by Rinelle Grey
Karla shivered. Taurian was right, finding a way to come up here was as simple as hiring his own room. How long would it take until Edtrima tried that? And even if he didn’t, they could only hide up here for so long.
Taurian must have been thinking the same thing. “We’re going to have to consider it eventually, Karla.”
Her name on his lips sent a shiver up her spine. She didn’t have to pretend to not understand what he was saying. She couldn’t deny that the possibility wasn’t constantly on her mind, making her edgy and jumpy.
He was dangerous, this dragon man. And not just because he had dangerous enemies. The way just his look made her blood sizzle scared her. The thought that her body just wanted to agree, without a moment’s thought, scared her.
Karla’s resolve wavered. Her scruples seemed stupid at a time like this. She was, according to Taurian, in physical danger. Surely sleeping with him could be justified under the circumstances? She wasn’t doing it just for pleasure, not that it would be unpleasant, but because it could save their lives. Bruce couldn’t object to that, even if he hadn’t broken up with her.
When she didn’t respond, Taurian continued, “I respect your commitment to your lifemate. If there were any other way… But we’re talking about life and death now. Would your lifemate really want you to sacrifice yourself? If I were at full strength, we could just drive back to your home. If Edtrima tried to confront us, I could blast him, just like I did on the drive out here. It is the only way out of this, Karla. We’ve tried to evade him, but nothing is working.”
Even though his words were just what she had been thinking herself, they just added to her feeling of being backed into a corner. It was crazy, the thought that the only way to save them was to sleep with him. That sort of thing just didn’t happen.
There had to be some other way. Even if they had to call the police and make up some sort of story. The bartender would back them up even. The way Edtrima had tried to follow them up to their room would help.
“I know what we can do,” she told Taurian.
He raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“We can call the police.” She warmed up to the idea as she spoke. “We don't have to tell them about ancient dragon battles, they won't believe that, but if we tell them he's been following us around all day, they'll at least have to talk to him. And while they're doing that, we can slip outside and leave and he won't be able to follow us.”
The plan was flawless. Why hadn't she thought of it earlier?
“The police are your people’s warriors?” Taurian asked.
“Sort of.” Karla tried to explain. “Their job is to protect people and see that they follow the law.”
“And what does the law say about dragons?”
Karla stared at him. What was he talking about? “That doesn't matter. We aren't going to mention anything about dragons, just say that Edtrima has been following us and threatening us. That's against the law.”
“It's not against dragon laws. You just don’t understand. I trust you now… but calling other humans to help me?”
“What? What does that matter? We need to get out of here, and this could help us.”
“No.” Taurian folded his arms. “We can do this together, just you and me.”
His refusal was the last straw. “So you think it’s better that we sleep together than ask for help? That’s what this is all about, isn’t it? Because it’s obvious that you’re not willing to consider any other solutions. Well forget it. I’m not sleeping with you just to protect you from your ancient enemy, if you’re going to just object to any other alternative I suggest. It’s a last resort, not a first one.”
“If I knew where to find other dragons, they would understand. They would know how important the Mesmer ritual is.”
“Go look for them then.” Karla glared at him. “I bet Edtrima would follow you and not bother about me.”
“Are you certain of that? Are you sure you can just sit here and watch me walk away? Remember how it felt when we were separated for just a little while, back at your father’s house this morning?”
Was that really just this morning? It felt like a lifetime ago. Karla’s shoulders sagged. No matter how long ago it was, she wasn’t going to forget how it felt in a hurry. If it felt that bad when Taurian was just out of sight for a few moments, what would it feel like if Edtrima killed him?
She couldn’t face that thought. And it wasn’t just because Taurian had told her the Mesmer bond meant that she would die if he did. The idea of Taurian being dead scared her almost as much as the thought of dying did.
No, they were stuck together until this was sorted out, that much was obvious. So what she needed right now was to find another way to get rid of Edtrima, bringing her back to her original idea. “Look, I know you don’t want to call the police, but it could work. You can’t just dismiss the idea out of hand, not when we’re running out of other ideas.”
“Yes I can. It’s not a good plan.”
Karla folded her arms and stared back at him. “Do you have a better idea?”
“Not yet, but I'll come up with something. I’ll accept that you’re willing to die rather than mate with me, but we can still do this together. Unless you’re going to be stubborn on that score too.”
Bloody hell. She wasn’t that against sleeping with him. There were still other options though–if only he wasn’t so pig-headed. “You’re the one who’s willing to die rather than try my idea. I don’t see you coming up with anything better. You’ve dismissed my idea without any real reason. Is that because I'm a woman or because I'm not a dragon?”
To her surprise, Taurian looked confused. “Why would I dismiss your idea because you're a woman? Don't the women in your clan come up with ideas?”
“Of course they do. It's just that men are sometimes convinced that they're the only ones who can solve problems.”
“Well I'm not like that. Men and women are equal among dragons. Different, but equal. And both equally able to come up with ideas.”
Karla put her hands on her hips. “Then what’s wrong with my idea? And don't give me any of that crap about it not being against dragon laws, that has nothing to do with it.”
Taurian glared back at her for a moment. “No. I don’t need help from humans. Their involvement will just mess things up. My clan and I are perfectly able to take care of our own problems. Stop interfering.”
Karla stared at him in disbelief. Interfering? How could he accuse her of interfering? She was trying to stay alive. And it was obvious they were well and truly outnumbered. Even if he had been at his full power, surely he was no match for several dragons.
“But you're not with your clan,” she retorted. “You're alone.”
“That means I'm responsible for all of my clan’s honour. I can't let them down. I’ll figure out a way. I’d rather die fighting than cower behind humans.”
She stared at him. Behind all that dragon arrogance, she could hear an edge of desperation.
Karla's anger melted away. This had nothing to do with her. It wasn’t even about sleeping with her. It was all about him, and his own perceived responsibilities. And his fear that he wouldn't live up to them. For the first time, she saw beyond the man to see a prince of dragons.
“You won't let them down,” she said firmly. “I’m sure you won't. And I have to admit, calling the police isn't a great idea anyway. They'd probably ask you for ID, and when you couldn't produce one, we'd be in an even bigger mess. Best to leave that as a last resort. We’re safe here for now. Eventually, Edtrima will make a mistake, or need to use the bathroom or something. Then we can get to the car and away from him.”
If she'd expected Taurian to appreciate her sensitivity to his issues, she'd been mistaken. He just nodded curtly. “Well we’re not going to get anywhere by sitting up here hiding,” he said flatly. “Edtrima could be doing anything down there, like calling for reinforcements, and we wouldn’t have any idea. It’s no good just going to sleep
and waking up to find ten dragons following us.”
Karla didn’t even want to think about that possibility. But now that Taurian had raised it, she couldn’t unthink it. She suppressed a shiver. “What do you suggest we do then?”
Against all expectation he grinned at her. “We go down and see what he’s up to.”
Great, his sensitive side had disappeared again under all that cocky dragon arrogance.
“How is that going to help? Do you think he’s going to avoid calling for reinforcements just because we’re sitting in front of him?”
“Would you rather not know?”
The argument was pointless. With her plan to call the police no longer an option, she didn’t have any other great ideas. And she couldn’t help wondering what Edtrima was up to herself. “All right,” she agreed. “We can get some dinner as well. Better to plan on a full stomach anyway.”
Taurian didn't object. Perhaps he was as hungry as she was.
When they went downstairs, Edtrima was still mercifully alone, sitting on a bar stool, as close to the stairway as possible. He smirked when he saw them.
Karla pointedly ignored him, and guided Taurian towards the kitchen area. They chose basic roast beef and vegetable meals and took a seat on the opposite side of the room.
He wasn't ignoring them. A soon as they had settled at a table, Edtrima moved as close as possible. He wasn't quite bold enough to sit at their actual table, but even the sight of him smirking at them from the next one across was ruining Karla's appetite.
Not so Taurian. He ate with gusto. Maybe that was because he sat with his back to Edtrima. Not that Karla thought for a moment that he wasn't aware of the dragon’s presence. He was just much better at pretending than she was.
Taurian wasn't the only one watching. The bartender eyed them from across the room too, and this time, she couldn’t just put it down to him possibly recognising her from somewhere. His expression was decidedly troubled. But instead of making Karla relieved that someone else saw the problem, she felt nervous. They didn't need to draw attention to themselves. Didn't Edtrima realise he was going to cause problems soon?
She scanned the room carefully. There had to be a back entrance somewhere. Not that it would help. The ute was out the front, right next to Edtrima's bike. And they had little chance of escaping him on foot.
The door opened and a shock of red hair triggered a sense of familiarity.
Lisa.
Karla’s heart lifted. She’d never expected to be this happy to see her former classmate. But right now, seeing someone she knew added a dose of normality back into her world.
More than that, if she could enlist Lisa’s help, maybe there was a way she could get them out of this without calling the police after all.
She glanced over at Taurian, who was eating his food, not aware of Lisa at all. She couldn’t afford to draw his attention to her, it might make Edtrima aware of the connection, and that could spoil all her plans. She’d just have to hope he had no problems with help from a friend.
Despite her eagerness to get rid of the other dragon and how relieved she’d be to be home safely again, she couldn’t help being a little disappointed. Just going home and sleeping seemed like a let-down after all the excitement.
Maybe, if this worked, they could find somewhere else to stay for the night, just them. Not because she planned to do anything, but… well, they had to make sure there were no other dragons following them before they went home. Right?
Yeah, that was it. That sounded like a good plan.
Chapter 18
“I just need to use the bathroom, back in a minute.”
Taurian looked up from his food when Karla spoke, a frown creasing his brow. What had caused the sudden cheerful tone in her voice? Was she planning something? Was she going to run away and leave him after all?
“I won't be long,” she said, pushing back her chair.
Taurian wanted to grab her arm and make her stay, but he was aware of Edtrima’s eyes boring into his back. Fear was a sign of weakness he couldn’t afford. So he just nodded his head and kept eating.
He couldn’t help turning to watch as Karla wove her way through the tables where the bathroom signs were. Taurian was pretty sure there wasn’t any other way into the building, and he would see if Edtrima tried to follow her. Taurian turned back, glancing at the other dragon to gauge his reaction.
The Trima dragon watched Karla walk into the bathrooms, and the predatory smile on his face was almost enough to make Taurian throw caution to the wind. Oh how he wanted to punch that smug look off the lightning dragon's face.
Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea. A physical fight had a lot of advantages. While the fight might draw attention, it wouldn’t be the undue attention a magical fight would create. And his physical strength had been fully regenerated when he’d kissed Karla for the first time, meaning he was on equal footing with the other dragon.
Thinking about that kiss distracted him from his anger for long enough for the impulse to fade away. Much as he would love to see the other dragon go down, a fight would still draw just the sort of attention they were trying to avoid. It would probably even get Karla’s police called. He didn’t want that.
Edtrima was annoying right now, but Taurian had bigger problems than just the one dragon. Even if they managed to escape the Trima dragon for long enough to regenerate fully, what was he going to do then? Alone, without the backing of his clan, he stood no chance against an attack from multiple dragons.
Spending his life on the run wasn’t an option either. So as soon as he was fully regenerated, he needed to find his clan. And if Karla really was going back to her life mate, he would have to do it by himself.
He ignored the ache that thought caused. Karla had made it quite clear she wasn't interested, despite the fact that he was certain she didn't love her life mate. And there was nothing he could do about that. Not now anyway. If he had the full backing of his clan…
What was he thinking? He didn’t need to chase after a human woman. Once he found his clan, he would have responsibilities to them. He didn’t even know how many were left. If he was the last prince, it would be his duty to produce heirs to continue his line.
So what if none of the dragon women he’d known could equal Karla? That had been hundreds of years ago–surely there would be one who was suitable. He really should have no interest in a human.
Especially not one that wasn't interested in him.
Karla reappeared, whistling softly. She headed over to the table, and gave him a cheeky smile that ramped up his heartbeat. “Ready for some action?” she asked.
Taurian frowned. “What?”
Karla just grinned. She glanced over her shoulder, then sat down opposite him.
Taurian looked too, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.
Wait, was the bartender looking at him strangely? Something was going on. And he had no doubt Karla was at the centre of it. Had she called the police? Arranged for someone else to call them?
“Karla, maybe we should…”
Suddenly, a shrill screech filled the air. Taurian clapped his hands over his ears and instinctively looked at Edtrima. Was this sound his doing?
But the dragon looked as startled as he was, hands over his ears.
The sound lessened a little, and a voice could be heard. “Please move towards the exit. This is not a drill.”
Edtrima's eyes bored into Taurian. Plainly, he thought this noise was his doing. But Taurian was as mystified as he was. The chaos it caused was, however, the perfect opportunity for Taurian to do something to help them escape. How could he best use it?
All around them, people exchanged glances. No one moved.
There was an almost inaudible click, and suddenly water sprayed from the ceiling. Then people screamed, and began to run for the exits. Taurian didn't move, just stared at Edtrima, who stared back. The other dragon was so close Taurian could see rivulets of water running over his clenched jaw.
Taurian’s own clothes were starting to stick to his skin too, but that was of no consequence. Edtrima was only a few steps away, and he wouldn't dare use his magic in this populated space, even though it was chaotic. All Taurian had to do was land one solid punch…
“Come on, get moving,” Karla hissed. She grabbed his arm and hauled him towards the exit nearest the ute. Karla’s warm wet arm on his cold arm startled him and he broke eye contact with Edtrima.
But going back to the ute wasn’t going to work. If they went straight there, the other dragon would just follow them again. Taurian shook himself free of Karla's grip and took a step towards Edtrima. But when he looked again, the crowd had jostled them apart and the dragon was gone.
Taurian growled under his breath. He'd missed his chance to take out the other dragon in the chaos. When Karla took his hand again and pulled, he followed her, even though he knew it was pointless. They couldn't outrun Edtrima. Their only chance was to overpower him when he couldn't use magic. But perhaps there would be a chance outside.
Karla changed directions, pulling him along the wall, and back towards the bar. Had Edtrima gone a different way? Taurian craned his neck around, but still couldn't see any sign of the other dragon.
He leaned in close to her ear, trying to make himself heard over the shrill noises. “The ute is the other way.”
“We're not going to the ute, he already knows where that is.”
Stating the obvious. “We can't escape him on foot.” Also obvious, but it had to be said.
Karla breathed an exasperated sigh. “Look, just trust me, okay?”
Taurian stared at her in frustration. This was his opportunity to do something.
She stared at him, water running down her face in rivulets, plastering her hair to her skin, her clothes drenched. And it hit him – she hadn’t been in the least bit surprised when the sound or the water started. She'd arranged it all.
Taurian nodded and a smile lit her face. Every part of his body screamed that he should kiss her now, and he wasn’t sure any of it had anything to do with the Mesmer bond.