by Mary Auclair
With a last glance at the dragon’s eyes, Endora inserted the needle under the scales in the soft spot behind his ear. The animal’s skin rippled, but he stayed still.
She injected the liquid, then Rhyl went limp on the ground.
“What happened?” She turned to Aldric in a panic. “Is he dead?”
Aldric’s eyes reflected the light as he stared at his friend, but a soft smile stretched his mouth. He turned his eyes to her. “No. You just saved his life.”
Endora’s legs ached from pacing but she couldn’t stop. It had been hours since Aldric had escorted her to her rooms, only to leave a few minutes later to check on Rhyl. Her nerves were frayed and the interior of her mouth bloody from her nervous chewing.
What had just happened? She had never heard of an attack on a Draekon, much less an attempt on a dragon’s life. Things were taking a turn for the worse, and she wondered if she hadn’t made a mistake by taking the mating offer.
What other choice did I have?
She was desperate for news of Tallie. The way Junco had reacted when she saw her—it could only mean that the old woman had betrayed her and stolen her money. This meant Tallie was still sick. But how sick? What could Henriette do, all by herself? Then a harrowing suspicion burrowed its way into her, traveling up her limbs like ants of despair. Junco had fled because she didn’t reach Tallie in time.
Oh, Gods, what if she’s died?
Staggering to the nearest table, Endora braced herself on it. Her knees were suddenly unable to support her weight.
What have I done?
She found she couldn’t breathe anymore and her knees gave way. She fell to the floor, not caring about the sudden stab of pain as her flesh met the hard stone. Her mind was caught in a tornado of grief and bottomless fear, and tears ran freely down her cheeks, unchecked. She should never have left.
Without even realizing she did so, Endora’s fingers closed around her heart pendant. Her thumb caressed the engraving, the familiar touch anchoring her to the present, the real.
“Nobody matters like you.” She whispered the old words, and finally, her lungs let in oxygen, one tiny breath at a time. “Nobody matters like you.”
“It seems like it.” Aldric’s voice came from behind, full of ice and cold, controlled rage. “Not even your life matters as much as him.”
Endora turned her tear-filled eyes to see him standing in the middle of the room. She hadn’t even heard him enter. He was disheveled and his shirt was torn, blood still soaking the fine cotton. Rhyl’s blood, and maybe the blood of many other victims. She stared at him, too stunned, her grief too great to even try to answer. Her mind was wiped clear. Only a bottomless, black pit of fear remained.
“Tell me, Endora, was your lover’s comfort worth the lives of five people? Because that’s what your disobedience cost. I hope he is going to appreciate whatever you sent him, because that’s the last he’ll ever get from you.”
She stared at him: the uncompromising downward curve of his mouth, the lines of tension running from the corners of his eyes to his temples. He was exhausted, but more than that, he was angry. Angry and hurt.
She bit her lower lip hard enough to draw blood. Often in the short period since she’d become Aldric’s mate, she’d wanted to reveal Tallie’s existence to him, but each time she hung back.
Aldric walked two steps in her direction, his smoldering metallic stare laying waste to the remnants of her courage. She had lost everything, she had nothing more to fear.
Her fingers closed around her heart pendant, and Aldric’s eyes followed. His mouth moved down in a fearful grimace.
“Take that off,” he growled. His eyes turned to their dragon form immediately, vertical pupils slashing the silver of his irises, a sure sign of the violence of his emotion.
“Aldric,” she started, but her throat closed up. His eyes were shining with anger and betrayal. With accusation. As suddenly as that, anger ignited inside her. She had kept some things secret, yes, but he had no right to judge her. If his kind hadn’t put the cost of their medical treatment so far above the humans’ reach, she would never have lied. She would never have sold herself like a prostitute to save her daughter’s life. She got to her feet, her anger fast turning into grief-fueled rage.
“No.” She straightened up, her head held high and her eyes now dry. “You don’t get to give me orders.”
“You’re wrong.” Aldric’s mouth twitched with an involuntary tick. His silver eyes were shining and his body was rippling with male jealousy. “You are my Draekarra, and by the laws of this land, I have all authority over you. You will never contact your human lover again, or so help me, I will see that he regrets the day he first laid eyes on you. Now give me that pendant.”
“If you take this away from me, I will never forgive you.” She swallowed, her hand still clenching the tiny piece of gold. “Never.”
Aldric locked eyes with her, his pupils reduced to fine black lines in the middle of his ice gray eyes. She held his stare, refusing to give in. She had given in enough. After long moments, he swallowed, then nodded.
“Fine. Keep your lover’s necklace if you want.” He kept gazing into her eyes, searching for something, then a deep sadness replaced the anger on his features. His mouth relaxed and shoulders slumped. He turned around and walked away, his head low as if burdened by an invisible weight.
Endora watched Aldric leave, and her heart tore apart.
“Aldric, no. Don’t go.”
He paused, his hand on the handle of her door. He turned his head sideways, but not enough to look at her. He was giving her the opportunity to say something, anything that would make him change his mind. That was when she truly made her decision. Because of the choice.
“This isn’t a present from a lover,” she blurted out. “It was from my daughter.”
Chapter 11
Aldric stilled, then turned around to face her. His eyes had returned to normal and his expression was one of stricken shock.
“Your daughter?” He shook his head, like somehow that would negate the revelation. “Nothing was relayed to me by the liaison office.”
“I know.” Endora hugged herself. This was what she was afraid of. He would never have accepted her if he’d known. “I lied.”
“What about her father?” Aldric’s voice was carefully controlled, but Endora sensed the threat underneath. He was a just and fair man, but one who would tolerate no rival. “Where is he?”
“I haven’t seen him since before Tallie was born.” That was the sad truth. He’d sent money and letters to her the first few years, but his gifts came further and further apart every time she sent them back unopened. Then, when she’d truly needed him, Endora’s letters had gone unanswered.
“He died?” Aldric tilted his head and his stare turned hard and assessing. Assessing the veracity of her words.
“I have no news of him.” Endora’s answer turned cautious. “I can only guess.”
“Ten years is a long time.” He kept silent for a few long moments, the intensity of his stare making her squirm. “Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”
“No.” The word burned her mouth as she said it but she had no choice. This was the one lie she could never reveal. If it was discovered she was married, her mating to Aldric would be rendered null. “We were only lovers for a short time, and Tallie came.”
At least that much was true. Their brief affair had lasted only a summer. Aldric seemed reassured by this, and he nodded. “Why did you lie then? You should have mentioned your child.”
“Because I was afraid you’d refuse me,” Endora answered. Now that the truth was out, she wanted to tell it all. It was up to him to reject or accept her. “I heard about women being refused for having children. I didn’t want it to happen to me.”
Aldric seemed to take it in, his expression changing from bafflement to understanding. He chuckled, and the tension visibly leached from his body.
“You thought I would c
ast you out?” He passed a hand through his hair, disbelief pulling up the corners of his mouth. “After the way we’ve been together?”
“I couldn’t risk it.”
“I still don’t understand.” He stepped closer, his eyes locking her into place, searching for a truth she was all too ready to give. “Ten years ago, you refused to even meet with me. You couldn’t have cared less about money then. Why now?”
She stared at him for a few seconds. “Tallie is sick.” Her voice broke at the end, and she had to take a few breaths to steady herself. “She has leukemia. Our human doctor back in Helbon said there was nothing left to do for her. She has a couple of months left, at most. Unless she receives Delradon medical treatment, she’s going to die.”
Aldric’s already pale face blanched completely and he stared at her with wide eyes. Then he covered the remaining distance between them and embraced her closely. As soon as he touched her, Endora leaned into his arms. His hand reached for her hair and he gently patted her head as she relished his contact.
“Is this why you sent Junco out with all that money?”
“You intercepted Junco?” Endora pushed away from his embrace. With obvious reluctance, he let her step back.
“She didn’t betray you, if that’s what you think. The old woman can be surprisingly stubborn,” Aldric said with a scowl. “She kept going on about some nonsense family matter in Helbon, while we all know her family lives in Hylberia. Don’t worry, I’m ready to bet my soul that the money reached your daughter.”
Endora exhaled and quickly sat down on a nearby chair. A giddy smile stretched her lips and she chuckled. “So Tallie is saved.” A laugh built up in her and she didn’t have the heart to stop it. “That’s all that matters.”
“Is that true?” Aldric stared at her, his eyes glistening with something intense and deep, something she was too afraid to recognize. “All you want is for your daughter to receive her treatments?”
“Yes.” Somehow she knew it would hurt him to hear her say it, but it was true. She would give up anything for Tallie, even the prospect of happiness with him. “Tallie is what matters most.”
“I thought having your child here with you would matter even more.” Aldric watched her every reaction as he said those words. Those words that were too good to be true.
“Don’t toy with me.” She lost her smile. Her fingers left the pendant at her neck to rub against the dragon-scale bracelet. “I know the deal I made. It’s cruel to make me think I can have her with me again.”
“I’m not playing a cruel trick on you.” Aldric cradled her cheek in his large palm. “I would never keep a mother and her child apart. Tomorrow at this time, you will be putting your daughter to bed in this castle. This is her home as much as it is yours.”
Endora’s mind was a blank as she stared into his eyes. His face was warm and calm, his open, generous smile breathtaking. Only a few weeks before, she never would have thought him capable of this gesture, but now she saw him, the real him, without his High Lord veneer, that mantel of ice he always carried around like a shield.
“I thought it wasn’t possible.”
“I’m the High Lord, am I not?” Aldric chuckled. “Who is going to prevent me from allowing it?”
Endora exhaled in utter disbelief. Was that all? She was getting her every dream handed to her just like that? “Yes, I guess nobody will.” She opened her palms up, then bit her lower lip. Could she ask any more of him? “What about my grandmother? Henriette cannot stay behind alone.”
“Well, in that case,” Aldric bent and his lips closed on hers for a slow, deep kiss, “your daughter and grandmother will come live with us, and I will adopt Tallie as my daughter.”
“Adopt her?” Endora frowned, uncomprehending.
“Of course.” Aldric kissed her again. “Your daughter will become mine as well. None of you will ever want for anything ever again.” He smiled and kissed her again, deeper and longer. When he broke the kiss, he touched his forehead to hers. “I am sorry, my little Dora.” He braced himself on her chair. “I want to take you right here, right now, but I have to clean up first.”
“I’ll be here when you come back. You look exhausted.”
Aldric smiled, but lines of worry were etched deep along his mouth and around his eyes, which were sunken and vague. Endora was shocked. He hadn’t slept a minute in the past week at least, but never did he even look tired.
“With Rhyl injured by the poison, he’s drawing on my vitalem, my life-force. Normally, it is the other way around. Dragons have more vitalem than a man can use, it’s what gives a Draekon his long life as well as his strength. With the Venenum Ardere burning the life-force out of him, he is relying on mine.” Aldric’s face turned fierce. “He is the strongest dragon of his generation. Do not worry about Rhyl, or me.”
A rough thumb traced the line of her jaw, and Endora stared at the man who turned her entire world upside down. There was so much she didn’t know about him, about his world.
“You will have to tell me more about it. About the dragons, and the Draekons.”
Aldric smiled, then nodded. “The day was long. I’ll shower and come back.” He got to his feet with visible effort and left the room. He did his best to stand straight and walk with his usual powerful gait, but it didn’t quite work out.
As she got undressed while Aldric showered, Endora’s mind was filled with a different kind of worry. For such a long time, her only preoccupation had been Tallie, but now she found the knot in her guts had an added weight. She feared for Aldric, truly feared for him.
The Whispering Castle’s safety was just an illusion. She was sleeping in a snake’s nest, and soon, Tallie would be coming to sleep with her, too.
Aldric braced himself against the shower wall, allowing the smoldering water to scald his back. The heat worked to untangle the muscles in his body, loosening them bit by bit. He hadn’t realized just how tense he was, but in the blazing heat, unbearable to any other than a Draekon, he was able to take the full measure of his exhaustion. He watched as the water swirled dirty and red between his feet. Red from the blood of the men and women who had come to his house, seeking safety and trade. Men and women who had relied on him.
Red from the blood of his dragon.
There was no greater offense in the Delradon world than to injure a dragon. It was an act of war, one that had not been committed for over two centuries—since the end of the Blood Wars, when the Knat-Kanassis and their acolytes had made their homeworld run red with the blood of innocents.
When Delradon and Draekon had left for a new world, seeking fresh ground to rebuild their lives upon.
Rage built up inside him, but the flow was staunched before it could give him some much-needed energy. All his strength was directed toward Rhyl, draining him like an open vein. His friend needed it and Aldric would not oppose it, even if it left him weaker than he had been in decades. He let go of the rage and all his other feelings, continuing to stare at the water until his back felt numb from the heat and the water ran clear.
Finally, he turned off the water and dried himself, then stepped back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.
Endora was fast asleep on the bed, clothed only in her light silk under-dress. She hadn’t been able to stay awake until he came back. He approached, mesmerized as he observed her in her sleep. She looked even smaller like that, completely vulnerable in her slumber. His eyes trailed along the delicate bones of her wrist, his mating bracelet shining under the light, her delicate arm lying across the pillow in an almost childlike posture. So small, so fragile. Her skin, exposed by the sleeveless shift, was bruised in several places, marked with dark blue stains. His gaze left her arm and locked on to her face, peaceful and relaxed. A fine, long cut ran from her cheekbone to the corner of her mouth.
Mild injuries, but injuries nonetheless. He had failed to assert his authority as he should have and, in doing so, had failed to protect her.
Feelings coile
d and rose as he watched the plump curve of her cheek, the cherry color of her lips, smooth and soft. What he knew about her now changed everything.
Such a strong heart, such a fierce soul.
He couldn’t find it in him to be mad at her for lying about the existence of her daughter. Even if he had known beforehand, he would have accepted her, but she couldn’t have known that. He was only sad it had cost her over a month of contact with her sick child. Already he’d sent specific instructions to Dalgo to pick up the child and the grandmother from Helbon, under the cover of night.
Endora deserved it.
Aldric extended his arm and reached for a stray, dark brown lock. His thumb slid over the hair, its strands silky smooth under his rough skin. He let go of it and his hand wandered to the warm, supple velvet of her temple.
So soft, so alive.
His finger slid down to the crease of her neck and a delightful, light shiver traveled up her body. She raised her chin, allowing for more contact, but her eyes remained closed. Aldric watched her face closely as his hand explored her skin, the light touch of his fingers traveling from the base of her neck to the swell of her breasts.
He watched, mesmerized, as she moved in her sleep, pushing the swell of her breast against his touch. At the same time, a low moan escaped her lips.
His member stirred to life, much to his surprise. He knew he should let her sleep, as she needed as much rest as she could get, but his hand moved of its own stubborn accord to cup the soft breast more firmly, squeezing it gently. Endora moved, turning slightly onto her back, her face taut with anticipation but still wearing the peaceful mask of sleep.
Aldric’s breathing was deep and controlled as he turned to face her. His towel slid down to the floor, and he left it there. His member was hard and ready, asking for the joining of flesh that he knew would bring them both pleasure.
Using extreme care not to wake Endora, Aldric closed his hand around the bottom of her shift, lifting it slowly over her calves, then up her thighs until he exposed the soft triangle of almost black curls between her legs. She lay with one leg slightly open to the side, exposing the curve inside her thigh enough for him to see the curl-covered lips hiding between her legs.