Mending the Dragons's Heart

MENDING THE DRAGON’S HEART HEARTHSTONE RESCUE SERIES BOOK 1 MINERVA HOWE CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Want More? Coming Soon from Minerva Howe Afterword About the Author Also by Minerva Howe Mending the Dragon’s Heart Copyright © 2023 Minerva Howe Cover Art Illustration by Alexandria Corza. Used with permission. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this eBook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information electronic address Turtlehat Creatives [email protected] Printed in the United States of America. ISBN: 978-1-953438-67-6 1st Edition Turtlehat Creatives 2023 To all of the Patrons, group members, newsletter subscribers, Bookbub followers and more who help me keep going, I adore you. And, as always, to my wife, BA. For Jaymi, Jason, and Alex, who make me look better than I am. CHAPTER ONE The world was huge. Lake Cadmus stared up into the sky through the windows, his eyes burning as he watched the stars swimming in the sky. The world was huge, and he was insignificant. He’d never left the stronghold of Champaign, never headed east from the ocean and toward the world beyond the dragon holds. Yet here he was, cold and scared, in the back of a van with a load of a friend of the family’s growlers of beer, leaving the only home he ever wanted to know. He’d been…locked away. His Norville had been perfect—sweet and gentle, the fourth son of a powerful family that had no need for another prince. A bookish man who loved stories and myths, legends and lore. They had spent a year learning each other, under the watchful eyes of Norville’s Aunt Mathilde. A year of longing glances and sweet smiles, but nothing more physical than that. It wasn’t allowed. “One day,” Norville had promised. “We will fly together, dive into the sea and find huge pearls to give to all our children, who will all have eyes the color of sapphires, just like yours, beloved.” He’d been happy, whole, complete in his place in the world, in his upcoming nuptials. He’d known exactly what, to whom, and where his life was going. Lake stared out the window again, shivering even through the heavy layers Skye had cloaked him in. It had all been a lie. His Norville had died in a freak accident, a spike of coral piercing his huge heart when it had slipped between scales. They’d all mourned, for while dragons lived long lives, they were not indestructible. Norville was gone, taken to sea and cloaked forever in the water. Lake’s heart had broken, and worse? When an omega lost the mate chosen for them by a seer before the bond was complete, their heartstone was offered as sacrifice to the elder gods. He’d sobbed as his pearl was broken in two and tossed overboard as if it were worthless. As if what his heart told him—that he was worth nothing without his beloved—was true. His brother Skye said it was an ancient and ridiculous custom, that he had worth on his own. It wasn’t true. His magic began to fade, sliding from him like sand through his fingers, and every morning over each year, his brilliant sapphire coloring waned. No one would recognize him now. He had been young and beautiful. He had played and laughed. Now he was a shadow, the mist on the water. His brother had refused to let him die hidden away, so that was why he was en route to a bar called Choprs, where someone would help him be lost to the sea. What was a chopr? A lumberjack? Somehow he was picturing giant wooden teeth. But those would be chompers. The van hit a bump, forcing a grunt out of him, and he grabbed onto whatever he could hold. He wasn’t used to feeling…exposed. He was used to his small rooms deep in his family estate, where he had to play music to stave off the loneliness and silence. “Easy. When we get there, I’ll drop you off. I have other deliveries to make.” The driver sounded gruff, but not mean, and Lake could see her knuckles tight around the steering wheel. “Are you sure you want me to leave you?” “My brother said someone would meet me there.” That was all he knew. He trusted Skye, so he was going along with his instructions. “All right. I want you to be careful. Just be quiet and stay to the corners. I have a delivery, but I will stop back in two hours. If you’re still here, I’ll pick you up and we’ll figure something out, okay?” He nodded. “Thank you. I’m—” “Out of your league, a tad. I can tell.” Lake laughed softly. “I am. I shall have to learn.” “You will. My name is Heather duLac. If you need me, you only need to call.” “Oh. Very well.” Yes. He could call if he had a number. “Do you have a card?” “I’ll write it down for you.” Now she sounded amused. “So formal, man. Try to keep your mouth shut around these guys at the bar.” “I will. I should… I’ve never been in a bar. If I find an empty table, I should sit.” “Yes. But like I said, not front and center. Find a corner, either a table or at the bar. Be as quiet as you can. Buy a Coke or something so they can’t kick you out. And then wait.” “Okay. A Coke. Yeah, I can do that.” He’d been given cash. He would buy a Coke and hide