A Gilded Cage (Chronicles of an Urban Druid Book 1) by Auburn Tempest & Michael Anderle

Author:Auburn Tempest & Michael Anderle [Tempest, Auburn & Anderle, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lmbpn Publishing
Published: 2020-09-27T04:00:00+00:00

The scent of Gran’s cooking breaks through the singe of dragon lair stink and stirs my emotions more than I like. I won’t cry. I refuse. The terror of being kidnapped by Baba Yaga and the annoyance of imprisonment by a mythological Wyrm Queen is over. I didn’t cry then, so why would I open the waterworks over the succulent aroma of steak boxty?

“Howeyah, Gran.”

“Och! Thank the Sweet Goddess yer home.” Gran rushes from the stove and envelopes me in one of her WWE bone-crusher hugs. I’m not sure who’s shaking more, but neither of us is steady. She pulls back and grips my shoulders with her cushy oven mitt hands. “Let me look at ye. Are ye all right?”

“Fine. Just really glad to be back.”

“Och, we need to call Lugh home. Everyone’s been beside themselves with worry.”

She rushes to the bird platform and holds out her hands. A blackbird lands in her palms, and she speaks her message. “She’s safe home. Stop the search.”

Tossing the bird into the air, it disappears into nothing, her magic sending it off to deliver her message. “Come, luv. Ye must be famished.”

She takes my wrist and presses her fingers to her nose.

“I know. I stink. Sorry.”

“Och, don’t worry about that. Lugh’s come home reeking awful more times than—”

“Fiona, mo chroi.” Granda is portaled into the kitchen by Sloan and grabs me up in his arms. His hug is nearly as tight as Gran’s, although it doesn’t last as long. He quickly regroups and steps back to check me over. “We’ve been out of our heads not knowin’—”

Granda staggers to the side, knocked by the furry shoulder of my bear as he materializes into the group. Och, I’m glad to see yer face, Red. Ye scared me somethin’ terrible.

“I missed your face too, big guy.” I wrap my arms around his burly neck and burrow into the decadence of his fur. “I tried to contact you a million times. Sorry you missed the adventure.”

I’m sorry ye went it alone. He swipes his tongue up the length of my cheek and vanishes. The flutter of him settling inside my chest rights the tilt of my world.

“What the hell happened?” Sloan asks. He’s not looking like his usual GQ hottie self. He’s disheveled. It’s like he picked up yesterday’s clothes off the floor and didn’t bother with his shower and shave regimen. “Where’d she take ye? Are ye hurt? Should I get my Da?”

I lay my hand against my sternum, stronger now that my bear and I are reunited. “No, I really am fine. All I need is some of Gran’s cooking, a shower, and some fresh clothes.”

Sloan’s gaze locks on the new armband tattoo that encircles my bicep. It’s a wyrm dragon in stunning detail, the head of the beast biting the tail to create an unending circle.

Brushing a finger over the dragon’s eye, I shrug. “It’s a long story involving Baba Yaga, a leprechaun, wyrm dragons, Elvis, and a lot of Animal Crossing.”

“I’ll send word to Niall.

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