With Dragons She Walks

by Darby, Brit

  “I know you’re right, she is very special. I’ve no right to complain, do I?”

  “No, I think you are the luckiest man on earth. I hope you know that.”

  Drake nodded, feeling foolish for having whined at all. “Aye, cousin, I do. It just takes some getting used to. I shall try to swallow my male pride.”

  “Good.” Leo pointed to the food. “Now eat. Wolf down some meat. I think you’ll need your strength later.”

  The twinkle in Leo’s eyes told Drake what he would need his strength for. Just the thought of being able to hold Cailin in his arms again brought longing. He smiled and picked up a tankard of ale. “Do you think they have those baths ready yet?”

  “HE WILL FOLLOW YOU if my men do not take care of him once and for all.”

  As they threaded the dusty streets toward the pier, Cailin heard Kasimir’s concern and was touched by it. “No, I do not wish you to kill Gunnar. Your men must not do anything, do you understand? There is something dark and sinister possessing Gunnar, and if he is killed, it may flee his body to inhabit another.” She repeated a common fear among his people, hoping it would appease his blood lust.

  Kasimir set his jaw stubbornly. “The man betrayed your father; he was part of the plot to murder him. He insulted you before the emperor and accosted you after battle. How can you ask such a thing of me, sweet lady?”

  Cailin shook her head. “My father yet lives, and whatever poor unfortunate soul was left for the crabs to feed upon was killed on the bishop’s order, not Gunnar’s. Gunnar follows his own destiny; it will not be by my hand that he dies.”

  “You are overly forgiving — it is not common in my world.”

  “I hold no great fondness for Gunnar, Kasimir, but it is my wish you leave him be. There is little left now of the man I once knew; darkness has devoured his soul. He is to be pitied now, not feared.”

  Kasimir still did not look convinced.

  Cailin admitted in a whisper, “Hel hunts Gunnar, I have seen it in my dreams. When the man goes to his grave, it will not be by my order. I will not interfere in Destiny’s game, nor should you.” Her Dragons were clear in their warning, and she bowed to their will, as he must.

  Finally, he nodded agreement and Cailin changed the subject. “How much time do we have before Gunnar is able to make sail?”

  One of Tavo’s men, Andrik, overheard and spoke up as he joined them at the pier. “His ship sustained some damage in the storm, but it will only take him two days, maybe less, to make repairs.”

  Cailin paused and turned to Kasimir. “I don’t know how—”

  He put a hand up, stopping her. “You owe me nothing, sweet lady.”

  Andrik advised Kasimir, “Depart swiftly; the Viking ship makes ready even now.”

  Kasimir nodded and took Cailin’s arm to lead her up the gangplank. As they walked up it, Andrik called out after them, “May the gods keep you safe, my friends.”

  Chapter Thirty

  “YOU DISPLEASE ME MIGHTILY, Jagun.”

  Emperor Leo spoke harshly to Jagun, who stood with head hung low, staring at the floor. It was no small humiliation to be bested by a little girl, and the rebuke stung. Jagun’s neck still burned from the kiss of her belt, but he knew she might have killed him and had not. He was conflicted, his emotions warring between guilt and gratitude for surviving the arena.

  “Never have I been so shamed before my court,” Emperor Leo said.

  Jagun almost replied that Lady Zoe brought more shame on the court, but refrained. He was glad he had when the topic of his thoughts entered the room in a swish of silk and jewels, and gazed haughtily down upon him from the dais beside the emperor.

  “Why does the giant yet live?” Zoe snapped. “He should be executed for his failure today.”

  “Yet the court was well-entertained,” the emperor mused.

  “By my humiliation,” Zoe shrieked. “How could you let that common bitch insult me and simply walk away?”

  “I did not, my dear. I agreed to let her fight our champion here to preserve your honor. All heard the terms if she won.”

  “So what? You rule here. If it pleases you to break your word, you should.”

  “I prefer being called Leo the Wise to Leo the Wicked,” he replied.

  “Then you are a fool,” Zoe mocked him. “One gains people’s respect by brutal means, not timid pandering.”

  Emperor Leo sighed, looking tired. Jagun thought that the emperor was indeed wise, except when it came to his woman. Jagun knew his own fate was sealed the moment Zoe sauntered into the room. Her anger would push Leo into reckless action, as it always did.

  “Jagun, how would you like to redeem yourself and restore your honor in the eyes of my court?” the emperor asked him.

  Jagun saw Zoe’s smug smile and steeled himself for what was coming.

  “Find the woman who bested you and humiliated us all, kill her and bring her head back to me,” Emperor Leo said. “Only then shall you be restored as champion.”

  Jagun grunted assent. It sounded easy enough. Yet a prickle of unease swept across the nape of his sore neck, reminding him he must not underestimate the little girl a second time.

  “WHO MIGHT YOU BE?”

  Leo’s question to the young woman pouring hot water in the balinium brought her gaze up to meet his, but she quickly looked away again.

  “I am Nedaxe,” she said, so softly Leo had to listen carefully. “I am slave to Mistress—” she stopped, as if uncertain what to say.

  His curiosity roused, Leo stepped closer. “Slave? To Cailin?”

  “No,” she corrected her earlier statement, “no longer a slave. She freed me.”

  “So you are her lady’s maid or something?”

  Nedaxe seemed perplexed, his questions confused her. “I-I do not know what I am to my mistress now. To Cailin.”

  Leo realized she found it hard to use a name without a title. For a long moment he considered her quiet words, then smiled. “So she rescued you too, did she?”

  The softest, biggest brown eyes he had ever seen rose and met his. “Too? You were a slave?”

  “Well,” Leo stood taller, “not by choice, mind you. My cousin and I were merchants. Rich merchants in fact.” Suddenly he felt foolish trying to impress her with his bragging. “Of course,” he added sheepishly, “wealth means nothing when you’re sold into slavery, now does it?”

  “I too was taken from my family.”

  Leo felt sadness touch him, the dainty figure before him looked so slight, so lost. Hesitantly, he touched Nedaxe’s shoulder. “It’s all going to be better now, I promise. You’ll never have to know such fear again.”

  Upon closer look, he saw the girl’s huge, dark brown eyes were flecked with amber. They filled with tears and he felt his heart constrict painfully. Gently, he pulled Nedaxe into his arms and comforted her. It seemed the natural thing to do.

  KASIMIR URGED CAILIN TO settle in the captain’s tent aboard ship before he went to oversee the preparations for the voyage with his men.

  Instead, she found herself pacing the deck. She knew it was wisest to wait for Tavo to arrive with Drake and Leo, yet she chafed with impatience. She was tired and dirty and hungry. The more she thought about it, the more she wished she had gone to Tavo’s home with the others to eat and bathe and be reunited with Drake privately before they set sail again.

  A few minutes later, she made a decision. While Kasimir was occupied with the ship and crew, she ran back down the gangplank and slipped into the heart of Constantinople.

  She had already been to Tavo’s home several times with Kasimir; she knew where it was. It was not far from the pier and should be easy to find. Yet as she navigated the narrow streets, she found herself growing disoriented in the gathering dusk. What seemed practical only moments before was quickly becoming an unwise decision. Aware of the studied stares of strangers, of rough-looking men assessing her, Cailin realized the folly of her rash act. She decided to return to the ship before she wan
dered into a worse situation.

  She turned to follow the sloping streets back to the pier when she saw him. Framed against the red sunset, the giant’s black silhouette loomed like death. Cailin froze, her gaze sweeping up the length of the Mongol and focusing on the broad face, wearing an expression she could not discern.

  For a moment, she considered fleeing, but quickly discarded the notion. She felt the presence of her Dragons, and stood her ground. Jagun said nothing but she felt his gaze scouring her, perhaps with more respect this time. Certainly he was no longer laughing at her.

  Huge arms folded across his chest, stout legs splayed, he stared at her. He held no weapon but Cailin knew he did not need one. He might snap her neck like a twig with his hands.

  “So we meet again,” she said.

  He grunted but did not speak.

  “I know you are here for revenge, but for yourself, or others?” Cailin spoke calmly yet her heart thundered, her mind frantically searching for a way out that would not require she kill him this time. Perhaps she was too lenient earlier, after all.

  As if reading her mind, Jagun finally spoke. “You did not kill me, little girl. Why?”

  “I have no quarrel with you.”

  Head tilted, he considered her words. “It is foolish not to slay an enemy when you can.”

  “Perhaps,” she agreed. “But, again, you are not my enemy. You only fight at the emperor’s command.”

  Jagun grunted. “I like being champion.”

  “I imagine it has its rewards.”

  She saw him touch his bruised neck, looking reflective. “If I let you go, I am no longer champion. I will forfeit my own life.”

  “Then,” Cailin said, searching his face, “perhaps instead of slaying me, you should go with me.”

  His eyes widened. She was not sure but it seemed his black eyes glittered then, with something more than surprise.

  “Where?” he asked.

  “At the moment, I only seek Tavo’s abode.”

  “Tavo the Undertaker?”

  Cailin chuckled, breaking the tension. “I imagine there is only one called thus.”

  “I know the way.” Jagun hesitated, then gestured courteously with his huge arm. “After you, little girl.”

  WHEN THE DOOR CREAKED open, Drake thought his heart would leap from his chest. He turned and saw Cailin standing in the open doorway of the private room Tavo gave him. She clearly came straight from the balinium, for her hair was still damp, long and glistening. Barefoot, she wore only a simple white kaftan. Like a man dying in the desert, he drank in her presence, struck by the beauty of her. Leo was right; he was the luckiest of men to have such a woman.

  “I—” his voice broke and he struggled to get the words out. “I thought I had lost you.”

  Cailin smiled, looking shy, uncertain as she closed the door behind her. “Even fire and sea, fierce warlords and mighty Mongols could not keep me from your side.”

  Drake moved to stand in front of her. He reached out and took her hands into his. “How? I saw the flames …” He closed his eyes, recalling the horror he felt seeing her clothes burning. When he opened them again, he pushed up a sleeve covering her arm, his fingers gently touching her silken flesh. “Your clothes were on fire,” he whispered.

  The agony in his voice brought her hand to his and he looked back up at her. “There are no burns, no scars.”

  Again, she smiled but said nothing.

  “When you appeared out of nowhere, I thought I’d die from fear. Why would you risk so much?”

  “I risk nothing. I cannot exist without you.”

  “’Tis a foolish thing to say, and even more foolish to believe such a thing.” Drake couldn’t still the pounding of his heart, the elation her words brought to him. Quickly followed by a fear she even thought this way.

  She looked reflective. “Foolish, no. Our connection goes beyond what our hearts desire. We are now one, sharing of the Dragons. Do you not feel it?”

  Drake had felt it, several times since they were separated. “On the Dreki Logi … I felt something,” he admitted, his mind making the connection. “Their fire filled me, my flesh burned, but I felt no pain. It was as if my tattoos were alive, moving within me, over me.”

  “Yes. It wasn’t until I danced with the Dragons that we truly came together as one.”

  Looking into her eyes, he saw no doubt, but his own held claim to confuse him. “At court, I understood your thoughts, your strength and will, your power. Have the Dragons not always been with you? A part of you? Not me.”

  She nodded, placing the palm of her hand upon his cheek. “But it wasn’t until I first saw you that their power built in me, and their message was clear. Before, they were always but a whisper in my head and dreams.”

  Cailin moved her hand to his chest, the intense heat melted into him. She pushed his shirt aside and traced the Dragons marked upon his skin. Her touch was fire, her gaze stilled his breath. His mind revolted against her words, but his heart nearly leapt from his chest from his love. He wanted to run from her … yet he wanted never to leave her side.

  “When I danced, they came to me, their spirits, their souls embodied within; their blood now surges in my veins. They exist within me, their strength and power meshed with mine. You and I are now connected forever by the Dragons; we have become one.”

  His need for this woman was excruciating, it was heaven on earth. Dragons did not exist. Or did they? Drake leaned down and pulled her close. Her touch felt unbearable as the tattoos writhed in his skin, yet he yearned for more. His lips brushed against her ear. “I am a man cursed … I am a man blessed. I know not what you do, Cailin, but I cannot be without you. If we are to be consumed by the flames of hell, then so it shall be. I cannot resist your fire.”

  “The Dragons hold us, they guide us. Trust in them.”

  Still, he could not concede their existence. He saw her disappointment, yet he could not do as she asked.

  “Don’t you see?” she pleaded. “I owe you everything. Without you, I cannot exist.”

  A sadness touched Drake again, his pride wheedling its way into his thoughts. “It is you who has saved me, time and time again. I have proven nothing but trouble; a useless husband, am I not?”

  Her eyes rounded in dismay. “I did not know we were keeping score. But, if so, let me clarify what you do not fully understand. You, my husband, have saved my life many times over. The first was when you so trustingly stepped into my boat in Hedeby, and again, when you did not abandon me upon reaching Sweden’s shores.

  “You fought Bjorn to keep me from harm and despite the danger to you, were willing to journey to Miklagard with me. You have been risking your life for me since we first met. Do not confuse my selfishness to have you by my side, as having saved your life. What I do is what I must do. It can be no other way.”

  His eyes sought hers. “Do you need me by your side, Cailin? I see such strength in you, I cannot imagine my purpose in your life.”

  “Your purpose,” she stroked his cheek again, “is to give me that strength. Without you, I am nothing.”

  He kissed the open palm of her hand. “Without you, I should die of heartbreak.”

  “Then we must never be parted again, my Dragon. Never again.”

  “How much time do we have?” he whispered, his lips moving up to her wrist.

  A soft sigh touched him and he smiled.

  “Kasimir will be ready to sail within the hour,” she whispered as he pulled her close.

  Drake pulled his head back and looked down at her, a frown chasing the smile away. He felt a twitch of jealousy. “Kasimir? Who is this Kasimir?”

  Another sigh escaped Cailin, but this time an impatient one. “Would you have me use our precious time alone to tell you all? Or shall we speak of this later?”

  “Later,” Drake agreed, lifting her into his arms. Her legs wrapped about his waist and he tasted of her full lips. Too long had he been without her; like an opium addict he felt the pleas
ure inside him rouse, as if asleep these many days. He trembled with anticipation as he pushed aside the silken fabric and revealed her to his hungry gaze.

  Cailin tugged and pulled at his shirt, finally managing to hurl it to the floor, her kaftan following. Her tongue traced the outline of his Dragons, her lips warm against his inked flesh. He hungered for her touch, her love. All hesitation was gone, doubt no longer existed as it fled beneath an all-consuming desire, melting two into one.

  His lips sought her breasts, one by one, her scent so sweet he thought he would burst from wanting her. He set her upon the floor and within seconds she had loosened his trousers to fall about his ankles. She didn’t even wait for him to step from them, locking her legs about him once again.

  Drake braced Cailin against the wall, seeking her sweetness. At that moment he knew he could never go back, their union was no longer simply physical as their souls joined in a searing dance. Her moan of pleasure was his undoing and he plunged deeper, faster, his rhythm punctuated with the encouragement she whispered in his ear. Long days apart made their union fiercer than ever, without build up or foreplay. Their only need was to be one, united in love, the power of the Dragons surging within. Forevermore.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  LEO AND DRAKE SPOKE simultaneously, startling Disir into flight from Cailin’s shoulder. “Northumbria?”

  Leo echoed Drake’s next question with his own. “Why Northumbria?”

  “That is where I believe my father was taken.”

  “Your dreams?” Drake questioned.

  Cailin nodded. “I’m going home.”

  This simple explanation did nothing to ease Leo’s curiosity; she sensed all the questions running through his mind.

  “Home? I thought you were from Alba.”

  “My mother was from Alba. She wed an earl in Northumbria, where I was born.”

  “I do not understand. I thought your father was the Viking we seek?”

  “Aye, my mother was Thorvald’s captive for several months, when Vikings raided along the coast. It wasn’t until he returned to take their son for his own that the truth was revealed. But, instead of a son, he mistakenly kidnapped his daughter, one of two children he was unaware existed.”