Warrior Lover (Draconia Tales)

by Karilyn Bentley

“What? So we chased you around because we needed running practice?”

  “Come on. Please?”

  Enar glared at the Halfling and tightened his grip.

  “Fine.” Jamie huffed.

  Trouble came in small packages. Packages shaped like a boy. Surely he and Thoren hadn’t been this much trouble as boys. A vivid memory of Thoren’s mother yelling at them came to mind. Enar scrunched his eyebrows. No, they hadn’t been this much trouble. Unlike Jamie, they had never wandered off through wards, gotten captured, and needed to be rescued.

  Not once. No one ever needed to rescue them.

  And to top things off, Keara had chased after Jamie and gotten herself captured. What a mess.

  Enar’s gaze locked on Thoren’s back, Keara’s red locks hanging over his arm as he carried her. It wasn’t until they found Jamie with Lord Simon’s henchmen that they realized Keara had been captured by the lord too.

  “How is she doing?”

  Thoren continued forward, speaking over his shoulder to Enar. “Same. She still hasn’t moved.”

  Enar grunted. He’d love to kill Simon for hurting Keara. She had been drugged with some potion rendering her incapable of voluntary movement, susceptible to commands by the one who gave her the drug. Her free will vanished while under the power of the potion.

  Good thing they found her. Maybe now Thoren realized she was his mate. Or not. His best friend had a habit of being hardheaded.

  Branches brushed against his arm as they walked through the woods, leaving the town. Again. At least his woman remained safe behind Thoren’s wards. Where they left her. Hopefully. Enar swallowed and rubbed the achy spot on his chest. What if Lily wasn’t at the campsite? If anything happened to his woman, he’d kill the cause of it. She belonged to him. With any luck she’d enjoy being his claim.

  At least until he returned her to his people. Then she’d loathe him. And not taking her back wasn’t an option. Right?

  A sound like distant thunder interrupted Enar’s thoughts.

  “Dragon wings!” Jamie turned and Enar almost lost his grip on the boy’s shoulder. Almost.

  Enar peered at the sky, but saw a bramble of tree limbs instead. Not that he could see the dragon. The male flew in full camouflage mode, invisible against the backdrop of clouds and sky. Instead of being reconnaissance specialists, today he and Thoren turned into rescue specialists. First Jamie, then Keara and finally a grown male Draconi unable to change from his dragon form.

  They found the dragon in a titanium-lined cell deep within the cellar of Lord Simon’s house. How a mere human managed to capture and keep a Draconi for years defied belief. And yet, the male sat behind titanium bars, unable to perform magic to free himself. The bane of Draconi, titanium rendered their magic useless.

  Good thing Enar possessed no such failings. If he got screwed over, it was his own stupid fault.

  “I want to fly!” Jamie pointed up, waving his arm at where the dragon presumably soared.

  “Boys don’t fly. And since you’re a Halfling, you might not ever fly.”

  Jamie turned and snarled. “I will so fly. My daddy said so. Just you wait and see.”

  “Who’s your father?”

  The boy’s eyes narrowed. “No one.”

  “No one? Everyone has a father.” Even though some of us wish we didn’t.

  Jamie looked down at the ground and sniffed. A couple of sniffs later and Enar gave up expecting an answer. Plenty of time remained to discover Jamie’s parentage. Two whole weeks of walking, in fact.

  By the time they arrived in Draconia, Enar would know everything about Jamie’s life.

  He hoped.

  As they approached the campsite, Enar heard the faint hum of the wards. Would his woman be where he left her? Of course she would. As a non-magical being, how could she be elsewhere?

  But what if somehow she managed to get through the wards? What if she wasn’t all right?

  She will be where you left her.

  So where was she? Scanning the campsite, he saw a lump on the ground. He squinted, trying to see if Lily hid under the invisibility blanket.

  The lump squirmed, Lily’s too-thin body coming in view as she dropped the blanket, running toward them. Enar rubbed his chest as she ran, exhaling a breath he didn’t realize he held, and sent up a prayer of thanks she remained unharmed. He shoved Jamie through the wards and took a deep breath before thrusting himself through the invisible barrier.

  Pain erupted from his pores, dragging at his body as he broke through the magic. He should have waited for Thoren to touch him as he walked through the wards, but he wanted to hold his woman, to ensure she remained unharmed. Looks could be deceiving.

  She apparently had other ideas as she veered toward Thoren.

  “Keara!” Lily ran to where Thoren placed Keara on the ground, touching her friend lightly on the arm, peering into Keara’s vacant staring eyes. “Dear Goddess, what happened to her?”

  “She’s been drugged and can’t move,” Thoren said.

  Enar walked to Lily, meaning to hold her in his arms, to feel her against him. Before he could reach her, a loud blast of dragon song rent the air, followed by a thud as the male Draconi landed in the middle of their camp, dropping his invisibility shield.

  The wings might be a little underused. The dragon’s voice thundered through their minds as he shook the grass off his scales, flinging it against the wall of the wards. Lily screamed, leaping up and running to Enar, who caught her, clamping a hand over her mouth.

  “Shh, woman. It’s just, um...I didn’t catch your name?”

  The dragon paused, as if he didn’t know his name. Which, after being locked in a magic-prohibiting titanium cell, might well be the case. The male took a quick breath, a twitch crossing his lips. Fafnir. And yours?

  Guess the dragon knew his name after all. Although from his expression, Enar swore the dragon lied. “Enar. And this is my woman, Lily.” Enar wrapped an arm around Lily’s bony shoulders. It took all his will not to run his hands over her, to ensure she truly was unharmed. Eyes could make mistakes.

  “My apologies, friend, for not asking earlier. I’m Thoren. The Halfling female is Keara, and you’ve already met Jamie.” Was that a blush on his friend’s face? Rather embarrassing not to know the name of the Draconi they freed.

  Fafnir waved a front limb to and fro, dismissing Thoren’s apology, while Lily pulled out of Enar’s embrace and rushed back to her friend’s side. Away from him. His mouth tightened. She did not just walk away from him. Enar watched Lily kneel beside Keara, gathering her friend’s hand into both of hers, and felt a brush of air where she had stood. Her eyes searched Keara’s face and she gave her friend her total concentration. Even Fafnir shuffling to where Thoren knelt on the other side of Keara didn’t faze her.

  Fafnir stared into Keara’s flaccid face. Two seconds later his eye-ridges popped halfway up his forehead.

  How did she get to Cautasia?

  “Her father abandoned her mother before she was born. She’s lived in River’s Run her entire life,” Thoren said.

  Fafnir took a step back, eyes wide, mouth slack. No.

  “What’s surprising is no word of her got back to us. We heard about Jamie, but not her.”

  The dragon shook his head, looking like someone pole-axed him. The whole situation shocked Enar too. But at least his woman was fine, even if she did refuse to stand beside him. He couldn’t say the same about Keara.

  “It’s bizarre, I agree,” Thoren placed a hand on Fafnir’s foreleg. “She’ll be all right.”

  Fafnir looked at Thoren, blinking...was that tears? Did male Draconi cry? Watchers sure didn’t. Totally un-warrior-like. However, if he’d spent the last who-knows-how-long in a cell going crazy, he might shed a few tears too when released.

  Provided no one was around to see his eyes leak.

  All he wanted to do now was pull his woman into his arms and run his hands over her. He needed to lay her down, strip off her clothing, feel th
e caress of her skin against his. None of which he could do with her out of touching distance.

  No problem. He’d move to where he could touch her.

  Placing his hands on her shoulders, he felt bones poking against his fingers and a snarl pulled his lip. How dare that town treat his woman so badly she lacked enough food to eat. A part of him wanted to storm back and kill the whole lot of them, starting with the sniveling priests.

  Thoren’s voice echoing in his mind cut through his thoughts, pulling his attention back to Keara.

  She moved!

  Enar focused on Keara until he saw a faint twitch of her lids, small enough to be almost unnoticeable. Was the drug wearing off? Move again, come on, move. Keara blinked, turning her head toward Thoren.

  Yes! It looked like Keara would recover. Lily’s bones poked against his hands as she shifted, turning her head to meet his gaze. With a quick grin, she faced Keara.

  “I think she’ll be fine,” Lily said.

  “You had us worried there for a moment.” Thoren grasped Keara’s hand.

  Enar looked at the sky. If they wanted to go, they needed to do so while daylight still prevailed. “The sun is overhead. Do we stay or go?”

  “It would be better to get farther away from here, but she is still weak. I’m not sure she should be moved.” Concern laced Thoren’s voice as he tilted his head to the sky.

  I don’t want to stay here. Can you still hear me? They’ll find us. If we stay here we’ll be caught. Can you still hear me? Please say yes.

  Enar rubbed the side of his head as Keara’s voice slammed through his mind. “Even I can hear you, female. Tone down the mental screams.” Thoren needed to teach her control over mind-speaking and the sooner the better.

  “It is a little loud,” Thoren smiled at her, “but we’ll work on it. You just need to be taught.”

  Fine. But we can’t stay here. They’ll find us.

  “She has a point.” As loathe as he was to admit it, they needed to get as far away from this place as possible. Less chance of him having to crawl through sewers again.

  “What are you talking about?” Lily looked from one face to another, wrinkles creasing her forehead.

  “You can’t hear her?” Was there something wrong with his exquisite woman? Keara’s screaming mind-speaking attempt at communication had everyone else wincing.

  Lily’s jaw clenched. “She’s not speaking.”

  “Draconi can mind-speak, Lily,” Thoren explained.

  Enar gave himself a mental smack. Why hadn’t he thought of that? Humans couldn’t mind-speak, which meant nothing was wrong with Lily after all. Thank the Goddess.

  “Truthfully?” Lily’s brows shot up.

  “Yes. Keara is speaking to us, telling us to leave.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “True. But by the time she can move, it will be dark, and our campsite is warded from intruders. Only Draconi can get in and besides us, there aren’t any around.”

  There was one working with Lord Simon. He offered Simon money to capture me. He said he needed me to get revenge on his enemies.

  “What?” Thoren exploded, eyes popping wide, lips peeling off his teeth. Ripples crept beneath his skin and he shook, as if trying to cast them off.

  “Who?” Enar knelt beside Thoren, placing a hand on his arm, trying to calm his friend’s inner dragon back into hiding.

  “What did he look like?” Thoren growled.

  I don’t know. He wore a cloak pulled over his head, but he had the Draconi mark and he said he needed me to get revenge on his enemies and that he needed to unlock my powers. I thought he was going to...Keara stopped mid-sentence, a shudder cascading through her body.

  “We move. Pack the campsite and make it quick.” Thoren said.

  “We can take him on. Finish this now.” Pay them all back for hurting Lily and Keara.

  “Not with the females and a boy. Even a warrior has to retreat some time. Besides, we’ll be back.”

  Enar sucked down a couple of breaths, pushing the voice telling him to fight, to kill, to protect, into hiding. Thoren was right. Why risk the small chance they lost and something happened to Lily and Keara?

  “And then they won’t get away.”

  *****

  Thoren’s gaze met Lily’s. “I’ll be back. Lily, stay with her.”

  Not a problem. She patted Keara’s ice-cold hand. Her poor friend. What had Lord Simon done to her? Thoren mentioned a drug made her unable to move, but what kind of drug did that? In all the excitement Lily didn’t get a chance to ask. Whatever the drug, the effects seemed to be wearing off. “What happened to you?”

  Keara opened her mouth, tongue flopping in an effort to speak and getting nowhere fast. “Gwrph.”

  So much for talking.

  “Sorry. I should have known. I’m so glad you’re back. I was worried about you.” Lily squeezed Keara’s hand and wished she had the mind-speaking ability like everyone else. Then she could talk with her friend.

  Then she could know what Enar really had planned for her.

  Maybe it was a good thing she couldn’t mind-speak.

  A small squeeze pressed against her hand. Lily grinned. Soon Keara would be back to normal. She hoped. Jamie plopped beside her, out of breath, bouncing up and down. At least one of them was no worse for the adventure.

  Or not. Was that a bruise and cut on the side of his head? Before she could ask what happened, all his excitement poured out in a rush of words.

  “Guess what, guess what, guess what?” A bounce punctuated each question.

  “What?” Where did he get all that energy? She was tired just watching him.

  “They’re going to let us ride Fafnir! It’s apparently not done and a big deal, but Fafnir insisted and we get to ride! Isn’t that grand?”

  “Ride? On that, that, creature?” Could she sound anymore scared? Calm down, Lily.

  “He’s a dragon. Same as me. One day I can turn like that. That’s grand, huh?”

  Lily swallowed. It’ll be fine. “Sure. Great. How are we supposed to stay on a...dragon?

  “Duh. Hold on, silly. How’re you doing Keara?”

  Keara stared into Jamie’s face, hers the expressionless mask of the drug, his a parade of emotions.

  Lily crossed her arms, trying hard not to let the jealousy seep out through her voice. “Are you two talking again? That’s rude to do that in front of me, you know.”

  “You’re right. I think I’m needed over there.” Jamie leapt to his feet and ran to where Enar and Thoren stood.

  What did Keara say to him? Her best guess was Keara scolded him for running off last night. For the first time since Keara had placed her hands over Lily’s eyes, banishing the black veil from her sight, allowing her to see, she felt a distance between them. Unlike the rest of their group, she couldn’t mind-speak and remained oblivious to the other conversations. Excluded despite being in the company of friends.

  And that dragon. That huge, scaly, clawed dragon. They wanted her to crawl on that thing and let it take her for a ride?

  “I’m a little scared about riding on the dragon.”

  Wasn’t that an understatement?

  Keara’s lips cranked upward. This time her tongue worked. “Good.”

  “Good? It’s good I’m scared?”

  “No.” Keara took a breath, words sighing over her lips. “S’all...good.”

  “You mean it’ll be all right?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “You’re speaking. That’s good, right?”

  Keara smiled, the expressionless mask of her face cracking.

  “Well, if you’re not scared of the dragon, then neither am I.” Lily pasted a grin on her lips and hoped to Goddess Keara didn’t notice the lie written there. She might be more terrified of the dragon than a vengeful mob, but she’d crawl up his back and act normal if it was the last thing she did.

  Which it might very well be.

  “Lie.”

  So much for
fooling Keara. Even drugged her friend could see right through her.

  “What can I say? It’s a bloody dragon!”

  Keara’s eyes twinkled. “S’all good.”

  “I know. It’s just...” Lily’s gaze followed Enar as he strode across the campsite, carrying her bag.

  “Like?”

  “Like?”

  Keara’s gaze tracked Enar and flitted back to Lily.

  “Oh. Like.” Lily tried to keep the blush off her face, to no avail. “It’s complicated. So, how are you feeling?”

  “Bedder.”

  “That’s good.” Lily watched as Enar piled bags by Fafnir.

  Did she like him?

  She definitely liked his kisses and his touch. She felt her cheeks grow warm at the thought of his hands on her body, how he had turned her fear into longing. He didn’t mind her odd appearance and he threatened a priest, make that two priests, on her behalf.

  Maybe he was only being protective of what he saw as his, but the little part bricked in behind a wall wanted to believe he had some feelings for her.

  Stupid part. It could get over those feelings now. She was not falling for him. She was not walking the path of her parents, miserable and longing for something more. She would remain aloof, untouched.

  Lying to herself.

  No, no, no. Not lying. Protecting. And by his lack of response to her questions, she knew he hid something about what being claimed meant.

  But what?

  Whatever he hid, she would unearth it. Just not now. Running from Lord Simon was not the time to discuss future responsibilities, or discover why her heart refused to line up behind her decision.

  “Lily! Come here.” Enar stood by the red-scaled beast, his fingers waggling at her.

  Would coming at his bidding be her lot in life?

  “Will you be all right?” Lily touched Keara’s shoulder. “I’m being summoned.”

  Keara cracked a grin. “Uh-huh.”

  Giving Keara’s hand one last pat, Lily drew her feet under her and stood. The red-scaled creature grew larger as she approached.

  Dragons do not scare me. Dragons do not scare me.

  Someone needed to give her a lesson on becoming a better liar.

  Enar placed his palm against her mid-back and she did her best not to melt into his touch. Now was not the time for melting.