ENCHANTED WORLD SERIES BOOK 3: THE DRAGON'S KEEPER
Chapter Six

Drake gripped hard on the whiskey glass in his hands and twirled the golden liquid absentmindedly. It had been a day since he last saw Maya. Though the name sounded foreign in his tongue, he couldn’t deny how perfect it was for her.

He could still see the stark terror in her eyes when she looked at him. She trembled, her heartbeat very loud in his ears. To her, he was a monster that belonged in a story book. Though he tried to explain it to her, she wouldn’t have it and she ran out. Everything in his body zinged into action, wanting him to run after her but he didn’t and for once, Drake was able to overcome Red’s alluring coaxing and let Maya go. He knew that if he did follow her, the beast in him would want to make her yield to him.

The subtle cracking of the glass brought him back to reality. When he looked down, he noticed the hairline cracks on his whiskey glass. He sighed and placed it on the desk before he stalked out. He needed to keep his thoughts on other things or he was going to tear down the entire residence in search of his mate. Herman, for example, was the young and brave male who was much eager than anyone else when he was in the training grounds and was going through puberty and his first centaur transformation right at that moment. Tegan, Remington and Feror were all over it, making sure he survived it. That meant he still had to stall his visit back to Agore. No one really knew for how long first transformations would go. Sometimes they took a few days and other times they took up to a week! The ones who took a longer time to fully transformation normally didn’t survive it because of the unbearable pain that accompanied it. Herman was just a few hours into his transformation. He still had a long way to go until the popping and rearrangement of his skeleton and also the contracting and tearing of muscles finally stopped. Drake could not leave while one of the people under his watch was in so much danger.

He reached for his phone and dialed for Zach’s number.

Maya escaped through the kitchen door early that morning and went to Pyck Lagoon. She was a little glad when she didn’t meet Abigail there and also because everyone was too busy to pay any attention to her. All of a sudden, Maya started seeing everyone in a different light. Now, she was very sure that on the first day when she entered the kitchen, there was a woman with wings. What else lurked in that strange world that she woke up in; vampires, witches, superman? She quickly shoved the thoughts away and rushed across the yards towards the woods.

Last night, she didn’t sleep and knew the evidence of it was deeply engraved under her eyes in form of bags. She found herself locking her door and pushing the fancy armoire against the door as if it was going to keep Drake out. She couldn’t understand how she was still able to feel so strongly for him even though she found out he wasn’t human.

With every creak and every moan that passed through the night, Maya was up in alert with the silver candle holder tightly gripped in her hands. She almost laughed at her foolishness. How was that candle holder supposed to keep her safe from a horde of fairytale creatures, she wondered?

When the sun peeked out from the horizon, her first light and warm caressing the sleeping trees to open up their leaves and the flowers to bloom to her kisses, Maya was up and already taking a shower.

The woods cleared and she sighed in relief as she stepped onto the deck. She wondered if Herman was doing okay since he was quite sick the other day. He was the only one who looked as normal as they came but he could be something that was bound to make her heart stop. A shiver ran up her spine as she kicked away her shoes and went to sit on the edge with her feet dangling into the crystal blue waters.

A small part of her heart told her that she knew something was off from the beginning and that small part of hers was already accepting the turnout but she was still mortified by what she heard and saw yesterday. Her eyes turned to the skies. Were there really dragons? Were they as big and hideous as they appeared in the movies?

Suddenly she heard giggles a few meters from where she was sitting and she turned fast enough to see to girls undressing and diving effortlessly into the water. They had no swimsuits! Her mouth fell open as one of the girls broke through the surface of the water and swept her slick blond hair back. She giggled as she swam away, her speed remarkable in the water. The second girl also emerged from the water.

“Zakia, wait for me!” She cried out and jolted out of the water before diving back inside.

Maya yelped and pulled her feet out of the water as the two girls turned to her. Her eyes bulged out from their sockets as she looked at the two girls she thought were human but apparently they were not! When the girl jolted from the water, Maya noticed the iridescent scales that appeared on the sides of her body and up her arms. She also noticed the girl had fins on her ankles.

With amazing speed, the two girls swam to where she was sitting and anchored their arms on the wooden deck while they eyed her suspiciously. Maya inched away from them, trying not to scare them in case they thought to attack her.

“Hello.” Zakia, the oldest one greeted her, tilting her head to one side with a pensive frown marring her face.

Maya cleared her throat and gave them a nervous wave. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to bother you. I didn’t know that this place was being used by others.”

“She looks at us strangely.” The smaller girl whispered to Zakia.

“Never seen a water Nymph before?” Zakia pulled herself from the water and settled on the deck.

Maya’s heart lurched itself into her throat. Zakia’s body glimmered with hypnotizing scales. They reflected different colors in the sunshine, shimmering in an other-worldly way. “No.” a whispered escaped her lips and she knew a scream was just a few seconds behind.

“Like my scales?” Zakia smirked as she wrung her long blond mane in her delicate fingers, her green eyes sparkling with mirth.

Maya noticed that the scales trailed on the sides of her body too and up over her breasts and womanhood. Her slender legs kicked out of the water and their fins opened up, also catching the light and sending a kaleidoscope of colors back up. Maya just gave a stiff nod.

“You can touch them if you want. You better hurry up because they disappear when my body dries up.” She said.

Maya shook her head lightly. “I couldn’t.”

“Zakia, she is very strange.” The smaller girl peered at Maya suspiciously. She was still in the water but her feet peeked from under her every once in a while.

“Yes, she is. What are you? A Fae?”

“No, the Fae are much taller with elegance and an air of pride. Look at the way she is hunching forward and she’s so short.”

“Oryna!” Zakia chastised her.

Maya found herself trying to straighten up. She was hunching forward because she was tired and languid thanks to the sleepless night she had.

“She must be a shifter.” Oryna continued as if Zakia had said nothing.

“She doesn’t smell like one.”

“You can smell a race?” Maya found herself asking in bafflement.

Zakia nodded easily. “The Fae have the scent of earth, mer-people are very fishy--almost like us, she shrugged. “Then the Jinn smell of something dark and acrid. They are closely related to the light Fae you know. Uhh--” she looked pensive for a moment then brightened. “Centaurs smell of a wet dog.”

Oryna chuckled as she too jumped out of the water. “Dragons smell like cinder but you—you smell of...honeysuckle?”

Maya found herself giggling at the amazement of the two creatures sitting in front of her. She knew if she didn’t giggle then she would have twirled on her heels and ran into the woods screaming. This was terrifying and interesting at the same time.

“So, what are you?”

“I am human.” Maya answered.

Both girl’s faces ashened even though they already had pale complexions.

“Hu—human?” Oryna stuttered.

When Maya nodded the girls shrieked jumping onto their feet and approaching her with such great speed that Maya had no chance for escape at all.

“Oh heavens—a human.” Zakia touched Maya’s hair.

“Her complexion is perfect.” Oryna pinched Maya’s hand and had her flinching. “Look at her eyes!”

Zakia imprisoned Maya’s head in her palms as she peered at her eyes. “They are a perfect shade of chocolate.”

“She’s is so pretty!” Oryna sighed dreamily. “Do you want to be my friend? We have very hot brothers, maybe you can be my sister in law! Do you have a mate? What are you doing here, so far away from home? I have always wanted to see the Human Realm but no one wants to go there. I hear, you hunt people like us down.”

“Whoa, stop!” Maya yanked herself away from the two excited girls. “Too many questions, okay? Until yesterday I didn’t know where I was or what I was in for.”

The two girls blinked innocently at her and Maya sighed rubbing her forehead in frustration. Even though she was quite surprised by the transformation that was taking place in front of her, she was still very much terrified. Zakia’s scales were already rippling away under her skin and it was just in a few seconds that she was going to be standing there completely naked but she didn’t look worried at all. Her curiosity was more prominent. “Up until yesterday I only knew humans to exist.”

“Oh....” Sorrow entered their eyes and that almost broke Maya’s newly profound bravado.

“I have read about dragons and witches and fairies in story books when I was younger. I believed they were all made up but I had an accident and woke up here where all this is real.” She felt tears choke her and swallowed them back. “I—I am terrified of you right now but the only thing that is keeping me from running away is that, behind your scaly bodies and the fact that Zakia is standing totally naked in front of me right with a set of fins on her ankles, you are very human to me.”

Zakia looked down at herself and a bloom of color painted across her cheeks. “Two seconds.” She said and she raced across the banks before returning to them. She handed Oryna her pair of jeans, snickers and a white t-shirt and she pushed her lithe body through her short summer dress then put on her snickers.

“Seeing a human in front of us is also very surprising. We don’t have many humans around here.” Zakia admitted ruefully. “You already know our names but we don’t know yours.”

“Maya.” She replied. They were not scary in their human form. None of all the people she met ever appeared hostile towards her. She thought feared for the unknown and the surprises but in actual fact it wasn’t fear, it was just not being able to engage her mind to understand that she was in that situation and she had to make the best of it. She still felt like she was in a dream and was expecting to wake up at any moment.

“Nice to meet you Maya...uhm--” Zakia quickly plaited her wet hair into a braid and pinned it up above her head. “We better getting going. We sort of escaped home for a little while.”

“Do you stay at the royal residence? Maybe we could come and visit you sometimes.” Oryna’s eyes glowered with excitement.

Maya felt her backbone stiffen but who was she kidding? She wanted to see them again too. “Uh—sure.”

“Fabulous!” Oryna exclaimed clasping her hands together. “Wait until I tell my friends at school that I have a human friend living in the royal residence. They will be green with envy!”

Zakia grinned. “See you around, Maya.”

Maya awkwardly waved her hand as the two girls disappeared into the woods and she heard the whizzing sound before they were gone. They were very fast on their feet.

Water nymphs. Maya hummed to herself as she looked down at the path leading back to the house. The last time she checked, water nymphs were small insects going through their metamorphosis cycle in water, not two very pretty girls.

She sighed heavily and found herself going back to her previous spot. She dipped her feet back in the cool water. Though she was trying to come into terms to her current situation, she wasn’t ready to face Drake. Especially since she had mixed feelings about him. It was so unnerving how her body ignited when she turned to him and saw what he was—whatever he was. Even in his inhuman form, she still found him attractive. But how would she find another man attractive when she had a boyfriend named Gavin somewhere. She was pretty sure he meant something to her but every time she thought of him, she didn’t have the same reaction to him as she did for Drake.

Drake wasn’t even trying to be sexy, he just was. It was in the way he walked, his thick muscular legs eating up distance like a predator. It was in the way he talked, his lips moving reluctantly or spreading into a wry smile. It was in the way he watched her, his beautiful eyes unabashedly roaming over her body. The thought of that made her nipples bud underneath her t-shirt.

Color bloomed on her cheeks. No matter what shape he took, he still affected her.

“The team has moved out towards the mines. If what the shifter said is true then we might have ourselves several dragons by the end of the day.” Shancy came into Drake’s office and announced.

“I hope some Mage had managed to accompany the beasts.” Drake commented softly, his mind in jumbles all thanks to one tiny human female hiding somewhere the vast royal grounds. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was alright and if no ill had befallen her. She didn’t have any way of defending herself from an attack. She was too weak.

“Yes, they have two High Mage with them; Vincent and Tron.” Shancy assured him.

“Good.” Drake answered. When the commanders separated, the Lord Mage made sure that each one left with at least two High Mage. These were the Mage that were closely ranking with the Lord Mage in terms of power and abilities. They had mastered the purest of energy harnessing, something others believed to be impossible while others believed they performed magic. The most powerful High Mage were Bryon, Constantine, Galea, Sheila, Willow, Dawn, Vincent, Tron and Zach--though he would never admit it to himself. Because of being a half-blood Mage, he did a lot more work than anyone else just to prove that he was as good as the pure-bloods. Drake never doubted Zach for a moment, but the male doubted himself at every chance he got.

“Commander...” Shancy hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting around the room. “About the human male. Word goes around that she is your mate.”

Drake turned to the wide-eyed female in front of him. He couldn’t lie anymore so he nodded. “She is.”

Shancy did a sharp intake of breath. “How is that even possible? How can the heavens match a pure-blood beast with a feeble human female?”

Weakness...you are no son of mine because of your weakness! Kruk’s words rang in his mind for a moment and he had to wince them away. Maybe weakness attracted other sorts of weaknesses. “You and I don’t know the answer to that.”

Shancy’s body stiffened as she bowed her head. “Forgive me, commander, I was out of line with that statement.”

Drake didn’t even care. All he cared about at that moment was find Maya and try to explain it to her, prevent Feror and Tegan from killing each other and finally pray that Herman made it through his transformation alive! “No harm done.”

“Everything has a way of fixing itself. You’ll find a way around this, commander. I know you will.” Shancy’s words of encouragement did nothing for the rising anxiety deep in his gut. The female flashed out of his office and Drake went out, wondering where exactly he was going to start looking for Maya.

Tegan had managed to take Herman somewhere, where he would be able to transform freely but his pained howls could still be heard across the house. Other warriors haunted the hallways, the helpers bringing them food but they barely touched it, waiting to hear the news of how Herman was faring. Though it had only been several days, the boy had already entered the warrior’s hearts with his witty and fearless heart. Drake, too, was worried about him but he knew that Herman had the courage of a fully horned warrior and he was going to make it.

As he made his way out, a young helper, quite close to Maya passed him. Drake stopped her.

“Maya?” Even his own voice was unfamiliar to him. It was filled with concern laced with anticipation of seeing her again.

“I—I saw her heading towards the woods this morning. I think she went to the lagoon. She was there with Herman yesterday.” Karlie stuttered.

Drake nodded. “Did she have any breakfast this morning?”

Karlie shook her head. “It was too early in the morning for her to have had anything to eat.”

“Then please fix up something quickly and I’ll take it to her.”

A small smile appeared on the female’s face as she quickly rushed into the kitchen.

“Twenty-five...twenty-six.” Maya squinted her eyes and watched as the small white blooms of the nearby tree plucked off and floated down like a spinning ballerina until they landed into the water. She was lying on her back, her face turned to clear blue skies with big fluffy clouds sailing across. So much reminded her of back home. There was nothing like two moons and three suns, or red skies and the purple grass. Everything was just very familiar. A dark shadow suddenly loomed over her and her heart jerked in her ribs, her entire body stiffened as she tried to make out who it was. Could it be Herman because he was the only one who would have known she was there? The body was much bigger and muscled than Herman’s, so that ruled him out.

“Were you planning on staying here hungry the whole day?” A familiar voice asked, the timbre of it traveling down her spine and tingling the places she wished stayed indifferent to his presence.

“It beats being stunned to death at every turn I take in the house.” she mumbled then sighed. She did expect him to look for her but she didn’t expect him to find her so fast. Was it even midday, she looked at the sky for the sun.

“Sit up.” He ordered.

“I can’t deal with you right now.” Maya whined.

She was surprised when he suddenly bent down and pulled her up into a sitting position. “You’ll just have to deal with me right now.”

Maya whipped her head around, an insult itching to come out but she wasn’t ready to see the look on his face. He looked unyielding and determined to make her understand. Those luscious lips of his were pressed into a thin line and his eyes were shimmering with cold hard determination. Maya’s eyes dropped to his hands and his fingers were human. Even his skin didn’t have the scales anymore.

“Here.” He handed her parcel wrapped in paper. He placed a bottle of water on her side and sat in front of her, mimicking her position.

Maya carefully unwrapped the parcel, revealing a turkey sandwich. Her stomach grumbled reminding her that she didn’t even think to have some breakfast before she pulled the disappearing act.

“Thank you.” She said as she bit into it. She had to tamp down the urge to close her eyes and moan at how good the sandwich tasted. She wondered if Drake personally made it himself...but he didn’t look like the type to fit well in a kitchen. She took another bite and another one before she was able to look up at him and start a conversation.

“I have so many questions for you.”

Drake looked at her warily. “You are no longer afraid of me?”

Another shiver ran down her spine, this time clenching her womb and making her thighs quiver. It was so embarrassing. She was just glad Drake didn’t notice it....or did he? She watched as his nostrils flare slightly and his eyes darken and begin to cook up a storm. “I am but somehow, deep down inside I had a little doubt about this place. It just felt—odd...plus I met two water nymphs and they seemed pretty shocked to find out that I was human.”

“What it is that you need to know from me?” Drake asked softly, watching her intently as she bit into her sandwich and washed it down with the water. It was as if he was entranced by her eating process. She doubted that a lot of men found eating very attractive but Drake wasn’t most men.

“Who—what are you? Can I use what? Isn’t it offensive?”

A smile curled on his lips and Maya felt relief pass through her. So, he wasn’t so angry with her anymore, especially after she rushed away and locked herself in her room yesterday. “It’s not. I’m—uh--I’m a dragon.”

Maya’s eyes widened to the point she felt Drake could see all the way behind her eye-sockets. “A what?” she exclaimed.

“A dragon.” He muttered looking a little uneasy about the revelation.

“As in the scaly serpent with the bat wings, large claws and breathing fire sort of dragon?” Maya staggered through the words.

Drake winced. “Yeah, that sort of dragon.”

“But--” She exhaled loudly and hopelessly pointed at him. “You are human, Drake, aren’t you?”

Drake shook his head softly. “I’m not human but I can take the human form. All races can but some of us are better at it than others. In this world, everyone is encouraged to take the human form in public unless they are in danger. When we are in danger, we are stronger in our true forms.”

A hysterical giggle of disbelief escaped Maya’s lips and she pursed them. She promised herself that she was going to listen to what he had to say all the way to the end, no matter how crazy it sounded. So far she would have ruled Drake off as a psycho...if she hadn’t seen the things herself. “Just how many races are we talking about here?”

“There are a lot but to mention a few; first off is the Fae race which is divided into the dark and the light Fae. The light Fae live in a the biggest Realm in the enchanted world called the Realm of Light. The Dark Fae can be found in the Realm of the Dark as Jinns—“

“Jinns are evil spirits.” Maya blurted out.

“Nope, they are Fae but don’t call them that—they hate it.” Drake scratched his head. “Then there is the Mage--”

“Ah!” Maya exclaimed. “The witches and sorcerers!”

Drake frowned lightly. “No, the Mage are spell casters but they use the energy around them for good. Sorcerers are Mage-turned-evil, corrupting pure energies for evil doings.”

Maya nodded as if she understood but Drake knew she was only doing that so that he continued. “They are found in this realm that we are in now; the Realm of Spells. Then there are the oceaners, the mer-people. They live in the Realm of Water and finally there is us, the dragons and the phoenix, we are found in the Realm of Fire.”

“Zakia says you smell like cinders, how come I can’t catch that from you.” She moved forward and sniffed him but all she came back with was the scent of his expensive cologne and something dark and wild trapped in her lungs.

“Most of the races that live in this world have a keen sense of smell.” Drake said then added. “You smell of honeysuckle and--” he stopped abruptly, his hand fisting tightly on his knees.

“And?” Maya prompted.

“And you.” Drake growled out.

Maya hummed softy. “How come no human knows of this world? How did we miss it?”

“There are humans living in this world. There are several gateways, located in different parts of the enchanted world that lead straight into your world.”

“Is that how I ended up here?” Maya asked, feeling sorry that she couldn’t remember the incident other than the feeling that she was burning alive. She touched her chest to the place that once felt a small burn mark but now it was empty.

“It could be, we are not sure because there is now gateway, anywhere close to here.” Drake explained.

“Scientists would have a field-day if they ever stumble upon a gateway to this place. Back home, people believe in so many things to exist but noone has ever had true evidence.” Maya plucked the paper of her sandwich, her stomach suddenly fluttering and not being able to allow her to take another bite of that delicious sandwich.

“The gateways are located in places a lot of people can’t get to; mountain peaks, craters, in the middle of large water bodies.”

Maya’s eyes widened. “The Bermuda Triangle?”

Drake nodded grimly. “I think that is the largest gateway linked to the Ensinia Ocean in the Realm of Water. It is also the most unstable so many of the ships, boats or aircrafts that disappear there, might end up somewhere frozen in time if not at the ship graveyard in Ensinia.”

“Oh my God!” Maya exclaimed excitedly. “I knew something was strange about that place though the scientists still haven’t figured it out.”

“You are taking all this information quite well for a female who was screaming down the hallway just yesterday.” Drake smiled.

Maya pursed her lips. “I was terrified—I still am but this is all too interesting. I will freak out later. Can I see your scales again?”

Drake’s eyes were severe on her. “Are you sure?”

Maya took in a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. I think if I see them one more time, I woudn’t be so scared.”

She saw the reluctance in Drake but gave him the puppy eyes.

“Alright.” He pulled up the sleeve of his gray v-neck t-shirt and shook his head. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

A subtle pattern appeared on his skin, rippling like a widlfire on it. Ruby red scales began emerging with a crackling down and sharp black claws curled from each finger. Maya’s breath got caught in her throat as her entire body went cold with stark terror but she told herself that she was not going to pass out until she saw it through, just like in that friggin plane she entered with her friends--

“Come on, Maya, don’t be a sissy!” A female voice full of laughter cajoled her. “It will be fun. Besides everyone will be there, Gavin too. You could always hang onto him.” She said.

“Oooh!” Two more girls giggled. “Francesca is right, Gavin would love to be held on to!”

“I remember!” Maya exclaimed. “Oh, God! Oh God! I remember something—uh—girls, Francesca or something. I was on a plane! I was jumping out of a plane, Drake.” Maya stumbled through the words with botrh exctiement and confusion. Her excitement propelled her to touch Drake’s scaly hand and something passed through her like a botl of lightning. Everything went black as she felt her body jerk out of control.

Ruby red teardrop on the fiery terrain, ruby red teardrop on the fiery terrain, ruby red teardrop on the fiery terrain...

She heard herself mutter as her body jerked violently on the around. From a distance she could hear someone call her name but she couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t even scream for help. Tears ran down her temples as heat engulfed her and the fiery terrain appeared in front of her. A scream tore from her throat before she was completely engulfed by darkness and stopped feeling anything entirely.

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