He allowed his wings to unfurl and extend, slowly at first and then with a snap that gave them a much-needed stretch. Big mistake. Nikan started from the headboard, flapping wildly and circling the room to the sound of Maiara’s ineffective attempts to calm her until finally Alexander opened the window and let her out. When he turned back, Maiara’s ebony gaze was a palpable thing.
Almost palpable. Without any sudden moves, he returned to her side and lowered himself to sit beside her. She didn’t scream or run. That was a good sign. Her trembling fingers lifted toward the bony edge of his left wing. He stilled, another part of his anatomy twitching with anticipation. It had been a long time since anyone had touched his wings.
Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes as her fingertips connected with the sensitive flesh and caressed along its length. He stifled a moan. And then the touch turned firm. He opened his eyes when she tugged firmly on the talon at the joint and winced when she went about unfolding its natural bend. “Maiara…” She poked the webbing with her fingers as if she were testing its elasticity. He cleared his throat and jerked the wing from her grip. “Maiara… please, that’s quite uncomfortable.”
Her eyebrows rose as if this surprised her. She nodded her head. “Dragon,” she mumbled under her breath.
He nodded. “I can change.” He tapped his chest and then reached for his sketchbook and flipped to a page where he’d drawn a fully shifted dragon. It wasn’t him, exactly, more of a combination of dragons he’d known, straight from his imagination. He showed it to her. “I can change into this.”
To demonstrate, he held up his hand, curled his fingers, and allowed his talons to sprout from his first knuckle. She inhaled sharply. He folded both his talons and his wings away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She shook her head. “I am not afraid. You are… We have a different word for it. Piasa. Only, I did not know you could look like a man.” She stared at him for some time, and he wondered what she would tell her people about him when she returned home.
“So, why was the Mohawk warrior following you, and why were you hiding in the tree?”
She looked down at her fingers tangled atop the blanket between them. “My people, the Potawatomi, are part of a larger group white men call the Algonquians. It is from these clans that the Midewiwin society”—she tapped her chest—“was formed. The Algonquians are at war with the Iroquois, a confederacy that include the Mohawk.”
“War? Why?”
“Our territory is home to many animals prized for their furs. The French pay and they are good to trade. The Iroquois want our land and the wealth it will bring them. Already they have forced my people south from where my ancestors once lived.”
“And this warrior is hunting you because you are Algonquian?”
She shook her head and tears spilled from her eyes. “He is hunting me because I am the last of my kind. The last Midew.”
Alexander’s chest contracted at the sob in her voice. He desperately longed to comfort her, but she spoke on. “This warrior traded his soul to an evil spirit for the power to slay my kind. He is a monster, a wendigo, with an insatiable appetite for blood. Very fast and very hard to kill.”
“A wendigo?” Alexander wasn’t familiar with the word or the creature.
“The Midewiwin protected my people with their magic. Now they are dead. He murdered all but me.”
Alexander raised a hand toward her scar. “Is that how you got this?”
“Yes.”
He thought about the morning she’d stood up to Gabriel for Rowan. More than bravery was at work that day. “You said you didn’t believe he’d come near the white men. That’s why you believed we’d be safer in New York. But you didn’t anticipate that the weather would make it impossible for you to use the trees to hide.”
“You are large men. White men. Until the soldier, I thought we were safe.” Her lids drooped from exhaustion.
“You’re tired. You should rest,” he said.
She attempted to rise. “Of course. It is too cold for the trees, but I will try to find a place.”
He shook his head and nudged her shoulder toward the mattress. “No. You will sleep here tonight with me,” he said. “From now on, you will have my protection.”
She relaxed into the mattress, her dark hair spilling over the side of the pillow. “Why are you helping me?”
“I am a dragon. I protect what is mine,” he said, and indeed, his inner dragon stirred and chuffed, eyeing Maiara as if she were a valuable jewel.
Far from comforting her, Maiara’s eyes narrowed and she shook her head. “Yours?”
Alexander chided himself. The fear he saw in Maiara’s eyes was the kind he’d seen in Rowan’s time and time again at the palace in Paragon. Any kindness or love Rowan received from their parents had been transactional, and it had made her weary of the cost of any sliver of happiness. Did Maiara fear that Alexander would expect something in return for his protection? Her body or her magic? The thought turned his stomach.
“I mean only that you are my guide, Maiara, and, I think, my friend. I will protect you as long as we are together. That is all.”
He sensed by the jut of her chin that she didn’t fully believe him but was too exhausted to fight. Her shoulders relaxed and she sank deeper into the mattress.
“Sleep, Maiara. I will keep watch over you,” he said. It was enough. She slipped into oblivion, and he kept his promise.
Chapter Thirteen
2018
Sedona, Arizona
“I think we made huge strides with Alexander today.” Raven lay next to Gabriel in the queen-size bed in the apartment they rented at New Horizons, a copy of Kill the Queen propped up on her massive stomach, possibly the only convenience afforded her by her pregnancy. She’d chosen the book precisely for the title, which made her smile every time she read it. There was nothing Raven would rather do than kill Gabriel’s wicked mother, former queen of Paragon, now evil empress. “Sharing what he did about Maiara couldn’t have been easy. The fact that he did it anyway means we’re gaining his trust.”
“I certainly hope so. Rowan seems to think sharing is good for him.”
“Do you think you can convince him to return to New Orleans with us?”
“At this point, I’m happy he’s eating.” Gabriel threaded his fingers behind his head and stared at the ceiling.
She tapped her thumb against the page of her book. “Tomorrow I want to spend some time experimenting with Maiara’s amulet and maybe do some research on the Midewiwin society of the Algonquians.”
Gabriel groaned. “Raven, don’t get too deeply involved. Remember that you promised to return to Chicago with Tobias and me on Friday. I have purchased our tickets. Rowan will handle things here with Alexander.”
“Don’t you want to know the source of Maiara’s magic and how her power remains in the amulet and her hawk? It’s an incredible accomplishment to create a spell that outlasts your death.”
He turned on his side and propped his head up on his hand. “Honestly, no.”
She did a double take. “No? What if there’s something there we can harness to help Alexander or your family in the future? This is unique magic, Gabriel. It’s not something you run into every day.”
He blinked slowly. “For once, Raven, can’t you just worry about you?”
She waved a hand dismissively. “I promise you, I’ll be on that Friday flight and everything will be fine. But until then, I’m going to figure out this Maiara thing. I think Alexander will really appreciate it.”
He rolled onto his back, mumbling something about her being as stubborn as a mountain horse. “Birds of a feather,” she mumbled back at him.
Her phone rang and she swept it off her nightstand. “That’s weird. It’s a voice call from Avery.”
“How is that weird? She’s been texting you nonstop all day.”
“Exactly. Texting. If she’s voice calling, it must be serious.” Raven’s mind flashed to her mo
ther, and she tapped the screen, instantly worried something was wrong.
“When are you coming home?” Avery asked before she could even greet her.
“Hello to you too.” She glanced at Gabriel and mouthed, She seems upset. He rose from the bed and headed for the kitchen, closing the door behind him.
“I’m sorry to be so abrupt, but I really need you.” Avery’s voice quaked over the line, and Raven closed her book and sat up straighter.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s Dad and Charlotte.”
“Yes, I know, you’ve been texting me about them all day.”
“There’s more, something I was going to wait to tell you because they asked me not to spoil the surprise, but I can’t wait anymore. It’s just so… unexpected.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“He says he’s going to marry her. And it’s weird, Rave, but I swear she’s got some kind of hold on him. I mean, Dad? Married again? It makes no sense. And he follows her around like a puppy!”
While Avery spoke, Raven flashed back to meeting Charlotte on her wedding day. The moment she’d shaken the woman’s hand, a shock ran up her arm, one she usually associated with magic. She didn’t think Charlotte was dangerous. At the time, she’d talked to Gabriel about it, and he suspected she was a natural witch. But if she was a natural witch, her subconscious magic might be influencing her father. She didn’t like it, especially with Avery close enough to get pulled into it.
“Stay away from her,” Raven said, interrupting Avery’s story about her dinner with the two of them.
“Huh?”
“Stay away from her. I don’t trust her. I’ll help you when I get home. I leave Sedona Friday. Oh wait.” She cursed and slapped her forehead. She had to go to Chicago so Tobias could monitor the growth of the baby. She didn’t know when she’d be back in New Orleans. “I’m sorry, Avery. I forgot Gabriel and I have another stop to make on our trip.”
“Sedona? You’re in Sedona? I thought you were honeymooning in Hawaii?”
“Only for a day or two. Gabriel’s honeymoon plans are taking us all over the place.” She forced a laugh.
“So what am I supposed to do about Charlotte? I can’t exactly avoid her. She comes into the Three Sisters with Dad on a regular basis.”
“I don’t know. Just play it cool. Hang out with Mom. Lord knows Dad won’t stay around long if Mom is there.”
“All great ideas. But seriously, Raven, when do you think you’ll be back?”
She thought about that. “I’m not sure, but I’ll let you know as soon as I do.”
Avery sighed heavily. “All right. I hope you are having fun at least. Get it in now before the baby comes. Who knows when you’ll have time after that?”
“Right.” Raven laughed. “And, Avery, I’m sorry I’m not there to help you with Dad.”
“I forgive you. I suppose you get a pass considering it’s your honeymoon and everything.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She hung up the phone but couldn’t get Avery off her mind. She put her book aside and called for Gabriel. He returned and slid back into bed beside her.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Avery says my father is engaged to that woman, the one we thought might be a witch.”
“Hmm. Good for him.”
“Avery seemed really upset about it.”
He kissed her on the forehead. “Do you want me to ask Richard to stop in at the Three Sisters and check on her?”
She curled into his side. “No. I think it’s just a shock to both of us. It’s so soon after the divorce.”
“From what you’ve told me. He’s always been… flighty.”
“True,” she said, resting her head on his chest. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.” She closed her eyes, and the sound of his purr ushered her to sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
The next morning, Rowan accepted an extra-large cappuccino from Nick and kissed him with more force than absolutely necessary. “Have I told you how much I love you today?”
“Just today?” He winked at her.
“Always. Thank you for this. I couldn’t sleep last night. I am so worried about Alexander.”
“How come? I think it’s going well. He ate with us. Showered the stink off. We cleaned up his place.” Nick shrugged. “Frankly, I was surprised how much he shared. When we left him, he seemed okay.”
“I know it appears that way, but I know Alexander.” She toyed with a curl of her hair. “At least I used to know him. We spent a lot of time together as children, and even though I haven’t seen him in centuries, we’ve communicated through his art and by letter. I think he’s sharing to placate us. He’s in a dark place.”
Nick sipped his coffee. “How did you two reconnect? I mean, after you separated back then, what year was it?”
“It was 1699. I was the first one to leave our party. The others were with her into 1700.”
“So how did you find him again?”
“The gallery. His art. He painted under a variety of identities. His work gained popularity in New York in the early 1900s. By 1920, everyone was talking about him. He’s changed his name since then, but his work has always found a market, and because I owned a gallery, it was inevitable it would find its way to me.” She laughed. “All his paintings were pure Alexander. I knew his work right away, the shifting patterns in the texture, the short, abrupt strokes, the color spectrum—he paints with colors that are common on Paragon. I knew it was him. So I wrote to him, and then I bought his paintings, and I kept buying them even when his depression robbed him of the ability to manage his own business. There was a stretch where I was the only one buying his work. I kept him afloat.”
“And now you think his sharing is just a way to put you off the scent that he’s basically suicidal.”
She nodded. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
A knock came on their apartment door. Rowan opened it to find Tobias waiting on the other side. “We have a problem.” Rowan followed her brother to Alexander’s apartment next door. “He wasn’t answering, so Raven used her magic to pop the lock and get inside.”
Rowan found Gabriel cursing in the door to the bedroom. Past the simple bed, the window was open. Both Alexander and Nyx were gone.
“He knew if he went out the front door one of us would hear him,” Rowan said. “We were stupid not to watch him more closely. Fuck!” She could kick herself.
“What could we have done, Rowan? Watch him while he slept?” Tobias said. “He’s a grown dragon.”
“Are you kidding me? He told us he was exhausted, and we pushed him to tell us more. Now he’s gone. With how much hurt we dredged up yesterday, I wouldn’t be surprised if we never see him again,” Rowan said.
Gabriel asked Raven, “Can you do a locator spell? If we can find him, we can capture him. He won’t get away next time.”
“We’re not trying to capture him, Gabriel! He’s our brother, not the enemy. We’re trying to help him.” Rowan’s voice rose with her anger. “And honestly, all of you coming at him at once is the last thing he needs.”
“You know him best, Rowan. Where do you think he’d go?” Tobias asked.
She shrugged. She was wondering the same thing herself. Closing her eyes, she tried to think if he’d ever mentioned anything in his letters about a favorite hangout or bar. All she could think of were the funny stories he had written to her about living here and all the new age trends that had come and gone. Her mental light bulb clicked on, and she grabbed Nick’s hand.
“Where are you going?” Gabriel asked as she headed for the door.
She turned to them and cleared her throat. “I have an idea where he might be, but I think Nick and I should go alone.” The warmth of Nick’s body beside her bolstered her resolve. For as much experience as she had facing off against Gabriel, she never enjoyed it.
Thankfully, Tobias backed her up. “Makes sen
se. You can do this. You were always his favorite. If anyone can convince him to come back, it’s you.”
“Of course she should go.” Raven turned toward Tobias. “And we should examine the amulet and start researching Maiara’s magic.”
And just like that, Gabriel’s full attention was on Raven again, grilling her and Tobias on exactly where they planned to go and what they planned to do and if it was safe for Raven. Nick opened the door for Rowan, and they slipped into the Arizona heat.
“Where do you think he went?” Nick asked.
Rowan jogged down the stairs and walked through the parking lot toward the meditation center. “In all the time I’ve been buying Alexander’s paintings, the subject of most of his work has revolved around a handful of things: Maiara, Nyx, the Sedona landscape, but a few decades ago he painted something else, something that stood out to me—a mysterious cave. I have always wondered about that cave. It seemed like the perfect place for a dragon to hide and recharge.”
“You think it’s his treasure room?” Nick raised an eyebrow.
“Exactly.”
“So why are we heading toward New Horizon’s meditation center?”
“To see the man who runs this place, Mr. Gu. Alexander has rented this apartment for a decade. He’s a hermit, but he talked a lot about Mr. Gu in his letters. Alex often said that Gu noticed things other people didn’t. I have a hunch he’ll have an idea where Alexander goes when he’s not here.”
Rowan entered through double glass doors into a vast air-conditioned space filled with light and polished white furniture. A glass room at the center was filled with people sitting cross-legged on red silk pillows, eyes closed, thumb and forefingers touching in the sacred om mudra. She scanned the rows of heads but didn’t see the man she was looking for.
The Dragon of Sedona (The Treasure of Paragon Book 4) Page 9