by Rinelle Grey
Her father just stared at Verrian for a few seconds in stunned silence. Then he let lose. “Just who do you think you are to comment on my relationship with my daughter?” he thundered. “Just because you jumped her bones, you think you have a right to tell me what to do? I tell you, I’ll be around long after she’s dumped you and moved on.”
Lisa squirmed with embarrassment. All through her teenage years, she’d avoided brining anyone home to meet her family for just this reason. Somehow though, it was far worse when it was Verrian.
She was sure Verrian’s parents would never have spoken to him like that, especially not in front of a girl. He was so perfect. She was sure his parents would have been too.
As if her day wasn’t bad enough, her brother, Paul, chose that moment to appear at the back door to smirk at her. “In trouble again, little Lisa?” he teased.
“Shut up,” Lisa snarled. She grabbed Verrian’s hand, and pulled him into her bedroom, slamming the door. Not for the first time, she wished it had a lock. Since it didn’t, she instead jammed a chair under the doorhandle.
She took a deep breath, then turned to face Verrian. “Sorry about that. My family, well, they’re not the most welcoming.”
Verrian nodded. “You are not responsible for your family’s attitude. Do not feel guilty about it. I’ve dealt with enough ornery dragons that it’s not an issue.”
Lisa remembered some of the elders’ responses to Karla and Taurian’s mating, and had to give a chuckle. Dragons, especially older ones, were about the only people she’d met who could rival her father for grumpiness.
Feeling a little better, she took a deep breath, then handed Verrian a water bottle. He watched as she undid the lid and took a mouthful, then copied her.
The feeling of the cool water running down her throat made her feel even better. Lisa put the bottle down and picked up her phone.
“Let’s call Karla and Taurian and find out what’s going on so we can get out of here,” she said.
Verrian nodded, his expression businesslike. “Right,” he said. “How do we do that?”
Lisa held up her phone for a second. “Remember I said this could contact people over long distances? We’ll just call Karla.”
She hoped Karla was in range.
Lisa dialled her number, and put it on speakerphone. It was ringing. That was a good sign.
Verrian watched it a little suspiciously, as though he thought it might explode or something.
The phone clicked as someone picked up. “Lisa? Are you guy’s safe?” Karla’s voice was urgent.
Verrian’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Can she hear us?” he demanded of Lisa.
“I sure can.” Karla sounded amused. “And so can Taurian.”
“Welcome back, big brother,” Taurian said warmly.
Verrian’s eyes widened even further. “How does this device work?”
Lisa hesitated. Her understanding of how mobile phones worked was rudimentary at best. And it probably wouldn’t make much sense to Verrian anyway. So she just shrugged. “It’s complicated.”
“There is time for marvelling at the human technology later,” Taurian said firmly. “Right now, we need to know if both of you are somewhere safe?”
Lisa gave a half laugh. Her parent’s house, safe? What a strange idea. “Yeah,” she said. “But I’ll feel a whole lot better once we’re back with you guys.”
“We can’t do that right now,” Karla said quietly. “A reporter showed up at Verrian’s Mesmer chamber as the battle was underway. I doubt she missed seeing the dragons, even though both sides stopped fighting as soon as we saw her. We need to lie low for a while and hope she gives up.”
Lisa and Verrian exchanged glances.
“I don’t think there’s much chance of that,” Lisa said slowly.
“What happened?” Karla demanded.
Lisa explained their story briefly, and when she finished, Karla’s voice was terse. “Even more reason for us to all lie low. If she only has a blurry photo, she’s going to be looking for a better one. If she followed the two of you, it means she hasn’t found Rian clan’s lair. We can’t afford to have you lead her here.”
"Why is this one human such a threat?” Verrian demanded. “She doesn’t appear to have any weapons, and didn’t even attempt to threaten us. Surely we can just ignore her?”
“The world has changed, brother,” Taurian said gently. “Knowledge is more powerful than ever before and spreads far more rapidly.”
Verrian looked disbelieving.
Lisa pointed to the phone. “Remember how easily I can talk to Karla and Taurian, even though they’re not here? Well, what if I tell you that it’s just as easy to share pictures and sound with people all over the world?”
It didn’t take Verrian long to grasp the implications. “You mean Rita could share that picture of me with everyone? Even people she doesn’t know?”
Lisa nodded. “If this gets out, this place will be swarming with people who all want to see a real, live dragon for themselves. Not to mention those who want to hunt one.”
She couldn’t help giving a shiver herself at the thought. Karla had found it hard enough to round up weapons to fight Ultrima, but many others would not find it so difficult. If this story got out, there would be nowhere safe for the dragons.
“That’s exactly why you need to stay where you are,” Karla said firmly. “Rita will be watching you, no doubt hoping for some more evidence of the existence of the dragons. We can’t let her find it.”
Lisa sighed. Karla was right. But that didn’t mean she had to like it. “Can’t we stay somewhere else? Like at the ruined farmhouse where we stayed when Taurian was injured,” she suggested. “No one would find us there. I just need a way to get there.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Karla said slowly. “If Rita knows where you are now, there’s every possibility she’ll follow you. And being on your own is risky if Ultrima finds where you are.”
Lisa suppressed a shiver. Ultrima. She’d almost forgotten about him.
Her desire to get too far away from other humans faded away. Her desire to get away from her family didn’t.
“Maybe we can find a hotel or something to stay at,” Lisa suggested. “Or maybe even your dad’s house?”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Karla said slowly. “Rita is obviously going to follow this pretty intensely. She’s seen a dragon with her own eyes. She knows if she can get proof, this is going to be the biggest story of her life. She isn’t just going to give up.”
“What does that have to do with us?” Lisa asked, her heart sinking.
“Well, if she has you there, right under her nose, she’s going to follow you,” Karla said honestly. “And that means she isn’t looking for the rest of us.”
“So we’re the sacrificial lamb?” Lisa demanded. “It’s okay if she’s follow us, so long as she doesn’t find anyone else?”
She couldn’t believe it. She’d thought Karla was different. But she seemed ready to cut Lisa off if it served her purposes, just like that.
“I fully support your desire to protect the clan, and will willingly accept any problems that arise from this,” Verrian said solemnly.
Lisa glared at him. Of course he was going to go all noble. He didn’t care about her either. No one did. That’s why she had to look out for herself. “Speak for yourself.”
“Lisa,” Taurian said quietly. “I understand your concerns, but at this point no one is in danger. This reporter is only a threat if she gets proof of our existence. Even then, she’s no threat to you.”
Did they think she was stupid? “You think a reporter is going to leave me alone if they think I have any idea where the dragons are?” she demanded. “Besides, it’s not reporters I’m worried about, it’s Ultrima.”
“As long as you remain near other people, Ultrima is not going to bother you,” Taurian reminded her.
“That’s right,” Karla agreed.
“He’s already proved that by fleeing Verrian’s Mesmer chambers as quickly as we did when the reporter showed up.”
“Right, and a dragon has never showed up here on my doorstep demanding to know where you were either.”
She would never forget that moment. It had been before she’d even known dragons existed. It had never occurred to her that the silver haired man at her door could be one—until his eyes turned all weird and he’d shown her a hand full of claws.
“He was in human form at the time,” Taurian pointed out.
“He’s no less a threat to me in human form,” Lisa said firmly. “There’s nothing to keep him coming back here again. He even knows where I live.”
“So does Rita,” Karla said firmly. “Think of her like your own personal security guard. If anyone turns up and starts threatening you, she’ll be there to take photos.” Karla’s voice was light and amused.
Karla and Taurian had run all around town with a dragon chasing them and Karla hadn’t been fazed. Lisa wasn’t like Karla though. That sort of thing would make her freak out.
It was making her freak out.
“I will also be here to protect you,” Verrian said quietly.
Lisa had almost forgotten that. Maybe because she hadn’t actually seen him do anything dragon like.
Well, aside from flying. That had been cool. But it wouldn’t help her any if Ultrima turned up.
She was sure there were other things he could do though. All the dragons seemed to have magical powers. She’d have to ask him what his were later.
“I know it’s more than you signed on for, Lisa,” Karla said, serious this time. “But we need your help. Do you think you can do this?”
Lisa wavered. No one had ever asked her for help before. It felt… kind of good.
And it wasn’t like she had a lot of choice. She was stuck in this either way. Better to work with Karla and Taurian than to try to do this on her own.
“Sure,” she said, with more certainty than she felt. “It will only be for a couple of days though, won’t it?”
“I hope so,” Karla said. “We need to get Rita off our tail and get back to waking up the rest of the dragon princes before Ultrima turns up again to thwart us.”
Chapter 12
Verrian watched as Lisa touched the phone, cutting off Karla and Taurian’s voices, and then turned to him. She smiled, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. Fear lurked there, even though she tried to hide it.
He could understand her concerns. He had a few himself. This was the first time in his life he’d ever been alone. He was one of six dragons, and none of them had ever foreseen being separated like this.
For it to happen at such a turbulent time seemed like rotten luck.
At least he’d had some expectation of trouble. He’d entered the Mesmer in the middle of a war, it was no surprise for him to wake in the middle of one.
Lisa though, was human. This war wasn’t hers. And it was unfair of Karla and Taurian to ask her to stick by him when the danger was so great.
“I won’t think any less of you if you back out of this,” he told her softly.
She stared up at him, then gave a bitter laugh. “Bit late for that,” she pointed out. “Karla and Taurian were right, I’m already in it up to my neck. Even if you’re not here, Rita and Ultrima will assume I know where you are. Doesn’t matter if I do or not, they’re not going to believe it.”
Verrian’s heart sank. She regretted her involvement with him. He was even more alone than he thought.
Feeling lonely didn’t give him any reason to lean on Lisa though. She’d already done more than enough. More than he had any right to expect her to do. “They’d soon give up and move on,” he said. “As Karla pointed out, Ultrima won’t dare do anything while Rita is watching you and waiting to see if you’ll lead her to me. And I’m sure that Karla and Taurian would come and lead him away if he did.”
Lisa nodded slowly, and Verrian licked his lips. The bottle of water she’d given him had only just begun to sate his thirst.
But he had bigger concerns than thirst.
Lisa looked like she was going to agree that this was not her problem and ask him to leave. And if she did, he needed to remind himself that would be for the best. This wasn’t her problem. It was his.
So why was he holding his breath, hoping she would agree to stay?
It wasn’t that he was afraid, though he was a little. It wasn’t that he would be alone in the humans’ world, with no one to guide him, though he would be. None of those things bothered him as much as her deserting him did.
Back in the Mesmer chamber, he’d felt a connection to her. One he’d never felt with anyone before.
He’d thought she felt it too.
Apparently not.
Then again, should a brief moment of connection be worth risking your life for? As enjoyable as their coupling had been, it wasn’t like they were going to settle down and be mated for life.
Taurian might have chosen to mate, but that didn’t mean Verrian was ready to. Verrian hadn’t had a chance to discuss Taurian’s mating with him, so he didn’t even know if it was for love, or to forge an alliance with these powerful humans.
Before he’d entered the Mesmer, his sister, Sarian, had been the only one of them considering mating. When you knew you were going to be mated forever, with no changing your mind, it was a decision you did not enter lightly. Verrian was still far too young for settling down.
Probably better that Lisa backed out now, before he became too attached. The strange situation with their coupling, and the fact that he was now alone with her as his only support was sure to cause an attachment that he felt strongly about.
Better not to mistake it for something more lasting.
“Maybe Ultrima would leave me alone,” Lisa agreed slowly.
Verrian braced himself for her next words.
Then, to his surprise, she looked him straight in the eye. “But I’m not going to desert you like that. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to wake you, and I’m going to stick with you until you’re safely back with your clan, however long that takes.”
She looked almost as surprised at her speech as he felt.
Verrian felt his skin heat. He had not expected that. Nor his immediate reaction to it. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her passionately. Maybe that would calm the exhilaration that flushed his body.
Probably not the best plan.
Was his reaction caused by surprise at a human expressing such loyalty to a dragon? To someone she barely knew?
Or was it because it was this human, expressing her loyalty to him?
Either way, he was on dangerous ground.
On one hand, he really appreciated and needed her help. On the other, if he wasn’t in such dire circumstances right now, he’d get far away from her before one of them pushed them into something they’d regret.
Maybe that was taking it a bit far. She wasn’t promising to stay by his side forever. Just until he was safely back with his clan. Which hopefully wouldn’t take more than a couple of days. Nothing too serious could happen in a couple of days. Could it?
“I appreciate your assistance,” he said solemnly, inclining his head.
Somehow, the response seemed inadequate.
Funny how that was happening lately. Before he’d entered the Mesmer, a formal response like this would have been all that was expected of him. He’d never stopped to consider if it was enough or not.
But Lisa didn’t seem to mind. She just shrugged. “That’s okay,” she said, “It’s nothing.”
Despite his concerns, he couldn’t help reaching out his hand and covering hers. Her skin was warm and the warmth seeped through him. “It most certainly isn’t nothing,” he protested. “You’re risking your life to help me.”
This time, Lisa looked uncomfortable. “Like Taurian and Karla said, we’re not really in any danger here.” She grimaced. “I’m more upset about having to hang arou
nd my family for a few days than anything else.”
Of course, he should have realised.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Lisa shrugged. “Not really. We just need to keep a low profile and not say much to any of them.”
“Do you think they may suspect that I am not who you say I am?”
“No, I just think they’re going to be rude and make our lives uncomfortable.”
“Rude and uncomfortable I can live with,” Verrian said firmly. “Just as long as we’re safe.” He looked down at his hand, which still covered hers. Her fingers were warm and soft under his. “Just as long as you’re safe.”
Lisa blushed.
No matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, he didn’t have any objections to spending a few more days with her, even if that meant dealing with her family.
Not that it wouldn’t be better if they were completely alone.
That thought was the one he suspected was going to get him into the most trouble.
Chapter 13
Lisa hesitated at the kitchen door, straining her ears. The faint sound of laughter came from somewhere beyond the room, causing Lisa to smirk. Her family were having breakfast on the veranda. Showing off for Vera, Paul’s fiancée, no doubt, because her parents didn’t normally eat there.
Normally they ate in front of the TV.
She couldn’t be too annoyed at their sham though. It left the kitchen clear so she could grab some breakfast for her and Verrian. Her stomach growled at the thought. They’d skipped dinner last night because she was sick of the barrage of questions that her parents and brother levelled at her since they’d arrived yesterday.
Questions she couldn’t answer, even if she wanted to.
Her family were causing her more trouble than the reporter or Ultrima were.
When they’d first come out of the Mesmer chamber to discover everyone gone and Lisa had realised she would have to take Verrian with her, she’d been more than willing. After their amazing experience, she was eager to spend more time with him.