by Sharon Page
Ferrars roared, “Stop it! Goddamn you, whore, stop feeding him your blood. Stop or I’ll kill you—”
He reached for her with both hands and she stiffened, expecting him to grab her head and try to snap her neck. She couldn’t move, for that would take her blood away from Sinjin.
Suddenly Ferrars howled in anguish. The curved blade of a dragon slayer’s sword was protruding from his chest, just below his heart.
His eyes, the same blue as Allan’s had been, bulged with sheer fury. Awkwardly, he stumbled around, blood pouring down his chest and back. It was covering his skin like an eerie, grotesque red veil. Her brother let go of the hilt of the sword, stepping back, and he grasped James by the shoulder and pushed the lad behind him. He was shielding James with his body.
Ferrars, amazingly, was still standing, despite being gored through his body. But the blade had missed his heart and a dragon had to be stabbed through the heart to be killed. The blackguard bent, letting out a roar of pain, and snatched up another sword. He slowly, menacingly approached her brother.
She looked around desperately for a sword. For something she could throw. She couldn’t move her wrist—
Her arm was pushed away from Sinjin’s mouth. Astonished, she gaped down at him. His eyes were blinking. They sparkled with ... with life. He grinned. “Enough, my love. I don’t need more.”
She tried to slide out from under him, as Ferrars glanced back at them. He wore a gloating smile. “The bloody dragon earl first. Then you, Greystone. It will be a pleasure to kill you.”
“Not as much pleasure as killing you,” Sinjin murmured. Then he jumped to his feet. He rushed at Ferrars, who jolted around and stabbed with the blade. But Sinjin vaulted over his head, turning over in the air. Her brother pushed James out of the way, to the corner of the room where it would be safe.
Lucy saw the glint of silver in Sinjin’s hand as he landed. She barely understood it for what it was—a dagger—before Sinjin plunged it into Ferrar’s chest, just above the penetrating sword.
Ferrars lurched. He swung wildly with the blade he held, but missed all of them. Then he fell to his knees and blood poured out of his mouth.
James screamed. He had been standing behind her brother, his face expressionless. Now he shrieked in terror. Sinjin gathered the child into his arms, and cupped the boy’s head, pressing James to his shoulder. It was as if he had been under a spell, one that was now broken. He looked down at the blood that had soaked into his uncle’s shirt and he whimpered.
Lucy got to her feet. Her legs were wobbly, but she wanted to go to James, and help Sinjin comfort the boy. Their foes were dead, were gone ... all except Jack. What would he do?
Sinjin picked up the sword dropped by Ferrars. He took a step toward her brother. Fear spiked in Lucy’s heart. He wouldn’t spare Jack now. Not after Jack had tried to kill him. She was going to see her brother die—
The sword clattered across the room. Sinjin had tossed it aside. “You saved her life. Thank you,” he said simply.
Jack gaped at him in amazement. “I—I staked you. And you are thanking me?”
Sinjin kissed James on the head, then faced her brother. “I assume he tempted you with the promise with power or forced you to help him with threats.”
“Both.” Jack hung his head, looking guilty. “He promised power first, then threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him.” Jack turned to her, but he did not look her in the eye. “I never would have given you to him, Lucy. I was trying to play for time, to find a way out of the mess.”
“A way that would spare your life—” Then she put her hands to her face. “Jack, you betrayed us. I don’t know if I can forgive that.”
“I know.” Grimly, her brother looked to Sinjin. “If you spare my life, I will disappear to the Continent. You will look after Lucy, won’t you? Will you look after all of them? I can see how much you love her and she loves you. I’ve never known love—”
“Yes, you have!” Lucy jerked up her head. “You are a stupid fool, Jack. I love you. Helena and Beatrix love you! For some reason, you’ve always seemed to want us to despise you, not love you.” Then she stopped and she hurried forward to James. She took James from Sinjin and gathered him into her arms. At once, the boy seemed to relax against her and she stroked his head.
“I am not going to kill you, Wrenshire,” Sinjin said. “I would not put Lucy through so much pain. I owe you for saving her life and for protecting my nephew. In the end, you proved you had a heart.”
She was kissing James on his head, soothing him, when Sinjin came to her. He wrapped his arms around her. “Your brother should be free now. Ferrars was a powerful dragon—one that had demon blood in him, which gave him abilities beyond those possessed by normal shape-shifting dragons. He had the power to control James’s mind. He wanted to use James and study him, because James is an unusual dragon. The only one who has ever shown the ability to shift shape so young.”
She knew she was gaping at him in astonishment. “How do you know this?”
“An intriguing man told me. He is a vampire who is also a historian.” Sinjin told her about a strange, wizened little man who owned a bookshop in Charing Cross and recorded all the secrets of vampires and demons and shape-shifters.
“He told me about you,” Sinjin said softly.
“About me? What could he tell you about me? You already know I am a dragon and who my parents are.”
Sinjin lifted her chin. His eyes glittered at her. “How do you feel, Lucy? Strong? You don’t feel weak or sick, do you?”
“I feel fine ... well, considering what we have just been through.”
“I have a confession to make, love. When I gave you my blood, I took a huge risk. I didn’t know if it would save you ... or kill you.” He looked so guilty. So ashamed. “I did it because I was desperate to save you. You will hate me for taking that kind of risk—”
“It didn’t kill me,” she interrupted firmly. “And if you hadn’t done it, I would have died.”
He lifted her hand and bestowed a gentle kiss to her palm. “I made you a vampire, love, without your consent.”
“I—I will learn to live with that.”
“Guidon, the chronicler, told me who your mother was. It is something you must know, Lucy.”
“But I know about my mother—” She stopped. His face wore such a serious expression and her heart gave a flip-flop in her chest. Whatever he believed he knew, he expected it would shock her. She squared her shoulders and steeled her heart for what she would hear. But then she thought of James, and of where they were—in the prince’s house.
“Don’t tell me now. Let us take James to somewhere safe.”
Sinjin bowed. “You are correct, as always, love. But first, I have something I have to do.” His mouth set in a hard line for an instant, and determination burned in his silver-green eyes. “I defeated the prince and survived. That means, in theory, I now have control of the dragon slayers. It is time we stopped fighting and killing each other.”
She gaped at him.
“I want to put an end to the slayers. There will be no more killing. I want both of us to learn how to live peacefully. Lucy, love, will you help me with this?”
“Yes, of course I will. But you—are you certain you wish me to help you? You see, the prince told me—” She couldn’t continue. Her tongue felt thick and clumsy, her throat was tight with tears she was struggling to keep inside.
“What did he say to you?” he asked gently.
“That when you look at me—every time you do—you will remember how your siblings died. You will remember your mother pleading for your life to be spared. You will remember how your father fought to try to protect you and your siblings.”
He frowned, looking grim. Her heart made a slow, painful twist in her chest.
He was thinking of those things now, and there were deep lines framing his mouth. “He couldn’t have known that.”
That stunned her. “What do you mean? He told me
what your parents endured—”
“He could not have known it because I didn’t know what they went through. My father told me to run, with my brother, and I did. I didn’t see my parents die. I never heard what they said. He could not have heard those details from me.”
“Your sister perhaps?”
“Possibly. Or there is another possibility. One I was too blind to see before. For him to know so many details ... it is like he was there.”
Her stomach lurched. “But you saw dragons—”
“I saw what I thought were dragons. I was only nine and I’d never seen dragons before. The prince had a great deal of strength, and the power to manipulate a mortal mind.”
“He lied ... you think he lied. That he killed your family and made you think dragons did it. But why would he do that? To make you into a dragon slayer?”
“I don’t know, Lucy. But I intend to get to the truth. For now, we should go home.”
Home. It had been so long ... would home even feel the same anymore? She nodded. “Yes, I should go home. I must get my sisters from the brothel and take them home.” She stared at Jack. “What are you going to do?”
He flushed, and flinched, obviously embarrassed. “I don’t know. I guess I can’t go home. Not after what I did. Maybe I’ll go to the Continent—”
“Jack, you can come home.” She reached out and gently touched his arm. “Sinjin is correct. You did save my life, Jack. And you protected James. Come home, Jack. I don’t want to lose you.”
Sinjin watched Lucy’s brother walk uncertainly into her embrace. She truly was a queen amongst women. But when he had said the word home, he had meant his home. And he wanted her there with him. He wanted his house to become her home.
But he couldn’t ask her that now. She needed to recover from all the horrors of this day. She needed to be with her family.
He had lost his family and he knew how much he longed to be with them. He knew how much it would mean to her to be with her family.
And he had James to take care of.
He watched her and her brother walk away, and wondered ... would she marry him? Or should he let her go? She had said how she feared she would remind him of pain. Would he do that to her? If he asked her to be with him, would she be forever reminded of the horror of this day?
Did she deserve to be with one of her own kind?
What if he opened his heart and she refused him? What if he asked her to marry him, and he ended up losing her for good?
Hell.
He didn’t want to lose anyone ever again.
The door opened slowly, as if by magic, and the scent of dust and old books made Lucy sneeze. A tiny gnome-like man hurried forward, almost dancing from foot to foot. “A dragon!” he cackled, and he rubbed his hands together. “What an honor! I have never met a dragon before.” He stopped in front of her, and swept a deep bow. “Do you take tea, my dear? What of biscuits? Honey? Jam? I am so afraid I have nothing more to offer you.”
Taken aback by his breathless questions, Lucy tried to focus on him as he leapt from side to side, then turned swiftly away. “Are you Guidon?” she called after him.
“Indeed. Indeed.”
She followed, winding through stacks crammed with books. She smelled leather bindings and titles flashed by her eyes as she hurried behind the tiny, stooped man.
She caught him as he reached a small kitchen, set off the bookshop, and was putting a kettle upon his stove.
“I was told that you know about my mother. That you know something special about her. I—I wish to find out what it is. Whatever the price, I am happy to pay you—”
“I require no payment.” He whirled around, his tufts of yellowish-gray hair flying up to stick out from his face. “I would wish to tell you, my dear. Truly I would. But I think it would be best if the Duke of Greystone explains the tale to you. He wished to do so. You are very important to him.” He cocked his head. “The only other union of a dragon and a vampire was the one between the duke’s sister and the dragon Nadezda, who came from the old country. But you are now a vampire and a dragon. It shall be interesting ... I will be delighted to follow the births and lives of your children.”
“Children! I am not married to the Duke of Greystone. There are no children. I am sure he—”
“He has not yet asked you to marry him? Even though he survived the death of his sire? Even though he took command of the slayers? I was certain, when he left my shop that day that he intended to propose marriage.”
“He—he said that?”
“Eh?” Guidon had set two dainty white cups on a tray. He held a tin of biscuits from Fortnum and Mason’s. “Of course he did not say it. No gentleman ever would. It was obvious from his agitation that he was preparing himself to take that frightening step.”
“Frightening step?”
“A proposal is a very terrifying endeavor for a gentleman to make, my dear Lady Lucinda.” Guidon’s eyes held a twinkle.
“You will not tell me about my mother?”
“Not now. Not when it might be the only thing to force the two of you together again.”
The kettle whistled and he swiftly put in his tea leaves, then set the pot on the tray. “But you will, of course, stay for tea.”
“I—”
“There are many things I would like to tell you about dragons! I am the chronicler of all the preternatural beings that inhabit England: the vampires, the werewolves, all the shape-shifters. There is so much I want to ask you as well. Please, Lady Lucinda, would you indulge me with a little of your time?”
He was such a strange little man. She glanced around. “These books—they are not about vampires and werewolves are they?”
He chuckled merrily. “Some are, but only accountings of legends and tales. The books that chronicle the truth, I keep well protected. I had lost all my books before, and fortunately I had memorized every word of them. I have spent much time writing them all again.”
“Heavens,” Lucy breathed. “How many books?”
“Hundreds. But let us have our tea.”
She stared suddenly at the tray he held and the pot that wobbled slightly on it. Remembering what she now was. “I—I am now ... I mean, I cannot—”
“Oh, you can drink this tea, my dear. It is specially created for we vampires. Do not worry. And I am so delighted to be able to have tea with the future Duchess of Greystone!”
The footman brought her to Sinjin’s study and from the doorway, she saw Sinjin raise a tumbler to his lips, just as he had done on the very first night she had come to him. That night she had come to offer her body. Tonight she wanted to surrender her heart.
He had sent instructions to her house—pages of written guidelines on what it meant to be a vampire. He had sent her bottles of his special blood, for her to drink, and he had sent her notes of apology. Even though she had told him she understood he had given her a chance to live and survive, he did not seem to think she could forgive him for making her a vampire.
Was that why he had not seen her for so long? Why he had not come to her house? Or was it because of what he had learned about his family’s deaths? Had he learned that dragons were to blame after all?
Guidon, who had proved to be both charming and gentlemanly, had insisted the duke intended to marry her. But she ... she did not know. But where she would once have been afraid to hope, now she was willing to do so. Her heart was filled with hope, so much it felt it would burst.
She stepped forward into the room, and he jerked his head up. She had asked that the servant not announce her. What would be Sinjin’s reaction when he saw her?
“Lucy,” he said. And a large smile lifted his lips. He set down his drink and came to her, arms outstretched.
She could not have dreamed for a better greeting.
As he gathered her into his embrace, she whispered, “It has been a whole week. And I was afraid to come to you. I was afraid you had learned that ... that you do have a good reason to be angry with dragon
s—”
“I’m sorry, love. I had to track down some of the vampires who had supposedly rescued my sister and me that day. It has taken me all this time to find them, but eventually, from them, I got the truth.” He lifted her hand and bestowed one of his melting kisses to her palm. “They were the men who destroyed my family. It was not the dragons. They had killed my family for blood, then when the prince discovered my sister and I had survived, he decided to turn us into vampires. He also engineered my sister’s marriage to a dragon, to produce a child. He wanted to see what powers such a child would have.”
“Oh my goodness.”
“My sister deeply loved her husband. The prince was responsible for my brother-in-law’s death. The prince wanted him out of the way so he could eventually take control of James. I learned that my sister’s despair and melancholy was caused by the prince. He used his powers to affect her emotions. Again, she had served his purpose—she had borne a half-dragon child, and the prince then wanted to get her out of the way.”
Lucy cupped his face with her fingers. Deep lines gouged into his forehead and framed his mouth. “And because of you, the prince can no longer hurt James. He can no longer hurt anyone.” She took a deep breath. “Did you destroy those other slayers—the ones who killed your family?”
“It may surprise you, but I didn’t. I had decided there would be no more death. I also decided I am not going to run the dragon slayers, and I put another slayer in charge. A man who also believes there should be peace between our clans. He had those vampires arrested under the laws of our clan. Their punishment was destruction.”
“Then it was done because it was the law. Not vengeance, but because they broke the laws of your clan.”
“Yes.” He took a deep breath and his sparkling, glittering eyes held hers. “Lucy, you gave me the most amazing gifts in the world. You gave me the truth. You forgave me for what I did, because I was misguided and wrong. You helped me to crack the ice that had formed around my heart. You gave me my life back, a future, a nephew who can grow up to be strong, healthy, happy. You’ve given me peace, Lucy. I don’t know what to give you in return.”