Ten minutes and two energy bars later, Emilia stood at the mouth of the tunnel leading from her cave. She looked back at the place her dragon had slept for so long, before turning to face Thorn. He held out his hand and she took it, the first connection of skin against skin infusing him with longing.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes. Will my treasure be safe here with no barrier to protect it?” She looked to Magnus.
“It’s safe. For now. We can move our treasure soon. You are more important right now.” Magnus and Ruby ducked down and entered the tunnel, leaving Emilia and Thorn alone for a moment.
“I’ll stay by your side,” Thorn assured her as uncertainty crossed her face. He would protect her from anything or anyone who might cause her harm. With his life if he had to.
“I’m scared of what the outside world is like. So long has passed since I walked these mountains. My home…the cottage.” She watched his expression change to sorrow and nodded. “It is gone.”
“It’s in ruins. But it could be rebuilt, we could live there, you and me and raise our children by the side of the creek.” His mind conjured up the image of the old painting of Emilia standing outside of the cottage. Young, fresh-faced and eager to experience life, it was unfair for that life to have been cut short. “I want you to be happy, Emilia, you deserve it.”
She smiled sadly. “I don’t know what I deserve. I misjudged Perry, and Magnus paid the price for my lack of good judgment.”
Thorn stepped closer to Emilia and tightened his hold on her hand. “From what I’ve seen, Magnus is happy, really happy. Ruby is his mate and if this hadn’t happened, they might never have met, or Magnus may have been an old dragon.”
“Fate. You want me to trust in fate?”
“I do. Or at least give fate a chance.” He looked over his shoulder at the huge pile of treasure. “What have you got to lose?”
“Very well. For you, I will try to believe that this happened for a reason.” She nodded. “I’m ready to see this new world of yours.”
“And I am more than ready to share it with you.” He ducked under the low ceiling of the tunnel and led her out into the cave where Magnus and Ruby were waiting.
More treasure, Thorn longed to stop and sift through the gold and jewels covering the cave floor. But he needed to win Magnus over before asking. Despite his bond with Emilia, Thorn hadn’t earned her brother’s trust, not least because Peregrine Manning’s blood coursed through his veins.
Still, he had time. All his life, to be accepted by the dragons. As long as Emilia accepted him, that was all that mattered.
Chapter Four – Emilia
The cool, fresh mountain air caressed her face as she emerged from the caves that had been her resting place while the world continued to turn and trees she had known as saplings grew big and strong. Would she ever enjoy this new world without feeling robbed? Her friends, a life she loved, had been taken from her by Perry, driven by a possessiveness that turned a benevolent man into a person capable of ruining lives no matter what the cost.
“Will Emilia be strong enough to climb the boulders or can you shift and fly from here?” Thorn asked. He still held her hand in his as if his intention was to never let her go.
Was the descendant of Perry also possessive and dishonorable? Would he be so cruel if she could not give him what he needed? Panic bloomed in her heart like a poisonous flower, its tendrils unfurling and snaking through her veins.
He is not Peregrine Manning, her dragon reminded her.
Her dragon, who had slept for the same number of years, who had been her constant companion, through dreams and nightmares. Emilia touched her hand to her head. She was not ready to recall the horrors that had visited her dreams.
“I’d like to walk,” she replied quickly. “Please, do not take it upon yourself to make decisions for me.”
“That’s not why I asked,” Thorn said quickly. “It’s dark and Magnus and Ruby know this trail well.”
She had not meant her words to come out so abruptly, but she remembered her old life when men thought they could treat a woman like chattels, not dissimilar from a cow grazing in a field or a dog barking at the door.
Emilia made no apology. “I’d like to stretch my muscles and feel alive again. And awake.”
Thorn nodded. “This way, my lady.” The corners of his mouth twitched, and he hid a smile that made her stomach do a backflip. Yet he reminded her of Perry, there was a family resemblance even though they were generations apart.
With renewed energy and a desire to prove herself, Emilia followed Thorn to the rocks blocking the trail. Only when they stood at the bottom of the small mountain of boulders did she understand why Thorn had questioned her ability to climb. Huge boulders had been stacked on top of each other in a bid to block the trail. From where Emilia stood, they seemed insurmountable, particularly in the remains of her dress.
“Wait, I have something else you can wear,” Thorn said as if reading her mind. He took his pack off his back and set it on the ground. Aiming the light from his headlamp on the pack, he rummaged through the contents until he saw what he needed and pulled out a long item of clothing.
Emilia reached out and touched the fabric, it was smooth almost like silk, but it rustled, and the fastener was made of many tiny teeth that fit together perfectly.
“Here, I’ll unzip it and you can put it on.” Thorn’s big strong hands unzipped the teeth and then held the item of clothing up for her to slip her arms into.
“A coat.” She looked down at the hem of the coat that skimmed her thighs. It was too short to hide her modesty if her dress ripped any further, but it was better than being as naked as a babe on the journey down the mountain. Although Emilia doubted she would make it all the way down the mountain on two feet since her energy levels were already diminishing.
“I always keep it in my pack in case it rains,” Thorn said as he fitted the ends of the zip together and drew it upward, closing the teeth.
“Thank you,” she said and ran her hands down the coat. “I have never seen such a fabric.”
“Abaca fiber. It’s water-proof, made from banana leaves. It’s naturally water-repellent.” Thorn put his pack on his back.
“There are many things that are new in this world,” Magnus told her as they prepared to climb.
Nervous but excited, Emilia took a deep breath, summoning her courage. “I am ready to meet this new world.”
“I can loan you some proper clothes when we get home,” Ruby offered. Her brother’s mate had hardly spoken in all the time since the barrier came down. Emilia desperately wanted them to be friends since the three people with her here on the mountainside were the only three people she knew in the world right now.
“Thank you. I would be most grateful.” Did she sound too aloof? “I may also need lessons in the etiquette of your new world.”
“Etiquette?” Ruby frowned in the light of the flashlight. “You mean how women are supposed to behave?”
“I would like to fit in.” Her eyes flickered to Magnus. “We never did before.”
“No, we were always trying to be something we were not.” Magnus put his arm around her shoulder. “Ruby’s family is also made up of several dragons; her mother has lived through all the great ages, she will help you. As she has helped other dragons.”
“Fiona is my stepmom, she adopted me and my sister,” Ruby added.
“Don’t forget me,” Thorn sounded disgruntled. “Since you are my mate, I intend to help you in every way I can.”
“Then help me here.” Emilia looked up at the boulders. “It appears there is another barrier trying to prevent me from leaving these caves.”
“Together we can get over it.” Thorn stepped up onto the first boulder and reached out for her hand. She placed her small hand in his large one and he folded his fingers over. His strong grasp made her feel safe, and so did his strong arms when he pulled her up to stand by his side. “Tell me if you need to stop.
”
“I will.” They climbed further, and Emilia tried to ignore the rip of fabric that accompanied each stage of their bid to reach the summit of the boulders.
Beside her, Ruby and Magnus climbed, too, until one by one they straddled the boulders lined up along the top of the pile. “Going down should be easier,” Thorn encouraged as he took a water bottle from his pack and offered her a drink.
“Thank you.” The water was cool on her lips and she drank her fill. Water had never tasted so sweet. She passed it to Ruby who drank and then passed it to Magnus.
When they had all drunk and rested, although Emilia was certain they were only resting there for her sake, they began their descent. Slowly, with Thorn below her ready to catch her if she fell, they worked their way down until they were standing on the trail on the lower side of the mountain.
“We can walk further down the trail until it widens, but then we should shift. Emilia, if you don’t want to shift, Magnus and I can carry you both down the mountain on our backs,” Ruby offered.
Emilia considered the offer for a moment and shook her head. “I’ll fly down and carry Thorn.”
“What? Fly?” Thorn asked. “I prefer two feet or four paws, thank you.”
“We could go on ahead and meet you back at Ruby’s house.” Magnus’s offer was met with a frown.
“I don’t intend to let Emilia out of my sight.” Thorn had only just found her, he was not about to let her fly off into the unknown without him, and Emilia understood perfectly. She did not want Thorn to leave her side. Considering they had only just met, this was a strange sensation. One she was not sure she liked. She belonged to no man.
“Unless you can carry her down the mountain on your back, you will have to get used to two wings instead of your four paws.” Magnus walked on, not entering into a discussion.
“You do not care what I want, Magnus?” Emilia asked, an edge to her voice. No one owned her. No one had the right to determine her fate. She took a gulp of air and fought off the sense that walls were closing in on her. She was free, and no one was going to put her back inside the cave. No one wanted to make her a prisoner once more.
“I care, but you cannot walk down off the mountain,” Magnus told her gently, and he was right, she didn’t have the strength to walk. “Listen, I’ve never told you what to do. But I do know how I felt when I woke up. The strength ebbed from my body until I could barely lift my feet off the ground.”
Emilia took hold of Thorn’s hand. She needed the buzz that covered her skin and threaded its way through her body. His touch made her feel alive. “You want me to trust you.”
Thorn gave her a lopsided grin. “And you are asking for the same trust in return?”
She nodded, fatigue creeping up on her. “I do. I do not have the strength to walk down off the mountain. But I also wish to keep you by my side. Or on my back.”
“Then I have no choice.” He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her skin. Flames of desire flickered into life and as he raised his eyes to hers, the hunger there turned those flames into a raging inferno. “I’ll follow you where you go.”
“Great, that’s settled,” Ruby said curtly. “Let’s get home.”
“Are you certain you are strong enough to shift?” Magnus asked with concern.
“I would not offer to carry my mate down off the mountain if I was not.” Emilia turned to her brother and cupped his cheek in her hand. “I am not a wilting flower.”
He chuckled. “I have missed you, Emilia.” He kissed her cheek and she could almost believe no time had passed and they would descend the mountain, and everything would be as it was.
“I have missed you, too, Magnus.” She looked down the trail and then took a step forward, trying to hide the tiredness that threatened to claim her. She would find the strength to shift. The thrill of her mate straddling her dragon’s back and then flying down off the mountain together would give her the energy she needed.
Fifty feet further and they stopped once more. The path was just about wide enough for them to shift although the drop down into the valley below gave her a twinge of concern. If Thorn misjudged getting on her back or if she stumbled and sent him sprawling over the edge, a very long way down awaited him.
Her dragon snorted her derision, reminding Emilia she could do this. I believe you, only…
Only what? her dragon asked.
We hardly ever shifted…before. Emilia could clearly recall her dragon’s desperate attempts to persuade Emilia shifting and flying as a dragon was safe. If they flew over the mountains under cover of darkness they would not be seen. But the death of Emilia’s father when she was a girl had instilled a fear in her human side. She did not want to die with a spear embedded in her dragon’s heart.
I can do it. Her dragon’s voice was firm, and Emilia’s human side did not argue, she trusted her dragon, especially when it came to the safety of her mate.
Very well. She sighed and turned to Magnus. “Who goes first?”
Magnus placed his hand on Ruby’s shoulder. “Will you go first and wait for Emi to shift and lead her to your house? I’ll shift last and bring up the rear.”
“Sure.” Ruby kissed Magnus on the cheek, and then walked away from the others and shifted into her dragon. The flashlights shone on her ruby red scales as her skin rippled and she launched herself off the edge of the trail and into the darkness.
“I never expected to see a real dragon.” Thorn was in awe of the fiery beast as she flapped her wings hard and rose in the sky, where she caught a warm thermal and circled effortlessly above their heads.
A twinge of jealousy struck Emilia. Although she knew Thorn would never betray her and would be loyal until his last breath, she could not help it. His eyes were for her only. His touch was for her only.
“Are you ready?” Magnus asked. Did he sense her jealousy?
“I am.” Emilia moved away from the two men and stood still, allowing her dragon her freedom.
The air shimmered, and the night filled with a crackling and popping as her dragon burst forth. With talons raking up the trail beneath her feet, she stood majestic, shimmering like an azure sea. Sweeping small rocks and stones over the edge of the trail, she turned around and faced her mate.
“Wow!” Thorn gasped. Her dragon could live with that.
Emilia lowered her head and puffed smoke at him, before inhaling deeply, taking in his scent and storing it in her memory for eternity. Closing her eyes, she shivered in ecstasy as Thorn touched his hand to her long snout and stroked her scaly skin.
“It’s good to see you again.” Magnus ran his hand down her sinewy neck. “It has been too long.”
Her head snaked around, and she rested her head on his shoulder as if hugging him. They had rarely flown together. And never since the death of their mother. She remembered the day, remembered telling him they only had each other left and the thought of being alone was too much to bear. On that day, Emilia had made Magnus promise he would never shift. Never risk anyone seeing his dragon.
If only she had heeded her own advice and not shared her secret with Perry, none of this would have happened.
Yet when she bent her foreleg and Thorn sprang up onto her back and grasped hold of her horny spine, she was willing to believe it was how things were meant to be. She forced herself to believe fate had a plan and that plan had now come to fruition centuries later.
“Take care.” Magnus’s words followed her into the dark night as she launched herself off the side of the ledge. For a moment, the added weight of Thorn made her falter, but she dug deep and found the strength to carry him through the air, her wings beating down hard, lifting her body higher.
They climbed through the air and joined Ruby as she circled above the valley. When Magnus reached them, Ruby flew beside him, rubbing her neck along his before they parted and turned away from the cave where Emilia had slept for so long.
Emilia followed, unprepared for the shock of this new world, but safe in the know
ledge that Thorn was by her side.
Chapter Five – Thorn
He straddled his mate as she flew fast and true behind Ruby. He wanted to pinch himself to check if this was real. For a man who spent his life chasing down myths and lost artifacts, discovering dragons were real was not as shocking as it might have been. However, to fly on the back of one of these amazing creatures—who was also his mate—that might take some getting used to.
As Emilia raced through a narrow valley, her taloned feet scraped the high rockface and sent rocks cascading into the valley below. Thorn held on tighter as she picked up speed, the thrill of excitement threading through him set every nerve ending to tingling. He sure could get used to the thrill and excitement of dragon riding.
As they left the narrow valley, Ruby slowed and flew lower, hugging the tree line as they drew closer to the town of Bear Creek. When he had climbed the mountain earlier this evening to follow the dragons and uncover their secret, he’d never imagined their secret would quickly become his secret. But it was. Despite his desire to bring the past into the open so everyday people could share in it and wonder at it, this part of history was going to stay hidden. His to treasure in private.
Emilia was not about to end up as part of a freak show. And her treasure would remain hers. He would never ask her for any part of it, not for himself or for a display in the museum. Except perhaps the amulet.
That was one object he’d like to study. Thorn wanted to figure out how it projected the barrier. Had it been made specifically to keep Emilia in and treasure hunters out, or had it been taken from somewhere else? And then there was the Jewel of Avantar, lost for generations, he was compelled to return it to the people of Brazil where it had been stolen long ago. The story of the lost Jewel of Avantar was well-known among treasure hunters, it was almost as big as the search for the Holy Grail.
Ruby switched direction and Emilia followed in her wake, but she was tiring, each rise and fall of her wings robbing her of more energy. Thorn placed his hand on her shoulder, lending her his energy as he willed her to keep going. If he could help in any other way, he would.
Treasure Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 19) Page 4
