“My best friend Cherry and my half-sister Rena will watch my daughter. I can count on them to have my back. They know what my ex is like.” She paused, her focus going to the immense dragon body. “Do you know the dragon?”
“My brother,” Leo said. “Goticranth, Eater of Bunnies.”
“Oh, Leo. I’m sorry.” She frowned. “Bunnies?”
Leo sighed. “It’s a lengthy story. I didn’t want to kill my brother. I tried to stand back, but he refused my offer of a talk.”
“Goticranth and Nan intended to kill both of us.” Liza’s eyes flashed in indignation. “Do we even know why? You refused to marry Nan, so she kills you. What sort of strategy is that?”
Leo shrugged, tired, physically, and mentally. His dragon hadn’t uttered a word since Goticranth and Nan had attacked. The closest brother in age to Leo, now dead. Nan dead. The consequences would ring over their heads if they remained on Hissing Isle.
“Leo?”
“Gwenyth—I mean, Liza. I’m tired.”
“Me too,” she confessed. “As much as I want to discover a way to return to my daughter, neither of us can help her if we’re so exhausted we can’t see straight.”
“There is a stream close by. We can wash before we find a place to rest for a few hours.”
“Thank you.” Liza placed her hands on his shoulders and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. Her lips lingered, and he held her tight and took the kiss deeper. Making the kiss hotter. Because he knew without a doubt that she was his mate. She’d fought at his side, and together they’d beaten Nan and his brother. He loved her, and she intended to leave the Dragon Isles.
“What if we can’t discover a way to return you to the mainland?”
“We will.” Her tone was fierce. Determined.
Leo led the way to the stream, allowing his senses to guide him.
Liza followed him. “How do you know which direction to walk? Have you been here before?”
“No, I’ve never landed this far out. Only near the cave. I can smell the water.”
“Interesting. Nan couldn’t seem to smell me. She kept spouting taunts to lure me out. Pure arrogance! She thought I’d fold like a pack of cards.”
“I keep trying to think why Nan wanted to marry me, apart from the land. That couldn’t be the sole reason. Why were my parents determined the marriage go ahead? None of my answers make the slightest bit of sense to me.”
“Something was afoot. Martinos thought there was, but he didn’t know either. Your brothers and Nan had trapped him into something he couldn’t control. Maybe we’ll find more answers,” Liza said.
“I hope so. The why is going to drive me crazy until I learn more.”
“Lots of random puzzle pieces that don’t fit. Can you remember arguments or something else in the castle while you were growing up?”
“I was a child. My parents talked about Uncle Joharan, something about having a child with a common dragon, but I don’t know any details. Not long before robbers attacked and killed my grandparents and my uncle, there was a falling out between them and my parents. You know, I’d forgotten that until now. My grandparents came to collect me, and my grandmother took me for ice cream while my grandfather and parents discussed something important.”
“Who would know about this? Is there anyone we could question?”
Leo thought, trying to recall what had happened. “Telus has been around for ages. He’s always part of any decision my parents make.” He forced his mind back and shook his head. “I was a youngster. All I remember is trying to decide what flavor of ice cream I’d choose once my grandmother and I reached the shop.”
“Telus flew to your cottage to deliver the summons. Is that normal?”
“No,” Leo said. “I thought it odd, but there was so much going on. My parents’ demands. Meeting you. Finding Jenny.”
“The fact that Nan was wearing wolf fur means she or someone known to her trespassed on your land.”
“Which means she and whomever else is part of this scheme have been watching me for some time.”
“You never sensed them?”
“No.”
“It might be unrelated.”
Leo led her into a small clearing where the stream had widened to form a pool. “If it flies like a dragon and blows fire like a dragon, then it must be a dragon.”
Liza flashed him a quick grin that made his heart race and longing creep through him. He didn’t want her to leave, even though he understood her child must come first.
“Is the water safe for swimming?”
“Yes, but it’ll be cold,” Leo said.
“Not a problem. I have you to warm me up.” She sat on a fallen log to remove her boots.
“Tell me about your daughter. Is she like you?”
Liza beamed. “She’s six-years-old, and everyone says she looks like me. Her hair is long and straight and the same brown as mine. She loves school, and her favorite thing is painting. I can’t draw a picture to save myself, but Joanna gets her artistic talent from her father. She enjoys reading and likes outdoor activities too. You and Joanna would like each other.”
“You want us to meet?”
“Our marriage might not be legal, but I went into this with a rational mind. I could’ve said no. I didn’t.”
“So you’re not leaving me?” Leo asked, and he felt his dragon stir, the rush of awareness he experienced when his other half took an interest in his human activities.
“I don’t want to leave you. I’m not sure what we’ll do, but my priority is getting to Joanna and making certain of her wellbeing.” She stood and shimmied out of her remaining clothes. She’d discarded her tunic since it had holes in it after putting out the fire, but she still wore her underwear and her trews. “Are you swimming too?”
“Yes.”
She’d saved his clothes and tucked them away under a tree, so between them, they had enough clothes to wear.
He held out his hand, and his heart did a brief blip when her fingers curled around his. His dragon purred, happier now that they’d established returning to her daughter didn’t mean leaving them.
The water was every bit as cool as he’d expected. Liza froze when it reached her knees.
“If I wasn’t so filthy and stinky, I’d flee like a scared baby girl,” she shared.
“I’ll warm you. I promised, and I never go back on my word.”
“You’re an honorable dragon, Leonidas, Champion of the Skies, and I’m glad we met.”
“Even though my appearance shocked you so much that you drove your steel box over the cliff?”
“It’s called a car. Besides, you rescued me.”
“The best decision of my life. Come on. It’s easier if we dive under.”
“I know,” she said with a grimace. “One. Two. Go!”
Liza screeched as he dragged her into the deeper water. He grinned and sank beneath the surface. When he bobbed up again, Liza’s hair was wet. He scrubbed at the soot and blood on his chest and torso. Most of the wounds inflicted by his brother had already healed. He’d been lucky, and Liza’s intervention with the rocks had helped him to win. A tiny part of him had hated hurting his brother, although that had passed when his sibling had no compunction in trying to kill him.
He wished he knew why. The why was eating at him, but now he had a list of suspects, most of them related to him. Something to worry about later.
Besides, he was with Liza, and they were alone and naked.
“Yes,” his dragon hissed, and relief stuttered through Leo at the arrival of his other half.
A few feet away, Liza was scrubbing at the black smudges on her upper body.
“Let me,” he said, his voice emerging in a husk of want.
Liza’s tinkly laugh amused him, his delighted reaction widening her grin to toothy and knowing.
“I recognize the glitter in your eyes, Leonidas, Champion of the Skies. You’re feeling amorous.”
“Copious sex,” his dragon piped up.
“Yes,” he admitted while mentally shushing his dragon. “I thought I’d lost you, but I couldn’t search while my brother was trying to kill me. Dropping you in that way scared me to death.”
“Hey.” Her teasing smile faded. “We both had jobs to do. I might be a human, but I have strengths in the same way you do. We’re a team.”
“Always?” he asked, wishing he could bite back the words that reeked of insecurity.
“Always,” she confirmed, closing the distance between them. She tugged down his head and kissed him, her hands and lips cool from the water in the stream. “Let’s finish washing and grab some rest.”
While it was an excellent plan, the last thing Leo wanted was sleep. “And if I prefer not to sleep?”
“I’m wired myself,” Liza admitted. “We’ll cuddle and kiss and do anything else that comes to mind. How does that sound?”
Leo took a step back while holding her gaze. He scrubbed his hand over his chest. “That is a fantastic plan.”
Once they were clean, they joined hands and waded from the stream.
“This way,” Leo said, leading her back into the trees. He stopped beside a green sliver of ground, a spot where the tree canopy covered their presence should anyone search for them. “This should offer comfort for rest.”
Liza waggled her eyebrows at him.
“Your name suits you,” he said. “Liza is mischievous while Gwenyth was more serious.”
“Because Gwenyth had dragons chucking her in jail and trying to kill her.” She paused. “Do you think Martinos made it to safety?”
“If he traveled as far as the human village.” Leo cocked his head, his gaze intense. “Should I roar with jealousy?”
“No.” Liza never hesitated in her reply. “I believe he’s an innocent victim in this situation, as much as we are.”
Leo nodded.
“Enough about Martinos,” his dragon whined. “Get to the enjoyable stuff.”
Leo barked out a laugh.
“What?”
“My dragon wants to cease the chatter and have sex.”
Liza grinned, and Leo stared. He was coming to love her radiant face. Her sunny smile and the dimples that dug into either side of her mouth. She sashayed closer and placed her cool hands on his chest.
Her fingertips stroked across his tattoo, and a dragon purr echoed through Leo’s mind.
“By all means,” Liza said, then the teasing went out of her. “I hope Joanna is okay.”
“You said your friend and sister would look after her.”
“Yes, but Tony has legal rights because he’s Joanna’s father. Tony will seize the opportunity and make it difficult for Cherry and Rena. My daughter will be caught in the middle.”
“I’m sorry, my lodestone.” Leo drew her against his chest, his hand cupping her head. Her lips grazed his chest, right over his tattoo. His dragon released another rumble of a purr.
“We’ll figure something out. Let’s rest for a while,” she said.
They stretched out together on the grass, which was even softer than he’d imagined. Now that he’d slowed down, the hammering blows his brother had landed on Leo’s body ached. Fatigue weighted his muscles, but lying next to Liza soothed him. He reached for her face and guided their mouths together. Their slow kiss sent lazy satisfaction through him while his dragon cheered. The kiss started unhurried, but his dragon’s excitement and Liza’s proximity had Leo deepening the caress.
Their tongues tangled, and hands roamed with intent. He savored her silky skin beneath his palms, the catch of her breath when he mapped her body. He entered her, stroking into her hot core until they both gasped and strained for release.
The very second he climaxed, Leo felt the solid click within him.
Beneath him, Liza gasped and froze, her fingertips digging into hips.
“Leo?”
“Yes, my lodestone.” He answered her in his mind and waited in breathless anticipation.
“Leo,” she whispered.
“Talk to me in your mind.”
Leo and his dragon waited again.
“Can she hear us?” His dragon ran out of patience.
“I’m not going crazy. I can hear you, and is that your dragon?” Liza sounded hesitant.
“Yes. Yes. Yes!” His dragon whooped, and Leo felt his tattoo battering his ribs in a weird dragon boogie.
“Well, this is a cozy threesome.” This time Liza’s thought held teasing and laughter.
“We’re one,” Leo whispered. “I’d heard tales of soulmates, and I suspected you were the one for us, but when nothing happened, I doubted the old stories.”
“Can we talk whenever we want without others hearing us?”
Liza shifted position and peered up at him, her expression intent.
“Not if we’re in different towns or islands, but if we’re in the same place, we can communicate telepathically. We can converse over short distances.”
“So we’re official,” Liza said.
“Yes. Yes. Yes!” His dragon spoke for him.
“All right, dragon-man,” Liza whispered. “You need to close your eyes and rest.”
“I don’t think I can. My mind is too busy. What do you say to starting our journey to Perfume Isle now? I’d prefer to avoid my parents.”
“Put that way, I agree. There’s no telling what their next step might be. What did we do with our clothes?”
“You left them by the stream,” informed his dragon.
“Huh,” Liza said. “That wasn’t smart.”
“I’ll get them.” Leo pushed to his feet and retraced their steps to find their clothes. On his return, Liza scrambled into her underwear and pulled on the pair of trews she’d been wearing.
“You’d better wear my tunic,” Leo said. “We will fly high, so pull on the cloak too. It’ll be colder than you’ve experienced so far.”
Liza followed his instructions, then they walked until they came to a larger clearing within the trees. There, he shifted. Liza approached Leo and waited for him to pick her up in his talons.
Seconds later, they were off, Leo’s wings flapping as he lifted them into the air.
It was still dark, but the moon peeked from behind its scant cover of cloud and sent enough light for him to see their surroundings.
“How long before we reach the coast?” Liza asked him through their mind link.
Leo thrilled at the communication. “About ten minutes, I think. The crossing to Perfume Isles will take between two to three hours. My friend’s home is near the coast. Are you cold?”
“I’ll manage. Tell me about your friends. Who are they, and how did you meet them?”
“I went to school and first learned to fight there. My friends are Durgess and Rafael. They’re the same age as me, and we trained together. Like me, Durgess and Rafael are younger sons. Their brothers are much nicer than mine. I look upon their brothers as my brothers. It’s always fun when we get together.”
“They’ll help us?”
“Yes.”
“My friend Cherry is like that. She and my sister Rena have my back against Tony and his shenanigans.”
Leo flew over the forest, and soon a briny scent filled the air. His ears caught the rattle of pebbles as the waves rushed forth and receded.
“I wish I could see more,” Liza said. “The trees and mountains are so pretty. I love the scenery around your home.”
“Me too,” Leo replied. He hoped his friends might have info since they often traveled to Smoking Isle for business. Once he and Liza reached Perfume Isle and rested, he’d fly toward the mainland. Liza wanted to get back to her daughter, which was understandable. The child was young, and with Liza’s ex-husband causing trouble, of course, she wanted to return.
The troubling part was he wasn’t sure where that left him.
Was there some way he could stay with Liza and travel with her?
His people had retreated to the Dragon Isles hundreds of years ago to escape persecut
ion. Returning to the mainland would mean hiding his otherness and not flying whenever the urge took him. Leo wasn’t confident he could handle that, but he couldn’t lose Liza either.
“What are we going to do?” he asked. “I don’t want to lose you, but you want to find your daughter and ensure her safety.”
Liza sighed. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. I feel as if I’m getting tugged in dozens of directions and fighting to stay upright.”
Leo understood what she meant. “If we can’t find a tear in the protective barrier, we’ll journey to visit the druids on Smoking Isle. They’re responsible for keeping the shield in position, and each of the islands pays a tithe to them to ensure this happens. Each of the island rulers taxes their residents.”
“Has someone stopped paying their tithe?” Liza asked.
“That’s a possibility.”
Leo continued flying in silence. Then, because his curiosity itched about his mate, he asked questions, eager for information.
“You said you live in a village. What is its name? What do you do?”
“West Bansrston is the town where my sister, my friend, and I live. I work in a cafe. We sell tea and coffee and make cold drinks. We also sell food. I do a bit of everything—take orders, make coffee, waitressing if my boss takes a booking for a private function. Sometimes, I help in the kitchen. I might do the dishes or bake muffins. There are always tables to clear and customers to serve and chat with. Cherry, my friend, owns a bookshop. Occasionally, I’ll help her if she’s busy. I love to read books, which is how Cherry and I met. In fact, the reason I thought you were my husband when we first met and that we were on our honeymoon was because of the last book I read. A romance about a couple who’d recently married.”
“Ah, I wondered why you’d assumed that. Now it makes sense.”
“What else?” his dragon asked.
“In my spare time, I’m writing a book about dragon mythology. When I met you or rather when you rescued me, I was returning home after interviewing a couple. They told me the story of the last dragon ever seen in England.”
“A distant relation,” Leo said. “A human killed him when all he wanted to do was rest after an arduous journey.”
Liza (Dragon Isles Book 1) Page 20