Dragon Ensnared: A Viking Dragon Fairy Tale (Lords of the Dragon Islands Book 7)

by Isadora Montrose

  *Dragon’s Confession

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Severn Island

  Iliana~

  By the time Jareth landed on Severn Island, Iliana would gladly have returned to her cold and weedy forest stream if only it had been possible. Although without the malevolent presence of the wight, their journey had been swift, it had also been pure misery. At least for her.

  Clinging to Jareth’s broad scaly back was hard. Before they had gone a hundred miles her new paws ached and the pads were raw. That was bad enough. But she kept losing control of her dragon form and turning back into a frail woman.

  The icy wind blew straight through her when she was human. Twice she almost fell off Jareth and only saved herself by gripping his tail with her legs. His scales tore the skin of her thighs and before she managed to return to dragon, she was colder than she had ever been.

  As soon as Jareth stopped moving, she rolled off his back and realized that she had once again turned back into a woman. A naked woman. She could hear Lexi’s and Theo’s cries of surprise. Jareth stooped over her and picked her up. So he was also human. She closed her eyes. She could not deal with more drama.

  All she wanted was to sleep. And maybe to eat when she had slept for four or five years. She rested her head against his shoulder – his naked shoulder. And kept her eyes firmly shut.

  “We need blankets, Theo,” Jareth said calmly. “I’ve been flying for more than twenty-four hours straight. My mate is half-frozen. You can debrief us when we’ve slept.” He kept walking.

  Despite her unhappiness, she must have gone to sleep right there in his arms, because the next thing Iliana knew, she was in a soft warm bed, covered with a fluffy blanket. Light was streaming through the window, but she did not want to wake up. She had been having lovely dreams. She was not yet ready to face reality.

  Lexi’s voice spoke by her feet. “You’ve slept for nearly two days, my dear, you simply must eat something after your ordeal.” The princess sounded concerned and welcoming. “You can go back to sleep after you’ve eaten.”

  At Lexi’s command, Iliana opened her eyes. Remembering her liege lady’s prudishness, she sat up cautiously, holding the blanket up to her shoulders. “G-good morning,” she stammered, bewildered by the princess’ solicitude.

  “Theo is waking Jareth up.” Lexi spread a silky green robe on the end of the bed. “This is for you. The facilities are through that door, I’ll wait for you in the hallway and take you to breakfast.” She smiled broadly. “You don’t want to take too long, Jareth will be anxious.”

  “T-thank you.” Iliana waited until the princess had left before putting on the robe. It stopped at her knees but it went all around her new body. The princess had lent her own robe to Iliana! What could that mean?

  The mirror in the bathroom, however, confirmed her worst fears. She was no longer beautiful. Her hair was long, but it was limp and shaggy, the color a dreary brown. Her eyes now a sort of uninspired mixture between green and gray. Her figure was just ordinary. She was just another plain mortal woman. How was she to get Jareth to love such a dumpling?

  If she hadn’t known that the princess was waiting for her, Iliana would have sat down and wept. She hated her new body and face. She hated being a dragoness. She had not liked Jareth drilling her hill. Not at all. And she very much feared she would have to endure it again, for almost certainly she was not with child. It was all very discouraging.

  Lexi’s new friendliness was the most bewildering thing of all. Why was she being so kind? Not wanting to anger the princess, Iliana hurried through her bath and combed her hair with a comb she found on the counter. It was true that it looked a little shinier when it was wet. But how long could that last? Tying her sash tightly, she opened the bedroom door, and went to meet Lexi in her bare feet.

  Lexi held out both hands in the most welcoming way possible. “I am Lexi Lindorm,” she announced.

  Like a blow the realization that the princess did not know who she was swept over Iliana. “It’s me,” she whispered. “Iliana.”

  Lexi’s hands fell. Her smile turned to a frown. “What have you done now?” she stormed.

  “Hel gave me back my soul,” Iliana said pleadingly. “She unbound Rán’s work. I am now a mortal woman.”

  “And a dragoness!”

  “Well, yes. Jareth insisted.”

  “Did he?” Lexi asked skeptically.

  Iliana nodded. “It was very cold and we had no clothes, and he thought I would die if I did not become a dragoness. But I would have refused if I had only known the truth.”

  “What truth would that be, faithless servant?”

  “It always seemed that when the Lord Theodor wished to rut that you enjoyed it too,” Iliana said forthrightly.

  “You’ve been spying on us!”

  “I had no need to spy. If you are going to gambol unclothed in the forest, you should be quieter.” Iliana sighed. It had always appeared as if the princess enjoyed her husband’s attentions. But now she realized that Lexi had not wanted to be caught when she ran from Theo.

  Lexi blushed. “You should have gone away when you heard us,” she said haughtily.

  “Perhaps. Then I should not have been deceived. Or I could have summoned hail and saved you.”

  “Saved me?” Lexi yelped. “I suppose I should be grateful for small mercies,” she muttered obscurely. She drew a steadying breath. “Iliana, do you not like it when Jareth kisses you?”

  “I did. But not the rest of it. And now I am transformed. A mortal and a dragon. And there is no hope for me,” Iliana said despondently.

  “You’ll feel better when you’ve had some food.”

  On cue, Iliana’s stomach rumbled. “I am hungry. Jareth gave me an energy bar, but that was a long time ago.”

  “He and Theo should be in the dining room by now.” For once the princess did not seem disposed to scold. Her lips were pressed tightly together, but Iliana thought she was trying not to laugh. Of course. She was relishing the dashing of Iliana’s hopes on the rocks of reality.

  Iliana followed her mistress with dragging footsteps.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Jareth~

  Someone was shaking his feet. He kicked, but the grip on his ankles tightened. He opened an unwilling eye. The sunlight flooding his room made him blink. Theo, looking as large and reassuring as ever, was bent over his bed.

  “It’s time you were up,” his cousin said. He let go of Jareth’s feet. “The Eldest is eager to hear your voice. Aunt Inge too.”

  “Are they?” His head felt as if it was stuffed with mud. He needed to check on Iliana, not report to Uncle Thorvald.

  “You’ve been gone nearly three weeks, missed your declaration, all without a word. We all thought you were dead. Of course Uncle Thor and Aunt Inge want a look at you.”

  “Oh.” Jareth propelled himself out of bed. “Aunt Inge thinks I’m dead?”

  “Not anymore. I called them as soon as you fell into bed. But that was nearly two days ago. I think they would like to hear your voice and see your face for themselves. You can call them when you’ve had a shower and gotten dressed. No need to frighten them more.”

  Jareth took stock. He was as ripe as a three-day-old fish. His jaw covered in stubble. His hair a bird’s nest. He needed a shower and a shave. And a toothbrush.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, Jareth. But have you grown?”

  “Have I?” He looked down. The floor did seem further away. He remembered how tight his boots and parka had become. “Maybe.”

  His closet confirmed Theo’s observation. His pants were too short, his shirts wouldn’t button, his shoes were too small. Theo’s offered clothes were too large, but at least he could get them on.

  “I don’t understand,” he said as he rolled the sleeves of Theo’s shirt up over his wrists.

  Theo chuckled. “Dragons keep growing into their thirties and forties.”

  “I know that. But I stopped at twenty.” Which wa
s one reason he was so much smaller than his cousins. Had been so much smaller. Was his dragon also larger? That would account for some of the speed of their return.

  “Something has changed, Jareth. Are you ready to tell me what the hell kept you incommunicado for over two weeks?”

  “We took the soul of the Countess Montenegro to Hel.”

  He had managed to astonish the stolid Theo. “What?”

  “Her wraith attacked us – me – that day on the yacht. Iliana and I defeated her. Then we delivered the countess where she should have gone on the day she died.”

  “Huh.”

  ***

  Iliana was huddled at the breakfast table across from Lexi, her eyes downcast and her face drawn. The flight from Hel had obviously been harrowing to his little mate. And she was little. Taller than Lexi, but the statuesque nixie who had faced down the wraith was gone.

  He knew her face now, but she was so subdued, that he wasn’t sure he would have recognized her if not for the impact of her aura on his. She barely flicked an eyelash at him when he sat down beside her.

  “Did you sleep well? “He took her hand and kissed her cheek. He had enjoyed deep and dreamless sleep. He wasn’t fully recovered, but he felt stronger and more vital than he ever had. As if he had recovered from a long and debilitating illness.

  Her head turned. Her lips moved. “Yes. And you?” She was whispering.

  “My sleep was untroubled by specters,” he said. Thanks to his mate. He kept hold of her hand. Just holding it satisfied something deep inside him. He kissed her fingers. They trembled in his. “You need a ring.”

  Iliana retrieved her hand and began to eat again. She remained silent and withdrawn. He supposed regaining your soul had to be more than a little shattering. And of course her appearance had changed. Gone was the tall, muscular warrior woman with breasts the size of melons and hair as bright as a sunset.

  This new Iliana was shorter, plumper. Softer in every way. She now looked normal. Her dead white complexion had been replaced with creamy skin tinged with pink. To him, despite her beauty, the nixie had appeared corpselike. This Iliana was very much alive. It was a definite improvement.

  Should he tell her so? His tongue dried at the thought. Telling any woman that he preferred her appearance after a major change would not go well. It did not seem like a sensible conversation to have with his fated mate in front of an audience.

  Like a good hostess, Lexi passed him the basket of bread and urged him to help himself to the herring. He was hungry. Starving. But he remembered his manners long enough to offer the platter to his mate. Iliana recoiled from it in horror and continued to pick at her eggs. Had she lost her appetite, or did she just dislike fish?

  She was unhappy. And undoubtedly it was all his fault. He glanced at Theo who was sharing amused glances with Lexi. While it was annoying to be the butt of their shared joke, if they thought his situation desperate, they would be concerned rather than entertained. So their amusement was reassuring.

  When the meal was over, Theo announced that it was time for him to call Uncle Thorvald and Aunt Inge.

  “Iliana must be provided with more suitable garments before she meets them,” declared Lexi before Jareth could ask her to join him. “Did you want to go back to bed?”

  Iliana jumped to her feet. “I would.”

  “Excellent. While you are taking a nap, I will call on Theo’s mamma and find out if Ingrid left anything suitable that you can wear until the clothes I ordered for you arrive.”

  “Won’t she mind if I wear her clothes?” asked Iliana with a timidity that tore at Jareth’s heart.

  “Ingrid is the wife of Theo’s brother Victor,” he assured her. “Family. It will be fine.”

  She looked doubtful but she didn’t argue.

  “Jareth’s right. Ingrid will be happy to lend her new sister whatever she needs,” declared Lexi. “As she did me.

  If anything, Lexie’s words made Iliana shrink further into herself.

  “Then that’s settled,” said Lexi briskly. “I’ll take Sofie to see her Mormor. And as soon as I return I’ll make some sketches and place orders with the dressmakers.”

  Theo’s mate had turned her elven interest in fashion into a career as designer to dragonesses. Her creations were much sought after throughout Dragonry, for they always made the most of the voluptuous contours of dragonesses. And since dragons were almost universally wealthy, most did not care what it cost to own these unique and becoming garments. Neither did he.

  “You order whatever she needs, Lexi.” Jareth gave Iliana’s cheek a kiss. “I’ll see you later.”

  She inclined her head. But her look of abject misery increased.

  Theo placed a large hand on his shoulder. Squeezed. “The Eldest awaits,” he murmured. As soon as they were in the hallway, Theo burst into chuckles. “Listen, I don’t know what you’ve done. But you better undo it ASAP.” He gripped Jareth’s elbow. “No. Video call first. You can make up with Iliana afterward.”

  Jareth followed Theo into his study. “I just wish I knew what I did,” he complained.

  “You mean other than turning a being with magical powers into a mortal and a dragoness?” Theo asked.

  “I got her soul back,” Jareth defended himself. Well, he had participated.

  “Sure, you did. But maybe she liked not having a soul better. Or at least it was familiar. She looks totally lost.” Theo chuckled hard. “Even Lexi feels sorry for her.”

  “Even Lexi?”

  “There’s no love lost between those two. They’ve had centuries to become friends and it hasn’t happened.”

  “Oh. Do you think we ought to have left them alone together?”

  Theo blocked his exit. “It’ll be fine. Lexi is fundamentally kind. Besides she’s going to Mamma’s.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Iliana~

  Even though she had said she wished to sleep, sleep proved elusive. Iliana prowled about the room she was in. It was warm although it had no fireplace. The robe Lexi had lent her was thin, yet she was toasty warm.

  The bed was soft. There was even a set of shelves with books. But books could not hold her interest today. She wondered what Jareth was doing. And why he had to talk to his aunt and uncle. It was so unfair that he had first transformed and now abandoned her. Not that she wanted him around. But it was the principle of the matter.

  Her window looked out over the sea. It looked beautiful, peaceful, calm. Utterly deceptive. Just like that dragon. Now that she was mortal, he no longer seemed so sleek and elegant. Perhaps it was that she herself was smaller, but he appeared broader and more muscular. Almost burly. It was likely that he would shortly become as large a brute as Theodor Lindorm.

  She dried her tears when someone tapped on her door. Lexi poked her head around it and spoke. “I brought my mother-in-law to visit.”

  Iliana tried to pull herself together. She curtsied to the older woman who came in after Lexi. Lady Severn was tall and dressed like Lexi in tight breeches and a tunic. She carried Sofie over one shoulder. Lexi’s arms were full of clothes which she dumped on the bed in a colorful pile.

  “This is Theo’s mother, Lady Severn,” Lexi said. “Mamma, this is Jareth’s mate, Iliana.”

  “Anna, please.” Lady Severn kissed Iliana’s cheek. “Tears?” she continued briskly. “Lexi, you gather them up. Jareth will want to have them strung.”

  Iliana was surprised to see Lexi obediently stoop to collect the unpolished diamonds from the floor. She rushed to help. There was a surprisingly large pile of them when they were done. Lexi put them in a decorative bowl and set them on the dresser.

  “Let me have a good look at you,” said Anna Lindorm. “Yes, I see what you mean, Lexi. Jewel tones, and lots of blues will bring out the green in her eyes.” She rummaged through the clothes on the bed and pulled out a sort of smock and a pair of thin black breeches.

  Iliana was struck dumb by this tall, imposing dragoness. Lady Severn was as scary
as Hel herself. She barely kept herself from flinching when Anna picked up a strand of her hair and clucked over it. Little Sofie imitated her grandmother, but was far rougher. The baby tugged hard enough to bring more tears to Iliana’s eyes.

  “You need a haircut,” Anna pronounced. “Doesn’t she?” she asked Lexi.

  “Some sort of shape,” concurred Lexi, taking Sofie from her grandmother. “Would you like to keep your hair long, or have a shorter hairstyle that is easier to keep?”

  Iliana pulled dubiously at her hair. “Don’t men like long hair?” she demanded nervously. Cut her hair! The idea.

  Lexi fluffed her cap of short red curls. “They say they do, but it just gets in the way. Theo doesn’t seem to mind that I’ve cut mine off.”

  “You could have a classic chin-length bob like mine,” said Anna. “Or put in some layers around the face and leave it shoulder length, so you can put it up when you want to.”

  “Either would be pretty,” said Lexi.

  “I don’t know,” Iliana muttered.

  “Try on these.” Lady Severn handed her the smock and breeches.

  Lexi gave her two other smaller garments. “Put these underneath.”

  The small clothes were made of some silky material that stretched. It took her a long time to figure out how to wear them, but the bathroom mirror informed her that she might as well be naked as wear them. But her breasts looked better in the transparent harness. She slipped the blue smock on and then the breeches and had another look.

  Did her eyes look greener? She didn’t think so. But the clothes were soft and comfortable and warm. Her feet were still bare. But even the floors of Lexi’s house were warm. She smoothed her hair and returned to the bedroom.

  Anna Lindorm handed her a pair of black slippers. “Wear these until we can get you some proper shoes. Lexi, what she needs is a little pampering. A massage and a sauna. A facial and a haircut. Don’t you agree?”

  “I do. If we go to Helsinki this afternoon, we can shop for shoes too. Those slippers are far too large for Iliana, and mine are too small.”