Hearing what she didn’t say, he sucked in a ragged breath. She couldn’t sleep after having a mate dream, one where he had tried to kill the evil exile he believed her to be. He clenched his teeth, but she didn’t condemn him as she softly continued her story.
“I heard a sound coming from her room. You need to understand, she sleeps like the dead. Once down, she doesn’t stir all night. My first thought was an intruder so I ported into her room.” From the twinkle in her eyes, he could tell she was trying extremely hard not to laugh. “Miranda was dressed head to toe in black clothes. She looked like a ninja or something. All I had to do was quirk a questioning eyebrow at her and she was spilling her guts.”
“She calls it a hobby, but she has this fascination with fountains. She has collected miniature fountains and pictures of them for years. Last Christmas I gave her a camera and a How To book on taking pictures of waterfalls. Now, she drives everyone crazy with wanting to visit famous fountains.”
“She was sneaking out to take pictures?” he asked doubtfully. “You sure you know your innocent sister?”
Sarah chuckled. “Yeah, believe me she wanted to visit the Trevi fountain in Rome. She even had a map with yellow highlighter marking her route. Earlier that day, she snitched three coins from my bedside stand, hoping she could throw the coins in the fountain and make a wish.”
“I thought she wanted to take a picture?” he asked, frowning as he tried to keep up with her story.
“Yes, well, during her internet research on fountains, she found one that supposedly grants wishes of true love.”
Nick snorted. “And so she stole money from you to visit the fountain. Sarah, that doesn’t sound like a too-sweet-for-words type of girl.”
Sarah looked at him. For a split moment, her eyes reflected such a deep pain he nearly groaned. “The wish wasn’t for her. It was for me.”
Chapter - Can’t Catch Me
Clarabelle reclined in the luxurious California King bed, arching her body seductively in the beams of sun pouring through the oval skylight. Her silky human skin glowed with health. The dark gold color reflected the hours of time spent under the hot sun. At times, she didn’t know which form she preferred, her luscious human body or her sleekly, dangerous dragon form.
She glanced around the room, feeling a surge of arrogant possessiveness. The restricted suite of rooms took-up thousands of square feet in her mate’s fortress. The fairy enforced walls kept all curious eyes and ears from seeing or hearing anything that went on within the rooms.
No one, except her mate, had ever seen her within his bedchamber. She was Lady Clarabelle of a domain that didn’t know she existed.
With a curl of her finely manicured finger, she imperiously ordered her mate to attend her.
His lips twisted into a smile. To the average person, the thin curving of his lips looked bitter. And why wouldn’t he be bitter? Even his fellow members on the dragon council understood why one of the oldest members of that esteemed group of dragons was harsh, an unpleasant person through and through. It was a well-known fact he was one of the oldest dragons alive that remained unmated… or so they believed.
Keeping the mating bond a secret for the last hundred years had been harder than killing her own grandparents, but like that nasty chore so many years before, the lifeBond between her and her mate had to remain secret.
“I’d love nothing more than to stay here with you, but while you were sleeping I received a summons to an urgent council meeting,” he said, kissing the tips of her fingers as he slid his free hand across her unmarred chest, searching for the slightest scar. “Are you sure it no longer hurts?”
“I’m fine.” She tugged him closer for a proper kiss. “I was fine yesterday, but someone was overly cautious and demanded I stay in bed.”
“I didn’t hear you complaining last night or this morning for that matter,” he said with a smirk on his face. His satisfaction filled her, matching her own feelings. They had been together for so many years. They had become perfect companions even before the bonding, held together with an overwhelming lust for power.
His synth crystal had sang for her (naming Clarabelle his perfect mate) the day she outlined her plan to return Dragon Valley to the Sídhí home world. It had been a near impossible dream, because without having Chi'Kehra, the legendary leader of the elves, available to charge the long dead energy landfills her brilliant blueprint for the future had very little hope of succeeding. At the time, she estimated her plan had less than a single chance in one billion of succeeding, but it would be worth anything if they could accomplish returning dragons to Sídhí.
Modern dragons made her sick. Every year more and more dragons lost focus on what it meant to be dragon. Dragons were a magnificent race born to rule the world. Yet, too many dragons had a mind-set of solitude and peace, wanting nothing to do with taking their rightful place among the other Sídhí races.
“You don’t think Cornelia suspects anything, do you?” Clarabelle asked, with only a hint of concern in her eyes. She didn’t doubt her plan was perfect, but the councilwoman had a knack for screwing-up the Khr'Vurr’s plans.
“That old bat won’t see us coming until I’ve got a sword passing through her neck. She’s as blind to the world around her as a true bat.” He smiled; a wicked looking crease of his thin lips. “Once we have the chit shackled to do our bidding, I’ll enjoy a bit of torture on the old bird. They say Cornelia is so old, she heals nearly instantly.”
Clarabelle glared at her mate. Worry made her words harsh. “That chit nearly killed me. Sarah might be young, but she is still the Chi’Kehra. The power that girl has is unreal. Don’t underestimate her.”
His chuckle turned nasty. “Oh no, she’ll not get the chance to harm either of us ever again. And once I have her mate in my dungeon, she’ll regret the day she ever harmed you.”
Chapter - Forbidden Territory
Early the next morning, Sarah exited the tent to find a dragon starting the campfire. He stuck around long enough to discuss cabin twenty-four’s decision to take the river rafts back to the main campground.
Guardian Alexander did not make an appearance, and the dragon he sent in his place was not subtle. The dragon suggested Sarah and her cabin mates should not join the other teen's trip down the river. By leaving them in the forest, Alexander was trying to turn her - and her cabin mates - into bait. Sarah assumed this was the guardian’s way of giving her the chance to catch the Khr’Vurr. Wasn’t she the lucky one?
Over the next few days, the teens hiked into the surrounding forest exploring the area. Even though Nick joined the expeditions, she avoided him as much as possible. For her, it was abnormal behavior. She never avoided a problem but this time it was different.
This time, she freely admitted (to herself), she was being chicken. She didn’t care. Her semi-truce with Nick had ended the very minute he looked at her the next morning. Seeing the sunshine turn her eyes red, he curled his lip in a snarl of distaste and stomped away. He really had a problem with her red eyes.
As the days dragged on, the number of teens at the campsite increased. The dragons brought in the remaining members of cabin twenty-five, first Clarisse (who Sarah suspected was a junior member of the Khr’Vurr) then Jared and Katie.
Well, they flew in everyone, except a couple of shapeshifters, Beth and Brianna. The two shapeshifters, both girls in their late teens, had arrived at the main camp several days late. When the girls checked into the cabin, Ella, their cabin mother, insisted the girls hike through the forest and catch-up with cabin twenty-five.
The dragons had one big, all-important rule for all campers during the Peace Camp: All cabin members had to stay together and play together. The rule was a pain in the backside. Unfortunately, Sarah was in for the duration, playing impotent little camper along with the other teenagers. It meant she had to follow the camp rules. Well, for the most part.
As soon as Katie and Jared arrived at the new campsite, the teens had a quick meeting,
and decided to visit Blue Bertha, a unique hot spring that glowed. No one mentioned waiting for Clarisse, the single absent cabin mate. The girl had taken off at the crack-of-dawn, ignoring everyone around her. She was the daughter of a high councilor in Clan Valley. As such, she had an attitude the size of the Grand Canyon. Given enough time, Sarah hoped the young vampire would implicate herself as being Khr’Vurr.
Halfway to Blue Bertha, the teens came upon a split in the trail. One trail was marked with warning signs, while the other trail made her hair rise in warning.
“The lower trail isn’t safe,” Sarah said, pointing to the trail with no warning signs.
Nick glared at her. “And why should we take an Exile’s word for it? That happens to be the approved trail or can’t you read the warning signs plastered all over the other trail?”
“The exile is right. Whatever is down that trail isn’t safe,” Beth said emphatically. From the overly confident expression on the shapeshifter’s heart shaped face, she believed the group of teens would accept her words as gospel.
“Look Mutt, we can’t go up the mountain,” Mitch said, glaring at Beth. His intense dislike of the shifter came through each growled word. “The trail is off limits and probably for a darn good reason like a werewolf nature preserve or something, not that you wouldn’t fit right in with your furry kin folk.”
Biting the inside of her lip, Sarah refused to laugh, but her eyes sparkled as the shapeshifter received a firm smack down. What did the girl expect? Most Sídhí thought shapeshifters (not including dragons) were extinct. The sudden appearance of Haven Valley would take time to get used to, not to mention accepting shapeshifters. During the Great War on the Sídhí home world, shapeshifters were in tight with the umbra, the original nightmare race that began the Dhark Empire.
“Look moron, shifters are not related to werewolves. Anyway, if you’ll just look at the map you’ll see those warning signs are wrong,” Beth argued, waving her hand toward the map Nick studied. “Obviously, halflings are denser than concrete, because your head is so thick you’ve forgotten the meaning of common sense.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Katie walk toward the trail. Before Sarah had time to consider her actions, she had grabbed hold of her young friend’s arm stopping her. “No, stay away from there.”
Not surprisingly, Jared growled at her for manhandling his mate. No one, not even a family member, grabbed a vampire’s mate.
She sighed, refusing to let his show of distrust hurt. She slowly released Katie. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
“That’s what you said yesterday and the day before. FYI, nothing has happened yet,” Nick said sarcastically as he looked down at the map, turning it one way then the other. His frown turned into a glare as he studied the wrinkled paper. Refusing to look Sarah in the eyes, he continued mocking her opinion. “This isn’t the Dhark Valley with werewolves and sasquatch attacking us around every tree.”
Sarah clenched her jaw and sucked in a calming breath. It didn’t help. “Hello, déjà vu. You do remember what happened the last time you said something like that, don't you?” she asked her frustrating mate in a deadly soft voice, gently poking at him, intentionally trying to irritate him. Honestly, she didn’t know what got into her. “Does a big explosion ring any bells in your thick skull?”
His growl was the only answer she received.
For ten solid minutes, the group argued.
Beth’s accent - a weird Southern inflection crossed with a Scottish burr - thickened her voice. “I don’t believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the exile.” Her amber eyes flashed toward Sarah, while keeping Mitch in her line of vision. “That valley is not safe. My hair is standing on end.”
Mitch laughed at her, causing the girl’s face to flame with anger. “You'd need to hang by your toes to have that bird's nest you call hair stand on end.”
Sarah clenched her jaw to keep from laughing. He was correct. Brown and gold streaked hair dropped to her waist.
“My instinct,” Beth emphasized her sixth sense, “is screaming danger. Obviously, as a halfling you've lost that Sídhí trait.”
Mitch growled, long and low. His sharp fangs, glistening with venom, lengthened as his six-foot plus frame towered over the petite shapeshifter.
Nick broke the deadlock. He looked at Sarah with a flash of pain-filled distrust. “I won't go anywhere two residents of the Dhark Valley tell me to go.”
He turned and stalked toward the shadowy trail that gave her the creeps.
Sarah sucked in a sharp breath and waited all of two heartbeats before following her obstinate mate down the cool trail, refusing to let him out of her sight. The minute she stepped onto the trail, she smelled Clarisse’s faint scent. Well, at least she found the missing vampire.
___________
Prince Mackenzie, better known as Mac, flew through Dragon Valley. Sunlight warmed coal black wings edged in a dusting of gold and burgundy. As always, eerie music hummed through the back of his mind.
Flying between the dimensional layers, no one noticed him as he skimmed above thick trees. Going In Between, the ability to disappear between the invisible strata that layered each valley and earth, made Mac’s job much easier, especially when he was also hiding from Sarah. She’d have his wings if she realized he disobeyed her order to stay out of Dragon Valley.
He understood her concern. Certain dragon clans had the ability to see anyone hiding within the In Between. The dragon gift had been a great benefit as Clan vampires and dragons joined forces to hunt down and destroy the last few umbra years before. Just thinking of the hideous, dark furred creatures set his teeth on edge.
Far below, a flash of movement caught his attention. He dived into the canopy of leaves, grinning as if he played a game. To him, flying was the greatest joy in his life. The freedom of the wind brushing through his sensitive feathers helped him ignore the constant music thrumming through his brain as it tried to drive him mad.
Swerving around a thick branch, he maneuvered through the tight airspace surrounding the large trees. The twisted path was child’s play for the six-thousand year old phoenix.
As he neared the ground, he watched a young woman move silently through the trees. Dressed in blue jeans, well-worn work boots, and a dark gray t-shirt she stood out like a sore thumb to his enhanced senses. Her eyes never ceased moving, as she eased through the thick foliage.
A breeze swept by him, carrying a faint scent of vampires, elves, halflings, and mundane humans - probably shifters. Thankfully, Sarah would never catch his scent in return.
Realizing the girl tracked his liege and her cabin mates, a soft growl rumbled from his chest.
The girl froze. Her head snapped around and glared right at Mac.
Before the dragon had time to shift, before she could utter a single word, a dart struck her in the throat. Eyes wide, the girl grabbed for her sword, but it was too late. Whatever concoction filled the dart acted swiftly. Her eyes slid shut.
Lee DeLeigh, a dragon guardian, stalked through the trees. The man had been on Trellick Valley’s terrorist watch list for several years.
The golden haired man ignored Mac, not surprising since the male dragon was from the DeLeigh Clan and couldn’t see In Between. He knelt beside the girl, feeling her neck, probably checking the strength of her pulse. With a grunt of satisfaction, he pulled a package of plastic zip ties from his belt.
After restraining the girl with a set of ties, Guardian Lee pulled-out a cell phone. “Target four down. Transmitter set.”
Without a backward glance, the man trotted into the forest.
Mac had never heard of doing such a thing, not when any Sídhí could snap the thick plastic with a bit of pressure. Curious, he approached the girl and fingered the plastic tie. Understanding was immediate. Some ingenuous person, most likely a fairy, blended synth crystal with plastic, creating a lightweight restraint that would never break.
Mac narrowed his eyes, trying to decide whether to foll
ow Lee or stick near the girl. Lee might take additional victims, but if he stayed with the girl, whoever picked her up might lead him right to a nest of Khr’Vurr.
The last possibility played a dual role, keeping him on Sarah’s good side since monitoring the terrorist organization was part of his duty as head of her security.
___________
Hours later, Sarah and her cabin mates enjoyed the cool water of a large pool. Actually, it was several interconnecting pools fed by a dozen small waterfalls as they crashed down the side of a mountainous wall of rock.
The moment the group of teens arrived in the small valley - and the glowing hot spring of Big Bertha was nowhere in sight - she'd argued against staying. She'd been out-voted. Everyone except the two shifters voted to spend the night.
She hadn't been surprised when Beth and Brianna left the group in a huff, returning up the same trail that brought them into the valley. Anything Beth said, Brianna automatically agreed with.
Sinking deeper into the refreshing water, pleasure surrounded her.
Her instinct, a constant pressure at the back of her head, kept insisting there was danger, but nothing had jumped them. The peace of the little valley was an appreciated break from Nick’s stony attitude, not that a good workout wouldn’t be just as helpful, but she was hot and hurt all over.
She leaned against the smooth surface of a boulder, a large one that shaded her from the fierce glare of the sun. The cool rock felt wonderful against her burnt skin. Too much time spent under the hot sun had turned her skin pink, tiny blisters had already appeared on the top of her shoulders. Her skin felt like it was on fire.
She watched Katie and Jared leave the pool hand-in-hand to set-up the tents.
Nick surged up out of the water and water flew everywhere as he tried dunking Emily, his younger cousin. They horsed around for several minutes, playing in the sunlit water.
He laughed at something Emily said and glanced toward Sarah. Their eyes met and he frowned. He roughly ran a hand through wet hair and turned away from her. Water glistened across the rippling muscles of his back. A single drip slid down his spine, curving along places she dreamed of touching.
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