“And even when I was too young to do it well, she allowed me to tend to her. I checked her for parasites, cleaned her scales until they shone, and did what I could to sing her praises.”
“So you took care of her, and she took care of you?”
“Yes,” he agreed, but the word sounded like a denial. “But it was more than that. She loved me. I loved her. It was as if I had two mothers. And when I came of age, she gave me the greatest gift a dragon could give a human.”
His mouth closed and pain-filled eyes met her own.
“What was that?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said slowly. “What does matter is that we should have grown old together. I should have been her tender, and my children thereafter, but we were attacked. And Sarfy gave her life to save me. To save all of us. I can’t let her sacrifice be in vain.”
The passion and misery in his voice brought a wave of empathy so strong she choked back the tears threatening to spill. Never before had she considered an animal, a dragon, could be anything like a human. But hearing Drazen’s story, her perspective shifted. It was an uncomfortable feeling. Too much in the past few days she’s felt like something inside her was changing, and she wasn’t sure she wanted it to.
“I believe you,” was all she could think to say. “But why tell me all of this?”
“Because. All the dragons are dead. But their eggs live on. Each day that passes, the likelihood of finding them, still living and whole, becomes less likely. I’ve spent nearly the past fifty years looking for them, but I’ve been unsuccessful.”
“Are they somewhere in the Prairie Lands?”
He finally looked away from the fire. “How did you know?”
She pointed over his shoulder around her wine glass. “Your maps.”
“Yes,” he confessed. “They are, but the dragons bury them deeply and seal them with fire. The only way to find one, if you don’t stumble upon one by pure luck, is to use magic to ‘feel’ for them. But it’s like reaching out; it only works if they reach back.”
“And… I know you won’t like this question, but would it truly be so terrible for the dragons not to come back? For magic to disappear?”
His lips drew into a thin line. “Yes. If all magic disappears, the only life that will be left will be hollow shadows of life. Your stones may kill most of your magic, but a glimmer of it survives. Even so, your people are miserable creatures, never fully enjoying all that life has to offer. Food, the joys of children, even sex, is all dulled because one of your senses is dead to the world.” His intense gaze bore through her. “But if all magic were to die, we’d be worse than animals. Nothing in life would bring us any kind of feeling. Not pleasure, or anger, or sadness. Not anything. We’d go through life as if it were nothing more than an obligation.”
She wasn’t sure losing all magic would truly have such a great impact on the world, but she was sure, he was sure. And for reasons she didn’t understand, that was enough for her.
“So to have the world, we need to bring back dragons?”
He nodded. “Can you help me do that?”
Staring into his soft, grey eyes, she wanted more than anything to tell him ‘yes,’ but she couldn’t. “I don’t know.”
His finger stroked the backs of fingers. “You have to be able to, or the water wouldn’t have brought you to me.”
“Maybe it was wrong,” she whispered. Then, taking a deep breath, she revealed more of herself to him. “I’m just a girl trying to find a Dragulous, to free myself of an unwanted marriage. I can’t see how our goals align, or why… the magic, would have brought me to you.”
He sat up straighter. “Why are going to find a Dragulous?”
“I don’t want to tell you.”
“Please, I think it might be the answer,’ he begged.
Even though she knew he wouldn’t like what she had to say, she told him.
“But you can’t kill a Dragulous!”
“I have to,” she explained. “It’s the only way I can be free.”
“I guess that’s something we both have in common,” he said, frowning. “We both want to be free.”
Their gazes met, and his eyes widened as if he was seeing her for the first time.
She didn’t know what was happening until his lips pressed against hers, and then she was reaching for him. Their kiss started off soft and tentative, but changed within seconds, growing deeper and more intense.
When his lips slid down her neck, she found herself panting. Aching for things she didn’t understand. Her body alive everywhere the man touched.
He sucked the junction of her neck and shoulder, and she gasped, grabbing his hair.
“Damn it,” he muttered and drew back.
“What?” she asked, finding it hard to catch her breath.
She felt the shudder that went through his body. “That’s not what we’re here for. It’s just been so long since I wanted… anything… anything but the dragon eggs.”
His hand slowly closed over her own again, tighter and tighter. “But…” he seemed as if he’d had something important to say when he looked down at their hands. “What’s happening?”
She tried to jerk her hand away. “Let go. You’re hurting me.”
“I can’t,” he responded, panic lacing his words. And then, at the same time, they noticed the mist. It was blacker than smoke, moving towards them like a predator hunting prey. “We need to get out of here,” he told her, his voice rising. “Something is happening. Something is coming for us. Wake up, Kadelynn. Wake up!”
His hand crushed her own, bringing a cry of pain to her lips.
She awoke to a star-speckled sky, and Eckrem leaning over her, his clammy hand crushing her own. She tried to pull herself free of him, to unsheathe the dagger digging into her palm, but his grip was like a vice.
“Shhhh,” he whispered to her, leaning down, so his mouth nearly touched her ear. “I felt the Life Essence in you, brimming with strength. I want… just a taste. Maybe your sight or a good memory? I’ll leave the rest of you.”
A scream caught in her throat.
“If,” the word came from Acker, harsh but dragging with drunkenness, “you don’t get away from her, I’m going to kill you.”
For a minute the Cahula’s dark eyes penetrated her, but then he released her and moved away. With a drunken clumsiness, he picked up his bags and threw them over his shoulder. “No offense meant. Can’t blame the leopard for salivating at the deer.”
Her shock released her abruptly, and she sat up, unsheathing her dagger as she did so. “But a deer won’t hunt the leopard down and cut his throat,” she hissed.
Acker chuckled, and she turned to regard him where he lay on his blankets, his arms behind his head. “This deer’s got claws, Eckrem.”
The old man laughed. “Apologies, deer.” Then, he turned to Acker. “Will I be welcome at your camp again?”
Acker didn’t move as he responded. “Of course, but don’t ever touch what’s mine again.”
The laughter was gone from his voice.
Without another word, the old man melted into the shadows.
Every muscle in her body strained, begging her to go after him and make him pay, but her insides were a quivering mess. A Cahula had touched her, threatened her. She was lucky to be alive. And what was more, she’d threatened him in return. It gave her a sliver of pride to know that even though she hadn’t reacted fast enough, she hadn’t completely given in to her fears.
And then there was Acker calling her his. What had he meant by that?
“You all right?” Acker asked.
She still clutched her dagger. “I don’t know. What just happened?”
He sat up slowly. “I thought we’d all passed out for the night, but I dreamed… something strange, and woke up. He was touching you, talking to you, so I stepped in.”
The last words came out almost a growl, and she was shocked when she realized that behind his smooth words and careless attitude, h
e was truly angry that the man had attacked her. Did he care about her more than he wanted to admit?
Her heart hammered as she ran through what had just happened. “What did he want from me?”
He yawned. “What all the Cahula want. Now, enough talk.”
Lying back down, he turned his back to her.
“Are you sure he won’t come back for me?” She asked, staring into the shadows of the night, searching for any sign of the old man.
“I can’t be sure of anything,” Acker mumbled.
She stiffened and looked into the darkness once more. The Cahula had wanted to hurt her. If she went back to sleep, would Acker’s threat really be enough to keep him away?
When she turned back, Acker was watching her. “Hell,” he muttered, squeezing his eyes and running his hands through his dark hair.
Getting up, he gathered his blankets, then laid them behind her.
“What are you doing?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
“I’m going to lie beside you, is that alright?”
She hesitated, but then slowly nodded.
He laid down, and she resheathed her dagger. Acker didn’t touch her, but she could feel his body heat against her back. And as comforting as she found having him near, it was also distracting.
“You’re safe,” he whispered, his voice almost gentle. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, almost to the night itself.
It took him a long minute to answer. “I’m sure.”
“Cahulas are… scary.”
His voice came out low. “Not as scary as I am.”
She shivered.
One of his hands ran lightly over her arm in a comforting way. “I might not understand why you’re doing what you’re doing, but I’m in this now. I’ve given my word.”
“Thank you,” she told him.
For a few minutes, her ears strained, listening for any sound that might mean the Cahula would return, but the night sounded normal. Behind her, Acker’s breathing grew more even, and soon she was certain he’d slipped into sleep.
But she couldn’t seem to calm her thoughts enough to even close her eyes.
Her mind went back to her strange dream. The man in the mist and Acker were like polar-opposites. The man in the dream had been polite, kind, and gentle. She trusted him, not just if he gave his word, but because he radiated the kind of honor that only good men had. While Acker… she couldn’t decide who he was behind all his airs. And yet, they both stirred those same strange feelings inside her.
She found them attractive. And interesting.
But neither man could be anything more than a fantasy to her. As much as her people believed women had no honor, she did, and she had every intention of returning to her father and earning her freedom the right way. Nothing else could distract her from her goal.
Forcing her eyes closed, she tried to ignore Acker so close behind her. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t.
It’s going to be a long night.
5
Gannon
Gannon stared down at the message for the thousandth time, the one that had distracted him from his search for his missing betrothed, Kadelynn. His fingertips dampened the edges, but the words were still bold and clear to his nervous eyes.
Unfortunately.
The words were written by a careless man, with a careless hand, but they’d completely changed his plans. Something he resented beyond words. Yet, it was more than just anger that he felt. Worry, fear, and confusion forced him to pick up the message over and over again, searching for a clue he might have missed.
Unconsciously, he folded and then unfolded the larger of the two papers again, reading the heart-wrenching words.
Quite unexpectedly, your cousin, King Reid Tudler, took an interest in the negotiations with the Northerners. He ignored all your careful instructions... we could not sway him to do otherwise. His mind was set. A missive was sent to the Northerners declaring our lands our own and that we would build as close to our neighbor’s realm as we wished.
Two days after the missive was sent, Clifftown was destroyed. Another day passed, and Laynewish was no more. The few survivors speak of an unstoppable magic. And these were just two of our closest towns to our neighbors.
Our people are afraid. They don’t know if our enemies will stop there, for we have far more unprotected towns near our neighbors.
It seems all you feared has come to pass. We have begun a war we have no chance of winning.
His missive destroyed all of your negotiations and now we have a dangerous enemy. Their blood will be on the king’s hands.
What’s more, for an unexplainable reason, the king has demanded all communication with the Prairie Lands cease. I have been forced to send this message through slow, but less dangerous, means.
Folding the elegant, unsigned paper carefully, he tucked it into the pocket of his coat and picked up the tiny scrap of paper that rested on his knee. This one was short, having been sent by bird. It contained three scribbled lines, but carried news just as horrifying.
King Tudler will arrive at Wipendrow Manor in three days’ time. He is now the Protector. Wait for him.
Something dark uncoiled in his belly. He didn’t relish what this would force him to do. But if taking one life could save his realm, then it was a small price to pay.
“Tea?” Bryland asked, interrupting his unpleasant thoughts, and setting a tray on the small table by Gannon’s elbow. Steam rose from the porcelain mug, and the smell of Chamomile drifted to him. He wrinkled his nose and then caught his valet’s bemused smile as he swept his curly blond hair back from his youthful face. “It will help you relax.”
Gannon folded the message and tucked it into the same small pocket above his breast. “I don’t want to relax. I want to solve this puzzle.”
Bryland spooned a generous amount of honey into the glass and stirred it until the color was more red than golden. “Just give it a little try? I found a honey you might like. It’s sweeter even than the kind you have back home.”
Reluctantly, Gannon took the glass. The warmth of the cup instantly soothed a bit of his frazzled nerves. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the fire as it crackled angrily in its fireplace, and then surveyed the room. It completely lacked taste, but for once he took some comfort from its simplistic, rustic décor. There was something practical and non-distracting about it, besides the fact that it admittedly kept the cold and windy night at bay.
Unlike the rest of Wipendrow Manor. How Kadelynn had grown up in such a place, he had no idea.
“I’ve been thinking over your puzzle.” Bryland unfolded a warm wool blanket the color of rich berries, then draped it over Gannon’s lap. “Your Lady Kadelynn will forgive you for not pursuing her immediately if she’s the woman you think she is. She’ll understand that you couldn’t leave just before the king’s arrival.”
Gannon had been on his horse and ready to leave when he’d received the missive. So instead of riding out with his collection of guards to rescue his betrothed, he’d had to remain behind with his men. Something that drove him mad and caused him to make a questionable decision. The others might believe he’d left finding his bride to his father-in-law, but he’d in fact hired men of dubious merit and used expensive magic to speed them on their way, giving them an advantage in finding her.
If anyone could bring her safely back to him, the men could.
Not that he trusted them, or liked them, or wanted anyone to know he associated with them. Men of that nature were useful though, so he always kept a few of them in his pocket.
“Besides, your father-in-law’s men seemed to be more than capable. They’ll find her, you can be sure of it, and she’ll be returned to you. Then, everything will be as if it never happened.”
Gannon didn’t want the young man to see his doubt, so instead, he shifted in the uncomfortably lumpy chair and took a sip of the tea. For a moment the
taste distracted him, Bryland had been right. It no longer tasted strongly of flowers, something he detested; instead, there was simply a rich sweetness. It was both delicious and comforting.
“And as for why the king is coming… I know you’ve said he wouldn’t abandon his castle, or his fight with the Northerners, just to attend your wedding, but I think I’ve puzzled it out. Maybe he knows how his people are beginning to doubt how he spends their taxes and has come to restore their faith in him.”
Gannon frowned down at his tea. The young man had no idea how much his words reflected Gannon’s own worrisome thoughts, especially since he’d only disclosed a bit of the information in the letters to his valet. His cousin, the king, would not have left his drugs, his women, or the comfort of his castle for anything. At least that’s what Gannon had thought.
Unless he knows of my plans.
And everyone knew the fate of a traitor.
“Don’t frown so,” Bryland pleaded. “I haven’t forgotten the king’s war. Only, I think, if even we didn’t know he was making the journey here, maybe he’s keeping it quiet. Likely, he plans to be back home before they have even realized he’s left.”
“Yes, I guess that’s possible,” Gannon said, wanting more than anything to end their conversation.
If Bryland knew I’d been plotting against the king, he wouldn’t be nearly as relaxed…
“Of course it is!” Bryland exclaimed cheerfully, and then took a deep breath. “But now I think we’ve most definitely put off going down to dinner as long as possible.”
Gannon could think of a hundred things he’d rather do than celebrate his upcoming nuptials with the low-class lords of the Prairie Lands. He had no doubt the night would be even wilder than the past few evenings, little more than a sea of drunken women and men. But he also knew he couldn’t afford to insult them, especially with the king coming to court their favor.
But more than that, he knew with absolute certainty that although all the men gathered in the Great Hall had sworn their loyalty to him, at least one of them was a traitor. Someone had to have warned his cousin what Gannon was up to. And what was more, if Gannon had just days before learning of the king coming to Wipendrow, then others, with closer contacts just beyond the border of their realm, already knew.
Dragon Memories: A High Fantasy Reverse Harem Romance (Legacy of Blood and Magic Book 2) Page 4
