And, Myles thought with a furrowed brow, if the townspeople were on Saul’s payroll, they had likely agreed to let Saul’s crew know right away if any more strangers came through. Myles frowned. Everyone in town seemed incredibly interested in knowing where he was from and why he was here in the middle of the winter. This could just be natural curiosity, or it could be an attempt to get information to feed back to Saul’s men. Myles feared the latter.
There was not much he could do about it at the moment, though. The winds were howling so insistently outside right now that Myles was beginning to worry about whether he and Harlow would even be able to make it back to the hotel tonight. Moving away from town to hide somewhere else was out of the question, at least until this weather cleared a bit. Even a dragon was not strong enough to fly through snow like this. So, Myles contented himself with staring absentmindedly at his menu, and glancing suspiciously up at the server every now and then. At least, if Myles and Harlow were stranded by the blizzard, Saul’s men would be stranded, too. Myles and Harlow would be safe in Devil’s Melt Proper—for the night, at least.
Their server was taking her sweet time returning to their table, so Myles shifted his attention back to Harlow, who was sipping at her Long Island tea and still drumming the table with her fingers. Her menu was lying flat on the table in front of her, and she was studying it intently, as though it were notes for a final college exam. She seemed oblivious to the fact that Myles was staring at her, and so he indulged his desire to stare.
She was as lovely as ever in the dim light of the diner. Her hair was pulled back in an absolute mess of a bun right now, and she had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. But even her exhaustion could not hide her beauty, and Myles felt his heart swelling in his chest as he watched her.
They’d had a tumultuous beginning to their relationship, and for a moment he’d thought that they wouldn’t be able to salvage a true friendship out of the mess of anger between them. But it had only taken a few sentences of explanation for Myles to understand why Harlow had been acting the way she had. She felt like an outsider, a feeling that Myles was only too familiar with. He had grown up as an orphan, too, and although he’d been lucky enough to be taken in by a wonderful clan of other orphans, he’d always had a sense of not quite belonging. Perhaps that was just his lot in life, to never quite feel at home.
He hadn’t asked Harlow how old she’d been when her parents had died, or how long she’d been in Falcon Cross, but it was obvious that she also didn’t feel quite at home. Myles had been shocked to learn that one of the best Advocates, and a wizard who had been allowed to take the mission to search for the amethyst records, still felt like she had something to prove. And yet, he understood in a sense. Even though Myles knew his clanmates loved him deeply, he still struggled sometimes not to worry about how well he was fitting in. And that was with an entire clan of misfits! He could only imagine how much harder it would be if his clan mates were not orphans just like him, but rather had been in the clan long before he came along. Myles heart softened even more toward Harlow as he considered this. She’d not had an easy road.
That didn’t exactly excuse the times that she’d acted rudely toward him, but it did help explain things a bit. And besides, Myles knew he was not without fault here. He’d said and done some things that qualified as rude and unfriendly, too. Perhaps, the idea of a “do-over” and pretending that they were starting their friendship from scratch was the best idea Harlow had come up with yet. Looking at Harlow now, Myles heart ached to get to know her better, and to reach beyond her somewhat guarded exterior to see what was in her heart.
Were there any feelings for him in there, he wondered? He could not deny that, even in the times that he’d been angry at her, he’d wanted her. He hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that they were connected somehow, and he had a suspicion that there was more to it than just physical desire. Her very soul seemed to call to his, and yet, how could that be? It was not feasible that this beautiful, intelligent wizard, with an independent streak a mile wide, might be his lifemate, was it? Was it possible she might really need him, despite her insistence that she could do everything on her own? Even now, after she’d agreed to trust him and admitted that she did need help, her eyes still had a determined, independent look in them. Myles felt a strange mixture of emotions filling his heart, but he wasn’t sure how to define them. The thought came to his mind that perhaps this mixture of emotions and desire was what love felt like, but he pushed the thought away. Myles wasn’t scared of much, but the word love frightened him a bit.
Their server came and took their food orders, then, and Myles was thankful for the brief distraction. After the server walked away, though, Myles and Harlow were left without even menus to look at. They were somewhat forced to look at each other, and Myles found himself strangely at a loss for words. They couldn’t talk about their mission right here in the middle of the restaurant. There was far too much risk that someone would overhear. And their whole tumultuous friendship had revolved around work, so Myles wasn’t even sure what sorts of hobbies or other interests Harlow had that she would enjoy talking about. After a few moments of awkward silence, he finally decided to just ask her.
“So, what do you like to do for fun?”
She looked up at him with a bit of a relieved smile, and he gathered that she had been trying to figure out how to start a conversation, too. It was almost like they were on a first date or something. Myles felt his heart clench up in his chest again at the thought of taking Harlow on a date. Maybe, when this was all over, if they managed to stay friends through this perilous mission, he’d get the chance to take her on a real date. For now, he’d have to settle for a work dinner at a deserted diner in the middle of nowhere.
“I don’t have much time for fun these days. Work keeps me quite busy. But when I do have the time, I like to bake. I can make a mean cupcake, let me tell you.”
Myles grinned. “I’d love the chance to test one out,” he said.
Harlow laughed. “Well, if we ever get out of this godforsaken snow-hole, maybe I’ll make some for you. But I’m warning you, they’re very dangerous for the waistline. They’re so good that it’s really hard to stop eating them, and the reason they’re so good is they’re loaded with calories.”
Myles laughed. “Sounds like they’re worth it. I’ll just have to do a couple extra workouts here and there.”
“Oh they’re definitely worth it,” Harlow said with a grin. “And then my other big hobby, which is much lower in calories than my baking obsession, is magic painting.”
“Magic painting?” Myles asked, confused. “That sounds like some sort of arts and crafts project from elementary school.”
This brought a loud peal of laughter from Harlow. “It’s a lot more complicated than anything I ever did in elementary school, trust me.”
Myles saw her glance down at her magic ring, then glance around to make sure their server wasn’t too close. Smart girl, Myles thought. She wants to make sure no one here overhears her talking about being a wizard. Satisfied that no one was close by, Harlow continued with her explanation.
“It’s a special artistic technique that uses magic spells to produce a stream of paint from your magic ring. It’s sort of difficult to do, because you have to aim the streams of paint carefully. If you move your hand too quickly or don’t keep it steady, the stream of paint will go where you don’t want it to on the canvas.”
“It sounds sort of like spray-painting,” Myles said.
Harlow smiled. “I guess you could call it spray painting. We just work on big canvasses instead of on concrete walls. Some wizards are really good at it, and have made pretty impressive paintings that look as detailed as a painting made with an actual paintbrush. I’m not quite there yet. Actually, I’m pretty far from there. I only recently took up magic painting, and work makes it hard to get to the classes. I’m determined to continue, though, even if I have to take it slowly.”
“There�
��s nothing wrong with taking your time,” Myles said. “The circumstances we’re in right now are rather unique. Work won’t always be this busy. At least, I hope it won’t.”
Harlow nodded. “I know. I keep telling myself to be patient. I haven’t even told you the best part about magic painting yet, though. You see, because the paint is produced by a magic spell, it’s magic paint, of course. The spell gives the paint special qualities that allow it to move, even after it’s dried on the canvas.”
Myles frowned. “It moves on the canvas? I’m not sure I understand.”
“It’s like a moving picture,” Harlow explained. “For example, if you painted a horse in a field, you could paint it in such a way that it would appear to be running across the field. You have to be careful that you apply the paint in the right way, or it won’t look right—I’ve had some pretty funny mess-ups where an animal appeared to be cut in half when it was moving or something like that. But when you do it right, the effect is really cool. I have one painting I made of a sailboat that looks like it’s flying across the water, sending sea spray up behind it. I’ll have to show it to you when we get back. If we get back, I mean.”
Harlow’s eyes darkened a bit, and Myles couldn’t resist reaching across the table to give her forearm a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “We’ll make it back,” he promised. “Don’t give up before we’ve even started.”
Harlow gave him a brave smile and nodded, but he could see that she was troubled. Myles was troubled, too, if he was honest. The strange looks he kept getting from their server made him uneasy. He was beginning to feel more and more like the looks were stemming from something stronger than just general curiosity. Saul’s men were no fools, and Myles began to feel with certainty that he and Harlow were being watched.
He did his best to act as normal as he could during the meal. He laughed and joked with Harlow, keeping their conversation as light as he could. She asked him about his hobbies, and he told her that he studied martial arts in his free time. She seemed surprised by this.
“I would think a dragon wouldn’t need to bother with things like martial arts,” she said. “After all, when you can turn into such a fierce beast and breathe fire on someone, why would you need to know how to do fancy fighting on the ground?”
Myles just laughed. “It’s always good to know as much as possible about how to fight,” he said. “I’ve been on many missions where it benefitted me greatly to not have to shift into dragon form. Besides, I really enjoy learning the techniques and discipline involved in martial arts. The joy of learning is reward enough for me.”
“How did you learn, though, if you lived out in the middle of the Redwoods your whole life?” Harlow asked. “There aren’t any karate schools out there, are there?”
Myles laughed. “Well, no. You’re right about that. The Redwood Dragons’ base camp is on the outskirts of civilization, a good distance from any town. But our old clan leader, William, was a fourth degree black belt and taught all of us dragons through pretty much our whole childhoods.”
“Oh, wow,” Harlow said. “So all of the dragons must be pretty good at martial arts, then.”
“Yes, we’re all talented fighters, in many disciplines,” Myles said. “But I’m one of the best, because I continued on with training even after William left. I’m not as good at fighting in dragon form as some of the other dragons. I’ve always struggled a bit with controlling my large dragon form as well as the others can. But I can beat almost any of the Redwood Dragons in hand to hand fighting while in human form. The one exception is my clan mate Finn. Finn has continued training in martial arts, too, and he’s an even better fighter than I am. I can still beat him at the chameleon trick, though.”
“Chameleon trick?” Harlow asked.
“It’s the ability to blend perfectly into your surroundings, kind of like a chameleon. All reptile shifters can do it, although chameleon shifters are naturally the best at it.”
“Wow. I had no idea you could do that,” Harlow said. “It’s almost like you guys can all do an invisibility spell, too.”
Myles laughed. “Yup, it’s sort of like that. Although your magical abilities far outstrip mine, obviously. I’m constantly in awe of what you wizards can do.”
Harlow shrugged. “I guess I can see how it would be strange, if the world of wizarding was new to you. But it all seems so normal to me.”
“Yeah, well, you grew up as a wizard, surrounded by wizards,” Myles said. “I’ve spent most of my life thinking that wizards no longer existed. It was quite a shock to my system when I found out they did.”
Harlow grinned. “Surprise,” she said, with another shrug.
Myles smiled at her, then grabbed the last bite of food off his plate. “We should get back to the hotel,” he said. “The storm is getting worse, and besides, I don’t like the way our server keeps staring at us. We’ve been talking in fairly quiet voices, so I don’t think she’s overheard much of what we said, but she seems to be taking an unhealthy interest in us nonetheless.”
Harlow frowned, but, to her credit, did not automatically turn around to look at their server. She sat with restrained curiosity instead, her face darkening once more. “Let’s get out of here,” she said through clenched teeth.
Myles nodded, and motioned for their server to ask for the check. They had already stayed here too long, but he hadn’t wanted to leave. He hadn’t wanted dinner with Harlow to end. Even though it had only been in a small, sleepy diner, and it hadn’t been an official date at all, something about sitting across from her and sharing a meal had felt so wonderful and intimate. He wished they could have continued on with dessert, and maybe another Long Island Iced Tea for her. He would have liked to order a coffee to sip leisurely, warming his body and his soul as he enjoyed her company for a bit longer. But those sorts of unhurried evenings would have to wait. Perhaps, once they got back to Falcon Cross, they could spend more time together, and explore the feelings that were slowly beginning to burn between them. Myles found himself fascinated by Harlow more with every passing minute. Now that she had opened up to him about why she acted as stubbornly as she did, he was intrigued. He wanted to know even more about her, and he wanted to show her that she was perfect just the way she was. But for now, duty called. And that duty required them to focus completely on recovering the amethyst records.
When the check came, Myles paid it all in cash. He never used a credit card when he was out on a mission, if he could avoid it. He had a whole slew of credit cards and I.D. cards with fake names on them, to help him avoid detection when he was out searching for ancient dragon artifacts. But the best way to pay, when possible, was to use cash. It left no trail, not even a fake one.
Myles and Harlow quietly left the diner, walking outside into snow so thick that you could only see a few feet in front of you. Myles’ brow creased with worry. It would be slow going getting back to the hotel, and he hoped that things didn’t get worse before they arrived. It was already going to be next to impossible to see the road in front of him.
At least, Myles thought as he climbed into the vehicle, this weather would make it impossible for the enemy to find them.
For now.
Chapter Ten
Harlow lay in the surprisingly comfortable hotel bed, shivering. She had turned the heat up to what she thought was a generous temperature right before she climbed into bed, but the coldness in the room seemed to be growing, not decreasing. She pulled the thick blankets closer around her and listened to the howling of the wind, willing herself to fall asleep. But sleep was not coming easily tonight. The mixture of the cold room and her unsettled mind made it impossible to drift off.
Harlow’s swirling thoughts bounced back and forth between her feelings for Myles, the difficulty of locating the amethyst records, and the dangers of dark magic. Each subject weighed heavily on her mind, and after tossing and turning for over an hour, she got up to check on the thermostat. The room was steadily growing colder, and she was beginning
to wonder if she had accidentally turned the heat off instead of higher.
She cursed as she stubbed a toe on the foot of the bed in the darkness, then hobbled over to flip the light switch on. When she flipped it, however, nothing happened. She cursed again as she flipped the switch back and forth with no result. Frowning, she felt around in the darkness for her duffel bag. When she found it, she dug around in it until she found the small flashlight that she knew was in there. She turned the beam on, flooding the small hotel room with a sudden burst of light. She swung the beam around, and saw that there was a lamp on the nightstand by the bed. She walked over and turned the switch on the lamp, but nothing happened. She walked over to the lamp on the desk and tried to switch it on, but again nothing happened.
Harlow swung her flashlight beam toward the thermostat on the wall, walking over to look at the digital display. The screen was completely dark. She pushed a few buttons, but nothing happened.
“Power’s out,” she announced dejectedly to the empty room. No wonder she’d been so cold. She went to the window and peered out, but the darkness was so thick out there that she might as well have been looking at a black wall. There were no streetlights, or at least none that she could see. Perhaps the power outage had affected the streetlights too, or perhaps the snow was too thick to allow the light of any streetlamps to shine all the way to her window. Harlow shivered as she shined her flashlight into the darkness, pressing it against the window so that the light would shine outward instead of being reflected back into the room. The light revealed that the snow was still swirling, thicker than ever.
With a frustrated grunt, Harlow stepped away from the window and looked around her room. She was already wearing thick flannel pajamas and woolen socks, but it wasn’t enough to keep the cold at bay, even when she had been huddled under the thick comforter. She frowned and used her flashlight to look over her cold weather gear. If she put on her thick outdoor clothes she would probably be okay, but she wasn’t sure how comfortable she would be. She could heat her room using a magic spell, but she needed to get some sleep. She wouldn’t be able to keep the spell going while she slept, which meant she would soon be waking from cold again. Harlow glanced toward the dark window again, and decided that she needed to try to get to Myles’ room. Perhaps he had power. If not, he was probably freezing, too. Perhaps if they huddled together in one bed and shared their body heat, they would be warm enough to actually get some sleep. Harlow’s face blushed bright pink at the thought of snuggling up close to Myles in bed. Try as she might to tell herself that she was thinking about lying next to him strictly to keep warm, she couldn’t deny that there was a small part of her that wondered what it would feel like to have his body pressed against hers. The more she tried to push thoughts of desire for Myles out of her mind, the more they seemed to fight their way in. She stood up straight and abruptly walked over to put her outdoor gear on. The longer she thought about it, the more confused she was going to make herself. She needed to get over her own feelings and just go over there, like a grown adult, and see if Myles’ had heat or not. She might not even need to sleep in his bed, if his room still had power and heat. Each of their rooms had two double beds, so she would just take the other bed if the room was warm.
Determination and the Dragon (Redwood Dragons Book 4) Page 9