It was her brother-in-law, Aaron, finally let out a guffaw. “Are ye sayin you’re a dragon?” There were a few snickers amongst the group and Roana hissed. She jumped off her husband’s lap and jumped on to the table next to Lazarus and hissed again.
“Aye. Roana didn’t believe me either, at first.”
“Show us,” Hugh, the other brother asked, “I’d like to see this so-called dragon.”
“How would you like to see him, in the flesh? Believe me, this library is not big enough.” Lazarus spoke very softly. “Maybe you would like to feel his heat, I could turn you into ash with one breath.” He picked up kitty and held her in one arm. “I wouldn’t want Roana getting her tail singed.” Hugh paled slightly. “You’re not afraid, are you? I can direct my fire with pinpoint accuracy. The people sitting next to you won’t feel more than a little warmth.” As he spoke, his eyes changed and became reptilian slits, scales started forming around his face.”
“My god, you are a dragon. Please forgive me, Laird MacEachen, I apologize. I had no idea dragons were real.”
Lazarus held up one finger. “Dragon. Until my friend Gunnar returns to tell me differently, I am the only one.” He slowly let his face return to normal. He walked to the fireplace and released the liquid fire that had built up in that short time; the wood burst into flames. Everyone in the room was speechless.
“Five hundred years ago, a friend betrayed my family. My mother, father and many friends died; my two brothers and infant sister disappeared. I have searched for my siblings ever since.”
“Five hundred years! Laird MacEachen, how old are you?” Hugh inquired. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
“I am seven hundred and ten years. Dragons can live thousands of years, but we are not immortal. Obviously, we can be killed, my parents died in each other’s arms. I had to hire new caretakers every forty years because I don’t age. I couldn’t have people getting curious and kept to myself. I think Mr. MacGregor was here seven years before he laid eyes on me for the first time.”
“Aye, and he sceered the hell outta me. I thought him a giant coming to do me in,” Michael recalled. It lightened the mood.
“Why, after all this time, do you think things are about to change?” Edwin asked.
“Two men tried to kill me in Inverness, and then this woman mysteriously shows up on the moors out of nowhere; a distraction. Something has happened, and my enemy has finally run out of patience. My friend, Gunnar and his brother Erik, have gone to Rona island to follow some leads.”
“Rona island is nothing more than a rock in the middle of the ocean, there is nothing there. No one has lived there for hundreds of years.” Aaron added.
“Aye, what better place to hide? Looks can be deceiving and my enemy has had centuries of practice at hiding. If Gunnar and Erik have not returned in a week, I’m going after them.”
“No, my lord,” Michael protested, “you must not show your hand. Let this man you’re seeking come to you and prepare for him.”
“It would bring the fight to my door and put you all in danger.”
“Aye, but you will be on familiar ground.”
Roana growled, jumped from the table and stood by the door. Lazarus held up his hand for everyone to be silent and continued to talk but changed the subject while he walked to the door, he opened it and Roana ran out. He watched her run up the stairs and disappear.
“Meeeoooouch!” Nicholas bolted from his seat to go to her aid, but Lazarus stopped him. Moments later, she returned, looking a bit ruffled. She went to the alcove, shifted and dressed. When she returned to the library, she appeared annoyed.
“Are you hurt?” Lazarus asked.
“No, I’m fine. She was at the top of the stairs and ran to her room when she saw the library door open, so much for the sleeping pill. She tried to pick me up and keep me in her room. She’ll not be doing that again anytime soon, I gave her a good scratch.”
Lazarus chuckled, but now he had something else to worry about. Kitty may not be welcome back in Aria’s room and it was the best way to keep an eye on her. They would have to wait and see. All eyes were on Lazarus. “There appears to be a spy in our midst, as I suspected. I will have to deal with her straight away.”
“What will you do?” Abigail, Roana’s mother asked.
“I’ll question her and then take her to Inverness and turn her over to the law. She has a record and they would love to detain her for some time.” Abigail looked relived. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Stewart, I’ll not harm the woman, as much as I’d like to. In America, I work for the FBI. I like my job, I’ll not do anything to jeopardize it.” Everyone suddenly saw Lazarus in a new light.
“I wonder how she was going to get word out?” Roana remarked, “or maybe she was sent here to harm you.”
Lazarus let out a booming laugh. “She can try,” but he stopped in midsentence. “Perhaps I had better enlighten you with some facts before we go any further. Shackles made of silver can keep me from shifting to my dragon. Liquid silver, you would know it as liquid mercury, acts like a poison and can eventually kill a dragon or render him unable to ever shift again. Either way can be deadly.”
“Is there anything we can do to stop the effects of the poison?” Michael asked.
“Aye, a transfusion from another dragon.”
“But you are the only one.” Aaron spouted.
“Then hope I am never poisoned. Enough about me, this meeting is about all of you. You are all new here and this is not your fight. Now you must decide. I am not asking you to fight, I am asking you to defend the castle. MacDonald will come for me as soon as I reveal my dragon. He won’t be alone, Manfred Leifsson will be with him.”
“Manfred, the Maniac,” Michael asked, “I thought he was executed years ago.”
“As it turned out, they had the wrong man, Leifsson was never arrested. The men with him will be the worst of the worst.” Lazarus told them. “They will kill you as soon as look at you. You women, I can’t begin to tell you what you would face. These men will show no mercy. You will only be safe if you leave here.”
Michael stood and addressed everyone in the room. “Well, I for one, am staying. I have lived here for thirty-two years, raised my children here, I may as well die here, if I must.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. If you decide to stay, hide any valuables you might own, bury them or take them elsewhere, and have an escape plan. Better yet, send your women away with your valuables. Now the decision is up to you. If you leave and I survive, I hope you will return. I will bear no hard feelings if you chose to save yourselves. You have a week to decide. Thank you for coming.” Lazarus opened the door and glanced up the stairs, there was no one there. It was late, and everyone went home.
Lazarus sat alone in the library. He worried for these people. They had no idea what they were in for. They didn’t know how to fight what was coming. What he needed was a swat team or a special op team, but that wasn’t going to happen. Things were different in the twenty-first century, people didn’t kill other people and get away with it. When his parents died, it was a way of life. People killed to survive and protect what was theirs. Now he felt guilty, he should never have asked any of them to stay.
Mr. MacGregor walked into the library. He poured two brandies and sat across from Lazarus. He handed him a glass. “It’s been an interesting evening.”
“Aye, it has.” Lazarus sipped his brandy. “I changed my mind, I think you all should leave. This isn’t your fight and I’ll not have your deaths on my conscious. Say’n what I did out loud, it made me realize the dangers facing yer family.”
“We’ll give our answer when we’ve decided. You’ve put the word out, ye cannae take it back.”
“The hell you say! You’ll go, or I’ll fire the lot of you.” He downed his brandy and stormed out of the room. Lazarus was at a loss as to what to do. He couldn’t put these people in harm’s way and he was a fool to think he could. This was his battle and his alone. All he c
ould do now was wait to hear from Gunnar.
Chapter 15
Lazarus went straight to his rooms. He needed to fly, but he couldn’t show himself. If he shifted, even cloaked, if his enemy was near, he would be able to see him. He couldn’t risk Gunnar and Erik’s lives by being found out. He paced back and forth. He didn’t like being at a loss when it came to making decisions.
“Damn-it-to-hell,” he cursed. There was a gentle tap on his door. He didn’t want to be disturbed and he opened the door with such force, it slammed against the wall. “What is it now?” he roared.
Aria stood before him with eyes as big as saucers. “Sorry, my lord, I’ve come at a bad time. Excuse me.” She turned to hurry back to her room when he told her to stop.
“My apologies, Aria, it’s been a stressful day. Perhaps we can speak in the morning. I did promise to take breakfast with you.”
“Is there anything I can do? Maybe I could help you to relax.” She peered up at him with a seductive gaze.
Lazarus studied Aria. She was pretty, but not beautiful. Years of being on the streets showed around her eyes, she was younger than she appeared. He was tempted to take her to his bed, but it would be like letting the fox sleep with the chickens. Not a good idea. “Thank you for the offer, but no. You are a guest in my home and you will be treated as such. Do you need me to escort you back to your room?”
“I am sure I can find my way back. If you change your mind and would like some company, you know where to find me. Good night, my lord.”
“Good night, Aria, I will see you at breakfast.” He waited while she made her way back to her room and closed the door. He slowly retreated into his room. He had an idea, he couldn’t fly, and he couldn’t go below the castle to the tunnels; Aria had proven to be a bit too stealth for his liking. He quickly descended the stairs and went out the back door of the kitchen. He headed for the beach and the cave at the bottom of the cliffs. Once he entered the cave, he shifted. The huge cavern allowed him room to stretch his wings. He wished he had thought of this before, but until Aria arrived, he seldom went to the beach and had forgotten about the cave.
He ran his giant head under the waterfall and let the water run down his back. He loved the water and enjoyed swimming in the ocean, but it was out of the question. When he stayed at Lukar’s, he would shift late at night and swim in Skagit Bay when no one would see him. When he was young, he loved to swim in the Lock Shin, not far from the castle. In recent years, too much curiosity was created after a local photographer snapped a photo of what he thought was a sea monster in Lock Ness.
Finally, feeling less stressed, he released his dragon and shifted. Stripping out of his clothes, he stood naked under the waterfall, letting the icy water flow over his body. Feeling better, dressed only in his kilt, he walked back to the castle.
When he went to bed, he slept, but his dreams were filled with disturbing sights of death and dying dragons. He woke several times during the night and near dawn, fell into a dreamless sleep. It seemed like he barely slept when someone started knocking on his door.
“Go away,” he yelled.
“Excuse me, my lord. Is everything alright?”
“Sorry Michael. Come in.” Lazarus pulled the covers over his head like a spoiled child. “What time is it?” he mumbled under the covers.
“Sorry, my lord, but you did tell the young woman you would dine with her this morning. Breakfast will be served in thirty minutes. Should I tell her you are indisposed?”
“No, I’ll be there. Thank you, Michael.”
“Yes sir. I’ll have breakfast brought up to her room by the time you’re ready.” Michael left the room.
Lazarus quickly got out of bed and headed for the shower. He was done and dressed by the time Michael arrived at Aria’s room with breakfast.
Aria sat at a small table near the window, looking out over the ocean.
“Good morning, Aria. How are you feeling this morning?” Lazarus asked.
“Much better, thank you. And you? You appear to be less stressed.”
“Aye, tis amazing what a good night sleep can do.” Lazarus sat at the small table and waited until Michael was finished serving them. “Thank you, Michael. I need to review a few things with you, I’ll come find you when I am done.”
“Aye, my lord.” Michael left the two alone.
Aria smiled sweetly. Lazarus observed her over the rim of his cup as he sipped his coffee. Setting his cup down, he looked her in the face. “So, tell me about yourself, have you been able to remember anything?”
“Not really, I keep having awful dreams, sometimes I hate to close my eyes at night.”
“Tell me about your dreams,” he asked as he started to eat, “what do you remember?”
“Chains, people in chains. Every time I close my eyes, I see myself in chains.” She unconsciously rubbed her wrists. “In my dreams, I’m so hungry and parched. The food is rotten and there is nothing to drink to quench the thirst.” Her hand trembled as she reached for her water glass and drank until it was empty. Lazarus refilled her glass.
“Please, enjoy your breakfast. I’m sorry I asked.”
“I’m alright.” She took a bite of biscuit smothered in Mrs. Stewarts homemade jam. “Mmm, that tastes good. My mother used to make jam, it reminds me of when I was little.”
“So, you remember your childhood, where did you live?”
“London, but I hardly remember where. My mother got sick and died when I was six. After that, I lived and slept anywhere I could find that was dry. I lived in alleyways and under stairwells. One day, Madame La Rue pulled me out of an alley. I had a fever and she took me home and nursed me back to health. She put me to work as a housekeeper in her brothel and taught me how to sew. When I came of age, I joined the girls. Madame La Rue was furious, I was like a daughter to her and she didn’t want me in the business.”
“But you did it anyway.”
“The money was better. I became one of Madame La Rue’s best girls.”
“Why did you leave?” he asked between bites.
“I didn’t, not intentionally. I was with a customer, he was new, I’d never seen him before. He claimed he got off better if he could tie me up. It’s the last thing I remember until I woke on the floor of a whaler’s pram.” She stared at Lazarus. “I never remembered that before.”
“What part?”
“Waking up in a whaler’s pram.”
“See, I believe your memory will be back in no time. How would you like to take a short walk this afternoon, if you’re up to it, of course? The fresh air might help clear out the cobwebs.”
“I’d like that, thank you.”
He gave her a nod and wiped his mouth. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some things to attend to. I’ll have Roana bring you something warm to wear before our walk.”
“Thank you, again, I’ll be ready.”
Lazarus gave her a slight nod and left the room. He went to find Roana and Michael. He found them both in the kitchen. “Roana, do you have something warm Aria could wear, so she could accompany me for a walk?”
“Keep this up and she’ll have more of my wardrobe in her closet than I have in my own.” Aria replied.
“I’ll replace everything you have allowed her to wear, and then some. She is beginning to remember things. I’m hoping an easy walk outside will help her relax and remember more. Has she mentioned her nightmares at all?”
“No, but she thrashes in her sleep and cries out, but nothing I could make any sense of.”
“Alright, we’ll play this by ear. Thank you, Roana, for all your help, I’ll compensate you accordingly.”
“It isn’t necessary, my lord, I accept it as part of the job. I’m sure working for a dragon will have its challenges.”
That made Lazarus laugh. “That it will, Roana, that it will. I will still compensate you.” He chuckled to himself as he walked away.
Shortly before the midday meal, Lazarus and Aria walked on cliffs high above the oc
ean.
“It’s beautiful here,” Aria gazed out over the ocean, the breeze gently blew her fiery red hair about her face, “so wild and untamed. Nothing like London with its filthy streets and back alleys. I look at the ocean and I can’t help but think it’s supposed to mean something.”
Lazarus patted her hand tucked in the crook of his arm. “Patience, it will come back. Rest and regain your strength. You are welcome to stay here.” He decided to keep her close until her memory returned.
“Where would I go? I can’t remember where I’ve been.” She cocked her head and looked up at him. She was right, where would she go.
“Shall we head back, I’m sure our lunch will be waiting for us.”
“Yes, I’m sure you’re right.” She gave him a sweet, but tired smile.
“Are you alright?” concern in his voice.
“A little tired is all. I’m alright.” They slowly walked back to the castle.
“Would you like to eat in the dining room or retire to your room?”
“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll return to my room.”
“Are you sure you’re alright.” She nodded. “I’ll help you to your room and have Roana bring you your meal.”
“Thank you. If I fall asleep, could you ask her to leave the tray, I’ll eat it later.”
“Certainly. Perhaps you can join me for dinner.”
“Yes, I’d like that.” Lazarus helped her to her room before heading to the dining room for his midday meal. As he sat down, Michael entered the dining room.
“How was your walk, my lord. Did it jar any memories?” Michael asked as he served Lazarus and then himself.
“I’m not sure, Michael. There is something there, but it is just out of her grasp. I’m sure she’ll remember more as she recovers from her ordeal, whatever it was. She won’t be joining us for lunch, Roana will need to take her a tray and leave it if she is asleep?”
“I’ll let her know,” Michael remarked. They quietly ate their meal.
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