buy some time I do the only thing I can at this moment… I talk to the dragon. Uh… Rayne.

Well, at least your name’s not something stupid, like Cloud, I guess. That guy really gets on my nerves. Your parents were sensible when they used nature to name you. It suggests wisdom on their part. Dragons often name their offspring after nature, though most of the time they do so in other languages.

I ignore the comments about my parents since I don’t know them and they didn’t name me. But, I feel the need to defend my name since I picked it out. Well, it’s not spelled like rain though. It’s spelled R-A-Y-N-E instead of R-A-I-N. I wonder why I’m explaining this to a dragon before he continues.

Interesting.

Openmouthed and wide-eyed, all I can do is stare. Next thing I know is that the ground is trembling, a few seconds go by, and then it happens again, and the dragon starts to move away from me. I finally get a good look at my new surroundings. I thought that surely I was in a cave of some sort at the bottom of the ravine that the bridge spanned, but I could not have been more wrong,

Where am I?

You are in the Land of the Dragons. It has a name but not one that you could pronounce with your indelicate tongue, little human with a dragon name. Human’s call it Draak.

My name is Rayne, not ‘little human.’

So you have said, little human.

So why don’t you use it then. This is more of a statement than a question, but the dragon doesn’t seem to realize that.

Because, I know many named after the rain and so it is easier to call you little human.

Okay, big dragon.

Are you mocking me, little human?

No. I just know a lot of dragons and I don’t know your name, so this is easier.

My name is Vensjidr, but most humans cannot wrap their tongues around the pronunciation. You may call me Vedr, most humans do. It’s based off an old word that means storm.

Since this is my dream I doubt he’ll mind if I call him Storm, or Stormy. Following Vedr up the nearly sixty-degree incline I begin to wonder where I am exactly. It’s not as if Land of the Dragons can be found on a map. The last thing I remember is flying straight at the wall of stone. Where am I? I repeat.

I’ve told you where you are, little human.

Yes, but I don’t know where Draak is, I explain.

We are on an island just off of the country you call Ireland, although it cannot be seen, or detected, by humans, or any of their new machines. This is because of a magical barrier… Does that make sense?

Magically cloaked islands make about as much sense as dragons being real, I quip. I must be dreaming or something because none of this is possible. Is it? Even though I only just regained consciousness, this feels more real than my life back home in Iowa.

You do not find me real?

Maybe I’m dead. I did just fall into the ocean above some very pointy rocks. Maybe this is the afterlife or something.

You are not dead, little human. Though I am surprised you are taking all of this so well.

I’m a naturally curious person. Taking it well? He must be joking. I am freaking out inside trying to decide if this whole thing is a dream or if I really did die when I fell off that bridge. How do I get home?

Well, that is a complicated question, little human.

Complicated, how?

The way back to where you are from is surprisingly simple but would most certainly result in your demise. And since you are so fixated on this being a dream I don’t think you want to experience actual death. But if you insist on learning the way back…

I do.

Vedr’s sigh echoes inside my mind. I hadn’t even realized the dragon could sigh, though why it surprises me at this point, I have no idea. Vedr’s voice takes on a petulant tone as he explains how to get home as if he knew that no way in hell would I try to get home that way.

Very well. Go back down this hill to where you woke up and find the place where the coastline juts out the furthest between the coastline and the isle across from it. That isle is the same one you were trying to get to when you fell. When you find it, climb straight down the side of the coast and stop about half the length of my tail above the waterline. If you have gone directly below the point you started from you should find the portal back to your world. All you have to do is touch the portal, which looks like the ocean made of stone, and you will find yourself back in your world. It is important to note that once you touch the portal your body will fall into the ocean on the other side and if you are not dead you will have to swim back to the island that you fell from. If you are alive I hope that someone finds you before you are smashed to death on the rocks between the two islands, but it is unlikely they would find you in time.

I’m not the most athletic person in the world, and I have no illusions about my upper body strength—as in none whatsoever—and the idea of climbing down the side of a cliff under normal circumstances is absolutely not going to happen. So, in no way am I going to do it when said cliffs are soaked. If it is so dangerous to get there, how did I get here in the first place?

You should not be here at all, but one of our young saved you from your fall even though it is against all of our laws to do so, he growled. Though his anger was directed at whoever, or whatever, saved me and not at me directly. "Granted, it is against the law for him to be in your world at all," he muttered under his breath as if I wasn’t supposed to hear.

Well, can you or someone else take me home?

Not without the council’s approval, little human. His voice, if that’s what you call it, is back to sounding like it did when we met, laid-back and content to answer the questions of someone who knows nothing.

Is that where we’re going? I ask.

Yes, little human with a dragon name.

As we crest the first hill I turn around and look behind me before starting up the next one and involuntarily gasp. A sense of déjà vu overwhelms me as I look across the landscape and see a familiar coastline. It’s eerily similar to the one I walked along to reach the rope bridge and visit the tiny island of Carrick-a-Rede. I can see where the worn-down path—part wood planks, part dirt—was created to get out to the bridge and the spot where the coastline creates a large crack. When I walked out to the isle, there was a wooden bridge to cover the crack, before the hill starts to wind down to the bridge.

Closer to the isle, the ground levels out to create a small landing. People stopped there to look at the beach far below to the left and the scenic view of the isle to the right. Here they would decide if they wanted to finish the trek down the stone steps (so worn down from people walking on them that they’re now little more than a ramp) or turn back, knowing that they would have to climb the hundred-plus stairs when they wanted to return.

I can see these things in my mind. I can almost picture all the rescue people swarming the area in an effort to find me. But they won’t find me because I am on a different island. Now that I’ve reminded myself of where I am, I start to see the differences in the landscape. The path isn’t exactly the same, a bit curvier, and the hill is less steep than the one I took down to the bridge. I never would’ve made it back up that hill without the worn stairs to help me, and there are at least two more hills in the distance that weren’t there before. Bringing my mind back to the present, I force myself to turn around and follow Vedr up the next hill and on to wherever this council is located.

Chapter 2

Rayne

We’ve been walking for hours it seems. I’m so lost in thought that I don’t notice how much later in the day it is until my stomach starts growling at me. We keep to ourselves. When we do talk, it’s mostly me asking questions like how much longer and me explaining what a granola bar is while I eat my last one as we climb up and down the hills that are every shade of green imaginable.

One might’ve gotten bored of all the green but it was broken up by the bright yellow gorse bush that also liberally covers Ireland. At some point, I decide that I’m not sure if I believe this world is real or if it’s a dream or the afterlife. Whatever it is though, I’m going to treat it as if it is real because if it is… I don’t want to die. The other decision I am coming to is that I have to stop. Now. Vedr, I need to stop. I collapse onto the ground, and throw my arm over my eyes to block out the sun.

Stop? Why? He slowly turns around and nudges me with a large claw.

He’s surprisingly gentle. We humans don’t have tough feet like you do, I say from under my arm. And mine are killing me.

Little human, get up. We must keep going if we are to make it before the meeting ends. Vedr is starting to sound agitated, so I start to take notice.

Wouldn’t want him to nudge me again only to spear my leg with those claws of his. Or decide to eat me. Listen, I’m sorry but I can’t. Falling off a cliff, traveling to a magically protected island, finding out that some council is the only way to get home, and walking for hours on end kind of takes it out of a girl, ya know? So, unless you’re going to carry me, I’m staying here to sleep.

You cannot stay out here all night. Wild animals would attack you, and I would be in trouble with the council. He sighed once again before saying, Okay, little human, you may climb onto my back and I will carry you.

Is he serious? I was just kidding. Something in his eyes tells me he’s not messing around. Resigned, I get back up as Vedr lies down tells me where to place my feet so that I can get to his shoulders.

At first, I try to sleep because I’m so exhausted, but it turns out that riding a dragon bareback is very painful. I’m sure if I could ride a smaller dragon it wouldn’t be as bad as it is, but Vedr is so broad I have to change my position frequently so I don’t get saddle sores, or worse. As we crest another hill a village comes into sight. Vedr tells me its name is Tanin and that they have one of the highest concentrations of dragons on Draak. Not long after, I find myself riding into the village on the back of a dragon. I see that only one or two dragons are out and about. But most surprising, I think, is the presence of humans. I mean, I know Vedr mentioned humans earlier but I guess it didn’t register. There aren’t very many but there are a few running around the wide streets of a well kept village that looks like it could’ve been built in the 1800’s with the same warmth as the Shire from Lord of the Rings.

As we enter the village, I notice there are caves dug into the side of the hills and figure they must be where the dragons live. Spread throughout the hills are many human-size dwellings, and shops. You can tell the stores from the homes by their size, they seem to be built to accommodate dragons as well as humans. These larger buildings only have three sides but, whether they’re built from wood or stone, they all look sturdy. The last thing I notice is the river running through town with a bridge that we have to cross.

Vedr approaches one of the stone buildings, and the smell of freshly baked bread makes me realize that it’s been almost a day since I’ve had anything to eat besides my granola bar on the way here. After sticking his head into the open side of the shop, Vedr comes out with a human-size loaf of bread caught between his jaws. A guy follows Stormy’s head out of the shop carrying a basket with a piece of cloth covering the contents.

Are you coming down to get this, or do I have to bring it to you? His voice is deep and rich, and if he didn’t look at me like I’m a talking cat and his voice wasn’t laced with the kind of patience you would give a child who refused to understand something, he would probably be very attractive. His shaggy dark brown hair, kissed by the sun, hangs in front of chocolate brown eyes framed by long thick lashes. He has a strong nose that looks like it may have been broken at some point. I want to slap him.

But since that would require moving, all I say is, I would love to come down and get that basket from you, but I don’t know how to get down from here.

The easiest way is to just stand up and walk down his tail.

Oh, I mumble. I would have thought of that… eventually.

Hold on, little human, says Vedr before a thin membrane lifts from either side of his body… his wings.

My jaw hanging open, I study the intricate, abstract design the cartilage and veins create. I stare longer than I should before the guy interrupts my moment. I don’t have all day.

Standing up, I find my balance before making my way to Vedr’s tail, all while processing what I had just seen. About three quarters down the length of his tail, I jump the last two or three feet to solid ground. As soon as I land, my legs give out and I fall flat on my ass in the dirt just as the guy with the basket comes into view. Embarrassed, I get back on my feet, ignoring that he didn’t even offer to help me up, and glance behind me just in time to see a glimpse of Vedr’s wings as he finishes folding them back against his body.

Here. He thrusts the basket at me and as soon as my hand closed around the handle, he turns and stalks back into the bakery. Watching him leave, I notice he’s at least six feet tall. Taking the cloth off the basket, I appreciate that not only did he give me my own loaf of warm bread but also some cheese and an apple. How much do I owe him for the food?

What do you mean, little human?

What do I need to give him to pay for the food?

We work for our basic supplies here. You will be taken care of until you find your place among us or you are sent home.

Sounds too good to be true. And I will go home, I say, then I mutter, No matter what the council says. I inhale a loaf of the bread as we walk through the center of the village and out the other side. After nearly twenty minutes of walking we come to the base of a very large hill with a very large entrance cut into the bottom of it. Entering the tunnel, there are support beams and torches every five feet so it’s brightly lit and looks very stable. The path leads us deeper underground. I would panic but I can see a light in the distance and hear human voices. Never thought I’d have to make that distinction.

It sounds like I’m listening to someone on the phone and only getting half the conversation. Normally this wouldn’t be so odd, but it sounds like other people are following it and for some reason I doubt they have cell reception here.

We can’t—

But she doesn’t belong—

Somehow, I get the impression they’re talking about me.

Once I cross the threshold of the archway, a loudness echoes in my brain and the halted conversation makes sense. All the long pauses between the voices were where the dragons were talking. Recovering from the shock of all the voices inside my head, and coming to terms with my instant headache, the beauty of my surroundings starts to sink in.

The best way to describe it would be to imagine the inside of a bowl, only much, much bigger. Shallow amphitheater seating, wide enough for dragons, is carved into the inside of the depression, and since there are no rocks on the seats, the grass has grown back in where the dragons stand or lie and the humans sit. With nearly fifteen rows of seating, the walls tower over us and I see that the amphitheater is much larger than it looks from the outside. Directly across from where Vedr and I entered is a large stage built halfway up the side of the wall as seating for the illustrious council of elders.

Currently on the stage are two dragons, black and red, and three humans, two men and a woman, all at least sixty years old. In the center of the room is an orange dragon, as if it’s on trial.

Silence. Every human winces as the voice echoes in all our minds and even stops me dead in my tracks. While recovering I see many of the people shoot a glare at the black dragon on the stage who effectively yelled in our ears.

Now. Let us start from the beginning again… Ah, Vensjidr, how nice of you to join us, says the black dragon.

Vedr tells me that I am to join the dragon in the middle of the room, if you want to call it that, before making his way to the stage. As I walk toward the orange dragon, I observe what I can. He has burnt orange scales and is not as large as most of the other dragons in the room, though he’s still at least three times my size. His scales are slightly smaller than my hand, but even still… he’s impressive to look at. Although everyone in the room is obviously talking about the two of us, the orange dragon seems bored.

Reaching the center of the room, I plop down in the grass beside him. Hey, I say, looking up at the beast beside me.

Hello.

The dragon is looking at me out of the corner of his eye, but every time I look at him, he looks away. After an awkward silence, I try to make conversation. What’s happened so far?

Mostly they’ve just yelled at me for saving you and bringing you here. Though Takna up there, the black dragon, is insisting that you stay because it is against nearly all laws that one of us cross to take you back.

Hold up. I’m still back on you saving me. And—is it me?—or do Vedr and that dragon not get along?"

If dragons can smirk, I swear this one is. Yeah, that was me. And yes, Vedr and Takna do not get along, though they hide it well, most of the time, for the sake of the village.

Thank you for saving me, I say before asking, What’s your name?

Zinn, and no problem. Well, big problem but I couldn’t let you die now could I?

You said ‘nearly all laws.’ Does it look like I’ll get to go home? And how did you save me without being seen? I ask.

"Oh, absolutely not, there’s