She glanced down at the armor lying on the chair next to him. Perhaps this was a mistake.
"I caught you at a bad time, I apologize," Rhea mumbled.
He shook his head. "What is it? How did it go with the dragon?"
Rhea wasn't sure what to say anymore. At any other time, faced with Broc in this state, she would have found it impossible to focus. And yet, right at this moment, she had become strangely indifferent.
She shook off these idle thoughts and considered how to answer his question.
"Well, he did not attack us," Rhea said, remembering Kelly's assessment of the negotiation.
"Good. Is he open to helping us?"
He'll do it for a kiss, Rhea thought, once again growing angry at the dragon's disrespectful comments and Kelly's insinuations.
"As Uri warned already, it's not easy negotiating with a dragon. I offered him his freedom. A pardon from you. He seemed unimpressed."
Rhea bit her lip. Were this any other man, and had Saras asked for any other thing… Rhea had always been truthful, even blunt. Why hide the truth of their meeting with Saras, when Broc would no doubt find out about the whole thing from Kelly, anyway?
A strange feeling burned inside her, preventing her from telling the truth in this case. Her voice had no strength to. The words simply would not pass her lips.
"Perhaps he is playing a game. To see what else he can get out of the deal," Broc suggested.
Rhea nodded. "That's probably it."
A game indeed. He was playing a game of seduction at her expense. And the prize he wanted would cost Rhea her dignity.
"Well, keep at it. We cannot give up on the idea so easily. Not when enemy scouts are lurking around our borders already."
"I will, my king."
"Speak with Uri, will you? Perhaps he has learned something else that can help."
Rhea nodded. Talk to Uri, and tell him the dragon wished for a kiss? Yeah, that would go down very well.
"Yes, my king," she mumbled, and turned to leave again.
She had done her duty, and informed the king. Now she was once again alone with her thoughts, or at least she wished to be. The castle was too busy, with too many people walking up and down. Any quiet corner could be disturbed at any moment by a passing guard or worker. She needed a better place to think, because she certainly did not intend to bring Uri into this.
Rhea ordered the drawbridge open, and made her way outside. The cold winds stung pleasantly against the bare skin of her arms and legs. This feeling that she carried with her ever since her encounter with Saras, she'd only felt it once before. When Kelly had thrown her over the side of the plateau when she first found out about her magic. It was the feeling of failure. Of humiliation and shame.
Her feet carried her back to the same place automatically. Now that she saw the flat hilltop up in the distance, it all made sense. She sped up the rest of the way.
Here, she would be able to reflect properly. Hopefully it would lead her to a solution.
So she sat down on one of the flat rocks that lined the plateau and rested her head in her hands.
This was all new to her.
Her entire life had been entirely action oriented. The harder she worked, the more effort she put into her training, the more successful she became as a fighter. Smarts had very little to do with it.
But this new job brought with it new challenges. And the matter with Saras, the dragon, in a way perfectly represented the entire problem. She had found herself in an impossible situation.
She couldn't use brute force on Saras to bend him to her will. Just as she could not single-handedly defeat King Weiland's army. She needed a strategy for both these things.
And if she managed to solve one of the two problems, the other would solve itself.
So she continued to analyze the day's events.
Why had she hidden the truth from Broc?
Shame . Perhaps a misplaced sense that she owed him something, when he had never shown interest in her like that.
But why feel shame when she had done nothing wrong? She hadn't even yielded to Saras' demands.
Why not?
Rhea lifted her head and stared out across the barren landscape that surrounded her.
She wasn't spoken for. Broc couldn't care less, so why should she? If it solved the problem…
Rhea nodded to herself. "If that's what he wants, that's what he'll get."
If Saras was willing to trade his cooperation for some affection from her, feigned or otherwise… Then who was she to deny it? Could she not sacrifice something as small as a kiss for the good of her people?
Rhea closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. The tightness in her chest had reduced, but it hadn't gone completely. On top of it, her heartbeat continued to be elevated. Yet another feeling she unfamiliar with. Nerves…
Her mind was made up now. Rhea rushed back to the castle just after twilight. First thing in the morning, she'd head down into the dungeons. Nothing would stop her from securing the dragon's help now.
Chapter Six
He could hear them coming from quite a distance. The footsteps echoed against the narrow shaft that led to his cell. The three doors were being unlocked, creaking and groaning as they were pushed open.
His heart was aflutter already. He'd made up his mind and was ready to leave this place. Here arrived his way out.
"You returned," he said, as his visitor appeared inside the dark cell.
Rhea looked every bit as appealing as she had the first time around. He approached her with a smile on his face.
"We have unfinished business," she said.
Saras nodded. "Where is your charming companion? The queen was not in the mood for another trip down into the bowels of the castle?"
Rhea shook her head. Her expression was so serious, so stern. "She isn't needed for this."
"Oh?" Saras asked as he reached for a lock of her dark brown hair and twisted it around his index finger. Wild, it was. Untamed.
Even her scent reminded him of windswept mountainsides and choppy seas. Fresh, yet charmingly sweet. She smelled of vast open spaces, of freedom. Basically of everything he had been missing down here.
She put up such a brave front, but she could not hide those involuntary reactions her body had when being touched. The slight dilation of her pupils, the flush in her cheeks.
As though he was the conductor, and she was the instrument.
He'd always reveled in the dance of love. It truly made the world turn. Too bad it was so difficult to find a willing partner.
"I've given your proposal some thought," she said.
"Have you?" Saras couldn't hide the amusement in his voice. The more serious her tone, the more he felt like laughing. He wasn't even quite sure why. "What proposal is that?"
"Don't make me repeat it," Rhea warned.
Her breath tickled as it hit his face. He breathed in deeply, then slowly opened his eyes again.
"Forgive me, I have been alone for a long time. I'm afraid I may have gotten carried away and said whatever rubbish came to mind. Doesn't mean I remember it all." Saras grinned. "I remember you very well, though. You've been on my mind constantly since then."
Rhea frowned. How adorable she looked when she was annoyed.
"When I asked for your assistance. To help us win this war."
Saras nodded. "Yes, yes. Not my war."
"I was going to release you, your freedom in exchange for your help," Rhea continued.
Saras waited. "And?"
"You said you'd do it for a kiss."
Saras laughed again. "That does sound like something I'd say."
"Well, did you mean it?" Rhea asked. Her face was now bright red.
"You mean you came back for a kiss? Well, this is unexpected." So far, their second meeting was going a lot better than he could have hoped.
"For you this might be a joke, but I'm deadly serious." Rhea folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.
"I can see th
at," Saras said. "You're a very serious woman, aren't you, madam General? All work and no play."
She opened her mouth in protest, then closed it again. Her heartbeat had sped up significantly, as had her breathing. She was getting angry now, which wasn't Saras' intention, but it amused him greatly anyway.
There was something about her that egged him on to keep poking and prodding, just to see how she'd react. Probably the fact that he did indeed get a reaction so easily. What were her limits? How long before she'd lose her cool completely?
Anger and passion were two sides of the same coin. She had some fire within, it was so clear to see. And he would love to see it exposed.
"So you weren't serious. You don't want to get out of here and help us fight the Sea Folk," Rhea said.
Saras cocked his head to the side. "That's not what I said."
"So what will it take?"
He reached for her, and although she flinched initially, she did not shake his hand off as it touched the side of her neck.
"Why? Why should I help you?" he whispered as he guided her face closer to his.
She had offered him a kiss. What a tempting prize. Why shouldn't he take it right now?
Her eyes fluttered shut and she just stood there. Passive. Helpless.
All their interactions so far suggested that she was the sort of woman who made sure she was always in control. This was completely out of character.
He shook his head. "No. This isn't right." Saras let go of Rhea's face and took a step back. "I won't do it."
"Why not?" she called out. He could see now that her eyes were moist. She was obviously disappointed. But it was all about the favor she wanted from him. General Rhea hadn't come back to surrender, she had come to buy his involvement in her war.
"There's no joy in it," he said and shrugged his shoulders. Her offer was empty. Soulless.
"Is that all you seek? Joy? What about duty? Do you never do anything just because it's the proper thing to do? We had an agreement!" Rhea argued.
"Duty is an entirely human construct. I have no use for it. You don't know very much about dragons, do you?" he asked.
She was still red in the face, but it was different now. This wasn't the blush of arousal, but rather of shame. He'd gone too far and embarrassed her.
That hadn't been his intention, but there was little he could do about it now.
"No, I don't. There are no dragons anymore," Rhea spoke dryly. "You're the last one."
Saras was stunned for a moment. No clever comeback or teasing comment came to him.
"That's probably for the best," he mumbled.
"Probably," Rhea agreed. "If there's nothing else I can offer you to change your mind, then there's no point in staying here and talking to you."
Saras still didn't know what to say. So he just watched as she turned around and knocked on the door.
This wasn't how this meeting should have gone. He'd gotten too excited and wanted to toy with her a bit. He wanted to test the boundaries, to uncover the real Rhea. But what he got was a shocking dose of reality he had no use for.
His second chance was about to fall apart.
"Wait," he called out.
Rhea stopped, though she kept her back turned toward him.
"Look, I'm sorry if I insulted you. I'm a bit out of practice," he said.
"A bit?" she asked.
Saras shrugged. "Fair point. A lot. For that I apologize."
"And?" she asked.
Her question puzzled him. He'd gone too far, and he'd apologized. "And, what?"
She shook her head and reached for the door again. "Sorry I asked."
He could do nothing but watch as she left him.
Alone once again. Dejected, he returned to the corner of his cell, farthest from the door. He'd been awake for a while now and all it had brought was false hope and disappointment. Best to leave this world to these new inhabitants and retreat into his dreams. At least he knew what to expect there.
It did not take him long to drift off.
By the time Rhea left Saras, her embarrassment had made way for anger. Other responsibilities filled the rest of her day, but at night in bed, everything came back to her.
She was shaking with rage thinking back to it.
From the start, he'd just been toying with her. Whenever she thought she knew what he wanted and was prepared to give it to him, he changed his mind and they were no closer to reaching an agreement.
He was so full of lies, he probably didn't even know the truth himself.
Never had she felt so small and meaningless as she did in front of him. Not that he was particularly tall or imposing. For all his beauty and supposed strength, he was of average stature.
But at the same time, she was in awe of him. Not that she would ever admit it. Oh, he'd have a grand time laughing at her if he ever found out. She hadn't even thought of Broc lately; her mind did not have the capacity to concern herself with two men at once.
That was the worst part.
She wanted to hate him with all her being, but part of her was so intrigued, so enchanted, that the thought of him never left her mind. Not when she woke up in the morning, or went to bed at night, or at any point in between.
And now there was the other thing she felt. Pity.
When she’d told him he was the last dragon, she thought she'd finally seen a glimpse of the real Saras. Unless that was all part of his game of deception; though it had seemed completely genuine to her. For but a moment, the mask had fallen off.
Saras was a creature of opposites. Immense power, yet he refused to leave the confines of his cell. He had mercilessly flirted with her, yet he'd refused to kiss her once she yielded. Always grinning and joking, but intensely lonely in this world.
Perhaps the many years underground had taken their toll on his mind. Was it possible that the dragon was beyond reach now? That there was nothing anymore in this world that he wanted enough to come to an agreement with her?
This was not something she could solve by herself, no matter how much she tossed and turned in bed.
It was time for outside counsel.
Come dawn, she headed straight for the library in search of the Elders. If anyone could help, it was them. They were the custodians of the collected wisdom of their people, after all.
With no time to waste, Rhea burst through the door of the library.
"Uri!" she called out.
The Elders who sat at the long study tables, poring over ancient scrolls and bound volumes alike, jumped up in their seats at the sudden and loud interruption.
"General, what an unexpected surprise," Uri spoke up as he appeared from behind an overloaded book case.
He didn't like her much, his tone made that very clear. Rhea didn't care. She didn't have time to.
"I need your counsel," Rhea said.
All heads in the library were still turned in her direction.
"I see. How can I be of help?"
Rhea gestured at a couple of empty chairs further away from where the remaining Elders were conducting their studies. "I'm having some trouble," Rhea started.
"The dragon." Uri folded his hands in his lap. "It's not easy bargaining with a dragon, as I said."
"You mentioned during the Council meeting that we need to find out what he wants above all."
Uri nodded. It was hard to tell with his substantial beard covering most of his face, but Rhea thought she could detect a hint of smugness. He enjoyed being right.
"What is it that you have tried so far?"
"I offered him his freedom, obviously," Rhea said. Her heart was pounding again. She hadn't been able to tell Broc the whole truth about what went on with Saras because she'd felt ashamed. Would she be willing to expose all this ugliness in front of Uri?
Uri nodded and ran his right hand mindlessly through his long beard. "If that had worked, you wouldn't be here."
"Indeed." Rhea chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, before gathering the courage. The greater good de
manded her honesty. "He seemed to show some interest. In me."
Uri looked up at her and smiled briefly. "He has been alone for a very, very long time."
Rhea nodded. "Well, that's what I thought. I thought it would be a small sacrifice. For the safety of these lands."
Uri did not ask for any clarification, he simply waited for her to continue.
"That also did not work," Rhea said, then waited for a response.
He took his time, stroking his beard slowly, looking thoughtful.
"I can only conclude one thing," Uri said finally.
"What's that?"
"That you did not give him what he really wants."
Rhea frowned. That wasn't very helpful. "If I cannot trust what he tells me, how will I ever find out what he desires?"
Uri gestured at the vast collection of books surrounding them. "In all these books and papers is the recorded history and knowledge of our people. A great many things are written. But nowhere does it say what Saras, the dragon, wants above all. Believe me, I've checked."
Rhea sighed. What a waste of time. She got up out of her chair, preparing to leave.
"But," Uri said.
Rhea turned to face him again.
"Think about this: deep down, what is it that every living, sentient being really wants? That might give you a starting point."
Rhea scowled. How she wanted to give him a piece of her mind. What good was a Council of Elders if they had nothing useful to share and only spoke in riddles? She didn't, though. She said the most diplomatic thing that came to her mind.
"I'll give it some thought."
"Wonderful. Now if you don't mind, I'll get back to my work." Uri heaved himself out of the chair and shuffled back to the huge bookcase.
As Rhea left, nobody paid her any attention anymore. The novelty of having the Black Isles’ newly appointed female general in their midst had worn off quickly.
Once outside, she could hear some commotion further down the hallway. Rhea sped up and nearly bumped into one of her men.
"My General!" The soldier looked like he'd seen a ghost.
Rhea's chest tightened. Had the invasion begun already?
A Dragon's Treasure Page 4