Dragon's Eye

by Robin Joy Wirth

  “Mind that puddle, my dear,” said Lance as they stepped off onto the street. He guided her carefully around it, and Felicity laughed again. “We wouldn’t want your feet to get all wet, would we? Camping with a cold cannot be much fun.”

  “I suppose not,” she conceded.

  “The train station is just ahead. I must confess I think this is going to be fun.”

  “I think so, too,” Felicity agreed.

  “And Felicity, don’t think for one moment that I did not see the three books you bought in the store,” he added. “You had better not think you’re going to have your nose in them the entire time. This trip is supposed to be for you to get out and about, as much as it is to obtain the Grimoire.”

  “Is it?” she asked with one brow raised delicately in his direction.

  “It is,” he said firmly as they stepped through the entrance to the train station and started across the hallway towards the ticket booths.

  Felicity scowled deeply, but held her tongue. Seeing this, Lance chuckled.

  “Trust me, Felicity, you’ll thank me for it by the time we’re done,” he said. “You mark my words.”

  Felicity rounded on him then, and her eyes snapped with ire. “Just what makes you think you know what’s good for me, Lance?” she demanded hotly.

  “A great deal more than you might imagine,” he said as he stepped away to buy two tickets.

  Felicity fumed as she waited for him near a row of benches, too irritated to bother to sit down. He found her pacing when he returned, and he was certain she had more to say.

  Felicity practically exploded as she tore into him. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, deciding upon what I do and do not need, don’t you?” she demanded indignantly as she followed behind him.

  Abruptly, Lance stopped and turned to face her, ready to say something that he thought better of before it left his lips. He sucked the words back in and shook his head.

  Instead he said, “Listen to me, Felicity. I am the one who is supposed to train you for the next six years, aren’t I? It falls upon me to take care of all your needs in that time, to make sure that you are at your best. I have always prided myself on doing the best possible job at everything I do, and therefore I must make sure that you do, as well. So yes, whenever it’s necessary I will decide what you do and do not need. Got it?”

  Felicity’s face screwed up with emotion as she tried to come up with a suitable retort, but she just couldn’t seem to find one. She felt a lump in her throat, and her eyes began to sting, because at some level she had been hoping that he’d been doing what he had been doing so far out of some sort of feeling for her.

  If what he had just said was true, that meant he had merely been doing his job. That the attentions he’d thus far paid to her had nothing to do with any great desire for her, as she’d been imagining. That was a very upsetting idea.

  Lance watched her for a moment, seeing the hurt in her eyes. He said quickly, “Felicity, I didn’t mean—”

  “No, don’t say anything,” she cut him off. “I understand completely.”

  “You don’t,” he insisted. He pulled her to him and crushed his lips to hers.

  Her heart fluttered madly in her chest. Her breath caught in her throat, and the tears she’d been holding in check now began to spill from her eyes.

  Felicity pushed him away from her and snatched one of the tickets from his hand, making a mad dash for the waiting train. He was right about one thing, at least. She most certainly did not understand; not at all.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Felicity hadn’t been at all sure where she was headed when she’d boarded the train, but in her state of heightened emotions she’d just had to get away from Lance. She had crashed into someone along the way, and the man had set her onto her feet again. She’d broken free and continued on her way, but other than that she hadn’t really interacted with anyone since.

  She was still in shock that Lance had actually kissed her. It was frightening, and exhilarating, and she didn’t know what to feel.

  She had known for some time now that she wanted the wizard with a desperation bordering on insanity. She just hadn’t known there was any possibility that she might actually have that want fulfilled.

  But there could be no mistaking the intensity behind the kiss Lance had given her. He had tried desperately to make her understand just how much he wanted the same thing she did.

  Gods, she could hardly believe she was willing to let this happen at all. She’d always thought she would get on without a man in her life, being accepted for her own merits alone. But somehow Lance had crept right into her heart and she didn’t even care about that anymore. She wanted Lance desperately, no matter what it could mean for her hopes of a career if she let things between them progress.

  Surely having a husband, or even just a lover, would not hold her back in life, would it? There were plenty of witches who held down a job and a relationship at the same time, weren’t there?

  From her perspective, of course, it made perfect sense that a young witch like herself would find the older, sophisticated wizard attractive. But why would Master Lancelot Jones, a wizard known throughout the land for his no-nonsense approach to things, want to have a slip of a school girl who was about as experienced in matters of love as she was in the fine art of weaving a basket, or any other such thing?

  She was obviously capable of undertaking the task of making love. She even had some idea of the mechanics required. But the kiss Lance had just stolen in the midst of their heated exchange had been her first.

  Her only other experience in such matters had been when Jane’s brother, William, had attempted to steal her bra, and even then he’d only been doing it on a dare, and not out of any sort of interest in her anatomy.

  What if Lance had found her wanting when she hadn’t known how to react to his lips suddenly connecting with hers? What if she had just ruined her one and only chance at being with him? Tears flowed down her cheeks at the very notion that she could come so close to her heart’s desire and then manage to botch it.

  She turned and watched the landscape go by outside the tiny window she was sitting next to in the furthest back car she could find. She didn’t know how long she sat that way, lost in a numbing haze of longing and uncertainty.

  “There’s my girl,” Lancelot said softly as he slipped onto the bench beside her. “I’ve been waiting for you to decide to come and seek me out, but I was beginning to despair that you never would.”

  In spite of herself, Felicity emitted a snort of derision at this pronouncement. Of course she would have eventually went looking for the man. How could she not, when they were on this trip together?

  “Not talking to me, eh?” he chuckled. “I suppose I deserve that, after my ill-advised little speech. I know that you don’t really need me, Felicity, but I enjoy the idea that you are going to be around for the next six years very much. I just want you to know that.”

  He slid his fingers into her hair and turned her face up to look at his. The other hand cautiously began to rub some of the tension out of her shoulders. She dropped her eyes, and then looked out the window again.

  “You took off so fast earlier I never got to ask what you would like to have to eat,” he said in a soothing tone. “It’s been hours since we boarded this train, you must be hungry by now.”

  “I’m not,” Felicity told him, but then her wayward stomach growled loudly, giving the lie to her words. The two of them looked at each other, and she blushed as she looked quickly out the window again.

  “Felicity, why are you hiding back here?” he asked gently. “Won’t you come and have something to eat, and then we can go to our cabin and get some sleep? We’ve got a long hike ahead of us. Don’t you want to rest up for it?”

  Felicity merely sighed, but when Lance tugged at her arm she let him coax her to fall into step at his side. He led her to the dining car.

  Felicity plopped down on the bench of a booth there, still blushing as he
looked at her again. Lance shook his head after a few moments.

  “I’ve no idea what to tempt you with,” he said with a chuckle. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to help a poor wizard out?”

  “Hmph,” she responded, still looking out the window.

  “I know what, I’ve got just the thing,” said Lance as he snapped his fingers. He strode over to the little stand to the other side of the car and ordered a couple dishes of ice cream, and brought them back with a smile of triumph. “Come on, now, Felicity, I know you like this.”

  Felicity looked over at him, but when she looked into his eyes it only made her blush and look away again.

  Laughing, Lancelot sat beside her on her little bench, sliding closer to her as he scooted her bowl of vanilla ice cream beside her hand. Felicity did not reach for it.

  “Am I going to have to feed it to you myself to get it into you?” he wanted to know.

  “No,” Felicity answered quietly, still blushing. She knew she was going to have to face him again sometime, it was just difficult to do with so many emotions vying for dominance within her.

  She took the spoon in hand and slid one bite quickly into her mouth to appease him. Obviously Lance thought that she was taking too long to eat another, because with a wicked grin and his own spoon, he scooped up another bite and chased her mouth with it.

  Felicity giggled as she tried to evade him, but eventually he got it into her mouth. He had gotten some of the stuff on her chin before he managed to do so, however.

  Felicity giggled some more when he took his time removing the spoon from her mouth, sliding it suggestively back and forth over her tongue. Once it was finally out of the way, Lance leaned forward and rather ostentatiously nibbled the smear of ice cream off of her face.

  Her heart hammered in her chest as their eyes met and held, and his lips found their way back to hers, if only briefly, before he backed away with a playful grin. A slight smirk rose up on Felicity’s lips as well.

  “I think you might have missed a spot,” she told him.

  “Do you?” he inquired. “Where is it, my dear? You know how much I like to do a good job.”

  Felicity slowly brought her fingers up to search. With deliberately tantalizing movements, she slid them along her chin and over her mouth.

  “Right there,” she whispered as she touched her lips.

  “Well, I suppose I had better do something about that, then,” said Lance. He was slightly breathless when he said this, as if he had just been running, and with a start Felicity realized she was having trouble breathing, too.

  Lance slid one of his arms around her waist as he scooted closer, and used his other hand to tilt up her chin. His lips slanted across hers once, twice. And the third time, his tongue tip slid across her lips as well, making Felicity groan in response.

  Of course, the groan had opened her mouth a little, and now Lance took full advantage of the fact. Deftly his tongue slid inside.

  Felicity saw rainbows. She saw stars exploding. She saw a life of tasting this man flash before her eyes. She saw with certain clarity that her dreams would become a reality.

  And she realized something else as well as the kiss continued. By the gods, he was making her hot!

  To make sure he didn’t let go of her anytime soon, Felicity slid her arms around his neck, drawing him even closer than before. This time, it was Lance who groaned, and Felicity giggled softly as she returned the deeper kiss they shared.

  The two sat like that for a time, tangled into each other’s needs. Lancelot tasted like a little slice of heaven in Felicity’s mouth. She wasn’t sure she could ever let go of him.

  “Our ice cream is melting,” he finally whispered as he moved away from her.

  Felicity couldn’t seem to find her voice, so she just nodded, and they finished their food in silence.

  “Are you getting tired?” Lance asked when he saw Felicity yawn. She nodded shyly, and he pulled her up against his side as they walked together toward the sleeping cars.

  When Lance opened the little door to their cabin and the two of them stepped inside, Felicity stopped short. Connected to the wall was a small platform that was supposed to serve as a bed. It was probably designed for one person, and it was the only one she saw.

  Felicity eyed the smallish platform uncertainly, but she didn’t want to make a fuss. After all, she was the one who had challenged Lance to be adventurous, wasn’t she?

  Also, it would seem kind of silly to be snogging him one minute, and then get all weepy the next, wouldn’t it?

  Lance smirked at her reaction, and said, “I’ll let you use the bathroom first, my dear. We might as well clean up a bit before we sleep. We won’t have another chance once we’re out in the wilds.”

  TWENTY-THREE

  Felicity was disappointed to discover that the bathroom contained one very small toilet and a microscopic little cubicle that was meant to be a shower. She undressed and got inside, pulling the hose-like shower head down from its mount to run the water over her body and use the soap as quickly as possible, lest the hot water finish before she did.

  She brushed her teeth as she dried off with one of the four towels she found hanging on the wall, and then dropped it so she could dry the floor. Afterwards, she straightened it out neatly and left it there so Lance would be able to step out onto it when he took his shower.

  The thought suddenly occurred to her that Lancelot Jones must be fully aware that she was just one door away from him, and that she was completely naked. Would he be envisioning that just about now, wishing he could have a look?

  A heady blush crept over her entire body, and she made quick work of putting on some of the clothes they’d bought for her to camp in. Her long, full head of tawny curls would take forever to dry if she left it to its own devices, and doubtless would become full of snarls as well, so she surreptitiously swept her wand over it, using a few drying spells to make some order out of the chaos.

  Worried about her appearance for some unaccountable reason, she perused herself in the small mirror for a moment. Not perfect, but at least passable, she decided. Besides, she couldn’t possibly wake up looking good no matter what she did now, anyway. When she realized she was stalling, Felicity forced herself to open the door.

  Smirking just a little as she came out, she glanced over to find Lance standing next to the bed. He looked very much as though he might have been pacing. She didn’t say anything, and neither did he, but the tension between the two of them was palpable.

  “Right, then, I won’t be long,” said Lance as he walked stiffly past her and headed for the tiny bathroom. “You can go ahead and get into bed, if you’d like.”

  “Sure,” said Felicity with a deep, crimson blush.

  While Lancelot Jones was completely naked just one door away from her, Felicity contemplated the so-called bed. If she were to curl up as close to the wall as possible, there might be just enough room for Lance to squeeze in when he came out to join her there.

  Sighing, she did her best to put the plan into action. She pulled the single blanket over herself for warmth, and tried to go to sleep, but of course she couldn’t do it.

  Not while she was so aware that she’d be in a bed with a man for the first time in just a few minutes. A man she’d been kissing not two hours ago. A man she’d dreamed about every night since the day they’d met.

  No, she doubted very much she’d be able to sleep at all.

  )0(

  Lancelot was dripping wet, standing in the bathroom, and his body was completely out of his control. He knew that he needed to behave himself when he came out to join the beautiful woman waiting in bed for him, but the more stubborn part of his anatomy just wouldn’t listen to reason.

  He contemplated making an attempt to tame the beast before he went out, just so he wouldn’t frighten the poor girl, but the thought of Felicity hearing him kept that option from being one he wished to choose. And he knew she would hear him, too, since the degree of his desi
re was so great as to prohibit any control once he took it in hand.

  So, that meant his only hope was that she would be asleep, or that she would not be looking at him when he came out the door. Given enough time, he might make it under the covers before she saw the true state of things and made a bee-line for the exit door.

  Or perhaps she would see it, and decide to take the matter into her own hands, said the more carnal side of his brain. Visions of just how she might accomplish such a thing began to assail his already overwhelmed senses, and he had to adjust the belt on the pants he’d just put on to a looser rung.

  “There’s nothing for it, old boy,” he told himself. “You can’t stay in the bathroom all bloody night.”

  Lancelot stepped gingerly out into the main room and looked at the way Felicity had positioned herself on the bed. His lower region throbbed even harder as the outline of her sweet arse met his eager eyes.

  “Felicity, my dear girl, you do know that lying that way is considered highly erotic by some men, do you not?” he whispered into her ear as he sat beside her on the tiny bed and began to rub her all down the side of her body from shoulder to hip, then cupped one cheek of her arse as he kissed the side of her head.

  With a little gasp, Felicity rolled flat on her back and looked sheepishly up at him. “I hadn’t heard,” she said softly.

  “I happen to be one of them,” he mentioned as he got under the covers and laid circumspectly on his back, willing himself not to touch her anymore lest he couldn’t behave in a gentlemanly manner.

  “Sorry,” she said softly, taking up a pose similar to his own, and for very similar reasons. “Let’s just try to get some sleep, shall we?”

  “Yes, let’s,” he agreed.

  Lancelot lay beside Felicity with a thudding heart as he willed himself to be still. He thought he would never drift off to sleep, but when he suddenly found himself immersed in a dream, he realized that he had.