Lucan

by Susan Kearney

  Welcome, son of Adam.

  Here I bequeath to you and your brothers of the Round Table all of my kingdom.

  Beware the tribes and guard well my worlds all the days of your lives.

  Retain for them all the laws that have been extant in my days

  And all the good laws that were in Pendragon’s days.

  You have voyaged to Avalon to find the fairest of prizes, A prize that will make your kingdom sound,

  A prize that will make the world completely whole.

  And when you return to your kingdom,

  You will dwell among the Britons with surpassing delight.

  Lucan rocked back on his heels, his jaw dropping in stunned amazement. Much of this inscription was similar to Layamon’s Brut, one of the first major texts written on Earth in Middle English around the year 1200. Or had Layamon plagiarized this message from Pendragon, rewriting some of the words?

  “Welcome, son of Adam” must surely refer to Adam and Eve, an Earth legend. It was almost as if this inscription was waiting for someone from Earth to find it. But how could that be?

  The reference to “worlds” could be literal and refer to actual planets, or it could be figurative and allude to the physical and spiritual worlds. But the wording about coming to Avalon to find a prize seemed to refer to the Grail, especially with the reference to being “sound,” a word the ancients used instead of healthy. But what excited him as much as the promised health was the word “Briton.”

  As far as Lucan knew, Briton was not a word on Pendragon.

  Finding the poem sent shivers down his spine. It had been inscribed centuries ago. For him.

  He shook off the ridiculous thought. Obviously, men had once traveled between Pendragon and Earth. If there were legends about Avalon on Earth, he shouldn’t have been so shocked to find references to Briton on Pendragon.

  Lucan copied the words to paper, but he also memorized them, branded them into his mind for later analysis. He was about to leave when a mark on the opposite wall caught his attention. Again he wiped away sand and dust to reveal yet another ancient carving. This time he couldn’t read the writing, which was similar to Viking runes. Instinct kicked in and he carefully copied the message. Had he found one poem written in two different languages? Or had a second ancient civilization left their own legend?

  Peeling off the sheet of paper, he folded it and stuffed it into his back pocket. He wasn’t here to research Pen-dragon history.

  He must get back to Avalon. Back to the Grail.

  The High Priestess spreads protection over the believers like a dragon’s wings.

  —THE ELDERS

  11

  Cael opened her eyes to the crackle of a fire Lucan was building and the shrill sound of her communicator. Exhausted, she fumbled in her pack. “Hello, Nisco.”

  “Trelan’s dead,” her sister said.

  “The investigator?” Cael hit the speaker button so Lucan could listen, too. “He’s dead? What happened?”

  Lucan moved away from the fire, and she could see concern—and anger—etched in his face.

  “The official reports say he was shot while trespassing at a military installation, but I know he was in the city, with General Brennon.”

  “You believe that Brennon’s involved in a cover-up?” “Before he was murdered, Trelan sent me papers he’d stolen from Brennon’s briefcase. You need to see them.”

  “Why? What’s in them?”

  “I’m not sure. It’s some kind of formula.”

  “Brennon may have killed Trelan because of those papers,” Lucan said, his eyes worried.

  Cael’s hand trembled. “Nisco, you need to be careful.”

  “Don’t worry. I doubt Brennon has any idea his papers are even missing. Look, I have to go. Can you meet me at the residence?”

  “Tomorrow.” Cael shut the communicator and let it fall from her hand. Trelan was dead. And her sister might be in danger.

  “It’s not your fault that man died.”

  “I’m worried about Nisco. If Brennon killed Trelan over those papers, they must be important.”

  “What do you think he found?”

  “Nisco mentioned a formula, so it could be a chemical weapon. Or it could be a coded communiqué.” She sighed. “It could be about any high-level secret, Avalon, military plans, or their budget.”

  “Brennon’s plan to frame us?”

  “I have no idea. But if Brennon knows Nisco has them, he might—”

  “None of this is your fault. And tomorrow, after Nisco gives you the papers, she should be safe.”

  Cael wanted to believe him. She wanted to let Lucan comfort her. But was it fair to ask him to take her into his arms when an embrace incited his lust?

  Lucan crouched beside her, and now it was concern she felt radiating off him in waves. “Let me get you some water.”

  He retrieved the thermos, set it beside her, and then brought her a piece of jasbit from the pack. Her fingers touched his, and all the lust he’d repressed came barreling back. He tried to block his need. And failed.

  Scalding and sensual, primitive and passionate, his desire cascaded over her. She ached for his touch and his kisses. And there was a hollow ache between her thighs that only he could fill. Between betrayals by the

  Elders and the military hunting them, she probably wouldn’t live long enough to regret another lapse in judgment.

  She ate in silence, appreciating the food that filled her belly, the warmth and crackle of the fire. And the man who was doing his best not to look at her. Firelight played off the angles of Lucan’s cheekbones, and the smudge of dirt on his temple only made him more attractive.

  Arching her back, she stretched, a not-so-innocent move that lifted her breasts. Lucan followed her silhouette with his gaze like a starving man watching a juicy jasbit roast on the hearth. Never in her life had she played the seductress. She hadn’t realized that drawing a man’s attention could be so exhilarating.

  Lucan’s bold stare alone had her scales undulating. Her empathic senses picked up cracks in his icy surface. And below the ice was a steaming core.

  “Did you eat?” She kept her voice low and husky.

  He shook his head, a muscle in his tightly clenched jaws ticking. “You need food more than I do.”

  She held out a chunk of jasbit. “There’s no need for either of us to go hungry. I can hunt more prey. In this altitude, fresh meat is plentiful.”

  “We can’t go outside. Those ships are still overhead and flying a search pattern.”

  “These airships will be out of fuel soon and have to report to their base. Eat.” She held a piece out to him again and licked a bit of sauce from her lip.

  He stared at her mouth, his eyes fierce. She chewed and swallowed, then licked her finger. Feminine instincts took over, and she licked a second fingertip.

  Again he shook his head. “I’m fine.” But his voice had grown tense. A muscle pulsed in his neck. Lucan was wound tighter than a compressed spring. When she raised a skeptical eyebrow, he repeated, “I’m fine.”

  Stubborn man. “There’s an ice cave down that tunnel.” She pointed toward one side of the cave. “I’ve stored emergency provisions here, too.” Cael had used this cave after she’d pleaded her case to become a healer and had to wait on the government’s decision. And she’d come here after she’d learned that Jaylon’s last treatment had failed. The cave was a place to rest, to regroup. A place where she could be herself. “We could hole up in this cave for weeks and not go hungry… for food.”

  He frowned as if he couldn’t quite believe she’d just made a sexual innuendo. Ah, to think she’d been so stuffy that he couldn’t even imagine her as a sensual woman.

  That was going to change. Cael was done playing by other people’s rules, rules that she now realized had done nothing but keep her isolated. And now, because of that isolation, no one knew her well enough to realize that she’d never set the lab on fire, never kill a human being.

&nbs
p; Lucan accepted the food she offered him, but he moved to the other side of the fire. “Why do you store provisions in so many different places?”

  She’d let him have his distance for the moment, but not for long.

  “Trusted Elders taught me to prepare myself for love or hate.”

  “Love or hate?” He frowned, stopped eating, and stared into the fire. “Elders taught you to make love?”

  “I’m not talking about pairing.”

  The flames reflected in his blue eyes. “I don’t understand.”

  She twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “During ancient times, dragons weren’t understood. People feared the dragon would burn them and eat human flesh. Perhaps some of my ancestors actually resorted to cannibalism. I don’t know for certain. Legends tell of hunters stalking the dragon. But every time they killed a dragon, another was born, so it was impossible to rid Pendragon of us.”

  “This genetic anomaly just pops up at random in the general population?” His gave was riveted on her finger playing with her hair.

  “Yes.” She took a sip of water and saw his gaze drift back to her lips. “No one knows which family will have a dragon child born into it. It’s considered a great honor. In Carlane, a residence has been set aside for me to live in luxury. I’m honored—but separate. But my dragon ancestors—I call them that although they aren’t direct genetic links to me—worked hard to gain the people’s love and respect. In the past, dragonshapers were blamed for solar eclipses, droughts, wars, and sickness. It’s not impossible that war could break out again and modern opinions could revert back to primitive times. So I’ve prepared for… whatever may happen. But I have to tell you that I never thought I would be hunted for murder.”

  “Your dragon guardians, do they know about this cave?” he asked, his gaze drawn repeatedly to her mouth and fingers.

  “No. The Elders instructed me to trust no one. Not even them.”

  “Why?”

  “There was once an ancient king who coveted not only political power, but spiritual power. Knowing that if he could capture the High Priestess, he could force her to do his will, he hatched a terrible plan and married his daughter to an Elder to learn dragonshaper secrets.”

  “And the Elder betrayed the High Priestess?” he guessed.

  “The Elder revealed that the best way to weaken a dragon was to prevent her from feeding on platinum. The king used this ill-gotten knowledge to capture the dragonshaper, and then he placed her in a cage where she lived many, many years before she died.” Cael shuddered at the thought and leaned toward the fire. Her tunic gaped open, revealing the tops of her breasts.

  Lucan took in an eyeful. She sensed the desire seething through him, but then he turned away and fed more wood into the fire. “But you’ve shared your secrets and brought me here.”

  “I like you.” She spoke the simple truth. The Dragonian language didn’t have a word to define their relationship. Women and men might pair before a marriage ceremony, but since conception of a child often quickly followed the mating, it was accepted custom that the couple would soon formalize their relationship. Men usually took the pairings as seriously as women. But not Lucan.

  He held her gaze. “I give you my word that I will never reveal this place to anyone.”

  From the emotions radiating from him, she sensed that he would keep that word—to the death, if necessary. In his own way, he was a man of honor.

  She sighed. “Thank you.”

  She sipped from the thermos and offered it to him, but he shook his head, stood, and brushed off his hands. “I think I’ll take another walk.”

  “Good idea.” Cael shoved to her feet. “I need to work out the kinks.” She raised her arms and stretched, rolling her head back, and when his gazed burned into her, she swallowed a smile.

  She strolled by him, brushing her hand against him as she passed, and he jerked back as if he’d been burned. She let her gaze become an erotic caress. “Afraid my scales are contagious?”

  “I’m not afraid of you,” he practically growled.

  “Good.” She threaded her fingers into his.

  He made a strange choking sound in his throat, and for a moment she feared he might pull away. But his fingers squeezed hers tightly, then relaxed. And the scarlet need in him frothed bright as the sun.

  He spoke, his voice was calm and careful. Too careful. “I haven’t explored this end of the cavern. While you slept, I forayed and refilled the thermos by the main waterfall.”

  She knew just the place to take him. “The first time I came here, I learned this old cave system has many tunnels carved out by either prehistoric glaciers or sea water from ancient times.”

  “Have you explored them all?”

  She shook her head. “There are too many passages. I did find another smaller waterfall inside.” And as its water ran over the rocks for thousands of years, it had carved out a series of pools. Thermal heat warmed the water, making a perfect bathing area. But she’d let him discover that surprise for himself.

  She led him around a bend and stopped. Brilliant blue water cascaded from the highest pool before overflowing the stone edges and frothing into a series of seven pools, each one smaller and warmer than the last.

  “Wow.” His eyes sparkled with pleasure at the sight of the pink marbelite stone framing the glacial blue water. “This is amazing.”

  She grinned. “You haven’t seen the best part.” Within a moment, she’d stripped off her clothes.

  He raked his eyes over every inch of her flesh, and her hearts flipped over in response. “Are you trying to distract me?”

  “Is it working?” She brushed a lock of hair from her shoulder.

  He tried to look away, but his eyes kept coming back to scan her naked body. “You’re beautiful. But we can’t…”

  “We can.”

  She turned to reveal the delicate scales on her back, her butt. She’d noticed he liked to caress her there. Then she dived into the pool, letting the warm water sluice over her skin and praying the water would be too inviting for him to resist.

  She held her breath, but the pool was too large to discern if he’d joined her. Under normal circumstances the water would have soothed her frazzled nerves and restored her spirits, but not now, not with this impossibly attractive man literally seething to have her—yet still holding himself back.

  Undulating her body, she let her bottom surface before ducking back under. While she swam, she wondered if his new DNA required the nutrients the fall’s platinum-seeded water would provide. Already the platinum was seeping into her skin, causing her to seethe with energy.

  If he jumped in, would he feel it, too?

  A sudden disturbance rippled through the water, but she didn’t spot Lucan on the surface. Suddenly, she felt hands slide up her ankles. Lucan’s hands. He settled his long fingers on her waist and lifted her out of the water. Then dropped her.

  Tingling from the combination of his touch and the energizing platinum, she released a playful yelp as she fell back into the water. She plunged deeper, grabbed his ankles, and dragged him down with her. She expected a frisky reaction, but he took her hand and began to nibble up the inside of her arm. The wondrous sensation sizzled up the scales to her shoulder, down her spine, and over the insides of her legs.

  She’d never felt anything so delicious, but she had to surface for air. With a kick, she came up and filled her lungs.

  Lucan surfaced next to her, his blue eyes sparkling. “Do you know that your scales taste like nectar?”

  “You like my taste?” His question shocked her, and she took a stroke backward. She yearned to play the seductress, but the passion burning in his eyes reminded her she was a novice at this game.

  “You’re exotic. Delicious.” He sounded so serious, and she could feel him still trying to fight his attraction.

  With the water trickling from his hair, over his brow, and down his cheek, he’d never looked so good. His chest and shoulders glistened, and the h
eat in his eyes made her stomach tighten in anticipation. “I care too much about you to mislead you. You understand… we can’t always be together?”

  “You’ve made that very clear.” She dived back under the water and lightly nipped his right buttock. At her taunting play, he threw back his head and laughed.

  And while she didn’t hesitate to pinch and prod and scratch and bite while they frolicked, she wondered if she could truly seduce him.

  Pool play was fun, but the water was too deep here to do more than frolic. She swam for the shallow end, hoping he would follow.

  When he surged ahead, stood, and grabbed her by the shoulders like some ancient warrior determined to take what he wanted, anticipation ripped through her.

  Between the glint in his eyes, his sensual lips, and the determined jut of his jaw, he was all glistening hard male. Chiseled angles and bronze flesh, his body seemed more powerful than it had been just yesterday.

  He lowered his head, and his lips claimed hers. His kiss was hot, hard, heavenly. Possessive.

  Need broke over her, and she welcomed his lips, his heat. She needed to feel his skin against hers, but he held her firm, allowing only their mouths to touch. She struggled, but he held her easily, and kissed her thoroughly, maddeningly slowly, until she wanted to scream for him to let her feel his heat.

  Each time the water rippled, her scales reacted, as if his mouth were nibbling and caressing them, stroking back and forth over the sensitive insides of her arms and legs.

  Jerking back from the kiss, she caught the intensity in his eyes and gasped. “Hurry.”

  He shot her a charming smile. “As you wish, Priestess.”

  She expected him to pair with her right there, but he didn’t. Instead, he lifted her until her breasts reached the surface and then sucked a nipple into his mouth. Sweet heaven. She thrashed in sheer joy. Between the constant ripple of the water from the swirling pool and his mouth on her breast, she writhed with pleasure.