“I remember him.” Lydia scooted closer so she could see.
“He’s talking!” Freya picked up the tablet. “And we’re missing it.”
“I’ll start it over for you.” Emma reached over to touch some buttons.
The four women hunched over the tablet to watch the video. Zoltan smiled at the joy on their faces. Too bad the queen was still sitting there like a grumpy toad.
“Hi, Freddie! Hello, Freya!” Frankie’s voice began.
“Hello?” Freya whispered hesitantly.
“It’s recorded,” Emma explained. “He can’t hear you.”
“Hush.” Freddie nudged her sister.
“Angus assures me that you’ll see this,” Frankie continued. “What a thrill it was to hear that you’re still alive and well in Beyul-La. I was very sorry to hear about Mum. I suppose you heard about Papa. He died during an air raid sixty years ago. I know he promised to come back to you, and he truly meant to, but when the war started, travel was impossible, and then he didn’t survive the war.”
“He never meant to abandon us,” Freya whispered.
“I was only six when we left,” Frankie said, “but Papa always talked about Beyul-La, so I have all of his memories. I know that Freddie used to suck two of her fingers and Freya was late learning how to walk because she loved making Papa carry her everywhere.”
“That’s true,” Freddie muttered. “You were such a big baby.”
“Hush.” Freya nudged her sister.
“Papa and I talked about you all the time. It was our own secret.” Frankie sighed. “I still miss him. I always wanted to come back to see you, but I didn’t know where you are exactly. And I didn’t want to hire anyone to find you when you’re supposed to remain hidden. And then I was always busy. I’m the head gardener at a huge estate here in England. I’ve always been able to grow things.”
Freya gasped. “He has the same gift that I do!”
Another son who had inherited a gift. Zoltan glanced over at the queen, who was scowling. Did she realize the world she’d controlled for centuries was changing? Hopefully, she’d learn to trust him someday. He intended to do all he could to safeguard the valley.
“And my family keeps me busy,” Frankie continued. “I have a wife, three children, and five grandchildren.”
Freddie grinned. “We have family there.”
“Look!” Freya pointed. “He’s showing pictures of them!”
“Angus says he could teleport me back to Papa’s cabin if that’s all right with you. Vampires, can you believe it?” Frankie laughed. “Now I have another secret to keep.”
“Oh, yes!” Freya clasped her hands together.
“That would be wonderful!” Freddie gave Emma a beseeching look. “When can you bring him here?”
With a smile, Emma retrieved the tablet. “As soon as the situation is safe.”
“Thank you! Thank you!” Freddie and Freya jumped to their feet. With a grin, Neona hugged them.
Zoltan noticed the queen’s hands had clenched in silent anger. No one had asked her permission for Frankie to visit.
Emma’s phone buzzed and she answered it. “All right.” She pocketed the phone and rose to her feet, swinging her backpack over a shoulder. “Angus says they’re ready.”
Nima stood stiffly. “I will show you the way.” She frowned at Winifred. “Check on the cave before you come.”
“Yes, your majesty.” Freddie dashed toward the cave.
Emma watched her go, then gave Zoltan a questioning look. He nodded to let her know he’d explain it to her.
They followed the queen to the rock wall. When they reached the top, he noted the next valley was now bustling with people.
Freya surveyed the crowd. “Are the were-tigers here?”
Emma pointed to three men who were examining supply boxes. “The Grand Tiger and two of his companions.”
“How interesting.” Freya tossed the rope ladder over the wall.
Winifred ran to catch up with them. “Everything’s fine,” she whispered to the queen. “If they need you, they’ll send the owl. Zhan is guarding the entrance. If anyone approaches, he’ll let us know.”
Nima nodded. “Good.”
“Your majesty,” Zoltan addressed her. “You and the other women will need to get used to being teleported, so I’ll show you how easy it is.” He grabbed Neona and materialized in the valley below.
Neona waved at the other women to let them know she was okay. They waved back, then started down the rope ladder one by one. Tashi, who was already in the valley, ran to the base of the wall to hold the ladder steady.
Emma materialized beside him. “Okay. What’s in the bloody cave?”
“It’s the reason they drink the Living Water,” Zoltan whispered. “They’re staying alive for millennia so they can protect what is probably the last remaining group of were-dragons on the planet.”
Emma gasped. “Are you kidding me? Dragons?”
“Yes. Fire-breathing dragons.” He turned to Neona. “I assume they’re able to fly? Is that how you managed to get to Transylvania so quickly when my mother was in danger?”
“Yes.” Neona stepped closer. “As soon as the villagers captured your mother, she sent the news to us by an eagle. Then we rode the dragons there.”
“So it was the dragons who burned down the village?” Zoltan asked.
“Yes.” Neona sighed. “They’re extremely fast and fierce when fully mature, but now we’re at the beginning of a cycle, so they’re defenseless. We have three children and three remaining nests of eggs. We must keep them safe.”
Emma’s expression was still stunned. “You say they’re fast and fierce?”
“They destroyed my village,” Zoltan muttered.
“And they can fly incredibly fast,” Neona added. “I suppose that’s one of the reasons why we’ve always enjoyed being their guardians. You cannot imagine how exhilarating it is to soar through the sky on the back of a dragon.”
“It does sound exciting.” Emma nodded slowly. “Could it be the dragons that Liao is after? Are there rumors that he might have heard?”
Neona winced. “That is possible. The dragons are hunters by nature. We always urge them to hunt in the wild, but over the years, there have been a few occasions when they’ve stolen cows or sheep from farmers. Fortunately, they know to do that only if they’re hundreds of miles away, so that it’s hard to trace them back here.”
Emma’s eyes narrowed. “Imagine Master Han’s supersoldiers attacking villages on fire-breathing dragons. I have to let Angus know about this.” She ran off to find her husband.
Neona glanced at her mother, who was still at the top of the rock wall, waiting to climb down the rope ladder. “I’m going to have to tell her that the secret is out. She will not be happy.”
Zoltan wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Come on, let me introduce you to some of the guys.”
He led her to the nearest group.
“Way to go, Zoltan!” Phineas waved at him. “When I heard you’d found some Amazon women, I wasn’t expecting them to be hot.”
Gregori gave Zoltan a thumbs-up. “J.L. was betting us that they would look like abominable snowwomen. Big, mean, and hairy.”
“Aye.” Dougal nudged J.L. “Ye owe me ten pounds.”
J.L. Wang didn’t respond. With his mouth dropped open, he focused on the women climbing down the rope ladder.
“J.L.?” Howard waved a hand in front of his face. “Wangster, are you still with us?”
Dougal snorted. “I think he’s smitten.”
“Oh, yeah,” Phineas agreed. “Trapped in a tractor beam of hotness. Quick!” He spun J.L. around. “We’ve got to break the connection before he’s a goner.”
Dougal opened a flask of Blissky and waved it under J.L.’s nose. “Come back to us, lad.”
J.L. blinked, then whispered, “She’s a goddess.”
Zoltan glanced back at the warrior women, wondering which one had affected J.L. “Let me introduce you to Neona, my future wife.”
She gave him a wry look. “When did I agree to that?”
The guys laughed and shook hands with her.
Howard smirked at Zoltan. “No wonder you were letting her beat the crap out of you.”
Zoltan laughed, then led Neona away so they could talk in private. “We’d better go to the monastery before practice begins.”
She nodded. “As soon as it’s safe, I want to bring Minerva’s son back here so I can be his mother.”
Zoltan took her in his arms. “Then he’ll gain a father, too.”
Her eyes gleamed with tears. “Have I told you that I love you?”
“Yes. Climax number five, I believe it was.”
She snorted. “You’re always thinking about sex.”
“And you.” He kissed her brow. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Neona peered inside the open gate of the monastery. The courtyard was empty. The soothing sound of chanting male voices drifted from the small temple in the center. A stone wall topped with clay shingles ran along all four sides of the square-shaped compound. A line of one-story buildings ran along the wall to the right. Private rooms, she figured, by the number of doors. To the left, there was a row of low tables with baskets containing rice and vegetables. A few chickens pecked at the ground.
Zoltan gave the chain by the gate a yank, and the bell overhead clanged. The chanting in the temple stopped.
Neona winced. The monks might think they were rude to interrupt.
Two monks, bald and dressed in dark red robes, emerged from the temple. They pressed their hands together and bowed.
Neona bowed back.
The eldest-looking monk descended the two steps and slid his feet into slides made of woven reeds. As he approached, his sharp gaze shifted between her and Zoltan. The chanting began once again in the temple.
“How may I help you?” he asked in Tibetan.
Neona bowed once again. “Venerable Father, I apologize for interrupting your meditations.”
The monk smiled gently. “We are usually asleep by now, but one of our younger brothers is gifted with the sight and has had a vision.” He glanced back, his smile fading. “A vision of evil approaching.”
Neona wondered if the younger monk had sensed that Lord Liao was coming. She gave Zoltan a worried glance, then realized he had no idea what was being said in Tibetan. She’d have to fill him in later.
The elderly monk tilted his head, studying her, then Zoltan. “I do not sense any evil in you.” His gaze returned to her. “But there is a great sadness in your heart.”
Was it that easy to see? Neona steeled her nerves so she wouldn’t cry. “Yes. I lost my twin sister three weeks ago. And she lost her son seven years ago. It was a terrible blow to her, and she never truly recovered. The boy was brought here . . .”
“Ah.” The monk nodded. “You speak of Norjee.”
His name was Norjee. In spite of her best effort, Neona’s eyes still filled with tears. “Is he all right? May I see him?”
“Of course.” The elderly monk gestured to the buildings on the right. “Come this way.” Halfway to the buildings, he paused to speak to the second monk, who still stood on the temple steps. “Will you bring us tea and the child Norjee?”
The second monk bowed, then descended the steps.
The first monk led them to the first door of the buildings, left his slides on the first step, then ascended a second step to open the door.
Neona removed her slippers. Zoltan, who was watching everything, kicked off his shoes and followed her inside.
It was a small room with a pallet rolled up and stashed against the wall next to a bookcase holding old scrolls. In the center was a short table. The monk sat cross-legged behind the table and motioned for them to join him.
After they sat, the monk took a deep breath. “Am I to understand that the boy’s mother did not wish to give him to our care?”
Neona shook her head. “It was our mother who brought the baby here.”
The monk glanced at Zoltan. “Is this man the boy’s father?”
“No.” Neona took Zoltan’s hand in hers. “He is my betrothed. When I told him I wanted to find my sister’s son and raise him as my own, he agreed to help me.”
The monk nodded approvingly.
The second monk entered with a tray containing a teapot and three small cups. He set the tray on the table. “I will bring the boy now.” He bowed and left.
The elderly monk poured three cups of tea. “I will not lie to you. Raising Norjee has been . . . a bit of a challenge.” He smiled. “There are only a dozen of us brothers here, and there are times when Norjee seems to have more energy than all of us put together.”
Neona winced inwardly. “Has he been difficult?”
The monk gave her a sympathetic look. “Please do not misunderstand. We love the boy. And he loves us. But we are a group of old men. We spend our days working our small rice field or tending the animals. In our free time, we like to read, meditate, or pray. These are not interesting pastimes for a boy like Norjee, who is so full of life.”
“I see.” Neona drank some tea.
The monk took a sip. “He has been both a challenge and a blessing. A challenge, for we have trouble convincing him to do his chores. But a blessing, for he sees the world as a wondrous place, as if every small event is a miracle to behold, and we have treasured those moments. He is a joy to us.” The monk sighed. “A joy we do not know how to control. Indeed, it seemed wrong to even attempt it. For he is a child with a special gift.”