A massive shape had appeared on the far bank of the lake, looking down at its reflection.
For a split second, all I could see were hard edges. No, no, please, it has to be… Maybe there was some land formation or a giant rockfall I hadn’t noticed before.
But no, the lines were too clean. Then they rustled with fluid life, snapping out into elegant, curving lines. Two massive wings. He was real, and my entire body seemed to overflow with that knowledge. Tears pricked my eyes, and a soft, pained breath escaped me, snatched by the wind.
The moon came out from behind a cloud and cast an opalescent gleam over them. It also picked up shades of blue on the creature, glittering like an obsidian rock cut with cobalt and gold.
A large head lifted to the sky, and steam blew out of big nostrils.
Dragon. That—that is a dragon. A real dragon.
One hand pressed to my mouth to muffle my breathing and prevent any ideas about screeching, while the other hand was pressing on the tree to keep me upright.
So many things were crashing and coming apart inside of me, I didn’t know what to think.
One thought, however, rang through, loud and clear.
This is why Orion didn’t want me to come to Winfyre—before.
He tilted his head down and stared back at the water, looking at his reflection. Suddenly, it shifted and shrank, becoming a slash of shadow. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust and find him. A tall man with rich brown skin and curly black hair, staring down at his reflection.
Dragon shifter.
A big, dark, and handsome one. Glad for my excellent eyes and the bright moon, I traced my way down the hard line of his jaw, up to his sharp cheekbones and heavy brow. He was so unbelievably handsome, it was far too easy to think he wasn’t human. Instead, maybe he was a lost dragon god who’d stumbled through the Rift and wound up here in the mountains.
Simple things like breathing, though, were becoming more difficult by the moment. My heart stuttered around my chest, and more tears slipped free.
Run, run, run! logic screamed. I needed to get the hell out of here before the wind changed.
But there was something so arresting about this shifter, standing alone on a winter night, wind tugging at his hair and in nothing but a dark shirt and pants. No coat. Like he couldn't feel the cold for the loneliness. One I understood all too well.
I’d taken a step forward before I realized what I’d done and froze in horror as the snow crunched audibly underfoot. The wind had died, and the sound split the moment in two.
It went from a breathless moment of wonder to one of crushing, intolerable anguish.
And fear. Enough to fill that lake.
Maybe he didn’t—
Blue eyes, startling in the shadows, flashed up at me, and I saw the way his pupils dilated against the gold starburst in his eyes. Shock filled those features, erasing the granite lines for all-too-human ones.
Somehow that made him more handsome, and, in the back of my head, I raged a little at how unfair that was. Only his shock was followed by a flicker of desperation and anger, then nothing.
It was that quick shut-down, the way he wiped all expression, that had me spinning on my heel and running. I didn’t even wait to listen or see if he’d shifted or pursued me on foot.
Ducking into the thicker forest, I focused on finding paths that were either snow-less or thin with snow. Any open ground that wouldn’t leave footprints.
But my body was weak and uncooperative after so many hours of trekking through the teeth of the Farthing Mountains. Not eating meant my head was spinning, and my decision-making was erratic. Stumbling, I caught myself up against a boulder and caught my breath. Every gasp seemed too loud, and I tried to choke them back, hold them in. Hold myself together as I forced myself to accept that I had to run. Because, deep down, I didn’t want to.
Finally, wheezing at a more appropriate level, I tried to reassure myself that he’d think this was a normal reaction. Maybe let me go. Weren’t the Northbane supposed to be these honorable do-gooders who were revered throughout the land?
That’s not what Orion said.
My gloved fingers clutched unconsciously at my left wrist as I stumbled forward and found a huddle of snowy pine branches sweeping down to the forest floor in which to take shelter for a moment. Crouching in the branches, I kept my eyes on the sky and my ears primed for a tell-tale swoop of wings.
When my breath had evened out a little, I wondered if he’d even come after me. My fingers pressed into the edge of the metal band around my left wrist. Either way, he wouldn’t know.
Or would he?
I’d never thought—
My entire body went still as I heard a sound in the distance. Staying absolutely still, head down, I listened and tried not to breathe. I was wearing dark clothing, a rusty brown coat and faded dark green camo pants. I was practically invisible.
Quiet seemed to grip my ears and pulse against my eardrums until I risked lifting my head. With one sweep of my eyes, I saw nothing. Heard nothing. The wind was gone.
Heart slowing, but still wary, I slipped from the pines and began to make my way east. The dragon would have to think I was running north; that was the closest border.
Even though every step felt too loud and too slow, I couldn’t risk going any faster. I did have to get away from the lake. Damn, maybe I should’ve lain low in those pines longer.
Ahead of me was a small glade with a thicket of leafless bushes all around it. Moonlight filled it, and if that dragon shifter was anywhere nearby, it would be a dead giveaway. However, beyond it was all dark woods and perfect hiding places. I’d come through there earlier. I had to chance it.
Taking a deep breath, I lightly ran across the clearing, waiting for a shadow to pounce at any moment. A relieved gasp escaped me as I made my way down into the forest. There was a place close by where I could wait out—
There was a creak from behind me, and I spun around, fists up.
The forest was empty, and a faint breath of wind moved through the branches, then stopped. I glanced up and sighed, letting my hands drop back to my sides. Rubbing my chest, I wondered weakly if I would have a heart attack before I froze to death.
Turning around, I smashed right into a hard, warm body, and strong hands seized me before I could even understand I’d been caught. Before I could even draw another breath, I was pinned against a tree by those strong hands. Every part of me shrank under the glare of blue eyes.
The deep voice that snarled through the night held the promise of splitting me in two.
“Who are you?”
Chapter Three
Xander
A secret kept for six years. Undone in one moment. One stupid, self-indulgent moment.
Not only had I give in to that selfish, stir-crazy need to stretch my wings, but I’d also flown northeast, purposefully heading for an area that wasn’t patrolled often. Too steep and dangerous for most people, even shifters, to slink through. I’d be all alone, without the worry of any eyes.
And yet here she was.
"Who are you?" I snarled again, panic ripping apart my better judgment and manners.
Trespasser or not, I had no right to be manhandling her like this. Somewhere in the back of my head, I knew my mother and grandmother would have my head for this, dragon or not. Yet I couldn’t release my grip, for the fear she’d get away again as she’d eluded me with alarming ease.
And a gut-wrenching fear for her.
I’d thought I’d learned my lesson. How sometimes the worst result from a selfish action wasn’t that you got hurt—it was that someone else paid the damn piper.
Not her, not her, came an unbidden chant. Don’t make her pay for my mistake.
I wanted to see her face, make sure I got a good look at her, but her face was mostly hidden by a scarf. Gray eyes shot with green and hazel stared at me with a mixture of emotions I couldn't quite place. For a moment, I'd have almost sworn she looked relieved instead of terrifi
ed.
“Answer me.” The words erupted from my throat, absurdly angry. But I was furious with her foolishness. Still she didn’t answer, and I drew myself up taller, deepening my voice. “Well?”
“Just a traveler. A lost traveler.” Her voice was soft and muffled by the scarf. I stared her down. No, her gaze was far too calculating for me to buy it, and I repressed a snort. “I didn’t mean—”
“Winfyre’s borders are closed,” I said. My voice still had a dangerous edge to it, and I hated it. “Everyone knows that. Yet here I find your foolish ass sneaking in. Why?”
“Shortcut?” she said in a sheepish tone.
Rational thought and action fled. I snapped, shaking from head to toe with fury, and snarled out, “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? The danger you’ve placed this territory in? Or yourself, for that matter? No one else is supposed to know what I—”
I broke off as horror leaped into her gaze. It was disconcerting, as though this stranger did know. Like she understood the matter at hand in a deeper and more intimate way than she should have.
It also made me deeply uneasy. No lost traveler would act like this. Had she been sent here? Was she a Tiselk scout? Some Greyclaw spy? A Skror?
“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” she said in a thin voice. “The last thing I wanted was to run into anyone or…” Her eyes closed, and she pressed back against the tree. “I’m-I’m only here to find someone and leave. I swear.” She opened her eyes, her gaze now stark and pleading. “I avoided the gates because I can’t be Listed—no one can know I’m here or…shit, it’s complicated.”
I let out a hiss of air between gritted teeth. That was a masterful plea, with some ring of truth, but this stranger still wasn’t telling me something. “If you’d gone to the gates, you’d know that you could have pulled someone aside and explained why you couldn’t be Listed.” She stiffened. “Complicated, you said?” I shook my head. “You have no idea.”
“Wait, I swear I can—”
“Too late,” I said and twisted her around, pinning her wrists behind her back. She let out a cry of indignation that stuck in my brain even as I tried to ignore it and snapped inhibitor bands on her. “What kind of shifter are you?” I spun her back around. “And tell me your damn name, now.”
My fingers tangled in the soft material of her scarf and pulled it down, the movement swift but gentle. I went still, staring at her, even as she curled her lip and glared at me.
She was stunning.
At least, that was the only word I could think of, standing there, bereft of movement or speech or even breath. She had an unforgettable face, a face with elegant lines—of cheekbones, a strong nose, and a haughty set to her chin. A face that had something feline about it, at once mysterious and fierce. Piquant, kissable lips. Black brows stood out on her warm skin and descended as my staring became outright gaping.
She also had an evocative and desperate determination to her. A quiet, serious strength honed and sharpened by years. One that had demanded wits and willpower.
For a moment, her name wasn’t enough. A searing longing went through me.
“Who are you?” I asked in wonder.
Tell me everything.
My anger began to crack apart, and I was suddenly disgusted with myself. This wasn’t how a Northbane shifter acted. I’d put someone on border patrol Hell Rounds if they pulled this crap.
She didn’t answer, and I let go of her, stepping back and holding up my hands. “I’m sorry. Please. Tell me.” I searched her face, and her gaze dropped. “Let me help you.”
“I’m not a shifter,” she finally said.
“You’re not?” I asked in disbelief, and she looked up at me, scowling. “Sorry.” Taking a deep breath, wiping the expression from my face, I flicked my eyes over her and asked, “All right. Not a shifter. Mind telling me how the hell you got so far into Winfyre, then?”
“I do mind,” she said and adjusted her arms, as though used to having her hands bound and knowing what position was the most comfortable. “Since I’m not a shifter, do I have to be tied up?”
“Yes,” I said. “And I’d start talking if I were you.”
“Why?” she asked. “Aren’t you a Northbane shifter? Everyone knows how you guys are goddamn boy scouts, led by Saint Xander Bane.” My jaw clenched as she let out a soft laugh. “Seriously, what are you gonna do, dragon-boy?”
Huffing out a long sigh, I shook my head and looked up. What am I going to do?
“That’s what I thought. So, I guess you’ll never know. I’ll forever be the mystery woman in the woods.” Her voice became lower and more persuasive. “Come on, I bet you’re not supposed to be out here, Mr. Secret Shifter. You let me go, and I won’t tell.”
“That a fact?” I asked dryly.
“Sure, don’t I look trustworthy?”
I snorted. “No.”
The lines of her mouth became harder. “I think you should weigh your options here. ’Cause I’m not telling you anything. Including my name.”
“Suit yourself,” I said and took hold of her arm. “Just remember, I did offer to help, and you declined. So now I have to figure out what I'm going to do with you anyway."
“What? What does that mean?” she asked and tried to yank away. I raised an eyebrow at her attempts as she squirmed, flailed, and tried to kick me. “Who the hell are you to decide that?”
“You don’t know who I am?” I asked and focused on giving nothing away. It had taken me years to learn the perfect icy façade, but I had it locked now.
Huh. Maybe this isn’t so bad after all. Perhaps this girl was some clueless traveler. Still, though, all she would have to do is describe what I looked like and what she’d seen. Eventually, someone would put two and two together.
Accept it. The dragon is out of the bag.
“No, I don’t know who you are,” she said and stopped flailing, narrowing her eyes at me. “Why would I?”
“Oh, you know,” I said vaguely, wondering where I should bring her that would be safe and secure. Just to be an ass, I added, “I’m famous.”
The woman rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure. Because famous shifters usually have dragon-sized secrets, huh?” She gave me a smirk that grated on my nerves like nothing else. “I don’t know why you’re so worried. You’re Northbane, handsome. Or does Xander Bane think it wouldn’t be good for his perfect shifter image?”
I stiffened, and a glare cracked through my icy façade. “It’s not only my secret.”
I don’t know why I said that. But the smirk left her face, and her eyes widened. A painful breath sucked between those lips, and she took a step back.
“What?” I asked, disconcerted. “What is it?”
“No.” Those bright eyes closed. She murmured, “No, no, no.”
Utterly at a loss, I tightened my grip and gave her a small shake. “What now?”
“What have I done?” she murmured and slowly lifted her head, opening her eyes. She’d gone from desperation to absolute despair, and my stomach twisted. “You’re Xander Bane, aren’t you?”
“How—I, no.” I winced as she let out a soft gasp and savagely bit her bottom lip. “What the hell are you up to? You screwing with me?”
“No,” she burst out. “Listen to me, Bane, I won’t tell anyone. I get it—I really do. I have no love for the Stasis Bureau or the Bloodfang or Skrors.”
“Good to know you’ve got a rap sheet of our enemies,” I said, and my blood began to boil. Fury lashed through my chest, both at her and at myself. “And that you grasp the magnitude of the situation. Want to tell me who you are, now?”
“Yes, fine, I’ll tell you everything,” she said in a low, shaking voice. “I snuck in because I’m looking for a friend of mine. She’s in danger, and I wanted to get her out of here. We’re going to the Tiselk. We’ll never come back, never bother you, and I’ll take your secret to my grave. I swear. I’m sure there’s gotta be a Riftborn oath that could bind me, right? Please.”
“No, it’s…it’s complicated. Please, I’ll do anything if you let us go.”
Well, maybe Lor could figure out something to keep this trespasser’s mouth shut. If I got her in and out, no one would ever know she was here. No one would be looking for her to give answers, right? Just a random stranger. However, on the other hand, that was a terrible risk. If she got into a situation, she might be willing to sell Winfyre’s secrets.
“How about your damn name?” I asked abruptly. “And then we’ll talk.”
A painful kind of hope crossed her face, and her eyebrows pinched together. After several deep breaths, she finally spoke. And it was the last name I’d been expecting her to say.
“Tiani.” She paused. “Tiani Elkhadi.”
Chapter Four
Xander
All the breath squeezed from my body, and I let her go, needing to take a step back. Shit.
Also, How?
“You’re Tiani Elkhadi?” I asked. Her eyes went wide, and she nodded. “Iris’s friend?”
Wariness came into her eyes, the gray going as hard as steel. “You know Iris?”
The question was careful, poised, and pointless. Did I know Iris? She’d saved all our asses a few months ago and was the mate of Kal, one of my best friends and a fellow Northbane Alpha.
“Iris Lisay is my good friend,” I said in a rough voice, scrambling to collect my thoughts. “And I know she’s yours.”
“Is she okay?” Tiani pressed, a flare of emotion jumping into her eyes.
“More than okay,” I admitted.
I’d seen Iris only yesterday, laughing up a storm with Lor as they worked on Iris’s Riftborn gifts. The blonde had spotted us, running and jumping on Kal as we walked in. He’d held her close, his face softening into a rare smile as she tugged him down for a kiss. As always, it had warmed my heart to see my friend so happy. He deserved it after everything he’d done for Winfyre.
Dragon's Oath (Northbane Shifters Book 5) Page 3
