Read Online Dragon Hunter Book Two: A Dragon Shifter Serial (Dragon Hunter Chronicles 2) by Carina Wilder - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carina Wilder
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the verse.”
“I do. Sooner than expected, it seems.”
“Right. That’s why I brought Lyre,” said Aegis.
“So, he’s the Keeper,” said Lumen, his voice thoughtful.
“He is.”
“You’re a good choice for it, Lyre,” said Lumen, turning to Minach’s twin. “At least we know you’d never talk.”
The man let out a chuckle as Aegis turned to face Neko. “You know what this is all about then, do you?”
“I’m utterly lost, in fact,” she said. It felt as though she were invading an ancient rite by taking part.
A watcher on the outside of a deeply mysterious event.
Lumen turned her way, his features intense. “I can tell you now,” he said. “I trust you—and I know you won’t betray us or our cause.”
“I won’t,” she confirmed.
“Then there’s no reason you can’t know the first verses.” He spoke the words quietly, thoughtfully, accessing a memory he hadn’t touched in many years:
The Four shall come together as One,
Water, Fire, Air and Earth
The Circle’s final form begun.
And to the world of Dragons, rebirth.
Each Kindred, his destiny found
Each Seeker with her rightful mate
And with her he shall be tightly bound
As the Four become the Eight.
A shiver overtook Neko as he finished.
“That’s beautiful,” she said. “Though I can’t say that I know what any of it means.”
“No. I suppose you don’t.” He smiled at her, glancing at the other two men. “So I’ll tell you what I can. A long time ago, when the Dragons held the power over their lands, there were always those who opposed them. Enemies of various sorts, attacking the Dragon strongholds—which at that time existed in every corner of England. It was always said that for the Kindred to survive in the long run, they would need to help one another. And so the strength of four great clans came together, each forging a quarter of one Circle—a magical relic, a powerful one, with all our strength linked into one symbol. Each quarter of the Circle represents an Element—Fire, Earth, Air…”
“Water,” said Neko, thinking of their hiding spot under the lake.
“Water. It is my Element. The sigil of my clan. And the relic that I need to find is the one that represents it—the quarter-circle of my clan. It’s now my duty to locate it, before the Controllers do.”
“So this relic—it’s hidden, even from you.” Neko was whispering now, afraid of being heard by anyone but the men at the table.
“Yes. It’s been concealed for centuries, somewhere in or around the city of London. For the safety of us all, its location has been passed down through generations only in the form of verses. They’re nothing more than clues to help us on our way. But without them, it’s all but impossible to begin the hunt.”
“Why all the secrecy? It seems risky not to let you know where your own piece is…”
“It is. But if the information got into the wrong hands—the hands of a corrupt Dragon, or a Controller—it could prove disastrous. So for each symbol there is a Kindred who seeks it, and a Keeper—a Dragon who holds onto his verse. When the time comes, we find each other. And today, Lyre will give me the words I need.”
“And now,” said Aegis, interrupting their moment, “We should step out back and get on with it.”
The four of them rose and moved towards the back door of the pub. A narrow corridor led to the washrooms and beyond that to an exit which brought them to a courtyard in the rear of the building. When all of them were outside, the Dragon shifters looked around, inspecting the premises for onlookers.
“No one,” said Lumen. “Let’s get to work. Neko—please stand back, if you would.”
She stepped backwards, hands pressing against the wall as she watched. Aegis remained at her side, eyes vigilantly exploring the windows above them for movement.
Lumen and Lyre made eye contact, nodding to one another in mutual consent. And before a moment had passed, Lumen’s
“I do. Sooner than expected, it seems.”
“Right. That’s why I brought Lyre,” said Aegis.
“So, he’s the Keeper,” said Lumen, his voice thoughtful.
“He is.”
“You’re a good choice for it, Lyre,” said Lumen, turning to Minach’s twin. “At least we know you’d never talk.”
The man let out a chuckle as Aegis turned to face Neko. “You know what this is all about then, do you?”
“I’m utterly lost, in fact,” she said. It felt as though she were invading an ancient rite by taking part.
A watcher on the outside of a deeply mysterious event.
Lumen turned her way, his features intense. “I can tell you now,” he said. “I trust you—and I know you won’t betray us or our cause.”
“I won’t,” she confirmed.
“Then there’s no reason you can’t know the first verses.” He spoke the words quietly, thoughtfully, accessing a memory he hadn’t touched in many years:
The Four shall come together as One,
Water, Fire, Air and Earth
The Circle’s final form begun.
And to the world of Dragons, rebirth.
Each Kindred, his destiny found
Each Seeker with her rightful mate
And with her he shall be tightly bound
As the Four become the Eight.
A shiver overtook Neko as he finished.
“That’s beautiful,” she said. “Though I can’t say that I know what any of it means.”
“No. I suppose you don’t.” He smiled at her, glancing at the other two men. “So I’ll tell you what I can. A long time ago, when the Dragons held the power over their lands, there were always those who opposed them. Enemies of various sorts, attacking the Dragon strongholds—which at that time existed in every corner of England. It was always said that for the Kindred to survive in the long run, they would need to help one another. And so the strength of four great clans came together, each forging a quarter of one Circle—a magical relic, a powerful one, with all our strength linked into one symbol. Each quarter of the Circle represents an Element—Fire, Earth, Air…”
“Water,” said Neko, thinking of their hiding spot under the lake.
“Water. It is my Element. The sigil of my clan. And the relic that I need to find is the one that represents it—the quarter-circle of my clan. It’s now my duty to locate it, before the Controllers do.”
“So this relic—it’s hidden, even from you.” Neko was whispering now, afraid of being heard by anyone but the men at the table.
“Yes. It’s been concealed for centuries, somewhere in or around the city of London. For the safety of us all, its location has been passed down through generations only in the form of verses. They’re nothing more than clues to help us on our way. But without them, it’s all but impossible to begin the hunt.”
“Why all the secrecy? It seems risky not to let you know where your own piece is…”
“It is. But if the information got into the wrong hands—the hands of a corrupt Dragon, or a Controller—it could prove disastrous. So for each symbol there is a Kindred who seeks it, and a Keeper—a Dragon who holds onto his verse. When the time comes, we find each other. And today, Lyre will give me the words I need.”
“And now,” said Aegis, interrupting their moment, “We should step out back and get on with it.”
The four of them rose and moved towards the back door of the pub. A narrow corridor led to the washrooms and beyond that to an exit which brought them to a courtyard in the rear of the building. When all of them were outside, the Dragon shifters looked around, inspecting the premises for onlookers.
“No one,” said Lumen. “Let’s get to work. Neko—please stand back, if you would.”
She stepped backwards, hands pressing against the wall as she watched. Aegis remained at her side, eyes vigilantly exploring the windows above them for movement.
Lumen and Lyre made eye contact, nodding to one another in mutual consent. And before a moment had passed, Lumen’s
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