Read Online Lovestruck, a Dragon Story by Bonnie Vanak - Free Book Online

rise.
    “What is coming?”
    With a huge intake of breath, Xavier closed his eyes. When he opened them, they had resumed their normal color, though Michael sensed the inner struggle.
    “Something you should not be concerned with, dragon. Anna’s clan is safe. Her people are all safe. But their king is elderly and close to departing for the afterlife. He wants his people to be ready, which is why he’s insistent on training all the warriors.”
    “Ready for what?”
    “For whatever comes.” Xavier sighed. “The future is cloudy, as always. But the Fae are reading the signs of the land, and they have opted to gather and discuss, instead of react as they have in the past. This is a good thing, Michael.”
    “If the Fae are gathering, it is not a good thing, because there’s only one reason they would assemble in large groups, other than in court. War.”
    Xavier’s gaze remained steady.
    “Not just a small war, like the skirmishes between my clan and Clan Tyrith, but a large one, like the Drakon War or the Fae Wars.” Insight struck him. “Or something even more terrible, involving Skins.”
    “War is coming. But it is a long way off and it may not happen after all. As I said, the future is misty.”
    Dread filled him. He did not want war. The dragon clans had held squabbles enough, and a war could destroy any fragile and very tentative truce.
    Xavier put a hand on his shoulder. “This is why I have concentrated on my experiments with you, Michael. You are already a dragon possessing tremendous strength and courage. My brother wizards and I saw this, and selected you to learn a special magick.”
    He blinked as Xavier dropped his hand. Never in his life had he envisioned himself rising to such auspicious and somewhat troubling heights.
    His master reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a test tube filled with glowing blue liquid. “Drink this.”
    Michael hesitated.
    “It will not harm you. It will make you stronger. It is the reason why I chose you to become my apprentice, Michael Vincent.” The wizard’s face hardened. “Do it.”
    Michael drank the potion. It tasted frozen upon his tongue and bitter as ashes. He grimaced and handed back the tube. “Got a chaser of tequila to go with it? This tastes worse than eating raw meat.”
    Xavier said nothing, only watched him.
    And then a tugging began in his belly, a feeling as if his skin was freezing and the blood in his veins was turning to ice. Michael doubled over with a moan.
    “Xavier…”
    “Do not fight it. Go with the flow. It will take a day or two for it to fully take effect.”
    What flow? But the wizard’s hypnotic voice began to fade into the background as grayness pushed at the edges of Michael’s vision. His throat burned and then went cold.
    He collapsed upon the ground, surrendering to the darkness.

Chapter 7

    Anna seldom panicked. She was methodical by nature, and not impulsive like Michael. All her life she had planned her actions accordingly.
    But when she raced inside the cottage and found the Crystal Wizard gone and her lover, her mate, lying unconscious on the kitchen floor, panic flared.
    Anna tugged in desperation at Michael. “Get up, oh, please get up! My father is coming this way! I saw him in the sky. He must have seen you yesterday. He knows. You have to get out of here. Michael, wake up!”
    But he did not stir. His chest rose and fell evenly, so he was alive. But it was if he were immersed in a deep sleep.
    She pushed at him, even pinched him. Finally she allowed her fangs to descend and bit him.
    Michael did not move.
    The flap of wings outside warned that her father had landed in the yard. Anna crouched over her mate, protecting him with her body. If papa wanted to harm him, he’d have to go through her.
    The back door open and her father stepped into the kitchen. For the first time, she noticed the gray in his thick red hair, and the smudges of fatigue shadowing his green eyes. Barlow looked down, saw Michael