After a brief walk, Liza studied the notice in the museum window. She smiled with satisfaction. Serendipity. She could wander the village and the castle ruins while she waited for the museum to open. Although she’d check in with Cherry, she’d have plenty of time to drive home via the coast road. A special treat for completing her last interview and collecting everything she required to finish her book of dragon myths.
Eagerness pulsed through her as she set off to explore and photograph the castle ruins.
* * * * *
Leonidas, Champion of the Skies, youngest son of Tudoarreo, The Dragon Lord, and Qille, The Taker of Life, stomped from his father’s study. He fervently wished he were someone else’s son. Perhaps the son of Red, The Cloth Weaver, or Deon, The Grumpy.
As their son, he’d mate with a female of his choosing. No ending up the sacrificial dragon. His parents had summoned him and ordered him to enter a betrothal. His intended—Nandag, The Strongminded, a dragon from a highborn clan on Smoking Isle. Avoiding his family and living at his isolated property had not saved him. Now that it suited his parents, they’d recalled their youngest son and expected him to jump to attention and follow their orders.
Nan, The Strongminded.
Her name did not inspire a happy mating.
Leo stalked along the tiled passage and slammed through the thick wooden door that led to his old chamber. Once inside, he shoved the door closed and stripped off his footwear and clothing. He retrieved a pack from a carved wooden chest. With economical movements, he folded and packed his possessions inside before opening the double door to the balcony. No matter his parents’ dictates, he refused to stay. Leo vaulted onto the balcony ledge and placed his pack within easy reach.
Cool wind caressed his naked limbs. He caught a whiff of pine and wild herbs coming from the mountains. His mother had ordered him to attend the dinner party she’d arranged with the local nobility, but he’d refused and left his parents’ presence without seeking permission.
They’d already stolen his freedom to choose his mate.
He’d be damned if he’d let them rob him of his remaining time before his betrothed arrived and the formal courtship began.
Leo summoned his dragon, the shift from man to beast faster than most. He’d trained hard, kept his body fit, his mental faculties sharp to become the best. He’d worked to earn his sobriquet and transform from Leonidas, The Younger to Leonidas, Champion of the Skies. Instead of wasting his prize money and jewels, he’d purchased a property and built a home. As a youngster, he’d trained with a jeweler, taking his fascination with precious stones and turning the interest into a means of making money.
His older brothers might scoff at the modest dwelling. Still, Leo valued his independence, and he’d discovered personal satisfaction in earning his way instead of living off his parents at the clan castle.
Now, with one easy blow, his parents had stolen his dream and foisted Nan, The Strongminded, on him. They’d insisted he must be the son to take this burden because they didn’t approve of him grubbing in the dirt or raising stock to sell for food. It didn’t matter that in his spare time, he crafted exquisite jewelry. In truth, he hadn’t thought admitting he was the mystery master jeweler behind the Marquess brand could earn him freedom from this trap.
They’d decided, and that was that.
He had two weeks plus the time it took for the betrothal formalities to plan and execute his escape.
Rising fury turned his vision red. With a screech of rage, Leo grabbed his pack in his talons and lifted into the air. Powerful beats of his wings had him departing the castle stronghold. As he flew over the bailey and courtyard, several dragons and humans lifted their heads in curiosity, but given his anger, he arrowed through the sky and over the ridge before they could do more than blink.
A human village nestled in the next valley. Whitewashed cottages perched on the hillside and overlooked the sea. The residents were the descendants of Viking explorers, lost fishermen, and smugglers who now made their home on Hissing Isle.
Hissing Isle, so named for two reasons. Caves littered the coastline. Visible if the tide was low, they created a distinct hiss as the incoming water refilled them. Instead of the sand of the other islands, small rounded pebbles covered the beaches here. They rattled and hissed as the waves churned them back and forth. Hissing Isle comprised one large island and two smaller ones, uninhabited because of their rocky terrain.
Mountains thrust upward from the largest island, their slopes covered with fresh-scented pines. The alpine meadows grew nutritious grasses for livestock and valuable herbs, prized by humans and dragons alike. Two principal towns—one inhabited by dragons and the other by humans—hugged the coast where the temperatures remained moderate during the depths of winter.
Leo flew onward, the familiar scents and the natural terrain releasing his stress. Familiarity and pride settled in his gut as he glided over his plot of land, high in the mountain region on the east of the island. Few dragons flew this far east, but it was Leo’s favorite spot. He settled on a rocky outcrop. From here, Leo gazed over the North Sea. Perfume Isle and a faint smudge of volcanic smoke from Smoking Isle were visible on the horizon.
Nan, The Strongminded, came from the clan who lived on Smoking Isle. Perfume Isle, which was closer, was home to a third dragon clan. The druids who powered the protective magic that shielded their world lived in an isolated corner of the same island as Nandag.
“We are not mating with The Strongminded dragon,” his dragon informed him. “I refuse.”
“We require a plan,” Leo stated aloud, his mind buzzing with anger.
“I will help to think of a scheme to rid ourselves of this Strongminded female.”
Fury pulsed anew at his parents’ highhandedness. For years, they’d ignored him and now they decided he was useful to their plans. Leo spat out a frustrated curse and surveyed his surroundings. The wind changed, and a whiff of death carried to him. He scowled, knowing he should investigate. He lifted off, immense wings beating fast.
His bloody parents.
Once he’d mated with Nandag, they’d expect him to dwell in the castle. He’d lose everything he valued. Leo shrieked his frustration, a blast of hot flames punctuating his vexation. He soared on the airwaves, letting them draw him down and over the sea toward the other islands instead of investigating the death stench. Mindful of intrusion into the neighboring clan’s airspace, he veered until he flew parallel to the mainland. Although he couldn’t see it, he sensed the mass of land and heard the whisper of the waves as they struck the shore.
His great maw opened to taste the wind, and his giant wings slowed to a less frenzied beat. His body dropped lower until he skimmed the sea, and for a moment, he could’ve sworn he heard a woman singing.
2 – She Wanted a New York Times Bestseller, Dammit.
Liza drove along the coast path—a B road—and since it was midweek, she passed few cars. The roiling North Sea reached to the horizon, calmer than usual, sparkling under the afternoon sun. She caught glimpses of Lindisfarne or Holy Island, as it was referred to by locals. The island’s castle dominated the landscape silhouette. One day, she’d arrange a trip to the island, accessed via a causeway from the mainland. Maybe, once she finished her book. A visit would be inspirational. She could imagine a dragon living near that castle…
Since the afternoon was sunny, she’d rolled down the roof of her sporty Mazda and drove with the wind whipping her ponytail and an enormous smile on her face. She belted out the words of an old rock ballad about a lover who’d shaken her world the entire night long.
Halfway through the chorus, her phone rang, and she ceased singing to answer the call using hands-free.
“Hey!”
“Liza, it’s Cherry. Are you driving?”
“I am, but the hands-free is working fine. My research visit took longer than I’d hoped. Can you still collect Joanna from school? If you’re busy, I can get Rena to meet her for me.”
&nbs
p; Her younger half-sister enjoyed time with Joanna. Meeting Rena had been the second magnificent thing to come from her move to the UK. Family was important to Liza, and she wanted this support for her daughter. Here in England, she had her father, a half-sister, and in Cherry, a loyal friend. She also had a psychotic husband who refused to release her from their marriage and wanted interaction with Joanna, not because he loved his daughter, but because he thrived on harassing Liza for daring to grow a spine and leave him.
“Rena called me.” Cherry hesitated.
“What?” Liza demanded, her warning antenna alerting her to trouble.
“Tony rang the school and informed them you’d agreed to let him pick up Joanna after classes finished. Joanna told the headmistress this wasn’t true, and that you were doing book research today.” When she spoke again, Liza heard her friend’s admiration. “Joanna told them Liza had authorized Cherry and Rena to take her home, and the headmistress should ring us to confirm. She got hold of Rena first.”
“Popsicles,” Liza muttered instead of a more suitable pithy Anglo-Saxon curse. She tried to keep her swearing down on account of her daughter. “I’m still an hour from home.”
“Rena and I have got this. We’re both collecting Joanna, and the headmistress agreed to let us wait in the staff car park. We should avoid Tony since he’ll be loitering out the front with the other parents.”
“Thank you.” Liza gripped the steering wheel, her gaze on the road while her mind struggled with a way to get rid of Tony Richards, short of paying him off. “I hate that you and Rena are getting dragged into this mess.”
“That’s what friends and sisters do.” Cherry’s airy reply raised gratitude in Liza. “Rena suggested we fashion a doll in the image of Tony and stick pins in it.”
Liza barked out a laugh as she scanned the glorious beach to her left with its white stretch of sand and the rocky cliffs. The road followed the line of the cliff, and on this portion, a guardrail created a protective, if somewhat flimsy barrier. She drove up a hill, and the panorama from the top stole her breath. Blue sea. Blue sky. She could still see the outline of the castle. The odd white cap on the waves. A boat. Probably a cargo ship heading to Dover or another port on this coast.
“Cherry, we should drive up here for a weekend and visit Lindisfarne. It’s gorgeous here today. I have the top down.”
“Lindisfarne? The island with the abbey? Holy Island? Rena was muttering something about weird dreams and robe-wearing monks when I spoke to her earlier.”
“Monks?” Liza chuckled. “Give me a naked sex dream anytime. Robed figures sound creepy. Oh, Cherry. You should see the view. Not a cloud in the sky. It’s a dazzling blue that’s too exquisite to describe. The air is fresh with the tang of the sea.”
“Stop, you’re making me envious. The strongest aroma here is dusty books.”
“You love your bookstore,” Liza countered.
Cherry’s chuckle rolled from her, and Liza grinned in concert.
The air took on a strange shimmer that grabbed her attention. She gaped, her smile fading. The atmosphere resembled fabric, and it was ripping. A giant green head stabbed through the shimmer.
Liza gasped, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. The air-fabric ripped further to expose a colossal body. Wings. Talons. Red eyes.
And they were staring at her.
W-was that a dragon?
A shocked cry forced up her tight throat.
“Liza?” Cherry spoke in a sharp tone.
Liza continued to stare until the jolt of her car jerked her back to the present. She’d driven off the road. Before she could correct her steering, her vehicle collided with the protective barrier. She screamed and fought the wheel, struggling to return to the tarmac, but it was too late. Her car flipped, and the last thing she heard was Cherry’s frantic shouts, demanding to know what was happening.
The airbag exploded, jamming her against the seat. She screamed again as her car flew over the edge of the cliff. A glimpse of green snagged her attention. Huh! Something was very wrong with her eyes.
That was a dragon.
The creature darted past her car and disappeared because the airbag blocked her gaze.
Then her car struck the sea—the sound explosive and the collision shocking her from head to toe. Her head smashed against the car side as she struggled to release the seatbelt. The airbag held her fast, and the vehicle began to sink.
Her last thought before blackness claimed her was that she didn’t want to die. Dragons existed, and she wanted a New York Times bestseller, dammit.
3 – Rescue From the Lidless Box
Leo read the astonishment in the woman’s eyes. The same disbelief speared him in the chest, stealing his breath.
Impossible.
He wasn’t meant to see her. Nor she him.
None of this should be happening.
Her red metal box roared and thumped into the shiny barrier edging the cliff. Sparks flew from the point of contact, filling the air with a pungent metallic stench. Momentum kept the lidless box flying, and Leo beat his wings to avoid a collision. The box slid across the rocky ground. It balanced on the edge of the cliff before it tipped and toppled.
The instant the box fell, Leo snapped from his shocked trance. He darted after the steel box, flapping his wings faster to keep up.
A scream rippled from the woman, but the terror-filled cry ceased. Concerned, he directed his body closer, maneuvering with his wings. The woman slumped and blood trickled down her cheek.
The box struck the water with an enormous splash, the icy wave that pummeled Leo knocking a hole through his bewilderment. His thoughts slotted into proper order.
The woman.
She’d die beneath the water if he failed to act fast.
Already, the box had sunk under the waves. Air bubbles shot to the surface. Leo filled his dragon lungs with air, dropped his pack of belongings, and dived into the sea. The box settled on the seafloor, stirring mud and silt and obscuring his vision. Leo kicked his legs and propelled with his wings, instinct guiding him.
By sheer fortune, his right talon grazed the woman’s arm. He tugged. He yanked harder. Something held the woman in place. He slashed at it with his free claw, his chest constricting as he fought his desire to breathe.
By Lodar, God of Torture! He must save this woman. Every instinct propelled him to rescue her. He increased his speed, frantic to breathe air, frantic to pull her free, frantic to escape this situation.
Lodar, please.
He couldn’t last much longer. Already, the chilly water was sapping his energy. Leo hacked at the bindings restricting her, and at last, she popped free. With his wings, he propelled upward until he broke the surface. His lungs burned as he greedily sucked in air.
Leo couldn't take to the sky now that he trod water, so he swam to the nearest beach, thankful he’d learned the skill as a youngster. Once he felt solid ground beneath his feet, he stood and carried the woman up onto the narrow sandy shore tucked between two massive guardian rocks.
Two rocks on the mainland.
A mystery he did not comprehend.
He and his people had left the mainland hundreds of years ago after the slaughter of their prophet. Thanks to their deal with the druids, their island homes were invisible to those on the English mainland, while the dragon kind couldn’t see the enormous landmass either. They sensed it, but thanks to druid magic could not interact with the humans there in any manner. For the safety of the dragon kind.
Concerned at the implications, Leo set the woman on her side. Her features were pale and blood seeped from the wound on her head. A second, smaller cut turned her hairline red. He recalled an animal that had almost drowned. An elder had saved it by laying the animal on its side and breathing warm air into the creature’s mouth.
He leaned closer, ready to blow air at her mouth when he recalled the elder had mentioned he must wear human form at this stage. Dragon breath burned animals and humans.
Leo summoned his skin, the change rolling over his scales slower than usual because of his fatigue. With his transformation complete, he squatted beside the woman’s still form and fitted his mouth to hers. He blew his breath into her three times before he pulled back to observe the results. Nothing. He repeated the action, letting his breath come deep in his chest, whence his dragon-fire grew. This time his exhalation was warmer. Not, he hoped, hot enough to burn her fragile throat, but sufficient to jolt her awake.
While he waited, he ran his fingers through her long brown hair. Her clothes clung to her body, revealing sleek muscles and full breasts. Her apparel was unlike anything the dragon women wore on Hissing Isle. Not even the humans who lived with them wore clothes akin to the ones clinging to this woman. They showed her form in an indecent yet alluring manner.
“Awaken,” he demanded of the woman, impatient with her continuing slumber. It was time to discuss the reason for this impossible meeting.
Then he recalled that along with the breathing, the elder had rubbed the animal’s chest.
Leo nudged the woman onto her back and stared at the swell of her breasts. Some women—no matter what their race—became agitated if a male touched their curves without permission. He hesitated. No, better for her to harangue him and live rather than remain still as death.
Leo placed his hands in the middle of the woman’s chest and pressed down in a rhythmic pumping action. At the same time, he inhaled into her mouth, part of him aware of the velvet texture of her lips. A frisson of pleasure raced through his limbs. By Lodar! He ignored the lengthening of his masculine parts.
Examine those possibilities later. Instinct told him this woman was important, and this drove him to continue breathing for the woman, urging her back to life.
She made a sound—a kind of splutter—and hope bloomed in his chest.
He pressed her torso again, taking care to curb his full strength. Leo breathed into her mouth, using a smidgeon of his dragon-fire.
Liza (Dragon Isles Book 1) Page 2
