Luke looked around the room one more time before hurrying to catch up to them. Just before he did, he squatted down to retrieve one of the broken pieces from the edge of the pool only to pull his hand back. The reflection staring back at him wasn’t his own, it was the breathtaking splendor of a multicolored dragon.
Chapter 8
It wasn’t until they cleared the woods, coming out at the back side of Somerled as Kiernan had said, that realization hit Luke. He stopped, turning in a complete circle on the stretch of low cut grass between the trees and the castle garden. He looked at Kiernan who mimicked the way Luke had scrunched his mouth and forehead.
“The cave runs beneath the castle.”
Kiernan chuckled and nodded, even while pressing a finger to his mouth. “Not everyone knows about the caverns below, which is probably for the best. There are many ways in and many ways out, if you can see where you’re going and don’t get lost.” He smiled and pointed to his eyes. “Another advantage of being a dragon, you can see in the dark. Maybe you’ve noticed that?”
Luke laughed as well. “I don’t suppose those special dragon powers will help me learn how to wield a swor…. Damn!” He looked down at his hand, realizing he’d left the sword on the rock ledge where he’d laid it down to try to have another go with Ami. He held up his empty hands and Kiernan chuckled. “Guess I’m going to have to learn to hang on to it first.” He and Kiernan continued their chitchat while Ami scurried the last few feet across the cobbled garden pathway, up the steps and inside the safety of the castle walls without so much as a wave or farewell.
With one last glance at his surroundings, Luke grabbed the door that his great grandfather held open and motioned for him to go inside. “Why isn’t there a moat?”
“Beg pardon?” Kiernan was soothing a house in a tither over Ami’s disappearance, and directing the guard to be sure Amileigh didn’t leave her room without visual contact at all times.
When they were alone again, Luke went on. “I thought castles were supposed to have drawbridges and moats. This one is just out in the open.” He’d never thought of it before, but there really was no protection for the huge house on the top of the hill.
Kiernan shrugged. “Moats and outer walls were used primarily as an added protection for the King or his direct descendants. The cost in time and materials wasn’t deemed reasonable for anyone else.”
Luke nodded. “I don’t suppose the King believes in dragons either.”
Kiernan stared off for a moment before answering with a low chuckle. “No, I don’t suppose this one does, though there was a time the leader of the people did.” Thoughts from the Dragon King rushed through his mind—visions of the mighty dragon walking in companionable silence with a man wearing a crown. He felt the sadness from the old Dragon King filling him and wondered if it would ever be possible for such a union to exist again.
“Come on, Luke. Gairlich wants us to stop by his study to fill him in on what has happened.”
Luke nodded but stopped short of the door. “Can I ask you a question?”
Not sure he liked Luke’s tone, Kiernan braced himself. “You may ask. I’m not at all sure I will answer.
When Luke smiled, he relaxed.
“When we were in the cave, just me and the girl… there were moments that I thought… It was almost like we could speak to each other in our minds.” Luke shook his head. “Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”
Kiernan smiled and nodded. “Maybe to someone who has no idea what you’re experiencing it would, but you have to remember, we share the same blood. The truth is, the minute you first touched, your transformation began. That’s why you’re able to communicate. Once you kissed her, the bond began to grow, and once… once you make love to her, you’ll be completely transformed and have the ability to shift into dragon form.”
“And only with her?”
Looking down at his toes, Kiernan thought for a minute. Obviously, it just took a Prihom and Blend, though finding those that were a perfect match was best. Normally, when a Guardian found his Prihom, there was a rush to unite and it was amiable to both parties. From the way Ami had rushed away from them, and by the questions Luke was asking, even their attraction hadn’t convinced them. Stubborn kids!
“I’m afraid so.” He crossed his fingers behind his back. “Once the transformation has begun, there’s no going back. It’s all or nothing. You either see this through to completion or live forever in a state somewhere in between.” He shuffled slightly praying no errant bolt of lightning would come down and strike him for speaking his half-truth. It wasn’t a lie, completely. More, it was what he wanted. He could already see the young couple together, could imagine them growing old with him and Abra, and the thought was truly appealing.
“Okay,” Luke said, breaking into his thoughts. “Just so you know, I’m starting to think she’s, uh… she’s not half bad.”
“You’re a wise man, Luke.” Kiernan laughed. “You come from good blood.”
Shaking his head, Luke laughed as well. “You know it.”
Clapping Luke on the back, Kiernan knocked on Gairlich’s study door. “Yes, I do.”
Amileigh couldn’t get her door shut fast enough to get out of her dress. Every time it rubbed against her skin, she imagined it was him. She could feel his hands in her hair, his lips on her skin, and his body wedged between her legs.
“Get rid of this dress,” she practically yelled, throwing her gown at Abigail when the young maid slipped into the room.
Abigail looked at the material mound in her arms then at her mistress. “Rid, as in…”
“Rid, Abigail. Rid! I don’t care how. Bury it, burn it, cut it up into rags. Hell, you can even have it for yourself as long as I don’t ever see it again. I. Don’t. Care.”
Ami ignored her maid’s increasingly rounding eyes, knowing her behavior was completely out of character. For the second time that day, she honestly didn’t care.
She walked over to the window, blew out an exasperated breath, and covered her eyes before falling into the chair. Seconds later, she felt Abigail’s hand on her arm, could tell by the sounds of her breathing that the maid was kneeling at her side. She peeked out of her fingers and her eyes met the concern in the girl’s upturned face.
“I’m sorry, Abigail. I just don’t understand what’s going on.”
“T’will be all right, Milady. I do believe this is oft how one feels when love shows up.”
Amileigh’s hands fell to her lap and she stared at the maid as if she had grown two heads.
“Love?”
Silently, she said the word again. This had nothing to do with love. In the span of a day, she’d fallen in a pit, awakened in another time period where she’d seen her family home in ruins, and if that wasn’t enough, the man from that era had somehow returned with her. Had he not, she might have been able to pass it all off as a dream. But she couldn’t. Not only was he there and real, her body now ached for him. Just thinking about him sent small ripples of desire tingling through her.
And then there were the dragons. Again, she might have been able to explain the first ones away, but she’d definitely seen the one who had swooped down on her when she’d run toward the woods earlier. Just before she’d plunged into the forest, she’d turned to see him shift back into man form, her gasp barely smothered by his primeval groan as his body transformed. She knew him, the man, or recognized him at the very least. His name was Cormak Draghan, the older brother of Batair who had once tried to get her to marry him. So, they were also dragons. Amileigh nodded at the silent thought. No wonder Batair had been so set on making her his own. He needed a Prihom.
Did he still need one? Is that why Cormak was after her? Amileigh rose from the chair and went to look out of the window. She stared at the spot in the woods where she had exited with Kiernan and Luke, thankful there was nothing out of the ordinary. There would be no more man-dragon coming after her, no more shadow darkening her window or the skies above. Kiernan hadn�
��t said so, but there was no doubt in her mind that Cormak was dead. She’d seen the remnants of blood her old friend had washed off his sword in the pool in the Room of Embers.
The pool. Brows furrowed, Amileigh slowly turned around. “Abigail,” she spoke to the girl. “Fetch me my dress.”
Eyes again wide with confusion, Abigail nodded and walked across the room to where she had dropped the garment when she’d gone to her mistress. She picked it up and carried it to Amileigh.
With a slight shiver, Ami ran her hand down the soft fabric before slipping her hand into the little pocket normally used to hide a lady’s kerchief. She closed her palm around the jagged stone and pulled it out, holding it up to the light.
“Have you ever seen anything like this, Abigail?”
The maid shook her head while inching closer to look at the rock that glowed in the light from the window.
While she stared at it too, a faint memory flashed through Amileigh’s mind. She had seen something similar before. Once, when she was around sixteen or so. There’d been a woman—a flower peddler. She couldn’t have been much older than Amileigh was now.
If memory served, the woman had been fairly pretty—her blonde hair a lighter color than Amileigh’s. She’d kept her eyes averted, even when talking directly to her and Lady McCollum. Lady Saundra had requested several of the bouquets, and that’s when she’d seen it: when the woman had reached across to retrieve one bouquet in particular—a sweet mixture of roses and daisies with stems of cranberries strewn through the middle.
The stone had swung free from her gown and she’d captured it in her hand after handing Ami the bouquet. Only hers had been a deep purple with a hint of green and blue around one edge. When she’d handed her the bouquet, the woman had said something about the fragrance of love. It was only then that she’d caught her eye, winking at her before tucking the stone back inside the bodice of her dress. The memory of the woman had stayed with her for a short while, though Amileigh had mostly forgotten the whole incident, until now. What was the significance of that stone? She sucked in slightly when realization hit her.
The dragon who had been following her, standing between her and the ugly dark dragons… it had been mostly purple interspersed with patches of blue and green. Kiernan. Somehow that woman had managed to get hold of a piece of his scales. She was sure of it, but how, and who was she? What role did she play in all of this?
The questions plaguing Ami clouded her mind. She rushed over to her wardrobe and pulled open the double doors.
“This one, Abigail, she told her maid while reaching for one of her favorite dresses. It was a pale lilac silk with a high neck that she knew enhanced her look of innocence. The last thing she needed right now was to find herself back in the arms of the man who wanted… or needed her every bit as much as Batair.
She rolled her eyes as Abigail helped her slip the gown over her head. Her only hope against either man was to make sure she steered clear of them. That wouldn’t be too difficult with Batair since he wasn’t here. But the stranger… the humming in her head had already told her he was back in his room in the east wing. It may be at the far end of the hall across the stair landing, but it wasn’t nearly far enough.
Clearing her throat and smoothing her hair, she picked up the dragon scale rock, slipped it in her pocket, and dismissed Abigail. She waited until after her maid left before approaching the door. Knowing a guard stood on the other side rankled her, but she knew it was for the best. If nothing else, he would see her to her destination without any handsome detours.
Back in his room, Luke paced restlessly while he waited for Kiernan to come back and get him. He wasn’t sure where the other man had gone, only that he’d mentioned something about training so Luke would be ready. Ready for what? He chuckled. If it was the business with the girl, well, he had already had plenty of practice with that. He just needed Kiernan to quit interrupting him and give them time. He stopped suddenly when his heart began to race, beating hard against the inside of his chest. He put his hand over it, wondering what was happening. Then he noticed the increase in the volume of the hum.
Luke smiled and waited for the knock on his door.
As they closed the distance between her room and the stair landing, Amileigh stopped, staring down the length of the east wing.
“Are you not well, Milady?” the guard following close behind asked her when she bowed her head after pressing her fingers to her temples.
“I’m… I’m fine. I’ve just had a change of heart. Please,” she started, turning toward him. “If you would, I’d rather go to see my mother.” With a backward glance over her shoulder at the closed door toward the end of the hall, Ami started down the stairs, knowing the guard had no choice but to follow.
Lady Saundra McCollum was exactly where her daughter knew she would be. The woman spent most of her time tucked away in a well-lit corner of the library: the bound parchment pages and a grand settee her two favorite friends. Rumor had it she’d even been known to dip a quill to ink and etch out stories of her own, but if she did, Amileigh had never been privy to see any of them. She’d often wondered why, having the devotion of a man like her father, her mother found it necessary to hide in her make-believe worlds.
Ami thought of Luke. If she was married to a man like that, would she hide herself away amongst someone else’s words as well? She shook her head. That was different. Gairlich McCollum loved his wife and she cared just as deeply for him.
“Ami. My darling!” Lady Saundra closed the book she was reading as her daughter approached. She sat up and patted the cushion next to her, waiting for Amileigh to situate herself before continuing. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?” She smiled and covered Amileigh’s hand with her own.
Amileigh stared at her mother as if seeing her for the first time. Her hair, with its intermingled strands of sandy brown and red, was down framing her face and making her look much younger than her nearly fifty years on this earth.
“What is it, dear? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Lady McCollum glanced over her shoulder, smiling when she looked back and patted her daughter’s hand in a loving gesture.
Forcing herself to smile as well, Ami shook her head. “It’s nothing, Mother. I was… I just wanted to be with you for a moment.”
How could Ami ever tell her mother the truth? She hadn’t seen a ghost. She’d seen another woman, a much younger woman in tight fitting jeans and an unseemly shirt, in a time some six hundred years in the future. If she’d had any doubts before, there were none now. Mairi, the woman who had been with Luke at the castle ruins, had said she was a McCollum—that Somerled had been in her family for generations. No, if she’d doubted her, there was no way she could now. Mairi McCollum was the spitting image of her mother… or would have been in her mother’s younger years.
The two women fell into idle chitchat until Ami could see her mother’s interest was waning. With a kiss to her still soft cheek, she rose.
“I’ll see you at dinner, darling,” her mother called to her as she crossed the floor. “Your father tells me we’re to have a most unusual guest.”
Amileigh stopped. “Are we?” Her spine stiffened, she forced a smile when she turned back to see her mother’s angelic countenance.
“Yes, dear. He also told me to make certain you were there.” The command in Lady Saundra’s voice was unmistakable.
Resisting a throaty growl, Amileigh nodded. “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of missing out.”
Not bothering to quiet her steps, Amileigh marched up the arched staircase and back to her room. Cahoots! They were all in on it. Even her mother who had spent well over a half of an hour talking about anything and everything that absolutely didn’t matter.
Gaining entrance to her room, she leaned against the door and pulled the rock from her kerchief pocket. She should have just asked what she’d gone there to ask… what her mother knew about the flower peddler and if the rock, like the one the peddler woman wore and
the one in Ami’s hand, had any meaning to her. If she was a Prihom, it stood to reason her mother was one as well, didn’t it? She thought back to something Kiernan had said.
Abra was right. With your parentage, you were bound to be a chosen Prihom. Chosen? What did that mean? And if her mother was Prihom, did that mean her dad was also a dragon shifter? Surely if he was, she would have seen him change or noticed… something. Then again, she had never seen Kiernan shift before either. She laughed. Was it before, or many, many, many years after? This whole turn of events was absolutely crazy.
Ami refused to change for dinner. She’d wear the lilac dress regardless of the fact that she’d already been seen in it. The idea of changing was an absurd ritual anyway. She could understand if one had been out and about, but she hadn’t. At least not since she’d changed. So much silliness and fanfare, and for what? To impress a stranger?
“Are you certain, Milady? There’s always the pale yellow… or even the new white.”
Ami stopped her with a firm shake of her head. Both dresses showed ample amounts of skin, the yellow especially bordering on indecent in her opinion. She knew exactly what Abigail was doing. “If you don’t want to find yourself in a new position scrubbing potatoes in the kitchen, I suggest you stop trying to play matchmaker.”
Abigail nodded demurely and set herself to the task of finishing Ami’s hair.
Satisfied with her reflection, Ami rose from the small stool in front of her dressing table and slipped into her shoes. Surely there was no way the stranger would be attracted to her now, not with her hair piled on her head and the neckline of the dress touching her throat.
On Wings of Time (Lochlainn Guardians Book 1) Page 8
