Michael glanced in the rear-view mirror. “Just be glad that in your smaller form, he couldn’t scent you that well, or you might be ash by now”
He roared, only it sounded more like a growl. “Britain nearly fell because of him. I want my revenge.”
“And perhaps you’ll get it,” Michael said, “but the time isn’t right. We need to keep you hidden as much as possible. The media went into a frenzy over that sighting. We can’t afford for anyone to see you too.”
“At least, we weren’t the target this time,” Sophie said. “The reporters took it as some strange phenomenon associated with that purple light.”
“Only because the dragon flew through so fast that people hardly could see what he was. At least, he didn’t spot us.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” Pendragon said. “Dragons have eyesight sharper than an eagle’s.”
Sophie turned in her seat to look back at him. “Then why did he leave us alone? We were easy targets out in the street like that.”
“I doubt that we’ll come to any harm until we find the sword,” Michael said. “Balor doesn’t know where to look this time, so his best hope is to have us followed.”
“But then why let us know about the white dragon? Wouldn’t he want to keep Sigurd as a secret weapon?”
“No doubt,” Michael replied, “but you may have noticed, dragons are not exactly docile animals.”
“Damn right,” Pendragon said from where he sat.
“They don’t always follow rules either,” Michael added with another glance in the mirror.
“Why should we?” Pendragon asked. “We were here before you were and we aren’t afraid of demons either.”
“Balor is a more powerful than your average demon,” Michael replied.
“Hmmph!” Pendragon thumped his tail hard.
“Careful!” Michael said. “We have to turn this car back in. Anyway, it’s just as well that we know Sigurd is out there. He’s probably wearing a GPS device as well, so Balor can put his human minions on our trail.”
Sophie looked from the dragon to Michael. “Maybe we should just abandon this idea. If Balor doesn’t know where the sword is and it stays hidden, wouldn’t that work out just fine?”
Michael shook his head. “Remember when I told you the relics would stay hidden for years only to resurface when there was a need for them?”
“Yes, but—“
“We wouldn’t have been called to do this, Sophie, if something big wasn’t getting ready to happen.”
“You mean like more terrorism?”
“That’s only a start,” Michael said. “Something is looming on the horizon that is bad enough—evil enough—to destroy human kind. Totally.”
* * * *
“It’s hard to believe there was actually a fort all the way down here during the Civil War,” Sophie said the next day as they sped down the Overseas Highway that spanned crystal turquoise waters. Waving palms trees and sea-grape vines pushed up from the sand on small islands that greeted them along the way. Dolphins frolicked in the shallow waters, spraying droplets that sparkled like diamonds in the sunshine. Sports fishermen zoomed past in expensive vessels, leaving wakes that spewed white foam behind them. Farther out, majestic sailboats glided slowly across flat seas. She took a deep, contented breath, the first in days. “It’s hard to think that battles were fought in this paradise.”
“Lots of battles were fought here even before the Civil War,” Michael said. “Indians, Spanish Conquistadors, pirates, Caribbean islanders—“
“Googling again?” Sophie asked with a smile. She was beginning to appreciate the hidden academic in him. With his sexy grin and smoldering dark eyes—not to mention a body that belonged on a romance cover—it was way too easy to react to him physically and forget the man had a brain. Just what kind of a female version of a chauvinist was she turning into?
He smiled back. “I just like to know a little bit about the places I’m going. Are you hungry?”
“I guess. Breakfast was a long time ago.”
“Good. Ever had conch fritters?” he asked as he pulled into the parking lot of a Dairy Queen mid-way down the island chain.
“I don’t think so.”
“Then you’re in for a real treat.”
“Do they have ice cream here?” Pendragon asked.
Michael rolled his eyes. “That’s pretty much of a sure thing. I’ll be right back.”
Ten minutes later, they were on the road again, Sophie savoring the crispy fried morsels of conch meat and Pendragon happily slurping up what had to be the biggest dish of ice cream that Dairy Queen had ever sold.
“I know you said the sword would be found in the South because of the Celtic calendar and the symbolism,” Sophie said as she licked her fingers, “but if one of the Priory scholars brought it here, wouldn’t the South have won the war?”
“Good point,” Michael replied, “but remember, the spear had actually been seen during World War II. I suspect the other relics may have surfaced around that time as well.”
“So why pick a Civil War site to hide the sword then? Why not a World War site?”
“Too new. If the relics did surface during the 1940’s, there weren’t any museums
built yet to honor the war—and the war was not fought on American soil. Besides, the irony of hiding the sword that never lost a battle in some designated Confederate spot would be the perfect cover.”
“Well, Key West is as far south as you can get,” Sophie said.
“That’s what I’m hoping,” Michael answered.
And yet, several hours later, they walked out of the historical museum located in the East Martello Tower disappointed.
“We’ve still got Fort Taylor State Park to look at as well as Fort Jefferson.”
Sophie raised her brows. “Going to the Dry Tortugas will be a whole day event. Do you think we can leave Pendragon that long?”
“I’ll get him some ice cream,” Michael said as they headed back to the SUV, “and make sure the “Do Not Disturb” sign is on the door. Meanwhile, we can play tourist tonight and hit Mallory Square and Pirate’s Alley.”
“It would be nice to relax for a few hours and not worry about the sword,” Sophie admitted, “or dragons.”
Michael grinned. “Well, we have one dragon who unfortunately is turning out to be an excellent chaperone.”
Sophie felt herself blush. She had been thinking about breaking free of her more stoic self for one night and joining the revelers on Duval Street. She’d been here once with friends while she was in college. It had been a wild and unforgettable night. She’d actually gotten drunk or maybe it was stoned. She’d never smoked pot, but plenty of people that night did and she remembered the pungent odor. Afterwards, she’d staggered off with a guy who looked a lot like Michael. That had been the first time a man had spread her legs over his shoulders and licked her there—as if on cue, dampness grew between her thighs. If Michael…
She heard his soft laughter and felt her face heat even more. “Are you reading my mind?” she demanded as she tried to manage a glare.
“A little. You had your shields way down.” He chuckled and put his arm around her shoulder casually and then leaned over to whisper in her ear. “If that’s what you want, all you have to do is ask.”
His warm breath tickled her nape, sending delightful tingles down her spine while his hand draped over her collarbone, his fingertips a hairsbreadth away from brushing the tops of her breast. She felt like her knees had jellied. Her traitorous body was doing it to her again. She wanted this man. Shouldn’t want him. Men were trouble, her rational mind said. Her body’s every nerve fiber screamed otherwise.
They reached the car and Michael dropped his hand to open the door for her. Even though the late afternoon air was warm and humid, the place where his arm had been suddenly felt cold.
He grinned again as he pulled the seatbelt out for her. “Anytime, Sophie.”
She settled back ag
ainst the headrest while he walked around to the driver’s side. Her thighs quivered. Good God. What if she actually said yes to Michael? She felt herself grow wet and folded her hands tightly in her lap.
Thank God for a dragon chaperone.
* * * *
In spite of the fact that the trip to Fort Jefferson had not turned up any information about the sword, Michael bit back a grin as the boat headed toward the mainland. Sophie had been quiet for most of the trip, behaving very properly. Almost primly. Right now, she was leaning over the rail, seemingly entranced by the crystalline water and the coral reefs below the boat.
But he knew better. She wanted him.
That knowledge, which he had gleaned when she let her shields slip, washed over him like the warm Floridian waters, leaving in their ebb the tendency to want to dive right into the surf and take her with him.
She liked oral sex.
By the Goddess, it was one of his favorite things to do. Making love to a woman—nuzzling , nibbling, licking, suckling, kissing—was not complete until he had fully tasted her. Everywhere.
He would be delighted to nestle between her legs, using his hands to open her folds, inserting a finger into her wet, hot core, spreading the slick juices along those inner lips, teasing her bud with his thumb… He had caught a slight scent of her personal muskiness before, but now he wanted to thoroughly inhale the perfume of her arousal and put his mouth to her, laving slowly back and forth before suckling that little pleasure nub to bring her to climax.
Because now he knew she wanted him. He gathered those erotic images into a thought-form and sent them to her with a gentle nudge. The form bounced back to his mind. Her shields were firmly back in place again.
But he was willing to wait. He was, after all, centuries old.
“We’ll travel up the western coast of Florida and stop at Ft. Myers,” he said as though they’d been having a conversation. “There were a couple of forts along the Caloosahatchee River during the Civil War. Maybe there’s something in the museum there.”
Sophie turned toward him. “Do you really think we’re going to find the sword? This is as far “south” as we can get.”
“We’ve got the entire Gulf coast to check out,” Michael answered, “all the way to Brownsville if necessary.”
“Maybe we should have started looking in Texas then,” she said wryly.
“Texas is more the Gateway to the West rather than the South,” Michael replied and then grinned. “Besides we might not have had a chance to travel together for the past ten days.”
She blushed and he got just a tiny glimpse of her thoughts. She was in bed, naked… Then the shield came back up. Michael felt his groin tighten. He really was not going to enjoy waiting.
Suddenly there was a flurry of movement on the deck as most of the tourists rushed over to the starboard side. “Whale!” someone yelled. “Oh, my God, it’s huge!”
“It’s a great white!” someone else hollered.
Michael frowned. Whales were not common in this area, especially not great whites who preferred colder waters. He took Sophie’s arm and crossed over to the right side. Shading his eyes with his hand, he squinted across the shimmering water.
The surface rippled again as the mammal approached the surface much closer to the boat. Its head broke through and people started screaming.
“Sea monster!”
“It’s Nessie!” a college kid with a long, brown pony-tail yelled.
“Sea dragon,” a woman screamed as the creature dove beneath the surface again.
Michael turned away and looked at Sophie. Her face was unusually pale in the sunlight.
“Sigurd,” he said.
Chapter Sixteen
Balor flicked the ashes off his illegal Cuban cigar, depositing them in a Waterford wine goblet. Damn hotel wouldn’t provide ashtrays, saying they discouraged their patrons from smoking in the rooms. Like Balor cared when he was paying over a thousand dollars a day for the suite.
“What the crap is going on with that dragon?” he asked Lucifer when his brother finally answered his cell on the third attempt to reach him. “The AP is having a damn field-day with the sightings in Charleston and now the Keys. They’re clamoring to know where the vet went too. Sigurd is going to blow our cover. Can’t you control him?”
“Hey, bro,” Lucifer said in a deceptively mild tone. “All I did was defrost him.”
“He’s supposed to be zeroing in on our quarry, not exposing them to the entire world. The fewer people who know what we’re looking for, the better. Have you explained that to him?”
“Yep. Sigurd says he wants to have a little fun after being in the frozen tundra for fifteen hundred years.”
“Well, maybe you could show him how hot hell can be.”
Lucifer laughed. “He breathes fire, remember?”
Balor flicked another ash and wished Morgan were there to suck his dick and relieve some of the tension that was building inside him. He forced himself to sound calm. “How close are you and Landon getting to them?”
“Landon was within twenty feet of them on Church Street.”
“And you?”
“Church Street is a place I’d rather not be. Bad memories,” Lucifer said. “Besides, I’m staying under the radar for now. I had Landon following them in Charleston and on boat over to Fort Jefferson as well. We’ve got them in our sights. They just don’t know it.”
“Good. Is the kid behaving for you?”
Lucifer laughed again. “Of course. He’s willing to do anything to keep me from tearing his ass open. He’s getting pretty good at jerking me off properly.”
Balor laughed too. “I may have to give him a try then, when you’re through with him. Keep me posted and try to keep that damn dragon in line.” He hung up the phone, still feeling strangely frustrated. Getting his balls screwed off sounded like a good idea at the moment. Morgan was too easy. Too accommodating. He wanted to humiliate someone into performing like Lucifer was doing. He reached for the phone. He’d reel Toby in with some excuse and make him do it. The Clark kid hated sucking cock and right now, forcing him would go a long way to vent Balor’s frustration.
* * * *
“What good am I to you if you keep making me stay in motel rooms while you two go looking for the sword?” Pendragon grumbled from the back of the SUV as they turned onto the Tamiami Trail through the Everglades. “Twice now, Sigurd has shown himself. He’s playing with you. Let me shift back and I can destroy him.”
Michael glanced at him in the rear-view mirror. “Maybe because he doesn’t scent you with us, he’s not really sure. Have you thought of that?”
Pendragon rumbled something unintelligible.
Sophie turned in her seat to look back at the dragon and smile. She had grown quite fond of him, partly because his very presence was a deterrent for any kind of amorous advances on Michael’s part. She let her gaze sweep sideways at Michael. His dark eyes were fixed on the road, allowing her to take in the high set of his cheekbones, his straight nose and strong jaw. His tee-shirt pulled taunt over his shoulders and muscles in his forearm flexed as the car rounded a curve a little faster than the speed limit. She sighed. If she were going to be honest with herself, it wasn’t Michael’s advances she feared. It was her reaction to having those strong arms around her, pressing the soft parts of her body against the hard parts of his.
He slanted a look sideways. “Your shields are slipping again.”
She felt herself blush furiously and looked back at Pendragon. The dragon’s lips were curled back from his sharp teeth in what looked like a lecherous grin.
“Stop it! Both of you. I was only thinking about how many more nights on the road before we get back to Dallas.”
Michael’s eyes glittered with amusement. “You still have time to ask me.”
“Ask you what?” Pendragon said.
“Never mind,” Sophie said quickly and turned to look out the window. “Why don’t you two just enjoy the scenery?”
“I am,” Michael said with a grin.
“I meant—Look. There’s an alligator.”
Pendragon stuck his snout out the rear window they’d opened for him and caught the gator’s scent. “He’s a relative of dragons. Where are his wings?”
“Alligators don’t fly,” Michael replied, “even though there might be some resemblance to you.”
“Hmph.” Pendragon answered. “This seems like a strange world around here.”
“It is,” Sophie answered, glad to change the subject. “What looks like acres of saw grass waving in the wind are actually marshy sloughs that flow toward the ocean.
The trees you see standing in ponds of water are cypress and the other that look like they’re raised up are hardwoods growing on islands called hammocks.”
“Now who’s been Googling?” Michael asked.
“Not Googling,” she replied, refusing to give in to his sexy smile—the one with no dimple. “Biology. I’m a vet, remember? The Everglades is home to a variety of species—interesting birds like anhingas and bald eagles, poisonous pit vipers, deadly coral snakes, boas and pythons too. Deer and alligators, small game as well. And, of course, the endangered panther.”
Michael’s grin widened. “Okay, Teacher. Tell us more.”
She ignored his taunt. This, at least, was a safe subject. “Male cats can weigh as much as two hundred twenty pounds. They’re territorial. Two males can’t stay in the same territory. Their main prey are deer—“
“Stop!” Pendragon interrupted.
Michael slowed the car, pulling over to the sandy shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“Sigurd is here. I can smell him.” Without waiting for an answer, Pendragon leapt out the window.
“Damn it, get back in here!”
Pendragon paid no attention, lifting his wings instead and flying toward a cypress grove not far away.
Michael cursed again and opened his door to get out. “You stay put,” he said to Sophie. “Who knows what’s out there.” Turning, he ran for the grove.
“Like I’m going to obey you.” Sophie got out and followed him, hobbling as fast as she could. She could hear both of them slushing through shallow waters. For a moment, she thought of water moccasins. Then she squared her shoulders. They were making so much noise and movement that any smart snake would get out of the way. She just hoped the gators basking on the sun-warmed mud banks would be too lazy to move. What time did they feed anyway?
The Immortals II: Michael Page 17