“The baby,” Keira whispered. Of course. It had been too soon to be sure, but the knowledge had still been there. She turned to look out the window as the tears started once more.
“I’m sorry,” Aaron said, his voice breaking. Keira felt him cover her hand with his own as he dropped back to his knees next to the bed. She could hear the remorse in his voice, and had seen the sadness in his eyes, but it seemed meaningless. How could he possibly understand the sense of loss she felt for a child she barely knew she was carrying? She gazed out the window, thinking about the child she would now never hold in her arms. Never sing to, or take for walks in the woods. For a brief moment, the world’s axis shifted. It didn’t matter whether Jack was dead or alive, that people had died because of a dragon. It didn’t even matter if Aaron decided he could no longer love her. She could feel the darkness closing in around her, suffocating her. But then a spark, just the slightest flicker, broke through the darkness. She was not alone. She had Aaron, and she loved him. Slowly the world righted itself again, the darkness pulling back as the spark grew to a flame. She would mourn the life that had been lost, but she would not lose the life she had. She turned back to Aaron, and lifting the hand that held hers, kissed it. She watched as Aaron lifted his head, and read the understanding in his eyes. She wasn’t offering absolution, just forgiveness.
The door opened, and Aaron rose from his knees, still holding her hand, and sat down on the edge of the bed as Anna entered the room.
“Keira! I heard you were awake.”
“Anna,” Keira smiled at her sister. “I see you made it from that horrible place in one piece.”
“Yes.” Anna looked down at the floor for a moment. “Favian brought me back.” Keira flashed a look of confusion at Aaron, but he gave a slight shake of his head.
“Good. And are you … all right?”
Anna looked up and met Keira’s eye. “Yes. Max …” She paused. “My quarters were more comfortable than yours.” She smiled slightly at Aaron. “I think Aaron is anxious to spend time with you, so I’m not going to stay. I just wanted to see for myself that you are all right.” She turned towards the door. “I will visit later when you are better recovered.”
As the door closed, Keira turned with a questioning look to Aaron.
“Max has gone,” he said.
“What do you mean? Gone where?”
Aaron sighed. “He came to see me a few days ago. He requested my permission to travel to our more distant territories for a while.”
“Why?”
“I can only speculate. After the battle he returned to Jack’s lair to fetch Anna, but came back alone. Favian returned in his stead and brought her back to Drake Manor.”
Keira lifted her eyebrows in surprise. “How long will he be gone?”
“A few years, I imagine. He will return when he is ready.”
“Did he see Anna while he was here?”
“No. Anna had taken the children for a walk to the pond. I suspect Max was watching to see when Anna was away, coming when he knew he wouldn’t see her.”
“But she knows Max is gone?”
“Yes. Cathryn told her.” Aaron paused a moment. “Max may not have wanted to see Anna, but he did want to see you. Even though you could not hear him, he gave you his formal oath of loyalty and protection. Should anything ever happen again while you are in his care, he will forfeit his life. Favian and I were here to bear witness to his oath.”
“What? Why?”
“He feels responsible for your injuries.”
“That’s ridiculous. He saved me.”
Aaron shrugged. “Perhaps. But you were under his protection, and he has done what any honorable dragon would do.” Aaron brought his head close, his gaze meeting hers. “But I will kill any dragon that does not do all he can to protect you, so his oath was merely for form.”
The door opened again and Margaret entered the room, a bowl of steaming broth in her hands. She gave Aaron a glare as he drew back.
“My patient needs her food and rest, so shoo with you.” Aaron grinned at her, then turned back to Keira.
“I’ll be back soon, my sweet, as soon as that dragon lady leaves.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead and rose to his feet.
“I can hear you perfectly well, Aaron Drake,” Margaret said with a playful scowl. “Who is the dragon around here?”
“That would be me,” Aaron said with a laugh as he skirted past his aunt and out the door.
Keira fell asleep again soon after, awakening when the sun was low in the sky. Aaron sat on a chair watching her, but he crossed over to the bed when he saw her eyes flutter open. He lay down on the bed next to her, pulling her gently against his chest.
“Margaret said I have been ill for a week.”
“The worst week of my life,” Aaron said. “I thought I understood loss when Jack abducted you, but then you nearly died. For the first time I could understand the sense of despair my father felt when my mother was killed.” Aaron raised himself up on an elbow and looked down at her. “But I am not my father. When I saw you lying there, thinking you may be dead, I didn’t want to die myself. I wanted to live so I could exact revenge on everyone who had helped Jack. I was filled with anger, but never for a moment did I lose control.” Aaron ran a hand through Keira’s hair. “I thought that I was weak like my father, but I now understand what Owain has been saying all along. I can adopt my father’s legacy as my own, or I can forge my own path. And it wasn’t until I saw your lifeblood draining away that I fully realized that. I would have been filled with misery and all the joy would have been stolen from my life, but I would not have given up, Keira. I would have stood my ground and fought my battles. And I would have cherished the love we shared for the remainder of my days.” His eyes started to glow as he gazed at her, and she lifted a hand to his cheek, feeling the warmth just beneath his skin.
“You may have doubted yourself, but I never doubted you, Aaron Drake. Not only are you a strong and powerful dragon, more powerful than any other, but you are also a man of wisdom, courage, and honor. I always knew that life was the only choice you could ever make.”
“Thank you for your faith in me,” Aaron whispered as his lips covered hers. His kiss was sweet and tender, and he pulled away after a moment, his hand lingering on her cheek.
“There are a few matters I need to take care of now that you are on the road to recovery, but as soon as they are sorted, I want to quit this place.”
“Go back to Storbrook?”
“Eventually. But first, I want to take you to Dracomere, and spend some time alone with you.”
“Dracomere?”
“Yes, it’s a small manor house a few hours west of here. It was built on a small island in the middle of the lake. It is surrounded by trees, and with spring just around the corner, we can watch the buds blooming and the birds courting.”
“Is it yours?”
“It is ours,” Aaron said with a smile.
“What about Anna?”
“Cathryn and Favian have already said she can remain here. From what I understand, Anna has made herself quite indispensable to Will and Bronwyn.”
Keira smiled. “How soon can we leave?”
Chapter 44
Anna closed the door quietly behind her as she left Keira’s room, unable to suppress her smile. Keira was going to live. Those first few days had been terrible, with everyone wondering whether she was going to recover from her wounds, but now that Keira was awake, Margaret said she would make a full recovery. Aaron had suffered almost as much as Keira, Anna knew, and had stayed by his wife’s side as much as possible. He had only left when Margaret chased him from the room, but then spent the time pacing the halls and passages of the house. Once he and Favian had gone out hunting, but they had returned within an hour and he didn’t leave the house again.
Margaret had been the one to shoulder the burden of Keira’s care, refusing to allow anyone else to do more than sit with Keira. Even the servants weren’
t allowed to do more than fetch and carry. Margaret said that the only reason Keira had survived the attack at all was because of the blood Aaron gave her before the battle, when he had sneaked into her prison on the island. He had already known where they were, before Anna even attempted her escape, and Max had been working with him, just as he had said.
At the thought of Max, Anna dropped her head, running her hand over her forehead. She had been so sure he would come to see her once his anger had cooled. She could see now how churlish she had been, how childish and ungrateful. She longed to apologize, wanted to tell him that she had been silly, but she hadn’t been given the chance. She had played her cards all wrong, and she wished desperately she could go back and change things, but there were no second chances.
Her mind flew back to the only time she had seen Max since returning from her prison. Keira still lay unconscious, but it had been a lovely day, one of the first days of spring, with birds singing outside the window and new buds appearing on the trees. A perfect day to escape the confines of the house, and all the misery contained within it. The children had needed no encouragement to go outside, and within minutes Anna had been crossing the courtyard while the children ran up ahead. The lake lay beyond an expanse of wilderness, and it had taken them about twenty minutes to reach it. The children had arrived ahead of Anna, and by the time she reached the edge, they had already stripped off their shoes and stockings and were wading in the shallow waters.
“Come, Anna,” Will had shouted. “It feels lovely.”
Anna had looked at the cool water longingly, thinking of the lake back home. Before a moment had passed she was sitting on the ground, lifting her foot to pull off her boot. A glint of light in the sky caught her eye and she looked up, shielding her eyes against the sun as she stared at the growing patch of shining bronze. Her heart had started to race, and she’d leapt to her feet, shouting to the children to get out the water. They had complained, of course, but Anna had insisted.
“Uncle Max is here,” she’d shouted. “Don’t you want to see him?”
She hadn’t even waited to see if the children were following when she started towards the house, her walk quickly becoming a run. But she hadn’t been fast enough. Before they had reached the house a large shadow passed over her, and she had looked up to see Max circling in the air, heading towards the distant mountains.
“No,” she whispered. He had glanced back, and his fiery gaze met hers for a moment before he turned his head away and thrust himself upwards into the clouds. “Come back,” she said, but he disappeared into the distance, and she watched until she could no longer see him.
“Was that Uncle Max?” Will demanded, panting as he ran up beside her. “He didn’t even wait to see us.”
“No, he didn’t,” Anna said.
She walked towards the door, looking up when Cathryn approached.
“Oh, I thought you were at the pond,” she said.
“We were,” Anna said. “Was Max just here?”
“He was,” Cathryn said, meeting Anna’s gaze. “He came to ask Aaron’s permission to travel abroad for a while.”
“Abroad? For how long?”
“Anna.” Cathryn took a step forward and gently took Anna’s hands within her own. “Max isn’t coming back.” It had taken a moment for Cathryn’s words to sink in as Anna stared at the older woman. Pulling her hands out of Cathryn’s she took a step back and turned away.
“No,” she had whispered. “Of course not. Not that it matters to me, anyway. Max means nothing to me.” She pulled in a deep breath. “Nothing.”
Chapter 45
Keira found her strength returning with each day, and soon she was venturing beyond the room under Margaret’s watchful eye. The weather was warming as spring started to arrive, and Keira sat in the sun with a quilt wrapped around her shoulders, talking to Anna or Cathryn. In the evenings she rested on the bed, with Aaron lying beside her, or seated on a chair opposite.
“What happened to the humans who were serving Jack?” she asked one evening.
“Max killed them when he went back for Anna. Jack had given them blood with the intent of creating a bond, but when he died, the bond was broken.”
“They are all dead?”
“Keira, we could not leave them alive. They knew too much, for one thing, and their minds were damaged by the bond.”
“But they didn’t choose to bond with Jack. It was forced on them against their will.”
“Perhaps they didn’t choose a bond, but those men took Jack’s blood willingly. Jack may have made false promises, but the men were looking to gain rewards they did not earn. They chose to overlook the question of why a dragon would want to give them his blood, and what he would gain from the transaction.”
“But what about my father? He did not have an opportunity to ask those questions.”
“No, he didn’t. I made the choice for him. But no one can take another’s free will. It has to be given. So although your father feels a bond with me that he does not share with another, I cannot make him do something he does not wish to do. I would have to use more human tactics to achieve that!”
“So the humans are all dead.” Aaron nodded. “What about the dragons who sided with Jack?”
“All the dragons who were with Jack at the battle are dead. We are hunting down any others who gave Jack their support, and they will be killed too.”
“Is that necessary?”
“Keira, dragon laws are not like human laws. A dragon can choose to challenge the Master at any time, but must do so in the open, without subversion. Jack and his supporters planned to wrest Mastership from me using means we consider abhorrent, and as such they are traitors not just to me, but to all dragons. They knew death would be the penalty, should they fail.”
Keira nodded. “I saw you kill Jack.”
“I ripped out his heart and ate it.”
Keira grimaced. “That is … disgusting.”
“It was the tastiest morsel I have had in a long time. If there had been time, I would have savored every ounce of his flesh.” Aaron smiled wryly as Keira shuddered. “Dragons aren’t the only ones who eat the heart of their enemy,” Aaron said. “Many human tribes do that, too.”
“Lowering yourself to human standards, are you?”
“No,” Aaron replied, “humans learnt that from dragons.”
Keira was silent for a moment. “Jack said something about a dragon that will break the curse.”
“For a long time dragons believed in a savior that would free us from the curse. But it’s just a story.”
“Like the story about dragons being able to turn into living flames?”
Aaron grinned. “Yes, a story like that.” His expression grew solemn. “The story goes that one will be born more powerful than any other dragon, and with his power he will break the curse that makes us need human flesh to survive.”
“But you don’t believe it?”
Aaron shrugged. “Who am I to say? It hasn’t happened yet, but perhaps it still will.”
Keira was recovering well enough for Aaron to make plans to leave Drake Manor and travel to Dracomere, but a few days before they were to leave, Aaron came to find Keira as she sat in the warm sunshine just beyond the courtyard.
“The prince has asked me to call on him,” Aaron said. “He has heard that the dragon was killed and wants to thank me in person.”
“Then you must go,” Keira said.
“He wants to see you, too.”
“He’s not inviting us to another ball, is he?”
“No. He demands our presence at court in the morning.” Aaron frowned.
“He’s the prince,” Keira said. “He can do what he wants.”
“He may be a prince, but I am not his subject.”
“But he doesn’t know that. I am happy to come with you, Aaron.”
Aaron growled under his breath. “Very well.”
The next morning Aaron flew himself and Keira to the palace, landing as
close as he dared without taking the risk of being seen. Once suitably attired, he led Keira towards the palace and into the courtyard. Entering the door, they headed up the stairs and into the antechamber, where they took a seat. There was no-one else in the room, and Aaron curled his fingers around Keira’s as they waited. A few minutes passed before the door was opened, but it was clear that Aaron and Keira were expected.
“Master Drake, Milady, please, His Highness is waiting,” said the chamberlain. Rising to their feet, they followed the man into the room beyond.
“Ah! Aaron Drake and his lovely wife.” The prince rose to his feet as Aaron and Keira made their way across the floor, stopping to bow to His Royal Highness in proper courtly fashion. As before, men stood around the room, engaged in private conversations as they watched Aaron. The prince turned towards the others with a flick of his hand.
“Everyone, out. I wish to have a few private words with Master Drake.” A few of the men cast curious glances at Aaron as they filed past him, and within moments the room was empty.
Unlike the other times Keira had seen the prince, he was dressed in a simple tunic of dark green that hung below his waist, and brown breeches. The effect was somber, making Keira wonder what all this was about. He stood a few feet away from Aaron, gazing at him with eyes narrowed. Aaron looked down at the prince, meeting his gaze calmly as he waited for the prince to speak. After a long moment, Alfred turned away and started to pace the length of the room, his hands clasped behind his back.
“Aaron Drake.” He spoke the words slowly, as though his very name contained a coded message. “The last time I saw you was under this very roof. However, you left without my permission, taking your lovely lady with you. A few of my other guests were also noticed as missing.”
“Indeed?” Aaron said. Keira glanced at Aaron to see a slight frown furrowing his forehead. “For myself, I can only say that urgent business called me and my wife away, but please accept my belated apologies.”
“Of course, Aaron. Urgent business, you say? Something to do with a certain dragon?”
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