Nik trailed after him through the dragon-sized door and through another dragon-sized, stone hallway. Everything about Dragonmount made him feel dwarfed, despite walking beside Joe, who didn’t seem dwarfed at all, even though he was nearly six inches shorter than Nik.
They turned into a narrower hallway, and stopped short, blocked by a blue dragon. Startled, Nik retreated a step, but the boss barely budged as the creature shrank into human form and pushed back her long, dark hair.
Nik’s lips parted, taking in Naked Lady in all her God-effing-damn glory.
She dropped to her knees, arms splayed. “Forgive me, my king. It was not my intention to be in your presence in dragon form.”
Joe huffed out a breath. *They’ve been doing this all over the mountain. Apparently Pijeth decreed it rude to be a dragon in my presence until I can shift again.* He looked back at the girl. *I think they all expect me to lash out like Gale.*
Do you blame them? You gotta admit, Gale was a dick.
The girl didn’t move. Her dark hair shrouded her face and hid her beautiful chest. What. A. Shame.
Joe pulled her to her feet. “Please, bowing isn’t necessary.”
“I apologize for the intrusion, my king, but I have been looking for your Kotahi.”
Nik’s eyes widened. “Me?”
She smiled and took a step toward him. Yeah, she was definitely still naked.
“When you jumped off the ledge and onto Gale’s back, that was courage like I’ve never seen from a human.”
Courage? Maybe, if he ignored the part where he almost puked.
She turned back to Joe. “I want him.”
Joe’s brow shot up.
Nik coughed. “Come again?”
“You interest me, human. Male dragons are not the only ones who like to play.”
Sweet God. Please, please, please make her be talking about what I think she’s talking about.
Joe laughed, blushing. “Forgive me, but I do believe you need to be looking for a Draconic mate. We have no shortage of males.”
She straightened, pushing out that spectacular rack.
Thank you, boss for ticking the beautiful girl off.
“I would never fly circles around my duty.” She grabbed Joe’s hand and pressed it to her bare stomach.
His gaze shot to hers. “You’re already clutching. Congratulations. Who’s the father?”
“Blues do not concern ourselves with trivialities. There were five males in my nest, all strong and healthy.”
Five? Damn.
“I hunger for something else now.” She turned from Joe and ran her fingers through Nik’s hair. “You will come to me. Tomorrow, when our king no longer needs your service.”
Did the air just suck out of the room? “I-I…”
Joe folded his arms. “My Kotahi is planning on leaving. He may be gone tomorrow.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Then I will have him tonight.”
Joe laughed outwardly.
Her nose flared. Damn, that was sexy. But can we stop pissing her off, now?
Boss grabbed her shoulder. “I have some business with my Kotahi. Once we are done, if your offer interests him, I will have him brought to the blue sept. Is this agreeable?”
She nodded. “Of course, my king.”
Joe shoved Nik past her. *Sorry about that. Blues are very…*
Straightforward?
Joe smiled. “That’s a way of putting it.”
“I’m certainly not complaining.”
A soft blush still flashed over boss’s cheek. Hopefully he wasn’t poking around in Nik’s head, because when Naked Lady dropped to her knees back there…
Dammit, he should have asked her name.
A slick sheen of dread drifted across their bond, blotting out thoughts of the beautiful, candid blue dragon licking his neck, chest, and lower. Joe’s mind thickened, even darker now than when they planned their strategy against Gale.
That shouldn’t be a surprise, though. He was a king without a queen. No matter how much he trusted the golds, the fact that Anna was gone wouldn’t stay secret forever.
The hall opened into a larger room devoid of furnishings with a colossal wooden door on the far side guarded by two black dragons. The huge beasts quickly bowed and made way for Nik and Joe, one pushing open the massive door for them.
Joe grabbed a torch from the wall and one of the dragons ignited the tip for him. Once inside, Joe lowered the flame into a small circular font, and the fire took on a life of its own, running along a channel, up the walls, and through the ceiling until the entire chamber exploded in light.
Squinting against the sudden glare, Nik gaped. The brightness wasn’t all caused by the flames. The room glinted with shimmering piles of gold towering over Nik’s head. Ancient trinkets mixed with what appeared to be doubloons littered the floor. There had to be millions, hell, billions of dollars in artifacts let along gold.
“Ho-lee-shit.”
“Yeah, what can I say? Dragons like shiny things.” Joe set the torch into a holder on the wall and turned to Nik. “I have a proposition for you.”
Nik drew his gaze away from the mountains of treasure. “A proposition?”
Joe tossed the blue stone he’d taken from the royal chambers into a pile of glistening gems. “I’m not crazy about this human form. I’m little enough as it is.” He held out his arms. “But this is pushing it.”
Nik inched up his brow. That wasn’t quite what he’d expected.
“I want to open up lines of communication with the humans. I don’t want to hide anymore. We’re going to make ourselves known, and I want to do it as a dragon.”
Holy hell! “Boss, that is not a good idea. People are going to panic. I don’t know if you realize this, but dragons are pretty goddamn scary.” He pointed out the door. “And humanity has changed a lot out there. It’s not spears you need to worry about, now. It’s guns, and missiles, and nuclear bombs.”
“That’s why I want to officially hire you as an interpreter. I need the humans to see that you are comfortable with us. You can explain there has been a transfer of power, and that we’re not a threat.”
But the dragons were a threat. At least humanity would see it that way. There was no way the world leaders would stand for not being at the top of the food chain anymore.
“Consuming humans is illegal, it has been for generations.”
Nik balked, still not used to this short, blond guy reading his thoughts. Joe needed to understand that even the fact that there was a law against eating people would make parents hide their children under their beds at night. “I seriously think you should reconsider.”
“Your objection is noted. When I take my proposition to the Draconi, you should feel free to voice your opinion. I hope you will stay long enough for the proceedings.”
Nik breathed a sigh of relief. Proceedings meant he was going to take time and talk this out with someone. He wasn’t thinking of flying into downtown Auckland tomorrow and saying ‘Hi, we’re here!’
Jesus, the hysteria it would have caused.
“I understand your concerns. I have them, too. But the Draconi have been trapped in this mountain long enough.” He picked up a golden pitcher and placed it in Nik’s hands. “I hope you can understand my position, and I hope I can convince you to stay on.”
The firelight flickered off the ancient artifact. Was it Incan? Egyptian?
“It’s yours.” Joe said.
Nik startled.
“Not enough?” Joe reached into the pile and grabbed a fistful of gold coins. A red-stoned necklace hung from his fingers as well. “How about now?”
Nik snapped his jaw shut. “You’re serious. You’re talking about a job, a paying job?”
Joe nodded. “Do we have an agreement?”
Nik gaped at the gold in Joe’s hand. That might be enough for a down payment on a house. A big house. But there was also an enormous catch to all that glitter, as their always was.
Joe had every
intention of outing the dragons and Nik knew there was no talking him out of it. This young king was ready to take caution to the wind to set his people free. As frightening as the prospect was, Nik was kinda proud of him for stepping up. Maybe the kid was more of a leader than either of them had realized.
No matter what happened, this was going to be the event of the century, and New Zealand would be at the heart of it all. Every country in the world would flock here to gauge the threat and make alliances. To pass this offer up would be turning his back on the opportunity of a lifetime.
“So, you accept, then?”
Let’s see, a real, honest-to-goodness job, one that would make a difference to the world, let alone himself; or go back to scrolling through job postings and maybe get hired as a cashier or a stock clerk.
The easy road would to be to stay the person he’d always been, to lead a normal life and live paycheck to paycheck like everyone else.
The hard option would be to accept. Yes, it seemed the money would be good, but was Nik ready for this kind of responsibility? He’d be thrown into the spotlight. For the first time in his life, he’d actually be accountable for something. Was he really the right man to place so much trust in?
Joe stood, unwavering. The fistful of gold still shimmered in his hand.
The new king obviously believed in him. There was no apprehension slithering through their Kotahi bond. The young dragon had made his choice, and that decision was already final.
Joe’s conviction seemed odd since they barely knew each other. Then again, they’d been living in each other’s heads for the past week. They probably knew each other better than anyone else at this point.
And that was an interesting fact, come to think of it. Despite seeing inside Nik’s royally effed-up brain, Joe still trusted him. The kid hadn’t considered anyone else for the position, and he never would. For some odd reason, they were both completely comfortable with that.
Not to mention that there was a beautiful blue dragon waiting for him somewhere in this mountain. Yeah, that part of the equation was a little hard to overlook.
Nik smiled. “When do I start?”
A wave of relief ricocheted off Joe and into Nik. “We’ll meet with all septs of the Draconi in a few weeks.” Joe dropped the gold into Nik’s ancient pitcher. The coins clinked as they settled at the bottom. “In the meantime, I have a very important matter to take care of.”
33
Anna clutched her carry-on as she stared at the screen displaying flight departure times. One by one, the times faded out and were replaced by the word delayed.
And then bloop! There it was, flight 128 to Houston: delayed.
A collective groan resounded through the terminal, and she agreed. Changing all the departure times without any explanation was downright rude. Would an estimate of what delayed meant be too much to ask for?
The flight at the top of the list changed to canceled and the passengers held a collective breath until a moment passed and the rest remained simply delayed.
What would she do if her flight got cancelled? A fourteen-hour flight was bad enough. Now she’d have to spend even more time finding another flight with everyone else who was stranded here. Not to mention finding another connecting flight to get to Philadelphia. What a nightmare.
And how in God’s name was she supposed to get her luggage back?
Adjusting the bag on her shoulder, she made her way past the complaining passengers until she found a restaurant that hadn’t yet been trounced with angry, anxious travelers.
She took a seat at the bar.
“What can I get you?” the barkeep asked.
“Ginger ale would be great, thanks.”
Above, the television screen flicked to a reporter standing in front of a fire. The caption below read: Christchurch International Airport.
He jaw fell open. She was sitting in Christchurch International Airport. What the hell?
The guy at the other side of the bar yelled, “Hey, turn that up.”
The barkeep complied.
The reporter held a finger in one ear as wind hit her from the side. “And, as you can see, the flames are spreading. Airport personnel have confirmed every single runway is on fire and all arrivals and departures have been either delayed or cancelled.”
Well, that certainly explained things.
The man bussing the tables threw a towel over his shoulder. “My son was working the runways when the fires started. He said it was dragons.”
The people within earshot laughed.
“Well, hello.” A guy with shoulder-length platinum blond hair slipped into the barstool beside Anna before turning to the man. “Dragons, you say? Did he get any pictures?”
The busser grimaced. “No. My boy said they suddenly disappeared as soon as they’d come.” He straightened. “I believe him, though. My son is not a liar.”
The guy at the other end of the bar piped in, “I saw some pictures of a few nudists running from the flames. I bet they’ll have some interesting stories to tell the police, if the cops ever catch ‘em.”
The platinum-blond leaned around Anna. His nearness seeped through her, as if his heat reached out and staked a claim. Disconcerted, she inched away.
“So, the nudists weren’t caught, then?” he asked.
“Nah. Slippery little naked bodies. Lucky suckers.”
The blond suppressed a grin. “Good to know.”
The reporter on the screen continued. “Amazingly, there seems to be no damage to the buildings, or people. Somehow this fire has been completely contained, harming nothing more than surrounding grass, and flight plans.”
She said that as if grounding every flight in an international airport was no big deal. Anna had already been through security, and her bags were out there waiting to be loaded into a plane that probably wouldn’t take off anytime soon. She was trapped, and things in this airport were probably about the get ugly.
When would Air Traffic Control decide which planes would remain delayed, and which would be completely canceled?
“What can I get you, bro?” the bartended asked the blond.
He glanced at Anna’s glass. “Whatever she’s having looks good.”
“I’m guessing these fizzies will start being spiked before the night is out.” He drew the soda and handed it to the guy. “Where you headed?”
The blond gestured to Anna. “The lady and I are on our way to Philadelphia, by way of Houston, Texas. Flight 128.”
Wait. What? “How do you know I’m going to Philadelphia?”
His eyes narrowed as he considered her for a moment. “So, it’s true, then. You really don’t remember?”
Anna leaned away. “How do you know I—”
“Connor told me.”
She felt her jaw drop. “Connor?”
The guy took a few seconds, staring into her eyes. “You really don’t remember anything at all?”
Anna shook her head.
“Well, then, this is a little uncomfortable, isn’t it?”
He took a sip of his drink, but Anna was sure he was hiding a smile. “Who are you?”
He set his glass down. “Well, I suppose that would help a bit.” He offered his hand. “My name is Joesephutus, but you call me Joe.”
She stared at his outstretched hand. This was the guy Connor and Sybil said she’d been with all week. “You’re Joe?”
He nodded.
And he was here. Now. On his way to Philadelphia. Apparently with her.
The light from the artificial candle on the bar flickered across his face. The firelight seemed somewhat familiar on his very pale skin. How could she not remember any of this? “What happened all week? Where were we?”
He pushed back his drink and turned to her. “Well.” A smile crossed his lips. “You were kidnapped by a huge, ugly gray dragon who wanted to make you his mate. I saved you, and then we spent a few nights in a magical, Maori cavern before I returned you to your village.”
She stare
d at him for a moment. “No, seriously.”
He only smiled wider.
“That’s a nice story.” Anna took a sip of her drink. The bubbles tickled her nose. “Are you going to tell me what really happened?”
He held up his hands. “That’s the jist of it. I’m sorry you don’t remember.” He tapped his finger on the edge of the glass. “No, that’s not the truth.” He turned to her. “I’m not sorry that you don’t remember, because now I get to fall in love with you all over again.”
Hol-ee. “Love?”
He continued to look at his glass. “I’m going to be honest with you, Anna.”
Thank God, because the whole getting saved from a dragon thing was a bit far-fetched.
“You told me it was too soon to be in love.”
Well, at least she’d been in her right mind while she’d been with him. She’d never been the type to fall in love on a whirlwind vacation, and she didn’t expect to turn into that type in the future.
However, here this guy was, sitting beside her. “If we weren’t in love, then why are you coming back to Philly with me?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t say we weren’t in love. I said you weren’t in love. Not yet, at least.” He glanced at the fires on the television screen before returning his gaze to her. “You said you wished we had more time.”
That sounded a lot like her. If she didn’t like him at all, though, she would have told him to take a flying leap off the nearest cliff. Apparently that didn’t happen. He was here, now, more than ready to get on a plane for her. “But I feel like I don’t even know you.”
“Like I said, this just gives us the opportunity to fall in love all over again.”
The bartender stared at a computer screen. “Looks like you’ll have plenty of time.” He looked up at them. “Flight 128 to Houston just hit the cancelled list, with about a dozen others.”
The traffic outside the restaurant shifted, the people switching stream and now heading out of the terminal. They probably had the right idea. All this lunacy aside, Anna still needed to find a way home and get on with her life.
“Can I get my check, please?” Anna asked.
Sirens and Scales Page 378
