No one stopped me, though by the looks on their faces they wanted to. I wasn’t sure what I would do, but I wasn’t past violence if needed. I would not be stopped. Finding a door leading outside was harder than I expected; after forty-five minutes, I finally escaped. Seeing my surroundings from the air was much different than walking them. I took off on my adventure.
Twenty minutes later, going from geographical memory, I found the stream I always noticed when flying with Bastian. I soaked my feet and enjoyed the breeze. I moved on and found an outcropping of rocks about a mile downstream. They weren’t too large, so I decided to climb. On the other side, I noticed a dark opening in the rock and walked over to it. Looking inside, I could see the back of a small cave. The space inside was about six feet wide and four feet deep. An idea began to form. I hiked back to the lair, walked in the humans’ door, and made my way back to the library.
Relief showed on every face I passed. Once I was back in my rooms, I began gathering the things I would need. I wrapped items in blankets and clothing, tossing them over the side of Bastian’s perch. There was no way I was making multiple trips through the main section of the castle and tipping them off to what I was doing.
I always had more than enough food served for my meals, and there was a basket in the library kept filled with fresh fruit. I made a food bundle, but decided I would carry this one out the following day. I didn’t want an animal eating what I would need to survive on my adventure.
I slept fitfully that night in Bastian’s bed. I had his smell around me, but also needed his warm body that I’d grown accustomed to. My miserable night only made me angrier when I woke up. I dressed before peering over the side of the perch to assure myself my things were still there. I counted all five bundles. My breakfast waited at the table, and I wrapped it in a cloth and stuck it in the food bag I would carry.
The startled servants didn’t stop me and seemed less inclined to stare. Once outside, it took three trips to get my things to the cave. I was exhausted, but decided to hike back to the lair and spend a last night in Bastian’s bed. I knew he would find me and bring me back, but I wanted to make a point. He could discuss things with me or I would revolt. I left the food hanging from a nearby tree so animals couldn’t get to it. I’d bring more in the morning in case Bastian took longer than I expected.
By the following morning, I still hadn’t managed much sleep. My anger completely boiled over before I left for my cave. I decided to throw a temper tantrum worthy of a dragon’s bride. One after the other, I tossed Bastian’s gold and jewels off his perch. It took two hours, but every minute was well spent. All three rooms off the library were devoid of treasure.
I looked over the side and saw piles and piles of discarded treasure. Drawing my anger in, I wrapped a few more items up and carried them through the lair and out of the castle. When I was outside, I walked around the dented gold and jewelry, some of which was broken. A part of me cringed over the damage, but another felt satisfaction.
I soaked my feet in the river before arranging my cave how I wanted it. I brought several books, and once everything was put to rights, I lay down to enjoy an afternoon of relaxation. I had no idea how much time passed before I fell asleep.
It was the roar that woke me. My dragon was back.
I’d worked hard at covering my trail. It wouldn’t stop him, but it wouldn’t make it easy either. The continuous roar grew closer before it faded.
I grinned.
I had a little light left to continue reading, but it disappeared fast. I ate a bit of food to keep my stomach from growling, and I waited. An hour passed before I heard the mighty roar again. It came much too close, and I thought he’d found me. He moved away roaring again, but the sound had changed to one of anguish. I remembered this from Laryn after he flew off the first night I met him.
My poor dragon. Guilt set in.
A noise outside my cave had me worried. The crunch of twigs and straw let me know someone or something approached. I scooted to the back of the cave and picked up a large gold goblet to use as a weapon. I’d never seen flesh-eating animals in this realm, but it didn’t mean they weren’t here. The head that peered inside was not Bastian’s.
I was in trouble.
“’Tis a good hiding place, my lady. Your dragon is too wound up to go close to the ground and follow your scent.” Laryn stared at me with blue sparks in his eyes.
I put as much force as possible into my words, “Go away.”
He looked me up and down. “I think not.” He ducked his head and entered my hiding place.
“Bastian will kill you.” Pure bravado, but I had to try.
“He must catch me first. Once in my territory, I will hide you in my lair and he will soon forget you.”
“Like you forgot your bride?”
I saw his pain, but he grabbed my arm. I kicked and swung my arms to no avail. He was stronger. He jerked my hair, dragging me out of the cave.
“No, you mustn’t do this, Laryn.”
His facial muscles softened and he reached up to my cheek. “Sleep.”
“Nooooo…”
Chapter Nineteen
Bastian
Laryn had trouble keeping up with me on our return home. He would pass through my territory before continuing to his lair. Our hunt had been successful, our bags full of gold. Laryn seemed in better spirits and I was glad we’d gone. I was not glad to be away from my bride.
Approaching my lair, I noticed the gold and jewels thrown from my perch. If this was the worst of it, I would have her in my arms, and minutes later, my cock buried deep in her warmth.
The rooms were silent when I walked through them naked. I needed my bride. I searched everywhere before making my way to the hallway leading to the remainder of my castle. I unlocked the door, throwing it open. Maxwell stood on the other side. I could immediately tell he was upset.
“Is she here?” I thundered.
He shook his head and pointed to the front of the castle away from my private rooms.
“When did she leave?”
He stared at me in a panic.
I took a breath knowing I had to ask yes and no questions.
“Did she leave today?”
He nodded.
“In the past hour?”
No.
“This morning?”
Yes.
“Do you know where she went?”
No.
I turned around and slammed the door as I ran to my room, out the doors, and over the ledge. My roar belted out with fire shooting hundreds of feet in front of me. I was beyond angry, and planned to paddle her curvy little ass when she was home. How dare she disobey me!
The first pass, I circled close to my lair. Between spewing fire and smoke, I saw very little. On my second pass, I flew outward, cutting back on the smoke and fire looking closer at the places a small human could hide. There were hundreds, maybe thousands. One thing I couldn’t control was my roar. I knew she could hear it, and I hoped she was afraid. She needed to be.
An hour later, my anger turned to worry. I flew slower, looked harder. Returning to my lair, I grabbed a clothing pack and flew off the perch again. I landed, dressed in comfortable clothes complete with boots before walking around the castle searching out her scent. It took me little time to find her trail, and I rebuked myself mentally for allowing my temper to keep me in the air so long. I would find her quickly and lock her in my lair for a month as punishment for her foolishness.
Beside the stream, I found several small footprints. I also found evidence that she tried to hide them. I snapped down on my fury and stayed on her trail. Laryn’s scent hit me at the same time I saw one of her shoes on the ground. I ran toward the shoe and saw the indent in the rock. I knew she was gone, and my rage exploded uncontrollably.
Laryn was a dead dragon.
My clothes ripped as I shifted and took off for Laryn’s territory. This was my fault. I knew I’d messed up before I left with Laryn. My arrogance got in t
he way, and I went about explaining the entire trip wrong. Knowing she would be angry, I fought back without giving her a chance first. We could have talked about it. I could have coaxed her more. She had a soft heart, and if she knew I wanted to help my friend, she would have given in. Now I would kill my friend and relish every drop of his blood.
I pushed my speed feeling the burn in my wings. It didn’t matter. I approached his lair, my fire burning the tops of the trees in front of me. Dragons kept their inner dwelling secret. Even when we played cards, we only saw a few rooms. I landed on a flat surface near a large turret and shifted. I leapt to a balcony catching an iron rail and pulling myself up. I knew the place was big, but I wasn’t leaving without Acasia.
Oh and blood. A lot of blood.
I needed to get past the human quarters and into Laryn’s main rooms. The humans flashed me strange looks, some afraid, some challenging. One went flying ten feet because he tried to block me. Delicate was not on my agenda.
Laryn’s domain was similar to mine. I found the passage under his castle to his treasures, but I didn’t care about them. I was in pursuit of only one treasure. A short while later, I located his rooms. Quiet greeted me, deathly quiet. I looked about his great room; a few books, a set of gold goblets, sparse but lived in. Enormous beds took up most of the space in the two bedrooms. He kept little of his treasure up here. The bathing room was the one room more luxurious than mine. It was more of a bathhouse.
Grief overwhelmed me. Laryn hadn’t brought her to his lair. Her scent was nowhere. He had another hiding place.
I searched the territory for hours before flying to Sarn’s. I hadn’t eaten; my three-day adventure had left me exhausted, and my bride was gone. Sarn would feel me enter his territory. I collapsed in front of his lair. Maybe Sarn wouldn’t ask questions and just kill me for coming uninvited. I knew I was barely coherent by the time he found me.
His human hand was surprisingly gentle on my bare shoulder. “What is it, Bastian?”
I expected anger, death, but never concern. I wasn’t as close to Sarn as I was to Laryn. Not that friendship had anything to do with stealing another’s bride.
“Laryn took her.” I didn’t look up. Yes, I was pathetic, but the loss of my bride ripped my heart open, and I felt like my life was over.
There was a long pause before Sarn spoke. “Come inside. I’ll find you clothes and we’ll contact Tahr. I’m under the assumption you’ve been to Laryn’s home?”
“Yes.”
Sarn pulled up on my arm. “I wouldn’t bring her back here if I had her, so I’m not surprised you didn’t find them.”
“I can walk.”
“Then walk. I’d prefer not to carry you inside and allow my bride to see you as weak.”
His words penetrated my foggy mind. “I need food,” I said as I struggled to follow.
“You’re posing more damn trouble than you’re worth, but I’m sure Calista will take pity on you.”
I followed him to the room we played cards in. I sat in an oversized chair across from Sarn. “Calista is bringing food. Start from the beginning and tell me what happened.”
Usually I would never admit to making a mistake or treating my bride as anything but a possession. I no longer cared if Sarn or even Tahr thought me whipped. I couldn’t live without Acasia.
Chapter Twenty
Acasia
I woke up in a soft, unfamiliar bed. It took me a few minutes to remember what happened. I looked around. There seemed to be only one room and one bed. I could smell the dragon, but it wasn’t my dragon. This was no good.
The door slammed open against the far wall and Laryn entered carrying a stack of wood. There was a fire in the hearth and a cool current of air passed through the room from the open door.
Where the hell was I?
I pulled the covers closer to my neck and waited for Laryn to turn my way.
He didn’t smile and his voice was surly. “How do you feel?”
Should I answer?
No, not yet.
He walked closer and I gripped the covering tighter.
It didn’t stop him. He grabbed a handful of the material and whipped it from the bed. I screeched involuntarily. The only thing I was thankful for at this moment was I still had my clothing on from earlier. Or yesterday. I had no idea where I was or how long I’d been here.
Tears swelled painfully behind my eyes as I tried to stop them.
Laryn bent at the waist and put his face two inches from mine. “I asked you a question.”
I decided right then and there that Laryn was not a nice dragon. Suddenly, I couldn’t remember the question. “Umm.”
“What good are you if you can’t talk?” His warm breath washed over me, but it didn’t matter. He was not Bastian.
“I… I can talk. I don’t wish to.”
He moved away, a not-so-nice smile playing on his lips. “Well, my lady, if you don’t talk, you don’t eat.”
I could live with that. If I ate at this moment, it would come back up. I didn’t think Laryn would be as understanding as Bastian was if I puked on his feet or in his bed. His one bed. Maybe I was wrong. If I puked in the bed, he might not get other ideas. Not that a lack of bed ever stopped Bastian.
My heart hurt. It was a pain greater than I’d ever had. Bastian was alone. My poor, poor dragon. Even if he was an ass, he didn’t deserve this.
Laryn walked away and started rattling pots. I guessed he was hungry. A pleasant smell permeated the room ten minutes later. My stomach growled. Wonderful, I couldn’t even keep up a pretense of not being hungry. It didn’t matter, I wasn’t eating. I also refused to let the quiet get to me. I wasn’t very good at keeping my thoughts to myself but I wouldn’t give in.
I knew Laryn was lonely. If I’d learned nothing else about dragon brides, I’d learned they were companions, but it was something I refused to be for Laryn. He needed to return me.
I didn’t eat even after Laryn fixed a plate for me and set it on the table by his bed. He ate his food, giving me prying looks every so often, but he didn’t say anything. When finished, he left the cabin, slamming the door in his wake.
I needed a weapon, and I didn’t know how long he’d be gone. I also had no idea if I could hurt him, but if he came near me again, I’d try. Scrambling from the bed, I ran to the eating area and found several knives in a drawer. I chose a small one that I could easily conceal but would still do damage if I stabbed it in the right place.
My stomach flip-flopped. I’d never stabbed anyone, not even an animal. For Bastian, though, I could do anything.
I have no idea how much time passed. I realized it was probably stupid to have not run away a few minutes after he left. But I had no idea where I was and I think I’d already proved I should stay where I was put.
The door finally opened and Laryn strode in, looked at my uneaten meal, and grunted. He poured water into a cup from a bladder on his belt and carried it to me. I turned my head.
“You’re a stubborn one, but I don’t think you’ll make it more than a day without eating or drinking. But have it your way for now.” He pulled a wooden chair from the table closer to me. “Tell me something of yourself,” he said after sitting down.
If my eyes could flash fire, he’d be incinerated. I watched him stand back up and move closer so his face was inches from mine. For some reason he seemed to think it intimidated me, but he was wrong. It made me angrier.
“I like a strong female, but don’t be stupid.”
Well, if I was stupid, I might as well establish it permanently. I stabbed the knife blade upward through the thin bed covering while pushing up with my body. It wasn’t easy and I didn’t have a lot of force, but I connected.
He gave a loud grunt, twisted my hand while tearing off the cover, and threw the knife across the room. I could see blood welling beneath his shirt.
“You little hellion.” He backhanded me and I fell flat against the bed.
I covered my stinging chee
k in shock. I’d never been hit in my life. Of course, I’d never stabbed anyone either. His hand went to his shirt and came away bloody. I think he might have been more shocked than I was, but I could see when anger took over. My entire body started shaking.
He stared at me for the longest time as his muscles clenched. He was going to hit me again, or kill me. I looked into his eyes as dispassionately as I could. He’d kidnapped me and I’d be damned if I’d apologize for stabbing him. Bastian would kill him anyway. It was only a matter of time.
Very slowly, he moved away. I watched him find the knife and then look for others. He left, taking the weapons with him. Now I really started shaking. My hunger didn’t make it any better.
Bastian, please rescue me.
It was a silent prayer; I needed him. I turned on my side and closed my eyes.
Chapter Twenty-One
Bastian
Three days and there was still no sign of Acasia or Laryn. Sarn and Tahr helped me search. If they hadn’t fed me, I wouldn’t have eaten. My moods switched from rage to overwhelming sadness and back to rage. Mostly I was angry with myself.
Besides our monthly poker games, we usually spent very little time in the company of other dragon brides. Tahr brought Megan to Sarn’s lair to help Calista. When we weren’t scouring territories, I observed their relationships. It took no time for me to realize we were at the mercy of our brides. If they were happy, we were happy. As dragons, we postured, but the bottom line was we loved our brides deeply. This knowledge did nothing to help my situation, so I stored the information.
This was the third night, and Sarn had taken it upon himself to make sure I was drunk enough to sleep. The females had gone to bed an hour ago and we were on our second bottle of whiskey.
“I think Laryn took her out of the realm,” Tahr said before upending his goblet.
I was thinking the same thing, but hadn’t wanted to voice my suspicions because it was the worst possible scenario.
Sarn refilled Tahr’s drink. “Have you thought about this, Bastian?”
Fuck, if I said the words aloud, it was that much closer to being true. “It’s what I’d have done.”
We stayed quiet for a while. I knew they were thinking about the one-hundred years until I claimed a new bride. They might even be thinking their brides would be in danger from me like mine was from Laryn. They didn’t understand. There was no other bride for me. Acasia was it. It didn’t matter what the curse entailed or if there was a mate in my future. There was only Acasia.
Dragons Don't Cry Page 9