Keeper of the Flame: Dragon Knights, Book 7

by Bianca D'Arc

  Hugh could have taught her a thing or two about dragons. Heaven knew his body wanted to show her everything it could do to hers in bed…or on this table...or anywhere he could get her naked beneath him. Maybe on top of him. He wasn’t choosey. He’d take her standing up if he thought she’d go for it.

  “The flight characteristics are almost identical,” he said, trying to get his mind back on business. “Large, long body mass with central wings. The only real difference is the feathers.” Hugh ran his hand along Miss’s folded wings. “Dragons have scales. Gryphons have feathers and fur. And Miss is not the first gryphon I’ve met. There are some nesting above Castleton now. They are frequent visitors to the city, curious as any tourist in a new place. Much of Castleton was built with dragons in mind—wide streets and oversized doors so they can join their knights in an evening’s entertainment. The gryphons have found this to their advantage as well.”

  Hugh spoke no less than the truth any visitor to the growing city would note. The new gryphons were celebrities and flew often with the dragons who called the land home.

  “You seem to know much of dragons. Are you a knight?”

  Hugh laughed out loud at her suspicion. “No, milady. If I were, there would be a great hulking dragon lurking outside somewhere and I doubt any such thing could happen with your feathered friends all around. Someone would have noticed.”

  “Knights do not travel without their dragons?” She seemed truly interested.

  “Once the bond between dragon and knight is formed, it cannot be broken except by death. They are closer than friends. They are family. They do not separate for long periods of time for any reason. It would be too great a handicap to both dragon and knight.w gd knigh221;

  “I didn’t know that.” She seemed both intrigued and surprised. “There are many rumors about Draconia but little actual proof.”

  “Rumors go both ways, milady. To be honest, I wasn’t certain of my welcome in Alagarithia. Until this little one ambushed me, my intention was to keep a low profile about my origins.” That much was true at least. He wasn’t going to divulge his real identity, but perhaps he could learn a few things from this highborn lady that would help his brothers.

  “Helios has long been a friend of Draconia politically.” Her tone was firm as if she truly believed what she was saying. That was good, as far as it went. If she’d shown the slightest hesitation, that would have been worth hearing.

  “Then what has you worried about my origins? I assure you, dragons are honorable creatures. As are the folk they choose to associate with. They would not suffer evil magic to inhabit the land they have sworn to protect. This I know for fact.”

  “Strong words.” She sipped her tea. “And you sound as if you truly believe them. Perhaps you should come back with me to the palace. There are people there who would like to learn more about your land, if you’re willing to speak of it, and you could meet the others like your friend here and see that they are not ill-treated.”

  Hugh was surprised by the offer. Surprised…and suspicious. This was way too easy. Did this woman—highborn or not—have the authority to invite guests to the palace? Or was this some sort of trap to get him and Miss out of the comfortable inn and into a place where she could spring some sort of ambush? Miss was just a baby. Though she had formidable claws, she couldn’t fly yet and didn’t know how to defend herself. She was small. A big enough man could subdue her. She wouldn’t stand a chance.

  Hugh could defend her, of course, but not if he were badly outnumbered. Dragon he may be, but if the lady had a platoon of guards out there ready to fight, he’d have a hard time getting Miss and himself free. If it were he alone, he would have jumped at the chance to get into the palace. But Miss was depending on him.

  At that moment, as Hugh debated internally, he noticed the door bang open and a harried-looking woman run over to Hobson. A quick conversation ensued before the woman ran back out, shutting the door behind her. Hobson practically ran himself, approaching their table at a brisk trot.

  “Milady, there are Eyes on the street. Mathilde from across the way saw a man in her alley and he had the tattoos.” Hobson’s tone was low and urgent. He sounded truly frightened.

  “Did she see what kind?”

  “Snake Eyes, milady,” Hob answered in the gravest tone. “Where are your guards?”

  “I did not bring them.” She paled in shock.

  “Snake Eyes? What does that mean?” Hugh asked. So

  mething was going on. Something dangerous if he was any judge.

  “Assassin. Stars!” She seemed near ready to faint. “I am dead.”

  Chapter Three

  “Not yet,” Hugh said calmly, lowering Miss to the ground as he stood, ready for action. “Are you certain they’re coming for her?” Hugh asked Hobson as the lady sat frozen.

  “Of course. There have been too many mishaps of late. We all assumed someone was trying to kill her, but to hire Eyes!” Hobs822 on seemed as shocked as the lady was, but at least he was able to move. He grabbed Hugh’s sleeve. “We must save her. What can we do?”

  Hugh looked around the common room, noting the defensive spots again, as he had when he’d chosen to stay at this inn. It was better than most, but still a civilian building. It hadn’t been built with true defense in mind.

  “Close and bar the shutters for a start.” There were a few windows that had been opened to let in light now that the freezing rain had stopped. “Tom,” Hugh called to the boy. “Go to my room. Under the mattress, you will find a sword. Bring it here with all haste. And bring the pack at the foot of the bed as well.” The boy ran off to do his bidding.

  “Is there a door to the roof?” Hugh knew there was, but he wanted Hobson to feel as if he was helping and didn’t want him to know Hugh had been prowling all over the building. Just in case he wanted to come back here someday.

  Hobson nodded vigorously. “This way.” He bustled toward the hall that led to the guest rooms. Hobson escorted the lady as if she were made of glass and Hugh made sure Miss kept up, playing rear guard to their little parade.

  He sent his senses out to the limit of his abilities. The building was quiet for now, no intruders. Or at least, none that he could sense. Perhaps the woman across the street had given them the head start they’d need.

  Tom met them in the hall and handed the heavy sword and pack to Hugh. He took them as he walked and Tom joined the little group, helping Miss up the stairs that would lead eventually to the roof.

  The inn was a two-story structure. The innkeeper and his wife kept their family rooms upstairs. They passed through a modest living room to a locked closet that held another set of narrow stairs that led to the roof. This time, Hugh went first. Hobson handed over the key to the door at the top of the stairs without comment.

  Hugh ascended soundlessly and paused by the door to listen before opening it. The rest of the group had stayed at the foot of the staircase, just in case. Pausing only a moment, Hugh opened the rusty lock and peered out over the roof. The inn was taller by several feet than the buildings around it. Its height was one of its main advantages as far as Hugh was concerned and a large part of why he had picked this particular place to stay.

  Night had fallen, the days being shorter at this time of year. The darkness would work to their advantage. If worse came to absolute worst, Hugh could always shift shape and fly them out. He could carry the woman and Miss with no problem. He’d have to get them to agree, of course, but faced with certain death versus a fire-breathing dragon protector, he thought both females would choose wisely.

  Hugh crept out onto the flat roof and looked over the edge. He checked all four sides, though two bordered on shorter structures on either side of the inn. One had a steeply pitched roof that would not be easy for an assassin to climb. The other was clear for the moment. He checked the back of the inn, where the open courtyard led to the stables. It was clear. That left only the front.

  Sure enough, Hugh sensed danger before he spott
ed the cleverly hidden man in the shadows of the alley between two buildings across the street. The man looked up once but did not appear to have seen Hugh. His attention was mostly focused on the doorway and the barred windows of the inn two stories below.

  If not for his better-than-human night vision, Hugh would likely not have seen the man, so well camouflaged was he. Hugh spun when he sensed someone behind him, only to find Miss padding 821iss padup to him. He motioned for her to stop where she was as he crept back from the edge of the roof so they would not be seen by the watcher below.

  Hobson had reached the roof as Hugh returned to the entrance with Miss at his side.

  “She would not stay, Hugh. I’m sorry,” the innkeeper said in a whisper.

  Hugh shrugged. “It’s all right. There is a man watching your front door from the alleyway across the street.”

  “Only one?”

  Hugh nodded. “If he is an assassin, one is all it takes. It will be hard to get past him. The roof on the left is too pitched and the right is too exposed. Going out the back would take us to the stables, but they back onto the mountain. I don’t suppose there’s any way up the cliff from there?”

  “No.” Hob shook his head, muttering. “The only way out is by the street and he would have a perfect view. She is doomed. Dear Mother of All, why did she come here alone?”

  Hobson was wringing his hands when Hugh stopped him. “She is that important to you?”

  “To us all,” the man said at once. “She must survive. Without her, the land is lost.”

  Hugh was taken aback by Hob’s words. He hadn’t thought the man was of a dramatic bent, but what could one highborn lady mean to Helios as a whole? She wasn’t the ruler here. Her job was no doubt important, but the gryphons would find another champion should she fall. Still, Hobson’s urgency cut through Hugh’s conjecture.

  Add to that the fact that the beauty had done nothing wrong as far as Hugh could tell. She seemed the innocent target of these Eyes—whatever they were. Based on Hobson’s reaction and words, Hugh didn’t think she was evil. Merely troublesome in that she wanted to take Miss away.

  He could deal with that. What he couldn’t deal with was if his inaction caused the lady’s death. He was well and truly stuck. He could easily fly her out of danger, but that would expose his true nature. He didn’t see a way around that at this point. With a sigh of resignation, he spoke.

  “There is a way, but I cannot tell you what it is. I will tell the lady, and she will decide whether to take it or not.”

  Hope and fear entered Hobson’s gaze. “Magic?”

  “Something like that,” Hugh answered. Let the man think he was a mage. The truth was even more surprising, and twice as effective.

  The lady stepped out of the shadows near the door. It seemed nobody stayed where he left them tonight.

  “Thank you, Mr. Hobson, for your service.” Her tone was warm, but her words were a clear dismissal. Hobson turned to the door and seemed to hesitate.

  “I will leave Tom at the foot of the stair should you decide to come back inside. Otherwise, I wish you all the blessings of the Lady on your journey. We will do our best to keep the Eyes off your path.”

  “Thank you.” She passed a few coins to him and in the dark night. Hugh saw the gleam of gold. She’d paid the man well for his work this night.

  Hugh stopped the man when he would have left, slipping a jeweled dagger bearing his mark and its silver-laced sheath into his hand. “Give this to Tom. He has been a good friend to me and the gryphlet. I will not forget him. Or you, Hob. You have my thanks.”

  He’d also have the purse of silver Hugh had left on the mantle in hisy santle i room. Hugh was glad to give it to the kind innkeeper. Hobson had been a helpful contact and perhaps would be again.

  When the door shut behind Hob, Hugh turned to the two females and sighed again. This wasn’t how he wanted things to go, but he saw little alternative.

  “So you are a mage?” The lady preempted his planned explanation.

  “No, milady. I am a shapeshifter. One of very few in my land.” He let that sink in.

  “What kind of creature shares your soul?” His interest was piqued by her wording, but he didn’t have time to delve into her beliefs just now.

  “I am a dragon.”

  “Hoo?” Miss was clearly confused.

  Hugh crouched down to meet her eyes. “I can become a dragon, sweetheart. I can fly, like you will be able to, once you are bigger. I can teach you to fly, if you like.”

  She seemed to like that, nodding so hard her whole body shook.

  “Want fly!” She moved closer to him and butted his chest with her chin, ruffling her wings in excitement.

  “All right, little one.” He caressed her ears and met her gaze. “How about I take you flying tonight? You can ride on my back and I will show you what it feels like. Would you like that?”

  She bounced on her forepaws, clearly excited by the idea.

  “Now, milady, it’s up to you.” Hugh looked up at her from his crouched position.

  She stood in front of him, closer to the back of the building. The gryphlet was at his side and he was turned so that his right side faced the street. A flicker of movement caught his eye and he knew in that split second that all choice had been lost.

  The assassin had come.

  Somehow the man had climbed to the roof without Hugh having heard a thing. Hugh turned, as if in slow motion, already knowing what he would see.

  The man from the alleyway, a weapon already in his hand. His gaze was fastened on the lady, but Hugh knew he would not hesitate to kill him and the gryphlet as well, if either stood in the assassin’s way.

  Standing to his full height, Hugh shifted shape as he moved, thankful for the drills that he and his brothers had practiced over and over again. He could take his other form with hardly any delay. Fractions of a second and a magical black fog surrounded him. Only scant fractions more and he was reborn as the black dragon that was his other half.

  The look on the assassin’s face would have been comical had the circumstances not been so dire. Hugh reared up, fanning his wings, keeping the baby gryphon and the woman behind his armored hide. It was up to the assassin now. If he backed down, Hugh would leave him be. If he advanced, he was toast.

  Although, looking around, Hugh decided it would be inadvisable for him to use his flame up here. For one thing, it would alert every gryphon on the cliff to his presence. For another, it could very well start a raging inferno that might burn down half the city. No, this was a job that called for finesse.

  Hugh showed his claws to the assassin. They gleamed ebony in the dark night. Each one a foot long, razor-sharp instrument of pain and death.

  “Leave now and I’ll let you live.” The lady’s voice rang out from beneath Hugh’s right wing. Would the woman never stay where he left her?

  The assassin shook his head. “You know it does not work that way.” His voice was loos voiceheavily accented in a way Hugh had never heard.

  “So be it.” Finally showing some sense, she ducked behind Hugh’s wing once again, allowing him to shield her as best he could.

  To his credit, the assassin held his position even as Hugh advanced. Closer now, Hugh saw the tattoos on the man’s hands. Eyes. Slitted snake eyes. He’d never seen anything like it before. He had the impression the marks were indications of both his profession and level of skill. Too bad Hugh didn’t know how to read the code. He’d make a point of learning more about it later, after he took care of this threat and got the lady to safety.

  The assassin made a move. A feint to the right though his weapon spun to the left. It was a dart of some kind. Poison, most likely. Hugh wasn’t concerned for his own safety. Unless the little darts had diamond-bladed tips, they would not penetrate dragon scale.

  First one and then two and then a flurry of the little darts flew at him, but they bounced off his hide like so many gnats. The assassin hadn’t counted on that. Hugh could read the
anger on his face. Excellent. Anger made a warrior lose focus. An angry warrior was one who made mistakes.

  Sure enough, the assassin’s rage rose until he came at Hugh directly, a dully gleaming sword lashing through the dark sky toward Hugh’s snout. It would bounce off, of course, though if he got lucky and hit his eye he might do some damage.

  Hugh wouldn’t allow the man to get lucky. He was about to step forward and use his claws on the assassin when a dagger sprouted out of the man’s chest.

  Shock replaced the anger on his face as his sword clattered to the rooftop and his hands clutched at the knife in his chest. It had struck his heart, Hugh realized when the man pulled it out and blood gushed. He fell to the floor. Dead.

  Hugh looked around for the source of the dagger. He was a little amazed to see the lady standing at his side, a grim expression on her face as she watched the assassin. A matching dagger was in her hand. Hugh had no doubt she’d been the source of the amazingly accurate shot. At night. In the dark. With only human eyesight to aid her. Or so Hugh thought.

  Maybe she’d used magic to magnify her skill or make the dagger fly true. Hugh had never seen such a thing, but he’d heard stories about mages that could do just that. The question remained—was this woman capable of that kind of magic?

  Or was it possible she was more than human? He didn’t think so. Hugh felt certain he would have noticed if she’d had some other influence in her background. Maybe he was wrong. He’d been wrong before and probably would be again.

  “Nice throw.” He spoke directly into her mind, wondering if she would prove to be one of the rare females who could hear his thoughts when directed at her.

  She jumped a bit and looked at him. “Was that…? Did you…?” She looked uncertain of her own senses.

  “Did I talk in your mind? Yes.” He felt the connection now, a brief meeting of her mind to his. “Unlike your feathered friends, dragon vocal chords are not suited to verbal speech. We speak in this manner with our knights and the few others who can hear us. I’m glad you can. It will make our time together easier.”