Magic, New Mexico: Touch of Madness (Kindle Worlds Novella) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by S.E. Smith. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Magic, New Mexico remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of S.E. Smith, or their affiliates or licensors.

  For more information on Kindle Worlds: http://www.amazon.com/kindleworlds

  TOUCH OF MADNESS

  by

  M.L. Guida

  Chapter One

  Theo tossed and turned in his bed, breaking out in a hot sweat. He drifted into the mysterious dream like he had every night ever since he discovered he was a shape-shifting dragon. But the dream offered no answers–only more questions…

  Dragons of every color flew through the midnight sky exhaling fire, chasing each other around the two moons that orbited the planet. He thought about shifting and joining them, but many times, he’d shifted and chased the dragons, but he could never catch them. Any time he tried to speak to anyone in his dream he’d awake disappointed.

  Magnificent mountains rose high around the lush valley where there was a three-turret castle veiled in an aqua mist.

  Theo walked along a familiar path toward the castle, inhaling the fragrant smell of exotic flowers and pine. Pine trees of every kind and some he’d never seen before decorated the valley and mountains. Despite the fire breathing dragons, the air was cool and crisp. He’d been here many times and knew if he reached the castle, he would receive answers. But every time he reached the portcullis, he woke up frustrated, tangled in his sheets.

  “Come, Theo,” a female voice urged. “I have need to talk with you.”

  The mist slowly dissipated from the fortress, revealing not four turrets, but five. The hidden one was bigger than the others and had a balcony large enough for twenty people. He didn’t know how he could have missed it. His heartbeat quickened, and he broke out into a hot sweat as he hurried toward the castle, terrified he’d wake before he entered.

  “You’ll not awaken this time,” the voice said. “I promise.”

  Not sure he believed her, he broke out in a dead run. He was about to rush inside when a guard blocked his way. He wasn’t any ordinary guard. He wore two leather baldrics across his chest. Not only did he have a sword, but he had a gun that looked like a laser right out of a sci-fi movie. He had a tattoo the shape of a Native American headdress on his right shoulder like Theo’s, which Theo hadn’t had until he transformed into a dragon for the first time.

  The guard put up his hand. “Halt.”

  Theo skidded to a stop. “Who are you?”

  “I am Damon. The Queen has asked me to escort you to her. Follow me.”

  Damon didn’t wait for Theo to answer. He led him down a hallway that opened into a Great Hall, where instead of a wooden or stone ceiling, it looked like something from outer space. Stars, planets, and galaxies that seemed to move around. “What is this place?”

  “I’m not authorized to answer your questions. Queen Cosima will answer some of your questions.”

  “Some?” Theo grumbled. He didn’t like the sound of that, especially since Damon knew more than what he was telling.

  Damon led Theo to a slender blond woman sitting on a simple throne. He stood on the other side of her, her only guard, but Theo had known enough witches to know that this woman probably didn’t need a guard. She had on a wispy aqua gown the same color of the mist outside. Around her slender neck, she wore a silver medallion with a sparkling diamond in the center.

  “Greetings, Theo,” she said.

  Theo recognized the voice he heard calling to him earlier. “Are you the queen?”

  “I am. Queen Cosima of the Dragons.” She smiled. Theo was surprised, because she looked like she was in her twenties.

  “Are you a shifter?”

  “No, only the males of my race are shifters, but the women possess other powers.”

  She didn’t tell him what powers, and Theo didn’t ask. He was still trying to digest this place that was more magical than Magic, New Mexico.

  “Is this real?” he asked.

  “What do you think?”

  “My mind says no, but my heart–”

  “Says yes,” she finished for him. “To answer your question, this is real.”

  “Damon wouldn’t tell me, but what is the name of this place?”

  “That, unfortunately, I can’t tell you. Your mother escaped to Earth and asked that you never know the name of this planet in order to keep you safe.”

  “Safe from whom?”

  “Sadly, another question I cannot answer.”

  “Why the hell not?” His voice turned into more of a growl then he had intended.

  Damon unleashed his sword. “You will not talk crossly to the queen.”

  Theo lowered his head. “My apologies, Your Highness, but why have you brought me here?”

  “To answer the questions that you need to know. Your mark for instance.”

  Theo waited patiently, even though he wanted to shake every answer out of her stubborn head.

  “The mark you–” She tilted her head. “Damon also bears the mark of the Bravian dragon, which are the orange and yellow dragons. You are the braves that protect and defend your homes and your soulmates.”

  Theo frowned. “I have a soulmate?”

  “Yes, all dragons do. You mate for life and can be with no other. Your position is to guard Magic, which we feel is a special place, because it is a haven for not only magical folk, but aliens as well.”

  “So, my father was a Bravian dragon?”

  “Yes, he was, but he was killed, which is why your mother fled to Earth and left you in Magic. That is all I can tell you. My purpose is not to tell you about your past, but your future.”

  “Okay, I’ll bite. What’s my future?”

  “Your mate is in danger, and without her, you’ll never be able to control your powers and will become a menace to those you love.”

  “That’s not very comforting.”

  “You must make her fall in love with you.”

  “I thought we were mates.”

  “You are, but soulmates do not necessarily mean true love. Only true love can make her whole.”

  He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  She flicked her hand. “Look and learn.”

  A swirling tunnel formed, showing a dark-haired woman dressed as a pirate churning around in a circle as if trapped in a portal.

  He turned to Queen Cosima. “I still don’t–”

  Before he could finish his statement, he woke in his own room tangled in a sweaty mess with his sheets.

  “Queen Cosima!” he yelled.

  But his only answer was the chattering crickets outside.

  He smashed his fist into his pillow. “Damn it!”

  He fell onto his bed and closed his eyes, but sleep escaped him. He threw off the covers and went to his refrigerator for an icy cold beer, then sat on his front porch. He took a long swig, wondering if the dream had been real or if he was just losing his mind.

  From his front porch, he could see the twinkling lights of
Magic. Queen Cosima was right about one thing–he was protective of this town, and more than once he’d risked his life to safeguard it.

  He thought about the woman in the tunnel. He hadn’t really gotten a good look at her except for her pirate costume and dark curly hair. Maybe that was an illusion, too. Besides spinning around in a tunnel, she looked fine to him, but Queen Cosima said she wasn’t whole, and if he didn’t find her, he’d become a danger to Magic. He didn’t even know where to look.

  If this was really true, the queen could have given him a hint where to look besides a costume shop.

  Chapter Two

  “I’m a spiteful witch.”

  Hera’s cold voice pricked Theo’s nerves. Unlike her sister, Pandora, she had a mean streak that would curdle milk. A silver aura shimmered around her, preventing her from performing any incantations. She glared at him with dark eyes as she watched him take her wand and place it in a metal case that he would lock up in his spell-proof safe in his jail.

  “You’re also a vindictive witch.”

  Lucky for him, Topper, a powerful good witch, had cast a spell earlier that bound Hera and allowed him to take her wand. Otherwise, he never would have gotten the damn thing.

  She tossed her dark hair back then crossed her arms over ample breasts that were barely concealed in her low-cut, tight-fitting dress. “You don’t know the half of it, Sheriff.”

  “Hera, I have warned you about casting spells upon the inhabitants of Magic, New Mexico. I’ve been receiving complaints for the last month. First you turn the twins’ pet lizard into a kitten–”

  She flicked her hand. “I was tired of seeing that disgusting reptile peek underneath Joseph’s hat.”

  Theo glared. “Joseph and Jonah were most unhappy and so were their parents.”

  “What is everyone getting in such a huff about? I changed Larry back into his slimy form.” She smiled, but it slowly faded. “Don’t glare at me with those dragon eyes, Theo. You don’t intimidate me.”

  Theo pushed back the anger flaring inside him. Ever since he’d discovered he was a dragon shifter, his dark eyes had permanently changed into glowing gold. But what was worse was the reoccurring dream of an aqua planet filled with dragon shape-shifters, and last night, he’d met their supposed dragon queen–Cosima–who claimed he was in danger of going postal unless he found his soulmate…a pirate woman floating in a tunnel. Maybe he was one step away from the postal zone.

  “I wasn’t trying to, but you’ll not have the use of your wand until the witches’ council decides whether or not you’re worthy to have it.”

  “Worthy?” She smirked.

  “You shouldn’t have pissed off Topper, who is the head of it, by making her bald. She wasn’t amused.”

  Hera’s laugh sounded like a ghostly child’s. “Is that what this is all about? The old crone is angry that I made all of her blue hair fall out? She’s always changing the color of her hair.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I thought she just might want to have a Ripley sci-fi look.”

  “She wasn’t amused.”

  “Apparently.”

  He turned to leave, because Topper had said her binding spell would only last a half-hour. Hera’s powers couldn’t totally be bound until the witches’ council made a decision. True, Hera hadn’t seriously hurt anyone, but she’d been creating havoc in his little town ever since she’d arrived three months ago.

  “I’ve got work to do. Topper says the spell will fade soon.” And to find out who the hell his mother was so he could figure out how to control these damn powers. The lovely queen had refused to supply the information, except to say his father was dead and his mother had abandoned him in Magic. He couldn’t find one shred of evidence of her, even with his law enforcement credentials. It was as if he were the original, left-on-the-doorstep baby dragon.

  As if reading his mind, she said, “Still don’t know how you change into a dragon, tough guy?”

  Every muscle tensed. “No.” He had no intention on traveling down this very personal road with her. She was about as compassionate as a prickly porcupine.

  He mistakenly glanced over his shoulder.

  She flashed him a criminal’s smile. “Too bad your parents are dead.”

  He refused to answer her. Too many had fallen into her trap of feigned empathy only to have their worst secret exposed. But his body gave him away. His nostrils flared, a sure sign that she’d tapped into his anger. His beloved mother and the man he had thought was his father until very recently had died in an airplane crash six months ago, and even the mention of them stirred a hurt big enough to swallow of all of Magic.

  “Still having those dreams?”

  He sucked in his breath. How would Hera know about those dreams? He wanted to ask, but every instinct told him not to go down that path. There was no way she could know of the Bravian dragons, the queen, the planet–not unless she’d come from them–and as far as he knew, both Pandora and Hera had been born here.

  “I might be able to help you with your little problemif you free me.”

  Her voice cracked, sending an ominous warning up his spine. A silent alarm rang in Theo’s head. Hera was spinning a trap around him, and like Topper and the twins, he’d end up on the losing end.

  Enough.

  Smoke puffed out of his flaring nostrils. He struggled not to transform into a dragon, taking deep breaths that were supposed to calm his anger. “You’re a liar.”

  His voice turned into a low growl. He was dangerously close to manifesting and had to get the hell out of here.

  Stay calm.

  “Am I? I know more than you think–dragon boy.”

  “Boy?” At least his voice had lost some of its edge. He hadn’t been called that since he was thirteen. Even at that age, he’d been taller and more muscular than his peers.

  She laughed. “You’ll find I know a lot of things. Not just about your birth parents, but also your soulmate.”

  This was all pushed out in an endless, breathless stream. Her eyes locked with his, but then she flicked her hair and touched her red lips.

  “You’re about as truthful as the snake in the Garden of Eden.”

  “Theo,” she purred. “You do know why I was named after the Greek goddess Hera, don’t you?”

  He really didn’t care, but he bit. “Why?”

  “Like Hera, I am the protector over marriage and birth. I can look into a person’s eyes and see their soulmate and know when they’re coming.”

  “Hera, I have no time for this.” Love was the last thing he wanted, but between her and the queen, his choice didn’t count.

  “I can see yours. Do you want to know where she is? I can either help her or hurt her. The choice is yours.”

  Spinning through time.

  “I don’t care. I’ve got a jail to run.”

  “You made your choice. Remember when you meet her that you didn’t care.”

  He ignored the chills that skipped down his back, stroking his anger.

  After taking some deep breaths, he said, “Good-bye, Hera. You’ll find out from the witches’ council a week from Saturday what their decision is.”

  “And by then, you’ll regret your decision.”

  He slammed her door as he headed for his police car. If it were up to him, he would have sent Hera packing, but Magic was a safe haven for all magical creatures–even Hera.

  His job was to uphold the law–not rewrite it.

  Besides, he had enough to do, keeping his emotions in check. Being a dragon shifter had turned his law and orderly world into a gigantic mess. Whenever anyone he cared about was hurt or in danger, like when Joseph and Jonah had run into his office cradling a mewing Larry, he’d shape-shifted into a pissed off dragon.

  They hadn’t been in any serious danger, but that hadn’t mattered. The tears glistening in their big brown eyes had struck rage in his heart, and before he’d known it, he’d transformed into a fire-breathing dragon. He’d nearly destroyed the main office in his jail. His
wings had knocked out the lights, and his swishing tail had knocked over two thin client screens, shattering them on the tile floor. He’d accidentally exhaled and fire whizzed over the boys’ head, setting the bulletin board on fire.

  All because of Hera’s mean-spirited tricks. And now, she was threatening his soulmate. Was this what the queen was warning him about? Hera was a powerful witch, but he doubted she was as powerful as the dragon queen. Or at least he hoped so.

  The last thing he needed was a cursed soulmate who couldn’t stop him from destroying Magic.

  Chapter Three

  Shrieking came from inside the thick jungle. Gwendolyn Black stopped squeezing out the excess water in her shirt. She and her older brother, Leif, were soaked from swimming in the ocean. At another cry, she covered her ears. She’d never heard anything like it. It was as if millions of swords were being dragged along a stone wall.

  But she couldn’t give up now. Isabella, an undine, had traded her life to save Gwen and gone with Leif’s loathsome Captain Palmer. Gwen couldn’t believe that Isabella had allowed herself to be shackled and led away in order to save a woman she’d never met. She was a powerful siren and could have easily escaped. The only answer was that she was in love with Gwen’s brother, which warmed Gwen’s heart. Since their parents had died, even though Leif was young, he’d done whatever he could to protect herself and her twin sister, Gracelyn, who was the exact opposite of Gwen. Grace liked to embroider and embraced society’s expectations.

  Gwen didn’t. She was the outcast.

  The ground rumbled as if there was an earthquake, breaking Gwen’s thoughts. Coconuts fell from the palms and danced on the ground. Trees splintered in two, and leaves rustled and fluttered into the air. Birds cawed overhead as if trying to escape a predator. The tops of trees swayed back and forth as if something headed toward them. Leif stumbled into her, making her lose her balance and fall onto her hands and knees.

  Her shaky heart threatened to jump out of her bone-dry throat. She immediately regretted demanding that the captain ensure she go on this rescue mission. She was entirely overconfident. On the dock, she’d been able to hold off drunken men with her sword, but it looked like this was beyond her skill. Not able to stop trembling, she edged closer to Leif, needing to feel his strength.