The Detective's Dragon

by Karilyn Bentley

  “Creeps?”

  “Bad guys.”

  “I remember fighting a Watcher and then nothing.”

  “You gave me a fright. I thought you were dead.”

  “I’m glad I’m not.”

  “Yeah, me too. So after I realized you weren’t, dead that is, I found the children—”

  “The Halflings?”

  “Yep. A girl and a boy.” Her jaw tensed. “He kept them chained.” Words gritted between clenched lips. “Chains. On children.”

  “I’ll kill them.”

  “I already did. Well, one of them anyway.”

  Jamie’s mouth popped open and he forced it to close. “You killed one?”

  Her eyes focused on his hand resting against her arm. “He came at me. The tall blond. So I knocked him down the stairs. The other one is chained to the bed.” Her gaze snapped to his, one side of her mouth kicking up. “With the same chains he used on the kids. After that we stuck you both in a wagon I had to steal, covered you with a tarp and manure and rolled you out of town. I wasn’t sure if they would be looking for us or not.”

  Shock vied with relief for attention. What was more surprising? That she killed a Watcher, a ferocious warrior, or that he underestimated her ability in a crisis?

  A punch of shame filled his gut. Never underestimate a female. Not even a human one. And never underestimate his mate.

  Provided she still wanted to be his mate.

  “You did good.” Without Parker, he and Erik would still be in the house.

  Or dead.

  Jamie squeezed his eyes shut, tingles speeding along his limbs like racing dragons. Parker kissed his cheek.

  “I thought you’d never wake. I’m so glad you’re all right. You had me worried.”

  Small whispers sounded behind him, pitched low, but not low enough to escape his hearing. “Do you think he’s mean like the other men?”

  A snarl crossed his lip as his fingers cranked into a fist. Little ones should not ask that about males. Ever. They should remain protected, sheltered, not treated like trash to be used or thrown out on a whim.

  Parker’s grip tightened on his as she sucked in air. “Jathan and Flanna,” she pointed to each as she named them, “come meet Jamie. I promise, he won’t hurt you.”

  Jamie twisted the snarl into a smile. “Hello, there.” He turned, facing the young ones, and kept his voice even so as not to frighten them more. They stood by the back of the wagon, clothes ragged, faces smudged, hair so dirty it appeared more brown than red. The boy was taller by a finger’s width, but they both appeared to be no older than eight.

  Had he ever before found Halflings in this poor condition?

  “Where is Draconia?” the boy asked, his body poised to run if needed.

  Jamie’s nails bit into his palm. “To the north. Would you like to visit?”

  “I want to go home,” the girl said.

  “I told you, we can’t go home since Mother’s dead. It’s them or nothing.”

  She sniffed.

  “Draconia is a great place. There are even dragons. Have you ever seen a dragon?”

  They shook their heads, eyes wide. “Dragons eat you.”

  “Not these dragons. These dragons can change into males.”

  “You can change into a dragon?”

  A familiar ache slapped his chest. He wished. “No, I can’t. But he can.” Jamie pointed to a snoring Erik. Was that manure cuddling next to him like a lover?

  Jamie pressed his lips together to smother the chuckle. No wonder he smelled like manure. At least Parker hadn’t dumped him in the pile.

  “He doesn’t look like a dragon.”

  “Wait until he wakes. Then you can ask him to change.”

  “Don’t be silly.”

  “I’m not. Have you ever been able to do something no one else can?”

  Jathan shook his head, but Flanna nodded. Her brother poked her in the side with his elbow. “Hush.”

  “What can you do?”

  “Nothing.” Jathan stepped in front of her, arms crossed.

  Right. But he wouldn’t press the issue.

  “Can you take them back?” Parker patted his arm.

  “Not without you, and I don’t want to leave Erik here alone.”

  “Should we make camp?”

  “He should wake up.” He hoped. “We were knocked out at the same time.”

  “Maybe he got a higher dose.”

  “Maybe he’s trying to figure out why he smells like horse shat.” Erik propped himself on an elbow, nose wrinkling.

  “Ah. The sleepy dragon wakes.”

  “Where am I? Scratch that. Why am I covered in manure?”

  Parker giggled, biting off the sound with a cough. The little ones poked their heads around the corner of the wagon.

  “He doesn’t look like a dragon.” Jathan tilted his head.

  Flanna shook her head.

  “Halflings. What did I miss?”

  “A lot. This is Jathan and Flanna. The smelly male is Erik.”

  The little ones stepped closer to Parker as Erik jumped out of the wagon, his hands brushing off specks of manure.

  “Did you have to cover me in the stuff?”

  Parker stood and grabbed Jamie’s hand, pulling him up. “I had to make it look convincing. No one wanted to mess with a wagon full of manure.”

  “Catch me up on what I missed.”

  Jamie told what he knew, Parker filling in the gaps.

  “I want to know what a Watcher was doing here.” Erik’s eyes narrowed.

  “You and me both.”

  “What’s a Watcher?” Parker asked.

  “The blond male. They’re a class of warriors that used to guard the Draconi.”

  Parker raised a brow. “Why do Draconi need guardians? They’re dragons with magic.”

  Jamie shrugged. “Good question. The answer has been lost, but what matters is that about twenty years ago they rebelled against us, attacking our towns—”

  “They thought we didn’t have magic and they should overthrow our rule—” Erik interjected.

  “Which was ridiculous because we didn’t rule them. We allowed them to live on our lands in exchange for their expertise in guarding us.”

  “What we don’t know is why we needed guardians. The old scrolls were water damaged.”

  “As I said, they attacked us, and we threw the majority of them out of Draconia. The fact that one took up residence in a town this close to our borders is disturbing.”

  “He wasn’t the only one.” Jathan stepped forward.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The man who built the wall had blond hair. He’s the one who took the children.”

  “What do you mean, took the children?” Parker’s glare could ignite wet wood.

  “The orphans. Like us. They’d round them up and sell us off. But they took an interest in us and kept us.”

  “They sold children?”

  Jathan nodded.

  “Were there any others that had red hair like you?” Jamie asked.

  Jathan shook his head. “Only us. They said we were special.”

  “You are. You’re part Draconi, like me. And Erik.”

  “I’m not part. I’m full-blooded.” Erik slapped his chest. “We’re here to take you home.”

  “Why?”

  “That’s what we do. Find special children like you and take you to Draconia.”

  “What if we don’t want to go?”

  “Would you rather go back to your village?”

  Flanna and Jathan turned the direction of the village, their heads cocking to the side, mirror images of each other. “No,” Jathan pointed. “Who’s coming?”

  Jamie spun, focusing on the road where it disappeared behind a bend of trees. Bridles jingled in the distance, the clomp-clomp of horse hooves growing closer. How could he have missed that noise?

  “We need—” to leave, but the words died on his lips as an arrow slammed into Parker’s sho
ulder, knocking her to the ground. Short gasps of air whimpered through her clenched lips as one hand pressed against the wound.

  A roar shook the air, dripping from the overhanging leaves like drops of rain. It took Jamie a second to realize the sound came from his lips, a cry of fear laced with rage. Steam built in his throat, escaped from his ears, a prelude to an impending fireball.

  Talons replaced his fingers, his face lengthened into a snout, scales ran from his hands up his arms, pricking the skin of his neck. His body elongated, thickened, wings sprouting from his shoulder blades.

  A dragon. He finally managed to turn into a dragon.

  Not that he had time to wallow in the joy of the moment.

  His mate lay injured. All thoughts except protecting Parker fled. A full-chested roar ripped up his throat, out his lips, turning the air into reverberations of thunder. The lead horses shied, rearing away from the deafening roar, their riders tumbling to the ground. He needed to kill them all. Kill them for harming his mate.

  He sucked in a deep breath, using it to fuel the steam in his throat into fire. Charring their arses sounded like a good plan.

  Before he could release the blast, Erik smacked him on the flank. “Take her and go! I’ll get the children.”

  Jamie snarled, snapping his teeth at his friend. Who repeated the hit, returning the snarl with one of his own. “Come on, scout! Snap out of it! I can’t hold this shield forever!”

  Right. A shield. Beads of sweat danced across Erik’s brow, down his cheeks. Drugs and magic were not a good combination.

  Neither was allowing an injury to his mate to go un-avenged.

  Arrows bounced off Erik’s shield, small pings of flying death. Death. Jamie glanced to Parker. Back to the incoming threat.

  “Go! She needs help, not vengeance.”

  Jamie closed his eyes and focused on tamping down the rage, the steam, the fireball. Parker needed healing more than she needed him to defend her. His instincts thought otherwise. Bloody male instincts.

  Another round of arrows struck Erik’s shield, closer this time. A tremor ran through his friend, white lines appeared around his mouth.

  As much as he hated to admit it, Erik was right. Parker needed help. The children needed returned to Draconia. And two still-recovering-from-being-drugged males could come back and fight another day.

  A quick shake of his body and the scales disappeared, his face returning to normal, talons shrinking into fingers, wings retracting into shoulder blades. He bent and lifted a jaw-clenched Parker into his arms trying not to jostle her injury. The pulse of rage beat under his skin, through his veins, as he watched the color drain from her face. Erik grabbed the cowering children, nodded to Jamie, and disappeared.

  So much for the rule of not showing others the Draconi skill of transportation. With a burst of power, Jamie followed Erik into a transport, crossing the ward lines as if they didn’t exist, streaming across Draconia faster than a dragon could fly. He landed in the Temple Courtyard, the place all Draconi went for healing. The place where the priestesses lived, the recipients of the Goddess’s power. The place Thoren specifically warned him against taking Parker. He swallowed.

  Pop! Erik and the children appeared beside him.

  “Where. Are. We?” White lines bracketed Parker’s lips.

  Was he going to listen to Thoren’s cautionary words? Or take his mate inside for healing?

  Was he really thinking he had a choice?

  Jamie strode toward the tall doors of the Temple. “This is the Temple of the Goddess. It’s where Keara performs healings.”

  “You’re. Taking me. To her?”

  “Yes.”

  “The children?”

  “There’re right here,” Erik fell into step beside him, dragging the two wide-eyed children by the arm.

  “What happens?”

  “Keara or a priestess will treat you.”

  “Not me. Them.”

  The doors opened, a white-robed priestess gesturing them inside before he could answer.

  “Why is the human—”

  Jamie interrupted her. “This is my mate and Keara needs to heal her.”

  The female’s brows shot up. “Of course. This way please. And the children?”

  “They need to be treated also.” He lowered his voice to Parker. “They’ll be taken care of.”

  She nodded and pressed her eyes closed. Bad sign. She usually took in her surroundings as if she needed to memorize every detail in the room. The priestess couldn’t take them to the healing wing fast enough.

  His mind told him the walk to one of the healing rooms took less than a minute, but it felt like forever. Forever until the priestess flung open a door. Forever until he laid Parker on the bed. Forever until Keara appeared, her worried gaze morphing into healing calm.

  “Oh my. Let’s see if we can get that arrow out.”

  “Don’t let anyone else come in.”

  “Why? Her humanity—”

  “Didn’t Thoren tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  She carries titanium inside her arm. He didn’t want me to bring her here in case it harmed the priestesses.

  Keara’s eyes flared as his mind-spoken words sank in. She glanced at Parker, held out her hand palm up and formed an energy ball. Closing her fist, she extinguished the flame. “All right, then. You,” she gestured to the priestess, “need to leave. Take the children to another room and treat them as needed. Do not disturb us.”

  “Yes, Healer.” The click of the door signaled her departure.

  “How far is its reach?”

  “Not far. I can touch her and work magic—”

  “You can?”

  “As I said. I can touch her and work magic but the effect doesn’t extend far from her.”

  “Can magic be worked upon her?”

  “Look,” Parker opened pain-glazed eyes. “I don’t care if you yank the thing out on two counts instead of three. Just get it out of my shoulder.”

  Keara’s lips twitched.

  “She’s jesting. Do not yank it out.”

  Keara pressed her lips together before turning to the table next to the bed. “Do you remember your herbal lessons?”

  Herbal lessons she tried to teach him ever since she found him wandering lost in the woods. The calmness of her voice wrapped around him, a gentle spell of peace. He squeezed Parker’s hand.

  “Some.”

  She placed a jar on the table before walking to his side of the bed. Parker grunted as Keara rolled her onto her side.

  “The arrow doesn’t go all the way through.” She rolled Parker onto her back. “We’re going to have to remove it before I can try healing.”

  “Can’t you make it disappear?”

  “It would still need to come out the same way it went in. Stand here,” she gestured, “and hold her shoulders.”

  Jamie pressed his hands against Parker’s shoulders as Keara indicated, his stomach twisting. She met his gaze and gave a brief nod.

  “Ready? On the count of three. One…” Keara yanked out the arrow, releasing a scream from Parker. Blood trailed down her tunic, across the sheets as Keara threw the arrow to the ground.

  Bile pressed against the back of his throat as nausea and rage roiled through his gut. Parker’s head lolled to the side, her eyes closed. Keara held a white cloth over the wound, applying pressure to stop the bleeding.

  “You can feel the pull of titanium when you touch her.”

  Jamie swallowed. “That’s why Thoren was afraid she’d damage the energy power at the Temple and forbid me to take her here.”

  Keara cocked a brow. “I sincerely doubt that this little amount in her would damage the magic in the Temple. But don’t tell your father that. Some things aren’t worth arguing about.”

  “Can you heal her?”

  “I will try. If it doesn’t work, we’ll patch her up without magic. Apply pressure so I can take a step back and try a spell.”

  Jamie held the
cloth in place as Keara took a step back. Magic swirled around her hands, healing magic that she released at Parker’s wound. The colored swirl of magic pulsed against his fingers before sinking into Parker’s injury. She hissed, her eyes rolling open.

  “How do you feel?” Great word choice, Jamie. Of course she feels bad.

  Her lips twitched as if she heard his thoughts. She glanced to her shoulder, up to Keara, back to him. “It feels better with the arrow out.”

  “You’re a bit tricky to heal.” Keara waved her hand, sending another round of energy into Parker’s shoulder. “But at least it seems like the magic is working. I wasn’t sure if it would.”

  “I’m not harming you, am I? Thoren was afraid…”

  Keara rolled her eyes. “It’s a very small amount of titanium in you. Enough to interfere with my magic if I touch you, but not enough for you to cause chaos like a large piece of titanium does. Maybe because it’s inside you and your flesh dulls the affects? I don’t know. As long as I can stand here and work magic, I’m fine.” She smiled and sent another wave of healing energy.

  Jamie ran a finger down Parker’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re better.”

  “Remind me not to get in the way of an arrow.” She blinked, glanced around the room. “Where are the children?”

  “We sent them to another room, remember?”

  “Oh. Right. Sorry. I was a little out of it when you brought me here.”

  “Understandable.” He stroked her hair out of her face, the knot of worry in his gut easing as her coloring returned. Thank the Goddess Keara was able to heal her.

  Balthor’s voice touched his mind, loud enough to draw attention, but not the painful drop-to-your-knees call the Council used to use when Alviss was leader. Your presence is requested in the Council Chambers in fifteen minutes.

  “I need to report for the mission debriefing.”

  “I’ll go with you.” Parker tried to push up, but he pressed her against the bed.

  “No. You will stay here and rest. And heal.”

  Her eyes flashed. “I was part of the mission, and I will report. Besides, what are you going to tell them? You were unconscious through most of it.”

  Keara cleared her throat. “Pull the cloth away from her shoulder, Jamie. Let’s see if the wound is healed.”

  Parker held his gaze. How could he allow her to leave the healing ward? She needed rest. What kind of a mate would he be if he didn’t protect her?