by Maggie Ryan
“Thank you for coming. Are you able to stay with us?” Cassandra asked.
“Yes. Deo sent us. Won’t this be fun? We will all be camping buddies.”
Artem greeted us, me with a handshake and a pat on my shoulder, but with my mate, he pulled her to his chest, giving her a tight hug and a kiss on her cheek.
Drawing back a bit, I watched as Artem stroked a finger across Cassie’s skin, immediately going into action. “Cassandra, let’s get you into a proper bed. The RV is still warm from the drive.”
“Isn’t Maine over nine hours from New York?” Cassandra asked, heading over to check out her new, temporary home.
“Six when you have impeccable driving skills and an internal radar detector.” Artem opened the door in his grand fashion. “Let me give you a tour.” Shooting me a look, he added, “And a shirt for Draco, here.” They hadn’t been inside but a few seconds when a black ball came sailing through the air, traveling the full ten yards to reach me.
I lifted my hand only slightly, and the black cashmere sweater fell right into it. “Nice aim.”
Lifting one brow at me and narrowing his eyes, Artem said, “Put it on. Even a dragon can get cold out here.”
Chapter Thirteen
Draco
With Cassandra tucked in safe and warm in the travel trailer with Dolly, I waited by the fire for Artem to join me. It would be a long night of guarding. I was grateful for the warm place for Cassandra to sleep, and the company. Eventually, he stepped out of the vehicle, closing the door without a sound, and made his way over to the fire. He held a brown paper bag in his arms that he put down by his side before taking a seat on the log across from me.
His silver hair glinted in the firelight; the creases around his eyes had deepened. He looked tired. “How are you, my son?”
“As well as I can be with the danger we face. Better now that Cassie is warm. Thank you for bringing the supplies.”
Focused on the fire, Artem rubbed his hands together over the flames. His eyes, solemn and dark, cut to mine. “You and Deo would do well to plan better. You both put Cassandra in danger.”
“What do you mean? I got her out of danger as quickly as I could,” I asked softly, stirring at the embers and watching the sparks fly.
“Yes, but Deo should have let you take her to safety sooner. And you should not have whisked her away from the office to the castle like that without telling anyone your plan. The demon Cassandra killed might have disappeared with the blade, but you were damn lucky everything happened so fast no one was aware of what was going on until it was too late to try to identify you or the car. And as far as the little standoff between you and Deo at Ravensloft, do you know what could have happened if two members of our pack turned against one another in a fight? Especially two who are mated to the same woman?”
I gave a shudder to think of the repercussions should we have fought. “Forgive me. It was a foolish move. I was sick with worry. It will not happen again.”
Artem gestured around him. “And what of supplies? I know to you and Deo, Cassandra is a goddess, but she has the needs of a mere mortal. Could you not have packed a bag with at least some food to hold you over until we arrived? Poor child didn’t stop shivering until she’d downed two mugs of hot cocoa.”
Since I’d forgotten even basic matches, I really had no response. He was right. Despite the chastisement, I grinned. “It’s nice to hear you so concerned over my mate, Uncle.”
“Of course I’m concerned. She’s family.” With a huff and a shake of his head, Artem leaned back, stretching out his legs before him. Kicking off his boots, he wiggled his toes in their socks, warming them by the flames of the fire. Reaching over to his side, he grabbed a brown and silver rectangle from the bag. Pulling back the foil wrapper, he broke off a square, holding it out to me, a peace offering. “Want some?”
“Is it from Greece?”
Reading the back of the package, he answered, “Hershey, Pennsylvania, actually.”
“Where did you get it? I am surprised Margaret allows them in her kitchen. Is there even cocoa in those?”
Consulting the package once more, he stated, “Milk chocolate.”
“What is that?”
“I have no idea, but it is delicious. Margaret sent these for Cassandra. Wants to fatten her up,” he said, popping a piece into his mouth. “You know, you don’t have to read the ingredient list of every bite of food you consume, Draco.”
“I don’t have to read the ingredients of the foods I eat. I can look at what I am eating and know exactly what it is.” Gesturing as if there was a feast before me, I said, “There was a slab of venison on the fire a short time ago. I know it was a deer that had eaten plants and berries, all natural ingredients… not a single chemical or preservative.”
Artem shrugged. “Well, it’s not Greek and most of these words on the wrapper I can’t pronounce, but it’s really good.”
“Fine,” I said, holding out my hand. “Let me try… what do you call it?”
“A Hershey bar,” he said with a grin, handing me two of the rectangles from the foil.
I held them, saw the word ‘Hershey’ printed on the top. I took one, letting it melt onto my tongue before chewing and swallowing. “Not bad,” I said.
“Shall we make s’mores? Enjoy the full camping experience? Dolly swears they are the best out of doors dessert you can come by. Her family camped frequently when she was growing up. She loved it.” He wrinkled his nose in distaste and I grinned. Artem only enjoyed getting dirty if he was a wolf.
“What on earth is a s’more?’” I asked.
“My wife tells me they are so good, you will want some more—s’mores. Let me show you. We need two long, thin sticks.”
Reaching down beside me, I sorted through my kindling. Lifting two sticks that fit his description, I asked, “Will these do?”
“Yes.” Picking up his paper bag, Artem took the seat beside me on the log, his shoulder brushing mine as he did. “Okay, here is what you do.” Ripping open the plastic bag holding the marshmallows, Artem took the sticks from me. “Don’t even look at that package—you don’t want to know what is in there.”
Artem placed a marshmallow on the end of each stick. Handing one to me, he said, “Hold it over the coal, not the flame, turning it often. You don’t want it to catch fire. At least, I don’t. Dolly’s exact instructions were, ‘Let it catch fire—blazing and only when it is all nice and black do you blow it out, smoosh it onto the cracker and it’s all crackly on the outside and gooey on inside, yum!’ Dolly led a Girl Scout troop to fulfill volunteer hours in college and all the girls liked their s’mores this way—they got to keep them in the fire longer. Personally, I think the girls were budding pyromaniacs.”
I chuckled, and opting for Artem’s method, I watched as the outer shell of the marshmallow began to brown and crisp. We sat in a comfortable silence, twirling our sticks and watching the fire.
Taking a long cracker from the box, Artem broke it in half, handing it to me with another square of the chocolate. “You take the graham crackers, place the chocolate on one side, then smoosh the melted marshmallow, topping it off with the other cracker. It’s heavenly, I’m told.”
Following his instructions, I placed the chocolate on the graham cracker, laid the marshmallow on it, then carefully used the top cracker to help slide the stick free, pressing the entire thing together so as not to get the disgusting goo on my hands.
Satisfied with my creation, smiling, Artem demanded, “Try it.”
Widening my mouth to fit the disturbing treat, I bit down. The sweetness was sickening, the marshmallow gooey, the graham flavor of the cracker tasted like cardboard.
Artem looked at me expectantly. “What do you think?”
“It’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.”
“I don’t know—judging from the raw shit rolled up in seaweed I’ve seen you tuck away, I’d beg to differ. Fancy name or not, I’d definitely never wan
t s’more of that fish bait.”
I spewed cracker crumbs as I threw a punch into his shoulder. Artem lost his balance, laughing uproariously at his own joke as he fell from the log.
“Sushi is delicious, I’ll have you know,” I said, offering my hand to help pull Artem back up onto the log. “Be quiet, you’ll wake Cassandra and Dolly.”
“Wouldn’t want to wake our sleeping beauties, now would we?” he asked softly.
“Especially Cassandra. She is more like the Big Bad Wolf than Sleeping Beauty when you rouse her in the middle of the night.”
Artem gave a chuckle. “You know, that mate of yours is growing on me. The way she pores over those documents in the library, circling little bits I would have missed. She’s a clever girl. And hardworking. You and Deo are lucky.”
“I know. I thank the Gods every day that they saw fit to bless me with the trinity.”
Cassandra’s cries suddenly pierced the night sky.
In a matter of seconds, we were both crammed in the small RV, by her side on the bed. Her dark hair was damp with sweat, her eyes filled with fear. Her pale skin, ashen. Dolly was sitting up in the bed next to her, an arm flung around Cassandra’s shoulders. Dolly’s worried eyes locked on mine. “She’s dreamt something. Thinks it’s a premonition.”
Cassandra spoke, her voice trembling. “They have Deo. I’ve dreamed of it. It was as he feared, they have captured him and are torturing him to find where I am. This was why you would not tell him where we were to go.” Grabbing the fabric of my shirt, her fingers clawed into my skin, her eyes flashing with sheer terror. “We must all go to him, Draco, now.”
I smoothed a hand over her hair, pushing the damp tendrils back from her face. “Shh, perhaps it’s only a bad dream, princess.” I shot a look to Artem.
His wide eyes turned to mine with a look I’d never seen in them before. The color had drained from his face. “Could it be? The unheeded prophetess?” he murmured softly, looking to my mate. “She has dreamt it, Draco.”
“Consult the black box, Artem. See if you can track anyone down.”
Dolly climbed from the bed to join her husband, but even as they moved away, Cassandra was shaking her head. “No! It will be too late. They have him now. I am telling you this, Draco, I am sure of it.”
“Princess, I am under Deo’s instruction and I agree with our mate. I am to keep you safe, to guard your life. Artem and Dolly will move quickly. They will find out who is at the castle.”
“We have to leave—now.” Her large green eyes pleaded with me, her hold on me tightening.
Wrapping my arms around her, I held Cassandra to my chest. Her face burrowed into me, her tears dampening my shirt. Lightly rubbing her back, I shushed her gently as she calmed.
Artem and Dolly returned. Kneeling by the side of the bed, Artem spoke softly to Cassandra. “I have spoken to Deo, Cassandra. He says he is well. The only abuse he has suffered is from Aunt Margaret, having stolen one too many of her Vamma del Sols.”
Sitting up and pulling away from me, Cassandra dried her eyes, demanding, “Let me speak with him.”
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible. I spoke with him telepathically, while holding the black box. It’s a little Ambrosia trick we have.”
“Then give me a cell phone—let me call him,” Cassandra demanded.
“We don’t have one. We could not risk being tracked by the GPS in the cell phones,” I said.
Placing a hand on Cassandra’s shoulder, Artem said, “Baal and the others are there with him. They are seven strong and Xander has detected no evil spirits on our land yet.”
Taking a deep breath, Cassandra looked as if she was trying to calm herself. Her eyes looked vacant as she spoke. “But it was so real. I was so sure of it.”
Artem’s worried eyes cut to mine. I knew his fear, for I shared it myself. Could our princess have experienced a prophecy? Though Deo and the others were fine now, had she truly seen a vision of what was to come? Or was it just the dream of a worried wife?
“Princess, you must rest,” I said.
“Stay with me.” Her eyes looked up at me, pleading.
Dolly sat down on the bed on Cassie’s other side. “Draco, Artem, shouldn’t you be out, maybe doing a lap around the perimeter to be sure we are safe? I will stay with her.”
I looked up. There was a clear message in her eyes, her jaw set firmly. She wanted Artem and me to discuss the possibility of the dream being a prophecy—of Deo being captured and plan out our response, without worrying Cassandra further.
“Of course,” I said, standing and gently untangling Cassandra’s grip on my sweater. “Excellent idea.”
Rising, I threw a look at Artem. He gave a nod. Kissing Dolly and Cassandra lightly on their heads, he said, “Be safe. We will return shortly.”
Throwing one last look over my shoulder, I stepped out into the dark night.
* * *
Draco
When the first rays of the sun had come across the horizon, Artem and I still had no plan. We had checked in with the castle every hour on the hour, and all seemed well. Dolly and Cassandra had gotten a few hours of rest and now I could hear them stirring in the trailer.
“Best do one more run of the perimeter before she joins us,” Artem suggested. “I’ll go see what I can get cooking for breakfast.”
Walking toward the forest, I removed my belt from my waist. In one fluid movement, I had my belt under my arm and over my shoulder, clasp latched. Standing still, I closed my eyes, leaned my head back, and welcomed the haze.
The orange fog dissipating, I opened my eyes, blinking back the bright sun. Coming to, I ran my snout and eyes over my reddish-brown fur. Pawing at the dry snow, I watched as it flew in the air, landing gently. Stretching my neck, I sniffed at the frigid air, letting it burn my nose, my lungs. Giving one low howl, I sprinted off into the woods.
Running between the massive hemlock trees, my mind began to settle, overtaken by my senses. The cold, powdery snow flying behind me, the scents of animals swirling in the air. The pale rays of sunlight glinting off the sparkling white ground. The sound of my paws running through the soft snow.
When I had run a mile around the entire border of our campground, I heard my own whine in my ears. I wanted to keep going, to be sure danger was nowhere near us. But my instincts pulled me back to the princess.
Unlatching the belt with my teeth, I returned to my human form. Brushing the snow from my sweater, I picked up my belt from its place on the ground and wound it through the loops of my trousers, safely latching it around my waist. I emerged from the forest, my eyes instantly finding my mate.
Cassandra was waiting for me by the fire, seated on a log. Her waterproof boots went up almost to her knees, her cream-colored down coat coming down past them. She wore a tan knit hat pulled down over her ears. A beautiful cashmere scarf of scarlet wrapped around the lower half of her face, her green eyes peeping out.
When she saw me, a smile came to her eyes, lighting them from within.
I made my way over to the logs, taking a seat next to her, wrapping my arms around her. She snuggled in close to my side.
“Mmm, you’re warm. All this gear, and I’m still cold,” she muttered from behind her scarf.
“Let’s get you moving. That might warm you better,” I suggested, pulling her to her feet.
Artem approached the fire, returning from the camper. Having overheard me, he replied, his deep baritone ringing out over the frigid day, “Yes. We’ve had breakfast. We apologize for not saving you any but we know you rarely eat before noon. What do you say we have ourselves a little fun? We are camping after all.” There was a false brightness in Artem’s voice I knew he had put there for Cassandra, obviously hoping to take her mind off her upsetting dream.
As I turned over my shoulder to speak to Cassie, an icy ball struck me in the side of the face.
Wiping snow from my eyes, I watched as Artem bent over to form a second snowball. With lighting fast moves, h
e struck me in the side of the head. I brushed the snow from my hair. Despite myself, I felt a childish grin spread across my face.
As best she could in her bundles, Cassandra ran behind a tree for cover. Dolly emerged from the camper, leaping across the campground to join Cassandra.
Halfheartedly, I formed my own ball of snow, tossing it at Artem. As I knew he would, he reached out and grabbed it in midair before it could strike him. His speed and agility when it came to hand to hand combat could not be matched.
“Wow—I love how you caught that. Your hand—it shot out like a bullet,” Cassandra shouted with awe.
Laughing, Artem tossed his snowball in the direction of Cassandra’s hiding tree, trying to strike the girls.
Cassie gave a shriek as the snow exploded upon impact, hitting the trunk of the tree. As she peeked out from behind it, I could see snowflakes dotting her dark hair.
Why not have a little fun? “Princess, would you like to practice knife play? We’ve not much else to do but wait.”
Her eyes lighting up, Cassandra nodded excitedly. “Oh, yes, Draco. Can we?” As she jogged out from behind her hiding spot, a large snowball came sailing toward her. To our surprise Cassandra’s hand shot out—mimicking the move of Artem’s she had just complimented—her opened palm facing the oncoming weapon. The sailing snowball froze, hung before her for a moment, then dropped to the ground. A hint of violet emitted from around her body.
After a moment of silence, Dolly murmured in awe, “My God, girl. You’ve got a gift.”
Cassandra whispered, “What was that?” Her eyes flashed to Artem. All confusion leaving her face, her features aligned into warrior determination. Returning her hands to her side, she demanded, “Do it again.”