“I hope you brought coffee.” Aria asked as she got up to help Michael.
“Thank you, young lady,” Michael set the tray on a small table, “yes, I brought coffee.”
Aria fixed a plate for Erik. “Erik, do you drink coffee?”
Erik gave her a nod, “Black, please.” Erik sat up and accepted a plate of food. Aria placed his coffee on the table next to the bed.
“Mr. MacGregor, this is Erik Gormsson, Gunnar’s younger brother.”
“Good to meet you, young man,” Michael acknowledged him, “I hope you’re feeling better.”
“Much better, Mr. MacGregor. Thank you for fixing me up.”
“I’ll not take the credit, you will have to thank Mrs. Stewart and her daughter for patching you up. I had nothing to do with it.” Erik’s face turned bright red.
“Whoa ho, you’re not bashful.” Lazarus joked. Shifters never worried about nakedness.
“Apparently, I’m not when I’m unconscious. I seem to recall being naked.”
“Aye, naked as a Jay bird.” Erik turned a darker shade of red. Lazarus laughed, “Don’t worry, they’re not the type to kiss-n-tell, they won’t reveal any secrets.”
“Very funny.” Erik sipped his coffee. “Thank them for me.”
“You can thank them yourself when they come to check on you.”
“I’m not staying in bed.”
“You are until Mrs. Stewart gives you the okay to leave it.”
“Lazarus, I’m fine. We need to go after my brother.”
“I’ll be going, and you’ll be staying, if you don’t stay in bed.” Erik let out a groan and Aria let a giggle slip out. She whispered a “sorry” and gave him a sympathetic smile.
“Fine, I’ll stay in bed.” Erik dropped the subject and ate his breakfast. It wasn’t long before everyone finished eating and Mr. MacGregor gathered up the dirty plates, when he was done he returned to the kitchen.
“Erik, you need to get some rest.” Lazarus stood. “We’ll leave you for now and come back with the mid-day meal.”
“Thank you, now that I’ve eaten, I am tired.” Erik got comfortable and closed his eyes. He was asleep in no time at all.
“Will he be alright?” Aria asked quietly.
“He’ll be fine, he may even be well enough to go with us.”
“Do you think he’ll go back after what happened?”
“Aye, he’ll go for his brother, dead or alive, he won’t leave him there.” Aria shivered, she hadn’t thought about that.
“I’ve never known MacDonald to kill anyone, he just lets them die in that shit hole. I hope your friend is strong, he will be tortured if MacDonald or Leifsson think he has information.”
“He is supposed to tell them he had come to join them if he got caught. He can be very convincing.”
“For his sake, I hope so.”
“You haven’t met Gunnar,” Lazarus chuckled, “he’s nothing like Erik.
“Won’t they be suspicious because Erik didn’t come back?”
“No, he’ll tell them he was just another traveler and didn’t know him.”
Chapter 22
Aria returned to her room and got dressed, then headed for the library. Lazarus was already there going over the map and drawings. He glanced up when she walked in. “I’m concerned, Erik claimed when the men attacked them, they appeared out of nowhere. Can you explain why?”
“Nothing magical, there are some old tunnels that have caved in. The men can move along what are now open trenches, all they have to do is climb out. I can show you where they are, it is how I got around the island. I should have included them, I didn’t think, I was only thinking of ways you wouldn’t be seen.”
“It’s alright. Are men usually in those collapsed tunnels?”
“No. Maybe something has happened since I left.” Aria studied her drawings of the island. “Here and here,” she pointed to several areas. She had already marked the tunnels that were still good. She drew new lines for several trenches.
“Did anyone know what you were up to when you spent time with the explosives expert?”
“No, I don’t think so. There were other prisoners.”
“Humm, it’s possible there was a spy amongst the other prisoners.”
“You actually think someone would put themselves in shit and slim to spy on prisoners.”
“Yes, I do, or a prisoner turning informant for special treatment or extra food. You have no idea how important it is to MacDonald. He has wanted to kill me for five hundred years. I’m afraid your explosives might have been discovered by now.”
“I don’t care, I’m still going. There is always the chance they haven’t been found. Please, I want to help save my friends,” she paused, “my god, how old are you?”
“Old enough to be your grandfather, many, many generations ago.”
“But how?”
“Dragon people, as you call them, can live thousands of years. Unfortunately, without family and friends, it can be a very lonely existence. You outlive your human friends, people who work for you, and I can never marry or have a steady relationship. Regular people grow old, while I look forty for the rest of my life.”
“You can never marry, how sad.”
“Aye, I can’t very well find my true mate if there are no more dragons.”
“But there are! What if one of the dragon women still on the island is your mate?”
“I’ll just have to wait and see. I gave up getting my hopes up years ago.”
“If nothing else, you could procreate to preserve your blood line.”
That made Lazarus laugh out loud, it wasn’t an unreasonable thought, but he wasn’t about to become a stud. “Right now, all I care about is rescuing my family and my friend.”
*****
Gunnar found himself on the floor in a sparsely furnished room. He was glad he wasn’t at the bottom of the shit hole dungeon in the old fortress. His head felt like a hot poker was imbedded in his skull. He reached for the back of his head and found it sticky with partially dried blood.
“You are finally awake.” A tall slender man spoke to him from the doorway.
“I am. Are you the one I have to thank for the pain in my head?”
“No, I must apologize for my men, they don’t like uninvited strangers,” the man told him, “especially ones that can shift. They have never seen a shifter before and thought you were some kind of demon. I had to tell them you had been cursed and if one of them were to kill you, the curse would transfer to the guilty party.”
Gunnar chuckled, even though it made his head hurt. “And who are you? You obviously know about shifters.”
“I am Gilbert MacDonald and yes, I know about shifters. I own this island and it is my home.”
“I was looking for work. I was told in Inverness there was work here, and the pay was good, but the island looked barren.” Gunnar got to his feet and swayed, “I must have been misled or found the wrong island. I should have realized the man was a drunk and a teller of tales. It wasn’t until we stopped to rest that we could see that the island was inhabited. My apologies to you sir, I did not mean to trespass.”
“And what about the one who was with you?”
“A young boy, a Stellar like myself. We happened to cross paths and travelled together.” Gunnar sat on a small stool. “He was on his way home.”
“My men told me, you yelled at the young man to get away.”
“I did, like I said, he was on his way home to visit his sick mother. Look at me, it’s obvious I’ve had my share of bad luck. I didn’t wish the young man to experience my misfortune. The only thing he had done wrong was to travel with me.”
“That is very generous of you. He will be indebted to you.”
“He owes me nothing. I’m sure your men scared him enough to never return this way.”
“I hope it’s true. You don’t think he will return to find out what happened to you?” Gilbert asked.
“I already told you, we
just met. Why would he care about a stranger?”
“I have heard Stellar’s are very loyal to their kind.”
“That might have been true hundreds of years ago, not anymore. If the boy comes back, he’s a fool.” A young blonde woman entered the room with a bucket of water, towels and an arm full of clothing. Being naked was a way of life when it came to shifters and he thought nothing of it.
“This is Hannah,” she diverted her eyes away from him, “she has brought you something to wear and she will tend to your wound. When you are dressed, she will bring you to the main hall. You’ll dine with me and some of my men, then we’ll talk.” Gunnar was about to say thank you, but Gilbert turned on his heel and was gone.
“Is he always so abrupt?” He looked at Hannah for an answer, she didn’t say a word. She was afraid to touch him. She had never seen a man like him before, all scared and tattooed. “Do your thing girl, I won’t bite you. Can you speak?”
Hannah nodded her head.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“Yes, I can speak,” she whispered in his ear as she leaned in to examine his wound, “and if you wish to live to see another sunrise, you’ll keep your voice down. Mr. MacDonald has the hearing of a dragon.”
“Really, how would you know about dragons?”
“I heard him say you were a shifter? Are you?”
“Yes.”
“Are you a dragon like him?”
“Have you seen his dragon?”
“Yes, it’s an evil looking thing. Are you like him?”
“No, I’m not a dragon. How would you like to get off this island?” he whispered to her.
Hannah’s eyes got big, she looked terrified. “How?”
“You leave that to me. Can you get a message to Rebekah or one of her brothers?” he whispered.
“How do you know them?”
“Never mind that, right now.” He took a risk asking about them and it paid off. “Can you get a message to them.”
“If it will help get me off this island, yes,” she whispered.
“I’m putting my life and theirs in your hands.” He prayed he could trust her.
“Don’t worry, I won’t betray you if you promise to get me off this filthy island.”
“I promise. Tell them Lazarus is coming and to be ready. If you are able to deliver the message, just give me a nod the next time you see me.”
“You can get dressed now,” she spoke in a normal voice, “I’ve done all I can for your head.”
“Thank you, Hannah.” Gunnar splashed water on his face and wet back his hair. It was then, Hannah saw the scars.
“How did you get that?” She pointed to the scars on his throat.
“I was betrayed by a friend.”
“What happened to your friend?” she asked.
“I killed him the next time I saw him.”
“I don’t blame you, I would have done the same. How were you able to survive?”
“I almost didn’t. I think your boss is waiting for us,” he told her while he dressed.
“I don’t work for him, we are all slaves here.” She kept her voice very low, so no one would hear. “I would like to do to him what your friend did to you, slit his throat.”
“Be patient, you might get a chance to do just that. You had better take me to the hall before someone comes looking for us.”
Hannah lead the way down a long hallway. They passed several doors that could only be opened with a key. “Hannah,” he whispered, “what is behind these doors?” Just as she was about to answer, one of the doors opened and a young girl came out of the room carrying an empty tray. Before she closed the door to lock it, Gunnar caught a glimpse of a beautiful woman in the room. He instantly knew it was Rebekah, he had seen her mother’s portrait many times in Castle Thighearn. She was the exact image of her mother.
“That is none of your concern.” Hannah continued to the main hall. They entered a large room where there was several tables and benches. Half a dozen men sat at various tables, eating their evening meal.
“Welcome Gunnar,” MacDonald called to him, “come join me.” He pointed to a chair at his personal table. Gunnar couldn’t refuse and headed that way. MacDonald addressed the room. “This is Gunnar, he has come to join us.” Several men acknowledged MacDonald and Gunnar, then returned to their meal. “Sit down Gunnar, one of the girls will bring you your meal.” No sooner were the words spoken, a heaping plate of food and a mug of ale was placed in front of him. “Enjoy it, you only get one meal a day.”
“That’s good to know.” He thanked the young serving girl.
“There is no need to thank her,” MacDonald snapped, “she knows what she is supposed to do. If she doesn’t, she’ll find herself doing dungeon duty.”
“Dungeon duty?” Gunnar gave him a questioning look.
“Checking on the prisoners in the dungeon at the bottom of the old fortress. Enough about the girl, what is your specialty?”
Gunnar shuddered inside, he’d seen the dungeon. “Reconnaissance and explosives. Do you have a use for either?” He wanted to ask why he kept prisoners in that shit hole but thought better of it.
“My explosives expert got sick and died recently, unfortunately he felt a need to hide his explosives and I haven’t a clue where.”
“Sounds like a smart man. He didn’t have to worry about someone handling things they knew nothing about. Have you looked for them?” Gunnar asked.
“Like you said, we shouldn’t handle things we know nothing about.” Gilbert continued to eat. Gunnar casually looked around, getting an idea of what he was up against. When he looked back, Gilbert was watching him.
“You have an interesting looking group of men. Do they all have a specialty?”
“Most of them couldn’t find their dick in the dark, even if their life depended on it.”
“Well, I will assure you, I can find mine.” Gunnar continued to eat.
“Your accent is confusing. You are definitely not from Inverness.”
“I was raised in an English missionary colony. I returned to my father’s home a few years ago. My home now is wherever I lay my head. I never stay in any one place for very long. If you can use me, I’ll stick around for a while. If not, I’ll move on.”
Chapter 23
Lazarus continued to study Aria’s drawings. He wanted to know the layout of the island as well as he knew his castle. Aria had returned to her room to try to catch up on some sleep. He thought about the magic being used on the island. He remembered his mother telling him about the use of amulets and the power they held. “How can I get it away from him,” he thought to himself, “what was it my mother told me?” He needed to go below the castle to the caverns and shift. His dragon memory was much better than his human memory. Now was as good a time as any.
When he came out of the library, he checked the stairs to make sure Aria was still in her room. As helpful as she had been, he was still cautious, it could still be a ploy to gain his trust. He had spent too many years looking for his family to make a mistake now. He slipped into an alcove and disappeared through a door hidden from view by his own magic. Lazarus breathed a sigh of relief when he entered the room of gold, shifted and relaxed. After he rested, he began to search his memories of his mother. He thought about the days he spent learning magic and went into a dream state. His memories floated by in a foggy, suspended animation. It had been years since he had done this, so he took his time, not wanting to miss anything.
He thought about the first time his mother taught him magic. The animation cleared, he viewed himself as a young man, patiently listening to his mother. He could see her, she was beautiful. She was teaching him the basic rules of magic.
“You must remember, never rush in, always go slowly and take in your surroundings. Observe your adversary, does he have anything in his hands or around his neck. Is he wearing an amulet or carrying a wand or a staff. A staff is less conspicuous. Wands were old school, but a novice would still
carry one.”
He listened to her voice, he remembered everything she taught him. It also served as a refresher course, he was reminded of things he hadn’t thought about in centuries.
His mother continued. “An amulet can be destroyed three ways. First is by dragon fire, by the invisible flame which would also incinerate the person wearing it. This is a last resort, due to spells that can only be reversed by the wizard who created them. Second is to crush it, but you would have to get it away from the wearer. The third and last way is impossible, you would have to find the one that made the amulet and be taught the spell that would make the amulet powerless. Only Merlin knows that spell and he is long dead.”
Smoke seeped out the dragon’s nostrils from sheer frustration. Lazarus continued to listen to his mother, hoping to gleam something that might help. “Mother. Help me. What can I do?” he whispered to himself.
It was almost as if she was answering his plea, she pointed into the distance. He tried to see what she was pointing at, all he could see was what looked like a mound of sparkling rocks, but he wasn’t sure. The vision started to fade and when the fogginess returned, Lazarus collapsed. Just before he passed out, his mother spoke. “Go there to find the answer.”
Lazarus didn’t know how long he lay there when he woke. He shifted and sat with his head in his hands. The pain in his head was nauseating, he had forgotten about the side effects of searching old memories. He thought about everything his mother said and what he saw. He rubbed his face with his hands. “What were you trying to show me?” Once the nausea passed, he slowly headed back to the library. He had been out longer than he thought, it was almost time for the evening meal.
“Is everything alright, sir?” Michael asked as Lazarus walked into the library. “You look a bit out of sorts.”
“I’m not sure. Michael, if someone told you about a pile of shiny rocks and told you to go there, where would you go?”
“Almscliff Crag.”
“Of course, Merlin’s Crag.”
“I can’t say I’ve heard it called by that name.” Michael remarked.
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