Mate Of A Dragon Villain (Skeleton Key)

by Mandy Rosko

  He was clearly being polite only for Alger’s sake, and in that moment, Amanda wasn’t too bothered by it. She’d take any good luck she could get.

  Amanda sucked in a deep breath and sent a prayer for courage as she explained to all the men in the room. Sort of. “I think this is real. Because ever since I came here, I’ve been thrown around, and cold, and kind of miserable about everything, so I don’t think I’m hallucinating. I think what happened in my room was real, too, so I think I should tell you.”

  Eldric’s brows lifted. Udolf’s eyes, which had been squinty behind tiny spectacles ever since she walked in, also opened wide.

  That certainly wasn’t the answer he’d expected out of her, if that look was anything to go by.

  Amanda clutched at her hands, just because she needed something to hold onto. “I found a skeleton key made of glass in my desk, and I opened a door in my office with it, and then I was falling through the sky, like this place sucked me in. Hargreave caught me. I don’t…I thought I knew everything there was to know about everyone here, but then I see…” She trailed off. It probably wasn’t a good idea to talk anymore about what she’d seen regarding Alger and Eldric. Eldric might take her shock as a giant insult. “Anyway, I don’t know why he did what he did, but he kissed me.” The memory of that kiss made her mouth tingle pleasantly, and her heart ached over how close he’d been a half an hour ago.

  She pushed the idea away. Thinking like that might get her killed with these people.

  She’d written Hargreave. She knew what he was and why these people hated him so much. She didn’t want to be caught blushing at the thought of kissing him.

  “He might think you his mate,” Alger suggested, shifting in his bed, then grunting painfully.

  “What are the chances of that?” Eldric scoffed, though he righted the pillows behind Alger as the man moved to a more comfortable position. “A woman who falls from the sky and she just so happens to be the mate of my enemy? And I assume you also have no knowledge of the crimes he has committed against my people?”

  Eldric waited for her to deny it, but Amanda couldn’t deny it because she’d written those things.

  Except, she hadn’t written in this thing with Eldric and Alger. What else could she be wrong about?

  “My lady?” Udolf prompted gently.

  “I…I know you’ve been at war with each other for a long time.” That seemed like the absolute safest thing she could say on the subject. If she so much as mentioned it might have been because Eldric’s father has razed Hargreave’s land, he would just get defensive, probably also throw her back into that cold, damp cell, and she didn’t want to go there.

  Eldric snorted. “Yes, he’s killed and stolen enough to make the rivers run red with blood. He is a villain.”

  Alger turned his eyes up to Eldric. Something in his expression looked as though he wanted to speak, but he kept quiet.

  Amanda hadn’t written the carnage as being that bad. It was bad, but rivers weren’t exactly running red. Not in her books.

  She couldn’t tell if Eldric was purposely being dramatic, or if he was being serious. Not knowing was dangerous.

  “I’m sorry to hear all that.”

  Eldric’s blue eyes remained hard as he looked Amanda up and down, like he didn’t know what to do with her.

  That made her heart beat faster in her ears. She’d known he was an imposing man, strong for his people, tall and well built, but seeing him in the flesh like this, knowing he could destroy her life, or end it, if he thought for one second she might secretly be aligned with his enemy, made her quiver.

  And almost pee her pants.

  It was Alger who spoke, his voice calm. “If she is the mate of Hargreave, could we not keep her here?”

  “Here?” Eldric looked down at his friend—lover? “What good would come from…”

  He trailed off, and something seemed to light up behind his eyes. He and Alger looked at each other, and they seemed to come to an understanding before looking back at Amanda.

  It looked like they wanted to keep her after all. There was no way she was going to like this.

  Chapter 5

  Amanda hadn't exactly designed the clothing in this world to be medieval, but there were definite differences in what she'd been wearing when she fell through her closet and had been caught in the sky by Hargreave and what she was wearing right now.

  Eldric seemed to decide that her clothing wasn’t appropriate, or maybe just too weird for his tastes. He made an excuse about not wanting to draw any attention to her by giving her something different to wear, and considering the way the entire castle distrusted her, Amanda was willing to go along with that excuse.

  The women in the castle wore dresses, some shorter than others depending on the profession, and the men had knee-high leather boots and had swords strapped to their backs with buckles to keep everything locked in place, so Amanda definitely looked different when she was being escorted through the halls.

  When Garrison had been ordered to bring Amanda to another room—an actual room with electric lights, a thick rug and no dampness in the air—Amanda sighed with relief.

  She did a little less sighing when a couple of handmaidens came in to assist her into the dress.

  Some of the women didn't look like innocent handmaidens. Some of them had knives strapped openly to their waists, and Amanda once again got the feeling that these women were here to keep an eye on her.

  She swallowed hard, thinking she might have preferred Garrison to these ladies.

  The dress was blue with a white lace trim and trumpet sleeves. It was the color and style of high class ladies in Eldric's clan. Amanda took note of that, of how she would be offered such a fine dress. Maybe it was for saving Alger? There was clearly something going on there.

  There was no corset, but that was fine. Maybe it was another difference in this world, but while the ladies seemed to understand what the pink lace panties were that Amanda wore, they didn't seem to understand what her bra was for.

  "Is it a small corset?"

  So there were corsets. That was not different.

  "Uh, sort of. It holds these up," Amanda replied, pointing to her boobs. "Not that they need much help or anything," she added lamely, realizing what she'd just said.

  One of the girls, the one who looked like she actually could be a handmaiden, tittered at her, but then tied the strings to the back of Amanda's new dress, holding it in place and making it so the waist clung to her skin. It left nothing to the imagination of her hip to waist ratio.

  Suddenly, she was wishing for that corset, and wishing she hadn't written in such dresses.

  The other two ladies in the room didn't do much. They just passed the other girl a few items whenever she happened to ask for them. Mostly they just watched, looking very much like they hoped Amanda tried to escape.

  "Is it true?" the younger woman asked.

  "Is what true?"

  Amanda shouldn't have asked. When she looked down at the other girl, it was obvious by the look in her eyes what she was asking about.

  "About you and—"

  One of the ladies with the mean-looking daggers at her hip made a sharp hissing noise. The smaller handmaiden winced and didn't finish her question.

  God. This was bad. Despite the room she was being given, these people still hated her for supposedly being the mate of Hargreave?

  "The answer is no," Amanda said sharply, glaring at the fake handmaidens when they glared back at her. She turned her gaze back to the girl. "There's nothing there with him and me."

  "Where did you come from then?"

  "Enough," snapped one of the fake handmaidens.

  Amanda bit the inside of her cheek. She wasn't going to get anything else out, no other explanation.

  It might've been a good thing to be cut off like that. Amanda's stomach still turned warm and clenched at the mention of Hargreave's name. If it would look bad for her to be blushing in front of Eldric and Alger, then sh
e sure as hell wasn't about to give anything away to these ladies who probably wanted to stab her.

  This was so stupid because there really was nothing between her and Hargreave anyway. He'd caught her, saved her life, and she was very happy about that fact, but aside from that, and how he'd followed her to this castle and kissed her, there was nothing else.

  Oh God, was he still outside somewhere? Was he watching her now?

  Amanda looked to the thin windows, realizing there weren't any curtains covering them. They were wide open, and while these windows were still slim, they were still big enough for someone to see something if they happened to be watching.

  "What are you looking for?"

  Amanda turned away from the window. "Nothing. Why do I need to get dressed up like this?" she asked when the handmaiden asked for a box that contained some very nice blue, low-heeled shoes.

  They weren't high-heeled stilettos by any means, but they were still beautiful. The heel was thick and wooden, and a fabric blue flower had been sewn onto the toe area.

  "There's a dinner being held in Lord Alger's honor," replied the chipper handmaiden. "You're to be there."

  "I am?"

  One of the meaner older girls responded. "You're the guest of honor."

  This time, Amanda was brought to the throne room, and she was able to see everything she'd imagined, everything she'd pictured, all in one place. The only difference was there were at least two hundred, maybe three hundred, other people in the room.

  Long wooden tables had been brought in with benches where the food was being served. At the head of the table, Eldric sat, though immediately beside him, the chair was empty. Right. Alger was still badly injured and he wouldn't be getting out of bed. That seemed to remove the point of a celebration for his health when he couldn't join it, but Amanda figured this was also more for Eldric's people than for either himself or Alger.

  The younger handmaiden had been sent away, and the two guards disguised as handmaidens put their hands on Amanda's lower back, pushing her along without making it look like she was being pushed along.

  As insanely annoying as that was, Amanda was fine with it, since no one was looking at her. People were either dancing in the open area that had been prepared, where a band played, or they were too busy eating and drinking what was on their plates. Others reached into the center of the tables for more slices of turkey or roast pig.

  Amanda was brought to the seat beside Eldric's. At first she was shocked at the thought of sitting in it since it had cushioning on it, unlike all the other seats.

  But then the chair was moved to the side a touch, and a wooden stool was presented in its place.

  "Have a seat," Eldric said.

  Amanda did as she was told. "I guess this makes it seem fair to the others in the room. You can honor me by letting me sit next to you, without honoring me too much by letting me sit in Alger's chair?"

  “How do you know that’s not Udolf’s chair?”

  “Somehow, I get the feeling his is the one on your other side.” It was empty, so Amanda could see the cushioning wasn’t so fine. Udolf was on the dance floor, not dancing so much as he was shifting around as a child stood on his toes.

  Eldric nodded, something flashing in his eyes. "Perceptive." He then nodded to the two women. "Thank you, Jane. I'll call for you and Helena later."

  Amanda blinked, turning her head to stare at the two women, both of whom bowed low at the waist.

  "We'll be waiting," said the woman who Amanda was going to assume was Jane.

  "Jane? That's Jane?" Amanda asked when they were out of hearing range, which wasn't too far away considering the laughter and noise.

  Eldric raised a dark brow at the question. "Do you know each other?"

  Amanda tensed. Fuck.

  "Well, no, I just...I'd heard a rumor that King Eldric had married a woman named Jane."

  Eldric guffawed. "Is that the story in your land?" He swirled a glass of dark alcohol in his hand. "I'm curious as to how a rumor like that could have started."

  He sounded amused. That had to be a good thing. Amanda shrugged and smiled, as if she could hardly tell him how she'd heard such a thing either.

  She'd already mentioned the skeleton key she'd found, but he might've thought she was rambling and in shock. If she said she'd created him and all the people here, or at least thought she had created them, then he might think she was crazy and lock her up again.

  Eldric sighed. "Alger has asked that I be gentle with you, that I not be too harsh in my questioning. Since you saved his life, and he is dear to me, I will respect that request."

  Amanda nodded. “Great, and what about my request?"

  "Your request?"

  God, she hoped she was right about this. "I thought that when the king of Alzriandra owed such a high debt, the very least he could do was try to make good on one request."

  "I am. You're joining me for dinner in a fine gown and won't be sent back to the dungeons."

  Amanda swallowed hard. It was difficult with a dry throat. "That's Alger's request. Not mine."

  Eldric narrowed his eyes at her. Amanda tried to keep herself from looking away from him, but slowly, her eyes started to lower under the power of that intense stare.

  When Eldric boomed a laugh and slammed his fist onto the wooden table, making the cutlery and plates jump, Amanda jumped with them.

  "I like you. Your bravery is small, but you use it."

  "Uh, thanks?" It was better than having a sword raised at her and being shouted at that she was a witch, that was for sure.

  Eldric waved away the thanks. "All right. You have me. One request. And it damn well better be reasonable."

  "I haven't thought of it yet. Can I think about it?"

  Eldric shrugged, lifting his glass to his lips. "I suppose. You don't have an indefinite amount of time, however."

  Amanda nodded. "Right. Of course."

  "Good, now take your plate and pick some foods," he said, waving to the various centerpieces of cooked birds, roasts, vegetables, and fruits. "I will eat with you as a sign of goodwill, then take a plate to Alger."

  "You both usually eat together?" Amanda asked, looking to her left where the cushioned seat was. She always imagined it was Jane who would sit on one side of Eldric, with Alger on the other, of course, but there was no other seat for Jane. She just seemed to work here.

  "Of course we do," Eldric said, raising a brow and smirking at her. "I would have thought that would be obvious. Would you like to know if he comes to my bed as well?"

  Heat climbed Amanda's neck and settled into her face. She shook her head. "No, sorry. I guess that was a really personal question."

  Eldric waved his hand again. "Forgiven. Now hurry up and eat," he said, grabbing two plates for himself. "I want to go to my mate and eat with him in good time."

  The mention of the word mate reminded Amanda of what she really was here. A well-treated prisoner, since Hargreave seemed to think she was his mate. She recalled him calling her “sweet,” how he promised to come back for her, and she shivered.

  The problem was how she couldn’t tell if it was in pleasure or…something else.

  She had to get out of here. She had to find that skeleton key.

  Hargreave watched and waited. It was something he was normally more skilled at, but now, as he heard the music from the castle, and saw the faded lights that attempted to glow through heavy curtains in small windows, he found he wasn’t as skilled as he would have thought.

  His body still itched. He felt almost as restless as he had back when he’d been a boy in Eldric’s prisons, awaiting a beating, hoping that today would be the day someone threw him an old bit of bread, and that no one would touch him…

  Well, it had been Eldric’s father, Edward, but that was neither here nor there.

  He couldn’t stand this waiting. He needed to get her out of there. He knew which area of the castle she was in. Some of the curtains had been opened when she’d been taken from her
cell, allowing Hargreave to follow where they had taken her.

  Once to an area he didn’t know, and the next time to the finer wing of the castle. He just wasn’t entirely sure which room was hers.

  Was Eldric being delicate with her because she had saved his lover? Or because she was of high importance?

  Hargreave prayed she was not allied with Eldric. It would break his heart if she was, but he already knew that such a thing wouldn’t matter.

  She was his. Amanda. He’d never heard such a name before. Which country had it hailed from? Where did a woman who had fallen from the sky hail from?

  That blasted battle! Had it not been for that, and how he’d been forced to return to it, he could properly court her.

  Hargreave scoffed at himself the moment the thought struck him. Not only would he not have been there to save her from falling to her death had the battle not been taking place, but how was he to court a woman such as that? She was obviously a fine lady, and he lived in a destroyed castle with nothing to offer her but war and heartache.

  Still, the truth remained. She belonged to him as much as he did to her, and he could feel her calling out to him. Hargreave felt her need for him, and he intended to answer that call and take her home where she belonged.

  But first, he needed to prepare his men. Hargreave would not be able to do this on his own, and plans were already forming as he spread his wings and flew away into the night.

  Chapter 6

  Amanda made it her mission to find that damned key. She'd thought about it and thought about it some more, and there was no way in hell that thing had been in her apartment in a drawer and she hadn't known about it.

  It had to have appeared there.

  It wasn't her first thought. The idea that someone could have planted it there and plotted to suck her into this world had occurred to her.

  But at the same time, what were the odds that someone would want to go to the trouble of trapping a romance author in the world she'd created? If she'd created this world at all.

  No. That key opened a closet door and turned it into a portal into this world. That wasn't normal. That was—and Amanda hesitated to use this word—like magic. Magic was fun to play with in her novels, but in real life, it wasn't real.