Of course. When shall I report on what I’ve found?’
“Meet me here tonight, right after sunset. If I’m not here, wait for me.”
Val didn’t waste any time getting back to the lodge. He knew Hazel wanted to find her brother as soon as possible. To his surprise, the light to the bathroom was still off, and the room was silent. He shut the door with a soft click and saw her still in bed, fast asleep.
He watched her, wondering what his life would be like if they were in a relationship. Just to be able to touch her whenever he wanted. He often had to hold back from brushing her arm or kissing her neck. He supposed part of that was the sealing, but maybe he was just in love. He was grateful winning her over fell under his duties as king, or he’d be terribly distracted.
He sat on the bed, and she didn’t even stir. He tentatively placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a light shake. Her eyes flew open, and she sat up, running right into him. He chuckled.
“You okay?” He scooted back a little bit to give her space.
“I didn’t sleep well last night.” She rubbed her eyes and looked around. “Where’s Runa?”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh great, now we’ll have to look for her too. We don’t have time for this.” She spoke with wild gestures, and her eyes revealed her panic.
“Hey,” he said softly and grabbed her flailing hands. He pulled himself closer to her and looked her in the eyes. “Listen.” Her breath came in rapid bursts, but she kept his eye. “I already thought of that. I enlisted the help of the eagles to search for Runa so we can focus on Rowan and Skye. They’ll check in with me tonight.”
Her breathing slowed just a little bit. “Eagles?”
“Yes. They help the dragons out quite a bit.”
“Why don’t we have the eagles looking for Skye and Rowan?”
She was so close to him. If he just leaned forward a few inches, he could kiss her again. But he didn’t because that wouldn’t be right. Not in this moment.
“Who do you think told us Skye was in Yosemite?”
Hazel leaned back. “For real?”
“Yeah.”
Her panic had disappeared, and determination filled her features once again. She swung her legs out of bed.
“Then we need to get going. I’m going to shower, and then we’ll grab some breakfast and check out the campgrounds. If we wait too long, they might be gone.”
Val watched her dig through her bags and gather her clothes.
“Are you watching me?” she asked as she pulled out a red shirt and shorts.
He nodded. “Sorry. Can’t help myself.” A blush rose in his face.
She looked as if she wanted to say something, but then she left and locked herself in the bathroom.
Hazel leaned against the bathroom door and tried to still her shaking hands. What had Val done to her out there? She didn’t have panic attacks very often, but occasionally they snuck up on her. The airplane was where they popped up most often, but sometimes when life overwhelmed her, she’d freak out. She’d felt it building out there, but he’d made it disappear.
She still could feel the anxiety in her chest, but this was for a very different reason. She put her clothes on the counter and looked at herself in the mirror for a few seconds. She didn’t like the thoughts she was having. The ones where she wanted to kiss Val. Or touch him. Or simply relax around him.
She had a mission, and it had nothing to do with falling in love.
She stepped in the shower and hissed. The water was cold. She turned the tap until the water ran a comfortable temperature. To be honest, trying to deny her feelings for Val were more distracting than if she just gave in.
It was the reason she hadn’t slept the night before. She tossed and turned, trying to put his face, his smell, his very presence out of her mind. It was incredibly difficult with him sleeping so close. Once, around two a.m., she very nearly crawled into bed with him, thinking she could just sleep if she curled up next to him. Thankfully she was aware enough to realize that would be a bad idea.
What would change if she allowed herself to give in? She wouldn’t have to hold back. She could just be with him, and it would be far easier than trying to deny her feelings. A hell of a lot less distracting too. She knew how he felt about her, and he hadn’t done anything but support her. She’d be able to concentrate on finding Rowan instead of worrying about if she was doing the wrong thing with Val.
As she stepped out of the shower, a weight lifted off her shoulders. This was one less thing she would have to worry about. She’d chill around Val, and if that led to love and kisses, then she’d let it. She felt a little stupid that she’d been fighting against this, since it made everything more difficult. And she needed things to be easy now.
Hazel smelled like lavender. She pulled the map out of her bag and sat next to him on the bed. Her legs touched his. She seemed more relaxed. More open.
She unfolded the map and set it across both of their laps. “There are only four campgrounds open this time of year, but they could be backcountry camping. They’d need a permit for that though, so we can check with the log. I say we go to the campgrounds first.”
“Okay, lead the way.”
Val followed her out. For Hazel’s sake he hoped they found them. Hell, for his sake. They needed a win. He was nervous that they lost Runa. Personally, he hoped she’d just found something interesting and got distracted. Also he didn’t want to be the one who told Sid that he lost her.
They talked to anybody they saw, but no one had seen either Rowan or Skye at the campgrounds.
Hazel leaned against the car at Wawona Campground and blew her bangs out of her face. “This sucks. Let’s go back to the visitor center and ask to look at their permit logs.”
“Do you really think they’re going to let you do that?”
Hazel nodded. “I took one of my mom’s IDs. I look just like her, so they’ll let me study the log.”
“Sneaky.” Val was a little surprised she’d thought of it. He wondered what other tricks she had up her sleeve.
She shrugged. “I thought we might need it.”
It took them an hour to drive back to the visitor center. Val could see the stress building around Hazel’s eyes again. The ranger handed Hazel the logbook. “There’s a couple of pages. It shouldn’t take you too long to find.”
“We’re going back about a week.”
“Good luck.”
Hazel studied the names carefully. Val read over her shoulder, but he didn’t see anything that looked like Skye or Rowan.
Hazel slammed the book shut. “This is impossible.”
“Maybe they are camping without a permit.”
“Rowan knows better.”
“But if he doesn’t want to be found, he might risk it.”
“True.”
“Why don’t we grab lunch from the general store and hike a couple of trails. Flash those pictures around some more.” Val just wanted to keep moving. She seemed more at ease when they were out doing something.
They hiked most of the day and barely even saw other people. The sun was hanging low in the sky when they reached a small lake.
“Why don’t we eat here before we head back down,” Val suggested.
She nodded, but her face betrayed her sadness.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked.
“What if he’s gone? What if we don’t find him?”
Val put his hand on her back. “Don’t think like that. We’ll find him.”
She leaned into him. Surprised, he pulled her close. She buried her face in his chest and snaked her arms around his back. He held her against him. He had no idea what to say. He’d never tried to comfort a girl before.
Too soon, she pulled away. “Thanks.” She gave him a sheepish grin and headed down to the lake. He followed her, optimistic for the first time in a long time. Her hips swung as she walked, and she stretched as she reached the shore, raising her arms above her head. He wanted t
o reach out and touch the strip of skin that showed between her shirt and shorts.
The ground behind him shook, and he spun. A bright orange canyon dragon stood menacingly over them. Hazel screamed. Val grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him.
Since when does a king fall for a weak human girl like that? I thought queens were supposed to be strong.
Leave her out of this. What do you want?
How could he get Hazel out of there without the canyon dragon noticing? He wasn’t sure what the canyon dragon wanted, but it wasn’t good.
The dragon snorted, and orange smoke poofed out of its nose. Oh, you’re right. Nothing good. A war is starting, or didn’t you know that? Imagine how pleased the witch will be when I tell her I killed the new king and his queen.
Val had forgotten that canyon dragons could read thoughts. He’d never met one before. He paused for a second. If he put Hazel out of his thoughts all together, then maybe the dragon would focus on him and leave her alone. If she was smart, she’d run. And Hazel was smart.
Val shoved her away from him and prepared to change. Time slowed to a near stop as the canyon dragon swept her with his wing. Her body flew through the air, limbs flailing, and she hit the ground with a sickening thud, her head cracking on a rock. Then time sped up, and Val waited for her to make a move. Even a twitch. Nothing. The canyon dragon would pay for this with his life. Val changed into a dragon and let out a jet of flames in frustration. He remembered what his father taught him and took flight, heading straight for the canyon dragon’s eyes.
But the dragon lifted off the ground, and Val had to climb higher, looking for another opening to the eyes. He found it and zeroed in on the head. But the dragon moved at the last minute and slashed at Val’s neck, leaving a wide gash.
Your father didn’t teach you how to fight against us. I know your every move before you even make it. Go ahead, think of what you want to do next.
Val circled him, completely lost. He wished there was an easy opening. Canyon dragons had very slender necks. It wouldn’t be that hard to just bite off his head.
Except you’ll never get that opening. Good thoughts on the eyes though. That would make things more difficult. I’ll remember that the next time I’m in a fight.
Val still wasn’t sure how he was going to win this. He was glad the canyon dragon hadn’t made any moves yet either. He was probably a little intimidated as fire dragons were quite a bit larger than they were.
Nah, I’m just playing with you.
A flash of yellow appeared above. Runa landed on the canyon dragon’s head before he could even register that she was there. The canyon roared as Runa clawed out his eyes. Val saw his opening and took it, banking on the dragon being way too distracted to hear his thoughts. His jaws clamped down on the soft flesh, and blood burst everywhere as the dragon’s head and his body went in two different directions. Runa let go of this head, and it fell to the ground.
“That was disgusting,” Runa exclaimed.
It was necessary. Thank you for your help. He turned and flew down to Hazel and changed into his human form. He put his head against her chest and felt it rise and fall. Then he let out a breath of relief.
“She’s alive.”
Runa landed next to him. “We should probably get her to a doctor. I’d say take her to the woodlands, but with the canyon dragons floating around, most of the woodland dragons are hiding. It would take too long to find one.”
Val looked at Hazel, unsure of how to proceed. What if she woke up on the flight? He wasn’t sure what he would tell her, but it was time for her to know the truth. He changed back into his dragon form and gently picked her up with his claws.
HAZEL’S HEAD HURT. A lot. But that wasn’t what was bothering her. It was the wind. Her hair was whipping across her face. She cracked her eyelids open and gasped. She was hundreds of feet up in the air. What was she doing in the air? She swiveled her head around, but that made her dizzy. She closed her eyes again and opened them. Above her she could see a massive black dragon head with long fangs visible just below his chin. Claws held her tight. She couldn’t even begin to comprehend what was happening. A stab of pain pierced through her head, and she lost consciousness.
Hazel blinked her eyes open. A soft light filtered in through a window. She sat up. Her head still hurt, and her arms were stiff.
“Oh good, you’re awake.”
Hazel grinned. “Runa, when did you get back?”
“I had to save you from that canyon dragon. How are you feeling?”
“What time is it?”
“Don’t know. Mid-morning maybe. Val left you some food.”
Hazel’s stomach growled. “How long was I unconscious?”
“You mean asleep?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, the doctors checked you out last night and said you were fine. You woke up for a little while but seemed really confused.”
“I don’t remember that.”
“You were asking for your mom and dad. You didn’t know Val at all. The doctors said you were probably suffering from short term amnesia.”
“Why am I not in a hospital?”
“Dunno. Val said you would be better off here.”
“Where is he anyway?”
“Out searching. He said you wouldn’t want the search to stop just because you were hurt. He’ll check back in a couple of hours.”
Holy cow. If she wasn’t in love before, she sure was now. Most men wouldn’t have left her side, but he went after the more important thing. She was an idiot for trying to hold him at bay.
Hazel carefully got out of bed. “He’s right.” Her legs were a little shaky as she walked over to the table. She picked up a banana and took a bite. She’d need food if she was going to find her brother.
“Where’s my phone?”
“By the television. Been buzzing all morning. Driving me crazy.”
Hazel picked it up. There were several missed calls. All from the same number. She immediately dialed it back.
“Hello,” said a deep voice.
“This is Hazel. You’ve been trying to reach me.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m a clerk at the general store in Yosemite. You gave me your number and told me to call you if I saw the blonde woman and her boyfriend.”
Hazel straightened. “And?”
“They were here this morning. I tried to stall them, but they’ve already left.”
Dammit. “Did they say anything about where they were going?”
“Not to me, but I eavesdropped on their conversation. They kept talking about going to a cave on the coast. But I don’t know which one.”
“Did you ask?”
The man chuckled. “I did. They said it wasn’t a public one, and then they left. I’m sorry.”
Hazel sighed. “Thank you. I appreciate your help.” Hazel hung up the phone and tried to figure out how much time had passed since they left Montana.
“Runa, what day is it?”
“Monday.”
Her mom was going to kill her. But she couldn’t go home. Not now. She fired off a quick message to Aspen.
Got a lead. Can’t go home. Make sure you’re there for the funeral, or mom’s going to kill us both.
Hazel went outside and saw Val walking between cars. She waved him over.
“Any luck?” she asked him.
“No. How are you feeling?” He brushed her hair out of her face, and her insides buzzed.
Hazel waved her phone. “I just got a call from a store clerk who saw Skye and Rowan. They’re headed to a cave on the coast.”
Val rubbed his hand along his face. “They could be going anywhere.”
Hazel shrugged. “Maybe. But there is really only one road to the coast. We can show their pictures around at convenience stores and see if people have seen them.”
Val sighed. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Then he shook his head. “Okay, let’s go check out those convenience stores.”
Runa, who was c
rammed in Hazel’s backpack, let out a “yay.”
“What are you so excited about?” Hazel asked.
“I finally get to see the ocean.”
“Come on, just for thirty minutes. Please,” Runa whined.
“We aren’t stopping for you to play in the water.”
“I’ve been trapped on the floor for hours while you two keep going inside stores. I’ll be able to actually look. Didn’t you say they were looking for a cave?”
“Yes. But the last time we let you out, you disappeared for a day, and you still won’t tell us where you were.”
Runa harrumphed.
They’d been searching for several hours, stopping the car and flashing the picture around gas stations and convenience stores. No one had seen them. Hazel was starting to get discouraged.
Val had his arm slung on the back of her seat, and she enjoyed having him close.
“Maybe Runa’s right. There’s a beach down there. Let’s get some food and go sit on the beach and eat. It’s basically deserted. Runa can go play in the water, and then she can search the cliffs over there. It’s faster if she flies by them and looks instead of having to hike down and search them.”
Hazel hesitated, then agreed. She didn’t know what else they’d do right now anyway. She was lost as to what to do next.
She and Val sat in the sand a little ways up the beach. Runa dive bombed into the water as soon as she took off. She came up crowing. Hazel scooted closer to Val. She wanted him to put his arm around her or hold her hand or something. But he was keeping his distance.
“I’m not going home until I find them,” she finally said.
“I know. I have no intention of leaving your side.” A splash out in the water drew his eyes away from Hazel. Runa had belly flopped in the water. “You have to admit having Runa around is useful.”
“Yeah. She’s kind of annoying though, isn’t she?”
As if on cue, she landed right in front of them, spraying sand everywhere.
Valentine (The Dragon Kings Book 3) Page 13
