“Why do you say that?”
“He’s not alive. He has no soul.”
“But he is alive. You can see him, his wings beat.”
“But his heart does not.”
“How...?”
“I have hunted in this Labyrinth for centuries. I can hear a beating heart at a hundred yards. I’ve torn enough of them out.” He frowned. “I apologise.”
“No. I understand.” Although her stomach churned and she couldn’t help feeling vulnerable. “Are you saying you can’t hear his heart?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe it’s too small.”
“Maybe it’s not there.”
“So what is he?”
“That witch of yours has been meddling with things she should not.”
“Tara. I supposed I guessed as much.”
“Let us go out into the sunlight and I will look at him properly.”
He led her out into the late afternoon sun. She certainly had slept a long time. The sea was lapping at the beach, and, as they settled down, they could be any other people on vacation. Except she was the mate of a dragon and he had the head of a bull.
There was a place for them to sit in the sun but sheltered by the cliffs. He obviously took no chances. No one could overlook them. He brought her food and wine. Her second taste of alcohol in so many days. Only he didn’t tell her not to drink too much. He treated her as an adult. As an equal.
“He looks like the blue dragon.” Fin pointed at Azure.
“Yes. He is the spitting image of Zoah. Which is why I agree he is made by witchcraft.” She watched the little dragon fly further away, the sun catching his scales. He circled around, the circumference growing bigger and bigger as he grew braver. Soon he was going out to the shallows of the sea. Splashing in the waves before flying back as fast as he could. He was like a child, interacting with the new world. “But what’s he for?”
“You don't know?” Fin asked.
“No. First of all, I thought they had turned Zoah into this little dragon. Maybe because he didn’t swear allegiance to Dòmhnall.”
Fin roared with laughter. “You really don’t trust those dragons, do you?”
“I trust Connor. But the rest of them, and Tara, not so much. But then, Tara is the one who told me to leave.”
“And you followed her advice? I thought you were smart.” Her expression made him smile, a strange sight on a bullhead. “I have no love of witches. You should always be wary of them.”
She defended Tara. “But she said it was so that things worked out right. I can’t help but trust her. She is the one who helped us all before.”
“For her own gain, if I remember correctly.”
“Yes. But still, she said it was the only way things would turn out right for Connor and Serena.”
“Again, I will ask. And you believed her?”
“You think she told me to leave for her own purpose?” asked Charlotte.
“Possibly. What does she want?”
Charlotte had to think for a moment. “I don’t know. Dòmhnall to take notice of her. Power. Nothing that me leaving would help.”
“Does she know you took your little friend?” He pointed to Azure, who was still whizzing around. The sun was beginning to set, and he was having fun shooting small bursts of fire out of his mouth.
“She must. She said she had seen everything. She even bought my plane ticket.”
“I bet she did.” He mimicked her voice; again, he conjured up a strange, almost grotesque image. The head of a bull mimicking a woman’s voice saying, “Where do you want to go? Right. Take this ticket and run away so I can rescue you.”
Charlotte didn't find his words funny. “She’d already bought the ticket. She knew before I had decided to come here.”
“Impressive. Or a trick. Are you sure she didn’t plant the idea in your head?”
“No. I’m certain. I’ve been over and over it. It was my decision.”
“What did Serena say?” He looked at her sharply. “She doesn’t know where you are?”
“No. Without knowing what Azure is, and why he was made, I thought it better to keep her out of it. I left a note and a message on her phone. She knows I’m safe.”
“Charlotte, you are very young. And I am very inexperienced in the ways of humans. But of all the people I have met, Serena is the one I would trust above all. It is why I spared her when she entered my lair. I also know how much she loves you. You must tell her where you are.”
“You think I made a mistake coming here?”
“Yes. You need to find out from Tara what is going on. You're acting like a child.”
Charlotte’s face grew hot. “You’re right. I hope I haven’t upset her too much. Do you think she will forgive me for not trusting her?”
“Yes. She loves you.”
“Thank you, Fin.” She took her phone out her pocket. There wasn’t much battery left. If she rang Serena now and told her where she was, perhaps Connor would fly here tonight to take her home. “No signal. I might have to go back towards the town.”
“I will guide you through the Labyrinth.”
She stood up. “Come on, Azure.” She looked for the little dragon; he wasn’t there. “Azure.”
Her heart jolted in her chest. How could she lose him when she didn’t know what he was or how important he was? Rushing towards the sea, she skimmed her gaze across the gentle waves looking for him. Nothing. Then, cross to her right, there was a puff of smoke and a screech.
“Let him go,” she shouted.
“Why should we? You don’t command us.”
“He is mine. I didn’t think Sirens were thieves.”
“They laughed, light and musical. “We are always stealing. Husbands, lovers. Lives.” A chorus of laughter filled Charlotte’s ears.
“And we are looking for repayment for the dragon that got away.”
They were talking about Connor, who had managed to escape their clutches. Only by going under the water had he managed to stop their singing affecting him. Then he had turned into a dragon and flown straight up into the air, where their voices couldn’t reach him.
Mermaids were treacherous and malicious, from what she had been told. Getting Azure back was not going to be easy.
“I’ll deal with this, Charlotte.” Fin came to stand by her side. “Let the poor thing go, you harlots.”
“Look at the ugly beast. Do you cry at night because we don’t sing for you?” They laughed. “Poor, lonely Minotaur. No one will ever love him with his ugly head. Such a shame when he has a body to make women weep. But they would kill themselves before they would mate with such a beast.”
“I have heard your taunts before. They do not bother me. Now let the dragon go.”
“Perhaps we should drown him in the sea.” One of the mermaids held Azure tightly and put him under the water.
“No,” shouted Charlotte rushing forward. She scrambled over the rocks, grazing her legs in the process. She didn’t care; she just wanted Azure back. He was the only contact she had to Zoah and what else was going on.
Fin was close behind her. The mermaids scattered, and she couldn’t be sure which one had hold of Azure. The light was too dim.
A little way off shore they turned. One of them swam forward and then opened her palm. There on the surface of the sea was a limp lifeless dragon. Charlotte dived into the water, surfacing close to where Azure bobbed along on the water.
The blonde mermaid reached out for her. Charlotte was completely oblivious to the danger she was in. As cold fingers gripped her wrists, she was swept forward by a wave of water created by Fin. He had entered the sea too and now gripped the mermaid by the throat. Her hand slipped from around Charlotte’s wrist. The Minotaur lifted her out of the water and then cast her aside, like a rag doll.
Turning, he gripped Charlotte under the arm roughly; in his other hand he scooped up Azure and hauled them all to the shore. Behind him, the mermaids gathered together, screaming curses.
Charlotte was worried the commotion would draw attention to the cove.
Then the unthinkable happened. They began to sing. Fin stopped in his tracks, turning to look back at the mermaids. They were going to sing him to his death.
“Fin,” she said desperately. The cold water making her teeth chatter. She needed to get dry. But all she could think about was how the sirens had caused her to lose Azure, and now she stood to lose Fin too.
He looked at her. His face unreadable. “They have never sung for me before.”
“Fin. Don’t go to them. They’ll kill you.”
“I know.” However, he still turned and walked back towards the sea.
“Fin,” she shouted, catching hold of his hand and pulling him back to her. “Don’t go. I need you.”
Laughing with cruelty, the mermaids swam back to the shore, mocking Charlotte.
“You cannot save the big bull. He is ours.” Arms reached out for him. He walked into the shallows and let them come to him. He went deeper, and their song rose to entrap him further.
Charlotte dared not go with him; she would end up dead, too. But she had to do something. Just as she was about to plunge back into the water, Fin reacted.
He lifted his head and took in a large breath. Then he released it. The bellow that escaped him blasted into their faces. They recoiled from him, horror and disgust on their faces.
“How do you like my song, you harpies?”
Charlotte dropped to her knees. He hadn’t been affected. “How?”
He laughed, the happiest he had ever been. “I have a bull’s head. Their voices lure men. I am not a man. As they correctly pointed out.”
She flung her arms around him, pressing her body against his. He was so warm and she was so cold.
“Let’s get a fire going inside.” He led the way back to the cave.
She hurried by the side of him, tears welling in her eyes. “Poor Azure.”
“We can use him to start the fire.”
“You can’t burn him.”
“No. He can light it with his flames.”
“Fin. He’s dead.”
Fin held out his hand, palm up. There sat a rather bedraggled dragon. “He was never alive.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Azure is not living and breathing. So they could not drown him because he doesn’t need air. I think it was losing contact with you that hurt him. Under the water he couldn’t sense you.”
Azure lifted his wet body up and shook, water droplets spraying off him. Then he launched himself into the air and headed straight for Charlotte’s face.
She pushed him back a little and looked at him for signs of damage. He looked perfectly fine.
“I’m glad to see you, Azure.”
“I think we can assume he is a homing dragon.”
“A what?”
“He was made to be attracted to you. Whoever made him didn’t want to ever take the risk of losing you.”
“Zoah.”
Chapter Twenty Nine - Zoah
“I need to get you back to the Stronghold. This is something I cannot help you with. You need to see Tara.”
“And how am I going to get there? You can’t carry me in your talons all that way.”
“We’ll have to get you onto my back.”
Zoah had managed to sit up. He was certain there was no way he was going to be able to climb onto Connor’s back. “I can’t.”
“I’ll lift you onto a rock and then you can just climb on.”
“I doubt I’ll be able to hold on long enough to get to Spellholm.”
“You are going to have to try. If I fly fast, I could be there in two hours or less.”
“I can’t even raise my head up for that long.”
“We’ll use my blood.”
“What?”
“It’s the only thing I can think of.” He went to find a knife, returning with an ancient dagger. “This will do. Our blood heals.”
“I refuse to be smeared in your blood, Connor.”
“How are you going to stop me?”
He had a point. “It’s disgusting.”
“Tough.” Connor cut the palm of his hand and allowed the blood to drip onto Zoah.
“It worked.” Zoah said. He flexed his fingers.
“I can’t cover all of you. So let’s get your hands and arms working.”
“I think I’m going to puke.”
“Remember when we could sell this stuff for a king’s ransom?”
“Those were the days,” Zoah said, looking away while Connor used his blood to heal his brother.
Zoah’s skin absorbed the blood, leaving no trace, which made things easier. It stopped Zoah from looking like some kind of zombie. His fingers flexed and he could move his arms. He had fresh hope that the trip would be possible.
“There. Any more and I’ll be too weak to fly the distance. Let’s go now in case it wears off. I don’t know if this is some kind of magic, so the cure may only last for a short time. Night is nearly upon us – it will be safe enough.”
So Zoah began his trip back to Spellholm. He never thought he would have to endure the embarrassment of riding on his brother’s back. As they flew fast and straight for the forest, he grew melancholy. Not only had his mate disappeared, but also, if his dragon never returned, this was the only way he would ever fly again.
Chapter Thirty - Charlotte
Azure fluttered above the fire like a butterfly about to settle on a flower. He was drawn to it, diving into the dancing flames only to rise again like the phoenix. At first, Charlotte had gasped in fear, now she watched him playing with a smile on her lips. There was something so innocent about him.
Despite the dragon's fun, she still couldn’t erase that other image from her mind. The one where he was limp and lifeless. It had shown her what it would be like if Zoah died. They were so similar in appearance that it freaked her out. She stretched out her senses into the world, testing to see if he was near to her now. Wondering if she would ever be strong enough to find him, wherever he was. Which was nonsense. It appeared even a dragon couldn’t do that. It was the reason they had created Azure instead. Was Zoah so controlling that he always wanted the ability to find her?
“Here,” Fin said, handing her a blanket. She wrapped it around herself gratefully. “I’m sorry I don’t have any clothes you can borrow.”
“That’s OK. You’ve done enough tonight, Fin. That was very brave of you.”
“Not just bravery. Those mewling cats drive me mad. They think themselves so irresistible. Yet it is only their voices that gives them their power over humans. If it was down to their nature they would be lonely old maids.”
“I take it you don’t get on with them.”
“We have had animosity for over a hundred years. At first, they kept away from Crete. Then, as ships got bigger and contact by radio easier, they were no longer able to lure sailors to their deaths. Now they try to seduce the tourists who are silly enough to go too far from shore. They have a wider hunting ground these days, but they always return here in the summer months.”
“Did you know you wouldn’t be able to be turned by them?”
“I had an idea. They may never have sung for me, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t heard their song. Many times I have witnessed their misdeeds.”
“I wonder if I can get any phone reception in here.” She went to pull her phone from her pocket and groaned. It would be wet after her swim in the sea. She wouldn’t be able to let Serena know where she was. How stupid of her. However, when she put her hand in her pocket she found it wasn’t there.
“Oh no. I must have dropped my phone. Or it fell out of my pocket when I dived into the water.”
“Let me go and look for it,”
“No. I can go.”
“No. You need to stay here by the fire. It won’t take me long and I can see well enough in the dark. One thing about living in an underground Labyrinth is that you have great night vision.”
&nbs
p; “Always look on the bright side," she said, huddling closer to the fire.
He disappeared outside. His footsteps disappearing until all she could hear was the faint crackle of the fire and the rustle of Azure’s dry wings.
“Don’t set yourself on fire, little one.” The little dragon headed her way, swooping down to buzz past her head. “You don’t like being told what to do, do you?”
He came and landed on her shoulder and eyed her possessively. “Just remember who the boss is here.” He took off again and Charlotte watched the fire.
How long had passed she didn’t know, but as her eyes grew heavy she dozed off. When she opened them, there was still no sign of Fin. Where was he? Had the sirens returned for him?
Her clothes were still damp and she hated leaving the fire, but she had to see if he was alright. Looking around for a torch, she was disappointed not to see one. “You’ll have to light my way, Azure.”
The little dragon was still dive-bombing the fire, but as soon as she walked to the entrance, he caught up to her. Fin was right; anyone who had him in their possession would be able to locate her. Why did he look like Zoah, though?
She didn’t need to think about him right now. It was more important to find Fin and, hopefully, her phone. With that firmly in her mind, she went out through the rough passageway that led to the beach. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark. Not wanting to draw attention to them, she told Azure to stop shooting his little flames out. He seemed to understand but was reluctant to stop.
“We might be seen,” she told him.
The waxing gibbous moon lit the beach up as she moved away from the cave. She didn’t call out, her fears that something had happened to Fin were too strong. The incident with Samuel came back to her. What if someone had followed her here? What if Tara had sent her here to her doom?
A figure moved across to her right. Where she had been standing earlier. He stood in the moonlight, the eerie half-light illuminating his body. He was magnificent. His torso toned and sculpted in the most perfect way. With his head half covered in the shadow of night, it didn’t distract from the rest of him. For the first time she realised how cruel a curse it was to be desirable in so many ways but repellent in others.
Love of the Dragon: BBW Shifter Romance (Her Dragon's Bane Book 4) Page 9
