FIVE YEARS LATER

MORGAN  - FOX & DRAGON PUB

I was working in the back kitchen when India skipped up to me with something in her hand. She'd returned from shopping in Gloucester with her twin sister Poppy.

"Please tell me there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and Poppy has found her dress for tomorrow night," I ask.

India slides past me and makes a beeline to my rhubarb custard trifle that is cooling on the side. She licked her lips and replied, "Poppy found eight dresses that she may or may not consider wearing tomorrow night."

I grab a wooden spoon and insert myself between my trifle and the hungry teenager. "The trifle is for tomorrow night, as are all the desserts in the chiller."

India rolls her eyes and whines, "I'm starving. What is there to eat?"

I point at the fruit bowl, and a little piece of her soul withers and dies. She opens her mouth to protest, but I place my hands on my hips and repeat, "The trifle is for tomorrow night."

India steps back, and then mischief suddenly sparkles in her eyes. "I've got you something," she says, opening her hand to reveal a small black hard-boiled lozenge."

"What is that?"

"It's a candy called liquorice. Do you want to try it?"

Liquorice? I don't remember liquorice.

There were many tastes and smells that I'd forgotten. Then, four years ago, I was found half-dead in the snow with a terrible head injury and no memory.

My neurosurgeon said she'd only seen a head injury like mine once before, when a skydiver's parachute failed to deploy.

No one, not even me, could tell you who I was. I couldn't tell you where I came from or how old I was. I didn't know my full name or the year I was born.

The severity of the blunt force trauma to the back of my head meant that I'd most likely never regain my memories again.

I took the candy from India's hand and placed it on my tongue. I usually enjoyed tasting new candies, but something was wrong with this candy. It was salty and tasted like car fumes. I wrinkled my nose and spat the black, salty lump of tar into the kitchen sink.

"That was foul," I gagged. "Is that a joke?"

India shook her head, "Liquorice is quite popular."

"With who? Sadists? People with no tastebuds?" I exclaimed.

India snorts back a laugh.

I'd been living with India and her family since I came out of the hospital three and a half years ago. We lived together in the small village of Thorsbury Upon Wick in the Fox & Dragon pub.

Living in a small village was fun and quiet. However, Thorsbury Upon Wick did have one big secret. Everyone who lived here was a dragon.

Not a dragon in the sense of a literal flying reptile, although some could grow dragon wings.

Poppy appeared in the kitchen doorway wearing a short bright, neon mini dress. "What do you think? Be honest."

"It's bright," I said, trying to sound neutral.

A wide smile erupted across Poppy's face, and she replied, "Exactly! Everyone, even the wisps, will see me in the dark."

"I think the international space station will be able to see you in that dress," India said dryly.

Poppy ignored her sister's jibe and gestured towards the rhubarb and custard trifle on the side. "Can I grab a bite of that? I'm dying of starvation over here."

I brandish my wooden spoon at Poppy and say, "It's for tomorrow night."

Poppy pouts for a second and then sighs, "Fine, but I want you to bring that trifle to the top table tomorrow night's banquet."

"Why would I do that?" I asked.

"Because I will be sitting at the top table with Eli," Poppy replied with complete conviction.

Both India and I groaned in unison.

My earliest memory of Poppy was her explaining how dragons got married, or in their words, mated.

I remember sitting on the kitchen floor eating a tub of Ben and Jerry's as Poppy attempted to explain the dragon version of the birds and the bees to me.

"So," she said, grabbing a pen and napkin and drawing a crude map of the village, "The weird-looking stone outside the pub is the Craving Stone. This is where all the eligible men and women of mating age gather on the night of the year's first new moon."

She then scribbled a series of oddly shaped circles in the top right-hand corner of the napkin. "These are the wisps; they only come once a year with the first new moon."

I stare at the strange circular drawing and ask, "What are wisps?"

"I would describe them as a ghostly blob of light, but I don't know what they are. They decide who in the village mates with who," she explained.

"Sounds trippy," I murmured through a spoonful of cookie dough ice cream.

"The wisps float from the river, through the woods and into the village. When they arrive at the Craving Stone, they bless the couples destined to be together," she explained.

"How do they bless a couple?" I asked curiously.

"The wisp's light reaches out and touches you, right over your heart," Poppy explained, pressing her palm against her chest. "Once you've been touched, you must follow the wisp because the next person it touches is your fated mate."

I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. "That sounds awful. Having some weird light decides who you'll spend the rest of your life with."

Poppy sighs dreamily and pokes at the napkin with her finger.

"I already know who my mate will be," She sighed dreamily. "Eli Corvell."

The name Corvell rang a bell. I remember Charlie saying that Walter Corvell was the man from whom Charlie rented the Fox & Dragon.

"Is he related to Walter Corvell?" I asked.

"Yip, Eli is Walter's firstborn son. The Corvells are loaded. They own the big house outside the village, Thorsbury Hall. They are the most wealthiest, most stinking rich, landowning dragons this village has ever seen. And if I marry Eli, then I'll be rich too," Poppy announced with imaginary dollar signs in her eyes.

"Do you like him?" I asked.

"I like his money, and that's good enough. I'm sick and tired of being broke. I don't want to spend the rest of my life worrying about money," Poppy said. "As soon as I turn eighteen, I'm taking my place around the Craving Stone."

"Let's hope the wisps match you two up, then," I murmured.

Poppy had been fifteen years old when she told me about her plans to marry Eli Corvell. I thought, with time, she would grow out of it, but her obsession with becoming 'Mrs. Corvell' only got worse.

Tomorrow night was this year's first new moon, which meant the wisps would visit the village. Poppy had just turned eighteen, and finally, she could join the other young singletons around the Craving Stone.

"There is thick freezing fog forecasted for tomorrow night. I want to make sure the wisps can see me," Poppy explained.

India arched an eyebrow. "The wisps are balls of light. They don't have any eyes."

"I don't understand wisp anatomy! I just need to ensure they can see me," Poppy snaps impatiently.

"Poppy, I don't want to piss on your bonfire, but the wisps usually pair the Corvells up with other landowning families. So, maybe, you should try setting your sights a little lower," I said, watching Poppy's face harden with annoyance.

I wasn't trying to be cruel. If I thought Poppy had a slight chance of mating with Eli, I would tell her to chase that dream. But, the chances of Poppy mating with Eli were zero. The wisps seemed to understand who had money in the town and who didn't. They always made sure that wealthy families mated with wealthy families.

"I heard that Rupert Greeves might decide to call for a bride next year. I think you should try your luck then. Greeves are a good family, and although Rupert is a fifth son, his Aunt is planning on leaving him her piggery."

"I'm not marrying fucking pig farmer," Poppy spat and spun on her heel to retreat upstairs.

India and I exchanged strained glances.

"She's going to be devastated when she's not picked," I whisper in a low voice.

India nodded her head in agreement. "We've all tried talking to her, but she believes the wisps will pick her for Eli's mate. Ugh, poor Poppy. I wish she'd set her sights a little lower. Corvells are only ever paired with Doones, Greeves, and Bowburys. They don't pair with Buttons."

We both fell silent, imagining Poppy's tears that would surely follow when Eli was matched with Aisling Doone or Tandi Bowbury. Then, we'd drag Poppy back to the pub and ply her with ice cream and chocolate.

"Tomorrow night is going to be a car crash," I eventually sighed.

The next update will be Friday 3rd February