Smolder (Clan of Dragons Book 3)

by Nancy Lee Badger

  “You? Get out!” Dougal turned away from her, just in time to see the pirate lunge at him.

  “The idiot will die before the night be out, by blade or by fire,” Toal whispered, and Fiona worried that he knew Dougal’s secret, simply from fighting his brothers. Wynn said he’d burned the man’s bed in front of him, and since Dougal looked like his brother…

  “On your knees and drop your weapon,” the pirate said to Dougal, as if he’d forgotten she and Toal were still in the kitchen. As Toal pulled her away by her elbow, nudging her toward the dining area, she couldn’t take her gaze off the pirate’s curved blade, now pointing at Dougal’s chest.

  The last thing she heard was Dougal saying, “I kneel for no one.”

  ***

  Dougal lied, since he had knelt for Fiona, and bathed her with a gentle touch. So unlike me.

  As Toal pulled her out into the dining hall, Fiona glanced over her shoulder, her eyes pleading with him. To kill the pirates, or save her from Toal’s clutches? As he straightened his back, and watched from the corner of his eye, she left with Toal. Rage burned in his gut. He gripped the sword so hard it wavered in the air before him. Snapping his gaze away, he returned his attention to the pirate.

  Glaring at the man who wielded a curved blade pointed at the middle of his chest, his only fear concerned Fiona. Then that fear morphed swiftly into anger. How dare Fiona leave with that bastard! With pirates in the small kitchen, and Toal pushing her out of the room, the outcome depended on what he did next. Many could die.

  He had heard Toal say, “The idiot will die before the night be out, by blade or by fire.” Did Toal refer to him, or the pirate? Could he know his secret? The bastard might have discovered their true nature simply from fighting his brothers. Hadn’t Wynn said he’d burned the man’s bed in front of him? Since Dougal looked like his brother…

  When Fiona grabbed his arm, he’d shaken it off. “Get out,” he’d said, because it only made sense to see her safe. She had pressed her bandaged hand against her mouth, shaking her head at his demand, but Toal forced her toward the door. Watching them, and the pirate at the same time was not possible, so all he could do was pray Toal got her to safety, without harming her.

  Growling, he glared at the pirate, and realized the two other men had circled around the butchering table, stained with blood and bones. They were intent on heading toward his unarmed back. The urge to burn all three of them with his hot breath was strong, but Vika and Orin were part of this village. The knowledge that she was related by marriage to dragon-shifters would hurt them both.

  “The captain said on your knees,” one of the men growled.

  Dougal smiled at the captain, while the fingers not holding his sword silently lengthened into sharp talons.

  “You shall kneel, and you best give that wench a message. She has something I want.”

  The other pirates chuckled, and grabbed their crotches.

  Dougal saw red, and his vision blurred. If the captain of this crew thought to touch Fiona, he was going to taste disappointment.

  When one of the men was nearly at his back, Dougal lashed out. Moving too fast for a human to follow his actions, his talons sliced through the man’s shirt, and shattered his weapon. The broken blade clattered to the floor, while blood seeped from thin lines down his chest.

  Screaming, the pirate escaped out into the dining hall. Moments later, angry curses and the screams of a dying man made the captain and the other pirate retreat out the kitchen’s back door. Dougal let them leave, so he could will his body back under control.

  After releasing the two cooks from their storeroom, he suggested they grab knives, lock the kitchen door, and bolt the door to the dining hall. They thanked him as he left the kitchen.

  When the bolt clicked behind him, he strode into the dining area. Wynn fought barehanded, with a grin on his face. His mate, Kera, cried out as she kicked one man, and bit the forearm of another. All around him, men fought with pirates wearing headscarves and wielding curved blades. The village lasses stood on benches, pounding on the brigands’ heads with empty metal tankards, or serving trays. Without the sword he’d leant to Dougal, Evan punched and kicked a pirate sporting a ragged plaide of faded wool.

  Before remorse moved him to throw the sword to Evan, he paused. Unna, the serving wench, slammed a tray on the head of a pirate who had raised his sword over Evan’s head. His curved blade swung around toward her, and Unna screeched. Luckily for the lass, another villager kicked the attacker at the back of the attacker’s knees.

  When the pirate fell beneath the feet of the crowd, Unna kissed the villager, and returned to thwacking other heads with her tray. Dougal wanted to laugh at her actions, but her bravery, and that of the other villagers, was sobering.

  Another thought sped through his mind, and his breath caught. If both brothers had joined the fight in the tavern, who watched over Vika? A quick glance did not reveal Fiona or Toal, and he raced toward the back door with his heart in his throat.

  Fighting his way out of the dining area, the smell of blood made his nostrils flare, and the urge to shift and eat his fill was alluring. The subtle fragrance he’d come to associate with Fiona led him out into the night. Several pirates raced toward him, and he dispatched them with his borrowed blade. His victory was short-lived the moment a scream split the night. Vika!

  Dougal was torn between finding Fiona, and guarding Vika. His gut clenched, and his talons erupted. Vika was helpless in her birthing bed. With Evan, Wynn, and Kera fighting the pirates in the dining hall, only the healer would be with her.

  Damn pirates, and Toal!

  Because of them, Fiona was gone. Engaging the pirates in the kitchen had kept him too busy to keep Toal from tugging her to safety. Why would she leave the building with Toal the toad?

  When several more pirates blocked his path, Dougal’s roar split the night.

  With no sense of the direction Fiona and Toal had taken, he fought with the pirates. Slashing and growling, others joined him in forcing the brigands away from the tavern. Many scurried toward the side of the barn.

  “A breech! They broke through the wall!” Blackie cried, as he stabbed a pirate in the neck. “Rout these bastards, and block the hole with wagons and barrels!”

  Villagers cried in agreement, and Dougal returned to the dining hall to calm his dragon’s urge to kill. He needed to make sure his brothers were alive, and ask their help to find Fiona.

  ‘Tis about time you followed your heart.

  Cliona’s voice made him pause on the threshold of the tavern. Why was she haunting him, and why was she pushing him into a doomed relationship?

  “One doomed relationship be enough for any dragon.” The pain of Fiona’s disappearance, and the worry for her well-being, had no place in a dragon’s need to safeguard his family.

  Inside the tavern, he spied villagers beyond the open front door. They fought pirates on the wide front porch. Tables overturned, and trays of shortbread and meat pies flew through the air. He raced toward the melee to help. Others tangled at the edge of the roaring bonfire, and one of the elders, the one who had spoken to the villagers, fought with a short sword.

  As he raced to the old man’s side, he didn’t see Evan anywhere. All he could do was pray his brother had returned to Vika’s bedside, and kept her safe.

  CHAPTER 20

  Safety was not far from Fiona’s mind, not after Toal pulled her out the tavern’s rear door. When pirates had raced toward the building, he tugged her through shadows toward the front.

  “Toal, we have to warn them! The villagers be fighting inside, and here come more.”

  “Nay, ‘tis your safety I must ensure, or I’ll feel the wrath of dragons at me back. There be too many pirates out here. Follow me.” Toal tugged harder, and Fiona had no choice but to follow him back inside the tavern. The men fighting outside were too busy to notice them, which allowed them to slip inside, but not before she spied Dougal fighting three men. The human females rushe
d into the tavern owner’s private chamber.

  “We should join them, and keep out of sight,” Fiona said, pulling against his grasp.

  “Nay, I’ve a better idea.” Toal headed up the stairs and forced her inside Vika’s chamber.

  What she saw made her gasp in shock. A pirate stood beside Vika’s bed, with his blade beneath Evan’s chin. The shifter appeared to have been caught unawares, possibly while talking to his wife. He sat in a chair, his fingers gripping the sides of his perch. Vika slept soundly beside him, unaware of the threat.

  “Do not hurt him. He be unarmed,” Fiona cried.

  The pirate turned slowly, and looked her up and down, then noticed Toal at her side. “Scum! Bastard! Me captain has plans for you. None of it good.”

  Fiona gazed up at Toal, who did not seem surprised at the anger spewing from the pirate. “I just met with your captain. He was running for his life. I suggest you follow him. There be the window.”

  The pirate glanced at the window the same moment Vika turned onto her side, and opened her eyes. The sight of a blade pressed against her mate’s neck drew a scream from her throat.

  “Now, here be a pretty lass I recognize,” the pirate said, as he glared at Vika. “Before the winter snows trapped us on this forsaken island, Toal had promised you to the captain and crew. Shall I take me turn now? I’ll have to tie up the others, first.”

  Unable to move, Evan growled. Vika ignored him, and pushed herself up until she sat with her back against the headboard. When she shoved the blanket away, the pirate’s eyes went wide as saucers. When he stepped back, away from the lass great with a babe, Toal shoved him into the wall. Evan jumped up, and with one hand, grabbed the foul-smelling brigand around the throat. With his other hand, he reached out and curled his fingers around Toal’s neck. He threw Toal against the wall beside the pirate, causing Fiona to gasp.

  “Evan, please release Toal. He saved me only moments ago. Your brother be the one in danger.”

  “Wynn?”

  “Nay, ‘tis Dougal in need of saving.”

  A grin lifted the side of the dragon’s mouth, but disappeared as quickly. He must have read the worry in her expression, and the uninjured hand she’d clasped to her throat. When a roar that had to come from Dougal made the window glass shake, Vika cried out in alarm.

  “Hurry!” Fiona cried, “He needs your help, I can feel it in me bones.” She was worried about Dougal, and wanted to run back outside, but Vika was in dire need of help. She wished Kera, Wynn, or even Orin was here, to keep Vika safe. “Take the pirate downstairs. Others can hold him prisoner. Please help Dougal, while Toal and I protect Vika.”

  Before either Toal or Evan could voice their objections, Vika screamed. “The babe! He be coming!”

  “Flames of Hell!” Evan cried, releasing the men. As their boots hit the floor, Toal coughed, while the pirate ran and flew out the window. Glass shattered. A thud, followed by a scream, meant he’d hit the ground.

  Toal clasped Evan’s shoulder. “I adore Vika, but I understand she be yours. Although I do not wish to be saddled with an irritable wench and her babe, I swear on me life I shall guard her. Go!”

  Evan glanced at Fiona, and she nodded, encouraging him to put his trust in her, and his former enemy. She had to put her own trust in Toal, and if he did anything to hurt Vika, Evan would be in his rights to blame her. She relaxed only when Evan placed a kiss on Vika’s sweaty forehead, and patted Fiona’s shoulder on his way out of the room, and ordered Toal to bolt the door.

  If the healer returned, they should allow her back in, but the need to protect the room from any thugs was paramount. Toal did as the disappearing dragon demanded, then walked to stand beside the shattered window.

  As Vika groaned, Fiona walked to his side.

  “I can trust you, be this true?” Fiona whispered in Toal’s ear. While she waited for his response, she drew the curtain closed. Keeping out the night air, and the sounds of battle, might soothe Vika. Fiona walked away from the silent scoundrel, found a bowl of cool water, and dipped a scrap of linen into it. When he moved to join her near Vika’s bedside, she waited to see if he would answer her query.

  “In spite of the stories you have heard, I can be trusted. I saved your hide, as well as that dragon’s neck. I be not so bad, just hungry. I feel unwelcome in the village, and the pirates want me head, so I keep hidden.” His stomach growled, causing Fiona to chuckle.

  Another scream made her forego any more conversation with Toal. She sat beside the bed, draped the cool, wet cloth on Vika’s brow, and mumbled soothing words. This was outside her scope of knowledge, but she shared whatever words came to mind, trying her best to calm her friend. Should she ever find herself in such an enviable position, she prayed someone would cool her brow, and ease her pain.

  Carrying the offspring of the one you loved was fortunate. Should she be surprised she was envious of Evan’s mate? Vika might be not much more than a stranger to her, but she was Dougal’s kin. He claimed the only reason he had traveled to the village with Vika and his brothers, was to keep his family safe.

  “The pain. I be dying,” Vika whispered. She took in a deep breath, tossing her head from side to side.

  “Nay, lass, ‘tis the babe crying to come out and meet his da.” Fiona dabbed her forehead, and glanced at Toal. He opened the chamber’s door, and peered down the stairs. When he quietly closed the door, she prayed he’d share what he’d seen.

  “We must keep calm, and stay here. ‘Tis a melee going on down there,” Toal told her.

  “Bolt the door, and bring me clean towels. This babe be coming.”

  “Fiona, do not jest! ‘Tis a war surging outside this building, and scary beasts could kill us with one bite.” Toal bolted the door, and ran trembling fingers through his hair.

  “Do you fear me?” Fiona asked.

  A big smile filled his face, and he clasped his hands behind his back.

  “Nay, lass, but you do intrigue me. When things quiet down, and the pirates have been routed, you and I should get to know each other better.”

  “I must say, Mac or Toal or whomever you be this night, you be barking up the wrong tree. I fear me heart belongs to another.” Her words shocked her, and she wondered where they’d come from.

  Surely, Dougal, a dragon, be not for me.

  “Pity,” he whispered, and turned back toward the door.

  Perhaps Toal was not such a horrid man. Still, she ought to accept the warnings Dougal and Unna shared about him. They claimed to know him, and the stories they’d told were eye-opening, to say the least.

  “I have heard tell how you hurt Vika and Kera. Why should I listen to anything you say? Your words might drip with honey, but bees often sting.”

  He growled something indiscernible, peeked into the hall, and slammed the door shut. “I have made a few mistakes.”

  Laughter replaced the pain-filled cries, coming from the bed.

  “Vika? What have you to add?” she asked.

  “I fear she be laughing at me words,” Toal said. He walked away, and dropped into a chair near the hearth.

  Fiona offered Vika a cup of water, praying it was the fairy pool water, but the young mother-to-be wasn’t finished.

  “Toal MacMorgan professes his faults? Can it be the spirits of Beltane allowing him to speak freely? Next, he’ll be asking to atone for his transgressions.” Her laughter resumed, while Toal’s cheeks turned ruddy.

  “He lies? I can only take the words of others, but I know firsthand he spouts pretty words,” Fiona said, wishing to see if he would lie about how he had talked to her, when she’d served him in the tavern, and when he had surprised her in the kitchen.

  “Lies? Nay, lass. Can you blame a man for wishing to court a lass as lovely as you? Me last name be MacMorgan, and many call me Mac. I be less than welcome in Morbhan, and ‘tis the only reason I did not share me full name with you. You noticed how irate Unna became the moment she recognized me. Can you blame a man for using ano
ther name?”

  “I suppose he speaks truthfully in that, but do you plan to apologize for despoiling poor Kera?” Vika said. Her labored breathing kept her from going into further detail.

  Fiona would have to ask Dougal for the particulars. He’d hinted that Toal had injured Kera in a sexual manner. Toal had told Fiona, by his actions, that he wished to bed her as well, but she hadn’t come to Morbhan to couple with a human male.

  She suddenly recalled she no longer had a mission. With Cliona dead, she could return to her herd. Maybe she could find Grady, if he was still in the nearby forest. He would take her home.

  She cringed.

  “What be wrong, lass?” Toal asked. He sat quietly near the hearth, his knee supporting his other leg, and his arms crossing his chest.

  Firelight flickered over his profile, and Fiona looked closer. His clothing was simple, but clean. He smelled slightly of horses, but since she’d met him near the large stable, it wasn’t unusual.

  He’d found her lost coin, which was safely in her apron’s pocket. She’d planned to buy some shortbread. She’d never eaten the buttery treat, but Unna went on and on about it, almost as often as she talked about men.

  “I find I be hungry, as well,” she lied. No sense sharing feelings about Grady. “Toal, I was thinking about Scottish shortbread. I had planned to buy a piece, when me duties allowed. ‘Tis a shame our unwanted guests spoiled those plans.”

  “Let us hope those unwanted guests don’t kill us,” he answered.

  “What be tonight? Has Beltane passed yet?” Vika said, nearly breathless with pain.

  Fiona wiped her brow. “I be not sure. Dougal mentioned the village holiday, and the festivities were still going on, before the pirates attacked. The bonfire be large, yet the fighting has consumed everyone’s attention. Why do you ask?”

  Vika gazed up at her. “Dougal told Evan the babe would come on Beltane.”

  Toal laughed. “A most imprudent prediction, what with the place crawling with vermin, smelling of the sea. Aye, ‘tis time for dancing, eating, and…other pleasant pastimes, but those damned pirates have the villagers occupied.”