Dragon Wish

by Judith Leger

  explained, she looked on either side of her much the same

  way she had the first day in Gilliesport. But instead of the

  uncomfortable insecurity, the surprise and shock, all evident

  on her features back then, she now stared with wonder and

  pleasure.

  She pointed at so many objects, animals and places,

  comparing them to many similarities on Earth. Halfway to

  the residence of his merchant friend and wizard, Ren

  Murdock, she stopped. “Oh, that looks just like a monkey.”

  The ‘monkey’ she referred to was a lemur, it’s white and

  black coat shining in the sol light. Round, wide brown eyes

  studied them from the awning over a street booth. A long tail

  curled on a corner post.

  “It is a flying lemur.”

  She shot a glance at him, excitement edging her words.

  “We have those on Earth...only, I don’t think they fly.”

  “These do.”

  “Cool.”

  He lifted a brow. “Are you cold?”

  She laughed and shook her head. “No, it’s just an

  expression.”

  Understanding dawned on him. He tugged her past the

  lemur to continue down the bricked street. “I have a friend

  who lives deep in the city. He is well placed in power and

  wealth, a renowned wizard. With these behind him, he is

  very capable of seeing to your protection until I return from

  Velhaven. His name is Ren Murdock.”

  When she remained silent in response, he glanced at her.

  A slight frown marred her brow. “You are not pleased.”

  “I don’t want you to leave me here.”

  “It’s for your safety.”

  “I want to go with you.” She stopped and faced him. “I’ll

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  worry about you. Velhaven doesn’t sound like it’ll welcome

  you with open arms.”

  He shook his head. “No. I do not suppose it will, but it is

  my duty to return my wife. I cannot ask anyone to do so in

  my place.”

  Frustration radiated from her tense body. She nodded. “I

  know...I just want to go with you.”

  Facing her, he stared, the noise of the crowded street

  fading in his awareness as he fell into the depths of her gray

  eyes. Sweat and spices mingled with aromas of cooked meats

  and vegetables, but her scent rose to him, overwhelming all

  else. He shifted nearer, seeing her driving need in the sincere

  expression on her face and echoed deep in her eyes.

  He cupped her chin, his thumbs brushing the rise of her

  cheeks. “I would that I could, but...”

  Her shoulders slumped. “I know. You don’t have to say it.

  I have to stay here because we don’t know how they’re going

  to react.”

  She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her

  cheek against his heart. “Doesn’t make me feel better.”

  “I will return to you as swiftly as I can. Believe this in

  your heart, Seren, I will not be separated from you for long

  unless some force prevents me from returning.” Her head

  moved and the friction of her skin over his drove his mental

  need for her deeper than before. “Come, we must go. The

  sooner I depart, the swifter I will return to you.”

  She smiled, the movement sweet to him. “So you’re going

  to dump me and haul it, huh, bub?”

  He chuckled, fully understanding what her strange

  phrases meant, and gave her a tight squeeze before releasing

  her. He lifted her face to his. “No, I fully intend to leave you

  something to tide you over until we meet once more.”

  She rolled her eyes and twirled away. “Promises,

  promises, you had better keep ’em.”

  “Always,” he murmured, following behind.

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  * * * *

  Seren stood in the doorway opening out onto the terrace.

  Her room—no, she shook her head, a smile tugging at her

  lips—their room was adjacent to the terrace overlooking the

  walled gardens below.

  With her body still humming from their latest round of

  lovemaking, she waited for Paladin to rejoin her. He’d gone

  below to speak with several of his crew members about their

  departure in the morning. She didn’t want him to leave her

  but who was she to stop him.

  She moaned and rubbed her temples. How the hell had

  she become so involved with him? She hadn’t meant for it to

  happen this way. Even though she wanted to deny it, she

  couldn’t. Paladin had become a very important part of her

  life and not just for the sex. Yet, what did she really know

  about him? Not much, but before he left her, she intended to

  change that fact.

  The bedroom door opened and the object of her thoughts

  walked in, closing the door behind him. She watched him

  over her shoulder, trying to decide what she did feel about

  him. Was it love? He moved toward her, a slight smile on his

  lips. Her legs grew weak and threatened to give out on her. If

  it wasn’t love then it was awfully close.

  “It’s chilly tonight,” he said once he reached her side. He

  wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his

  side.

  “I suppose. It’s pleasant.”

  She listened to the quiet of his breathing and enjoyed the

  secure feeling she got from having him so close.

  He gave her a little squeeze. “What was your saying?

  Penny for your thoughts?”

  A laugh escaped her. “You don’t want to know.”

  “Yes, I do. You seem troubled by something.”

  Releasing a sigh, she turned away. The absence of his arm

  reminded her of how really alone she was in this world.

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  Without him, she would be lost, unable to assimilate the way

  she’d need to with the cultures on this planet. She looked

  back at him.

  A gentle breeze stirred the sheer curtains on either side of

  where he stood framed in the doorway. She didn’t believe she

  would ever tire of looking at him.

  “Come join me,” she said, holding a hand out. “We need

  to talk. Tonight, before you leave.”

  He took her hand and allowed her to lead him to the

  rumpled bed. As they sat side-by-side, he asked, “What are

  we talking about?” He touched her face.

  She ignored the gentle sweep of his fingertips along her

  jaw. “Why did your wife do what she did?” The very thought

  of saying the words he had said the morning after she arrived

  bothered her. How could a mother kill their child? But his

  wife had, and Seren wanted to understand why. The reason

  wasn’t Paladin. She was positive about that.

  For a second, his entire body went stiff. Even his features

  hardened into a grim façade. He drew in a deep breath, and

  when he released it, some of the tension loosened. “Why do

  you want to know?”

  “Do you know the reason why? I believe you do. I have to

  know; to be sure I have nothing to worry about with this

  baby.”

  “Our child is well.” He stopped and swallowed once


  before he continued. Was it this hard for him to speak about?

  Her heart ached because she knew exactly what it felt like to

  lose someone close.

  “My dead wife never cared for me. She desired my

  brother. I am sure she destroyed our child as a way to prove

  to my brother how much she cared for him. Besides, she

  never wanted the child.”

  Seren sat in silence. Her own words came back to haunt

  her. She had told him almost the same thing that morning so

  long ago. His child was not what she wanted. But fear of

  losing the child lay behind her reasons, not desire for

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  another man.

  “And your brother? What do you believe he thinks about

  what she did? “

  Paladin shrugged. “I do not believe he thinks much on it.

  He never cared for her. She was simply a means to strike a

  blow at me. Or so Master Largin thinks.”

  This piece of news surprised her. “Largin knew what was

  happening? But how?”

  “Wizards have their ways. It is common for them to

  discuss the coming and goings of royalty. My family is

  included in the conversations. The rumors are that I

  murdered my wife.” He stared at her. “I give you my word on

  my honor I had nothing to do with her death.”

  She waved away his explanation. “I’d sooner believe pigs

  fly than that you murdered your wife.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Pigs flying? You have those on Earth

  also?”

  Unable to stop the laughter from spilling out, she leaned

  against his chest while she giggled. “Please tell me that’s a

  joke.”

  “But they do fly near the southern end of Avaris. Do they

  not on Earth?”

  “No, not at all.”

  Several moments went by without either of them

  speaking. Seren thought about what he’d told her. It helped

  her understand why Paladin was so defensive when asked

  about his dead wife. Her heart ached for what he must have

  suffered when he heard she’d died.

  He put a finger under her chin and raised her face so she

  could meet his gaze. “Why were you never able to let go of

  your lost child?”

  Crap. She fought hard to remain relaxed, but the familiar

  defensive tension came over her. She thought about telling

  him none of this was his business. No, she wouldn’t do that

  to him. He’d opened up to her about his wife. How could she

  not do the same for him?

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  “I lived for two years alone after my daughter died. I

  wanted to be alone to wallow in my own self-pity. Isn’t it

  strange that I can see this now? If someone back then were to

  tell me to move on, to be thankful for my life, I probably

  would have despised them and told them to mind their own

  business. My grief belonged to me. I wanted to suffer

  because of the guilt I felt in not being able to save her.” She

  trembled and he wrapped his arms about her.

  “Her death was not your fault.”

  She laughed shakily. “Oh, I know that.” She touched the

  spot over her heart. “Here, I know that here. It’s my head

  that wouldn’t accept it.”

  “And now, with our child, do you still believe you were at

  fault?”

  “No, not really. After the conversation with our son, it’s

  like my pain vanished. I wanted it to come back but it was

  gone. All I found was the happy times with Mandy. I will

  always miss her, but I have to move forward for our baby.”

  “And this is a good thing to you?”

  She grinned at him. “Yes, a very good thing. Oh, I forgot

  tell you. I decided on a name for the baby.”

  His right brow went up in question.

  “What do you think of Legion?”

  “Legion?”

  “Yes. He has the power of seven dragons in him. I

  thought it’d be appropriate.”

  “If that is your desire, then so be it. I will not argue.”

  She frowned. “You don’t like.”

  He gave her a quick squeeze, dipped his head and pressed

  a gentle kiss on her mouth.

  “I like it.” She said and started to argue her reasoning

  behind the name, but he cut her off with a longer pass of his

  lips over hers.

  Another giggle escaped her. “Are you trying to distract

  me?”

  “Never,” he murmured against her lips as he pressed her

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  onto her back. “I just think there are other things we might

  be doing rather than discussing Legion’s name.”

  With those words, Seren forgot all about his reaction to

  the name she’d chosen for their son.

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  Chapter Seventeen

  Two days later, Seren huddled under the soft comforter

  on the canopied bed, her arms wrapped around her drawn

  up knees. She stared out the terrace doors overlooking a

  walled garden. Paladin had been gone for a whole day and

  she missed him so much all she wanted to do was to give in

  to her tears.

  Memories of the night before he left arose in her mind.

  He’d made love to her with a fierce possessiveness meant,

  she was sure, to relieve her fears, but instead, she

  experienced even more anxiety.

  Goodbye, that’s what it had felt like—a final ending to

  their relationship. Had he deserted her here? Had he

  satisfied his desire with her body and then decided he didn’t

  need her any more? No, he didn’t seem the love ’em and

  leave ’em type. She had to stop this constant internal battle.

  Denying her doubts about whether he would or even could

  return for her wasn’t helping. From what she’d understood,

  his life meant very little to the people of the country he

  traveled to, and even now, he might be lying dead far away

  from her. Throbbing set up in her temples. She had to stop

  the constant worrying about him.

  With a deep sigh, she threw the covers back and rose

  from the bed. The soft gown she wore floated around her legs

  then fluttered against her ankles. She lifted her arms above

  her head and stretched, hoping to loosen tense muscles.

  Even though this place was peaceful, she still yearned for the

  familiar surroundings of her home. A wave of homesickness

  came over her. She had to return home. Paladin would come

  back for her—he had to. He’d sworn to her he’d find a way to

  send her home.

  Even with her emotions in such turmoil, she still had to

  function. She dreaded having to dress to go below to meet

  Leo and Calis, both of whom Paladin had left to protect her.

  She didn’t know Calis very well. Paladin had insisted on

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  leaving several of his sailors to watch the perimeter of the

  property. He’d said all of them were capable of guarding the

  house. She didn’t even recognize any of these men from the

  ship. Her gaze wandered over the light blue area rug to

  where the doors, opened to the sea
breezes, let in the

  brilliant sunlight. Day had arrived. She should have made

  Bask open a way for her to return home. On Earth, she

  wouldn’t have all these worries. She could return to her

  normal routine.

  A small foot kicked her. She rubbed the spot and smiled,

  silently thrilled that her baby was moving.

  Knowing that moping around all day was no real excuse

  to stay in bed, she moved to the tall wardrobe at the back of

  the room. An array of colorful clothing waited for her there.

  Each one was a reminder of Paladin’s generosity to her.

  They’d gone shopping yesterday before he’d departed, and he

  had given his approval for all the clothes.

  Not in the mood for brightness, she chose the dullest, an

  olive green pant set. She couldn’t seem to shake the

  listlessness. The way she felt must be because of the way the

  baby was growing so fast. She wasn’t sure she liked it. With a

  shake of her head, she dressed and then ran her hands over

  the smooth front of the tunic. Thin with a silky feel, the long

  slit-sided shirt was thicker at the chest, but gaped in the back

  by one long opening from neck to waist. Panels of see-

  through cloth hung in the front and back of the shirt, split

  from the waist to hem on the sides. They stopped below her

  knees. The pants hung loose on her body and allowed her to

  remain cool in Durfalin’s dry, hot climate.

  Once ready, she wrapped a dull gold sash around her

  head to hide her short hair. The long ends of the sash

  dangled down her back to her waist. Leo had cautioned her

  that the people here might take offense at seeing a woman

  with her glory removed. Seren had frowned at him, but he

  explained the women here never cut their hair unless

  convicted of a crime. She hadn’t argued with him afterward.

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  The other sash, the same color and texture of the first, she

  twined around her thickening waist.

  For a moment, she wondered what Paladin would think

  of the way she looked dressed in these strange clothes.

  Would he find her exotic, even beautiful? A rush of need to

  have him with her almost forced her back to the bed. For the

  first time in a long time, she wanted her psychic ability to

  work long enough for her to see if Paladin was all right. But

  what if he wasn’t? She moaned at the possibility that he

  might, even at this moment, be dead somewhere. Tears