Everyday
and Not-so Everyday Magic & Miracles
I am a big
believer in miracles and magic. Yes, I write about fantabulous things, magical
creatures and wondrous sorcery, but I see quieter magic all around us. People
can do great things on a daily basis. The power of a hug, the comfort of
prayer, and the outcome of a sympathetic ear all have a ripple effect upon the
world at large. One person holds a door for another, then that second person
picks up something someone dropped, the third subsequently compliments a friend
on something and so on. The positive vibes flow, changing each person’s day for
the better.
It’s no less
special than the stuff in my books though it’s easier to miss the power of a
kind word than a dragon appearing in the sky before your disbelieving eyes. And on that note, I’d like to share exactly that. This is
an excerpt from my new novel The Dragon
in The Garden. This is Daisy the dragon coming home. Please enjoy.
***
“Siobhan,”
Turel said. The intensity of his tone caught my ear, and I turned to him. He
lingered a few feet away from me, his eyes fixed serenely on a point far away.
I
joined him, my eyes on the horizon. The setting sun painted the sky a vivid
seascape of blues, pinks, violets and oranges. As the sun lowered to the lowest
point in the sky, in the instant before its rays spilled over the back of the
world, there shone a beam of concentrated light, as precise as a laser. After a
second, the light expanded, becoming a brilliant, white ray. It continued to
grow, morphing into a tunnel in reverse, but instead of darkness, it blazed a
corridor of light. The white light became prismatic, flickering with a rainbow
of dancing diamond sparkles, splashing colors of all hues in front of my
dazzled eyes.
Turel enclosed one of my hands in his warm
grasp. “It is something to see, yes?” His tone reflected true awe.
“Is this your first time seeing this?” I asked
in a whisper. The tunnel became larger, dwarfing us. With my free hand I
shielded my eyes. Leia sat at my side, gazing in the distance.
“No,
I have seen this many times.” He held out his other hand and waved it at the
mighty light show. “But a miracle is no less glorious for having previously
happened.”
To my left Tim and Alex continued their
ridiculous rock throwing competition. Their stones sailed right through the
expanding brilliance they could not see. “Guys, are you kidding me?” In the
emotion of the moment, my voice growled, low and hoarse.
They
stopped and gave me matching blank expressions. “What?” Alex said.
“Hey,
what are you guys staring at?” Tim sounded defensive.
Before
I could answer their questions, I heard it. A sweet sound, soft at first,
barely a whisper, carried on the breeze. Turel’s smile grew even brighter,
matching the shining portal. “She comes.” His eyes shone as they met mine.
Alex
glanced this way and that. “Does anyone hear that sound?” he asked.
Tim
craned his head. “I hear it. It sounds like bells.”
“Wind
chimes,” I corrected, still staring straight ahead. “It’s wind chimes.” The air
shimmered. Light danced in an intense aurora borealis. Patterns of colors
streaked and swooped in a heavenly painting. One hue dominated the others. The
deep shade of jade green spread. An enormous form took shape, dressing itself
in swathes of color. The huge outline solidified: graceful wings, a serpentine
neck, and a curving tail. Two amber lights appeared like jewels in the viridian
air. Everything intensified, heightening each of my senses; the lights pulsed.
A beautiful, green dragon hovered in the air. With two mighty beats of her
massive wings, she crested then landed behind us. I ran forward with a cry.
“Daisy.”
“Damn
it,” growled Tim. “I can’t see anything even a bit like a dragon.”
“Unless
it’s a super little one,” said Alex, his face downcast.
Turel
laughed— a big, belly laugh full of joy. “Gwyrdd, you sly minx, show them. Drop
the glamour and let our friends see you.”
Daisy
twisted her head to one side in a coquettish gesture and in that voice I had
never forgotten said, “Certainly, Turiel, dear one.” Suppressed mirth laced her
tone. “How’s this, children?”
When
she spoke these last words the music of wind chimes came again, louder this
time. As their bright notes sounded around us, I saw the precise instant when
both my brother and my first love, the two who believed in me all these years,
finally saw my dragon.
To purchase The Dragon in The Garden
please see:
http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Gardner_Erika/the-dragon-in-the-garden.htm
http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Gardner_Erika/the-dragon-in-the-garden.htm
To find Erika Online please check
out:
Twitter- @Erika_Gardner
Instagram- TheErikaGardner
This post was written by Erika
Gardner. She’s a native Californian, lifelong lover of fantastical
adventures, and a dedicated Whovian. If
you enjoyed it, please sign up to receive updates on www.erikagardner.com Or you can follow Erika on Twitter
@Erika_Gardner, “Like” her Facebook page Erika Gardner-
Writer and Storyteller. Or check out her contributions to the BBB Blog.
BLURB
