“I see.” Robin leaned against a tree. “Perhaps I can be of use as well.”
“You?”
Robin smiled wryly. “I may be human, but I have my uses. It is my sister working in the Callaway household. It might be easier for me to gain access than you.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Xavier looked up at the blue sky with longing before snatching his tunic from the ground. “Still want to meet Aaron?”
“I do. But you know there’s no-one to see you here except me. Why don’t you change form and take a quick flight first? I can see it is calling you.”
Xavier turned his gaze upwards again. “It’s not safe.”
“You won’t be long. Take me with you.”
Xavier looked back at his cousin. “You’re desperate to see your monstrous cousin, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Robin said with an unashamed grin. “And I wouldn’t mind a ride.”
Xavier snorted out a laugh and stripped off his trousers. “You can catch my tail. But first you must close your eyes until the light has faded.”
“Light?” Robin began, but Xavier was already rising into the air, his wings holding him aloft. Robin closed his eyes as a bright light lit the area. When he reopened them a tail hung just above his head, and grabbing it, he let out a whoop of laughter as Xavier swung into the sky, trailing Robin behind him. Xavier took one turn above the trees then dropped back towards the ground. Robin let go and the light flashed once more before Xavier floated back to the ground, his shining white wings open wide behind him.
“You truly are a dragon,” Robin said, bracing himself on his knees.
“Yes,” Xavier said as he pulled on his clothes and headed out of the forest.
Chapter 12
Robin glanced at Xavier as they headed back into the city. His silver-white hair, hanging straight down below his shoulders, shone in the sunlight, and when he met Robin’s gaze the gold ring in his eyes seemed to glow. They stopped outside a tall house with a door that opened directly onto the street, overhung by the second storey. Pushing the door ajar, Xavier led him into a long hall.
“Aaron’s in the parlor,” said Xavier, leading Robin through the large room.
“How do you know?”
“Apart from the fact that I can hear him, I can also smell him.” He smirked at Robin’s look of astonishment as they stepped into a small room overlooking the courtyard. Seated on a chair near the window sat a woman, book in hand. The sunlight caught the rich browns of her hair, which had been partly braided and hung down her back, while at a desk near the window worked a man, his light tawny hair tied at the nape of his neck. They both looked up as the pair entered, and Robin took in the man’s golden eyes, so similar to Lydia’s.
“There you are,” the woman said to Xavier as he greeted her with a kiss on her cheek. “Your father was wondering when you’d be back.” The man behind the desk rose and walked around to join the woman.
“Who is this?” the man asked.
“My cousin,” Xavier said. He turned back to Robin. “These are my grandparents, Keira and Aaron Drake.”
Robin felt a jolt of surprise as Aaron regarded him thoughtfully. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Master,” he stammered. It was close to sixty years since the black dragon had attacked the city, but Aaron Drake looked barely old enough to be Xavier’s father, let alone his grandfather. He cleared his throat as he dragged his eyes away. “I’m being rude, forgive me.”
“You’re Lleland’s nephew?” Aaron asked.
“Yes.”
“Welcome to Drake House,” Keira said with a smile. “Lydia and Lleland often mention you and your family.”
“Thank you, Mistress.”
“And what has Xavier told you about us?” Aaron said.
Robin glanced at Xavier, who crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the desk. “That you’re dragons.”
“Ah. You understand this knowledge could be dangerous – not just to us, but to you as well.”
“I do. But I am family, and families share each other’s trials.” He flicked a glance at Xavier. “And since my sister is proving to be of use to you, I believe this is knowledge to which I’m entitled.”
Aaron smiled. “You may have a point there. Of course, the situation is mainly for your sister’s benefit.”
Before Robin answered, Lleland walked into the room. He stopped at the threshold, his eyes moving between Xavier and Robin before settling on his nephew. “Welcome, Robin,” he said. “How did things go with Suzanna?”
“She starts immediately.” He met Lleland’s gaze. “She’s not going to be in danger, is she?”
“From Callaway? No.” He shot a glance at his son. “How much has Xavier told you?”
“Enough. I know why you stayed away. And why I have only met my cousin recently.”
“You cannot tell your mother, Robin.”
“We are family, Uncle.”
Lleland gripped Robin by the shoulders and as their gazes met, Lleland’s eyes flared into flame, and Robin felt his eyes widen. “Do you think this knowledge will bring her comfort?” he asked softly. “The fact that her brother turns into a monster?”
Robin swallowed hard. “No.”
Lleland’s hands fell away and he took a step back. “Xavier has chosen to share the knowledge of what we are with you, son, but it is not something to be taken lightly. Dragon law does not allow us to share knowledge of what we are with humans.”
“I understand.” Robin looked between the three dragons, his eyes stopping on Aaron. As Robin stared at him, he could see that despite the appearance of youth, there were years of experience in Aaron’s gaze. “I think I can help you.”
“How?” Aaron said.
“You want Xavier to get into the Callaway household by befriending the girl, but he would still have to earn his trust. As brother to her companion, I might have a better chance of learning Callaway’s secrets.”
“Go on,” Aaron said thoughtfully.
“Xavier may be able to gain admittance into the Callaway household, but there is something about him – about all of you – that makes you different, despite your ability to look human. Depending on what Callaway knows, he may be suspicious of Xavier. But there is nothing inhuman about me.”
“He has a point,” Aaron said.
“What do you think you can offer Callaway that will make him trust you?” Xavier asked.
“He was a hunter, was he not?” His gaze fell on Lleland. “I will let him know my grandfather was killed by a dragon and drop a hint that I would love to see revenge.”
“Interesting.” Aaron smiled grimly. “Lleland was driven to revenge for the death of the same man, and if events had been different, he might still be trying to kill us all.” Lleland paled slightly, but remained silent. “Just how much truth is there to what you are saying?”
“I do not believe the actions of one man, or in this case one dragon, implies that all are guilty. I know my uncle and have never had reason to fear him, and although I have only recently met Xavier, I do not believe he is a danger to me or any other humans, despite his disdain for us.” He looked at Xavier. “You mentioned that drinking the blood of a dragon binds the human that drinks it, so let me drink yours.”
“No.” Xavier’s eyebrows were drawn together in an angry frown.
Robin turned to Aaron. “I could drink yours.”
Aaron cocked his head as he regarded Robin thoughtfully, but it was Xavier that answered. “No. Think of Matthew Hobbes.”
“Your cousin is completely unlike Matthew. He will not suffer with the bond.”
“No,” Xavier repeated, his tone low.
Aaron looked up to meet Xavier’s gaze, and tension crackled in the room. All were quiet as Aaron and Xavier stared at each other, with Aaron finally dropping his gaze.
“Of course, the decision is yours,” he said softly.
Robin glanced around in confusion, but remained silent. A moment passed before
Aaron spoke again.
“Robin is right – he might be able to learn more than you, Xavier. But I still think you should get close to the girl. Apart from the fact that it will be beneficial to you to learn more about humans, you could pool your knowledge.”
“I agree, and I’m beginning to think Callaway is our man.”
“Why is that?” Aaron asked.
“Robin saw some interesting things in his study while Callaway was interviewing Suzanna.” He glanced at his cousin. “Tell them, Robin.”
“He had notes on his desk about weapons and poisons. There were also sketches of dragons.”
Lleland frowned. “That still doesn’t prove anything,” he said. “He was a hunter, after all.”
“There were also lists,” Robin continued. He looked at Aaron. “One was a list of names, and yours was the first.” Aaron’s eyes flew to Keira’s as she gasped.
“Aaron’s?” she whispered. “How could he possibly know?”
Aaron rubbed a hand over his face. “Remember the men serving Jack? Human men?”
Keira’s eyes widened. “You think –?”
“Yes.”
“Grandfather, what is it?” Flames wove around Xavier’s clenched fist as he looked at Aaron.
Aaron took a seat beside Keira. “When Jack kidnapped Keira and Anna, he had human minions on the island.”
“He gave them his blood,” Lleland said.
“Yes. You weren’t the only human whom Jack bound with his blood, Lleland. Max took care of the others after Jack was killed, but one escaped. It was from him that the king first learned about us. That we were not mere beasts.”
“You think Callaway found this man?” Xavier said.
“That’s one possible explanation.”
“It was over fifty years ago,” Robin said.
“Dragon blood prolongs a human’s life,” Lleland explained. “It’s why Keira still looks so young.”
“You’re not a dragon?” Robin asked in surprise.
“No, human like you,” Keira said with a smile. Robin dropped his gaze to the floor, trying to process this latest piece of information. Like the others, Keira did not look old enough to be Xavier’s grandmother.
There were footsteps outside the parlor and Lydia entered, a man a few steps behind her. She stopped when she saw the visitor in the room.
“Robin,” she said, walking towards him with her hands outstretched, “how lovely to see you. I’m guessing Xavier told you everything?”
“If by ‘everything’ you mean that you are all dragons, then yes.”
“I’m glad. You cannot tell the rest of your family, but it’s good that you know.” She turned to the man standing behind her. “This is my brother, Zach.”
“You can call me uncle, if you want,” Zach said with a grin, reaching out to shake Robin’s hand. He turned to Aaron. “I just spoke to Max. He and Erik were watching the Callaway place last night. It seems he had some rather interesting late-night visitors. Ex-soldiers, mercenaries, a few men in trades.” He glanced at Lleland. “The kind of men who might be hunters.”
“How many?”
“Six. We didn’t have enough men to trail them all, but Max will place more tonight.”
“What did they talk about?”
“That’s the interesting thing. Our men couldn’t hear anything.”
“Nothing?” Xavier said in surprise. “How’s that possible?”
“Erik says they used very low voices. He made out one or two words, no more.”
Xavier opened his hand and began to play with a ribbon of flame. “We need someone who can get closer.”
Aaron crossed his arms as he regarded him. “I agree. It should be you.”
“How will you get closer?” Robin asked Xavier.
“There’s more about me that you don’t yet know,” Xavier said with a smirk. “I’ll show you later.” He glanced at Zach. “Do we know for certain that Callaway’s visitors will return tonight?”
“I’ll tell Erik to send word when they return,” Zach said. “In the meantime you need to remain in the city.”
“How late did his visitors arrive?”
“After midnight.”
“I need to hunt,” Xavier said. “I’ll go out later, after dark, but will be back by then.”
“Do you really think –”
Xavier pushed himself from the desk and walked over to Zach. “I’m not like you,” he said softly. “I cannot remain amongst humanity without escape the way you can.”
The two men stared at each other, until Zach dropped his gaze. “Very well. I’ll let Aaron know if anything happens while you’re gone, and he can tug your bond.”
“Good.”
Lydia and Lleland urged Robin to stay for supper, and he sat beside Xavier as the meal was served in the hall. “So tell me how you can get closer to Callaway?” Robin asked him.
“I can become one with the flame.”
Robin rubbed his forehead, trying to make sense of Xavier’s words. “What do you mean?”
“Come,” Xavier said, leading Robin back into the now-empty parlor. He closed the door, stripped off his tunic and held out his hand. As Robin watched, Xavier’s hand began to shimmer and then burst into flames. Robin’s eyes widened as they flew to meet Xavier’s. They were burning pools of fire that blazed like twin furnaces. Robin took a hasty step back, his leg knocking over a stool.
“Don’t be scared, man,” Xavier said.
“What are you?” Robin whispered.
Xavier wrapped his hand – the one not burning – around Robin’s neck and pulled him closer. “You know what I am. A dragon. Your cousin. Now step back and I’ll show you more.” He pulled his hand away and shrugged off the rest of his clothes. “I won’t hurt you,” he said.
Xavier dissolved into a burning tower of flame which rose to the ceiling and spread around the room. Robin dropped to a chair and stared, his mouth open in shock. A moment later the flame coalesced before him and took on the shape of a man, before turning back into actual flesh and bone. Robin stared at him in amazement.
“That was incredibly strange,” he said. “How can you do that?”
Xavier shrugged. “I’ve always been able to.”
“Can my uncle –”
“No. Just Aaron and myself. But now you understand how I can get close to Callaway. If I spread myself thinly enough, I’m barely noticeable.”
“Then what do you need anyone else for?”
“Because you can only learn so much in that form. As Aaron says, it is better to meet your enemy face to face.” He pulled on his clothes. “We should return to the hall or there’ll be no food left for us.”
Robin tried to wrap his mind around what he’d just seen as they walked back to the table. “Do you do that often?” he asked.
“When I’m home.”
“You mean Storbrook? What’s it like?”
“A castle in the middle of the mountains, far from all human habitation.”
“You sound like you miss it.”
“I do. I can be myself in the mountains.”
“Is it so terrible being human?”
“When you’re used to the power and strength of the beast, it is a difficult thing to allow yourself to be small and weak.”
“Do other dragons feel this way?”
“To some extent, I suppose. But they are more used to their human skin. After all, that was all they knew until they began to take dragon form during puberty. But I was sixteen before I ever changed.”
They sat down and Zach slid into the space beside Xavier. “I saw you leave for a few minutes. Were you showing off for Robin?”
“Maybe a little,” Xavier said.
Zach’s eyes slid to the other man. “You know Xavier will be our master one day.”
Robin looked at Xavier in surprise. “Master?”
“I think Robin has been inundated with enough information for one day,” Xavier said.
“Yes,” Zach continued, ig
noring his nephew. “Master of the dragon clan. We will give him our blood and allow ourselves to be bound to him.”
“Enough, Zach,” Xavier said softly. His gaze caught his uncle’s.
“Zave’s right,” Zach said. “You’ve learned a lot about your family today. How do you feel?”
Robin thought about it for a moment. What he’d seen and heard both terrified and excited him. “I already knew something was different about my family,” he said. “I just didn’t know how different.”
“When your uncle first learned the truth of what we are, he did not handle it so well.” Zach glanced at Lleland, and Robin followed his gaze. Lleland was stroking Lydia’s hand, their faces close together as they spoke. He bent forward to kiss her, and sparks glittered around them. Robin looked away. The bond between Lleland and Lydia had always been apparent, but now, beyond curious human eyes, it was even more evident.
“They share a blood bond,” Zach said, answering his unspoken question. “Dragons always share blood with their mates, and it ties them together in a way humans cannot understand.”
“What about when they mate with a human?” he asked, his eyes drifting to Keira. Aaron’s hand was on her knee as he spoke with Max, who had arrived just as supper was served.
“They still share their blood, but unlike other times when a dragon gives his blood to a human, the bond goes both ways.”
“A dragon can choose to bind a human to himself, without being bound himself?”
“That’s correct.”
“Is that what happened to Matthew Hobbes?”
Zach shot Xavier a quick glance before replying. “Yes. He was bound by your uncle, Lleland.”
Robin frowned. “Why?”
“He tried to kill Lydia.”
He considered that for a moment. There was so much about his relatives he did not know. “That seems to be a good reason,” he finally said. He turned to Xavier. “I take it you don’t have a mate somewhere?”
Xavier snorted. “No. And before you ask, I’ve never met anyone I was interested in mating with.”
“What about Mistress Talbot?” Robin asked teasingly.
“Mistress Talbot? Certainly not!”
“You are aware of Xavier’s aversion to humans?” Zach said with a laugh.
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