I could hear him, but I couldn’t react. It was too much. It was all too much. I struggled to breathe properly as I kept pushing the glamour to the ship. We had to stay hidden. Had to keep the dragons from seeing us.
The ship bounced wildly, nauseatingly. What? I heard a dragon’s roar, so deep and so close that it resonated through my bones. I flinched and then screamed as the roar seemed to sink into my skull hammering at my brain. Despite my best efforts, I felt something snap like a taught cord had been cut. I screamed again as I was thrown to the floor when the entire airship bucked.
Mathias caught me or rather I landed on top of him. He moved me to the side and stood up, peering at the window. “They’ve sent a fleet to deal with him.”
“Her,” I slurred. “Female attacked.”
I felt more than saw his attention. “You identified her. How?”
“Don’t know.” I sat up slowly, feeling sick to my stomach. “Who sent them?”
No sooner had the words slipped out of my mouth than a deep resonate voice echoed through the night sky. “Airship Helios, I am Commander Suleiman. By order of Heru, Dragon Prince of Alexandria, you will be escorted under the protection of myself and Asar the Yellow to dock at Alexandria.”
Some small part of me instinctively knew it was the same dragon whose roar had snapped my glamour. A louder voice gibbered that I shouldn’t know any of that and it made no sense. I hated when the rules binding paranormals were suddenly bent, especially when they applied to me. I licked my lips and tasted iron. Mathias turned to look at me, alarm skittering across his face, as I reached up to touch my lips. The lights in the cabin flicked on, and I realized blood coated my fingers.
I touched my nose and came away with more blood. Feeling lightheaded, I could only murmur, “I don’t want to meet another dragon prince.”
Mathias lunged for me as my vision went dark. “Lauren!”
I tried to reassure him, but the words wouldn’t come. Then, I found myself lying on the floor again. Mathias was leaning over me. Beyond him, I saw clouds and a red scaled wing that dipped into sight and then back out.
“Do we need to hide?” I slurred
“No. Rest.”
* * *
Mathias
I ran a hand along the smooth sandstone walls of the holding cell only to turn away muttering a curse under my breath. There were no weak points that I could find. The sandstone blocks were too thick by half and, if I remembered surveillance of Alexandria correctly, there were solid sheets of iron between this and another set of blocks. All intended to hold paranormals of any ability and power.
I paced the scant length of the holding cell, my steps growing jerky by the moment before I caught myself and forced them back to a more measured pace. Yet, the image of Lauren’s pale face and the blood stark against her skin haunted me. Every fiber of my being ached with the need to get back to her, to protect her. Lauren had managed to glamour the airship, hide it from the dragon’s attack, but she had paid a high price for doing so. Even the hour it took to arrive in Alexandria hadn’t been enough to return the brightness to her eyes. I had gotten her cleaned up and helped her with her head shawl, but she had still needed help walking.
Cutting a cold look at the door that regrettably had no windows or any sort of opening to provide a view of the hallway outside, I clenched my fists at the memory of being forced into a separate line. Lauren had been gathered with the other women and young children, supported by a dragon in human skin. I had argued with the soldiers that we should stay together, shouted that I didn’t care about their damned policies separating men and women when in the holding cells. They hit me with tranquilizers, and I woke up in this . . . cell.
Whether they recognized her, I didn’t know. I did know that Lauren wasn’t in the best shape for attempting to use her Jinn talent again. I shouldn’t have pushed her into doing it. The dragon prince’s guards might have been able to reach us in time to block the flames. Or . . . not.
I paused in my pacing as I heard the faint echoes of steps and an argument in draconic. Two deep voices, one I was fairly certain I recognized as Commander Suleiman and the other . . . sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t make it out clearly enough to put my finger on it. The steps slowed as they drew closer. I strained to listen, but I still couldn’t make out the words. The stone and steel were too thick.
Cursing under my breath, I hopped up on the narrow ledge and then climbed up into the corner above the door. I wasn’t certain about which way the hinges would open. However, I knew I couldn’t be seen. And, I waited.
And waited. Nothing happened.
Perhaps, I might have been mistaken to think someone was going to enter my cell. But, habit and stubbornness kept me from admitting defeat so soon. I stayed in my corner, still and breathing slowly enough not to be too noticeable. If the dragons heard me, they would hopefully assume I was sleeping off the tranquilizers. I waited, mentally willing the dragons to open the cell door. I needed to get to Lauren, and these dragons were in my way. So, it was time to remove them.
I tensed as hinges squealed. Then, a man with darker skin than I’d expected stepped into the room. I didn’t care. As he looked around the cell, I jumped on his back. Wrapping an arm around his neck, I flipped us over so my back was no longer exposed. An Egyptian man wearing a uniform and red beret stepped forward into the doorway, his dark eyes turning fiery orange. I tightened my grip on my prisoner’s neck. “Stop! Attack and I break his neck. And yours. How long does it take shifters to heal broken necks again? Stop or I’ll choke the life out of him.”
The man stopped. He glanced at my prisoner. “He seems very reasonable, Carith.”
“He’s better when he’s not separated from the woman,” came a slightly choked reply. Then a fist tapped my side, too light to be considered even close to an attempt at a fight or escape. “Let go, Mathias. You’re embarrassing me.”
Surprise at the voice coursed through me as I released him. The man got to his feet in a leisurely manner while I leapt to mine. Royal Carith turned an exasperated look on me as he touched his neck and then ran a hand over his short cropped beard. He was dressed differently from the last time I had seen him, missing the flat cap that normally covered his head no matter the weather. Instead, he wore lightweight cotton pants and shirt all white with an equally lightweight long sleeved shirt over it. A checkered keffiyeh was looped around his neck although it was a bit rumpled now. “As I have explained to Commander Suleiman, you and your mate are under the formal protection of the Dragon Prince of Thrace, yes.”
“Yes,” I agreed. Claiming the prince’s protection was . . . risky, but it was better than rotting in another prince’s prison. Dragons were cautious about taking other dragons’ people hostage, after all. Territory disputes and all that political nonsense. As my surprise faded, I glanced between the two dragons and demanded, “Where is my mate? She’s in a . . . delicate condition, and the attack on the airship upset her greatly.”
Commander Suleiman grimaced faintly. “Had you mentioned the protection of Thrace sooner, we might have let you both go on your way.”
I shrugged, feigning nonchalance even though the continued conversation grated on me. “I don’t like to pull the prince into my battles unless I absolutely need to and besides you tranquilized me before asking any questions. Makes for a slight amount of difficulty in communication, you know. However, I’m sure your master won’t mind if I leave now with my mate and our belongings.”
The commander’s eyes turned orange again, and he hissed at Royal even as he swept a hand at me. “You are certain he is a friend?”
“He’s an acquired taste.” Royal ignored my scowl as he nodded to the commander. “You are satisfied?”
Commander Suleiman’s eyes faded from orange to dark brown as he blinked slowly. He didn’t move out of the doorway, however. I took a step forward, intent on removing him, but Royal cut in front of me with a casual movement that might have fooled a lot of people. From the
way the commander’s eyes narrowed, though, I didn’t think he was fooled in the least. I, for one, did not care. I wanted to find my wife and get out of there. Now.
The commander continued blocking our path as he spoke once more, his voice a deep rumble in the cell. “Royal Carith, remember our agreement. If I release this man and his mate, then you are held responsible for their actions in Egypt. If we discover that they are the responsible parties for the glamour placed on the airship, an accounting before Prince Heru will be demanded. Of all three of you.”
Royal tugged at his keffiyeh and then slapped my hand down before I could fully express my annoyance with the commander. “It is understood, Commander Suleiman. On behalf of the Carith and Krall clans, you have my thanks for this cooperation. We will ensure both princes are satisfied with our report. Now, the woman if you please.” He nodded toward me. “This one will not behave long if he doesn’t see her.”
The commander finally nodded, eyes sharp beneath his red beret. “Very well. We were unaware of her . . . delicacy’s cause. She has refused medical examination.”
“She’s shy,” I offered. “It’s early days yet. Now gentlemen, may I go get her?”
Another long and infuriating moment passed before the commander stepped out of the doorway. Royal gave me a warning look when I tried to get around him, and I forced myself to let the dragon go first. Blasted protocols.
We walked through a long hall into a slightly better lit hallway and then we stopped in front of a corridor braced by two women, also wearing red berets but with headscarves tightly containing their hair. They saluted as we passed. Another slightly older woman was waiting for us when we stopped in front of a door. She murmured to the commander and then unlocked the door.
I didn’t wait for any of the dragons to signal me. I brushed past Royal and darted around the female to check inside the cell. Lauren was sitting on the stone berth, legs tucked against her chest and hair slipping free of the loose folds of her head shawl. She looked up at me, and her dark eyes widened. Not trusting the dragons wouldn’t attempt to lock us both in, I held out a hand to her instead of rushing inside like every cell in my body cried out to do. “Come on, love. Time to go.”
Lauren scrambled to her feet, looking rather pale and shaky despite her olive complexion. Her grip was tight when she took hold of my outstretched hand, and she dropped her gaze as I pulled her into the hall. Wrapping an arm around her, I nodded to Royal. “Get us out of here.”
“Their belongings will be waiting at your car,” the commander intoned. Despite my preference for leaving his delightful company far behind, the commander motioned for the three of us to follow him as he added, “This way.”
We walked down several more hallways and climbed a steep set of wide stairs. The sandstone blocks framing this so called holding area formed arches in places along the stairs, allowing one to occasionally see into other areas and levels. About midway up the stairs, I caught a glimpse of an underground hangar with dragons in full scale form running paces. One of them was the yellow dragon that had helped provide escort. The hangar and its occupants vanished behind sandstone blocks as we rounded another corner. After two more sets of stairs, we emerged into a shadowed garage with a dusty sedan waiting. Our go bags were on the ground beside it.
I didn’t move toward the car until Royal clasped hands with the commander and then nodded to me. Keeping his voice low as he opened the rear door, he said, “There’s a keffiyeh in the back compartment, put it on and keep her down. We don’t want any unfriendly eyes watching.”
I nodded to him, then focused on easing Lauren inside the car while he tossed our go bags into the trunk. He pulled up his own keffiyeh, wrapping it around his head and face, so only his eyes were visible. Once I was in the back, I copied him. When the cloth was secure, I gently nudged Lauren until she was lying instead of sitting on the bench seat. She never said a word. There was a weariness in her eyes that worried me. Not wanting to risk too much attention from the dragons reluctantly releasing us, I kept my mouth shut instead of inquiring after her. I couldn’t tell if this weariness came from an overextension of her glamour talent or from something else entirely and that I found . . . concerning. Cradling her head in my lap, I noticed the blanket on the floor and quickly spread it over her to further keep prying eyes from easily making her out.
The car started and we rolled slowly through the garage. I stayed quiet as I kept a wary eye on the guards, all dragons. Two still walked on either side of the sedan, providing an escort to the gate exiting the garage. I didn’t like it. My weapons were too far away. “Royal.”
He murmured, “Easy. They aren’t the ones you should worry about, friend. There’s a robe back there as well. Put it on.”
I found the black robe and slipped it on as best I could without disturbing Lauren. The cloth was light despite the dark colors and certainly preferable to drawing the wrong attention. I checked Lauren briefly, only to find she had closed her eyes. Leaving her to rest, I turned my attention back to my old friend. “Not that I’m not grateful for your timely arrival since it would have been a bit of a mess if I had been forced to fight my way out of there, and Lauren really didn’t want to meet yet another dragon prince. But, shouldn’t you be in hiding? Weard still has a bounty out on you, doesn’t it?”
“I’m in Egypt,” he grumbled. “This is hiding.”
“You say that like you don’t enjoy the place,” I muttered, lips twitching beneath the keffiyeh as I recalled past conversations around Royal’s distaste for weather outside of England. This was going to be entertaining.
Royal didn’t disappoint. He growled low in his throat. “It’s a desert. I hate the desert. It’s hot, dry, and the sand gets absolutely everywhere. You can’t even breathe the air without getting a lungful.”
“Now that’s an exaggeration,” I chided. Pausing for effect, I added in a deliberately blasé tone, “Just don’t breathe outside during the sandstorms.”
“It gets in my food. And, my tea. On a regular basis. No matter how I seal the windows and doors, somehow there is always sand. It’s a bloody nightmare.” He stopped briefly, waiting for a group of pedestrians to clear the street, before continuing, “Not to mention, there’s camels and goats everywhere.”
“More exaggerations,” I mused barely restraining any hint of laughter.
Royal kept talking, waving his right hand in agitation. “Do you know how difficult it is to get clearance to fly here? Monsoon season is the best time and yet the storms can be deemed too dangerous wherein Heru decrees no flights. He grounded me for the first three months here.”
I raised an eyebrow at that. “You’ve been in the desert over three months?”
“I have been in Egypt since escaping the hunters.” His eyes crinkled as his tone lowered in clear disgruntlement and he added, “My cousins in America arranged it, although, I think Ravenna did it mostly to punish me.”
Ravenna was one half of the dragon twins running Carith & Krall, a prestigious PR firm that specialized in keeping paranormals who did not fall under the ambassadorial species from drawing unwanted attention from the norms. I’d never had the privilege of meeting the woman and every time she did something to vex Royal, I dearly wished to do so. I tugged at my keffiyeh, straightening a curled edge, as I fought back a laugh. “Isn’t she younger than you?”
“Doesn’t matter. She’s every bit like every other woman in the family. Absolutely determined to get her way.”
I glanced at the crowded streets. It was close to midday. The crowds should be clearing for a little while soon enough. Until they did, our progress was slow. Shifting my attention back to Royal, I rested a hand on Lauren’s shoulder as I asked, “Why is she punishing you? Thought these were the cousins who like you?”
“Very funny.” Royal glanced back at me briefly, then fixed his attention on the road. “All my cousins like me. I am the charming cousin.”
“No, that’s Peter. I met him, remember.” That the two cousins h
ad spent most of their time bemoaning Ravenna’s persistent influence in their lives was something I chose not to bring up. For now, at least. Dragons could be competitive, especially with their own kin.
“Peter’s a billionaire,” Royal countered dismissively.
“So is his twin, yet you are only having difficulty with her.” I smirked as a new thought occurred to me. “She trying to make you go to that matchmaking holiday again?”
“I never should have told you about that one,” he grumbled. “And no, she is not. That would actually be less of a bother.”
I leaned forward slightly. Considering how angry Royal had been over the suggestion that he participate in the matchmaking resort that catered strictly to singles of the high powered paranormal circles, whatever his cousin was asking him now had to be much more interesting to earn that sort of comment. Royal didn’t say anything as he continued negotiating traffic.
Reaching out, I nudged him in the shoulder. “Well, spit it out, man. What’s she punishing you for that she would send you to Egypt?”
“She tried to give me another body.”
My smirk vanished at the stark statement. Royal had played guardian to the decoy for Lauren when we first fled the British Isles. It had gone sideways, and her decoy had been killed. I knew that and that Royal barely escaped with his own life. Losing a body was . . . It could and did shake a lot of bodyguards, more than a few quit afterwards. Knowing you had been responsible for a life and weren’t able to fulfill that duty was beyond difficult. “Who?”
“I didn’t stay for the details. I only know that she wanted me to play guard to a friend of hers.” Royal’s tone flattened as he added, “When I responded to her next request by stating I would be responsible for another body when I was dead, Ravenna arranged for me to get out of Mississippi. I was never going to stay there long anyway. Then, she chose Egypt. She probably just wants to make me miserable enough that I’ll bend to her request to get out of this ghastly sandbox.”
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