“This is the place,” Cynric was saying, his voice confident.
Gwynne froze in the doorway and watched them, not realizing that her hand had reached out to grasp the tent’s fabric in order to hold herself up. Rauth was standing just inside, observing in silence and allowing Lachlan to discuss plans with the flyers. He reached for Gwynne, taking her hand so that he became a sort of architectural support, a strong beam of iron for her to hold onto.
“And so you’re fairly certain that this is where we’ll find them?” It was Lachlan’s voice, with a tinge to it of…what? hope? Excitement? Whatever the sentiment, he was keeping it well-concealed, as though reluctant to let anything positive emerge before they were absolutely certain. Speculation combined with too much hope made for a dangerous and potentially agonizing situation.
“This is the only possible location,” said Cynric. “We came upon it this afternoon. I didn’t get too close—as you said, it’s best to stay high in the air when surveying—but this barrow, unlike the others in the area, was sealed off from within. A large stone was shoved in front of its entrance. This would be physically impossible to do, except from the inside.”
Gwynne felt her balance fail and found herself sinking towards the ground. It was Rauth who caught her before she collided with the earth, repeating, “It’s all right. It will all be all right. You need to breathe, Gwynne.”
Lachlan turned then to see his lover and his cousin, each with an expression that broke his heart on their faces: in Gwynne it was hope, in Rauth, determination. And he couldn’t promise either of them that they’d succeed in finding their children safe any more than he could promise them the moon. All he could do was hold onto his own hope.
“You’ve heard what the flyers found,” he said, approaching them. He allowed Rauth to help Gwynne to her feet before taking her by the free arm and, along with his co-alpha, supporting her. “But understand, Gwynne, that though it’s a possible—even likely—location for Drake and the children, there are no guarantees.”
“I understand,” she said. But truthfully, she felt that this was their last resort: if they weren’t in this place, this barrow, there was nowhere else to look. Everything was invested in this one small chance.
* * *
Dragon Queen 12
The Barrow
“Today’s going to be a big one,” said Lord Drake as he roused the twins by poking them with a bare foot. “It’s time that we learned what you two are.” His tone no longer exuded a sort of invented charm, but was more like that of an angry drill sergeant, as though he were losing patience with their slow progress.
Rohan and Lilliana looked at one another. Their grandfather walked over and opened the manufactured stone door just enough for some light to flow in, leaving a crack too narrow for either child to escape. He then seated himself, appearing to await their arrival. There was, apparently, to be no breakfast this morning.
The twins rose and wandered over to the place where the man sat on a flat stone in the middle of the barrow.
The vast space, which at first had seemed creepy, had a beauty to it. Some ancient language was engraved on the stones which surrounded them, no doubt commemorating whatever poor soul or family had been buried in this place. But the children felt that it was a safe haven for them, somehow: they were together and for now at least, their grandfather seemed to want to keep them around.
“By now I know that you understand everything I say to you,” said Drake, handing each of them a cup of water and a few hunks of stale bread that he’d no doubt swiped from some farmer. “That much is clear. Whether you can communicate, I don’t yet know—other than the twin-looks that you two like to exchange.”
Rohan resisted the urge to look sideways at his sister.
“You know that you are both shifters,” said Drake. “And likely very powerful ones. What you don’t know is that your fathers looked to…create…you for some time. For their own purposes. Now, I’m not one to speak ill of someone’s parents. But you must be told, for your own good, that those men are power-hungry. Greedy.”
Rohan looked at the ground, as did Lilliana. It was easier than gnashing their teeth and allowing growls to erupt from their small frames.
“I see that the news hurts you. Of course it does,” continued their vile grandfather. “It’s never easy to learn these things. But the sooner you do, the better. What it comes down to is that I’ve saved you, and that’s all that matters. You need not be with those men or see them ever again. They would only use you for their own foul purposes.”
Lilliana reached a hand for her brother’s and clasped it hard, squeezing to avoid allowing her anger to build.
“Today I will take you both outside for the first time. You will learn to trust me. And you will learn the preliminaries of shifting, so that your déors may show themselves.”
A flash of hope surged through the twins. Outside! Maybe there would be a chance for escape. If only, thought Lily, Rohan had already learned to shift, then maybe they could outrun their grandfather. But no, it was too soon. She could never leave him behind. Besides, surely the lord’s dragon form was faster than they were in their young bodies.
“Come, finish your breakfast and we’ll head out,” he said. “We’ll see at last what you’re really made of, with your dire wolf and dragon flesh.”
* * *
“Now,” said Gwynne. “I want to go now.”
“Night is about to fall again, Gwynne, my darling,” said Lachlan gently. “We must wait for morning. We need the benefit of sight.”
“You don’t think it’s better to take them at night?” she asked.
“No,” replied Cynric “There is too much risk. The location we’re talking about is essentially a cave, and will be utterly dark in the night. As good as our night vision is, the twins could be injured. Drake will know his way around the place by now, and will have the advantage. The greatest hope is to open it and flood it with light. We must wait. I’m sorry, my Lady.”
Gwynne’s patience was wearing thin but she knew that the men were quite right. Still, even a minute was too long to find out if her babies were safe.
“All right,” she said, leaving the tent to head for the one that she’d shared with Lachlan, and tonight would no doubt share with Rauth as well.
As she entered and undressed she allowed her clothing to fall to the cold ground. Silently she eased down onto the bed of furs which reminded her of her alphas’ wolf forms wrapping themselves around her. How isolated she felt now, in spite of having both close by.
It was only a few minutes before Rauth entered. For a moment Gwynne wondered if he would attempt to seduce her, to find his way inside her. A part of her craved it; his mastery of her body would be a distraction. But she also knew that she could hate him for it.
The question was quickly answered though as Rauth lay down behind her, an arm around her waist, which she took in her hand and pulled over her chest. He was her cloak now, hiding her from the pain of the world around her; her helplessness. She closed her eyes.
“Gwynne,” he whispered.
“Yes…”
“I love you.”
The words were a shock, regardless of how many times he’d uttered them now. He had shown such consistent disdain for the sentiment, as though it were a human failing. Love.
“I…” she began.
“I love the children too. More than you know. And I will give my last breath to bring them back to you, if that’s what it takes.”
Gwynne rolled and turned to him, looking into his eyes. “Will you?” she asked. “And then what? You’ll disband our family? Send Lachlan far away?”
The question silenced him.
“I don’t know,” he said after a time.
Gwynne’s eyes didn’t close for many hours, though eventually Rauth’s breathing became heavy and even, signs of sleep.
His cwen had no idea if her two mates would ever find a way to reconcile.
* * *
Dragon Queen 13
The party was to set off early the following morning in order to arrive at the location of Drake’s suspected hiding place shortly after dawn. The trick would be to remain unseen, which would only be possible under the cover of trees below the cliff itself. From there they would determine whether they were indeed in the right place.
When Gwynne awoke she padded softly onto the dew-covered grass, looking up at the still dark sky. A thin veil of cloud hid the moon and stars but light was beginning to show itself over the horizon. She told herself not to hope too strongly; that life would have to go on, whatever the outcome of this day. It was an impossible thought.
She stared into at the sky as though in a daze, as light broke quickly in the distance—too quickly. At first Gwynne told herself that she was seeing things; surely, more time had passed than she thought. Or perhaps time was playing tricks on her; all of her leaping back and forth over years was beginning to toy with her perception.
But as she watched she realized that it wasn’t the sunrise that she was seeing at all, but rather a distant and low-flying fireball, which seemed directly aimed at the wolves’ camp.
“What the…” she began, reaching a hand for the tent’s doorway. She should warn the wolves. They needed to leave, and now.
A moment later her fears were allayed though, when she saw the faint outline of an enormous bird, wings flapping slowly, gently, their massive span equal to that of her drake. When she realized at last what she was seeing, Gwynne wanted to weep; she hadn’t realized how much she’d hoped for this moment until it occurred.
The phoenix came to a delicate landing in the small clearing before her tent and Gwynne grabbed a nearby cloak.
“Mother,” she murmured as she threw it over the woman who stood before her a moment later, then embraced her in a tight hug. “You…shifted.”
“I’m sorry to arrive like this, Gwynne,” said Freya, whose face was free again of its usual concealing veil. “But I had the feeling that you might need me, for better or worse.”
“It’s all right. I’m just stunned to see you. I’ve never….I’ve never seen your déor, of course. It’s beautiful.”
“It’s still in me. Still part of me, as are many things,” said her mother. “That protective streak that a mother always has for her children, for instance. That will never leave, no matter how grown up you might get.”
Gwynne smiled. “Well, obviously I hope the Lord Drake hasn’t caught sight of the great fireball in the sky. But I’m glad to see you. I think we’ll be able to use any help we can get this morning.”
“Tell me, what news?”
Gwynne filled her in quickly on Cynric’s findings from the previous day, with the rare luxury of being able to watch Freya’s facial expressions, which radiated from pensive to angry to frightened and back again as she listened.
“I will follow you and the alphas, along with the party,” said Freya. “But Gwynne, whatever you see, do not allow emotion to dictate your actions today. This is one circumstance in which I commend Rauth for his leadership, his ability to ignore passions and lead with his head. Remember that your job is to preserve your children; not to kill. Revenge, if necessary, can be saved for another time.”
“But today we’ll have a large party set against Drake,” protested Gwynne. “It’s the perfect time to take him down.”
“With what? Some flyers and you? The wolves won’t be able to get to him; not if he’s perched on a cliff. You must look to your twins. Communicate with them, if you can. Get them away from him, if in fact Cynric was right and we’ve found his hiding place. But don’t try and fight him while they’re near. Two fire drakes cannot be held accountable for the residual damage they do.”
“You’re right, of course,” said Gwynne, recalling her one-time altercation with Lachlan, when she’d been stunned at the power of her own flames. The passions of a drake were intense and the déor could take over human emotions in a flash. She had to remind herself to think like a warrior rather than a protective dragon mother.
* * *
When the men were assembled at dawn, Rauth, Lachlan, Gwynne and Cynric led the way towards the clifftop barrow, with a party of ten dire wolf shifters and Freya taking up the rear in single file. Gwynne remained behind her mates and Cynric, partly in order to contain herself and to prepare herself mentally for what might be ahead and partly to watch the interaction between Rauth and Lachlan. Maybe there was some small hope that they could find a way to be close again; for Rauth to see how important their relationship was. She’d heard that men often bonded in times of war, and she could only hope that this experience would bring them back to one another.
Somehow, occupying her mind with this dilemma helped her to detract from thoughts of her children—her children, who seemed to be close by; Gwynne was convinced of it. She would see them, and soon. What sort of state they’d be in, she didn’t know. But at the very leas, a few questions would be answered.
* * *
Dragon Queen 14
The Barrow
“Today, you learn to fly,” said Lord Drake.
The children found themselves at the edge of a precipice which seemed to be perched terribly high above a dense forest; even higher than their window in Dundurn Castle had been from the ground below.
Lilliana looked down, wondering if her newfound déor could soar away into the wild if need be. But she was concerned more for her brother than for herself; it was possible that his déor wouldn’t have wings. He needed his new body, though; one that could potentially fight off a dragon, as they might have to do this morning. This could be their one chance to escape.
The sun was only now beginning to rise in the sky, and it was a welcome sight after the dark nights they’d spent inside the tomb. On the positive side, their shifters’ eyes had learned quickly to take in dim light and to see through shadows in utter darkness. But they’d each missed the fresh air and wind against their skin, and all told, it was a relief to be outdoors.
“Now,” continued their grandfather, eyeing each of them below his shock of grey hair, his cold face expressionless. “Rohan, normally they say that ladies should go first, but I think that in this case it would be appropriate for you to be the leader. Men are, after all, generally physically superior.” With that he looked back at Lilliana, whose forehead creased in annoyance. Had she known any twentieth-century swear words, she would have bombarded him with them in her mind. For now, though, she attempted to alter her expression to puzzlement, pretending to be confused by the sexist statement rather than appear perturbed.
Rohan stepped forward, reluctant but pleased that Lily was to be let off the hook for now. His relief was short-lived, however, as Lord Drake grabbed him by the front of his tunic and pulled him forward violently so that he found himself leaning over the edge of the cliff.
“Can you fly, boy? Tell me now,” hissed the man.
Rohan looked towards the ground far below, terrified, and shook his head. It was no lie. He knew perfectly well that he couldn’t.
“Shift,” ordered the man.
Rohan stood on his toes, his weight leaning forward, only the fist grasping his linen clothing saving him from falling.
“Shift.”
The boy closed his eyes and tried once again to envision his inner creature: a wolf? No. A dragon? Nothing.
He remained a boy. Useless. A disappointment to himself and no doubt to his sister as well.
Finally Drake gave up and pulled him back towards Lilliana, releasing him by thrusting him towards the barrow’s doorway. “Well, at least I know you can’t escape,” he said. “But I will have use for you yet, young man. And you,” he growled at Lilliana. “You who likes to pretend to know far less than you actually do. What are you? Have you inherited your mother’s inner fire?”
He grabbed her in the same way as he had Rohan, tugging her brutally over to the cliff’s edge. But rather than have her lean over the precipice, Drake picked her up, his large hands under
her arms, and thrust her into the air, suspending her above the empty space that led down to the woods below.
Lilliana could feel her thin arms slipping out of her long dress, knowing that if she fell free, she would have no choice but to shift and attempt flight. She felt herself perspire, which only seemed to render her more slippery.
“What is it, dearest?” asked Drake. “Are you worried that you’re going to be a big hairy wolf like those awful sires of yours? I suppose it’s true: they don’t fly so well, do they? Well, maybe you’ll fare better. Let’s find out, shall we?”
A shrill cry emerged from the small girls’s mouth as the man spun her around once, his arms extended, and freed her delicate body into the open air below.
* * *
Gwynne’s first reaction should have been relief as she emerged from the woods’ edge and saw Rohan, his back facing her as he stood above on the edge of a stoney cliff. But Lachlan’s arm crossed over her chest, holding her back before he even needed to, and she soon realized why. He knew that her dragon would be clawing at her insides in order to get out, to fly up to him.
“Wait,” he whispered. “Don’t do anything until we know where Lily is.”
Rohan moved then, clasping his hands as though pleading with an unseen party. A few seconds later, Drake appeared at the cliff’s edge, holding Lilliana from behind and talking to her. The shifters below could hear his booming voice but not the words; only the tone, which sent a shiver down Gwynne’s spine.
The children, for the time being, were alive. That was the important thing. But what in God’s name was going on?
“Do you want me to fly up and look?” asked Cynric in a coarse whisper.
“No, don’t,” said Gwynne before the alphas could reply. “He’ll see you.”
Sought by the Alphas Complete Boxed Set: A Paranormal Romance Serial Page 32
