Warrior Lover (Draconia Tales)

by Karilyn Bentley

With Lily by his side, he could prove once and for all he was every bit as much of a warrior as they. Even better since he found the perfect woman.

  Alviss’s questioning continued, rolling right over their words.

  “Draconi heal fast. We’ll speak with him tomorrow or the next day. Tell us about the female. How did we not hear of a mature Halfling?”

  “I don’t know the answer to that. But the town we found them in is full of superstitious people who convinced her magic was evil and she was too. Don’t worry, I’ve convinced her otherwise. Her name is Keara and she was…is…an apothecary. Annaliese has taken her on as an apprentice.”

  “You’ve been here long enough for her to meet Annaliese?”

  “I returned with Keara several days ago. I went through the Change while on the mission and gave her a crash course on helping me, but she absorbed the magic and went into a coma.”

  As one, the Draconi wore horrified expressions, while puzzlement settled over the Watcher’s faces. Enar and the other Watchers didn’t know what was so bad about absorbing magic, but he remembered Thoren’s face in the wooded clearing and Keara’s still form. Clearly absorbing magic was not on a Draconi’s pleasure list.

  “She lived despite absorbing magic?” Alviss’s coloring matched his hair.

  “She did. I turned and flew her back. Figured it was an extenuating circumstance.”

  “Of course, of course. Are you sure she absorbed your energy?”

  “Both she, the High Priestess, and Annaliese said that’s what she did. She’s tending Jamie, the boy Halfling.”

  “We need to speak with her too. Now about the dragon.” Alviss made a circular motion with his hand.

  “We found him in a dungeon—”

  “What were you doing in a dungeon?”

  “Rescuing Keara. She’d been captured. Oh, speaking of which,” Thoren shook his head as if trying to get his thoughts in line. “One of her captors was a Draconi.”

  “A Draconi?” Alviss gripped his chair’s arms in a white-knuckled grasp. “Who? Did you see this male?”

  “I did not. Keara said she recognized him by his mark.”

  “She was also drugged up but good,” Enar pointed out.

  “So it’s possible she did not really see a Draconi?” Alviss asked.

  “I suppose,” Thoren said. “But she was insistent on that fact and she remembered everything that happened to her. The drug didn’t affect her memory. She said the Draconi wanted to use her for revenge.”

  “We will question her about that. It’s very disturbing. Continue with the dragon.”

  “As I said, we were in a dungeon and there he was. Apparently, he’d been captured many years ago while in human form and he Changed while in the dungeon,” as one, the Draconi shuddered, eyes wide, “and is now stuck in dragon form. He arrived at the Temple earlier today.”

  Viktor glared at Enar, as if it was his fault Fafnir spent the last however many years in captivity.

  “Why did he not come back with you?”

  Thoren shrugged and looked to Enar.

  Enar mirrored the shrug and ignored Viktor. “I don’t know why, but he came with me, not Thoren.” But it probably had to do with the fact the bloody beast was crazier than a drunk dragon growling at the moon.

  “He’ll also be questioned. How was he captured?”

  Thoren shrugged. “I don’t know, but the bars of the cell were made out of titanium.”

  “Titanium? How can a mere human know titanium renders a Draconi’s powers useless?”

  “I don’t know. Oh, Enar discovered Jamie’s father is dead.”

  Enar glanced at Thoren. What was up with his friend being forgetful? Thoren usually nailed these mission wrap-ups, not forgot half the items he should be speaking on. The image of a red-haired Halfling popped into his mind. Oh yes, Keara. No wonder his friend was forgetful. Mated males made lovesick fools look intelligent.

  Alviss’s eyes widened, his mouth tightening. “How?”

  Enar related what he knew about Bjorn’s death and his speculations regarding the rogue Draconi trying to capture Jamie before he tried capturing Keara.

  “That is a major security threat. We cannot have humans working with Draconi to capture Halflings. We will send a team tomorrow to eradicate the problem. Do you know anything else about this dragon?”

  “Sir, I discovered how the dragon was captured,” Enar said. Save the best for last, thanks to Lily and the gossip-vine.

  “Well, we’re waiting.” Alviss leaned forward.

  “He was visiting River’s Run and ran afoul of one of the nobles there who somehow knew of titanium’s effect on Draconi. I’m not sure why the noble captured him, but Fafnir cast a spell on the noble before he was thrown in the cell and the man went crazy.”

  “Serves the human right. Do you know more than that?”

  “No sir. I didn’t discover more about his story.”

  “Very well. We’ll question all involved and find out the answers ourselves. First we’ll talk to the female, you said her name was Keara?” Thoren nodded. “We’ll try to discover who her father was. Please bring her to us.”

  A few seconds later and Keara stood beside Thoren, her face pale. But she straightened her shoulders, staring Alviss in the eyes. As Alviss began her interview, Enar’s focus drifted to Lily, despite the stare and glare Viktor turned his direction.

  Where was his woman now? Still in the infirmary? Taking a tour of the Temple grounds? Waiting in a room half-naked for his arrival? That image made Viktor’s glare vanish like snow in the sun.

  And then Lily’s image disappeared as Thoren snarled at Alviss. What just happened? Why was he so busy daydreaming he missed the trigger setting off Thoren’s rage?

  Enar took in the scene. Thoren held an unmoving Keara around the waist, his lip peeled into a snarl. Alviss’s eyes stood at attention, white brows faded into his hairline. Balthor, Thoren’s father, paused halfway out of his chair. Whatever just happened, Thoren reacted like the mated male he was, primed and ready to rip apart whatever threatened his mate. Even if said threat was the most powerful Draconi around.

  Not very bright, but then newly mated males weren’t exactly known for their intelligence.

  “Hey, now. That was rather exciting, eh?” Enar slapped a palm against Thoren’s shoulder and stepped between Thoren and Alviss, using mind-speak to project his voice into Thoren’s head. Goddess’s teeth, Thoren, what do you think you’re doing? You can’t fight Alviss. Do you have a bloody death wish?

  Thoren blinked, steam curling around his ears. He glanced at Keara as she pressed a hand against his chest and took a deep breath. The steam circling his head dissipated and Enar breathed a sigh of relief. His friend managed to pull it together before he was turned into charred dragon shish-kabob.

  “I apologize. I’m not sure what came over me.”

  He thumped Thoren on the shoulder and went to stand where he had been before Thoren started the mated male dragon posturing. Which he then proceeded to lie to the Council about.

  Clearly his friend had issues.

  He was a fine one to be talking about issues. He had a claim who liked him but wouldn’t tomorrow, a father who despised him, and all he wanted to do was remain in a Draconi village.

  Put into perspective, Thoren’s refusal to acknowledge Keara as his mate seemed rather trivial.

  Alviss continued to ask Keara if she wanted to discover her ancestry. Apparently Thoren’s dragon posturing had something to do with Alviss discovering Keara’s family. Like the rest of the Council, Enar stood with his mouth hanging open as Alviss announced he was Keara’s grandfather.

  And then the two transported out of the Chamber, leaving Thoren and Enar alone before the remaining Council members for further questioning.

  After that little revelation, the Council members’ questions came in starts and stops, before fluttering out, their astonishment overwhelming their curiosity.

  The words, “You are dismissed,” ha
d to be the happiest ones in his life.

  Ignoring Viktor—perhaps that snarl of his froze into a permanent fixture—he yanked open the doors and stepped out into the late afternoon light where the air no longer suffocated him. Freedom.

  Thoren stepped beside him, looking from side to side. “Where do you think they went?”

  “When do you think you’ll tell her she’s your mate?”

  “You know, when someone asks you a question, it’s polite to respond with the answer and not another question.”

  Enar grinned, spotting Keara and Alviss behind Thoren, tiny spots on a bench at the edge of the property. “You should tell her, you know.”

  Thoren ran a hand through his hair. “It means I can no longer do my job. I like being a reconnaissance specialist.”

  “The rule makes sense. We do have some danger each time we go into the field. No one wants the responsibility of telling a male’s mate he was killed in action.”

  “I know. It’s just, what will I do?”

  “You’ll figure something out. You can’t live without her and you need to let her know.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’m taking Lily back to my village tomorrow.”

  “When will you be back?”

  “Not long. By the way, your mate is that way.” Enar pointed to where Keara sat.

  Thoren turned his head, running a hand through his hair. “You’re right. I’ll let her know.” He started walking in the direction of Keara, waving over his shoulder at Enar.

  Thoren and Keara made a good match. Just like Lily made him a good match.

  The thought sucker punched him in the gut. She belonged to him. His to cherish. His to l...He choked on the word.

  He wasn’t Draconi. He was a Watcher. Watchers did not bond with their claims. Therefore, the almost slip of the “L” word meant nothing.

  Liar. And dragons didn’t know how to use magic.

  He needed to find Lily. To find her and tell her what he felt. Maybe then her sparkling blue eyes wouldn’t shine hatred when he returned her to his village.

  It never hurt to hope.

  Chapter 17

  Lily rested her chin on her knees, arms wrapped around her legs. Jamie slept in the other bed, his breathing even from the potion Keara gave him before she set his broken bones. Right when she opened her mouth to tell her friend about her vision and ask what it meant, Keara’s eyes grew distant. With a “Gotta go, Thoren needs me,” Keara disappeared, leaving Lily alone with an unconscious ten-year-old.

  Lily lost track of how long she sat on the bed, her thoughts spinning through her mind like eddies in a stream. Did the High Priestess really come to her in the dream and offer a position at the Temple? No matter what the future held with Enar, it had to be better than seeing visions all day.

  She shivered. Could the priestesses really teach her to control what she saw? To force a vision to come? What kind of people were the Draconi?

  Maybe if she took a tour of this place, she’d meet a priestess to ask. She glanced at Jamie, who still slept the sleep of the drugged, and walked to the door. Would the priestesses mind if she left the healing room?

  Only one way to find out.

  Lily pulled open the door and stepped out into the hall. A quick glance left and right showed no one standing around, willing to answer her questions. And that was why she had feet—to transport her where she needed to go.

  If only she knew where that was.

  Picking a direction, Lily headed to the right down polished stone floors. Brass knobs in the shape of dragon heads dotted the doors, gleaming gold against the wooden panels. Light emanated from globes hanging next to the line of doors, casting a gentle glow over the corridor.

  When she arrived at the end of the hall, she picked right to head. This corridor was short and ended in a large foyer lit by the evening sun shining through a wall of windows. A cozy circle of cushioned chairs clustered around an unlit fireplace. Huge, intricately carved doors took up the wall opposite the windows. Lily tilted her head back and took in the sweeping expanse of a ceiling. Something was painted up there, but the angle of the light shining through the windows prevented her from seeing the painting. What a perfect room to paint in and thanks to Enar she had her brushes. Maybe someone would loan her paints, canvas and an easel.

  Someone. Anyone.

  Where was everyone? Shouldn’t a priestess be around to talk to her? She looked from one end of the space to the other, gave up finding a priestess and headed to the chairs.

  Her bottom had no sooner touched the chair when the doors opened, Enar stalking inside.

  “Enar!”

  He paused, turning toward her, squinting in the sun.

  “Lily?”

  “Hi! There’s room here for another.” She gestured toward the chairs and watched as he walked to where she sat.

  Muscles flexed under leather as he strode across the floor, the soles of his boots whispering against the stone tiles, killer quiet. Lethal. Why hadn’t she noticed during the past week, he was built like a killer?

  Probably because she was too busy sighing over pleasure-filled nights.

  “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in the healing rooms?”

  “Keara left. Jamie was unconscious. I couldn’t find a priestess and I got tired of waiting around. So I took a walk.”

  “Where are the priestesses?”

  “Do I look like I know?”

  He grinned. “I guess not. Would you like to walk around?”

  “I was hoping for a bath and change of clothes. Where are all our bags anyway?”

  “In one of the rooms.”

  “Really? Do you happen to know which one? Does it have a bathing room?”

  “Hold on.” Enar’s eyes grew distant, much like Keara’s had seconds before she disappeared. But instead of disappearing, he remained where he stood and a priestess popped in next to him.

  Lily bit back a scream. Next up on the to-do list: get used to Draconi suddenly appearing in front of her.

  “How may I assist, Enar?” The black-haired priestess clasped her hands in front of her waist, but Lily could tell the woman would rather have placed them on Enar.

  Was that growl coming from her throat?

  Both Enar and the priestess looked at her and Lily took a deep breath. If she got busy breathing in, then nothing could come out. Right? Right. She forced a smile. The priestess turned back to Enar, her face full of hopeful expectation.

  Lily clasped her hands together until the knuckles turned white. What was wrong with her today? Why did she have this desire to smash the smile off the priestess’s face for talking to Enar?

  Perhaps she hit her head when she fell earlier. Although that didn’t explain the growling noises escaping her throat or the overwhelming urge to commit murder.

  “Which room has our bags?”

  “Ah. Right this way. Please follow me.” The priestess started down the hall, tracing the path Lily took earlier.

  Instead of turning down the corridor to the healing room, the priestess continued straight until she reached one of the many doors set in the wall. With a shove, she opened the door and took a step back.

  “Here you go! The bathing room is to the right and the relief room is to the left. Enjoy your stay.” A brief nod of her head and she disappeared, vanishing in a wisp of smoke, taking with her Lily’s insane urge to kill.

  “I really need to get used to people popping in and out like that.” Lily blinked at the empty spot formerly containing the priestess.

  “It shouldn’t take long.” Enar walked to the bed and began to disarm, shrugging out of the holder for his broadsword.

  Lily headed to the bathing room. Clean skin coming up. Maybe they had a clean set of clothing, since Goddess only knew hers needed a good scouring.

  “And just where do you think you’re going, woman?”

  “To take a bath. You’ll like me better afterward.”

  “I like you fine ri
ght now.” His teeth gleamed a predator’s white as he loosened the tie holding his hair. The blond waves fell around his shoulders as he stalked toward her.

  So much for the bath. Not that she was complaining.

  His lips captured hers, his arms banding around her waist. Her hands stroked through his hair, holding him close. One of his hands skimmed from her back to the underside of her breast, his thumb flicking against the peaked nipple.

  She moaned into his mouth.

  “Like that?” His lips slid to her ear, clasping gently on the lobe, sending chills racing around her limbs.

  “Mmm. Keep it up and you’ll find out.”

  He chuckled, a dark knowledge in the sound. “As you wish, love.”

  Love. His fingers drew sensations from her she didn’t realize she possessed. Was that love? Had the emotion snuck past her aloof decree and embedded itself into her heart? Did he love her? Or was love just a word bandied about with no thought?

  Too much thinking on her part. In the moment was where she needed to be, not all up in her head.

  Lily drew his lips to hers as his hand slid across her stomach, stroking lower, each inch taken making her core weep, tantalizing her with the remembrance of his fingers’ past talents and tempting her with future ones. Right when she feared the anticipation would drive her crazy, he cupped her mound. Even through her trousers, Lily felt the heat of his palm, searing her, branding her his.

  His. She, who had never belonged to anyone, belonged to Enar. And because of it, she would do anything for him.

  She stroked her tongue against his, feeling the wet heat of his mouth, hands fisted into his shirt. He lifted her, pressing her back against the stone wall, his arousal pushing against her stomach. The chill of the stones seeped through her tunic, clashing with the heat of her body against Enar’s.

  Hot and cold. Strength and gentleness. Enar took her out of the cold and showered her with warmth. Her hands slipped beneath his shirt, feeling the hard planes of his stomach. Slipping lower, she untied the laces of his leathers, pushing them over his hips.

  “What—”

  Lily pressed a finger to his lips, silencing his question. Heat burned in his eyes as she dropped to her knees, one hand sliding along the length of his shaft until she reached the sensitive head. She dropped her eyes to what she held, taking a deep breath. She could do this, take him into her mouth, give back to him a taste of the pleasure he gave her.