Never Deal with Dragons

by Christensen, Lorenda

  I sighed. He had to go and mention his kids. I’d seen them listed in Rime’s file, and I’d been hoping Richard had been wrong about the family bit.

  I couldn’t do it. But I didn’t have to tell him that just yet.

  In the world of negotiation, you could talk all you wanted about compromise and fair decisions, but the truth was far less politically correct. Those who held the power, won. I needed the power, but this was pushing too far. I refused to threaten children. And if I knew anything about Hian-puo, I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to use Rime’s family against him.

  After my mom died, my dad lost it. He started drinking. A lot. And after a while, he couldn’t live without alcohol. It would take a quarter bottle of the liver-killing stuff before he could even get out of bed in the mornings. He needed even more to function somewhere close to normal. I’d been only eight years old, and still those six months had felt like the longest of my life. But I’d been wrong. After his body finally gave out and he died—that was worse. Having one parent—even if he was barely functioning—was infinitely better than trying to go it alone.

  Hian-puo would likely kill Rime’s wife along with the general, leaving their dragonlings without any support at all. I wouldn’t be the one to help make it happen.

  So I gave Rime a way out, and hoped the threat of revealing his actions to Hian-puo was enough to make him seriously consider the option.

  “Listen, there’s no way Lord Hian-puo isn’t going to notice his collection missing at some point. And you’re the only Chinese delegate to be in New York in the past year. Don’t you think he’ll connect the dots? And then what will you do?”

  Rime didn’t answer.

  “Lord Relobu sends his regards. I don’t think he’d mind if I mentioned the small facility he’s established in Tulsa. It’s a rehab hospital—its doctors are well versed in treating addictions of all types. Should you,” I waved my hand absently to encompass the dining room, “feel the need to leave all this for a while, or permanently, Lord Relobu promises the utmost discretion.”

  I smiled as I met his eyes. “And a home for your entire family, including your mother, who was quite alive the last time we saw her.” Okay, so we hadn’t actually met his mother, but Trian’s sources confirmed that she lived in the home with them.

  “All I’m asking is that you allow these negotiations to proceed as planned. No games, no delays, no elaborate performances designed to frighten or anger Lord Relobu’s team. Understand?”

  I held my breath for his answer. I’d backed a vicious animal into a corner. Odds were fifty-fifty he’d tear me to bits.

  Rime nodded, and I curbed the urge to raise my fist in victory. Instead, I smiled and put a comforting hand on Rime’s arm. Several eyes widened at the site of a high-ranking Hian-puo general flustered in the presence of a human.

  The general leaned closer. “Hian-puo has no interest these negotiations.”

  I blinked up at him in surprise. “I don’t understand.”

  The dragon’s gaze flitted nervously around the room. “Send one of Relobu’s team to meet me tonight. I’ll tell him everything I know.”

  I was still confused, but Rime was obviously terrified of sharing his knowledge in the middle of a crowd. I wasn’t comfortable pushing him further. I dipped my chin in acknowledgment. “Thank you. You won’t regret it.”

  The great dragon stood, tripping as he dismounted from his perch. He almost knocked over the table in his haste to leave. I watched him carefully, just in case he changed his mind from flight to beat-the-hell-out-of-the-messenger fright.

  I jumped when a hand cupped my elbow.

  “You shouldn’t have done that.” Trian’s face was hard as he watched the dragon shove his way out of the dining room. He handed me a glass of white wine.

  I turned to face him squarely, irritated at his judgment. “Why not? Something more is going on here than a simple mediation. If I go into discussions without knowing what’s on the table, we’re all screwed.”

  “That would have been better than openly offering refuge to one of Hian-puo’s inner circle. In his own dining room no less. Never mind that Rime could have killed you. If Hian-puo hears of this, we’re all dead. Rime included.”

  “The negotiations were going nowhere without my help. You don’t get to question my decisions. I weighed my options and took action.

  “Now get me out of here. I’ve suddenly decided I’m not hungry.”

  *

  As it turned out, when I left the room full of dead goat, my stomach remembered it hadn’t eaten.

  Trian walked beside me as we headed back to our rooms. He’d sent Dan to the dragon wing of the house for a status update from Dreru, and since the run-in with Rime, he’d been quiet, despite my repeated attempts to engage him in conversation.

  Now, he was the model of a perfect bodyguard: never more than five feet from my side, his gaze constantly roaming the surroundings for possible sources of danger, and scrupulously polite to anyone speaking.

  I was likely the only one who sensed his reserve, and it hadn’t escaped my notice that he’d stopped meeting my eyes when we spoke. He’d become a stranger, and it left me feeling unsettled.

  “So, how do you feel about finding something to eat? I’m starving, and I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind if we scrounged up a sandwich or something to take back.” I nudged him gently in the ribs, trying to shake him out of his mood.

  “Fine. The kitchen is this way.” He pointed down a long hallway to our right. His face betrayed nothing but polite interest in my response. It was clear he didn’t care one way or another.

  “Great! Let’s go.” My cheerfulness sounded forced even to my own ears, and I suddenly decided I didn’t have the energy to pretend everything was okay. For the past few days, my interactions with Trian had become increasingly stilted and strained. The distracting atmosphere during combat training had been reduced somewhat with Carol’s presence. However, as soon as we were alone again, I’d start snapping at him with the least provocation, and his usual easy conversation had been reduced to short, one-word answers.

  Because of my general bitchiness, I couldn’t say that I blamed him. Some of my attitude was caused by nerves, but more than a small part was the feeling of longing that crept up each and every time he was nice to me.

  It was pathetic. Trian was doing his best to work with me, and all I could do was either yell at him, or cast mooning eyes in his direction every time he was within ten feet of me.

  I sighed. “Trian, I’m sorry I left you in the dark in regards to my offer to Rime. In the past, Lord Relobu has been very open to creative solutions on dragon-related issues. It didn’t occur to me that Lord Relobu, or you, would have reservations about how we interacted with the Chinese dragon court. I assumed I would be allowed the same leeway we’re granted at DRACIM. If we need to renegotiate the guidelines for dealing with dragons in a different lord’s court, I’m happy to do so. I need you here, but I also need to do my job.”

  And it was true: I’d started to depend on Trian far more than was prudent. For the past three weeks we’d been together almost constantly, with a shadow of worry for Relobu’s team hovering over us at every turn. He’d become my support system, my one absolute in a situation filled with questions. His presence had become my crutch. He’d likely sensed my growing dependence, and was doing his best to keep his distance. And here I was, playing the stupid girl who’d mistaken his professional concern for romantic interest.

  I mean, really. He’d left me in the middle of the night with a fistful of classified documents in his hand. I was only a job. How much clearer could he be?

  I wasn’t an idiot. For now, Trian was one of my only guards in a distinctly predatory environment. I needed his protection, and even if I wished it, I doubt I could make him go back to Tulsa before our business was finished. But for my own sake, I couldn’t depend on anything else. We’d get through this project, go back home, and go our separate ways.

  I
took a deep breath in an effort to relieve the sudden pain in my chest. It was true. I needed him. But I shouldn’t. “Trian, I think Dan or Henry should take over my primary security detail—”

  Trian’s eyes went round in surprise, and his hands grasped my shoulders in a firm grip. “Wait. Just…wait.” He sighed and dropped his head before shoving hands in his pockets and taking a deliberate step back. His lifted his face and his eyes met mine briefly, as if he were attempting to read my thoughts.

  “I’m sorry. In there, with Rime. You were right. Richard should have given you better instructions on territorial rights between dragon nations. I have a job too, you know. I just don’t like seeing you put yourself in danger. I don’t like you being here. But it has nothing to do with your skills.”

  I sighed. I’d hoped to avoid a messy talk about emotions. Just thinking about admitting I still had feelings for Trian made me squeamish, so I could only imagine how uncomfortable the confession would make him feel.

  Unfortunately, Trian thought I was dismissing him due to his performance, and I couldn’t in good conscience allow him to think I didn’t appreciate what he’d done for me—and for Carol too.

  “Trian, this isn’t your fault. I have a lot on my mind, and I think it would be easier if I worked with someone I hadn’t been in—” I stopped myself before I blurted out the “L” word “—involved with in the past. With you and me, I feel like there’s this huge minefield I have to navigate just to keep our conversations on track. I’m supposed to be concentrating on this case, but instead I catch myself wondering what game you’re playing now, and whether I’m about to be stupid again.”

  With a hand on each of my arms, Trian forced me to stop walking. “Myrna. No games. I’m not playing any games with you. Never again. It kills me to see you this afraid, this stressed, and not be able to do something about it. Back there, with Rime, I just wanted to keep you safe.”

  My heart stuttered slightly as I mentally replayed his words. I missed him. Terribly. “Trian.” I put a hand on his arm.

  He kept talking. “In the dining hall, I knew you were scared half to death. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. These past few weeks have been a roller coaster. I couldn’t believe my luck when I ran into you at DRACIM, but you were angry, and it was clear you—”

  I couldn’t help it. I smiled. “Trian. Shut up.”

  He stopped, his eyes, startled, meeting mine as I took a step closer. I kept going until my nose brushed against his collarbone. I used it to nudge his shirt to the side, and, tipping my head slightly, I placed my lips against the same spot with the intention of nibbling my way up his neck. I never got the chance. Trian growled, and before I could even gasp in shock, I felt the cold stone of the wall against my back, and he was kissing me as if his life—and mine—depended on it.

  His hands were everywhere, along the back of my thigh, cupping my rear, running along the tips of my breasts.

  Dinner was forgotten. Rime, Carol and Richard, the security guys, my old job at DRACIM—all the things simmering in the back of my mind went poof as Trian’s mouth moved against mine.

  Oh, how I had missed this. I kissed him back, matching his hunger with equal parts of my own. I didn’t give my brain a chance to remind me of all the reasons Trian was the last person I should let push me against a wall.

  A wall! Was it possible for me to look any more desperate?

  Trian leaned into me, placing a very hard part of his body firmly against my core.

  Well. I wasn’t the only one feeling a little desperate.

  I heard an odd sound. It was a door creaking, followed by the rattle of metal on tile.

  Oh great. I forced my eyes open just in time to see a woman step into the hall. Her back was to us, and I caught a glimpse of the serving cart she negotiated through the opening. She hadn’t seen us yet, and I fisted a handful of Trian’s shirt to try and get his attention.

  Ultimately my attempt hadn’t been needed, because the woman bumped Trian with an elbow as she turned.

  Trian snarled and turned his head in her direction. The woman’s face went white, and a platter fell from the cart with a crash.

  “Oh, my lords! I’m so sorry.” She backed away from us with wide eyes, like a rabbit staring down a rabid dog. She was terrified. Her English was impeccable. I hadn’t expected Hian-puo to teach his servants a language that he himself had no use for.

  I untangled myself from Trian’s embrace and pushed away from the wall. “No. It’s our fault. We were just…” There really wasn’t a decent excuse for necking in the middle of a dragon lord’s hallway. I tried again.

  “We were hoping this was the way to the kitchen.”

  She gave me an odd look, and I blushed. There was no logical reason for us to be in the kitchen for what Trian and I had just been doing. And me in a blood-stained white dress, to boot.

  I bent down to help her with the spilled dishes, picking up the raw meat and dropping it with a plop back on the plate. I was so sick of the smell of blood. I was beginning to wonder whether this castle was even equipped with a stove. If not, we were in trouble.

  After her first glance, the woman barely looked at me. She was too busy scrubbing frantically at the puddle of blood on the floor. My vision was momentarily obscured by Trian’s cotton undershirt as he dangled it near the woman’s shoulder.

  I could feel myself blushing again. I hoped our new acquaintance hadn’t noticed he’d managed to yank it off so quickly because I’d halfway removed the dress shirt covering it.

  “Here. You can use this to clean up the mess.” She took the shirt with reluctant thanks, and her gaze bounced between the two of us. Trian raised an eyebrow in my direction and grinned. Yep. Now I was definitely blushing.

  I pointedly ignored his look and kept my eyes on the woman. I wasn’t sure why she was so panicked about the blood. Based on our dinner experience, Hian-puo didn’t seem to mind a little blood on the floor. I felt Trian crouch beside me. “She’ll be beaten if the dragons notice her mistake,” he whispered in my ear.

  I glanced back at the poor woman who’d grabbed Trian’s shirt like a lifeline and only just noticed the bruises that covered her bare arms. She was bone-thin, and faded scars decorated her pale skin. Her long black hair lay in a braid against a protruding spine.

  She was not healthy. I fidgeted uncomfortably.

  Her head jerked up as she noticed my movement. She met my gaze, dismissed me, and turned to Trian.

  He smiled gently. “Forgive us—we didn’t mean to intrude. We were hoping perhaps the kitchen held something more suitable for my lady’s needs.”

  Lady? I stifled a snort as Trian gaze cut warningly in my direction.

  “Er, yes,” At Trian’s silent prodding, I jumped into the conversation, trying to find a way to calm the poor woman’s nerves. “My name is Myrna, and this is my, um, guard, Trian.”

  I snaked a hand behind my back to pinch Trian—I didn’t need to see his face to know he was laughing at my awkward speech. I kept my eyes on the woman. “We’ve just returned from the dinner party and hoped to gather a meal for our friends who had to leave early. One of them would prefer a vegetarian option.”

  The woman looked from my face to Trian’s. “You’re the Americans?”

  I smiled. “Yes. We’re here to negotiate the release of Lord Relobu’s team from Hian-puo’s prison.”

  “You’re human!” Her face lit up in surprise and pleasure.

  “Um, yeah.” Despite my new clothes, I assumed our species would have been obvious. I started to wonder about her mental health as well.

  The woman continued to chatter, oblivious to my reaction. “We wondered why the guest rooms were opened and furnished as they were.” She held out her hand, noticed the blood, and offered the other. “My name is Jia.”

  I gave her hand a pump. “Very nice to meet you, Jia.” So Trian had been right about our bedrooms. They didn’t host many human guests.

  With the floor cleaned,
we stood up, Trian graciously offering an arm to assist Jia to her feet.

  “We would be grateful for your help in becoming familiar with our accommodations. Anything you could tell us to aid in retrieving our team would be much appreciated,” he said.

  I jumped in, completely willing to follow Trian’s lead and get some information that could help us with the negotiation.

  “And we’re a little unclear on the laws here. If I could determine exactly what they are being held for, I have a better chance of negotiating their release.

  Jia bit her lip, and worry crept back into her wide brown eyes. “He will never release your team. My family, we all live here at the castle, and we’ve heard rumors—”

  A loud rumble shook the ceiling. “Jia,” a voice thundered from above our heads. “Where is my meal?”

  “I’m sorry,” Jia whispered, her terror-filled gaze darting upstairs. “I have to go.” She scurried down the hall, her serving cart rattling on the stone floor.

  I shot a glance to Trian. This woman was a dragonspeaker. Why did she work here for Hian-puo when he obviously mistreated her?

  “If you can wait thirty minutes, I’ll have someone deliver food to your rooms,” she tossed over her shoulder as she scrambled to answer the dragon’s demand.

  I turned to Trian and was surprised to see a huge smile on his face.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I’m trying to decide whether Jia remembers that we rolled the meat she’s serving around on the floor.”

  I laughed. “If she does, good for her.”

  Trian grinned back at me in response, and I suddenly felt self-conscious. This man was just too easy to like. I gave myself a mental shake. Despite our kiss, we hadn’t really solved anything. He’d still lied to me and left me to clean up the wreckage. “Trian, why did you steal DRACIM’s papers?”

  The smile slid off his face. But he didn’t look angry. Instead he looked almost sad. He didn’t pretend to misunderstand my question. Trian caught my fingers between his palms and kissed me once, lightly, on the forehead.