Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga - Lady Adellandra Dratianos (books to read in your 20s .TXT) 📗

her fright.
“Take care of each other, then.” Lord Guardian announced with a wink and a grin. “I hope to see more of both of you in the future.”
The Unicorn nodded, smiling. “Oh, you will, my Lord Guardian. That’s a promise.”
“Good.” Lord Guardian laughed. “I wish you pleasant journeys, then.”
“Pleasant journeys.” They chorused as they disappeared, returning home.

Part Three:
Unexpected Visitors

Prologue:
Harbored Secrets and Inner Thoughts

They all awoke the next morning, including a bedridden Ariana Reading. For the next week, Derrick and Aaron stayed at her side, Luna and Aimee searched for healing potions to restore her energy and health, Shane and Jamie worked on piecing all their Dream Realm stories together, and Julie and TJ, with Charlie looking on, practiced what they needed to help fight in the Dream Realm war. The Reading’s Caretaker Juliet took care of the children who were caught in the middle. Luckily, she was helped by the older children, Bradley and Kelly.
This left the newest member of the family, Sierra Gregory, to stand at the doorway and watch. She saw how Aaron looked at Ariana, and worried. They had a bond as thick as blood, but what about their hearts? Did he still love her, or was she imagining the glances between them, the simple touches and the smiles they shared? Ariana’s hand may have been in her husband Derrick’s, but did she have a secret love for Aaron?
In the Dream Realm, strange as it may have been, Ariana hadn’t even glanced at Aaron except to chastise him for bringing her into the Ancient Mystic mess. There, it was different. She was the Young Guardian, all powerful and bossy, take-charge and business-like. It was strange to see that proud, powerful woman bedridden in her own world. What kind of dreams did this woman have when she wasn’t the Young Guardian?
Sierra loved studying dreams, and interpreting them for others. It was part of her aura workings. She read that dreams were keys to the inner soul-self. Interpret a dream, and you unlock the key to your soul. It was like a mystery, really. No wonder the Protector had worried if she had any detective skills or training! Maybe helping Dreamers like herself with their nightmares and fears dealt with unlocking keys and putting together clues?
Sierra looked again at the one who called her his Earthly Protector. She wondered about her boyfriend Aaron. Did he still harbor feelings down deep for Ariana?
“Penny for your thoughts, Sierra?” Aaron tore his attention away from Ariana to ask her.
She shook her head, thoughts now on him. She turned to see Derrick sitting on the other side of the bed beside Ariana. She really wanted to talk to Aaron and Ariana alone.
Fortunately, Aaron got the silent hint. “Uh, Derrick, could you excuse us? I think Sierra wants to talk to us alone.”
Derrick looked to Sierra, confused for only a moment until he summed the scene. “Oh, certainly. Did you want me to get you anything, Love?”
“I’ll be fine.” Ariana said softly, smiling. “Thanks anyway.”
With a quick kiss to her lips, Derrick was gone.
Sierra took Derrick’s spot on the bed.
“Now, my darling, what’s on your mind?” Aaron grinned.
She had to say it. She couldn’t lie to him. “Do you still love her?”
Ariana gasped softly, but kept silent.
Aaron looked down, ashamed. “I did. Once.” He said.
“You did tell her about the Three Musketeers, didn’t you?” Ariana wondered, sitting up. “About Kelly?” He stayed silent, answering her question.
“He told me how you three grew up together in the Orphanage, but not much else.” Sierra put in, answering for him.
“Sierra, there’s a lot you don’t know about Aaron’s and my history.” Ariana said. She tapped his hand. “It’s true, we used to love each other deeply. So deeply, we made love when we were only twelve, and I became pregnant.”
“Stop, Ariana Moon!” Aaron stood, stepping away from her. “She doesn’t need to know everything about us.”
Sierra stood before him. “Maybe not everything, but I do need to know some things.” She hoped her voice would soothe his mind. “I need to know whether or not you still care about her.”
“Are you hurt? Jealous?” Aaron’s voice did soften, his eyes meeting hers. “We’ve been best friends for years, and will stay best friends for years to come, I hope.” He looked to Ariana, who smiled and nodded. Turning back to Sierra, he kissed her. “What does my kiss tell you? What do my arms around your waist tell you? What does your heart tell you? Sure, I care about her, but not in a true-love sense. In a sense of loyalty that comes from years of standing together through pain, torture and separation.”
Aaron rolled up his sleeve and showed her the long scar on his arm. “You see this? It’s from the Blood Pact. Ariana bound us together in blood so we could continue our friendship when she had to leave the orphanage.”
“The twins got their Unicorn Magic not only from the Ancient Mystic blood pumping in my system, but from that loyalty and friendship we had during our years of hell.” Ariana put in. Slowly, she stood and faced Sierra. “Through the Blood Pact, we were able to trust other people again, and learn to love. Sierra, I’ve never seen Aaron so happy in my life! I don’t need Empathy to tell me how much he loves you. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you. I can tell by the way he acts around you.”
“What about you?” Sierra asked Ariana. “Don’t you love him?”
“I love Aaron like a sister loves a brother, like best friends love each other.” Ariana told her, glancing at Aaron’s eyes and back to Sierra. She put a hand on each of their backs, carefully trying to choose her words. “I used to love him a lot, and only because I had no one real who cared about me like he did back then. I only had a dream lover I called my Imaginary Romeo to keep me from giving up on life.” She, too, showed Sierra the scar on her right wrist. “We may be bound by blood, but not by soul. As the Young Guardian, my Ancient Mystic powers are heightened. I may have been angry he brought you into our fight in the Dream Realm, but I could see and feel the ties you had to one another. It reminded me of my Imaginary Romeo of long ago.”
“Did you ever meet your Imaginary Romeo?” Sierra wondered, interested in Ariana’s story. “Was he ever more than a dream to you?”
Ariana nodded, smiling. “I’ll give you a hint. He goes by the title of Protector in the Dream Realm.”
Sierra knew. “Derrick!”
“I met him when I was fifteen, and he was sixteen.” Ariana explained. “He ran from a troubled home life, and I ran from countless foster homes after being treated like a slave. To make a story short, I used to dream about him, too. I imagined him coming to rescue me from hell. When our eyes met in the waking world, I knew it was him. From that point on, we were inseparable.”
“She never forgot about me, though.” Aaron winked at Ariana. “Not even when we lost touch for a few years.”
“He’s right.” Ariana said. She sat on the bed. “I could never forget the man who taught me the true meaning of love.”
Sierra was silent, pulling away from Aaron’s embrace. “You guys went through a lot, didn’t you?” She asked softly, not looking at either of them.
Aaron still stood in place. “It’s what strengthened our bonds, both of friendship and the blood bond.”
“Please, don’t be mad at either of us.” Ariana supplied. “We had a hard life, but it was for the best. In the long run, it made us stronger, better people. Not only Aaron and myself, but Aimee as well.”
Sierra turned to meet Aaron’s eyes. “You showed great courage when we battled that Dominionite. I could feel your love for me as you healed my wounds.” She placed a hand on his cheek, kissing his lips. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you, Aaron. Can you ever forgive me?”
Aaron laughed, hugging her. “Believe it or not, I still love you, Sierra Gregory, with all my heart and soul.” He met her eyes. “Why else would you have heard my thoughts the night we met?”
“She did?” Ariana was surprised, and happy.
Aaron looked at her, noticing her pale complexion. “Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll have Derrick look in on you.”
“For once in a long time, I agree.” Ariana said. “Can you also see how Lu and Aimee are coming along with those spells and potions? All this reverting to my childhood when I call the Dream Chant is tiring on me.”
“I’ll see what’s taking them so long.” Aaron remarked. “I thought for sure Luna would have found the perfect potion by now.”
“Both of you, give it time.” Sierra supplied, turning to Ariana. “You’ve gone through a lot. From being your Young Guardian self, to taking over for Lord Guardian, to figuring out what’s going on in the Dream Realm’s Canine Valley and the Feline Village. It’s bound to take time for you to recoup.”
Ariana was surprised she knew about their troubles in the Dream Realm.
“You told her that, but not about us?” She asked Aaron with a teasing grin.
Aaron grinned back. “Never you mind, young woman.” He teased. “You just rest up and we’ll handle everything around here. Got that?”
Ariana rolled her eyes. “Yes, sir.”
At that, Aaron and Sierra left, hand in hand.

II

In the Dream Realm, not all was as peaceful as Lord Guardian’s followers had hoped it would be. Particularly with the Stargazer’s daughter, Princess of the Canine Valley, Celine.

With her mother brooding indoors most of the time with her newborn kit-pup sons, and her father too busy with the Canine Army to pay any attention to her, Celine was left to her own devices. She wanted to do something to help, but Wolf wouldn’t let her near the Army’s training sessions. Even her cousin Tiger White-Snow was allowed to train with the Army. Why not her as well?
Katherine was useless as far as Celine was concerned. She was too busy with the twins, Lovell and Raulf. Celine tried to help her mother with them, but Katherine declined, always saying she should play in the Wood behind the Castle.
This left Celine Stargazer with nothing to do. A very depressed young Ancient Mystic Companion child with nothing to do but sit and wait. For Celine, sitting and waiting were not easy things to do. She was too active, and loved to learn the fighting arts with her father. Since Young Guardian’s visit, Wolf had been too busy to train her, claiming he didn’t want her hurt.
Now she sat alone on the branches of her favorite tree, pondering her life in the Dream Realm. It was once so peaceful and perfect, nothing could get to them in the Canine Valley. Then something happened to change it all.
Not long ago, Wolf and Young Guardian found something deep in the Canine Wood. They called it a Dark Mist, and it had come from the very depths of the Old Dominion. That Dark Mist at first hurt Wolf, making him stay far away from his family for long periods of time. With some help from Lord Byron of the Ancient Mystic Kingdom, Lord Guardian’s youngest brother, the Dark Mist was destroyed. Celine thought it was over, and life would return to normal.
Of course, it would not be. The Dark Mist