The Scars of Her Dragon (Dragon Guard Series Book 14)

by Julia Mills

  Kellan’s words hung in the air as he could feel his brethren deep in thought next to him. Several long minutes later, Lennox asked, “Bear with me. I have an idea but I need to know a few things first.’

  Kellan nodded, wondering what harebrained new age crap Lenn had been reading about now when his friend asked, “Are the memories exactly as they’ve always been? No variations? No deletions? No additions?”

  It sucked having to actively relive the nightmares that plagued his very existence, but if there was a chance it would give him answers, Kellan was willing to try just about anything. Thinking back through the visions from just a few hours ago, he was surprised to find a few inconsistencies from before that had previously gone unnoticed.

  “No, they’re not the same. I can hear the reaper getting his kill orders and I can see the face on the guy throwing the grenade, but it’s not really him. It’s that stupid pompous photo of Tariq that Brann pulled from O’Baoill’s college website. I hadn’t noticed until just now, until you made me go back over it.”

  Kellan kept digging through the memories, looking at them more objectively now that he had a purpose and was not simply wallowing in guilt. Lenn was thinking so hard, the scarred dragon could hear his friend’s wheels turning and was just about to give the mad bomber a hard time when Lenn spoke, “You actually saw Tariq’s face in your dream?”

  “Yep.”

  “And heard his voice speak to the sniper?”

  “Well, I guess it was his voice. His own men said he gave the order but I’ve got nothing to compare it to. I’ve never met the asshole.” Even to his own ears his last statement sounded shitty but he’d apologize later. Just the thought of Tariq O’Baoill made the Guardsman’s blood pressure skyrocket.

  “Right. I know, but I had to ask because you’re not gonna like what I think is happening. Just remember, do not attempt to kill the messenger.” Lenn paused and shrugged his shoulders before continuing, “I’m almost positive that means O’Baoill, or at least someone very close to him, is nearby.”

  “What?” Kellan growled low in his throat, not sure if it was more him or his dragon asking for clarification.

  Raising his hands in a sign of surrender, Lennox answered, “I knew you weren’t gonna be happy but it’s the only thing that makes sense. You, your dragon, or both have sensed him or some of his men close by. It’s the connection that changes the memories, at least in theory.”

  The mad bomber jumped to his feet and paced back and forth across the width of the ledge. “Think about it. You, me, all of us have been searching for this guy for almost four decades. We’ve been everywhere he’s been. Rooted through his personal belongings. Walked in his footsteps. Read his journals. We’ve damn near dissected everything we could get on our hands on about the man. And you, most of all, have taken it all in and stored it right here.” Lenn stopped right beside Kellan and tapped the side of his head. “It only stands to reason that you would’ve built a connection with him. I just wish I would’ve thought of it sooner. We might have been able to use it to find him, or at least get closer.”

  Kellan could hear the regret in his friend’s voice and couldn’t stand for another to feel the pain of remorse. “How could you have known? None of us did. Not even the witches could find him by digging through my brain. But now that we do have a clue, I say we use it and find the son of a bitch.”

  The rain had just started to fall as Kellan called to Rory, “You hearing this?”

  “Yeah, and so is everyone else,” the newly mated Guardsman quickly answered.

  “Sounds like the best lead we’ve had in a while,” Pearce commented.

  “I’m in. Let’s get him,” Brannoc said, sounding ready for the fight.

  “It is very plausible. Good thinking, Lenn,” Declan stated so matter-of-factly Kellan finally cracked a smile.

  Speaking to Rory along their private link, the scarred dragon asked, “Are you still with Olive?”

  “Yep.”

  Taking a deep breath, afraid of the answer even before he asked the question, Kellan inquired, “How is she doing?”

  Bracing for the answer, he thought about punching Rory in the jaw when he had the nerve to chuckle before answering. “She’s doing good. The bruises have all but healed, but she’s pissed.”

  “Shit! I knew it. I blew it.”

  “The only thing you screwed up was running away. Give the girl some credit, she knew you were having a nightmare. She’s your mate, ya big dope. She was here to help you. Olive is cool people. Way better than you deserve. Just like Claire is for me but hey, we got lucky. Now, bring your mangy ass down off that mountain and talk to your mate.” Rory paused, which could only mean one thing...Kellan wasn’t going to like what he was about to say.

  Sure enough, no sooner were the words out of the youngest O’Reilly brother’s mouth than the scarred dragon once again thought about jumping into the icy sea waters. “She’s just heard everything you and Lenn were discussing and if I’m not mistaken, she’s sharing that information with her cousins right now. I’m thinking we’re gonna have company on this hunt.”

  Rory’s snickers echoed through Kellan’s mind alongside the scarred dragon’s curse. “Well, hell, when am I gonna learn?”

  “Can you teach an old dragon new tricks?” Rory laughed out loud.

  “Shut the hell up, young’un.” Kellan cut their connection with his oldest friend still chuckling.

  It was then he felt a soft calm filling his heart and soul. Looking to the warm white light fighting to be seen through the dark chaos of his mind, Kellan could feel Olive pushing healing and acceptance through their mating bond. She was trying to help him even after what he’d done to her. It was one of the most miraculous things Kellan had ever felt; something he immediately knew he never wanted to be without.

  “From the look on your face, I’m guessing it’s not good news?” Lenn asked from where he stood in the rain watching the waves and talking mindspeak with Pearce, the only other of their Force with a background in physiology and psychology.

  “No, it’s not...well...I guess it’s not really bad news...it’s just...” Kellan left his words hanging in the wind.

  “Spit it out. Has Olive packed up and left you already? Is she plotting your murder? What?”

  Only Lennox could make Kellan laugh at a time like this. Shaking his head and grinning, the scarred dragon answered, “No, no, nothing like that. It’s actually worse in some ways. She heard what we were saying. I forgot that she and I are bonded as tightly as we are already,” Kell touched his temple and then his chest over his heart before continuing. “And she and her cousins are planning to help with the hunt for Tariq.”

  “But that’s good news right?”

  Shaking his head as he stood, Kellan looked his friend right in the eye and sighed, “Just wait till you have a mate. Not one damn thing makes sense anymore.”

  Barking out a laugh, Lenn said, “Oh yeah, about that, congratulations.”

  “Shut up, Lenn.”

  The mad bomber wheezed with laughter as he followed Kellan down the mountain. By the time they reached the bottom, the rain was coming down in sheets, making the scarred dragon again regret his decision to race into the night wearing nothing but a pair of jeans.

  Not my finest moment...

  The storm only gained vigor as they used their enhanced speed to run home. By the time he stepped onto the wooden deck behind his home, the scarred dragon was soaked, shivering, and could only imagine how scary he looked. He wished for the leather strap he used to tie back his unruly main for the hundredth time while running in the rain.

  Lennox disappeared through the sliding glass doors at the back of Kellan’s house and up the stairs while the scarred Guardsman just stood outside staring at his mate. Olive was so animated, so full of life and spirit. Her hands were waving here and there, accentuating her every word as she spoke to her cousins. The brightness of her soul lit up the entire room. Breathing a sigh of relief that the ma
rks around her neck, the bruises he’d put there, were all but gone, Kellan took a step forward only to be stopped dead in his tracks.

  As if on cue, Olive spun in her seat and speared him with a look so full of emotions he dared not try to identify them all. The brilliant golden and deep green flecks that highlighted her hazel eyes danced in the light from the lamp at her side. Her smile was so effortless and so genuine, Kellan’s heart skipped a beat.

  Maybe Rory was right. Maybe she isn’t angry with me...

  “Of course, I’m not mad at you...well, not for what you think anyway.” Olive shook her head as her melodic chuckle drifted across his mind. “Now, get in here and get warmed up. We have a lot to talk about.”

  Feeling as if the weight that he’d single-handedly shouldered for almost forty years was suddenly lighter, Kellan nodded and winked at his mate before stepping into the house, sliding the door shut, and racing up the stairs. As the hot water from the shower warmed his skin, he let himself dream of a happily ever after with Olive. The road was going to be long and bumpy, it was just the way of things, no getting around it, but he’d taken the first step. With Olive by his side, the scarred Guardsman truly believed they might just be able to accomplish a miracle.

  Humming a tune his dad used to sing to his mom when Kellan and his brothers were still very young, the dragon jumped out of the shower, toweled off, and headed to the closet to find some clothes. Singing his favorite line of the song as he slid his legs into a pair of clean, dry jeans, he imagined saying the exact words to Olive as he smiled and sang out loud, “Tá tú níos áille ó lá go lá.”

  Now to catch the bad guy, get the girl, and fly off into the sunset...

  Chapter Four

  Baby steps...Don’t spook the big, bad dragon...

  It had taken every ounce of Olive’s restraint not to run and throw herself into Kellan’s arms when he’d appeared wet and shivering from his midnight trip to the mountain. She would forever be thankful to Lennox for going after him, although she wished Rory and her cousins would’ve let her go. Not only the woman but also the dove needed to help their mate. It was more than a feeling. It was a compulsion. So strong and deeply embedded within her soul there was no denying that it was her mission...her destiny...her fate, to heal her dragon.

  The little dove knew without a doubt neither she nor her mate could move forward until the demons of Kellan’s past were put to rest. She had more questions. Needed more answers. Knew she should ask her dragon but didn’t want to make him relive anymore tragedies if she could help it.

  Watching the Guardsmen, who’d begun arriving before Kellan had made it to the top of the steps, rearrange the furniture and spread maps of every size and description on all the available flat surfaces, Olive spotted Maddox standing in the far corner of the kitchen being uncharacteristically quiet. Making her way towards the mad dragon just as Maximillian Prentice—the King of the Big Cats—and his trusted lieutenants arrived, Olive grabbed a bottle of water and stood with her back against the wall, mirroring Maddox’s posture.

  It took almost a minute before the mad dragon asked, “What are you doin’, lass?”

  At least he’d settled down from earlier and she could understand what he was saying, but she could still feel his anger just simmering under the surface. It seemed Maddox was never without a touch of it. Bracing herself, she asked, “What’re you doing over here all by yourself? I’m sure they could use your expertise.” She nodded to the dragons already lost in planning their search for Tariq O’Baoill.

  “Ha! Those lads don’t need my help with the planning.” He took a long drink of his water before adding, “Only my sword when the time is right.”

  Chuckling as she sipped her water, Olive had just decided how to broach the subject of Kellan’s past when Lennox walked over and inserted himself between the dove and the mad dragon.

  “So, what’s going on over here in the gossip corner?” Lenn snickered.

  Before Olive could answer, Maddox grumbled, “Not gossipin’.”

  Quickly trying to make peace, the little dove added, “Just staying out of the way while you plot world domination.”

  “I like that. We need T-shirts,” Lenn barked out a laugh.

  “T-shirts for what?” Brannoc called over his shoulder while answering the door.

  Lenn never got to answer as Calysta, Kyra, Audrey, Rian, and Royce paraded in, filling the house with the delicious smell of food. Olive laughed out loud as her stomach, along with the dragons’ on either side of her, growled.

  “I guess we made it just in time,” Calysta chuckled.

  “You sure...” Olive’s words were cut off as Maddox threw his almost full water bottle into the sink and growled, “I’m going home. Call me when we’re ready to go.”

  The Guardsmen all grinned and snickered under their breath. Calysta’s smile instantly turned into a frown and Kyra shook her head while she unloaded the food they’d thankfully brought with them.

  “What was that all about?” Olive asked Lenn, who was peaking over Kyra’s shoulder at all the goodies.

  “Just Fate screwing with its next victims,” he laughed while reaching between the little witch and her big red-headed mate to grab a muffin. Olive laughed out loud when Kyra swatted his hand, but the Guardsman only winked while taking a huge bite.

  Returning to his spot next to her, Lenn ate an absolutely huge blueberry muffin in three bites and was finishing the large glass of juice when Kellan appeared fresh from the shower and looking good enough to eat himself.

  And I’m thinking he tastes better than any muffin ever did...

  Their eyes met across the crowded room. The electricity of their connection flared to life. Her heart skipped a beat. Her breath caught in her throat. A heat unlike she’d ever felt filled her with a wanton desire it took both woman and dove to control. Images of she and Kellan together, loving each other as only mates can do, strung together like a movie in her mind. It was both exhilarating and frightening to know what pure power was contained within their mating bond.

  Working hard to control the reaction her dragon had on her while hiding it from her cousins and his brethren, Olive chuckled to herself to see Kellan having just as difficult a time as she. The heavy lids of his dreamy eyes showed only the smallest ring of their usual brilliant whiskey color visible around his dilated pupils. She watched his nostrils flare and knew he was trying to catch her scent.

  Weak-kneed, the little dove had to brace her hand on the back of a chair when just the tip of his tongue slowly swept across his bottom lip. The labored rise and fall of his muscled chest against his dark blue T-shirt made her palms ache with the need to touch and massage her mate. His clenched fists bounced against the muscles in his thighs that were pushing so hard against the denim of his jeans she wondered if the stitches would hold.

  The longer she looked into her mate’s eyes the more mesmerized she became. All that mattered in that moment was getting through the mass of people and into his arms. Taking a step forward, Olive groaned out loud when a hand on her shoulder stopped her forward progress.

  Spinning on the balls of her feet with murder on her mind, she spat, “What?” before realizing it was Calysta, the Grande Priestess of the Earthen Witches and Kyra’s mother.

  Before Olive could apologize, Calysta spoke. “I’m so sorry, dear. I called your name several times but you didn’t answer. I heard that you were injured earlier and wanted to make sure you were all right.”

  Looking over her shoulder, Olive thought about crying. At Calysta’s mention of their early morning incident, Kellan’s beautiful smile and bright eyes disappeared behind a sullen veil of anger and guilt. Reaching behind his head, he unloosened his hair and let it fall over his scars. Once again, her dragon had retreated. The little dove’s heart ached but there was nothing she could or would do with a house full of people around. She would let him pout until they were alone and then Olive Featherstone would get the answers she needed.

  Turning b
ack to Calysta, the little dove answered loud enough for Kellan to hear, “Thank you so much for checking on me but I’m absolutely fine. See?” She lifted her platinum curls, turned her head side to side, and even walked in a circle so the Grande Priestess, and hopefully her mate, would see that she was good as new.

  “I was sure you’d have no problem healing but wanted to check anyway. I know Niall wanted to be here but I believe that pain in the ass, Maddox, has gone to see him. Goddess only knows how long that old coot will keep him.”

  Trying hard not to chuckle but failing miserably, Olive mused, “He doesn’t seem so bad.”

  Shaking her head and mumbling under her breath, Calysta finally looked up and in a totally exasperated tone blustered, “That man is insufferable,” before turning and leaving the kitchen, still muttering to herself about stupid dragons and a Universe that has lost Her mind.

  Looking around the room, still giggling to herself about the tenuous relationship between the mad dragon and the Grande Priestess, Olive locked eyes with her very own pain-in-the-tail-feathers dragon. For the tiniest fraction of a second she saw a twinkle, a light in the depths of his eyes that made her think he was opening up and then, like a switch had been flipped, it was gone.

  More than a little miffed and needing to get out of her pajamas, Olive marched out of the kitchen and straight to where her cousins were still hanging out in the living room. With her hands on her hips, the little dove announced, “I’m going back to the house to change. Sitting around in pajamas all day is not my idea of fun.”

  “I’m in,” Gabby and Tilly called in unison as they stood and headed towards the door.

  “Me too,” Karleigh added, “just let me put these dishes in the sink.”

  “Yep, I’m in, but I also need a shower,” Ettie commented, standing and stretching before adding just a bit louder than before, “that should give the guys time to figure out our next move.”