Dragon Spells Read online

  Dragon Spells

  Melinda Kucsera

  A Curse Breaker Companion Novel

  Dragon Spells © 2020 by Melinda Kucsera

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. This was a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents were either the product of the author’s imagination or were used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events, or locales was entirely coincidental. Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and was punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Table of Contents

  What’s in a Name?

  The Trouble with Dragons

  What A Strange Light

  The Things Kids Do

  Cryptic Bears

  Tête-à-Tête With The Dragon

  Secretive Bears and Their books

  Dragon Interrupted

  Glowing Tunnel, Pensive Papa

  Don’t Mess With Her

  Shocking the Scribe

  By the Power of Wi-Fi

  Where’s That Dragon?

  One Confused Sister

  Don’t Burn Papa

  Chasing Clockwork Creatures

  Don’t Provoke the Dragon

  How Does That Help Me?

  Some Much-Needed Advice

  Chasing A Ghost

  Protect Us, Papa

  Where is Everyone?

  Dragons and Their Projectiles

  Sister, Savior

  When the Mage Falls

  A Fight Neither Can Win

  Strike a Pose

  Not Where I Expected to Be

  What Else Did They Say?

  It’s My Turn

  You Dare Interrupt Me?

  Orb Tracker

  Someone Get That Phone!

  Hidden Sisters

  Crouching Clockwork Creatures

  The Drawing of the Scribe

  Chains and Promises, Oh My

  Drag Racing Books

  Party Crasher

  Guess Who’s in Charge?

  That Ball is Mine!

  To Detect and Deflect

  Very Mysterious

  Note From a Character

  Why’s This Story From My Perspective?

  What Did I Say That So Enraged The Dragon?

  About the Author

  About the Cast

  Would You Please Leave a Review?

  Want Free Stories?

  Memoriam

  Stay in Touch!

  The Curse Breaker Companion Series

  The Curse Breaker Series

  The Divergent Heroes Series

  The Robin of Larkspur Series

  The His Angelic Keeper Series

  What’s in a Name?

  Many things. Since names are protected by privacy laws, we chose to change the names of all nonfictional people mentioned in this tale except our Scribe because her name is her brand. So, we can use her name as often as we like.

  Since the original version of this story included names and quotes from emails sent by our subscribers, we’ve abbreviated their names to their first initial to protect their identity. We take their privacy very seriously.

  All responses were paraphrased, and in some cases, wholly rewritten to fit the expanded story, but each one preserves the essence of the original response because our subscribers are awesome, and they sent in some great ideas for how to separate a certain dragon from her latest fixation.

  The Trouble with Dragons

  Hi Readers,

  This is Ran, and you’re probably wondering why I’m running. Well, that’s because a dragon’s chasing me.

  Before I get into why, I want to take a moment to remember all those who have given their lives for their country and to thank those who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, we remember them, but we should thank them every day, not just today. So, from all of us, thank you.

  And now back to me, Ran, Sarn’s beloved son and sidekick, running for his life down a shadowy tunnel for your amusement.

  Why’s a dragon chasing me?

  Well, you’ll have to read on to find out. This is a spoiler-free introduction. Before you turn the page to see how this all turns out for your hero (me), I wanted to tell you Dragon Spells, is based upon a series of stories called Dragon Troubles. Episodes of it published in our weekly newsletter in 2019, but it’s been rewritten, and a lot of new scenes have been added because who doesn’t love more page time with yours truly? I must get extra scenes anyway I can.

  The book you’re about to read is more than four times the original word count. So, there’s plenty of new material for those who followed the original story as it happened in 2019. If you’re not currently a subscriber, now’s an awesome time to sign up at https://mkucsera.com/welcomecharacters so you don’t miss a moment of our magical mayhem.

  If you hadn’t guessed, this story’s from my perspective with occasional forays into other people’s minds, but those forays are for you. I don’t know anything about them in the story.

  Who am I?

  I’m Ran, the son and sidekick of Sarn, the Curse Breaker from the Curse Breaker books by Melinda Kucsera. If you like this story, we recommend you check those out. We’ve got nine books (besides this one) and one boxed set plus more on the way.

  No prior knowledge is necessary to read this story. We tried to tell this tale so anyone can enjoy it regardless of whether they have read any of our other books or earlier newsletter adventures. Hopefully, we achieved that.

  Those earlier adventures are coming to eBook too. They’re taking longer to get there because the Newsletter-Dragon hid some of the episodes and rearranged others. We’re still tracking them down and piecing them together and of course, demanding more scenes, more drama, more action, and more adventure because we can. You deserve more mayhem for your moola.

  And now, I present to you, Dragon Spells.

  If you enjoy it, please leave us a review. Reviews are like report cards. They let us, characters, know how we did, and how many plot holes we snuck past our Scribe. It’s sort of a game for us. But don’t tell her!

  —Love and hugs, Ran, your host and hero for this adventure

  What A Strange Light

  [Mount Eredren, Shayari]

  As I snuck down the shadowy tunnel, I listened for any signs my absence had been noticed. So far so good. The door to the Foundlings’ cave stayed closed, but a click disturbed the quiet, and I turned. Where had that noise come from? Was there trouble afoot, or worse, on my trail?

  Nothing moved in the shadows, but I’d forgotten to take a lumir crystal with me. Darn. I’d have to risk sneaking home to grab one. Papa always kept spares lying around because he liked light, and right now, I could use some illumination.

  But that was the first place anyone would look for me, so I couldn’t go there. But I needed light. My eyes didn’t glow like Papa’s did. Neither did my hands. Where else could I get something to light my way?

  This tunnel only sported a few of the glowing crystals called lumir, but they were few and far between and left large areas in shadow, like the one I stood in. Hmm, this was a big problem. If I couldn’t see where I put my feet, how could I find the right staircase? Only one had a secret door to the outside where Papa might be at this hour.

  Well, I wouldn’t find it by standing around dithering where my babysitters coul
d find me, so I crept over to the intersection of two tunnels. Which way led eventually to Papa?

  One tunnel was shadowed, and the other was lit by a distant blue glow. I headed toward that light but stopped when the light came toward me. It was probably just a person holding a lumir crystal, but why a blue one? They were the only crystals that cooled the air around them.

  Papa never let me touch the blue ones for that reason. He didn’t want those cold crystals to freeze my little fingers. So, why was someone using a blue lumir crystal to light their way when there were plenty of other crystals that would just glow prettily without sucking the heat out of anything they touched?

  Something wasn’t right here. That blue glow kept growing, but I couldn’t see who was holding it. Someone had to be because crystals didn’t walk around on their own, not unless Papa’s magic moved them. But I’d know if Papa was near. I’d feel all warm and safe, and I didn’t, not one bit.

  I fell back a step as that light doubled and tripled in size. It was three times larger than me and coming this way much faster than a person who wasn’t magically enhanced could move. Maybe I should run too. Footsteps echoed in the tunnel, but they were much louder than they should be. What on earth was going on here?

  The urge to run warred with the need to know until my natural curiosity won out. But I had second thoughts when the light doubled again. How big was this thing? Certainly, taller than Papa, and he was the tallest person I knew. Maybe I should hide.

  I glanced around for somewhere to do that, but this tunnel didn’t have any stalagmites cluttering it up. I shielded my eyes from that blue glow and backed into an intersection. What was making that light?

  I squinted at it and just made out a creature that wasn’t human. For one thing, its head was disproportionally larger than a human head should be, which meant it was a monster coming to eat me. I spun on my heel and made like my nickname—I ran.

  “You can’t escape me that easily,” the creature said. Her growly voice was familiar, but it couldn’t be who I thought it was.

  There was no internet here. How the heck did she even find me? I lived in a fantasy world, and she belonged in something called cyberspace, which was only accessible through the computer in my Scribe’s apartment. But Melinda lived in someplace called the ‘Real World;’ a place I wasn’t supposed to know existed. But I did know, and I’d visited it many times. That still didn’t explain how that dragon had gotten here. This was all very confusing.

  “You can’t be here. This is my world. You don’t belong here,” I said over my shoulder. I wished I had a weapon, but Uncle Miren had made me leave my slingshot and metal balls at home, the big meanie.

  “But here I am.” The Newsletter-Dragon stomped after me.

  How could she do that? “How did you get here?” That part didn’t make any sense at all.

  She was made of code, not muscle and bone like I was. Nor was I curious enough to stop and find out what she’d done to protect herself because tech and magic didn’t mix at all. The one tended to short circuit the other, and my subterranean world was saturated with magic. The original builders of this place had bespelled every surface down here for reasons only they knew. But they were long dead, so I couldn’t ask them what was up with that.

  The dragon exhaled, and a fireball struck the rock next to me. I shut my mouth on the questions bubbling up inside me and ran as far and fast as my little legs could carry me through the dank tunnels under the mountain. There’d be time to ask questions later when I wasn’t running for my life with no safety in sight, just a lot of dark shadows. But I didn’t do quiet well, so my silence only lasted until I rushed around a bend into another intersection.

  “Papa! Where are you?” I tripped and landed on my knees, but my rugged pants protected me as I popped up and took off again.

  I should have grabbed a lumir crystal before I’d snuck out of the Foundlings’ cave. Why weren’t they searching for me? One of the Foundlings should have noticed I was gone by now. I’m small, but not small enough that they could overlook my absence for long.

  “I’m going to enjoy barbecuing you,” the dragon bellowed as she thundered down the right-hand tunnel behind me.

  Eek! She was gaining on me. I pumped my arms and tried to eke out a little more speed from my tiring legs. “Papa!”

  He always knew where I was. I hoped that knowledge extended to my current circumstances and that knowledge sent him running to help me. I could use his magic right now or some of my own, but that little flame inside me didn’t react when I reached for it.

  I had magical potential. It just wasn’t active or useful yet. I charged around another bend, searching for hidey-holes. There had to be at least one around here, but none met my frantically scanning eyes as something caught the back of my tunic.

  That damned dragon effortlessly lifted me kicking and screaming into the air. How was she solid enough to pick me up? She was supposed to be made of code chunks, but I couldn’t see any of the ones and zeroes that usually comprised her. They were hidden under a layer of dark scales.

  She almost looked like a real dragon except for her creepy eyes. Rings of flickering-blue ones and zeroes revolved around those dark spheres, and they glared at me. But her eyes weren’t the only part of her that glowed. A weird blue light shone from the horn in the center of her forehead.

  “Hey, put me down.” I swung my little fists at her, but my arms were too short to land any real blows. Footsteps heartened me. Papa must be coming, but he’d better hurry up. “Papa? How about a magical shield for your only son? Or a rescue? A rescue would be awesome right now.” I kicked at the dragon, but my feet didn’t connect because my legs were too short. “Papa, where are you!”

  The Things Kids Do

  [Mount Eredren, Shayari]

  Sarn took the two-hundred-plus dark, twisting steps three at a time, thanks to his magic. Green light shined out of his eyes and provided all the light he needed to see the steps winding around the pillar in the center of the spiral staircase. In the back of his mind, his map kept track of his location, and numbers appeared at the bottom left corner of his peripheral vision. They counted down the steps to the subterranean Lower Quarters—the only place Indentured men like him were allowed to live. It was no place to raise a child, but it was his only option, so Sarn made the best of it.

  No doubt the bag of food thumping against his back would help make his cave a little homier. At least he hoped so. Ran had never complained, but his son had never lived anywhere other than in a damp cave under a mountain. And that’s my fault.

  Sarn adjusted the sack weighing him down. Inside, various items clinked, crinkled, and probably squished. Just let them still be edible. Sarn was too tired to run back for more, and he was late too. His brother had already headed off to school. But he’d caught Miren in between classes long enough to hand his younger brother an egg sandwich and some fruit.

  Now, Sarn just needed to feed his son then maybe he could get some sleep. Ran wouldn’t be happy about that, but neither did the boy have a choice. I have to work nights. Which meant, he had to sleep during the day when his son wanted to go out and play. Sarn slammed his fist into the wall enclosing the spiral staircase in frustration, and magic sheathed his fist in green energy, protecting it. I have a debt to pay. That debt allowed his younger brother to attend school, and hopefully, escape the cycle of poverty before it claimed his life too.

  The counter ran down to zero, and Sarn exited the stairwell through a rough hole to a tunnel that dog-legged into the Lower Quarters. Before turning into it, he pulled his head map into view and searched it for anyone on an intercept course.

  People symbols occupied the nearby tunnels, but no one appeared to be on a parallel path. Ditto for perpendicular tunnels but that situation would change. Down here dwelt an awful lot of people.

  Thoughts of this place’s population switched on the part of his magic obsessed with numbers, and an ache blossomed behind his left eye as a new counter appeared
in the bottom right corner of his head map. Its tally jumped to a thousand and kept rising. Before his magic could reach out and count every person who lived under the mountain, Sarn gave it a new directive. Find my son.

  A white star immediately appeared in place of the counter, but there was something not quite right about it. Why was his son running around down here on his own? One of the Foundlings was supposed to be watching him. Another marker appeared on his map, but he didn’t recognize it. What the hell was going on?

  It was time he found out. As the unknown symbol gained on his fleeing son, Sarn dropped the sack of food. He could return for it later after he plucked Ran out of whatever trouble the boy was in now. Sarn broke into a run, and his magic pushed him to hurry up and save his son. The tunnels blurred as he ran like his son’s life depended on it because it just might. His map didn’t have enough details to tell for certain.

  ***

  Sarn shot around a bend. Ahead, a gauntlet of broken stones waited. His cave lay at the other end of that obstacle course, but he navigated the collapsed columns and piles of debris with ease, thanks to his magic. It nudged his feet, keeping them on firm footing. No matter how broken up the ground became, his magic rushed in and stabilized it before any loose stones could trip him up. Relief energized Sarn as he cleared the last obstacle between him and his son.

  “Papa!” Ran shouted from around the corner.

  Sarn skidded to a stop just a few feet away from a scene ripped from his worst nightmare. His adorable little boy hung from a large, sharp, claw and swung his little fists ineffectually at an honest-to-God dragon complete with wings and a spiky tail coiled snake-like on the floor behind it. Ran didn’t hit the dragon but not for lack of trying.

  The boy must have sensed he was near because Ran called out to him. “Papa? How about a magical shield for your only son? Or a rescue? A rescue would be awesome right now. Papa!”