by Donna Grant
Keltan took Bernadette behind the registers and through a doorway to another, private part of the shop. They walked down a corridor a ways before he opened a door and waited for her to walk through.
Bernadette found herself outside once more. She determined that they were behind the gift shop. When she looked back at Keltan, he was headed toward some hedges that soared up to the sky. She hurried to catch up with him.
Once they passed through the thick hedgerow, she gasped and came to a stop. She took in the mountains and glens and the sheep and cattle that dotted the landscape. The clouds passed over the sun, casting huge shadows on the mountains. And while she had no magic, she sensed that it was here, on this land.
“It is a sight, is it no’?” Keltan asked from beside her.
“You get to wake up every day and see this.”
He drew in a breath. “Aye. But this is only a small part of Dreagan.”
She could look at the view all day, but she knew he wanted to show her more. Bernadette turned, her mouth falling open. Dreagan Manor stood before her, a mountain rising up directly behind it.
Suddenly, she grew nervous. She glanced at Keltan. “Why are you showing me this?”
“Normally, I wouldna. But seeing as you already know so much, we thought it would be wise to show you who we really are.”
“In order to change my mind about continuing my lectures?” she asked, even though that was her very reason for being here. Though she hadn’t realized it when she drove from Glasgow.
All she knew was that she wanted to talk to Keltan and discover the truth.
He shrugged and clasped his hands behind his back. “That is for you to decide.”
Keltan walked toward the manor without looking back at her. Bernadette hesitated for a few seconds before following him. She might be stepping into an abyss that she couldn’t get out of, but something had pushed her to Dreagan. It was time she found out what that was.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Surprise didn’t even begin to describe what Keltan felt when Ryder informed him that none other than Bernadette Davies was at the distillery.
He hadn’t gone to the shop to intercept her. Instead, he’d waited at her car because he’d had a feeling she wouldn’t stay long. He’d been right. Because five minutes later, she walked from the shop.
The astonishment on her face when she saw him was well worth his plan. Even now she was hesitant, uncertain of where he was taking her. And yet, she followed him. That shocked him a little.
He reached the front door of the manor and paused for a heartbeat as he listened for the sound of Bernadette behind him. As soon as he heard her, he hid his smile and opened the door. He stepped aside and waited for her to enter.
Keltan kept his eyes on her face, watching as her gaze darted from one object to another. It wasn’t hard to miss the many dragons depicted throughout. And she saw nearly all of them.
He shut the door behind them and walked with her into the wide foyer. Her mouth slightly opened as her head tipped back to look at the ceiling. He didn’t say anything, preferring to just let her take it in until she wanted to talk.
Another five minutes passed before she stopped and turned toward him. “Why did you bring me here?”
“You think you know us. When, in fact, you know verra little.”
“But I looked into Dreagan. I know that you don’t bring strangers here.”
He shrugged. “We made an exception for you.”
Bernadette licked her lips. “I see.”
“Are you scared?”
“I’d be a fool not to be.”
Keltan shook his head. “If we wanted to hurt you, we could’ve done it at any time. No one is going to harm you. I told you that at the restaurant.”
“That was before I showed up here.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Why did you come?”
Her gaze briefly darted to the side. “I could come up with some plausible lie, but the truth is that I wasn’t sure what made me come. I only knew I had to.”
“You said, ‘wasn’t sure.’ Does that mean you know now?” he pressed.
She nodded slowly. “I don’t regret discovering what I know about you. I don’t feel bad about the things I uncovered about Dreagan over the last few months.”
“Nor do you regret telling others about us.”
Bernadette didn’t answer. Instead, she said, “But I realized last night that there are two sides to every story. I’ve been told one side. And I don’t know how much truth there is to it.”
“And you came here thinking we would tell you the truth?” he asked, his brow quirked.
She blew out a breath and twisted her hands. “I know you must think I’m an idiot. I’ve come to the very people I’m investigating and telling others about. Who in their right mind does that?”
“Someone who wants answers.”
Her jade eyes met his. “But how do I know if what you tell me is the truth?”
“You’re just going to have to trust me.”
Her smile was fleeting, and she turned her head away. “Of course.
“Would you like something to drink? Tea, perhaps?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you. I don’t think it’s wise to put anything in my stomach at this point.”
If she were nervous enough that she was nauseous, she hid it well. She didn’t fidget or do any of the other things people often did when uneasy.
“Perhaps you’d like to sit. Follow me,” Keltan said.
He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been so aware of a woman beside him. He noted every movement of Bernadette’s body, every glance of her eyes. As she fell in step beside him, he pointed out different rooms as they walked past. She nodded as he spoke, and while he felt her curiosity and need to look into each room, she didn’t ask anything.
Keltan took her to the library. The room was spacious and yet could be closed off to others. He pulled the doors shut once they were inside, closing them off. And the idea of them being alone was something he found he liked.
A lot.
“Please, have a seat,” he said, indicating the sofa and chairs set before the fireplace. She wasn’t a woman he should be interested in. She was someone who had the ability to cause havoc, and he needed to remember that.
“There are quite a few books here,” she said with a little laugh before sitting against the arm of the sofa.
He grinned. “That there are. And before you ask, nay, I’ve no’ read even half of them. I’m sure I’ll get to all of them eventually.”
Her eyes widened.
Keltan laughed out loud as he took the chair nearest her. He knew he should probably put some more distance between them, but he couldn’t seem to make his body listen. “What was that for?”
“You said that because you’re immortal.”
He lifted one shoulder. “And if I am?”
“How old are you?”
Keltan sighed loudly. “I doona think we should begin with that question.”
“Why?” she pressed.
“Because you willna accept the answer.”
She gave him a flat look. “I accept that you and the others here are dragons. I accept that you have magic and that you’re immortal.”
“Accepting that and hearing how old I am are two verra different things.”
“Try me,” she dared him.
Keltan narrowed his eyes. He’d never been one to pass up a challenge. “I’m millions of years old. So old, that I stopped keeping track some time ago.”
“Millions?” she asked in a whisper, her face losing some of its color.
“My exact age doesna matter. I’ve seen empires rise and fall. I’ve seen so many wars that I can no’ believe you mortals are still alive. I’ve seen the human race come from no’ knowing how to make a weapon to hunt with, to your kind creating nuclear weapons. I have, in fact, seen it all.”
Bernadette sat there for several minutes in silence before she murmured, “Bloody
hell.”
“I told you that you were no’ prepared for the truth.”
She ignored his statement. “Are you the oldest?”
He shook his head. “Nay. Nor am I the youngest.”
“I see. Tell me more. Please.”
“You realize that if you tell anyone how old we are, no one will believe you.”
“Who said I would tell anyone?”
It was Keltan’s turn to give her a flat look. “After the lecture you just gave, you really want me to believe that?”
“Look, I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. At first, after I came to realize that dragons were real, I wanted to find out everything I could about you. I didn’t understand why everyone at Dreagan hid. The more I dug, the more questions came up. Women disappearing and relocating, changing their jobs and such. I began to wonder if nefarious things were going on here. Last night … well, let’s just say I had an eye-opening experience. I wish I would’ve had it months ago. But if I hadn’t spoken with you after the lecture, I’m not sure I’d be here.”
Now that was interesting to hear. Keltan had never expected that his need to talk to her last night would bring her to him now. “What did I say that changed your mind?”
“Nothing in particular. You didn’t threaten me with legal action or any harm. You didn’t even ask me to stop. I’ve been wondering ever since why you didn’t do those things. Then I remembered you had magic. You could stop me in other ways. Which, I assume, was your intention.”
Keltan sat forward, placing his forearms on his knees and interlocking his fingers. “Dr. Davies,” he began.
“Bernadette, please,” she said.
He grinned. “Bernadette.”
She smiled, her gaze dropping to her lap for a heartbeat.
Keltan had to remind himself who she was and why she was there. He inwardly shook himself before he continued. “We’ve remained hidden for dozens of millennia for a reason. And we’ve gone to great lengths to make sure things remain the same. You put a spotlight on Dreagan, and we can no’ allow that to happen. We doona harm mortals. Nor do we want to discredit you professionally. We’ve discussed a few options.”
Bernadette set her purse down and rubbed her hands together. “I should’ve seen that coming.”
“Any company would do the same.”
She nodded slowly. “I suppose I seem like a fool to you.”
“I didna say that.”
“You don’t have to. I can see it in your eyes.”
Keltan frowned at her. “I apologize if it appears that I’ve judged you. That isna my intent. I’m merely doing what I must to protect my home.”
“You’ve not asked me how much I know.”
He shrugged, his lips twisting as he sat back in the chair. “I doona need to. If you knew everything, you would’ve stated that at your lecture. You know enough to make life difficult for us.”
“I’m not asking you to tell me what it is, but how much knowledge am I missing about you?”
“Quite a bit.”
She blew out a breath and looked at the ceiling.
Keltan could see her mind working. He wondered how long she would go before she gave in and told him who had shared the Kings’ secret with her. “What is it?” he pressed.
Her gaze returned to him. “You haven’t asked how I found out about you.”
“Nay, I have no’.”
“Why not?”
“Would you tell me?” he countered.
She drew in a deep breath as a frown formed on her brow. “It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s that I’m not sure what will happen to me if I do.”
Keltan closed his eyes for just a heartbeat. Damn. He’d hoped that Ryder had been wrong, but it seemed that the computer guru had struck gold again. The problem was, he had no idea how Usaeil was interacting with Bernadette. Was it as a Fae? Or as the movie star that the world believed her to be? Or was it something else entirely?
Usaeil could’ve changed her appearance, so he couldn’t even describe her. Fuck! And if Bernadette wouldn’t tell him, then he had no way of arguing his side.
“I’m surprised you haven’t offered me protection.”
Her words jarred him out of his thoughts. He gave her an apologetic smile. “If you believe you need it then, of course, we will.”
“Even for someone like me?” she asked.
“It’s what we do.”
Surprise flickered in her jade depths.
Keltan chuckled. “You doona believe me.”
“I … I’m trying to sort through everything.”
“You were brave enough to come here, and you had the courage to walk into the manor. Based on what I know of you, I think once you have the facts, you can figure things out.”
“Facts,” she said and glanced at her hands. “I believed what I was shown was fact. I also believed what I was told.”
“In case you have no’ already guessed, we have enemies.”
She raised a brow. “Hard to have enemies if people don’t know who you are.”
Keltan held her gaze without saying anything.
“You don’t trust me,” she said and pressed her lips together. “Not that I blame you.”
“It has nothing to do with me trusting you.”
She jerked back as if struck. “You don’t think I trust you?”
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “That’s exactly it.”
Bernadette gave a small shake of her head and got to her feet. She walked around to the back of the sofa and paced from one side of the room to the other. Keltan watched her struggle with what to tell him. He could make it easy on her and tell her that it was a Fae who had given her the information on them, but he wanted Bernadette to tell him the truth.
Because once she did that, then she would be open to learning the real facts. Something must have happened between her and Usaeil that’d sent Bernadette to Dreagan. He should thank the queen for that.
Then a horrible thought filled Keltan. What if Usaeil had sent Bernadette to them for exactly this reason?
The moment Bernadette walked into the shop, Ryder had turned off her phone and made sure that she had no other recording devices. But that didn’t mean Usaeil didn’t have a hand in Bernadette showing up at Dreagan.
Not that Keltan was worried. Guy was nearby to wipe her memories before she left. No matter what happened, Bernadette wouldn’t be shining the spotlight on Dreagan any more after today.
CHAPTER EIGHT
She had to calm down, or she was going to get sick. And Bernadette really didn’t want to ruin the rug she now paced on.
Her blood felt like ice in her veins. Her hands were sweating. Her stomach roiled violently, alternating between pain and nausea. And her mind was jumbled so tightly that she wasn’t sure she would ever sort anything out again.
Her life had been sedate and boring—and she’d liked it. She enjoyed waking up at the same time every day, having a cup of tea and toast as she read the news on her mobile before getting ready for the day. She’d loved going into work and being good at her job, having friends, and even eating at the same places for lunch every week. She liked stable and constant. There hadn’t been any surprises.
But all of that had changed one fateful, rainy night. With one image, she’d kissed her peaceful life good-bye without a second’s hesitation. She’d given up her home, her belongings, friends, and even her career. For what? To chase something she knew to be real, but the rest of the world didn’t?
She stopped and leaned her hands on the back of the sofa. The leather was cool to the touch. She drew in a breath and slowly released it in an effort to calm herself, but it didn’t work. Finally, she lifted her gaze to Keltan, who watched her patiently.
The recent fad with men sporting beards hadn’t been her favorite. In fact, she’d always preferred men to be clean-shaven, but she quite liked the beard on Keltan. It accentuated his strong jaw and his wide lips.
Bernadette hastily looked away. She didn’t
know why she kept looking at his mouth. It wasn’t as if he were attracted to her or anything.
She cleared her throat and dropped her chin to her chest. “I was once a respected anthropologist. I had a great career.”
“I know. I looked into you.”
Her head snapped up. His gaze caught and held hers. “I gave it all up the night I saw one of you.”
“In Glasgow?”
“Yes,” she said with a nod.
Keltan swallowed, regret tightening his face. “You didna see one of us.”
“I know what I saw. It was a dragon.”
“Remember when I told you we’ve gone to great lengths to hide ourselves? Why would we be somewhere a mortal could see us?”
She opened her mouth to reply, but she realized that she had no answer. Finally, she shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Because it wasna us. You were tricked.”
Bernadette’s mind rebelled at the thought. She barked with laughter and straightened, folding her arms across her chest defensively. “I’m not a fool. I know what I saw.”
“Magic can appear real, but I give you my word that it wasna one of us.”
“Then there are other dragons you don’t know about.”
Keltan shook his head before she finished talking, which only infuriated her. Bernadette’s nerves were quickly switching to anger, and she didn’t like that any better.
“Stop,” she said and held up her hands. “Just stop.”
“You wanted the truth. I’m giving it to you.”
Her arms dropped helplessly to her sides. “Are you? For all I know, you’re lying.”
“What color was the dragon?” he asked.
She was taken aback by his question. Of all the things she’d thought he might ask, that hadn’t been one of them. “Um … gold.”
Keltan chuckled softly, and she could’ve sworn that he said “bitch” beneath his breath. “And the date?”
“Eleven months ago.”
“There is only one gold dragon. Constantine. And Con wasna in Glasgow eleven months ago.”
Bernadette hated that she immediately became defensive again. “You can’t keep up with everyone all the time. And it was nearly a year ago. You can’t tell me that Constantine wasn’t in Glasgow.”