by Dianna Love
“I’m here now, dragon. What do you want?”
“Are you so senile you’ve forgotten my name, druid?” Daegan countered, wanting to poke at him a bit.
Garwyli’s snow-white beard hid most of his smile, but his eyes twinkled enough to give life to his humor. “Perhaps. Of course, if that is the case then you’re wastin’ your time lookin’ for answers from me.”
Well done, druid. Daegan chuckled then turned serious. “I need your advice. We’re losin’ human children belongin’ to Belador warrior families. We’ve retrieved some, but for every one we find, we lose two. I think Queen Maeve has her coven members in the human world workin’ with trolls to steal the children, and I’m pretty sure she wants to use them to get to me.”
“That would fit from what I know of her and the Medb.”
“I’m concerned that she’s usin’ this to pull me away from Treoir so she can attack the island. I’ve had our guard beefin’ up our security and I’ve repaired the areas breached when she sent the gryphons in to attack.”
“Then we should be fine here.”
“I hope so,” Daegan said. “But I also worry about some Belador warriors who have packed up their families and moved in the middle of the night. That means they don’t believe I can protect my people. I’m not sure what I should do about them.”
Giving Daegan a long look, Garwyli asked, “Are you intendin’ to sanction them?”
“No. I would do the same to protect my family, but ... you’ve been here far longer than I. Do you feel that once I stop the Medb from harmin’ our children, the families who left will return?”
“I think they’ll wait to see if it is indeed safe, then, yes. Why would they stay alone when they would be safer with Beladors they know?”
“That’s what I think, but we have no castle in their world for protectin’ them.”
“You want another castle?”
“To tell you the truth, yes, but it’s not so easy to do these days. I have not had enough time to prove myself to them or they wouldn’t leave. I know I can build a formidable force if we can show the Belador families that we stopped the Medb attacks.”
Garwyli said, “Then that is the answer to your question. A warrior will follow the leader he or she respects. Prove yourself by stoppin’ this attack and I think you’ll be fine.”
Daegan hoped so. He found it frustrating to rule from Treoir when the bulk of his forces were in the human realm. “There is one more thing. I must protect Brina. I haven’t told anyone except Tristan that I’ve been hunting the gravesite of my sister. It has to be on this island.”
Garwyli stroked his beard. His wrinkled eyes almost closed when he narrowed them. “Are you sure her body is buried here?”
“It has to be for Macha to have retained power. She and Maeve made pacts with my father that involved my two sisters. Macha’s pact was to protect the sister who came to live here, which she did a poor job of, and to take over protectin’ future generations when my sister passed. My father made it clear that my sister had to be buried on Treoir for Macha to hold that power.”
Cocking his head to the side, Garwyli said, “Why do you need your sister’s body?”
“I need a ring my sister wore that increased her power as long as she was on the island. I want to give it to Brina.” He held in his pain at talking about that sister. She had been his favorite, because the other one ... well, that one had been a disappointment. Even so, if Maeve had delivered the body of the sister given into her care, Daegan could have removed that ring.
He loved his father, but those had been terrible agreements. His father had even said so, which was why Daegan had been conceived with the plan for a Treoir dragon who could protect the land and his family.
Daegan had failed everyone when he allowed Queen Maeve to capture and curse him.
“You misunderstand me, Daegan. I’m askin’ if you know for sure your sister is buried here, as in ... are you sure she’s dead?”
Daegan took a step back. “I heard of her death when I was trapped in TÅμr Medb, cursed as the queen’s dragon throne. Where would my sister be if she had not died?”
“Perhaps that is the question you should be askin’.”
This was no help at all. “Thank you, Garwyli.”
“I was not here when all of that took place, Daegan. I came later at Macha’s request.”
Impatient to get back to his other problems, Daegan said, “I understand. You can’t help me find her body.”
Sighing long and loud, the druid said, “I’m not a crystal ball to spout answers at will, but I do see more with my eyes open than others do with their minds made up.”
Daegan knew when he was being reprimanded for dismissing the old druid’s question. “I’m not ignorin’ what you say, Garwyli, but how could she still be alive?”
“’Tis a good question. I would ask how is it that you are still alive?”
“I’m a dragon.”
“She inherited your father’s dragon blood as well.”
“You think she’s still here? Somewhere on the island?”
“I have no idea where she is, but accordin’ to what you’ve told me I think we should consider all possibilities, though I also don’t want to get your hopes up only to have you be hurt again later.”
Poor old Garwyli was doing his best to give Daegan reason to hope. If he told the druid what someone had said recently, would Garwyli be just as encouraging or finally tell him to stop chasing dreams?
Instead, Daegan joked, “While we’re at it, maybe we’ll find another dragon or two.”
“Why would you think you are the only one to survive this long? You are immortal.”
You don’t even know about the others, murmured through Daegan’s mind.
Those words had haunted him for over a month. Just talking to the druid raised a powerful longing for there to still be dragons.
Then reality set in.
The dragons were all killed because Daegan had not been there to fight alongside them.
Garwyli had a gift of bringing cheer into everyone’s life and was trying to do that for Daegan, but some things had to be accepted.
“Weren’t you around durin’ the great dragon slaughters?” Daegan asked, bitter every time he thought of how he could have saved his father and their allies if he had not walked into Maeve’s trap and ended up a throne.
“Yes, I was around. It was a dark time for all of us.” Garwyli sighed with great sadness. “That was one reason I went away for a while, to find peace. But here I am today, talkin’ to you when we both should not be. It is a puzzle of sorts to work out. But you can’t solve a puzzle unless you believe an answer can be found.”
Those words eating at Daegan pushed him to ask this so he could convince himself to let it go and get back to caring for his people. “One more thing, Garwyli. Did you hear of the battle we fought in the human world six weeks ago to keep Kizira’s body from the Medb?”
“Tristan did inform me. He was quite proud to shift into his gryphon form to fight at your side.”
“I was proud of him as well. He’s turnin’ out to be an excellent Rí Dtús. I couldn’t ask for a better second in command. When we slew our enemies, we discovered the warriors had Belador abilities. They were Laochra Fola.”
That surprised Garwyli. “Weren’t those the warriors Belatucadros kept for himself after endowin’ Beladors with powers?”
“Yes, but when we found them in Atlanta, they were being led by Lorwerth, a bastard brother to my father. He was condemned to live in the Anwynn underworld for eternity, but someone freed him. I did not find out who negotiated his freedom, but as Lorwerth died he said somethin’ about ‘you don’t even know about the others.’ I pressed him for more, but he only said blood kin and she.” Daegan felt ridiculous for clinging to the words of a man like Lorwerth, but he wanted a straight answer. “A moment ago you challenged me to think beyond myself when I dismissed the possibility of my sisters or any other dragon being alive.
Please, no puzzles or cryptic words. Do you think there could truly be more ... dragons?”
Pondering a moment, Garwyli said, “You must always realize that in our world of nonhumans, anythin’ is possible. Before you returned, no one believed dragons still existed. The best answer I can give you is that it’s possible.”
Daegan was a fool to wish for this, but he couldn’t stop wondering. The only way he could mate would be with one who possessed dragon blood.
Chapter 10
Realm of Tuatha Dé Danann
Dakkar felt like whistling, but Macha had been in a foul mood for more than a month and hearing anyone happy around her set the goddess off.
He hoped what he had to report would change her mood, though nothing short of handing her the head of that dragon was going to please her. Her frame of mind had gone so far downhill, he’d failed to tease her out of it with hours of making love. She was an insatiable wench, but without passion these days.
A weaker man would take that to heart and feel a failure, but he knew his ability with a naked woman.
It mattered not. He would keep Macha satisfied and partnering with him so that when he handed her the dragon and Treoir, she would in turn give him what he needed to reach his goal. One she need not know of yet.
“How’s the most underappreciated goddess feeling today?” he asked as he strolled in.
Macha sat neck-deep in a marble tub, which required two steps up to reach the platform holding it. She soaked in a bath filled with ... he sniffed. Champagne and lilac. Interesting mixture and he had no doubt it was the finest champagne to be had.
She adjusted her cloud of hair the color of a deep-red sunset, placing the thick mass against a plush, silk pillow that hummed a melodic tune. He loved it when her green eyes turned dark as he made love to her. She had a face that challenged the word perfection and lips fit for a goddess, but he was the man who owned her in the sack.
Eyeing him with a pout, she said, “I am bored beyond belief. I want my island back.”
“I know, love.” He heard the same refrain every single day, which was why he spent most of his time out in the human world, digging for ways to give her that bloody island and dragon.
He waited for her full attention to say, “I come to you with news.”
She arched a perfect eyebrow. “You always have something to tell me, just not what I want to hear.”
Undeterred, he stepped to the end of her marble tub and dropped to his knees on a lower step, then reached into the water to lift out a foot, which he began to massage.
She closed her eyes.
He kneaded the muscles and received a sexy sound of pain, but nothing like what he could pull from her with a night of role-playing. When she lifted another foot for him, he continued working on her as he spoke.
“I have been making interesting progress.” No overt reaction, so he went on. “I have good news and not-so-good news.”
Muscles in her foot tensed.
“There is no benefit to having a meltdown, Macha.”
She opened her eyes to glare at him. “I will do as I please here.”
“We all know that, but your staff is weary from your constantly putting them in a panic.”
Without any acknowledgment of his point, she said, “What is your news?”
“The Beladors have withdrawn a large percentage of their force from VIPER, leaving the coalition in a lurch.”
She lifted her head and the pillow whined. Macha said, “Shh!” silencing the pillow. She asked Dakkar, “Why did the Beladors do that?”
“Daegan claimed some of the Belador families were losing children to the Medb. Evidently Sen didn’t see that as his problem. He threatened the Beladors with repercussions, but the good news in all this is that VIPER needs agents who can handle deadly preternatural situations. For some reason, trolls are coming into Atlanta and helping the Medb steal children.”
Sitting quietly as sparkling bubbles floated around her glorious breasts, Macha said, “What is Maeve after?”
“My best guess is she’s come up with some new plan for capturing the dragon.”
“No. I want his head!”
Water sizzled and sparked. Steam rose from her churning energy.
Dakkar did not want to be burned, which would happen if that water surged and hit him. He could heal, but he’d just as soon pass on being a boiled mage.
“Macha, please.”
She looked around, just noticing the temperature of her bath and stared at it until the happy champagne returned. She leaned back on the pillow, which sighed and began humming again.
Dakkar dried his hands and stood. “Due to the Beladors pulling out of VIPER, Sen asked if I could help. I was authorized to bring in as many bounty hunters as necessary to cover the assignments. I said I’d do it if my people could stay once I brought them in. He agreed. This gives me an inside line on everything that comes up and an edge as we move forward.”
Macha allowed a contented smile. “That is good news.”
“Quite a bit of good news, right?”
“Yes.”
“It will balance out the not-so-good news that Veronika has escaped.”
Macha shouted, “No! How could they let that happen?”
“My words exactly. I have no idea how she got out, because Sen forbade us talking about it. He said he hopes she goes after the Beladors and the Sterling witch first. If they don’t stop her, then he’ll come up with an attack plan.”
“He’s a moron.”
“Possibly, but I like the way he’s thinking. I’m all for letting someone else deal with her. In the meantime, you need to stay as far from the human world as you can.”
“This is terrible.”
He didn’t see the downside. “Why?”
“Are you sure Maeve and Cathbad are behind terrorizing the Beladors?”
“That’s the logical conclusion since the trolls are being lured in with the offer of Noirre majik. ”
Macha fisted the hand draped on the edge of her tub. “If that bitch Maeve captures Daegan, I will lose my chance to kill him and take all that he has stolen from me.”
“I don’t know about that, Macha. Veronika may get to Daegan before anyone else.”
“She probably doesn’t know a dragon exists. He’s a threat to deities. That means he’s a threat to her as well.”
“My people have been sending me any intel they can scrounge from VIPER. Word is that Veronika knows a secret the Beladors have been hiding, which has to do with their Maistir.”
“Quinn? That fool? He had a fling with Kizira. I don’t care if it did happen when they were both young. He allowed an enemy to manipulate him with sex.”
Who was Dakkar to criticize someone who used his own tactics? “True, but after placing some of my people strategically to make Sen’s life easier, I have learned even more.”
Macha grimaced. “Why make that buffoon’s life easy?”
“Because Sen is the one person in position to do us the most good. When I had possession of the tomb with Kizira’s body—”
“—which you lost.”
Dakkar tamped down on his irritation. “That body was merely a means to an end.”
“The end being to trap that dragon and kill him.”
He deserved an award for patience. “You’re getting off topic. If Veronika does not kill Daegan, I will hand you the dragon. All in good time. But when Quinn was searching for Kizira’s body, evidently he took the Sterling witch in to see Veronika in her cell.”
Macha perked up. “Oh?”
Without changing his expression, Dakkar smiled to himself. “Yes, and when they left, Veronika went into a screaming fit. Since then, she’s been singing that she knows his secret. I don’t think it’s that he had a relationship with Kizira, because everyone from the Tribunal to you to the Medb found out about that, so what else could he be hiding?”
Sounding stumped, Macha muttered, “I have no idea.”
“I will know for sure very
soon, but I’m going to make an educated guess and say that this secret will put Veronika at odds with Daegan. I’ve heard Daegan is taking over as Maistir so that Quinn can be gone to handle something personal. That makes me think Veronika is after something Quinn doesn’t want her to get her hands on.” Dakkar could tell Macha, but he wanted her to reach the same conclusion he had. He asked, “What could Quinn and Kizira have been hiding?”
The goddess sat up quickly.
Champagne rushed over Macha’s creamy white skin and damn, what a pair of tits. He almost didn’t hear her say, “You think they had a child?”
Dragging his gaze from her incredible body, he said, “If they did, everyone will be after a child with Belador and Medb blood. Think of the potential to manipulate that kind of power from the beginning.”
“Daegan would never allow that to happen.”
“Exactly, which is why Daegan will be busy hunting for Veronika while Maeve is stalking his ass.”
“I hate to admit this, but in a one-on-one battle, he might kill Veronika.”
“Yes, with might being the key word if the Medb stay involved.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Sen is hiding Veronika’s escape from his superiors as long as he can. He called me in to strike a deal for the return of Veronika, which we did. She took down one of my hunters. We found his body in a trunk. I intend to find her, make sure she kills the dragon first, then I’ll set my bounty hunters on her.”
She lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “What did you ask for?”
“Sen to support me when I tell the Tribunal you deserve the return of Treoir. Those deities will jump at the chance to have you back where you were.”
Finally, he earned a smile and the promise of more to come.
Chapter 11
Atlanta, GA – Storm and Evalle’s building
When the doorbell to their building dinged, Evalle left the conference room to open the garage entrance for Lanna and Mother Mattie. Storm had offered to pick them up, but Lanna declined politely, which bothered Evalle only because she knew Lanna was comfortable with Storm.