by Nina Croft
“If I show you, will you tell me about them, about the marks?”
“I’ll tell you what I know.”
Her fingers twisted in the material of the robe and she dragged it from her shoulder.
He brushed one callused finger against the soft flesh of her arm just above the elbow where the tail of the black dragon curled. His touch sent tingles through her as he traced the dragon up her arm, across the shoulder and down over her collarbone where it ended above the swell of her breast with a lick of flame. She fought the longing to sway toward him, biting her lip, so the pain brought her back to herself. Then he reached forward and, before she knew what he meant to do, he kissed the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. Her breath caught in her throat as his tongue came out and licked along the line of fire that erupted from the dragon’s mouth. The heat of his breath washed over her, his tongue like a flame searing into her skin. The scent of smoke filled her nostrils.
He backed away, his face blank, but Lily caught a brief glimpse of his eyes before he turned. Sparks of crimson fire flickered in the golden depths.
Then he was gone.
Lily stumbled towards the door, before collapsing to her knees. She put her hands out to stop the fall, and knelt, breathing fast until she was sure she could support herself. Lurching to her feet, she tugged the robe up and around her.
“Right,” she muttered to the empty room, “you were going to tell me about the marks.”
She edged toward the door. Raising her hand, she pushed against the wood. It swung open. Stepping through, she found herself on a landing. A rail ran along one side and below was a huge living space. One wall, entirely made of glass, looked out over the city of London, and in the center, a sunken area with circular couches in soft cream leather beckoned. Mal sprawled on one of these, his bare feet resting on the coffee table in front of him. He glanced up. His eyes were back to normal. His expression returned to neutral.
“Come on down,” he said.
She walked to the end of the landing and down the metal staircase. The carpet was cream like the couches and soft against her bare feet.
“Clean clothes.” He nodded towards a pile of parcels on the sofa beside him. Lily inched closer. She picked one up and peeked inside.
“There’s a bathroom over there.” Mal gestured to a door across the room. “Do you want coffee, food?”
Her stomach rumbled at the mention of food, and the mere thought of coffee made her mouth water. She nodded before picking up the rest of the packages and disappearing into the bathroom. He had provided panties but no bra. She could live with that. Fly button jeans that fit perfectly, a bright pink tank top and a shirt to cover the mark. In the mirror, her face appeared pale, but otherwise she looked okay. Her hair hung loose to her shoulders and she raked her fingers through it. She was reluctant to go back out, but she needed to hear what he had to say. Besides, she could smell the coffee through the closed door.
A tray was on the steel and glass coffee table with a large plate of sandwiches and a pot of coffee. She sat down on the sofa opposite Mal, poured herself a cup, added cream and took a sip. Her lashes fluttered closed as she savored the taste. She could almost believe for a moment that she was not in the middle of some nightmare. That the world hadn’t gone crazy.
Then she opened her eyes and the nightmare was in front of her. A stunningly gorgeous nightmare with the ability to scent her arousal. Ugh!
She pushed the thought aside and picked up a sandwich. It was rare roast beef and tasted sublime.
“The marks,” she said between bites, “tell me about them.”
“What do you want to know?”
“How are they made, who made them, why did they make them? When?”
“They’re not made. They’re a birthmark of sorts. I was born with mine. So were you.”
“That’s not possible.”
He smiled slightly. “Lily, anything is possible.”
She had a horrible thought. “So, are we related then?”
He shook his head, and a wave of relief washed over her. “Maybe it’s more accurate to say we share common ancestors.”
She pursed her lips. This was way past weird. “You’re telling me that we both have birthmarks that just happen to be in the shape of dragons.” She shrugged her shoulders. “But why? Why me, and what are they for?”
“They show who you are, what you are.”
Lily stared at him transfixed. “And that is…?”
“You’re a dragon princess.”
She bit back the almost hysterical laughter that bubbled up in her throat. It was not the reply she’d been hoping for. What had she been expecting? The answer to her childhood dreams? Then again, what little orphan girl doesn’t want to discover she was a princess? But a dragon princess?
He sat relaxed, a slight smile on his face as though he knew what was going through her head. Maybe he did. Maybe he was used to people thinking he was a raving lunatic.
What was he involved in? Could it be some sort of cult, some mystical religious fanatics who tattooed their children with mythical animals using tattooing techniques never even heard of?
She couldn’t make sense of it and she wanted to deny she could be involved. “I’m an accountant for God’s sake. A nice, boring, normal accountant.”
He studied her, head cocked to one side. “I’m guessing, deep down, you’ve never felt ‘normal’ in your life.”
Maybe not, but that had just made her want it all the more. “Right, my mark says that I’m a dragon princess. Got it so far. What about you?” She looked him up and down. “Because I’ve got to tell you—you make a crap princess. So presuming you are not a dragon princess, just what are you?”
He smiled. “I’m a dragon.”
She should have expected that one. “Yeah, right. A dragon, of course you are. You know, give a guy a tattoo and he gets delusions of grandeur.”
Resting her head against the back of the sofa, she glowered at the ceiling. More food. That’s what she needed. Just in case it should become sparse again at any time in the immediate future. Sitting up, she ate two more sandwiches. Drank another cup of coffee. Searched around for something else to eat. The truth was, he’d stumped her. She had no clue what to say next. What was the point in asking questions when all you got was gibberish about dragons and princesses?
“No more questions?” he asked.
She sighed. “I don’t suppose you have any chocolate?”
He stared at her as though she was the mad one. It looked like no chocolate was on the menu. She sighed again. The fact was, it might be gibberish, but it was deadly serious gibberish. Deadly being the operative word. Those guys last night hadn’t flinched from killing two cops. And this man was the key. Did he believe what he was telling her? Had he been brainwashed? She had to find out what he knew, even if it all turned out to be rubbish.
“Let’s say I suspend reality for a moment and—”
“Lily,” he interrupted.
“Yes?” she said warily.
“What do you think has been happening since you visited Taryn Carnack?”
“Taryn Carnack?” He’d mentioned that before, last night at her apartment.
“The standing stones. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed changes. What about the fires?”
She glanced at him sharply. “What fires?”
“You start them without thinking, when you get emotional. You will learn to control it with training.”
“So that’s something dragon princesses do, is it? Light fires?”
“No, I’ve never heard of one who could do that. Just dragons.”
“Right, so I suppose you can.”
He raised his left hand. Flickers of blue-black fire sprang to life from the tip of each finger. She reached out and touched one of the flames. It was hot, and she snatched back her hand. The flames vanished.
“Pyrokinesis,” she muttered.
“You’ve been doing some research.”
&n
bsp; “Either that, or a really great magic trick.”
“You’re a skeptic.”
“Well, who wouldn’t be? Say I do believe you—you’re a dragon. What does that mean exactly? That you’re a member of a club called the dragons, that on weekends you dress up in dragon suits? Or that you’re a genuine bona fide dragon somewhere under all that human skin?”
“The latter—sort of.”
She scrutinized him for a long moment. “Show me.”
“Show you what?”
“You know, your true self, your dragon within. Show me your dragon.”
“It’s not allowed.”
“By whom?”
“It’s the oldest of our laws, punishable by death. We may not take up our dragon forms on Earth.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, isn’t that the best fucking cover story I’ve ever heard. You’re a dragon, but you can’t show it on pain of a no doubt agonizing death. And what do you mean ‘on Earth’? What are you—an alien dragon?”
He ignored her sarcasm. “I come from a world called Ankesh.”
“So, why don’t you go back there?”
“I would. All my people would.”
“Jesus, you mean there are more of you? Why don’t you all go back?”
“Unfortunately, the portal has been closed.”
“Then open it.”
“We can’t.”
“Then find someone who can.”
“I have.”
“Good.”
He was silent for a few minutes, and she glanced into his face. A small smile curved his lips. She had a horrible feeling she knew where this was going. “You mean me, don’t you?”
He nodded.
“Why should I be able to open your stupid portal?”
“Because you’re a dragon princess and the only people who can open the portals are dragon princesses.”
“Then find another one.”
“There are no more. You’re the last. Look Lily, you went to the stones. What happened?”
“How do you know I visited the stones? Have you been watching me?”
“Not before that. We picked up a disturbance, and it was easy to trace it to you. Tell me what happened?”
Lily frowned. But what harm could it do?
She rested her head back on the soft leather and relived that moment. “I heard something. It came from the arch behind the altar. A sort of buzzing sound—calling to me. I wanted to reach out and touch it. The noise got louder the closer I came to the arch, but Joe couldn’t hear a thing.”
“Who’s Joe?”
“He’s a farmer. His family owns the land around the stones, and I met him up there. He’s also the man who found me, when I was a baby, actually on the altar at Taryn Carnack—though I didn’t know that until then. Anyway, I reached out to the altar and…nothing. Joe said I fainted. He carried me down the mountain. That’s it.”
“And how do you account for it?”
“Not by believing in dragons, that’s for sure.”
He rubbed at the spot between his eyes. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “You’ll be pleased to know you won’t have to see me after tonight.”
“Why? Are you letting me go?”
“Not quite.”
“What the hell does ‘not quite’ mean?”
“I’m handing you over to someone else.”
A ripple of alarm ran through her. “Who?”
“Your mother’s,” he paused, as though searching for a suitable word, “husband.”
Lily’s mind went blank, then started working furiously. “But not my father, I presume?”
“No, he’s not your father. But he has been searching for you, for a long time.”
“And he’s…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word dragon—it was too silly. Instead, she finished, “like you.”
“If you mean, is he a dragon, then yes. He’s the King of our people.”
“Wow,” she said. “A dragon King. You know, I’d be honored, except for the fact that I’m apparently royalty myself. And he wants me to open this portal you were talking about?”
“Yes.”
“And that’s all?”
He nodded again.
She didn’t like it. “And what if I don’t want to go?”
He smiled then, but didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. It was obvious she was to have no choice in the matter. “Is opening the portals dangerous?”
“No.”
She peered at him suspiciously. “Why have you gone all monosyllabic, all of a sudden?”
He rose to his feet. “Vortigen will tell you more. I’ve fulfilled our deal, and told you of the marks. You’ll have to wait until tonight to hear the rest. Now, I must arrange the meeting. Make yourself at home, but you’ll find the apartment impossible to leave, so don’t bother trying.”
Without giving her a chance to argue, he spun on his heel and strode from the room.
Lily stared at the closed door for what seemed like an age. She wanted to shout—come back. Answer my goddamn questions, you son of a bitch. Fury welled up inside her. All that had happened, right from his breaking into her apartment, was his fault.
She picked up the empty plate and threw it at the door. Flickers of orange flame burst from her fingers, and she gaped at them in shock, and then forced herself to calm down.
Dragons
Of course, why hadn’t she thought of that herself? Her anger bubbled up inside her, and she pushed it down again. It would be just her luck to set the place on fire while she was locked inside. Now if she ever got out, that was a different matter. She’d burn it down around him.
She got up and tried the door, then kicked it when it refused to open. “Bastard!”
***
One floor down, Mal watched her on the monitor. He smiled as she stubbed her toe on the steel door.
Walking out on Lily was becoming something of a habit, but he’d had to leave. He couldn’t face more time with her, more lies. All he could do was keep her calm until the moment he handed her over. But it bothered him, and the fact that it bothered him, pissed him off.
He picked up his cell phone and stabbed in the number.
“Malachite.” The voice trickled into his ear like warm honey, and a shiver of revulsion ran through him.
“Cassandra,” he replied. “I need to speak with Vortigen.”
“He’s not here. But he told me to arrange the meeting with you.”
He frowned. He didn’t trust Cassandra. That the King consorted with a sorceress was something Mal could never understand. That he gave his blood to extend her mortal life was sheer madness.
“Mal?” Cassandra spoke into the silence.
His gaze flicked back to the monitor. Lily stood glaring at the door, as though she could melt it with a glance, and his resolve hardened. What choice did he have? He had to hand her over now, before he got in even deeper.
“Go ahead,” he said.
A minute later, he put the phone down. The meeting was arranged. Everything would go as planned. Despite what he thought of Cassandra, she was loyal to the King. Still, he couldn’t shake his unease. Or the guilt that pricked his conscience.
Why should he care?
He remembered the feel of Lily’s skin, the heat of the mark, the taste of her soft flesh. He had been so close to losing control.
What was it about Lily Palmer that made him want to break his vows, turn his back on his ways and his people?
Thankfully, he wouldn’t have time to find out.
Chapter 6
“Looks like we’ve been stood up,” Lily said from the passenger seat beside him. They were the first words she’d spoken since he’d put the cuffs back on her, and he told himself it was better that way. He didn’t want to answer any more questions.
But she was right. The place looked like a working farm, but appeared deserted, the buildings in darkness.
Mal had pulled up outside the house. He restarted the car and drove behind a grou
p of outbuildings where they couldn’t be seen from the road.
What the hell had gone wrong? He tried his cell again but got no answer.
“What happens now?” Lily asked.
Good fucking question.
She scowled as she caught his gaze. “It won’t hurt you to tell me, you know. After all, I am involved in this. Just a little bit.”
“As you said—there’s no one here. But we should check the place out.”
“Check it out for what? Something worse than dragons?”
He ignored her sarcasm and opened his door. But at the last moment, he turned back to Lily. If this went as planned, he’d never be alone with her again. At the thought, a shaft of pain stabbed him in the gut.
He studied the lines of her face, the curve of her cheek, the straight nose, the arch of her brow. Then he leaned forward, so her scent filled his nostrils, spice and honey. Without giving himself time to decide this was a bad idea, he kissed her on the forehead. He wanted to do more, but now was not the time or the place, and he pushed himself away from her.
She blinked at him in the dim light, a bemused expression on her face, and he cursed under his breath, then climbed out and slammed the door. Nothing moved in the darkness, and he cursed again.
Where the hell was the King?
He stalked around the car and opened the trunk. First, he pulled on a Kevlar vest, lightweight but effective. Over the vest, he strapped on two shoulder holsters and checked the Desert Eagle .44 magnum pistols were loaded with glazer bullets. Finally, he buckled on a back sheath for his long blade and one at his waist for the short knife.
***
Jesus, all those weapons. What the hell was he expecting? Lily watched him through the rear-view mirror. In his black clothing and all the guns and knives, he appeared dark and dangerous.
But she could still sense the spot where he had kissed her and she lifted her cuffed arms and swiped them over her forehead as if she could rub it away.
He’d been quiet on the drive, his face wiped clean of all expression, and Lily hadn’t felt inclined to break the silence. In fact, she’d spent the whole journey fuming.
He planned to hand her over to another man.