Dragon's Curse (Harlequin Nocturne)

by Lynn, Denise

  Quicker than her eyes could follow, the dragon—Cam—loomed over her. Ariel gasped at his rapid shift. There was no slow transformation, no display of limbs and flesh turning into wings and scales. It was nearly instantaneous. Her breath caught when he scooped her up and took flight.

  The ground spun away beneath them at a dizzying rate. She wrapped her arms tightly around one smooth talon and closed her eyes, suddenly certain this was a very bad idea.

  Even in his current form, Cam was aware of the terror charging through the woman securely imprisoned inside his curved talons. The scent was too familiar for him to mistake as anything else.

  Before soaring out across the seemingly endless water, he circled the isle, slowly gliding, easily adjusting his wings to ride the wind. When her death grip lessened and the tang of fear warmed to a more spice-filled aroma, he spread his wings against the wind to land gently on the beach.

  Ariel slid off his now-opened foot, and backed away enough to gaze up at him. “Is this a choice?”

  Cam stayed in dragon form, lowering his head to chuff a breath against her hair. Yes, it was a choice—of sorts. She could choose to come willingly, or he could snatch her up again.

  She walked around him, reaching out now and then to touch, to stroke a wing or his scales before coming to a stop before him. “Apparently you don’t intend to drop me to my death.”

  Insulted, he turned his head and snorted. Sand puffed up around them. Drop her? If he had any intention of killing her, he wouldn’t resort to something as clumsy as dropping her.

  Her soft laugh sent tremors shivering the length of his spine. Had she, or her own beast, somehow understood?

  She closed her eyes and he could sense her shadowy dragon fighting for its freedom. Unable to help her make the transformation, he could only watch and wait.

  Finally, either frustrated or too inexperienced, she gave up with a sigh and asked, “Are you certain you can carry me all the way back to the Lair?”

  Cam dragged a talon through the sand, then picked up a tiny pebble. He held it out to her.

  “Okay, I get the gist. But I think I might weigh a little more than a pebble.”

  He dropped the stone and reached toward a car-size boulder.

  “Oh!” Ariel shrieked and swatted at his chest. “Funny.”

  Pleased he could humor her so easily, he relented and held out a forefoot.

  A gust of wind rushed across the water onto the beach. Ariel shivered. “I’m going to freeze to death, aren’t I?”

  He stared down at her. She wanted a nest? A bed? He studied the beach, looking for something that might suit the woman. Finding nothing, he shook his head, then tapped a talon to his chest. The warmth of his body would keep her from freezing.

  A questioning frown marred her features, creases lined her forehead. “Can we try it first?”

  He wiggled his talons, beckoning her to climb aboard.

  Ariel scrambled onto his foot, gasping when he closed his talons around her like a cage, then lifted her against his chest.

  She reached between his hooked claws to place her palm against his chest. Cam willed his body heat to flow into her, knowing full well the effect would do more than just warm her flesh.

  With a trembling sigh, she sat down, circled one arm around a talon and asked hoarsely, “How long is this going to take?”

  While Cam fought the urge to change back into human form and satisfy the lust wafting thick around them, the beast growled softly, content to do nothing more than hold the woman close.

  Chapter 18

  She wanted to push away the nagging voice whispering in her ear. It rudely interrupted her dream. The wind whipping through her hair as she flew across both sea and land had made for a wonderful dream. Stars dotted the night sky, blinking like twinkle lights against the darkness.

  “Ariel.”

  No. Angrily brushing away the hand shaking her shoulder, she groaned with regret at being forced to leave her dreams behind.

  “Come on, we’re home.”

  Home? She opened her eyes and looked around. “This isn’t home, it’s the Lair—”

  Dragon’s Lair? The last thing she remembered was falling asleep against Cam’s—his beast’s—chest. Although how she fell asleep was beyond her knowing. The warmth emanating from the dragon had been the most erotically intoxicating sensation she’d ever experienced.

  “Are you awake?”

  She quickly closed her eyes, hoping to avoid having to look at him. While she knew she wouldn’t die from embarrassment, she’d rest easier if he didn’t know what she’d felt.

  “From that blush I’d say you’re awake.” The mattress dipped then shifted as he rose from the bed. “It’s still early, get a couple more hours of sleep.”

  She rolled onto her side and glanced at him. “Where are you going?”

  “To my own bed.” He paused at her bedroom door. Without turning around, he said, “Christmas.”

  Ariel rose up on an elbow, waiting for an explanation to his strange comment spoken in such a surprised tone of voice.

  “Your lust smells like Christmas—exotically spiced Orientals laced with cinnamon and cloves.”

  She fell back down onto the bed with a groan. Before she could think of anything to say in reply, the door slammed closed behind him.

  Relief flowed through her—followed by desperate need. Ariel sighed. This was all wrong.

  Her gut feeling told her that no matter what her logical reasoning believed, she was just like him, but he was the enemy. He and his family would be victim to her thievery.

  Dismayed, Ariel groaned. Cameron Drake and his accursed dragon was the last person she should care about.

  Yet, if it was so wrong, why did she want him so badly? Why did just the memory of his fingertips grazing her naked flesh make her bite her lip to keep from crying out for his touch?

  If this wasn’t right, if this wasn’t meant to be, why did she so willingly, so eagerly, go into his arms each time he beckoned?

  If this wasn’t right, why did his easy acceptance of what she might be matter so much to her? Why did his understanding and his willingness to help calm the fears tearing through her mind?

  And if this was wrong, why did the thought of leaving Dragon’s Lair create such an aching hole in the pit of her stomach?

  “Why can’t you want me as much as I do you?” she whispered into the empty darkness of the bedroom.

  Cam rested his forehead against the cool wood of her bedroom door. It did nothing to temper the need urging him to open the door and satiate the lust raging through both of them.

  While he’d been merely surprised that she’d trusted him enough to carry her across a vast ocean with nothing separating her from the icy-cold water except his talons curved around her, his beast had been touched—deeply.

  More so than he’d ever imagined possible.

  Added to that was the fact that she’d sensed his beast while they’d made love in the workroom. Not only sensed him, but ached for the dragon’s pain and longed to comfort him.

  Comfort. This mortal, this enemy of his, had been upset that she didn’t know how to comfort a cursed, magical beast.

  And most of all, this enemy sent to defeat him and his family was more like him than any other person in the world. With her, he was no longer alone.

  He needed to get her out of here, away from Dragon’s Lair, away from him before he was unable to let her go.

&
nbsp; Already the dragon mourned what would soon be an end to Ariel’s stay at the Lair. Thankfully, the beast understood what had to be done to keep her alive. But that understanding did little to quell the hurt ripping through his chest.

  He turned away from the door with a ragged sigh. Time had eventually healed the hurt of losing Carol. But the beast hadn’t been involved then, what sort of time would accepting this loss require? Would a lifetime be enough?

  It would have to be, since that’s all he had to give.

  He slid a hand into the pocket of his jeans, curling his fingers around the dragon pendant that would soon find its way into the Learneds’ hands. A shame since Ariel seemed to be the only one who possessed the ability to transfer her touch on the pendant to his beast. It was too bad she couldn’t keep it with her when she left.

  Right now, he needed to find the last item that would send Ariel from the Lair, and place her out of danger’s way. A wooden puzzle box. Unfortunately, he hadn’t the slightest clue of where to begin his search.

  * * *

  “You what?”

  Jeremy cowered from the heated anger, the pure rage spewing from his father’s shouted question. “I don’t know how it happened. One minute he was there—and the next…he was just…gone.”

  Nathan slammed a fisted hand on the top of his credenza, sending candles and dragon statues flying as the ancient piece of furniture cracked in two. His curses filled the room, forcing Jeremy to press even tighter against the locked door at his back.

  He clawed at the door, frantically chanting and mumbling in his haste, seeking the right spell to break the lock and set him free.

  “Jeremy, my child, are you thinking of leaving me?”

  He froze, terrified by his sire’s cold, even tone of voice. Slowly, he turned to face his father. “No, I would never…”

  His words trailed off as Nathan raised a hand and pointed one boney finger toward Jeremy. “Be still, boy.”

  The older wizard waved abruptly toward a chair, laughing as his son’s body was flung, arms flailing and legs kicking, across the room to land unceremoniously atop the seat.

  “We need to fix this.”

  How were they going to fix dead? The Johnson boy was dead. Nothing he nor his gifted father did could change that.

  “Oh, but there is a way to fool people into believing he is still alive. At least until I get what I want.”

  Jeremy silently cursed his wayward thoughts. Apparently he’d given his sire an idea—one that most likely wouldn’t bode well for him.

  “Come, come now, boy. You got us into this mess, surely you feel the need to do your part to make it right.”

  Since it hadn’t been posed as a question, Jeremy knew the choice had already been made. He shrunk, folding himself into the chair, trying to forestall the inevitable.

  His father’s hand against his neck was cold enough to freeze his flesh. Jeremy trembled as the older wizard chanted, his warm breath forming ice crystals that hung like clouds in the air.

  “Relax, my son. It will only hurt for a moment.”

  Frozen in place, Jeremy was unable to escape his father’s stroking touch along his cheek. Unbearable pain forced a scream from his throat.

  The instant he parted his lips to cry out his torment, his father swallowed the scream with his own mouth.

  Nathan smiled at the warmth flowing through his body as he drew in his son’s soul. He hadn’t felt this alive, this vital, in more months than he could remember. Not since the Drakes’ dragon had carted him off.

  Before he drained too much of his son’s spirit, he released the boy. Eventually, Jeremy would regain strength, but until then he would be nothing more than a breathing shell.

  He needed Jeremy to have enough soul to at least be able to speak on command. Thinking wasn’t necessary—in fact, it was giving the boy the opportunity to think that had caused this mess to begin with.

  Nathan didn’t want to risk the Johnson woman’s cooperation, so for now at least, it served him better to let her speak with Jeremy. That way she wouldn’t become overly suspicious.

  Although, it was truly a pity he couldn’t retain this energy for himself. Not just yet. First he wanted that pendant and his box returned. For that, he needed Jeremy alive—more or less.

  Nathan straighten his spine, enjoying the feel of not being hunched over for a change. He thrust out his arms, turning and twisting in ways he’d been unable to do for so long now, before heading toward the door.

  He paused to glance back at the half-lifeless body of his only remaining child. Perhaps being childless wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  It was something he’d have to consider seriously, once the items were in his possession.

  * * *

  Ariel grasped the edge of the picnic table for support. “Why would you do that?”

  Renalde’s exasperated sigh made her fear he’d changed his mind. “I’m not going to keep repeating myself, Ms. Johnson. Do you want Carl with you, at the Lair or not?”

  “Of course I do. But I don’t have the puzzle cube, just the pendant.” She didn’t mention that it wasn’t the emerald one he’d ordered her to find. She’d deal with that issue when the time came.

  “I have every confidence that you’ll find it. I’m sure Brightworthe’s death is still ingrained in your mind. So you know just what I’m capable of doing.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “There are no buts. I tire of seeing to your brother’s care. Let his continued life, or eventual death, be on your hands.”

  “What’s to stop me from leaving the Lair with Carl?”

  Renalde’s laugh sent shivers down her spine. “Go ahead and try. I’ll have my hands on the both of you before you reach the edge of town. Do I need to explain what will happen then?”

  “No.” She knew without a doubt that he would make her suffer and pay dearly for trying to thwart him. “When do you want to make the exchange?”

  “I’ll be at the gates in front of the Lair in about fifteen minutes.”

  Ariel scrambled from the picnic table and raced toward the Jeep. “I’ll meet you there.”

  “I won’t wait.”

  Before she could assure him that he wouldn’t have to, the call went dead.

  She tossed the phone onto the passenger seat as she climbed behind the wheel and started the Jeep. She pulled into traffic briefly before turning off onto the back road along the river that would dump her out onto the main road leading up to the Lair.

  The sun glinted off the sapphire dragon pendant swinging on a chain that was looped around the rearview mirror. She hated to give it up, and still couldn’t believe Cam had given his blessing for her to do so.

  Actually, he seemed sort of relieved that it would soon be out of her possession. She shot the inanimate piece of jewelry an evil grin, then leaned forward to drop a kiss on top of its shiny head.

  In her mind’s eye she could see Cam flinch at the contact. He’d know it was her, how could he not? Which is probably why he was so anxious for her to hand it over to Renalde.

  That knowledge made her sad. These past few days had been the most pleasant of her stay at the Lair. For the most part they hadn’t argued. To be honest, other than the three new pages she’d uncovered for him in the grimoire, they hadn’t spent enough time together to argue.

  If she wasn’t working in the gardens, or the workshop, she was hiding from Danielle Drake. Either Cam, Sean or Harold saw to it that she and Ms. D
rake were never alone together.

  Never. Not even for a minute.

  In fact, the men made it a point to physically place themselves between the two of them at all times. Which she supposed was for the best, considering the death-ray looks Ms. Drake shot toward her.

  She’d intentionally worked hard all day long so that at night she’d fall into bed exhausted, passing out almost before her head hit the pillow. As far as she knew, Cam had spent his nights in his own bedroom.

  Still, that hadn’t prevented her from dreaming about him. Some of the dreams had been so real that she’d sworn she’d caught the scent of his aftershave on the pillow beside her in the morning.

  And sometimes she’d awaken exhausted, as if she’d spent the night flying, working muscles she didn’t know existed.

  Since Cam was a dream wizard of sorts, she realized that a portion of those dreams might have been true. But she couldn’t bring herself to question him. She didn’t want to know if he’d actually taught her how to soar, glide or land. And she didn’t want to know if he’d held her while she slept, or kissed away her tears.

  The knowing would only make things worse when it came time for her to leave. She’d have her hands full with Carl, and wouldn’t have the time to grieve for something that never was, or might have been.

  It would be easier to leave just a job than it would be to leave a lover.

  Who was she trying to fool? It would be easier for whom? Certainly not for her.

  Ariel drew in a shuddering breath. She knew damn well that as soon as she pulled her packed van through the gates for the last time, she’d be a wreck.

  While it was true, she could keep her distance now, making it easier to pretend Cam was nothing more than an employer. She would always long for just one more kiss, one more touch, one more night spent in his arms.

  Dragging her wayward thoughts back to the task at hand, Ariel slowed the Jeep around the last curve, then came to a stop outside the gates to Dragon’s Lair.