I could not be that.
Chad took another step closer and his earthy musk filled my lungs. He smelled better than the food on the tray he’d set at my feet. My grip on the sheet loosened as I contemplated dropping it away from my upper body. Would he accept the invitation if I did? Did I want him to?
A familiar female voice broke the moment for both of us. I leaned back against the headboard and Chad rushed backward several steps.
“So …” Eira entered the room, carrying a large bag. Another tall, lithe brunette followed her. “This is Charlotte Mason. She goes by Charlie.”
They could have been sisters for all I knew, except Eira’s eyes were the same brilliant blue as the sky outside. The second woman had brown eyes, more like Chad’s. I thought I saw a flash of the same golden glow when our gazes met for the first time. Her scent was similar to the male, who continued to edge his way closer to the door.
“Is something wrong with you Chad?” The woman named Charlie turned her head to stare at the handsome male.
“She’s emitting something.” He paused. “It’s making it very difficult to … remain in control.”
Charlie’s brows knit together and she looked back at me. “Emitting what, Chad?” She addressed him, but kept her hard gaze trained on me. “I don’t sense anything.”
He took another step into the doorway and nodded his head. “I would recommend informing all the males in our squad to give her a wide berth. She’s in some kind of heat.”
A laugh rippled from Eira’s lips. “That actually makes more sense than her being ill.”
Charlie waved and Chad disappeared. Then she pulled up a chair to the foot of the bed and sat. “I need to know everything you know. And you need to keep a lid on the dragon. No shifting. Do you understand? It’s not safe.”
I swallowed. The temperature in the room dropped again and Charlie shivered, her breath fogged in the air.
“Hey, D. Relax. No one here will hurt you.” Eira approached the bedside with her hands outstretched. “I promise. You don’t have to freeze anyone. We’re all going to help get you where you need to go.”
Ignoring the annoyed look on Charlie’s face, I met Eira’s glance and took a deep breath. “I like ‘D.’ It feels natural.”
Eira grinned. “I just figured D for dragon, you know?”
A small laugh rolled up from my chest. The air in the room immediately warmed.
“So, Charlie would really like to hear your account of what went down before I found you in the woods,” Eira said, reminding me of her friend’s first question.
“There’s not much. I escaped a stone prison using magick I didn’t know I possessed. Then I saw this man appear in the center of a ring of stones. I took the dagger he used to cut his hand and mimicked his actions. When I touched the rock with my bloody palm, the world shifted and I found myself in a different place. A different circle.”
Charlie’s eyes widened. “Do you still have the dagger?”
I shook my head. I’d hidden it carefully in case I needed it again. Even if these were friends, I’d known them less than a day. “No, I lost it in the commotion in the village.”
“There’s the spot up in Boston that witches used to use, but I’m guessing it was probably the circle in South Carolina. I don’t think she could have flown from Boston to the western border of the Appalachian with a bullet in her shoulder.” Eira leaned against a table across the room and folded her arms over her chest.
“I want to send people to search for the dagger. Do you know how important that could be for us? If it’s really one of the ancient keys to the Veil, we could use it to leave and live off-world.” Charlie looked back at me. “What do you remember of the place there?”
“Nothing except the prison. It was tall and made of stone. The guards were dressed as knights, but I did not recognize their crest. The land outside was grassy, but I did not see a town.” I glanced back to Eira. “Did you find anything I could wear? This sweat seems to be a constant condition for me, but I cannot continue to be naked. I’m afraid I made Chad quite uncomfortable.”
“That old dog will survive,” Eira answered, a smirk crossing her face. “I think he might’ve been more worked up than you.”
“Worked up?” I grimaced. Our language differences were trying my patience.
“He says you smell like you’re in a heat cycle. Which explains—”
“Like an animal?!”
“Sweetie, you’re a dragon shifter. Animal tendencies kinda come with the territory.”
Charlie moved from her chair. “I’ll let the guys know to keep their dicks to themselves. Find her some clothes and see if she can move around. There’s no way she doesn’t have soldiers coming after her. We don’t have any time left.” She slapped the doorframe and waved as she disappeared into the hallway, leaving Eira alone with me.
“Eira, may I ask you something?”
“Sure,” Eira answered, bending to dig in the bag she’d brought with her. She pulled out several pieces of clothing and offered them to me. They were black and looked a lot like the clothes she was wearing—long breeches and a skin-tight tunic without sleeves. “Here, I grabbed these. I know from the tunic-dress-thing you were wearing that these are strange, but we need you to blend in, not stick out. Plus these are enchanted by a siren, so they self-clean. Very helpful for the sweating, and they should shift with you. Though we’ve never tested them on a dragon. The Lycans swear by them. But try not to shift, okay? Wolves are much easier to play off as normal beings than a lizard-shaped Mack truck.”
A what? My earlier question about her lack of a heartbeat fled my mind. I didn’t understand half of what she said. “Lycans? Meaning wolves? First, I find out that I am a dragon. Now, there are wolf people, too? Are there any … humans left anywhere?”
“Sure there are. They all want us dead. At least most of them do. Which is why I’m telling you, no shifting.” She laid the clothes on the bed and I pushed myself up, surprised I already felt stronger than I had an hour ago.
I hadn’t eaten anything; the tray sat untouched at the foot of the bed. Some type of meat and lettuce smashed between layers of bread. It smelled good, but I’d never seen food made like that before.
“So the people firing at me in the village wanted to kill me because I am this dragon creature?”
“Yep.”
I grabbed the piece of clothing that most resembled a shirt. It was squarish and had no shape, but the fabric was a beautiful midnight blue and smooth as silk, though much thicker and more durable. I grimaced when I raised my arm and pulled the top down over my head. A tingle spread over my skin and the fabric began to change.
“Bloody hell!” I pulled at the tunic, trying to get it off.
“No, wait.” Eira pushed back my hands and jumped back when my breath turned to frost again. “I told you, the clothes are enchanted. It’s just sizing itself to fit you.”
“Oh.” I took a deep breath and calmed my racing heart. Looking down, I watched the tunic gather and shrink, the neckline changed several times, like it was trying to decide what I preferred. It finally settled on a form-fitting shirt with a high wide neck. It was beautiful and the fabric had a stunning luster to it that reminded me of the incandescence of an abalone shell.
“You’re small enough to go without a bra, but I highly recommend panties.” She pointed to the scrap of black lace on top of the breeches. “They help keep certain areas from getting rubbed the wrong way.”
I had no idea what a bra was, but the panties intrigued me. The lace was a beautiful design. I slipped them on and the same tingling sensation surged through them and they shrunk in size to perfectly fit. I picked up the pants next, surprised by how big they looked, but understanding now that they would shrink to fit. The idea that they would self-clean was amazing, too. Slipping my feet into them, I pulled them up slowly. The fabric was as soft as the shirt material, but a little thicker. And instead of the deep midnight blue, it was as black as a raven’s w
ing.
They pulled and shrunk, fitting snugly to my waist and thighs and a little looser below my knees. It was a strange look, but comfortable. It was quite similar to what Eira wore herself. The colors were identical.
“Were these yours, Eira?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I had an extra pair I hadn’t worn yet. Hopefully you don’t mind dressing like me.” She laughed gently, handing me a pair of stockings and boots. “The enchantment only bonds to one person, so these clothes will only fit you now.”
“They are lovely. It is a fabric unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
“Calliope is known throughout the supernatural community for her amazing clothes. She lives in a small town called Sanctuary in the Texas Republic.”
“Sounds like a nice place. And the clothes are lovely. I can’t thank you enough and when I am able, I will pay you for them.” I pulled on the black stockings and then the boots. Moments later, they fit like a glove. I burned with fever, but it was comforting to be fully clothed once more. And as snugly as they fit, the clothes were extremely comfortable.
“They’re a gift,” she answered, smiling.
Chapter 7
MILES
“She’s here, Rose!” I slammed both palms down on the counter, hard enough to make sure Rose felt the frustration and anger that surged through my blood like a fiery inferno. “We’ve got to go look for her.”
“After a thousand years, how can you be sure it’s really her?” Rose’s voice was soft, but her strength was not to be underestimated. I could feel the soothing effects of her power washing over me as we spoke.
“Stop. Just stop trying to handle me.”
“You can’t leave. You and your brother are the biggest threats to Xerxes, besides me. The Sisters would be left vulnerable without you.”
“Then perhaps just one of us can go.” My brother spoke softly from the barstool next to me.
Rose stood on the other side of the counter. Her gaze traveled back and forth to each of us. She wasn’t going to let us go. I could see it in her steely gray eyes. She was only about five and a half feet tall, but in human form, I didn’t have a shot in hell of walking out of this town unless she wanted it to happen. No one would’ve ever guessed this petite brunette ruled the town of Sanctuary like a fierce warrior.
The Lamassu were unlike any other supernatural and were as powerful in human form as they were in their shifted guardian form. Magick didn’t affect my dragon, but turning into an ancient, medieval creature the size of a couple of semi-trailers to go against her would not be appreciated by the town, though at this point that’s exactly what I wanted to do.
I could feel Diana’s dragon. Our mate was here. She was on earth. We’d always known she was alive. And now she’d escaped the Veil.
Perhaps it was a trick. It was possible Xerxes was behind the whole thing. Rumors circulated that he’d been seen near the sacred stones of Beara in Ireland on more than one occasion through the centuries. Eli and I had many friends throughout the world. Every few years, someone would visit the Castle and report what they’d seen or heard.
The heat of Eli’s gaze burned into my temple. I turned and met his dark eyes and nodded. If she would let one of us go, I would stand down. Both of us had dreamt of Diana last night and both of us had awoken at the exact same point. Her dragon had been crying out to us, in pain and in need.
If she was entering her heat cycle, she would become volatile until she found both of us. Even if she managed to find a male to sleep with, it wouldn’t be enough. She was bound to us. Only sex with one or both of us would satisfy the primal need to mate.
“We have to find her soon.” I hated to imagine what they’d done to her five centuries ago when she experienced her last one. Nothing short of torture and a lot of powerful magick would put down a Drakonae female in heat.
Eli nodded. He knew.
“Rose,” Eli started again, “Let me go. The Sisters will be safe with you and Miles here.”
Rose shook her head. “I need you both here.”
“Fuck you, Rose!” A vicious growl tore from my throat. “If you had a chance to have Naram back in your life, you would take it.” I jumped up from my seat at the counter and stormed from the diner, not giving her a chance to respond. The whole building shook as I slammed the door behind me, the glass from the French doors shattered.
Fuck the Sisters. Fuck Rose. I would have my mate back one way or another.
The oath wouldn’t mean anything if something happened to her.
The pixies cursed at me for the broken door, but I didn’t care. I crossed Main Street Circle and took the shortest path back to the confines of the Castle. Eli could clean up after me. He was the more rational one anyway. Our fathers had always called him the peacekeeper, though the few fights he participated in, he always won. Including pounding me into the floor a few times.
I, however, Miles of Blackmoor, first heir to the throne of the Veil, was the one who enjoyed a good fight and often went looking for one. Eli would rather find a different way to solve the problem.
My oath to Rose kept me from leaving without her permission and she knew it. Right now, I hated her for it. But I wasn’t anything without honor and I would always stand by my word. Eli would, too. But maybe his shrewd perspective would find an option I’d overlooked.
Chapter 8
ELI
I sighed, watching my brother cross the circle and disappear from view. Rose touched my hand and I yanked it back with a snarl. She might think me less volatile than Miles, but really I just hid it better.
Rose’s eyes flashed white for a brief second and I saw the hint of fangs behind her small, pink lips. Magick was tense in the air and I knew if pressed, she could easily overpower me. But mostly I could smell her fear. She worried that we would leave her. Leave the Sisters.
“We gave you our oath, Rose. Doesn’t mean we aren’t pissed as hell about it right now, but we will always honor our word.” I ran my hands through my hair and tried to stifle the growling roar rumbling in my chest. “Send someone else. At least send Bailey and Erick, or a couple wolves up to the Underground checkpoint in Ada. If anyone has heard anything about her, they would’ve.”
“The bond will pull her here. She’s a dragon for gods’ sake, Eli.”
“She’s in heat, Rose. Her mind will not be right. She could expose herself and others without realizing it or being able to control the dragon inside her. Our females, when they’re in heat, seek out the bed of any male, but unless they join with their bonded mate or mates, they can kill out of frustration when the need is not sated. She will burn with a hunger for sex, not unlike a starving vampire seeks blood.”
Understanding finally filled her big brown eyes. “Your brother isn’t going to do anything stupid, is he, like turn into a dragon and fly away?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “I haven’t seen him this pissed since the day we escaped the Veil and realized Diana had been snatched away from the circle at the last second. But, no. He won’t endanger the town or go against our oath. Our honor binds us to the House of Lamidae until they need us no longer or we die.”
“Dragons are as close to immortal beings as I am. You’re not dying anytime soon.”
Shaking my head. “Perhaps. But if she dies, our human hearts, our humanity, will die with her.”
Rose’s gaze snapped up to meet mine. “What does that mean, Eli?”
I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Let’s just say, Miles and I have been living on borrowed time for centuries. Our father believed in the old magick of the Drakonae and we were bonded heart and soul to Diana when we wed. It makes for a stronger, more powerful mate connection. We’ve wondered for centuries why the Incanti brothers hadn’t killed her and ended our human lives.”
“You’ll die?” Her eyes widened, genuinely surprised.
“Only our human halves. The dragon will emerge to take its vengeance, killing everything in its path until the lost mate is avenged or the dragon is
killed. That’s why there are stories from the Middle Ages of knights fighting dragons in caves.”
I frowned, remembering those dark times. “Those were the fallen, the ones whose humanity was lost when their mates died or were killed. They were cast out of the Veil when Kevan and Leif Incanti seized power.” Several of the fallen had been close family members. There was nothing to be done for them. A full-sized dragon could only hide on earth for so long.
“I had no idea,” Rose uttered.
I shrugged. “You were busy with your own problems. You found us shortly after and we never looked back, knowing they had all four daggers. It was either hide and wait to lose our humanity, or go with you and help as long as we could. We knew if we became like the other fallen, you were powerful enough to kill us.”
“So you never said anything?”
“After centuries passed, we suspected that they’d imprisoned her for whatever reason and didn’t plan to kill her. Then when the Sisters said she would return one day, we allowed a little of our hope to return. Plus, by then we knew Xerxes had one of the keys. Our eyes and ears around the world couldn’t get close to him, though, and he never removed the dagger from his person.”
Rose propped her elbows on the counter and leaned forward. “Just reminds me that after all these years, the world still has many secrets.” She sighed and then looked back at me. “I will find someone willing to connect with the Mason wolf pack running the Underground out of Ada. You and Miles have given your lives to help me protect the House of Lamidae. I hope you know I will do everything I can, short of letting you go after her yourselves. Miles just—”
“I know.”
A purple-haired pixie sidled up to Rose’s side and smiled at me. “Y’all done fightin' yet?” Maven spoke gingerly, probably afraid one or both of us would snarl at her.
Sanctuary, Texas Complete Series Box Set Page 27