“Rylin.” Dara’s pleading eyes stared up at him.
He didn’t have time to argue. Ry dragged his hand across the satin of Dara’s cheek. Urgency returned and the loss of one of his own bit sharply.
“Yes, Nolan.” To Dara he said, “You must stay close to me.”
Her visible relief was worth the fear that Shara’s death was bigger than a random act of aggression from the Green.
Chapter 8
Dara almost hugged Rylin when he agreed to let her accompany him. Being surrounded by predators—and that’s who they were, made her feel a hell of a lot better then being left alone with some mad killer on the loose.
“Meet me out front,” Rylin said to the one he called Mikal, then tugged on her hand.
Dara followed until he led her to a corner in the room. No one came after them. As soon as they were as alone as they could get, Rylin released her hand and drove his fingers through his hair.
“I’m sorry. This isn’t how I expected the night to end.”
Dara took a quick glance around before returning her attention to Rylin, a man she’d just met and had sex with. “What’s going on, Rylin?”
“I don’t know.” His heavy exhale accompanied the denial as he caged her in. “I’ll take you with us when my men and I go back. But, please, Dara, stay by my side.”
Rylin’s emphatic plea tugged at her chest. “I will.”
His head dipped down and he gripped his nape with both hands, fingers entwined. The look of fear in his gaze when he lifted his head moved Dara to close the small gap between them. She caressed his jaw. “Rylin, whatever happens, I’m with you.”
He kissed her. Pressed his mouth to hers in a dominant gesture that had a kernel of warmth heating in her belly with renewed desire. His hands wrapped around her waist as he tugged her close. When their lips parted, he murmured against her mouth, “Nothing must happen to you.”
Thinking of the dead woman’s body sent a shard of fear into her heart. Dara swiped at the length of hair falling over his concerned brow. “Or you.”
“Or me.” He smirked then clamped his fingers on hers again as they rejoined the blond man along with three others.
They were tall. Almost as tall as Rylin. The one identified as Mikal had disheveled blond hair falling about handsome features. His eyes glinted with curiosity when they met Dara’s gaze. Beside him stood three men. One had shoulder length black hair in a messy twist resting at his nape, strands falling about a face she would have categorized as model perfect if not for the dark frown piercing his brow. The other wore his dark hair shorn close to the scalp. Both stared at Dara with a level of intensity that caused her to shift from one foot to the other.
The last of the men had a sleek fall of red hair, one side tucked behind an ear lined with gold hoops. His deeply tanned skin gave the copper waves a complimentary background to play against.
“Avi, Bejon and Layne are coming,” Mikal announced.
Rylin nodded. “This is Dara from Earth. She is with me.”
The men stared a moment longer, their golden gazes taking on a luminescent quality. Predators meet prey, thank you very much.
“Avi,” said the one with the twist.
“Bejon.” The one with the shorter dark hair rumbled in a deep bass.
Dara waited and after a snort the red-head declared, “I’m Layne.”
It was the only introduction given before Rylin led the way back toward the entrance they’d come through earlier. Only this time he took a turn toward a larger door Dara hadn’t noticed. He shoved at the metal frame and strode forward, the others following close behind. The tension of the group increased as they passed through a tunnel with walls of smooth stone.
Lanterns hung in the ceiling every few feet, providing an amber glow from the flickering flames within their casings. Her feet shuffled along the gravel floor, pebbles stinging the tender soles.
The tunnel ended abruptly on the outside of the structure. A rough worn path led in a winding curve passed what looked like a trail down the mountain side from which the castle was built. Dara couldn’t control a nervous shiver. Rylin glanced down at her, his features harsh in the glow of the moon.
Two strips of pale light crossed his face as he moved to the side of a partial railing on the right. The shadows hid the majority of him except for his eyes. In the dark, they acted as a beacon. As gentle as his broad hand was, there was no mistaking his urgency. Dara peered over the railing and her stomach pitched. Another ledge leading to the very hard ground below.
“Are you alright?” Rylin rubbed his thumb along the back of the hand he held.
Dara blew out a breath and eased as close as possible to him without seeming obvious. His sudden grin hinted she wasn’t as clever as she thought. “I’m fine.”
“Where in the north region, Ry?” Mikal interrupted.
Rylin stared off into the sky, head tipped back as a breeze stirred his hair, mussing the black strands. No one seemed disturbed by the fact that they were all standing near a dangerous precipice.
“Not far from where the party was tonight.” He shook off whatever dark thoughts occupied his mind and released Dara’s hand. “Shift. I’ll lead the way.”
Dara pressed her back against the rocky wall behind her as five black dragons suddenly appeared in place of the men. She blinked at their massive size. Four launched into the air with a flap of their wings, sending a fierce current to whip about her face.
The last dragon extended a clawed hand toward her. With Rylin’s help, Dara resumed her seat on his neck and gripped the nodules for a hand hold. Soon they joined his men in flight. Leaning low, she kept her face tucked down and blinked as tears formed from their rapid pace. Rough scales scraped her cheeks, the aroma of cinnamon tickling her nostrils.
When they neared where they found the body earlier, Rylin dove low, his men trumpeting their rage in a screeching caw. The violence of the sound had Dara hunching her shoulders. They hit the ground with a hard thud and she barely managed to settle her hips after the change from being in motion to standing still. Rylin plucked her from his back and set her on her feet, then shifted all in one controlled move.
The others changed as well, naked as the day they were born in human form. Rylin waved his hand in their direction and black loincloths wrapped around each of their waists, hanging low from their hips. Dara stumbled at the absent minded gesture but hurried along to keep near Rylin as she’d promised.
Mikal knelt beside the woman first, touching the blackened marks at her right shoulder. His lips twisted in a grimace. “I still don’t recognize this symbol. It has to mean something if he keeps leaving it behind.”
“It’s the same as the others,” Rylin confirmed. “But I’ve been unable to decipher its meaning.”
Bejon squatted to his haunches on the other side and carefully rolled the blonde over. Avi and Layne roared and Dara’s stomach heaved at what was revealed. A hole gaped at the center of her chest, the smoke tinged edges of her dress parting to the side and doing little to preserve her modesty.
Pressing her hand to her mouth and holding in a moan, Dara crept closer. The smell of charred flesh reached her and she wanted to hurl. Fists knotted, Ry stood over the body, every inch vibrating. “Her heart has been removed.”
“He’s escalated. This was done by a Dracol in a rage.” Mikal shook his head and rose to his feet. “I’ve never known the Green to kill like this, unless King Varyk has a rogue.”
Appearing the most calm of the group, Avi spoke next, though he did it through clenched teeth. “Devon should have sensed the attack. A lira’s instinct is to reach for her mate in times of danger.”
Anger pulsed in waves from all of them. Smoke swirled from their nostrils. As fascinating as she found the sight with Rylin earlier, Dara sensed in this situation it was a much more dangerous sign and not to be taken lightly.
“Where is it?” Bejon asked, glancing around. “Where’s her heart?”
Mikal took a few
steps back, his gaze studying the ground. He walked a tight perimeter around the area, then dropped to a knee again, not far away from the woman’s body. He fingered the grass and sniffed his fingers. “He ate it.”
***
Ry cursed.
“He ate her heart?” Dara gagged in disbelief.
Ry came to her side and curved an arm around her shoulders. She immediately turned her face into his chest, blocking out the gruesome sight.
“Are you certain?” he asked.
Mikal nodded. “There is Dracol slesh.”
Slesh was a mixture of saliva and ash which came about after eating in Dracol form. The other two women found had not been mutilated in this manner.
“Do you think it’s one of ours?” Ry asked them while caressing Dara’s short hair in an effort to ease her trembling.
Avi, Bejon, Mikal, and Layne gathered together. The mantle allowed Ry ample access to the anger they tried to withhold. Their driving emotions fed his essence, ramping up his Dracol with the need to react. To avenge this insult.
“I haven’t heard of any Black straddling the edge.” Mikal would know. His light hearted persona encouraged others to trust and confide in him. Little did they know Mikal made the perfect assassin, and Rylin had used him often in that capacity in the past when necessary.
“It could be someone from the other sects,” Avi said.
Sometimes an older Dracol, one who warred often in the past, had trouble adjusting to the precarious peace on Vovin. Their essence rose in a constant attempt to drive them to war and fight. Those who couldn’t resist succumbed to madness, and it was up to their respective King to cast them into the flames in an honorable death. It was a task Ry didn’t enjoy. Ever.
He tried to remember the last time one of his people had lost control of the raptor within. Several years ago at least.
“Why would one of your people eat…someone’s heart?” Dara pulled away from Ry.
His Dracol rumbled at the sight of her pale face and quivering lips. Her introduction to his society shouldn’t be one of fear, but unfortunately this wasn’t something he could hide. “There is old lore hinting that if a Dracol consumes the heart of another, he will imbue their power.”
Mikal spoke up. “A mated female is said to have the most powerful essence because she loves with such intensity.”
Ry stared at the gruesome sight, thoughts churning. Three deaths in little over three weeks’ time. “I’ll summon the other Kings.”
Someone had a rogue amongst them.
Chapter 9
As soon as Ry returned to his home, he hurried Dara to his rooms. This suite belonged to the reigning King and he’d made few changes other than adding his clothes to the closet. He snagged a forgotten shirt from the floor and shrugged into it.
“Wow, this is a lot of space for one person.” Her gaze took in everything.
Ry tried to view it from an outside perspective. Everything was bigger when you were Dracol. There were four connecting rooms which might be a lot but he was long used to it. Minimum furniture and plenty of open areas to keep him from feeling confined. “Feel free to look around. I don’t have any secrets.”
Her mouth twisted at that, but she strolled through the rooms and Ry followed. They passed through his office first, a sitting area, then his bedroom, and finally this space. When Dara reached the last room on the end, he leaned a shoulder against the wall and studied her reaction. Green eyes widened and her mouth fell open. His lips curved up in a smile.
“This—this is…I don’t have words.” She touched a statue made of gold, with jewels the size of his fists imbedded in the face for eyes.
The snarling raptor stood over eight feet in height. Small in comparison to a Dracol’s true size, and yet it stretched higher than Dara’s hands could reach. She walked deeper into the room, fingers idly touching tables covered in rare coins, jewels and other priceless artifacts, throughout including a twelve foot sword mounted on the far wall.
To his surprise, Dara headed straight for the gleaming blade, its tarnished hilt reflecting in the overhead light. “A sword for a dragon?”
Ry folded his arms over his chest. “In times past, a Dracol would use a sword in shifted form for battle. Any fights with each other now are mostly with claws and teeth. If it’s enemy combat, then depending on their sect, the Dracol would draw on their power base.”
Dara paused near a cream colored vase with vibrant blue streaks in a swirl pattern, a recent acquisition of Ry’s. He liked the twisted shape. She cast a glance over her shoulder. “Sect? Power base?”
“There are four major sects who rule the Dracol here on Vovin. I’m King of the Black.”
“Black Dracols, obviously.” Dara grinned as she picked up a shintu blade. The weapon’s curved hilt fit her grip perfectly.
“Yes. We can control lightning in both forms and spit fire with enough force to wipe out an entire city. Then there’s the Green, ruled by King Varyk. They spit a poison vapor and can teleport.”
Her eyes got wider but Ry continued. She needed to know. “King Faris rules the Silver. They’re capable of spitting ice and have the ability to use mind control on their victims if they stare into their eyes too long. The Purple sect is ruled by Kon.”
Dara set the shintu down and scooped up a hand full of coins. She cocked her head to the side. “What can the Purple do?”
Ry’s vision zoomed in on her hands as she tossed the coins in the air and caught them. An unexpected sense of possession reared its head seeing her touch them. When one fell to the carpeted floor with a clink, he tensed.
“Rylin?”
He shook his head and wrenched his attention from the coins back to the focus of their conversation. “The Purple spit an acid which melts anything it touches and they can breathe under water. They spend a lot of time beneath the oceans of Vovin because of that.”
“On Earth, the myths say a dragon—not a Dracol mind you, but a dragon keeps a horde. It’s where all the treasure is kept.”
She turned and faced him, every bit disheveled. His breath caught. Her hair was messy from riding, her dress contained creases and grass stains from their earlier lovemaking, and clumps of mud peppered her bare feet. Despite all of that, Ry thought she was the most sensuous being he’d ever encountered.
“This is your horde.” Her announcement amused him.
“These are the treasures of the Black Dracol,” he corrected. Each reigning King added what he considered prize possessions to the room and thus the contents grew. The coins were Ry’s special addition. His Dracol held an unnatural fascination for coins of every kind, from every region and other worlds.
“In other words, your horde,” she repeated with a cheeky grin.
He crossed the room to her side, the need to hold her overshadowing all that he had to do.
Surprise widened her eyes. “Rylin?”
He grabbed her and buried his face in the short coils of black curls, scented her for fear. Nothing. His shoulders eased slightly and Ry squeezed her tighter. “Allow me one moment to enjoy holding you. Today I went from disappointment at not finding anyone at the mating party to discovering you.” He cupped her cheek. “Fate plays games and we’re mere pieces on the board. Finding you is a wonderful gift overshadowed by the death of one of my people.”
“Don’t worry about that. This is much more important. I understand that.”
“You’re important, Dara. Very.” Ry removed one hand from her waist and tapped her nose lightly. “And none of that dragon nonsense.”
She sputtered and tickled him. Ry chuckled and caught her hands in his, but not because he was ticklish. Her outrage amused him. “Come. I ordered a message sent to the other Kings. We should shower and change.”
Dara stiffened in his arms. “I don’t have anything with me. I’m staying at the resort for off-world visitors and my stuff is there.”
Ry couldn’t help snarling. In light of Shara’s death, letting her out of his sight was not an optio
n. “I’ll have someone bring your things here.”
***
Dara straightened her shoulders and eased away from Rylin’s embrace. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean?” Annoyance flashed across the smooth angles of his face.
Dara took a deep breath and met his gold stare. “I think I should stay at the resort.”
His body shuddered and horror darkened his eyes. “Then you’ve changed your mind?”
“No!” She clenched her fingers on the sides of his opened shirt. “I’m not going back to Earth, but we could both take tonight to clear our heads.”
All expression wiped from his face and when he stepped back, Dara felt as if he’d taken all of the warmth of earlier with him. “My head is clear. But perhaps things are different for Earth females. Dracol go after what we want. ”
“I want you,” she snapped. “I’m just asking to return to my room tonight. You have a lot going on right now and I’m a distraction.”
A heavy growl rumbled forth. The room filled with the sound and the hair at her nape tingled in the face of his temper. “You. Are. Not. A. Distraction.”
“Okay. Wrong word.” Dara held up her hands in surrender. “Give me tonight, Rylin. Tomorrow I can come back or you can come see me.”
Rylin stared at her for an uncomfortably long time. Dara held her breath, wondering if he’d blow up at her. He still wore the black loincloth at his hips, along with a buttoned down white shirt that remained open. The parted material revealed the rippling muscles of his chest. Beneath the hem, thick thighs bunched and his fingers curled into fists.
“I will come and see you,” he said at last, not taking his eyes from her.
Dara released a breath on a nervous sigh. “Thank you, Rylin.”
His lips quirked up in the corner. “This must be very different for you. In my haste to keep you close, I forgot.”
Dara huffed out a laugh. “It’s been a fairly exciting night, you could say.”
Bound By Heat - Dragon Shifter Page 33