A Dragon Speaks Her Name: A Nocturne Falls Universe story

by Kira Nyte

  “I don’t do things like that.” Zareh flashed a smile, one surely meant to charm his way into getting what he wanted. Kaylae couldn’t imagine anyone denying him a request. “Now, where are you headed?”

  “Out.”

  “Uh-huh.” He stepped around Kaylae and made an up motion with his hands. “Arms out.”

  Alazar shifted and let out an exasperated groan. “You’re seriously going to frisk me?”

  “Hm.”

  Kaylae took a step back and observed the comical pat-down. Alazar was a dose of entertainment with his commentary and inappropriate sounds in coordination with Zareh’s hand placement. She bit her finger to keep from laughing when Alazar performed one of the best overdramatic shivers she’d seen.

  “Oooh, yeah. That was pretty good. You’re learning.”

  Zareh snorted. She’d be damned if smoke didn’t curl up out of his nostrils, a sight that had become a secret turn-on for her. “I worry about you at times.” He straightened. “And not just about your gambling habits.”

  “Keeps things entertaining, right?”

  “That remains to be seen.” Zareh gave Alazar a last visual once-over.

  “Anywhere else you want to check?”

  Zareh snorted and shook his head, stepped back and slipped his hand around Kaylae’s. “I feel bad for the poor soul who wins the cash stashed in unsearchable areas.”

  Alazar winked, smiled, and bounded out the front door. Once he was out of earshot, Kaylae smirked.

  “He wants us to meet him at Howler’s when we’re done,” she said.

  Zareh groaned. “He wants a security blanket. Should get him a big-boy pacifier while we’re out, too.” He gave her a gentle tug, bringing her closer to him. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  The contents of the safety deposit boxes were a surprise, to say the least. Zareh had not expected to see that much cash stashed in the one box, nor did he expect to find Talius had collected a dowry for his daughter. As much as the gems and stones appealed to him—who was he to deny that both he and his dragon appreciated rare and expensive gems?—and accepted them for what they were meant to represent, he gave them back to his Doe, his gift to her.

  Apparently, despite all of the romantic gestures he poured on her, his latest managed to surprise her into teary eyes.

  What did gems and jewels mean to him when he and Doe would be sharing everything anyhow? He gladly offered what he owned to her, and he found her doing the same. The lifemate bond was intense, growing stronger with each day. He had no reason to take an offering when he was grateful for the flesh and blood gift of Kaylae Drayce.

  Packing the contents of the boxes inside a quilted bag Kaylae had stashed in her purse, they allowed the empty boxes to be returned and left.

  At Illusions, Willa took them to the back of the store, where she gifted Kaylae with a gold-threaded satchel not much bigger than a change purse.

  “There is a small protection amulet sewn inside the bag, but the fabric itself is lined with magical beads and metals.”

  “Wouldn’t the amulet alone suffice?” Zareh asked.

  “Kaylae wanted a way to keep the stone close without keeping it encased in the box in her purse. When discussing it with Pandora, I explained that in addition to the protection amulet, we needed something to carry a very valuable item that would both conceal it and protect it from detection. Jewelry would have been too exposed.”

  Willa shared the information that the coven leader, Alice, was preparing a confinement spell within a catalyst, but couldn’t say what the catalyst was. They were to expect the item as early as dusk.

  Next, they made a quick stop by Delaney’s Delectables to stock up on Kaylae’s favorite fudge. What should have been a five-minute stop-and-go turned into the women chatting for twenty minutes, and Kaylae getting to taste test several delicacies.

  Kaylae basked in every small pleasure and Zareh basked in each second of her pure joy.

  “Let’s be touristy,” Kaylae suggested with an excited gleam in her eyes. She grabbed his hands and, giggling, started leading him toward the park at the center of town. “Let’s take goofy selfies in front of some of the coolest places.”

  Zareh couldn’t help but smile at the otherwise absurd idea. They lived here. Why would they want to take pictures of themselves in front of places they visited a few times a week?

  There was something contagious and adorable in Kaylae’s expression, and he found himself entertaining the idea of participating in some crazy touristy poses. Her awe and innocence captured his heart over and over, and right this moment was no different.

  “Okay, m’lady. As you wish.”

  The selfie stops started at an antique shop. The architecture deliberately resembled a rickety old building leaning to one side with a cracked foundation and ivy-constricted the bricks, which were painted to look old and worn. Kaylae hopped on his back and pretended to hold up the dangling shop sign, a look of worry etched in her wide eyes. Zareh followed her lead, pretending to cringe at the prospect of the sign falling, and snapped the picture on his cell phone.

  Many stops involved similarly theatrical poses. They laughed as they reviewed each one before moving to the next.

  At the Hallowed Bean, Kaylae got a Vampire Bite donut round, pressed it to his neck, and took a bite while he silently screamed. Unfortunately, the silliness of the picture was challenged when she licked the glaze and jam off his neck, leaving him in a storm of thoughts that had nothing to do with funny selfies.

  “The fountain,” she breathed, her smile lighting up her face. She smacked a sugared kiss on his lips. “Come on.”

  He found himself helpless not to follow her into anything and everything. He was undeniably besotted.

  When they reached the fountain, they had to wait a few minutes for a space to open up between tourists.

  “Pretend like you’re going to throw me into the water. I think that’ll be great!” Kaylae said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kicked up her legs. He caught her in the cradle of his arms, then wagged his phone against her knee for her to take. “Hold on. Let me pull up the camera.”

  Zareh glanced up at the stone gargoyle, sensing the creature’s amusement. Every few moments, he moved a little, enough to have people gasp and point and focus more intently, waiting for another movement.

  “Ready?”

  “Always, sweetness.”

  He widened his stance and tipped her back, head toward the water. Kaylae shrieked, snapped the picture, then burst out laughing. Zareh pulled her back up and tightened his arms around her, ignoring the curious glances they received from onlookers. He couldn’t take his eyes off the beauty he held. Her carefree spirit glowed through her multi-hued blue eyes and the life that colored her cheeks.

  Right now, all he cared about was the woman in his arms.

  His woman.

  “I love you, Kaylae,” Zareh confided. The strange rumble of his voice and the sudden breathlessness that hit him cut through all the fun and lightheartedness. This very moment, he spoke from the depths of his heart. When Kaylae’s smile faded and she turned wide, emotion-filled eyes on him, he couldn’t help but repeat it and make it real. “I love you.”

  “You…do?”

  He nodded. “I do.”

  Kaylae pressed her hand to his cheek, staring into his eyes for a long moment before bringing her mouth to his. She kissed him soft and slow, pouring herself into the kiss, and he drank every unspoken implication up. He lowered her feet to the ground without interrupting their kiss and held her tight, tangling his fingers in her hair and slipping his hand around her waist.

  “I could kiss you all day, little Doe. All day and all night. Forever and ever.”

  Kaylae pressed up higher on her toes and deepened the kiss. “I’m a Keeper in more ways than one, huh?”

  Zareh grinned against her mouth before ending their kiss. It was heading into dangerous territory, and in public. As it stood, they had way too many eye
s on them.

  “My sweetness, you are a keeper in every possible definition of the word.” He cleared his throat. “Think we should go save Alazar’s sorry tail from another devastating loss?”

  Kaylae nodded. She handed him his phone and gave the quilted bag slung across her body a pat. “Can we stop at home real quick first?”

  “I think that would be a great idea.”

  Kaylae’s eyes narrowed. “Oh? Are we thinking of the same reasons for the stop?”

  Zareh traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “I don’t know. Want to find out?”

  The wicked woman winked. “This should be interesting.”

  * * *

  Okay, so Zareh’s reasons were far different from Kaylae’s, but he knew that before they left the fountain. The stop at his house to unload her small hoard in a wall safe in his room remained uneventful, and they wasted little time arriving at Howler’s in time to save Alazar from defeat.

  “You don’t want that cash, bro. I promise you,” Zareh said to Alazar’s opponent, rounding the pool table and slipping the pool stick from his friend’s hand. He nudged the hundred-dollar bill on the side of the table and made a face. “He stashes his cash in one of two places. His boots or his underwear. And it’s always paper-to-skin.”

  The small group of buddies with Alazar’s opponent exchanged rather appalled glances. Zareh sensed they were shifters, but couldn’t tell what kind. Nor did he really care, until Alazar’s opponent decided to give Kaylae an openly appreciative once-over.

  Now that riled his dragon.

  He pulled out his wallet and tossed a bunch of hundreds on the table.

  “However, I’m willing to play you. Rack ’em up.”

  The lithe, average-sized opponent stared at the cash, then looked at Zareh. His eyes widened slightly, a flicker of fear in their light-brown depths. Zareh felt the tips of his fangs forming along his teeth and clenched them down, willing his dragon to relax.

  “Hey, man. I can’t match that,” the shifter said.

  Zareh lowered the end of the pool stick to the floor. Well, maybe he smacked it down. The shifter took a step back.

  “Rack ’em,” he snapped.

  “Zar? What’s wrong?”

  Kaylae’s timid voice filtered into his mind. Her nearness through their telepathic connection worked like a balm, relaxing his dragon, and himself. He pressed his lips together, but refused to look away from the shifter.

  Alazar dropped a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, brother. Let’s put the stick away and grab something to eat, okay?” His friend leaned very close to his ear. “Watch yourself. You’re peeking out beneath the sleeves.”

  Zareh glanced down at the cuff of his shirt. His scales weren’t visible, but his skin tingled, confirming Alazar’s words. Only the very tips would have been visible, but he didn’t need the speculation from this group of shifters.

  The opponent rested his pool stick against the wall and held up his hands. “Hey, man. No harm meant. It was all in good fun, the game. I wouldn’t have taken his money.”

  Kaylae sidled up beside Zareh, her hand slipping up his arm. Her touch, oh, how he needed her touch. It grounded him when he needed it the most.

  Like now.

  Zareh wrapped his arm around his Doe, making a blaring statement with his possessive embrace.

  “Watch your eyes next time,” Zareh warned. The shifter swallowed hard, nodded, and herded his buddies into the main bar area. Zareh waited until he could no longer see the bunch before lowering his lips to the top of Kaylae’s head and letting out a long breath. “Sorry.”

  “I should be flattered by your fierceness, but I know that wasn’t because of me,” Alazar said, gathering the pool sticks and placing them on the wall rack. “What happened, Zar?”

  “It was the way he looked at Doe.”

  Kaylae tipped her head up, a crease between her brows. “What?”

  “I didn’t like the way he sized you up like a prime cut of meat.” By the shift in her expression, he feared he had overreacted. Maybe he had, but there was no going back now. He was on edge with the Baroqueth nearby. He wasn’t taking chances with her. “I’m sorry. I won’t let it happen again.”

  “Huh.” Kaylae wedged an arm between them and pinched her forehead. “I didn’t take you as the jealous type. At least not to the point of fire in your eyes and trying to crack a pool stick on the floor. I didn’t even notice, Zar. I had no clue the guy paid an ounce of attention to me. And, quite honestly, I wouldn’t have cared.”

  Zareh couldn’t explain the sickening churn in his gut. Something cool fell between them in those silent moments.

  Alazar had the good mind to keep his mouth zipped as he racked the balls for the next players.

  She let out a sharp breath and eased herself out of his encircling arm. “Um, I need to use the restroom.” The grin she gave him was strained. She didn’t look him in the eye. “I’ll be right back. Why don’t you grab a table, okay?”

  “Doe—”

  Kaylae raised a hand, silencing him. “I’ll be right back, Zar. I promise. Just…give me a few minutes, okay?”

  “Of course.”

  The fire in his veins couldn’t melt the shards of ice her hollow words left behind. He watched her move through the crowd and disappear down the hallway to the bathrooms before he rubbed a hand over his mouth. A slew of cusses fled his lips, drawing Alazar’s attention.

  “Can I say something, Zar?”

  Zareh shot his friend a cold glance, but Alazar didn’t recoil. Instead, he rolled his eyes and leaned a hip against the pool table.

  “First, I didn’t have the cash in my boot or in my underwear.” Alazar crossed his arms over his chest when Zareh growled. “It was behind my belt, which I tightened until my gut hurt to keep it from sliding out while you patted me down. Second, she has lived her life in a bubble, right? She has been the focus of overprotection and secrets her whole life. I don’t think she’ll tolerate the jealously thing very well. Especially if that’s only a small taste of it. You can be jealous and handle it in a far more civilized way than going crazy-dragon on everyone. Big, bad, protective lifemate is one thing. Possessive, scary monster is definitely not a thing.”

  Zareh felt the furrow in his brow. He tilted his head slightly and regarded this wise Alazar in a new light.

  Slowly, he lowered his hand from his mouth and hooked his thumbs on his belt loops. “What exactly did you do with Al?”

  “That’s so overdone.” Alazar chuckled. “I might be younger than you by, what, fifty or so years? It doesn’t make me a child. We’re great friends for a reason. You’re all uptight and boxer-bunched while I’m chillaxed. We balance each other out. Just because I act like I haven’t a care in the world doesn’t mean I don’t care.” He tapped a finger on his head. “You’d be surprised what this melon of mine has inside it.”

  “I might have to take a melon baller to it and find out what else you’re hiding from me.”

  “Let’s get our table before you really start spitting out some pitiful lines.”

  Zareh glanced toward the bathrooms as he followed Alazar to an empty booth. He sat so as to get a perfect view of the hallway, waving to Bridget as she served a few customers at the bar. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dropped it on the table.

  “Usual?” she called over to them.

  Zareh gave her a thumb’s up. “And a sweet tea for my better half.”

  “That is not me. I’ll take the norm,” Alazar answered over the din of the crowd. He dropped the neatly folded hundreds on the table in front of Zareh. “You almost left those back there, so this round is on you.”

  A server swept by, placing a pile of menus at the end of the table. Zareh moved one to where he hoped Kaylae would sit, ignoring the last two. Damn, he hoped he hadn’t screwed things up bad. He’d make sure he controlled himself better next time. He definitely didn’t want to scare Kaylae. Geez, he loved her.

  That didn’t mean she loved him in retur
n.

  His stomach revolted at the thought.

  Maybe soda and bitters would be a better choice of beverage. Or a fire extinguisher.

  “She’ll be fine once she shakes what happened back there. I know you didn’t mean it the way it looked, and she’ll realize that, too,” Alazar said. “And you looked baaad.”

  Zareh sighed. “Great.” He glanced toward the bathrooms, then at the bar top. The sweet tea and his beer were ready. “Let me grab those so she doesn’t have to bring them around.”

  Bridget brought Alazar’s drink over as he reached the crowded bar. “How’s your lady friend? You two seem to be pretty comfortable together.” She wagged her brows. “Is this a possible permanent match for one of the town’s eligible bachelors?”

  Zareh put on his smile and chuckled. “You know it, Bridge.”

  Bridget’s brows rose. She straightened, her smile turning devious. The gold of her eyes flashed. “Ahh, I see. No more ‘cuteness.’ Must be serious. Well, my dear friend, how ’bout I treat you in honor of your newfound happiness.” She smacked the bar top. “On me.” And walked away.

  Zareh balanced the three drinks in his hands and returned to the table. Alazar had his phone, a big smile on his face.

  “What?” he asked.

  Alazar turned the phone around. Zareh stared at the picture of him and Kaylae at the fountain, caught up in their kiss after he told her he loved her. He hadn’t realized she snapped the picture.

  He placed the glasses on the table, the corner of his mouth twitching. They looked so perfect together. So completely in love. Her blind aim caught the essence of their emotions in that moment perfectly.

  Almost too perfectly.

  Sliding into the booth, he shrugged and sipped his beer. Alazar lowered the phone to the table and rapped his finger on the tabletop.

  “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about. Now’s as good a time as any, I guess,” Alazar said, lifting his bourbon to his lips. He gave the phone a side glance, then sipped his drink. Zareh brought the phone closer, drawn to the image. When Kaylae returned from the bathroom, he’d promise her he’d never lose his cool again. That image was what he wanted for them both, all the time. “Or, maybe not.”