by test
“You’re as hard as a rock.”
He grimaced. She was going to be the undoing of him. He pulled her toward
him. He thrust into her, burying himself deep within her. They remained frozen in the moment. “I could get used to this.” She locked gazes with him. Heat permeated off the walls again. She bucked against him enticing him to start the mating dance. Sweat glistened across her brow. He pumped inside of her, watching as the thrills of pleasure started to work their way across her face. He wanted to lock this moment away in his memory. No matter what darkness came their way, they’d always have last night and this morning.
She met his every thrust, lifting her hips, and then, miraculously lifting them both off the mattress. He didn’t wonder at it, he knew she commanded her own form of magic. They kissed as they both shuddered with their own climaxes.
“Heaven’s bliss is in your arms.” She sighed.
He smiled. They remained locked within each other’s arms for the next few
DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
minutes. He started to feel drowsy. He could feel himself drifting away.
Grania detangled herself from his hold, and slowly took one last moment to look at his face. He looked so peaceful. But she was restless. She’d hoped their lovemaking would have taken some of the edge off, but it hadn’t taken enough of the edge off.
She stood up, reaching for her dressing gown. Then, she walked over to the large chest that took up almost one side of her bedroom. It had the Welsh Dragon crest emblazoned on the front of it. Over a thousand years ago. The Welsh Red Dragon was the flag used by the Royalist Dragon Shifters.
She rubbed her hand over the carving and flipped the latch on it that released the hinge. She opened it up, and took a moment to reflect on the contents inside.
Pushing aside some old outfits, blankets and sheets, she reached for what she was searching for. It had once belonged to her mother. Would she still remember how to call upon the power it wielded? It was the only way. She reached for the bow and the quiver that had been enchanted so many years ago.
“What are you doing? Grania, what the hell are you holding?”
He was wide-awake now, and he sounded frightened for her.
“My mother was the most skilled archer in the land. This was before Dragonia
was created for us. Nothing could stand against her mighty arrows. This quiver was conjured into existence by Merlin.”
“Merlin?” She could hear the awe in his voice. She heard him bound off the bed.
He came up behind her. She didn’t have to turn to know that he was striding toward her in all of his naked glory.
“I wouldn’t expect you to be intimidated by that knowledge. Merlin was one of your ancestors.”
“Well, I didn’t know him, he disappeared into the mists of time long ago. There aren’t many that even recall him personally that exist. When I was getting my magical education he was on the lips of all of my teachers. He is the most honored wizard of all time.”
“Well, if you think Merlin was ancient, my father pre-dates him. He found glory in the Roman Empire far before he came to England. My father was once on the Roman Senate. My mother told me once that no one really knows how old he truly is. While he worked for Rome he shifted in secrecy. Then, a betrayal sent him against his adopted country and he started to call this island his home.”
“I didn’t know that.”
She smiled. “Not many know the true history of the great Lord Draco.”
“Your mother?”
“My mother never wanted to be a dragon shifter. She and her twin were royal
princesses here on Earth. My mother wanted to be a witch. She longed for that existence. She didn’t embrace her dragon side, nor did she want to remain one for her entire life. She fell in love with a wizard, but in the end, that affair ended in tragedy when my father appeared in her life. Never before had she realized the strength and intensity of the mating ritual ... nothing in her life had ever prepared her for the effects of the mating fire. They were both consumed.”
“And your mother’s wizard lover?”
“He didn’t want to let her go. However, when he discovered what she truly was, DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
what her second skin was, it set him on edge. He was a lover scorned, and he wouldn’t let her leave him without feeling the consequences of her actions. He was a most powerful wizard,” she sighed, as pain tightened in her chest. Recalling the story her mother had told her so long ago was dredging up old pain.
“He tried to hurt her?”
“No. Not physically. He set upon her emotional side. My mother had a heart
that overflowed with compassion for the mortals and this land. He cursed her. He told her that my father would betray her and break her heart. That one fateful action would take her life.”
“Your mother didn’t die from a broken heart though .…”
“Didn’t she? The events surrounding her death are fairly sketchy. I was away in another war torn realm when she died here on Earth. I have no idea why she’d returned, though she did send me a letter saying she had come here to find something that was very precious to me.”
“Was she looking for me?”
“I don’t know. I have a feeling my mother was never told the destiny that the seers had foreseen for me long ago. I know she never would have kept me from you since she herself gave up everything for my father.”
“Why did your mother’s twin end up ruling Dragonia?” he asked gently.
“My mother was supposed to rule with her. They were from the House of
Gemini, on their mother's side you see. Most of the rulers in that mystical line had ruled in conjunction with their twin counterpart. When Dragonia came into being my mother knew that my father could never share power. So, she forfeited all of her rights to her sister. It would seem my mother was correct. My father lusts for power in an insatiable manner ... nothing will ever sate it. Nothing but his complete and utter defeat.”
“Why the bow and arrows?”
“The arrows that this quiver conjures are capable of killing dragon shifters.”
“God damn it! Put them back. There’s a reason that thing was hidden. We can’t risk you getting the wrong end of an abandoned arrow.”
“That’s the sweetest thing about this quiver. The arrows it creates on demand disappear once they find their intended target. They simply vanish in thin air.”
“Impossible.”
“You are a wizard. You, yourself, realize that magic makes most impossible
things, possible.”
“I’ve only heard of one other quiver like that. Robin Hood had one given to him by a friend on his journeys.”
“Aye. And this is much like Robin’s.” She gave him a knowing smile.
“I’m serious, Grania. I don’t want you using that thing.”
“It will serve us well in our fight against my father’s sources.”
“You, yourself, said that there are other ways to kill dragon shifters. Hell, we made out alright yesterday.”
“That was yesterday. Today and for the rest of the war days he will up the ante.
He will not allow his defeat to befall him easily.”
“We both know he will go down fighting, but I highly doubt you need to start
running around like Robin Hood.”
“You are making fun of my family history. This is the only way to pay homage to DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
my mother. I feel quite certain that he had a hand in my mother’s death. If he truly wanted Blaze’s mother, he probably eliminated the competition.”
“I don’t think he would have killed his mate. That’s taking murder to a whole new sick level.”
“Donal O’Malley did it. What if that’s why he has gone half-crazed? When my
parents first met it was as enemies. He was Roman … she was Celt. She was the true heir to the Welsh Red and White Dragon lines, she and my aunt. I
was the complete epitome of everything that those two ancient dragon shifter clans stood for. I was both white and red. It is rumored that when the white dragon shifter with the red hair finds her mate she will be able to change her colors at will.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“It didn’t seem to really sink into my head before. Last night I had a dream and recalled the legend that my mother told me when I was but a child. That’s why my father never wanted me to find my true mate. Last night wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“Why?”
“Because now I am the true savior of my people. Legend states that one day war will divide our kind, and when that day comes there will be both a white and red dragon shifter that will liberate our kind. This dragon shifter will be born white and when she finds her mate, she will be able to transform into a red skinned, white mane dragon shifter. In her dragon shifter form, she can transform between both colors at will.”
“Interesting, but you’re starting to creep me out. You aren’t going to suddenly get red human skin are you?”
“Never. We are always human. This form can never shift into anything else.”
“Good to know.”
He crept up behind her. He was close enough now so that their bodies touched.
“I really don’t think you should be using that weapon. It spooks me out, Grania.”
“I will. It was created for this day.”
“What day?”
She turned to face him. “The day I kill my own father.”
DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
Chapter Sixteen
“No.”
He stepped backward from her. Rage creased his features. “You will not kill
your own father. That’s my job. Do you hear me? It’s my bloody job!” He suddenly realized he was naked. Snapping his fingers, he was instantly garbed in a crimson robe.
“You will be busy with other distractions. I have no doubt that my father has called on magical allies … these magical allies will keep the witches and wizards occupied.”
“My mother has probably already sent out missives to our magical allies.”
“I’m happy for your mother. But the magical allies my father will call will still be a threat to your kind. I wouldn’t count on the easy victory you might have been envisioning last night. ”
He scrubbed his hand over his face, swearing liberally under his breath. “Dark magic allies, right?” Dread enveloped his face, and he swallowed so hard that his Adam’s Apple did a nervous jig in his throat.
“Yes. And they will wield power the likes of which just might bring your kind to their knees. This is the only right course, Dylan. You must have faith in me.”
She turned away from him, reaching carefully into her trunk. She pulled out the quiver and arrows.
“Put that thing down, now!”
“You worry too much, Dylan. I’ve seen the way you react when thrust into a
combat situation. I’m not going to impale myself on my own arrow. So, just stop fretting, you cease your worrying and I’ll feel so much better. Right now, I feel as if you're wound tighter than a Celtic knot.”
“I will never stop worrying about you when it comes to your possible death. I don’t want anything within fifty feet of here that could possibly kill you.”
“Take one of those knives downstairs and impale me with it while I’m sleeping
and I’m dead. As long as you thrust it through my heart that is.”
“Fuck it, Grania! You really need to get serious. This isn’t something to joke about. Your life is very precious to me.”
She looked up sharply at him. “Such foul language in front of me, Dylan. You really should curb your tongue, or else I might be inclined to wash your mouth out with soap.”
“I will use whatever language I deem necessary for the scenario at hand. Besides, you aren't exactly little Miss Innocent when it comes to using dirty words. You are playing with bloody fire … and you won’t like it if it ends up backfiring on you.”
“Again, you are making no sense. As soon as we walk out of here we are both
one-step away from death. When you’re fighting a war that’s the peril we all live with on a daily basis.”
“I won’t let you gamble with your life like this. It’s almost as if you have a death wish.”
DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
She sighed. “I want to stop Draco. It’s the only way … someone of his blood is the only dragon shifter strong enough. Denys and his other lackeys might think they have what it takes to bring him to his knees, but they don’t. Draco is strong. He’s so old
… his age feeds his power. It has to end.”
“I don’t want the dawn coming without you by my side. If this is the twilight …
then, when night falls or day breaks I will not enter into that new beginning without you.
Not after what we’ve shared.”
“You didn’t like me when we first met. I grated on your last nerve. You must have felt so emasculated. And, yet, here we are totally and completely committed to each other in a way my parents never were. We risked everything to be together. My mother risked everything, but my father didn’t. He only takes risks when he knows he’s not going to get burned in the end. I need to do this, Dylan. Listen to me, my mother used this weapon without accidentally killing herself. I will follow in her footsteps as well.”
“I pray that you are right.”
Setting the bow and quiver aside, she walked toward him. Leaning her forehead to his chest, she pressed herself against him, dragging in his comforting scent. “You smell like heaven to me.”
“I probably smell like sweat.” He laughed. “You gave me quite the good workout last night and this morning.”
“And let’s not spoil this morning with an argument. We have plenty of time to have rip-roaring rows with each other. You have to trust me and know that I will never do anything as stupid as accidentally killing myself. I’ve been a warrior for a long time.”
“I know. You are a beautiful warrior woman. I can’t get enough of just looking at your loveliness.”
She started to push him back toward the bed. She heard him give out a husky
growl. His cock throbbed to life beneath her. She pushed him so that he sat on the bed, and she straddled him. She was already soaked with her desire. Her athletic flexibility came in handy, as she felt him slide inside of her. Wrapping her legs around his middle, she rode him with reckless abandon, focusing on him and only him, until they both found their blissful releases.
* * * *
Dylan watched Grania closely. They’d showered together and eaten breakfast together in relative silence. Every time he’d tried to bring up the subject of the quiver and arrows she had distracted him with her artful skills of seduction. For being a novice, she was certainly learning fast. He smiled, as he continued to watch her braid her long hair.
“I could do that for you.”
She paused at his offer. “You know how to braid hair?”
“Why is that so surprising?”
“I don’t even want to know who taught you how. I might get jealous.” Her voice was clipped, tension bled through it. She was already jealous. He stood up and moved over to her. Taking the coated elastic band from her, he deftly slipped it around the end of her French braid.
“See? I could have done it all for you, but at least I’m not totally useless.”
“You are certainly not totally useless.” She turned around and cupped his cheek with her hand. “Why do you say such a thing?”
DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170
“Because you want me to trust you and yet you don’t trust me to protect you.”
“We’ve been over this, Dylan. You are my charge. I’ve been set with the honor of protecting you.”
“Aye, well, as husband and wife we protect each other.”
“That is true,” she relented.
“Then, stop calling
yourself my protector. I’m your husband, or people will start to think things.”
“Once they see how well you conduct yourself in battle, they will stop thinking those things.” She sighed. She came to attention when something behind him sparked her interest.
“My globe … it’s glowing,” she mused breathlessly. Hope entering her heart.
“I guess you have an incoming call.”
“Indeed.” She walked to the globe and picked it up. It instantly cleared, revealing Nicholas’s tired and anxious visage.
“Nicholas!” Dylan shouted the greeting wincing at the sound of excitement in his voice. She gave him a warning glance. He shut his mouth.
“Dylan, Grania … I’ve been trying to get through to you guys all bloody night!
The channel has been busy though.”
Grania gave him another stern look. He shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t do it, honestly. My mother might be blocking communications, or maybe Draco is
responsible.”
“That’s why I’m calling. I managed to smuggle your cousins out of the palace.
We’re in the Lorien Forest right now, hiding with what’s left of the rebel factions here on Dragonia. How goes it with you? Draco seems even more confidant than usual.”
“He shouldn’t. We made short work of the first wave he sent here.”
“First wave? I see.” Nicholas looked deeply pained. “Dylan, you need to get a hold of your mother right away, I wasn’t able to send a communiqué to her.”
“What do you need me to tell her?”
“Tell her that Draco has just begun. That first wave he sent is nothing. It’s piddly shit compared to what he has in store for Earth. The second wave is coming soon, and not only will there be dragon shifters in the forces there will also be Dark Harpies, and Menopian Trolls.”
“Menopian Trolls?” She gave him a confused glance.
“Evil big buggers. Not nice to find in a dark alley, trust me. I’m surprised he’s not bringing vampires as well.” Dylan groaned, clenching his jaw at the thought.
* * * *
