“I am doing everything my father taught me,” Marco said in his defense. “I don’t know why I am having such difficulty.”
“The dragon is gone now,” said Wolf. “Do you think you can call it back?”
“Lucio didn’t seem to want to come here in the first place, so I doubt he’ll come back.”
“Lucio?” Lucio looked up in confusion.
“That’s what I named the dragon,” said Marco. The men chuckled.
“I’m not sure if I should feel honored or insulted.” Lucio’s eyes narrowed in thought.
“Aye. If the dragon is so temperamental, perhaps it is a girl,” said Kin.
“Kin, that isn’t funny,” his wife, Olivia, told him. The other wives nodded in agreement.
“I never thought of that possibility,” said Marco, wondering if that was the problem.
“Del Rossi, you need to get back to Guildford and figure this out if you are going to save my daughter. Daughters,” Lucio corrected himself.
“Pardon me?” asked Marco. “I am saving Rapunzel only. Did you want me to bring Medea to you as well?”
“Nay, you’d better not,” said Lucio with a wave of his hand. “I think I had better confront Hecuba myself where Medea is concerned.”
“I can take you back to Guildford tomorrow if you’d like,” offered Freya.
“You?” Marco raised a brow.
“My wife is witch,” Arnon explained. “She can transport, bringing one other with her, just by kissing her familiar, Beauregard.”
“Beauregard?” Marco wondered why Freya would be kissing anyone besides her husband.
“A frog,” Arnon explained, shivering as he said it.
“Come, let’s all sup at my table,” Kin invited them. “We can discuss this more over a mug of ale and a leg of lamb.”
“We need to be on our toes,” Lucio told them. “If Hecuba now has a daughter, there is no telling what she plans to do next.”
“I believe Rapunzel told me Hecuba has been looking for a castle to conquer so she and Medea can rule.”
“That’s not good,” said Lucio, clenching his jaw. “Not good at all.”
“She’d better not try to take my castle,” Stefan spat, clenching his fists. “I’ll fight her to the death if I have to, but I am not giving up Breckenridge.”
“Stefan, it’s all right.” His wife, Bonnibel, rubbed his arm. “I’m sure your father knows what to do. If we all work together, we can conquer Hecuba.”
“Hecuba is not the one I’m worried about,” Lucio told them. “Medea is aging quickly and that is not normal, even for a witch. I am sure Hecuba will find a way to use it to her advantage. I wouldn’t doubt that she plans on teaching the girl dark magic and probably plans on doing something with it soon. With both Hecuba and Medea working together, we have to be on our guard at all times. I am only one man and my magic might not be strong enough to protect us all.”
“Rapunzel has magic now, too,” Marco reminded him. “And I am a Dragon Lord, so I will help as well.”
“We’ll see about that,” said Lucio, not sounding at all convinced that Marco could help them. His sons didn’t look as if they had confidence in him either. Marco’s gut twisted into a knot. If he didn’t take control of the dragon soon, he might not be able to help the de Bar family after all.
Rapunzel relaxed on the bed, weaving flowers into her long braid as she hummed a dreamy tune. She was thinking about spending time alone with Marco. She’d managed to materialize the flowers purely by accident and was thrilled with what she did. Medea wanted some, too, but Rapunzel wouldn’t share. So, Medea whipped up an array of flowers of her own to use that were scattered all over the floor. The room smelled sweet with the scent, so Rapunzel didn’t mind.
“I wonder if I should make my hair longer like yours so I can weave all these flowers into it,” said Medea. “I think Marco would like that.”
“Good idea,” she said, hoping to be able to talk Medea into breaking her curse. She had no idea if the girl could even do it, but thought it was worth a try. “Why don’t you take my hair? It is so long it wraps around the entire room. You could turn it black to match yours.”
“Don’t even think of trying to trick my daughter into breaking your curse because she can’t do it.” The coat rack next to the window shapeshifted. It was Hecuba, holding her magical hand mirror. By the way Medea jumped in surprise, it was apparent she didn’t know her mother had been spying on them either.
“Mother,” said Medea, dropping a flower. “Were you here all along?”
“Nay,” said Hecuba, trudging across the room looking very tired. “But I was here long enough to know you are infatuated with that fool!”
“Marco is not a fool,” stated Medea. “He is going to kiss me the way he kisses Rapunzel, as soon as I turn eighteen.”
“Medea,” scolded Rapunzel, sitting up and shooting her a daggered look. If she spilled any more secrets, Rapunzel was never going to be able to have time alone with Marco.
“You are a child and shouldn’t be thinking about men,” Hecuba told her daughter. She seemed out of breath. She collapsed atop a chair, putting her hand mirror down on the table and rubbing her hand. “I think I need to start spending more time watching you in this mirror.”
“Mother, I am not a child,” sniffed Medea. “Tomorrow I will be a teenager. And in less than a week’s time I will be an adult.”
“I am starting to regret that you are growing up so quickly.” Hecuba suddenly noticed Medea’s clothes. “What are you wearing?”
“I wanted to look like Rapunzel so Marco will like me. I have given myself new clothes.”
“Change back into breeches and a tunic, anon.”
“I will not.” Medea crossed her arms over her chest, being defiant.
“You will listen to me. I am your mother.”
“Make me.” Medea stupidly challenged her mother. Rapunzel scooted back on the bed, wanting to stay out of the way when the sparks started flying between them.
“Don’t toy with me, Daughter, because I won’t have it.” With a powerful beam of energy from Hecuba’s hand, Medea went shooting backward, stumbling against the window sill, losing her balance and falling out the window.
Rapunzel sprang to her feet and ran across the room, trying to help her little sister.
“You’re not going anywhere, Missy.” With a wave of Hecuba’s hand, Rapunzel’s hair wrapped around the furniture, keeping her from moving.
“Ow!” screamed Rapunzel, feeling the pain. She fell to the floor, angry with Hecuba. “Leave me alone,” she shouted. With just her words, Hecuba’s chair toppled over, and the old witch fell to the floor.
“What was that?” Hecuba stood, her eyes wide in astonishment, looking around.
Medea’s hands appeared on the window ledge, and she pulled herself into the room. “Mother, I told you Rapunzel had powers.” Medea didn’t seem to be hurt. Rapunzel figured the girl had used her magic to keep from hitting the ground. She let out a breath of relief.
“That’s impossible.” Hecuba dismissed the thought, marching across the room toward Rapunzel. “You and your siblings are only humans.”
“My father is a powerful warlock,” Rapunzel reminded her. “Why should it be so surprising? I’ll bet all my siblings have powers and don’t know it yet. Mayhap, our powers have just been dormant all these years.” She laughed. “I think when my siblings all awaken their magical skills, you should be very worried.”
“This can’t be happening.” Hecuba rubbed her hand again. “I refuse to believe you are capable of using magic.”
“Mother, your hand is bleeding,” said Medea, hurrying across the room. “Did Rapunzel do that to you?”
“I didn’t mean to,” said Rapunzel, wondering if she would be reprimanded now.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” said Hecuba. “You couldn’t hurt me even if you really did have magical powers. My hand was injured days ago.”
“How did you hurt i
t?” asked Medea.
“Why haven’t you been able to heal it with your magic?” questioned Rapunzel.
“You two ask far too many questions. When I want you to know something, I’ll tell you. Now, I am tired and want to rest. I’ll have no more talk about magic, and certainly no more talk about men.”
Chapter 17
Thank you for the lift,” Marco told Freya the next day, letting go of her hand just outside his hovel door.
“My pleasure. Gar and I will be off now.” Freya lifted her big frog to her mouth and placed a kiss on its head. In a flash, they were both gone.
“Marco, is that you?” His father appeared in the doorway of the house, looking out. “I thought I heard voices.”
“It was just Freya – Arnon de Bar’s wife.”
“Where is she?” He walked out, scoping the area with a perplexed expression on his face.
“She left, Father. Freya is a witch and can transport. She brought me home from Gillingham.”
“Why didn’t you take your dragon?” He sat down on a wooden chair on the porch, stretching out his bad leg and rubbing his knee.
“The dragon left me there,” he said with a sigh. “I’m afraid my training is not going very well.”
“I’m sorry,” his father apologized. “I feel as if I’ve failed you.”
“That’s not true,” said Marco. “Your training has been wonderful. I am the one who is failing. I thought I would be better at being a Dragon Lord by now.”
“Marco, don’t let your confidence slip away.”
“You’re right, Father.” Marco collapsed atop a chair with his legs stretched out in front of him and his head leaning back. He stared up at the sky as he spoke. “I can’t understand why I cannot connect with the dragon.”
“I have never heard of this happening before. Every Dragon Lord connects to his dragon as if they are one and the same. The ring will glow to let you know it is working.”
Marco checked his ring. It wasn’t glowing. “I know I chose the dragon – or it chose me. But I don’t feel a connection to it at all.”
“Perhaps you don’t have the right dragon.”
“Is that possible?” Marco sat up straighter. “I have seen a large, red dragon a few times now, but it has been chased away by the little, green one.”
“You have?” Marco’s father sat up straight as well, seeming very interested in this information. “Tell me more.”
“There is nothing more to tell. I tried to still my thoughts and call my dragon. The red one appeared more than once.”
“Was your ring glowing when it happened?”
“Yes, I do believe it was.”
“That’s it,” said his father, slapping his knee and then cringing in pain.
“What do you mean?”
“Marco, you have chosen the wrong dragon.”
“I have? Well, how do I switch dragons?” Marco came to life with this news.
Marco’s father frowned. “I don’t know. To my knowledge, this has never happened before. I think you will have to find the answer to that on your own.”
“All right, I will,” said Marco with a nod. He would think about this but, before he did, he needed to visit Rapunzel.
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.”
“It’s Marco.” Rapunzel’s heart soared. Thankfully, Hecuba was not there when Marco came calling. She ran to the window but, of course, Medea made it there first.
“Marco, I’m here.” Medea waved her arm wildly out the window. When Rapunzel came up behind her, Medea elbowed her and tried to crowd her out.
“Medea, you can either move out of my way, or I swear I will use my powers to make you do it.”
“You’re mean,” she said, sticking out her tongue and stepping away with her arms crossed in front of her.
“Watch out, Marco. I’m throwing the braid down,” Rapunzel called to him. After tying one end of her severed braid around the bedpost, she lowered it out the window. “Dang, I forgot,” she said, seeing that it wasn’t quite long enough and Marco couldn’t reach it.
“I’ll send a ladder again,” said Medea smugly.
“No need to. I will handle this.” Rapunzel walked back to the dresser and opened a drawer, pulling out a pair of shears.
“What are you going to do?” asked Medea. “You know what will happen if you cut your hair.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Rapunzel tied the end of her braid to the bedpost next to the severed braid. Then she walked back over to the window and snipped off her hair. “Try this, Marco.” She threw the braid out the open window. In a matter of seconds, Marco had used both of the braids to pull himself up and into the room.
“That worked well,” he said, climbing over the sill. “But Rapunzel . . . your hair.” He reached out and touched her shoulder-length hair, running his fingers through it.
“Believe me; it’ll grow.”
“I’ve missed you,” he said, raising her chin and gently pressing his lips against hers. Her eyes closed and her head fell back. It felt so good to be in his arms and kissing him again. Rapunzel had decided to wear her gown after all. She looked like a lady and was glad she did it no matter that he said he liked her in breeches.
“What about me?” Medea never stopped vying for his attention. Rapunzel couldn’t wait to get rid of her.
“What about you?” she snapped.
“I am waiting for my kiss, too.” Medea puckered her lips, closed her eyes and leaned forward.
Rapunzel glanced at Marco and shook her head.
“All right, Medea.” Marco walked toward her.
“What are you doing?” asked Rapunzel.
He turned and smiled at her and held up his finger. He bent over and kissed Medea atop her head. Medea’s eyes sprang open.
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.” The girl wasn’t amused by his action.
“I know what you mean, but you are still a child, and no one is going to kiss you on the lips,” said Marco.
“I am thirteen today. And look at my clothes.” She put her arms above her head, twirling to let Marco see her short skirt and tight top.
“Medea, I think you are forgetting about our deal,” Marco told her in a low voice.
Her eyes darted over to the window. “Did you bring the dragon? Can I have my ride now?”
“I have yet to master control of the dragon, so you will have to wait for a while yet.”
“Oh.” She pouted.
“Medea, get lost,” chided Rapunzel.
Marco turned and made eye contact with Rapunzel, shaking his head in warning. Then he focused on the girl.
“You look very nice today. Now, I think it is time for you to go for a walk and leave me alone with Rapunzel as you promised.”
“I don’t want to.” She didn’t budge.
“How would you like to ride on a bigger, better dragon than that puny, little, green one?” Marco seemed to tempt her with a new deal.
That got the girl’s interest. “Do you have two dragons?”
“Not really,” answered Marco. “But the next time I fly past this window, you will see me on a big, fierce, red dragon that is three times the size of the one you saw before.”
“When, when?” she asked excitedly.
“Hopefully, in just a few days from now.”
“A few days? By then I’ll almost be an adult.”
“Don’t rush to grow up, Medea,” came Marco’s words of advice. “Enjoy your childhood for as long as you can. It goes by much too quickly – and you out of anyone should know that. Youth is something you can never get back.”
“My mother is hundreds of years old, and yet she can make herself look like a beautiful young woman.”
“That’s by using her powers to shapeshift. It isn’t real,” he explained. “Now, go on outside and don’t come back until you see me lowering myself from the tower.”
“Make sure you keep your mother from watching us in the mirror, too,” Rapunzel remin
ded her.
“She can’t see Marco in her mirror. She’s tried,” said Medea.
“It is probably because I’m a Dragon Lord,” he told her.
“Will you keep her away from the tower?” Rapunzel asked.
“I don’t know where she is.” Medea was very stubborn.
“Medea?” Marco smiled and raised his eyebrows. “Remember that dragon ride that is coming if you are good.”
“And the kiss,” she added.
“I don’t have much time.”
“All right,” she said with a sigh. “I’m going.”
Instead of just transporting the way Hecuba did in a puff of smoke, Medea grabbed on to the braids and lowered herself out the window.
“Be careful,” said Marco, watching to make sure she made it to the ground safely.
“You care about her, don’t you?” asked Rapunzel.
“I suppose I do,” he said, still watching. “I never had a sibling. In a way, I feel as if Medea is my little sister.”
“A sister that will be an adult a few days from now. And don’t forget, Medea wants to kiss you nearly as much as I do.”
“Well,” he said, turning and pulling her up against him. “It looks like we are alone now. What do you say you show me just how much you want to kiss me?”
She giggled and cuddled up against his chest. Lifting her chin, she closed her eyes and let him kiss her. He tasted like fresh air and smelled like leather. His kisses were intoxicating and made her feel randy.
“Take off your tunic,” she said, barely able to wait to see his bare chest. When he removed his tunic, she gasped at the vision of his biceps and toned body. Reaching out, she ran her fingers over his skin, slipping her hands down his chest and around the back of him. He put his mouth on her head, talking against her hair as his hands slid around her back and settled on her bottom end.
“Mmmm,” he said, taking a deep breath that made his chest rise and push up against her. “You smell wonderful.”
“I’m not sure how that is possible, being trapped in this stuffy tower for so long.”
His fingers brushed upward, skimming her back and slipping to the front of her to caress her breasts right through her clothing. A delicious shudder of anticipation swept through her. “All I’ve been thinking about is our time alone, and it is driving me mad,” he muttered. Leaning over, he nibbled on her earlobe causing her to giggle.
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