Celtic Dragons Read online

  CELTIC DRAGONS

  D E E B RI D G N O R TH

  Copyright © 2018

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  BOOK ONE

  Prologue

  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

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Epilogue

  BOOK TWO

  Prologue

  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

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  BOOK THREE

  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

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  BOOK FOUR

  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

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Epilogue

  BOOK FIVE

  Prologue

  Six Months Earlier

  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

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Epilogue

  BOOK ONE

  Prologue

  The choppy, freezing waters of Massachusetts Bay were reminiscent of the Atlantic waters off the coast of Northern Ireland, waters that he had never felt
himself but that were still part of his existence, his blood, and his heritage. He flew over them, low enough that the spray from the breaking waves dusted his underbelly, as his strong jet-black wings propelled him through the air.

  It was freeing, soaring through open space with nothing to hold him back, and although his dragon form meant that he would never live a so-called normal life or fit into the urban, modern lifestyle of Boston, where he had been born and raised, he would not trade it for anything. He was both predator and protector, the strong moral compass passed down to him from earlier generations making him confident in his ability to determine when he needed to step into either role.

  The wind swept over and around him, his gleaming blue eyes shining like beacons in the dead-of-nightdarkness that was broken only by the occasional glimmer of moonlight against the waves. He opened his strong jaw, calling out into the night, and immediately he heard the returning call of his clan. Calling again, he followed the echoing sound, his supernatural eyesight picking up the sweep of wings even when he was miles out. He joined up with the golden dragon, flying sidebyside, their wings brushing against each other as they soared in perfect synchronicity. There was an easy comradery there, born of a connection that existed hundreds of years before either of them had been even a gleam in their parents’ eyes.

  The golden dragon suddenly tucked under, doing a flip in midair, then soared so close to the water that her feet skimmed the choppy surface. He followed her, diving below the waves, the icy particles sliding off his armored black scales, leaving only a trace of their shimmer behind as he resurfaced. She splashed him, and he splashed her back, and then a call from above stopped them both in their tracks. They looked up, seeing above them a dragon so white that he could have stood in for the moon, his armored body seeming to give off a light of its own. If he seemed majestic and regal in that moment, he quickly broke the spell, stretching out his neck, calling out, and then splashing into the water, disappearing beneath the waves and then frolicking in them when he resurfaced.

  A red dragon followed, landing on the back of the golden dragon, and a chestnut-brown dragon circled above all of them, riding the wind, his wingspan stretching so wide that it seemed to go on indefinitely. In the middle of the night, under the cover of darkness, far away from any human eyes, the Celtic Dragon Clan—or what was left of them—could be free and open, letting down their guards and playing with the power that they often had to keep so tightly harnessed within themselves. It was a release that the clan desperately needed, and their joy was evident as they used their large wings to splash torrents of frigid water at each other.

  The black dragon circled up above them, watching the others as they played. He had more responsibility than they did, as their leader, and he never let his guard slip for long without checking in with the world around them—the world that didn’t know they existed but relied on them for the safety it took for granted. As he circled, his ears flicked this way and that, picking up on whispers from miles away that he filtered out, uninterested in the conflicts between married couples, the moans of lovers, or the gentle snores of those privileged to sleep peacefully.

  He listened all the same, waiting to pick up on some sign of danger that would force him to give the call that would rally the others to his side and begin another of their nightly missions to secure justice. But, for this one night, Ronan heard nothing that would force him to interrupt their fun, and after a little while, he rejoined them, his powerful wingspan creating an enormous wave, as he dove beneath the water, spiraling downward to create a whirling current that would sweep the others into it.

  Such moments of pure enjoyment were rare, and Ronan knew they would only grow even rarer if he couldn’t figure out a way to save them all from the extinction they were all headed for. They could be the last generation of Celtic Dragons in the Boston area, and all his attempts to prevent that from happening had only blown up in his face. As he let loose with his brothers and sisters of destiny, if not blood, he could only hope that he could find the answer to their longevity before any of them had to face the reality that he had been living with since his father had passed on the responsibility of leadership to him two years ago.

  Without Celtic Dragons, Boston wouldn’t last long.

  Chapter One

  Kean

  Sweat poured off Kean as he heaved the dumbbell above his head, his feet set in a wide stance to support his upper body as it strained. He was in his office at Connolly Security, using the weight set that he had stored there where no one could watch him workout. It wasn’t that he was shy—Kean wouldn’t have been able to survive if he was, considering how much attention his shoulder-length wavy brown hair, startlingly blue eyes, and broad, muscled chest attracted everywhere he went. Kean had no problem with being watched, or even gawked at, but considering that he was lifting over a thousand pounds over his head again and again, breaking a sweat similar to that of a more typical man lifting two-hundred-fifty pounds, discretion was important. He could hardly throw around that kind of weight at the local gym without people asking questions that he wasn’t allowed to answer.

  He did ten more reps, pumping the bar above his head, holding there for a moment, and then slowly bringing the weight down. His sleeveless top let his skin breathe, as he put his body through the paces, and when he let the weights finally fall, they dropped to the ground with so much power that it shook the floor.

  “Hey, how about you leave the building intact today?” Moira pushed open his office door, sticking her head in. She often teased Kean that they had the same haircut, both of them wearing shoulder-length waves, but hers were far thicker and wilder than Kean’s, and there was the small difference that while his were a rich brown, hers were such a fiery red that she looked like the supernatural creature she was.

  “How about you get in here and show me up? If you can lift the bar, then you can give orders.” He smirked at her, stepping aside to give her a clear path to the dumbbell he’d just dropped on the hardwood floor.

  Moira rolled her eyes and strode in, bending down and grabbing the dumbbell. Her long, muscled legs braced her on the floor, and her arms and chest strained underneath her professional blouse as she eased the dumbbell off the ground. She struggled with it for a minute, getting it partially up, but unable to lift it over her head. Narrowing her eyes at him, she grunted and let the weights fall, shaking the building once again.

  “Fine, you win,” she allowed, rolling her eyes without any true resentment.

  Kean smirked, picking up the bar and moving it back into its holding spot. “Told ya, kid.” It wasn’t that Moira was weaker than him because she was a woman. Female dragons were capable of being every bit as strong as the males. In fact, Moira was stronger than Eamon, who was likely in his office just down the hall, pointedly ignoring their antics, though he would have heard every word. Strength was associated with age, and Kean had a few years on Moira. In another three, she would be able to easily lift the bar he’d just been working with, if she kept up her training, and there was no doubt in his mind that she would.

  “I hate it when you call me that,” Moira said, hopping up to sit on his desk, crossing her legs like she owned the place. “But I’ll let it slide. I was actually already heading your way when you decided to shake the foundation of the building. Ronan wants everyone in the conference room for our weekly meeting.”

  “Now?” Kean gestured at his sweaty tank top and gym shorts. “I’m on my lunch break.”

  Moira shrugged. “Hey, take it up with the bossman then. I’m just the messenger girl.”

  “You’ve never been a messengergirl in your life,” Kean retorted, pulling his tank top over his head and tossing it into his open gym bag. “How do I smell?” He moved toward Moira, his arms lifted to ensure the maximum impact of his odor. “Like a sweet rose?”

  She fought him off, and Kean grabbed for her, throwing her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. Moira grunted, but then went still before grabbing his hips
and using the leverage to flip herself the rest of the way over his shoulder, landing on her feet as he spun around to face her, his eyes gleaming.

  “Come at methen,” she challenged, cracking her knuckles and getting into a fighting stance. “You might be stronger, but I’m faster and smarter.”

  Kean smirked and lunged for her, using his full weight to pin her up against the wall,but before he could do anything else, she had angled her body just so, elbowed him in the ribs, slipped to the ground, and rolled between his legs. By the time he got turned around, she was on her feet again, a smirk decorating her beautiful features.

  “Okay, it’s on now,” Kean said, getting serious. “I’ve been playing around with you, but now—” He didn’t finish his sentence, leaping after her as she tried to dart to the right. He grabbed her arm, but she feinted left, tumbling down onto the couch that was on the far side of the room, then jumping behind it, shoving the piece of furniture between her and Kean.

  Kean was standing on the back of the couch, wrestling with Moira, when he heard the distinctive clearing of someone’s throat behind him. He glanced back, finding a skeptical Ronan standing in his office, arms crossed over his chest.

  “I thought I sent Moira in here to get you for the meeting. Then I hear you guys trying to tear down the building. You know that we have a security deposit in place here that I’d like to get back.”

  Ronan’s reprimand wasn’t biting. There was amusement in his tone, and Kean knew his friend, mentor, and leader well enough to know that Ronan valued the comradery they all shared in the workplace and that he wasn’t bothered by their antics.

  Nevertheless, Kean put an end to the wrestling match, tossing Moira back to the ground, where she landed gracefully, dusting herself off.

  “We’re ready,” Moira told Ronan with a sweet smile. “We’ve been ready for ages.”

  Ronan chuckled, rolling his eyes at her. “I should have known that you’re not a good messenger.”

  “That’s what I was saying,” Kean agreed, hopping down from the back of the couch himself.

  “Put a shirt on,” Ronan suggested, moving toward the door. “We have a lot of new cases coming in, and everyone is going to be on call for the next few days to handle the influx.”

  “Interesting cases?” Kean asked, pulling a clean T-shirt over his head and following Ronan and Moira out of his office and down the hall. “You know, like …special cases?”

  Kean was good at working any case—from theft to missing persons to murder. He could handle any of it. But what he really loved was when a paranormal case came knocking at Connolly Security’s door, giving him a chance to do what he was most passionate about—helping to regulate the paranormal world so that those humans who preferred to live in ignorance and those who lived with knowledge could do so safely. The security agency that the Celtic Dragon Clan had begun many years ago was the perfect cover for their work by day, but the truly interesting work that they did often happened at night. He was just waiting for his chance to do what generations had done before him and take on a paranormal clan who had broken the moral code that the Celtic Dragon Clan lived by.