“He did. The man who I thought was my enemy taught me more about myself in the few short minutes when we first met than my father had in all the years he’d raised me.” Gilliam raked a hand through his silver hair. “My father had filled me with conceit and hatred. Your father filled me with hope and optimism. I saw the world through his eyes for a moment. It was like being reborn.”
“I wish I’d met him,” Ivan said. “I mean I wish I had been old enough to remember him.”
“I’m sorry you never had the chance to spend time with him. To talk to him.” Gilliam smiled, his expression unreadable. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks, Gilliam.” Ivan turned to face the wall. “So, let’s do this. The treasure that’s hidden here is the closest I’ll ever get to my father. It’s the only thing I’ll ever touch that was a part of him.”
“Are you ready?” Gilliam asked.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Larisa argued. “Hannah said that if you shift, the spell will break and everyone will see you as you are.”
“There’s no one else here,” Gilliam assured her. “Really, you are safe. I have taken precautions to protect this place and what your father entrusted me for safekeeping.”
“I have to do this,” Ivan told her. “It’s the only way.”
Larisa glanced at Karros who nodded. She had to believe in Gilliam too even though trusting a fae seemed so unnatural to her.
“You should let go of your prejudices, too,” Gilliam told her.
“I don’t have any prejudices,” Larisa replied.
“Don’t you?” Gilliam asked. “Since you arrived, whenever you look at me, it’s with dislike, yet we don’t know each other.”
She lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry.” She shook her head but couldn’t shake off the feeling that she shouldn’t trust him. “I don’t know why.”
“It’s part of who you are.” He looked up at the walls around them. “And part of where you are.”
“What do you mean?” Larisa asked.
“We’re standing in the last stronghold of the ancient elves. It’s one of the many reasons fae don’t come here. It makes their skin crawl. They feel as if they are being watched. Being judged.” He chuckled. “It’s suited me well.”
“Why would that affect me?” Larisa asked. “I have never been here before. I come from the world beyond.”
“Some things are in our blood, and I believe that coming here triggered something inside of you.” He tapped the side of his head. “Like an old forgotten memory.”
“An innate memory.” Zara moved closer to Larisa and took her hand. “It’s okay. Let Ivan do this. I’ll stay with you.”
“Thanks, Zara.” She looked at Ivan who smiled briefly before moving away from them.
“I still don’t like it,” she whispered to Zara.
“I know and if anything goes wrong, I’ll shift into a bear and deal with Gilliam.” She squeezed Larisa’s hand. “Ivan might not have brought his brothers with him, but he still has family by his side.”
Larisa leaned on Zara’s shoulder. “Sisters need to stick together.”
“They do.” Zara held her breath as the air surrounding Ivan popped and fizzed. Then the man disappeared from view.
For a moment they were alone, and the sense of loss hit Larisa profoundly. She wanted to reach out and drag Ivan back from wherever it was he’d gone. Then, the large shape of a dragon loomed before her. Zara’s breath caught in her throat, and she shook as the dragon took form, growing bigger, its features clearer with each passing second.
Larisa glanced at Gilliam. She needed to keep a close eye on him in case the fae decided Ivan was the dragon he could kill to start a war between the fae and the dragon shifters. However, the fae stood with a look of wonder on his face and tears in his eyes. As Ivan’s dragon finally appeared in his full glory, Gilliam dropped to his knees as if he were praying to his god.
“I never thought I’d see a dragon again. Sometimes I’d wake up in the night and swear the whole thing was a figment of my imagination. That I’d spent my whole life shut away here for nothing.” He inhaled deeply but kept his head bent as the dragon stepped closer to him and sniffed his head.
“Why don’t you get up, Gilliam?” Larisa let go of Zara’s hand and hooked her hand under his elbow. “Ivan needs his treasure, and he needs you to help him find it.”
“He doesn’t need me.” Gilliam rose unsteadily to his feet. “If he’s the son of Andor, he’ll know exactly how to find his treasure.”
“Ivan.” Larisa placed her hand on his massive head. “Do you know where it is? Do you know how to find the treasure?”
The dragon stared at Gilliam, his eyes unblinking. Then he nudged Larisa back, pushing her away from the wall where they’d searched for a way through. Larisa reached for Zara, and they all moved backward, including Gilliam. Did Ivan know what to do?
Ivan’s dragon kept one eye on them, while he approached the wall and sniffed it. Larisa watched, barely breathing as he searched for...what? What could the dragon see, or sense, that they couldn’t find?
Was there a secret door there? One only Ivan could see?
The dragon swished his tail from side to side, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as if building up momentum. Suddenly he stepped sideways toward the wall and smashed his thick serpent-like tail into the stonework.
Larisa ducked and covered her head as the wall crumbled but Ivan’s dragon positioned his body to prevent any of the rocks and stones from hitting his friends. As she straightened up, Ivan’s dragon stepped forward and turned to face the hole he’d made in the wall. Only it wasn’t exactly a hole.
“What happened?” Karros had moved to shield his mate from the debris even though it hadn’t been necessary.
“Ivan has found the way to his treasure,” Gilliam replied.
“Does this mean you believe he is Andor’s son?” Larisa asked.
“I believed it the moment I saw him. He looks uncannily like his father.” Gilliam glanced at Larisa. “You might not approve of my methods but after guarding the treasure for so long, I had to make sure. I had to let Ivan find the way for himself.”
“And now what?” Zara hung back as bits of plaster continued to fall from the gaping archway.
“Now we follow Ivan to his treasure.” Gilliam stepped forward. “I haven’t laid eye on it since I helped Andor carry it in here. We were in such a rush, I never had time to appreciate its beauty.” Gilliam hung back as if unsure of himself.
“Did you block the archway up?” Larisa asked.
“Yes. Andor had been banished from the dragon isle. I got the spell of concealment from Hannah, and he worked tirelessly to bring his treasure here from the dragon isle. It was dangerous but he wanted it to be kept safe. He knew the chances were that no dragon would think of looking for it here.”
“They didn’t know about your friendship?” Karros asked.
“No. Andor was a good friend and kept my secret. No one knew I ever visited the dragons.” Gilliam’s faraway expression filled with sadness. “This was the last thing I ever did for my good friend.”
“Gilliam.” Larisa placed her hand on his arm. “What you did, you repaid Andor many times over. No one could have expected more from you.” Her mouth turned down at the corners. “I’m sorry for not believing you had Ivan’s best interest at heart.”
“Don’t apologize, Larisa. I am glad that you questioned me. To know that Ivan has a mate like you watching his back gives me hope,” Gilliam said.
“Hope for what?” Larisa glanced toward the archway, wanting to follow Ivan but also needing to know what Gilliam expected of her.
“That Ivan can reclaim his birthright and become the dragon his father would have wanted him to be.” Gilliam watched Ivan as he headed down the hallway beyond the arch.
“And what kind of dragon is that?” Larisa asked. If Ivan’s father had been banished, did this mean he had done something bad on the dragon i
sle? Everyone they’d met who knew Andor had said he was a good man. Her father adored him.
But had he become a good man from the ashes of bad life choices?
Perhaps Andor wasn’t such an innocent person after all. Perhaps the dragon who had killed him had done so to protect others.
Would Andor break Ivan’s heart from beyond the grave?
Chapter Twenty-Two – Ivan
Ivan’s dragon shook off the last of the rubble that had fallen on him when he bashed down the walls. Thankfully none of the small stones were stuck in his scales because that would have been uncomfortable.
With a glance over his shoulder to check that the others were all following, he ambled down the corridor with his senses on full alert. Hannah’s spell had broken the moment he’d shifted from human to dragon, he hadn’t realized how muted his senses were until he was free of the spell.
The song in his head had changed, it was no longer like a mental torment. Instead, it was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. It called to him as if serenading him.
Hannah’s spell somehow twisted the pull of our treasure, his dragon said. It made it into something akin to pure agony. Instead of pure joy.
Perhaps that’s what other people would hear, Ivan replied. If a non-dragon shifter ever heard the treasure calling to them, they would hear the dismal sound of doom.
His dragon’s heart soared as they drew closer to the treasure. It was here, he could feel it. So close he could almost reach out and touch it.
Do you think we have to tear the palace down some more to find it? His dragon lashed his tail from side to side, ready to dismantle the palace brick by brick if he needed to.
Perhaps. But if we do, we need to be certain no one gets hurt. Ivan desperately wanted to find his treasure but not at the expense of anyone else.
Not if it meant putting our mate at risk. His dragon puffed smoke out of his nostrils and swung his large head around to look back over his shoulder. The others were following him. Not too close, they were giving the dragon all the space he needed.
Or perhaps they were wary of him and the damage he might do.
It’s close. His dragon hurried forward despite the confines of the narrow corridor. As he reached the end, it branched into two and he paused, looking left and right. It’s down there.
Down there, meant entering a tunnel through an open doorway. Beyond the doorway, there was no light to show them what was lurking in the shadows. However, Ivan’s dragon sensed the treasure was close and he intended to find it. They had come too far to give up now.
And whatever was down there, he was willing to face. As long as his friends weren’t in any danger.
Ivan pushed his senses out. There was no one here except for him and the four people following behind him. If there was danger ahead, it would be in the form of a trap. But he doubted his father or Gilliam would want to hurt him.
If we trust Gilliam. His dragon growled, the rumble emanating out from his chest as he took another step forward into the tunnel. If the fae hurt us or our friends, then they will pay. They will start a war. If not with the dragons on dragon isle then with me.
If there is a trap, the only fae who should pay is Gilliam. We have fae friends, remember? Ivan soothed his dragon. The pull of the treasure was so strong, it was hard to control his emotions. He needed to find it. He needed to touch it.
The tunnel descended quickly, leading down steeply over rough rocks that protruded from the ground enough to trip the unwary. He wanted to warn the others since it was too dark for them to see, but the flare of a flame behind him illuminated the tunnel. Gilliam was prepared.
Ivan’s fears subsided.
Gilliam had their back. He was their father’s friend.
The dragon rushed forward, his sides rubbing against the rough stone walls, loosening the dirt which fell to the ground in a rivulet of dust. A whisper of fresh air caressed his face and he looked to his left, where another tunnel ran upwards. His shifter senses of direction told him the tunnel would come out somewhere in the surrounding forest. An escape route.
A weakness, his dragon hissed. Someone could have come down here and stolen the treasure.
I’m sure our father and Gilliam made sure that wasn’t possible, Ivan answered.
We’re here. His dragon stopped as the tunnel opened up into a large cave. The treasure was so close, his scales stood on end as he stared into the gloom.
Drawing in a long breath, his dragon heated the air and then blew it out in a gentle bloom of fire. Before them, the ground glowed gold, while a shimmer of silver reflected the flames.
Amazing. His dragon let the fire die out and then stepped forward. One step, two steps, his feet touched a stream of gold coins and he stopped. Lifting his head, he breathed fire once more, the flame lighting up the hoard of treasure that had waited for him since his father died.
His dragon didn’t move at first, too in awe of the sight before him. Then as the flame dissipated and left them in darkness, he walked forward, climbing onto the pile of treasure. Like a mother bird preparing to sit on her eggs, he settled down, shuffling his belly until he was comfortable. Then he rested his chin on his outstretched legs and absorbed the song his treasure sang, like a lullaby.
The dragon closed his eyes and reveled in his find. It was as if he was whole at last. How lucky could one dragon be to find his treasure and his mate?
“Ivan.” Larisa’s voice called him back as he wallowed in the nearness of his gold and jewels.
His dragon opened one eye and searched the cave for her. She was close. He moved his head to the right and the flickering flame of a torch brought his eyes in focus.
“Ivan, are you all right?” Her concern was evident, but she didn’t come any closer. Was she afraid of him? Afraid of the effect of his treasure.
The dragon rose onto four legs and padded toward her. With his head low, he rubbed against her thigh and smiled his dragon smile.
She let out a long breath and cupped his face with her free hand. “You found it.”
The dragon looked over his shoulder as the torch illuminated the treasure. He had.
But this was not the end of his journey. This was the start.
Ivan’s dragon dug his talons into the pile of treasure and listened to the sound of coins rolling over pieces of jewelry like a stream rolls over rocks on the riverbed. Then he let go of the world. The air shimmered around him. For an instant, there was nothing then his human form appeared before Larisa.
“You’re back.” She looked relieved and her fear slipped away as she came toward him without hesitation. “I was worried about you.”
“I’m fine,” he told her.
“Do you need this?” She held up one of the vials, the contents swirled around like a distant galaxy in the night sky.
If the sky was a crimson red, his dragon said drily.
“No. I’m fine. If Gilliam says it’s safe for me to be here without it, I’d like to be me for a while.” Ivan reached out his hands to her and she went to him, hugging him tightly while holding the torch above her head.
“So this is your treasure.” She peered around him, her heart beating rapidly in her chest.
“This is my treasure.” He sighed as he turned around and looked at it. “I wasn’t bothered about finding it when I first got the tiara. But it’s a part of me.”
“It’s also a link to your family. To your father.” She patted him on the chest. “And it’s yours. You should have it.”
“But what now?” He let go of Larisa and hunkered down to inspect individual pieces of jewelry.
We need to find a ring for our mate, his dragon suggested.
We do. But we should take our time. We need to make sure we choose the right ring. Ivan cupped his hand and scooped the treasure up, letting it fall back to the ground.
“What do you want to do now?” Larisa crouched down by his side as the others entered the cave.
“Wow!” Karros stopped in his tracks, while Zara c
overed her mouth with her hands.
“It looks just the same as when we carried the treasure here.” Gilliam didn’t move closer to the treasure, he hung back by the cave entrance.
“It’s been here all this time?” Zara asked. “You never came and checked on it?”
“No.” Gilliam pointed toward the other tunnel. “Andor blocked that entrance up with a heavy boulder. Then I sealed up the entrance that led into the palace. There was no way down here.”
“So the tunnels were already here?” Larisa asked. “And the cave?”
Gilliam nodded. “The stories say that they were used to harbor the elves during the war.”
“Oh.” Larisa stood up and wrapped her free arm across her body. “Did they die here?”
Gilliam seemed to shrink as he nodded. “Some. They weren’t killed by my people. Not directly. They died of hunger and sadness. It was their sadness that drove them to leave and never return.”
“Are they the ghosts that are said to haunt the palace?” Larisa asked.
“They are.” He gave a short laugh. “I’ve lived here for decades and never seen a ghost. But I suppose I did encourage it. Stories are a good way to scare people. A good ghost story is the best.”
“Because those ghost stories kept people away.” Ivan’s eyes were drawn to a sapphire ring that seemed to glow in the light of the flame. He leaned forward and picked it up. The blue stone was surrounded by perfectly cut diamonds. White and blue combined into something magical. The ring reminded him of his mate.
Ivan turned to Larisa, the temptation to go down on one knee and ask her to marry him almost too much.
“What happens now?” Larisa stepped away from Ivan and approached Gilliam. “There’s a nice big hole in the wall and anyone could come down here and steal Ivan’s treasure.”
“That’s up to Ivan,” Gilliam replied. “I can repair the wall. I can conceal the treasure. Or you can take it with you.”
“You could buy that restaurant you always wanted,” Karros reminded him.
“I like my life just the way it is,” Ivan replied.
“Thanks.” Larisa turned to face him.
The Dragon Shifter's Desire: A Wishing Moon Bay Shifter Romance Page 15