“How long you have existed here?”
“Since before your kind walked this earth. Stand aside. And when my dragon comes forth climb up on my back.”
Dana backed away as the air around the dragon shimmered and instead of a white haired old man was a silver dragon. The first rays of the morning sun glinted off his hide as he extended his foreleg. He snorted and wisps of smoke curled from his nostril.
Dana got the message.
She climbed his foreleg and urgently forced her skirt up over her hips and settled on his shoulders. Dana panicked a minute wondering how she was going to hold on but she found she could grab his skin into folds. While the dragon’s hide had scales it was soft and pliable.
Ed looked over his shoulder as if to ask if she was seated.
“I don’t want to go with you.”
He nodded but looked ahead launched off the ledge. Dana’s breath caught in her throat as he dipped then climbed high into the atmosphere.
Take a deep breath, human. And hold it.
Dana didn’t have the time to consider the ramification of the elder dragon speaking to her in her mind before he dove headlong toward the Earth. A shock shuddered through her body as they instantly plunged into total darkness.
Despite the heavy cloak bone chilling cold enveloped her. Her heart pounded in her chest as they fell for what seemed like forever. Then they broke into a star-studded night and Ed pulled up and flapped his wings and the glided in a spiral toward a mountain peak.
It was warmer here and more humid. As they grew closer she caught the scent of flowers. Ed swooped and she spotted a ledge jutting from the mountain below. He slowed and gracefully landed on it. He looked over his shoulder and chuffed, and Dana slid from his back.
“Careful,” he said with an evil grin as he clutched the collar of her cloak. He shifted while she dismounted and she fell suddenly without footing. But here he was holding her up. He grinned at her with not a single stitch on his body.
“Here,” she said derisively as she swung her cape off her shoulders. “You need this.” She handed him the cloak.
“In this heat, don’t be ridiculous,” he said.
“Humor me,” she said.
He shook his head.
“Humans, so ridiculous.”
“There are some things I don’t need to see, Ed.”
“Ah, but you didn’t mind seeing them on my grandson.”
“Not. The. Same,” she gritted through her teeth.
The ancient dragon cocked his head as if studying her.
“Okay, seneschal. I will ‘humor’ you.” He took the cloak and wrapped it around his body as if it were a sarong. It was odd but at least it covered his private parts. “Come along,” he said as if he were speaking to a pet.
Dana followed him in a cave, which looked dry and free of tiny inhabitants. Deep into it, he pushed aside a large stone. But the inner chamber in which he led her was more than a cave. Bright light danced around and Dana twisted her head to spot a series of skylights lining the ceiling. A small waterfall dropped water in shining sheets into a pool at the far end of the hall. Trees, plants and flowers sprouted from large beds of earth faced with stone. It was beautiful.
“You like?” grinned Ed. “It took me many centuries to build my sanctuary. But then I have time. Or at least I did.” He huffed but then turned his attention to Dana again.
“You must be hungry. Many hours since your last meal, eh?”
Dana was about to deny it, but then her stomach rumbled loud enough for both of them to hear it.
“Fine, fine. Follow me.”
Ed traveled a walkway that passed before the beds of plants until he came to a panel or intricately woven stray and bamboo. She didn’t notice it until she was almost on it because it was covered with potted plants. He drew back the panel to revel a very modern kitchen. It was complete with a gas stove, refrigerator and microwave.
“Another project--this one done in the space of few years. You cannot imagine the difficulties of getting appliances to the middle of the Pacific Ocean.”
She sighed.
“What is going on here, Ed?”
“Sit,” he said indicating a two-chair ironwork dinette set. He opened the refrigerator and peered into it. “I have chicken I butchered two days ago?”
“Fine,” she said without enthusiasm.
“I hope so,” he said pulling out chicken breast and vegetables. “Stir fry.”
“Whatever you want.”
Ed picked a knife from a knife set on the granite counter and earnestly cut the chicken.
“So you miss him already,” said Ed casually.
“Quinn,” she said.
“Yes.”
“I only met him two, no three, days ago.”
“So? A dragon always knows his mate. And you as seneschal will know what he knows.”
“Explain this seneschal business.”
“Ah,” said Ed throwing chopped chicken into a pan on the stove. “There was a period where dragons were not getting along well with humans. Humans were inclined to kill first and ask questions later. The dragons were inclined to the same. Nothing was getting done and it was a damned inconvenience. I decided to create what you would call a liaison between humans and dragons, creatures that could understand the needs of the dragons and communicate them. Speaking on behalf of the dragons, the seneschals provided the perfect gateway between the two species. Dragon stopped dying. Humans stopped dying and all was right with the world.”
“Wait, created?”
“Yes, Dana. I’m not only the father of dragons; I fathered humanity as well. Though to do that, I had to separate the dragon part out of the DNA. I did too good a job on that.”
Dana stared at him fascinated.
“You are telling me that humans are genetically engineered from dragons.”
“Yes.”
“And why did you do that?”
“There were too few of us to do the work we needed done and there were some root species here, pre-hominids you would call them, whose DNA meshed with ours. So, my little group and me made the humans. And that part worked out well.”
“Until it didn’t.”
“Yes. The human population grew very large. You people do like to procreate. No matter what population controls we put in place, your numbers kept growing.”
Dana shuddered. She didn’t want to think about the “population controls” instituted by dragons, but she could image that a species that could genetically engineer another could create some very nasty germs, plagues even.
“But,” continued Ed, “another danger became a bigger threat to dragons.”
“And that was?”
“The seneschals. To create the seneschals, I had to use reintroduce dragon DNA so we could keep a telepathic communication with you. But generations of breeding with other seneschals reinforced the DNA, and made it a dominant instead of the recessive trait I engineered. Young dragons began to see seneschals as potential mates.”
“And this is a problem how?”
“Not to me,” said Ed with a shrug of his shoulders. “But to my daughter it was intolerable.”
Ed set a plate of steaming stir-fried chicken and vegetables in front of her.
“And your daughter is?”
“She was the first female born since we arrived. It was seen as a great sign.” He huffed staring at his plate. “She was—is a very strong dragon as well, strong willed, intelligent, but convinced of the superiority of dragons. Rhea, of course, as a female is called a queen. That is what we call fertile females. But she also took that as the role among our people. And many followed her and still do. She ordered the destruction of the seneschals because of dragons interbreeding with them.”
“Destruction of the seneschals. But how?”
“Ah, dear Dana. How do you exist? It took a long while. Rhea was very good at destroying those of your kind. This time, I slowly introduced the dragon genes into specific population so I could observe them. Eire it is
called in their old tongue; Ireland in modern parlance. And those genes gave gifts to those humans that were truly wonderful. With the dragon gene they had the ability to look past this reality into other ones. These people became known as mystics, psychics or fortunetellers. And when they mated with those of their kind they built a DNA bridge to the right qualities needed in a seneschal. In the past couple generations true seneschals emerged. And that is why I came for you, Dana.”
“Why?”
“Because I need you to stop a war.”
CHAPTER TEN
Quinn
Quinn woke to dark, quiet and emptiness. He couldn’t sense or hear her, or smell her sweet scent. He swiveled his head in the darkness but didn’t get a single hint she was nearby.
The old dragon.
He took her.
Quinn stood, roaring so loud the sound rang against the rock walls of his lair. His hands shook with his anger as he dressed. After that he paced back and forth as his fury gathered. He had to find her and get her back. She was his and no one else’s. He didn’t care if the old dragon said he was his grandfather. Now, the old man shows up? No. It wasn’t right. Besides, he wasn’t there for Quinn. The ancient one wanted Dana.
He couldn’t have her.
Smoke curled out of his nostrils. He’d find her one way or another.
Quinn caught the flap of leather at the entrance of the cave, and he sniffed. It was a familiar scent, but he couldn’t place it.
“Private Morgan?”
The voice he could place. Hibley? It was Hibley? What the hell was he doing here?
Quinn pressed himself against the wall of the cave and listened to the psychiatrist’s footsteps as he drew closer. Funny. He never noticed that Hibley dragged his foot, but then again, he hadn’t spent much time with him. Quinn now heard Hibley’s breathing and the solider launched forward to knock the doctor off his feet.
Only it was like hitting a brick wall. Hibley grabbed Morgan’s arms and held him in place.
“What the hell are you?” Quinn spat.
“Like you,” said Hibley. “Just like you.”
Quinn swallowed hard.
“Come back to the base with me. We’ll process you out and I’ll get you to the place you need to be.”
“Out? Who says I want to be out?”
“Morgan, don’t be a fool. There is no need for you to play Marine. You are a warrior, in your own right. A dragon warrior. You don’t need metal clipped to your collar to tell you that. That’s why you enlisted, but you don’t need to stay with a human army. Your dragon brothers need you and it’s time to go home.”
Home? Home? Who the fuck was he to talk about home? Where was this jerk when he was kicked out of his home?
And what about Dana? Where was she?
“This home? Is that where Ed is?”
“Ed?” Hibley sounded confused.
“An old dragon, really old. You could feel his age come off him. He came here.”
“Primus?” Hibley sounded frightened now which jacked Quinn’s anxiety. If Hibley was afraid of Ed, then Dana had to be in danger.
“He took Dana—Dr. McGarrity.”
“Did he? Good. Let the old bastard have her.”
“No! She’s my mate.”
“Great goddess. You mated her?” Hibley face was filled with consternation. “How could you? Never mind. Rhea will take care of it.”
“She will?”
“He’s a feisty one,” said one man.
“He should be. Rhea’s son.”
“Yeah.”
“Who is this Rhea?” demanded Quinn.
“You’ll find out. You’re coming with me, Morgan.” Hibley grabbed Morgan by the back collar and dragged him forward. Quinn thrashed as Hibley brought him to the front of the cave. As much as Quinn flailed, he could not break free.
Hibley pulled him onto the ledge. It was night and a bright moon hung low in the sky. The Blue Ridge Mountains spread out around them in dark undulating waves. With a giant tug the older man pulled Quinn forward with strength that Quinn could not believe.
Then fell off the ledge.
Quinn screamed as the ground rush up to him, but then Hibley exploded into a green dragon. Now steely brown claws held him as Hibley flapped huge leathery wings to pull them higher in the sky.
And then dove.
Cold and absolute black enveloped Quinn and there was no air to breath. The hammering of his heart thrashed through his ears as terror seized him. With another jolt, they were in cloud covered atmosphere, and the sun shone brightly as if the middle of the day. Quinn knew enough about time zone changes to know they were nearly halfway across the globe though he couldn’t make sense of how they did this.
Hibley’s claws clutched him in a steely band and Quinn could not move. He hung under the massive dragon as he closed his eyes against the bright sun. Hibley dipped and the maneuver stole Quinn’s breath as if he rode a roller coaster. He cracked open his eyelids though air rushed over his face and found the ground rushing at them again. Below he sighted the broken and jagged outline of a large building that wrapped around a large oblong of green. They descended in looping circles while Quinn fought dizziness born of a lack of oxygen. He forced back the fear that stole his breath. He needed his wits to face the unknown.
Where was he? But more importantly—why?
The green dragon leveled then back flapped his wings to put his body perpendicular to the earth. When he nearly touched the ground, he let go of Quinn suddenly. He thudded into the grass-covered yard and rolled away from the dragon that touched the ground a feather soft landing.
A long granite table sat in the middle of the broken courtyard, and Hibley grabbed a folded bunch of fabric. With a smooth sweep of his arms he settled a ground length cloak over his naked form.
A dark-skinned man emerged from the dark shadows of the ruined building. He raised his hand in greeting.
“Commander, good to see you again,” he said to Hibley.
“Captain Porter, thank you. Good to be home.”
“And who have you brought us?”
Quinn thought the dark-skinned man looked familiar but when he caught that last name, the realization hit him like a bucket of ice water. Calvin Porter was one of the dragons that escaped a maximum-security English prison for dragons.
“This is Quinn Morgan, recently a Marine recruit. He just learned he is a dragon.”
“Well, Quinn, I’m sure you have many questions. Usually our queen would come to greet you herself, but she is unavailable.”
Porter delivered this news blandly but Hibley instantly tensed.
“Is she okay?”
“She will be,” said Porter. “She is regenerating after receiving a gunshot wound to the head.”
“How did that happen?”
“Ryan Kaur’s seneschal shot her and then they escaped. It will be some time before she’ll be well.”
Hibley bent his head and sucked in a breath “Then who is governing us?”
“For now, Reanne and myself. Get the young dragon settled in and I will be by to speak with him.”
When Quinn heard the word “escaped” he reasoned he was in serious trouble. And it was news that the Kaur Industry heir was here “with his seneschal.” Did this mean that the industrialist’s son was a dragon too? But more immediately, Quinn was sure that he did not like being in the middle of whatever was going on.
“Excuse me,” said Quinn. “But what if I don’t want to be settled in?”
Porter gave him an ice-cold glance.
“Young dragon, there is much you do not know. It would be wise if you learned more before you started asking questions.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Dana
Dana stared at Ed as he sat in a seat opposite her.
“How am I supposed to stop a war?”
“I’d like you to speak to Prime Minister Abalon.”
Dana sputtered. Now she knew the old dragon was out of his mind.
; “Me? What do you expect me to say to the Prime Minister of an entire country?”
“That war with his brothers is destructive, wasteful and ultimately useless and it’s better that he stops now before he irretrievably screws up the world.”
“Wait. Are you telling me that the Prime Minister of England is a dragon?”
“Most assuredly. He was part of Rhea’s plan to adopt out dragon children among wealthy and influential human families, as was your Quinn.”
“Quinn didn’t grow up in a wealthy family.”
“No. That was a mistake. There was a movement of dragons who opposed Rhea’s plan. They removed the boy, but they found Rhea’s troops on their tail. They hid the boy intending to come after him later, but they were killed by Rhea’s troops. My daughter believed he was lost.”
“He was buried,” said Dana in a hoarse whisper. Horror spread through her. “Quinn could have died.”
Ed nodded. “We thought he did.”
“You keep saying ‘we,’ Ed. Is that because you were behind this movement to oppose Rhea?”
Ed’s eyes flashed and glowed with an eerie light. “Don’t imagine you know what goes on in our politics, seneschal. Many dragons simply want to live in peace with humans and that is what we seek!”
Adored by The Dragon: (The Dragon Lord - Book 3) (The Dragon Lords) Page 6