Dragon's Heart (The DragonFate Novels Book 3)

by Deborah Cooke

  Rhys caught the door and opened it for her, maybe discerning more in her tone than she’d expected. She stole a glance at his profile and couldn’t guess his thoughts. His aura was brilliant, though, so vigorous and intact that it was dazzling.

  “Is Nyssa expecting you?”

  “Not specifically. She’s probably hoping I turn up.” She studied Rhys. “How did you know where she lived?”

  “I remembered her name from the call display and looked her up.” He lifted a dark brow, so obviously proud of himself that Lila found herself smiling a little. “She is expecting me.”

  “You don’t have to go up with me. We can go our separate ways right here.”

  “Not a chance,” Rhys said with a resolve Lila knew was unshakable. “I’m looking forward to meeting the King Under the Seas.”

  Lila’s heart stopped. “Not Nereus. He can’t be here.” She knew from Rhys’ confident expression that Nereus was in Nyssa’s apartment. “Did she say why?”

  “No. Maybe he’s looking for you.” Rhys scanned the list of occupants and buzzed Nyssa, who immediately let them in.

  Nereus probably was looking for Lila. After all, she’d been avoiding him, and hadn’t told him of her plans to visit New York. “Oh no,” she whispered. She really didn’t want to have this discussion in front of Rhys.

  Rhys smiled a little when Lila hesitated in following him. “Cold feet?”

  “This isn’t going to be pretty,” she admitted.

  “Then I’m glad I’m here to defend you,” he said easily, taking her hand in his again. It felt good to have the strength of his grip on her hand, but she knew she shouldn’t rely on him. He pushed the button for the elevator, then glanced her way when she pulled her hand from his grip.

  “You shouldn’t go up there. You can’t meet him.”

  Rhys smiled at her. “Are you protecting me?”

  “I’m warning you,” Lila said. “He and I have something to settle. It’s not your business.”

  “Isn’t it?” Rhys asked, his voice low and silky. He was looking determined again and Lila tried to think of a way to dissuade him.

  Lila frowned, not wanting to admit more to Rhys but thinking she didn’t have a choice. “You don’t understand. My kind are cursed in love. We don’t have firestorms and make partnerships like you do. We follow our impulses and remain solitary.”

  “I got that.”

  “But our numbers are dwindling and Nereus thinks we should all do our part.”

  “He likes you,” Rhys guessed, his gaze darkening.

  Lila didn’t know about that. She shook her head. “He wants me to bear his child. I’ve been avoiding him...”

  “And it’s awkward.” He finished her sentence but didn’t seem to be troubled by what she was saying. The doors opened and he stepped into the elevator, evidently not taking her advice. “Forewarned is forearmed,” he said and pushed the button for Nyssa’s floor.

  “You’re crazy,” Lila protested. “He’s going to be difficult...”

  “All the more reason to defend my destined mate.”

  Lila was as agitated as Rhys was calm. She had a definite sense of impending doom. As the elevator ascended, she felt her heart pick up its pace. She found Nereus unpredictable, equally as likely to be charming as violent, and doubted he would be glad of Rhys’ presence.

  Rhys was standing close beside her, so close that she could feel the heat of him. He inhaled and closed his eyes and the firestorm shimmered a little around them, touched by the blue light that surrounded his body for a moment. The firestorm flared white-hot from every point their bodies were close.

  It was going to do exactly zero to improve Nereus’ mood.

  “The future’s so bright, I should have worn shades,” Rhys said softly.

  Lila smiled despite herself and Rhys captured her hand again with a chuckle. She knew he’d prompted her reaction on purpose.

  “I’ll leave all the talking to you,” he promised. “Just tell me what to do.”

  “Keeping quiet is a good plan,” she acknowledged.

  Nyssa opened the door before they even knocked and looked disheveled. Lila was shocked to see in her aura that she was also pregnant.

  How could that have happened since Saturday night?

  Well, Lila could imagine how...

  Nyssa’s gaze flicked to Lila and her lips tightened. “I thought you were coming alone,” she said to Rhys, her tone accusing. “And I still don’t know why.” Her gaze flicked to Lila and she was a lot less welcoming than Lila would have expected.

  What was going on?

  “Who arrives?” Nereus demanded from inside the apartment. “Show yourself!”

  He sounded officious and imperious, which wasn’t her favorite of his moods. Even so, Lila knew she had to face the King Under the Seas.

  Rhys gave her a look, squeezed her hand, and crossed the threshold. Lila lifted her chin, forced a smile, and stepped forward to prostate herself before Nereus.

  It might improve his mood.

  It might not.

  Alex Madison had never been so relieved to reach a destination in her life. She parked the rental car beside Donovan’s vehicle and unlocked the doors.

  “Finally,” her son Darcy said. He was the younger of their two boys and was in the passenger seat beside her. “I thought we’d never get here.”

  “You and me both.”

  Alex flicked a glance in the rearview mirror as two scruffy heads popped into view. Malduc and Emyas had been asleep in the back seat, but had evidently woken up as soon as the engine of the car stopped. They murmured to each other as they often did, their eyes darting with suspicion as they surveyed their surroundings. Whatever language they spoke was incomprehensible to anyone else. Alex assumed it was an early variation of Welsh, since they’d been in an enchanted sleep since about 500 AD, but she wasn’t a linguist so couldn’t be sure.

  In a way, it didn’t matter. The Pyr known as the Seven Thieves could communicate with each other but not anyone else. What Rafferty had learned from them had been with the intervention of his grandfather Pwyll’s ghost. He’d explained some of their situation to them, with Pwyll’s help, and gotten them modern clothing by the time Donovan, Alex, Marco and Jac had arrived with their sons to take custody of the seven Pyr.

  Cities flustered them. Cars either fascinated or frightened them. They liked to sing at night after dinner and they had wonderful voices—even if Alex had no idea what the songs were about. (She suspected some of them were bawdy.) They were pretty easy-going as a rule, but she wouldn’t have wanted to cross any of them. Their collection of swords and daggers was impressive, and even though the weapons were old, their blades were perfectly honed.

  And of course, they were Pyr. She hadn’t yet seen them shift into their dragon forms and was curious whether their scales looked jeweled like the modern Pyr, or whether they were darker, like the Dragon’s Tooth Warriors. She wasn’t going to provoke them to find out, though.

  Rafferty had suggested that they be taken to Bardsey Island, where Donovan had taken over the remote cottage where Marco had slept for centuries. The windswept island had a small population and it was possible the seven Pyr might learn more modern Welsh while there. The simpler accommodations and way of life might be reassuring to them, or at least easier than settling them in a city. In the end, they’d formed a kind of caravan of four vehicles. Malduc and Emyas had ridden with Alex and Darcy. They were twin brothers, the younger sons of Pwyll, and Rafferty’s uncles.

  The pair were visibly relieved to see Donovan’s rental car already beside them—or more probably by the silhouettes of Garth and his son Raynald in the back seat.

  Alex and Donovan’s older son, Nick, rode with his father, taking the passenger seat. He had a newfound affection for maps and had navigated their course from Scotland, ensuring that they kept to smaller roads and towns. Nick had done a great job of ensuring that each day’s drive was of similar length and that there was a village with
an inn at the end. He and Donovan had conferred in the evening, and Donovan had booked their accommodations in advance.

  A third rental car, driven by Jac, parked on the other side of Alex’s car. The mate of Marco gave Alex a look of relief and a fingertip wave. Jac appeared to be as tired as Alex felt. Two of Jac and Marco’s sons—Powell and their newest addition, Rafferty—were in the back seat, while their oldest boy Maximilian was in the front. It looked like the baby was asleep in his car seat.

  Marco parked beside Jac and rubbed his face with his hands. Alex thought him the bravest of the brave, because he had three of the ancient Pyr who had recently awakened riding with him. Evrain was in the front passenger seat, in deference to him being oldest and also because he was inclined to car sickness. The brothers Bedwyn and Roderick rode in the back.

  Alex wouldn’t drive with Malduc in the front seat ever again. She didn’t like driving in the UK, especially on small roads, because she was sure she’d drift over to the right side of the road without thinking about it. Having her son in the car was stressful enough without Malduc seizing the wheel to ensure that she avoided a squirrel, as he’d done on their first day of travel. They’d ended up in the ditch and the rodent had been just fine. After that, Malduc got to sit in the back.

  Malduc, who had dark hair and brilliant blue eyes, long hair and a beard, leaned forward to peer at her. His beard had been much larger, but he’d trimmed it down neatly. He was fastidious and a bit vain, and Alex thought he belonged to the group of men who thought the male should be the more splendid gender. He could spend hours in front of a mirror, ensuring he looked his best. He tapped his hand on the back of her seat, close to her shoulder. He asked a question, which Alex didn’t understand literally but she could guess.

  “We’ll park here,” she said and pointed at Bardsey Island, across the water. “Then we’re going over there.” She pointed to the ferry, which was pulling into the dock, then gestured across the water.

  Malduc’s eyes were bright as he followed her gesture, then he nodded and spoke gruffly to his twin. It was funny but Alex could easily tell them apart despite the similarities between the two Pyr. Malduc was the more forthright one, and the man of action, while Emyas tended to be the strong silent type. Emyas was more slender, as well. He’d shaved his beard, but she’d seen the difference before that.

  Alex got out of the car and stretched, then opened the trunk to get their gear. They’d brought a lot of supplies, anticipating that provisions might not be easily available in sufficient quantities on the island. Malduc pointed to the case of water and commented, prompting Emyas to chuckle. They both helped to take out the supplies and stack them near the ferry dock. It was strange to think of them being more than fifteen hundred years old. With the exception of Garth, the recently-enchanted Pyr all looked to be in their mid-thirties, but then, Alex guessed that they hadn’t had their firestorms. Garth could have been a mortal man of fifty or so, but he was as strong and vital as the younger Pyr.

  Dragon shifters really did age more slowly.

  An old Volkswagon camper sputtered into the parking lot as they unloaded the cars. It was orange and had European plates. The engine continued to run as one guy got out of the back. He looked like he was in his mid-thirties and dressed casually, his beard a lot more scruffy than Malduc’s. He had a backpack that was a bit battered and wore a faded baseball cap. He waved to the couple in the van and they said something to each other. Alex guessed they were wishing each other safe travels. There was laughter, more waving, then the hitchhiker slung his pack over his shoulder and came whistling to the dock as the camper drove away.

  Malduc watched him with narrowed eyes and a little bit too much intensity, probably disapproving of his personal habits.

  Alex gave Malduc a nudge. “Don’t stare. It’s rude,” she whispered and he must have understood because he turned away.

  “Hey,” Donovan said, coming to give Alex a kiss. “How much you want to bet that the ferry guy remembers us?”

  “If he doesn’t now, he will after this,” she said and her Pyr warrior grinned. “How many trips do you think he’ll have to take for just us?”

  “Three or four. He’ll have a profitable day.” Donovan just rolled with the challenge of the seven Pyr in a way that Alex wished she could emulate. She was missing her own bed and a house with a lot fewer men around. It was complicated traveling with all these guys and Alex longed for the days when she’d thought being the only woman in a household of four was a challenge.

  “Just how much do you owe Rafferty anyway?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I think driving this group from Scotland has got to square you up, no matter how much of a deficit you’re running.” She softened her words with a smile. They hadn’t made love since taking on this task, either, and Alex missed that, too.

  “Whatever Rafferty asks of me, I’m going to do.” Donovan surveyed the group of ancient Pyr who had gone to look at the island and the ferry. They were talking to each other, some with animation and others more gruffly.

  “It has to be easier to have them comparatively isolated while they get used to things,” he continued. “Fifteen hundred years is a long time to be enchanted.”

  “But beer is beer,” Alex said with a shake of her head. “I’m hoping they don’t have a lot of it on the island. Raynald really can’t resist.”

  Donovan laughed. “With any luck, there won’t be any women nearby either. Evrain will be chasing them every night.”

  “And every afternoon,” Alex agreed with a smile. She hefted her bag from the trunk and Donovan took it from her, leaving only a small one for her to carry. “What exactly is the plan?”

  Donovan shrugged. “We get them to the house, defend them, help them get used to the world, and wait for Rafferty.”

  “Let’s hope he hurries,” Alex said. “And I hope you have a cover story for the ferry guy. They’re going to be the talk of the island.”

  “How about this. They’ve been away, my cousin and his friends, working in mines in southeast Asia. There was a terrible accident. They were among the survivors, but are traumatized. A little peace and quiet is just what they need.” He looked at her, his eyes twinkling. “What do you think?”

  “It’ll only work if they don’t all shift shape at once.”

  “I know. Rafferty talked to them through Pwyll, so here’s hoping.” He gave her a cocky grin, obviously a lot more confident of success than she was, then went to talk to the ferry guy. Nick was right behind him.

  “Tell me I’m not the only one who thinks of them as the seven dwarves,” Jac said from beside Alex, making her laugh out loud.

  “They are kind of short, comparatively.” Alex had noticed that none of them were as tall as Donovan.

  Jac nodded. “That’s why I told those people in Carlisle that there were auditions for a sequel to the Lord of the Rings.”

  “How can there be a sequel? The ring is destroyed and the elves have left.”

  “I don’t know, but they believed me. That’s what counts.”

  “Even without beguiling.” Alex gave her a high five.

  “I know!”

  “But here’s the thing: who’s going to be Snow White?” Alex asked. “You or me?”

  Jac made a face. “Not me.”

  “Not me, either. Driving them is one thing; cleaning up after all of them would be quite another.”

  “Maybe the creatures of the forest will help,” Jac said with a smile. “We can sing.”

  Alex laughed. “I don’t think there’s much forest on the island. There might not be many forest creatures.”

  “Probably better that I don’t sing,” Jac said then hefted the car seat with her youngest son Rafferty. “You’re getting big,” she said to him and he laughed, kicking his feet with impatience. He was almost two and Marco came to get their stuff so Jac could walk him up and down the parking lot.

  Alex silently wished her luck wearing him out. Th
at boy was a night owl.

  “You’re Donovan Shea’s cousin,” the ferry man said, recalling the story Donovan had told him almost ten years before. “Visiting the old white house again.”

  “That’s the one,” Donovan said.

  “You chose a better day to cross this time,” the ferry man said, then smiled at Nick. “And you have grown, boy.”

  “I have a brother, too,” Nick said, indicating Darcy, and the ferry man shook his hand.

  “You’ll be doubling the island’s population today,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s good you brought supplies.” He walked up and down then, surveying their luggage and groceries, assessing the weight of each of them, and began to divide them into groups for the passage.

  Alex noticed that Malduc was still watching the hitchhiker, his eyes bright with curiosity. The hitchhiker seemed to be aware of the Pyr’s survey and amused by it. Maybe Malduc would start offering grooming tips to strangers in incomprehensible Welsh. Alex wouldn’t have put it past him.

  “Dibs on the bathroom,” she said to Jac. “I need an hour alone.”

  Jac nodded agreement. “I’m right behind you. If the door doesn’t lock, I’ll sit guard.”

  “Deal.” An hour soaking in the tub would go a long way to improving Alex’s mood. So would the bottle of wine she’d snuck into their groceries. It was enough to make her wonder if she could get Donovan alone for an hour, too, and that made her smile in anticipation.

  Nine

  Sara awakened alone in the room she was sharing with Quinn at Kristofer’s farm. She almost felt like she was home in Michigan. All she could hear were birds and the distant voices of Quinn and the boys, undoubtedly in the middle of some project. She could smell freshly-brewed coffee and baking, and heard voices in the kitchen below. The sunlight streamed through the big window and the duvet was so cozy that she wanted to stay in bed for a while. The Pyr had worked together to breathe a smoke barrier around the house the night before and she was just barely aware of its cool protective shimmer. That reminded her of home, too.