Dragon's Curse (Harlequin Nocturne)

by Lynn, Denise

  His intentions? He wanted to laugh at the absurd thought. The woman was the Lair’s gardener—not a romantic interest.

  Although, it had been a while since he’d held a woman this close. Truth be told, he liked the feel of her in his arms. Her heart beating against his chest made him long to hold her even closer. How much better would it feel if she came into his arms willingly?

  Cam shuddered. Where had that nonsense come from? He’d vowed to shun relationships after Carol’s undeserved death. Since he couldn’t guarantee their safety, he wasn’t about to become involved with any woman—especially not this one. He crossed to the living room and laid Ariel on the sofa.

  He straightened and stared down at her, wondering why he suddenly felt so empty. She was the enemy and an employee—a temporary one at that. Cam was certain that once he figured out why she was having to help the Learneds and confronted her, she’d be running back to her real boss as fast as she could.

  But until then…he brushed an escaped curl from her face…until then he’d enjoy uncovering her secrets layer by layer.

  Unable to resist the urge, Cam stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. The softness of her skin was warm beneath his touch.

  Even though he knew it would only create untold problems, he sat on the edge of the sofa. Something oddly comforting—almost inviting—washed over him.

  He closed his eyes against the feelings making this woman—his enemy—seem somehow right, only to find himself taking flight in his mind.

  His beast had taken control. As the mountains and streams fell away below him, a cool breeze rushed across his wings. His cares and mundane human concerns vanished as he reveled in the freedom of the air and warmth of the sun.

  Just beyond the edge of his human awareness, Cam sensed that he wasn’t alone—some other magical beast soared with him. Since he detected no danger, his defensive instincts remained dormant.

  Never before had he sensed another of his kind. If any changelings besides him existed, they’d made it a point to hide from him.

  Curious, he dipped a wing and craned his neck to look back. The air behind him was empty. He was as alone now as he’d ever been. Why had he thought it would ever be any different?

  Heavy of heart and strangely ill at ease, he folded his wings snuggly against his body. Once again the air rushed past him, turning cold and damp as he descended into the shadows.

  The touch of a hand resting lightly on top of his own jolted him back to reality. He looked from the hand, so small and pale compared to his, to Ariel.

  Her eyes were still closed, but her features had relaxed. She appeared to be sleeping. If the seductive smile curving her lips was any indication, her dreams were more than just pleasant.

  Did she dream about a lover from her past, or the present? Or, were her dreams giving her a glimpse into the future?

  He shouldn’t, Cam knew it would be an intrusion of the worst kind. But knowing that it would be the perfect way to discover her mission without detection, it was impossible to resist.

  Like his aunt and Braeden, he could read minds. But the precise order of an active human mind, when perceived in more than quick snatches, tended to confuse and upset his beast.

  However, he could leisurely take his time to see and feel the dreams of other people. He had never been certain if it was him or his beast, but the unguarded, sometimes telling, and often frantic working of the dreamworld was within his reach.

  Unwilling to miss an opportunity to gain insight and possible answers to his questions about Ariel and perhaps find a way to protect her against the Learneds, Cam shook off his hesitation and leaned forward.

  Gently, so he didn’t waken her, he cupped Ariel’s cheeks between his hands. An electrified tremor, like a bolt of lightning, raced up his arms.

  Undaunted by the brief shock, he closed his eyes and slipped unobtrusively into her dream.

  Chapter 5

  At first Cam wasn’t certain where Ariel’s dream had taken him. The surroundings caught him off guard. He hadn’t been prepared to walk into a nightmare, not from the sensual look on her face. While it wasn’t unusual to find that he’d walked into some night-terror dimension, he’d expected to find her in a social setting flirting with an unattached man.

  Another glance told him this wasn’t a nightmare. Instead, clear blue skies surrounded them. Cool, crisp air rushed by him as if he was flying. He looked down at mountains, valleys and streams below.

  Again, not too unusual, as flying without the aid of mechanical devices, or wings, was another common dream device for humans. However, this seemed…different…somehow.

  The look on her face was an expression of pure unadulterated bliss. Feelings he could understand completely. The freedom of being airborne, without restraints or limitations, was an addicting habit—one he had no intention of breaking.

  But he sensed a deeper emotion of sharing, of oneness within her. As if she was enjoying this journey with someone she dearly loved.

  Is this what it would feel like to share joy with someone? The feeling had become so foreign to him, a longing he’d forgotten he’d ever experienced. It was more than just a warmth, more than a welcoming comfort.

  Jealousy licked at him. It teased him for no reason other than he’d intruded where he didn’t belong. Cam reminded himself that this wasn’t his experience. Any emotion he felt was nothing more than an extension of her dreams.

  He set aside the unnatural emotions and looked around for her partner. Careful to keep his distance, Cam circled around her, finding nothing until overhead a dark shape came into view.

  He slowed, falling behind her to watch as she soared higher. Ariel flew closer to the shadow. Cam held his breath. Would she be welcomed or attacked? But the beast paid little attention to her. Instead, it turned its focus toward Cam.

  Fascinated by the odd situation, Cam paused. Never before had an object in a dream—human or otherwise—noticed him, let a1one focused so much anger in his direction.

  Normally his presence in a dream went unnoted. Not a participant, he was nothing more than an observer—invisible to those in the dream. But this time, pure, white-hot rage threatened to burn him. The shadowy beast circled. Then, with wings angled back for speed, head held low and blazing stare pinned solely on its target, it dived toward him.

  Sun glinted off the dragon’s body. Iridescent scales sparkled in the light. Sapphire eyes glimmered with deadly intent.

  Cam cursed with the realization that fighting this beast was impossible. Ariel was in control of this dream, not him. The outcome to any confrontation would rest solely in her hands. A dangerous prospect for someone not considered a friend.

  Battling this particular dragon would be foolish. Worse, it would literally be suicide since the beast was him.

  There were tales that stated if you died in a dream, you died in life, too. Cam didn’t believe that, but he wasn’t immortal and had no desire to put the myth to a test.

  More confused than he’d been before stepping into this dream, Cam pulled free.

  He rose and moved away from the sofa—away from Ariel. He’d taken care to make certain she hadn’t seen his face in human form at Mirabilus. She had no magical powers—of that he was certain. He and his family would have known the second she’d crossed onto the Lair’s property if she did. So, she couldn’t possibly know that he was the dragon changeling she’d seen in the ancient workroom.

  She hadn’t seen him
in dragon form long enough to have conjured such an accurate replica in her dream. Besides, what miniscule view she’d had would have been distorted by her terror.

  And that beast had terrified her. Cam had recognized the scent of fear, and heard the rush of blood flowing through her veins preparing her for flight.

  So it made no sense that she would now dream of the beast that frightened her so.

  Cam crossed the room to stand before the glass sliding doors. Thick fog obscured what had earlier been a panoramic view of the mist-dotted mountains and cloudless sky.

  His mood mimicked the atmosphere. The interested curiosity that he’d woken up with was now leery trepidation.

  Something had frightened Ariel in the elevator enough to make her pass out. And something had her dreaming of him in dragon form—even if she didn’t realize it was him.

  He’d known that hiring Ariel could prove a mistake—he hadn’t been wrong. She’d been here less than an hour and already his questions, not to mention his unease, were growing. This hadn’t been his intent. He was supposed to be uncovering answers.

  A bloodcurdling scream tore his attention away from his concerns.

  Cam spun around to see Ariel struggling with something on the sofa. She screamed again, kicking and pushing at the air as if trying to push something away.

  “Ariel.” Cam returned to her side. “Wake up.” He touched her shoulder, dodging her flailing fists.

  His initial attempts to awaken her were having no effect, so he grasped her shoulders to shake her. “Ariel, it’s a dream, wake up.”

  She opened her eyes and stared at him a second before pulling free of his hold to bolt from the sofa.

  Ariel scrambled away. She needed to escape, needed to find a way to shake off the nightmare still haunting her. It had been one thing to dream of a dragon. But it had been another thing entirely to dream of turning into one herself. The thought terrified her and made her suddenly afraid for her sanity.

  She choked on a strangled breath, desperately needing air. It felt as if the walls were closing around her, making it hard to breathe, impossible to think.

  She thought she’d recognized his laugh in the elevator as the one from the dragon-man at Mirabilus. But now, she wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure of anything.

  Cameron Drake stood between her and the door. So she spun around and fumbled with the lock on the sliding doors. Unable to force her trembling fingers to cooperate, she bit back a cry of frustration.

  “Ariel.” His voice was soft, deep, as he approached.

  She wasn’t about to be fooled by the soothing tone. Holding out a hand to ward him off, she nearly begged, “Please, stay away.”

  Her quivering words did nothing more than make him slow his approach. She swallowed hard, then ordered more firmly, “Stop. Stay away.”

  To her relief he stopped halfway across the room. He held his hands out with his palms up. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Ariel laughed weakly then batted at the door handle. “I need air.”

  Cameron merely moved his hand to the left slightly. The lock clicked and the door slid open. It was all she could do not to scream before stepping out onto the fog-shrouded balcony.

  Ariel leaned against the railing, hanging on for dear life as her head spun. She dragged in deep gulps of breath, praying the cool damp air would help clear her mind.

  “I won’t hurt you,” Cameron repeated from not more than four feet behind her.

  She crowded closer to the railing, unable—unwilling—to admit her true fear. Instead, she whispered, “I know.”

  His sigh echoed into the fog. “Tell me what happened.”

  That was the last thing she had any intention of doing. She shook her head and said, “You people aren’t…normal.”

  “That depends on how you define normal.”

  At least he hadn’t lied and denied her claim outright. “What are you?”

  “A man.”

  The certainty of his answer provided a measure of relief. But the tone of his answer warned her that he wasn’t going to tell her anything. She didn’t need him to supply information. While he wasn’t a dragon, she was already well aware that he was like Renalde. Both men possessed some otherworldly power that made them far from normal.

  It made them dangerous.

  The danger Renalde presented was obvious. But the danger from Cameron Drake was more insidious—he threatened not her life, but her sanity and that part of her she’d hidden away for what seemed an eternity—her heart.

  And from the dire longing throbbing deep in her chest, it was quite probable that he could also threaten her very soul.

  She needed to keep her distance from this man. Ariel could not risk her brother’s life. Not even for a man who could prove to be her other half.

  She forced herself to turn around and face Cam. “I gather this isn’t my apartment.”

  “No, it’s mine.” A devilish smile curved his full lips. “But you’re welcome to stay here if you’d like.”

  His offer wasn’t serious, but it would serve him right if she accepted. Unable to find the nerve to do so, Ariel ignored his teasing response. “If someone could show me to my room, I’ll take my leave.”

  “Just like that?” One eyebrow hiked briefly into an arch. “You pass out in my arms, have a nightmare on my sofa and I get no explanation?”

  How was she supposed to explain her reaction to his laughter in the elevator when doing so would only incriminate her as a thief?

  There were times when a lie was the appropriate response. As far as she was concerned, this was one of those times.

  Ariel shrugged. “Drop in blood sugar from not eating breakfast, I guess.”

  His narrowed gaze let her know he didn’t believe her. But unless he could prove otherwise, she wasn’t changing her story.

  “That might explain the passing out. But what about the nightmare?”

  The temptation to use the same excuse was strong. Unfortunately, she had no idea if it was plausible or not.

  “I don’t know—” Ariel paused, making it up as she went along. “—passing out…unfamiliar surroundings.” She shivered from the cool damp air. “Strange, creepy atmosphere.”

  The woman was lying. Other than calling her on it, there was little he could do.

  Ariel had already realized he was different from normal men, so he couldn’t grill her about the dragon in her dream. Doing so would only prod her into asking questions he didn’t want to answer.

  He wasn’t about to admit that he was the dragon changeling she’d seen at Mirabilus until she confessed to being the thief. And if he read her hesitation and expressions right, she had formed the same plan.

  So, for now, it was a stalemate. Not that it mattered. In the end he would prove the victor.

  Cam waved toward the entry door. “I’ll show you to your apartment.”

  Ariel followed him out into the hallway. He explained. “There’re two apartments in each hallway. I’m in thirteen-three.” He handed her a key card as he led her around the corner. “You’ll be in thirteen-five.”

  “Thirteen? I thought it was bad luck to have a thirteenth floor?”

  Cam laughed. “If you believe luck exists, it might be bad.”

  “I take it you don’t?”

  “Believe in luck? No. But I realize others do, so none of the suites on this floor are available for guests.”

  He nodded at an archway as they walked by it. “The m
iddle area through there is a common kitchen, bar and entertainment center.” Remembering her earlier request, he added, “And there’s always a pot of coffee on. Help yourself.”

  “Thank you.”

  He stopped in front of her door. “I’ll leave you to get unpacked and settled in.”

  Ariel opened the door, turned around and leaned against the jamb. “I need to apologize.”

  “For what?”

  She looked at the floor. “This was an awful way to start my first day on the job.”

  Her words were barely above a whisper. Cam moved closer to lean against the other side of the doorway. The warmth stealing over him at their nearness caught him off guard.

  Urges to protect her and to claim this woman as his warred deep in his gut. He understood the second urge—Ariel Johnson was a desirable woman. Her sultry scent and luscious form made for a seductive package.

  What he didn’t understand was his urge to protect her. She wasn’t like him and she wasn’t his to protect. Besides, he sensed no danger close at hand. No threat—seen or unseen—lurked around the corners. The only explanation he could find for the urge was her tone of contrition and her weak, vulnerable stance.

  Cam took her hands in his. “It’s Saturday. Your first day isn’t until Monday.”

  She stared at their joined hands, jumping slightly as he stroked his thumb across the top. He heard the rush of blood through her veins and felt her pulse quicken against his palms.

  “Still, I’ve made a horrible first impression.”

  His slumbering dragon rumbled awake, coming to life at the tremor of her voice. The beast wanted to comfort her, wanted her to look up so he could gaze into her eyes.

  Gently coaxing her closer, Cam brushed off her concern. “No, you haven’t.” When she stood mere inches from him, he lowered his head. “Your first impression happened yesterday and it was fine.”

  Ariel turned her face up toward his. “But—”