The Tangled Sky: A Wild Hunt Adventure (Hedge Dragon Series Book 2) Read online

  THE TANGLED SKY

  A Hedge Dragon Novella, Book 2

  YASMINE GALENORN

  A Nightqueen Enterprises LLC Publication

  Published by Yasmine Galenorn

  PO Box 2037, Kirkland WA 98083-2037

  THE TANGLED SKY

  A Hedge Dragon Hunt Novella

  Copyright © 2022 by Yasmine Galenorn

  First Electronic Printing: 2022 Nightqueen Enterprises LLC

  Cover Art & Design: Ravven

  Art Copyright: Yasmine Galenorn

  Editor: Elizabeth Flynn

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any format, be it print or electronic or audio, without permission. Please prevent piracy by purchasing only authorized versions of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, or places is entirely coincidental and not to be construed as representative or an endorsement of any living/ existing group, person, place, or business.

  A Nightqueen Enterprises LLC Publication

  Published in the United States of America

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Welcome to The Tangled Sky

  Map

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Cast of Characters

  Timeline of Series

  Playlist

  Biography

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Welcome to the world of the Hedge Dragons. While this is a spinoff of the Wild Hunt, you do not need to have read that series to read this one. Storm’s world is her own, even though you will see familiar faces if you’ve read the adventures of Ember and Herne.

  Thanks to my usual crew: Samwise, my husband, Andria and Jennifer—without their help, I’d be swamped. To the women who have helped me find my way in indie, you’re all great, and thank you to everyone. To my wonderful cover artist, Ravven, for the beautiful work she’s done, and my editor Elizabeth, who keeps me on track and prevents me from becoming the Comma Queen!

  Also, my love to my furbles, who keep me happy. My most reverent devotion to Mielikki, Tapio, Ukko, Rauni, and Brighid, my spiritual guardians and guides. My love and reverence to Herne, and Cernunnos, and to the Fae, who still rule the wild places of this world. And a nod to the Wild Hunt, which runs deep in my magick, as well as in my fiction.

  You can find me through my website at Galenorn.com and be sure to sign up for my newsletter to keep updated on all my latest releases! You can find my advice on writing, discussions about the books, and general ramblings on my YouTube channel and my Patreon. If you liked this book, I’d be grateful if you’d leave a review—it helps more than you can think.

  Brightest Blessings,

  ~The Painted Panther~

  ~Yasmine Galenorn~

  WELCOME TO THE TANGLED SKY

  Sometimes, it just doesn’t pay to be generous...

  I head for the Rejovak Mountains in Wildemoone, my posse in tow, to help out Ginty, a friend of Ember and Herne. The Dwarven King Erikson’s gone a little bit haywire in the head, and Ginty is trying to escape before the king decides to execute him.

  Reading Order for the Hedge Dragon Series:

  Book 1: The Poisoned Forest

  Book 2: The Tangled Sky (Novella)

  MAP

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Storm, Lord Herne and Lady Ember want to see you, right away. You too, Ayo,” Faro said. One of Herne’s personal aides, the young Elf ran messages for the Lord of the Hunt and his lady. His mother had been killed in a riding accident. Faro was doing his best to take care of his younger brother. I knew all too well how that felt.

  “Thank you. We’ll be along in a few minutes,” Ayo said, shutting the door. She turned to me. “I wonder what’s up.”

  “I don’t know, but I guess we’ll find out.” I turned back to Shellsong, my sister, who was making bread. While we could have eaten in the castle dining room, Ember had made sure we had quarters with a kitchenette in case we wanted to eat by ourselves. Shellsong was doing her best to learn to cook. Ember’s best friend, Angel, was teaching her. Angel was also teaching her sign language. Since Shellsong had lost her ability to speak, we were all doing our best to learn new ways of communication so she wouldn’t have to write things down all the time.

  I turned to Shellsong. “I’ll be back soon. Save some of that bread for me. And would you feed Serifa?”

  She held up her flour-covered hands and signed, “Of course. See you later.”

  Ayo and I headed out, speculating over what Ember and Herne had in store for us.

  My name is Storm, and I’m a hedge dragon—part dragon, part Storm Lord. We’re not “real” dragons, not compared to the Dragonni who are what most people consider dragons. But though I’m not immortal, I am a dragon shifter and I can control the lightning, thanks to my father. The fact that I can die puts me at a disadvantage, given how many poachers out there want to hunt me and my kind down for our skins. We make good armor.

  Not long ago, I lived in the Forgotten Kingdom and the only people I ever saw were my mother, brothers, and sisters. Then my mother sold my sister Shellsong into slavery and I took off to rescue her. After a long, tortuous journey, Shellsong and I now lived in Caer Briar Shore—Herne and Ember’s castle. I was nominally working for the Wild Hunt Agency, Annwn division. We lived on the second floor of the castle, and everything was fine except for me worrying about the whereabouts of our other sister Sparkle. But Herne and Ember had assured me that she would soon be with me, and so I tried not to worry. My life had changed so drastically in such a short time that I was just trying to learn all the new things coming my way. It wasn’t easy, but my life was far better than it had been before.

  Caer Briar Shore was located atop a high ridge of mountains in Annwn, the Celtic Otherworld. The castle overlooked Muir Leathan, which separated Annwn from several other realms. It was a vast body of water, rolling wild like the ocean, and mist drifted in to flood the valley below. The windswept shores were harsh during winter, and the sea glistened like liquid silver, the waves crashing against the beach.

  Ayo, a half Elf who had become a friend, and I often took long walks down to the shore. We both enjoyed the solitude, and she was quickly becoming a closer friend than I had ever had before. Together with Tharin, an Elf who was one of Ember’s tutors, and Hajeet, one of the Wolf Lord’s elite guards, we had come through a hellish trip into Wildemoone when I set out to rescue Shellsong.

  Now, as Ayo and I approached the conference room where Ember and Herne were waiting, I began to get nervous. As nice as they were, it was almost impossible to forget they were gods, and you don’t ever want to anger a god.

  “You ready?” Ayo asked, slipping her jacket off. Beneath the jacket, she was wearing trousers and a tunic.

  I was wearing black jeans—a gift from Ember—and a soft sweater that matched my eyes. My hair was flowing free. It felt wonderful to be able to walk about in the open. Ember and Herne had put out an order specifically forbidding my kind to be hunted in Annwn, with the permission of the Triamvinate—a trio of the gods ruling this realm.

  “Yeah, I’m ready,” I said, straightening. Though Herne and Ember were friendly, I didn’t kid myself that I was one of their friends. They were kind to me, but I knew better than insinuate myself further than I had a right to.
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  We opened the council door and entered the room. Ember and Herne sat at opposite sides of the long narrow table. Tharin and Hajeet were there, along with Stegis. I also recognized Cernunnos and Morgana—Herne’s parents—sitting to the other side. I stiffened, suppressing the urge to kneel. Instead, Ayo and I bowed, and then took our places besides the three men.

  Once the door closed behind us, Ember leaned forward. She was wearing a beaded corset the color of twilight over a pair of flowing black trousers, along with an indigo-colored cloak. Herne was dressed in an embroidered green tunic, jeans, and he had a brown cloak around his shoulders. Cernunnos and Morgana were dressed more formally—though they wore similar colors to their son and daughter-in-law.

  “Welcome and thank you for coming. Please, take a seat.” Ember glanced at the clock on the wall. “We’ll get started here in a moment.” She rose and went over to the side table, which had a coffee pot and a buffet spread of breakfast foods.

  That was one thing I’d gotten used to since I moved into the castle—the concept of hours and minutes and specific times of the day. Before that, I’d lived by the sun and moon—dawn, morning, midday, dusk, twilight, night. But over the past few weeks, I’d learned how to “tell time.” Even though it was a concept brought over from Ember’s homeland, the castle ran on it.

  I glanced at Tharin, who was sitting on my other side. “Do you know what this is about?”

  He shook his head. “Not really.”

  Ember turned to the guard standing near the door. “We’re going to need three more chairs.”

  The guard nodded and ducked out to talk to one of the servants.

  Herne turned to me. “How are you and your sister getting along?” He asked me the same thing every single time and I tried to stifle a laugh.

  “We’re fine, thank you. Shellsong is adapting, and so am I.”

  The door opened and in came a trio of servants, each carrying an extra chair. They set two on one side of the table, and brought the other around to slide between Tharin and me. I looked at the servant questioningly, but he just shrugged.

  “We have surprise guests joining us today,” Ember said, her eyes sparkling. She looked excited.

  The door opened again, and the guard escorted in two people I recognized—Kipa and Raven. But as the third person entered the room, I jumped out of my seat, letting out a loud “Oh!” Because standing beside the pair was my sister Sparkle.

  Sparkle let out an excited shout, starting to run around the table, but I met her first, throwing my arms around her as she began to cry. Sparkle was slow to learn things. In fact, she had the intellectual capacity of a child. But she was golden-hearted and loving and just about the sweetest person in the world.

  “Sparkle, my love, come here.” I pulled her into my arms, tears flooding my eyes. I’d been so worried that my mother would do something drastic like she had with Shellsong. I’d threatened before I left that if she hurt Sparkle I would do everything I could to make her life hell. Given my mother and her antagonism toward her children, I’d been half-convinced she’d just wait till I was out of sight to hurt Sparkle. When Raven and Kipa had volunteered to rescue her, I’d accepted with gratitude.

  “Storm! I missed you!” The tension in Sparkle’s shoulders melted as she hugged me. She rested her head on my shoulder—I was a little taller than she was—and tears welled up in her eyes. “I’ve been so afraid. Raven and Kipa said you wanted me to come with them, but I wasn’t sure if they were telling the truth.”

  “I imagine. Listen, I have to spend some time here in a meeting, but would you like to go see Shellsong?”

  Sparkle nodded, wiping her eyes. She was almost as strong as I was, but she was truly a child inside that hedge dragon’s body. “Is she okay?”

  “Yes, but…Sparkle,” I said, taking her hands and drawing her down into the seat next to me. “I want you to listen. Shellsong can’t talk. A bad man put a spell on her and now she can’t speak. But she can hear, and there’s a way she can talk to us with her hands. We’ll teach you, but for the moment…” I glanced over at Ember, suddenly realizing every eye in the place was on us, but everyone—even the guard—was smiling. “Ember, can Elta take Sparkle to our quarters? She can help Sparkle understand.”

  “Of course,” Ember said, motioning to the guard. She whispered something to him and he disappeared. “He went to fetch her. Why don’t you introduce Sparkle to all of us?”

  I swallowed hard, pushing down the tears of relief. “Sparkle, I want you to meet my friends. You can trust all of them. This is Ember and Herne, and Herne’s parents—Morgana and Cernunnos. And these are more of my friends who helped me rescue Shellsong: Tharin, Ayo, Hajeet, and Stegis.”

  Shyly, Sparkle curtsied to all of them and smiled. “Hello,” she said. It was then I realized that she was speaking in Common Tongue.

  I glanced at Raven, arching my eyebrows. “Common?”

  Raven nodded. “Väinämöinen was gentle, but this makes it much easier for her. She won’t have to try to learn it, and he was very cautious to make the transfer easy and fun.”

  I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but then again, Raven was correct. Teaching Sparkle Common Tongue would have been a challenge. She had had a hard enough time learning the smattering of Elvish our mother had tried to teach her.

  “Thank him for me,” I said, deciding we’d talk about it later.

  Elta peeked in the door. I motioned to her. “Would you take my sister Sparkle to our quarters and stick around to help her understand what happened to Shellsong?”

  “Of course,” she said, reaching out for Sparkle’s hand. I had already told her about Sparkle. “Would you like to go with me to see Shellsong?”

  Sparkle glanced at me. When I encouraged her with a smile, she nodded.

  “Yes.” She turned back to me. “I’m hungry,” she said.

  “Elta will make sure you get a good meal. I’ll be with you and Shellsong in a little bit,” I said, waving as she followed Elta out of the room.

  After that, Ember started the meeting. “I’m afraid we have other items to attend to that aren’t so pleasant.”

  I turned to Raven and mouthed, “Thank you.” The fact that she and Kipa had actually gone out of their way to rescue my sister meant the world to me.

  Herne cleared his throat. “We have a problem and it’s going to require some diplomacy, but right now, everyone we have who might be able to cope with this is tied up with the Dragonni mess. So we thought we’d assign it to you.” He turned to my side of the table. “Tharin, Ayo, Storm, and Hajeet, we would like you to take on this task.”

  Stegis shifted in his seat. “Me too?”

  “No, I have another task for you,” Herne answered. “Since you all now belong to the Wild Hunt Agency, consider this work.” Which, I had learned, was code for: You can’t say no.

  “This is going to require diplomacy,” Cernunnos said.

  I’d met him a couple times over the past few weeks and each time, he’d scared the crap out of me. Herne’s father, he was a massive god, muscled and broad-shouldered. Where Herne was Lord of the Hunt, Cernunnos was Lord of the whole freaking Forest. He was a lot moodier than Herne, and his stare could undo any composure I had.

  Tharin leaned his elbows on the table. “Which means we have to watch our tongue.” He gave me a sideways look. “Understood. Where are we headed?”

  “Back to Wildemoone, but nowhere near Owlanvine.” Cernunnos unrolled a large map that was on the table. “Here—you see the patch of mountains coming down from Pohjola and Kalevala? They run right into the massive range known as the Rejovak Mountains in Wildemoone. That’s where the Kingdom of Guitwalden lies—the kingdom of the Dwarves.”

  Relieved we weren’t being sent back to Owlanvine, I focused on the map. If the mountain range was to scale, then the mountains would be huge. “How far in is the kingdom?”

  “It’s on top of the mountain known as T’mir. You’ll have quite the climb, especially
during winter, but we’ll provide you with exolats when you’re there.” Before I could ask, Cernunnos said, “An exolat is a lot like an ox…or a massive cow with fur and wide curving horns. They’re steady, if slow, but they can trudge through the snow like few other animals. We’ll be sending you through to a portal right near the base of the mountain.”

  “Why not the portal that leads into Guitwalden proper?” Ayo asked.

  Morgana shook her head. “Because there’s a problem with King Erikson.”

  “Our friend Ginty—I believe I’ve mentioned him before—contacted us,” Ember said. “The king’s acting particularly odd, and Ginty’s worried that something political is afoot—that Erikson may be reaching for more power. He’s dissolved the advisory board and Ginty’s looking to get away because he’s third in line for the throne, and that may put him in danger.”

  “He thinks the king might have him killed?” Tharin asked.

  Ember nodded. “Yes, unfortunately. While he and his mate Ireland have access to a hidden portal, they need help. It’s buried beneath the rubble of a cave-in. They can’t ask anyone there for help because the king has spies everywhere. Ginty’s other relatives are standing behind Erikson, so they don’t dare go to them for help.”

  “Aren’t they afraid they’ll be killed by the king?” I asked.

  “None of them are in line for the throne. Ginty is third, after the king’s sons, and then Ginty’s twin daughters, who are still babies.” Herne shook his head. “I’d help personally, but I have no jurisdiction and since Ginty isn’t a priest of mine, it would stir up trouble between the dwarven gods and Annwn if I go in there. We don’t have much of a connection. I’m worried that if someone doesn’t help Ginty and his family escape, it will end badly for them.”