by Rinelle Grey
The men nodded, but didn’t move. Didn’t they get the hint?
“Go on, give us a chance to change,” Karla prodded.
“Oh, of course,” Her father said.
Neither Taurian nor Bruce responded, but after her dad looked at both of them sternly, they followed him from the room, closing the door behind them.
Karla cast around for an excuse to get rid of Lisa, but could think of none. She dumped the clothes on the floor. “Do you want to pick first?” she asked, hoping that would divert Lisa.
The other woman was not so easily distracted. She eyed Karla’s shirt. “You and the dragon man couldn’t wait, huh? I thought it was too dangerous?”
Karla’s whole body flushed. She should have known the other woman wouldn’t be fooled as easily as her dad had been. Karla winced. “It’s not like that.”
Lisa raised an eyebrow. “Really? Could have fooled me. Not that I blame you, he’s hot. But it doesn’t seem like you to take risks, that’s all. You’re always so sensible.”
Her remark cut. Was she really that boring? “What do you mean by that?”
Shrugging, Lisa rummaged through the pile, pulling out a wrinkled pair of jeans and grabbing the shirt with the tomato stain. With no hesitation whatsoever, she started changing. “You got such good marks in school and everyone knew you’d get any job you wanted. You didn’t make a single mistake. And now you’re banging a dragon when there could be other dragons hunting you. Seems a little uncharacteristic.”
Did she sound jealous? If so, was she jealous of Karla’s risk taking or her sleeping with Taurian?
Lisa had always seemed so scathing of Karla’s firm focus on her goals. Not that Karla had cared what the other girl thought of her. She didn’t regret one minute of her single minded focus. It had gotten her her dream job as an archaeologist at the British Museum.
One she had almost forgotten existed in the last couple of days, she realised guiltily. One she’d have to get back to soon, or she’d be in danger of losing it.
Indecision warred in her mind. No part of her wanted to walk away from the excitement of this adventure. It was far beyond anything she’d ever expected to experience. But it couldn’t possibly last for ever. Even if it did, could she just turn her back on everything she’d ever wanted to follow Taurian?
She tried to ignore the part of her that screamed ‘hell yes’.
She wasn’t that kind of girl, as Lisa had just pointed out.
Besides, Taurian would probably have no interest in her after he found his family again. That possibility hit her like a low blow to the stomach, almost making her double up in surprise. Her feelings for Taurian had already grown deeper than she’d expected. Was backing out even an option at this stage? The possibility that it wasn’t caused goose bumps to rise on her arms.
She rubbed them, trying to dispel the feeling enough so she could ignore it.
“Look, don’t mention it to the others, please,” Karla said. “I’d rather not discuss it with them.” Discarding her damaged shirt, she pulled the singlet over her head, trying to pick off as much fluff as possible.
“You’d rather not discuss it with your dad, or your boyfriend?”
“Bruce and I broke up before I left England.” Why did she feel so defensive? It wasn’t as if she cared what Lisa thought.
“Sure, that’s why he came all the way over here to see you.”
Karla opened her mouth to tell Lisa it was none of her business, then let her breath out in a sigh. “We had a bit of a misunderstanding, but it’s all sorted out now.”
Lisa pulled on the shirt, then stared at Karla for a moment, her head tilted to one side. “So he’s available then?” Her eyes were calculating.
The thought of Bruce being available was such a strange one, it took Karla a moment to process it. It made her distinctly uncomfortable, especially given the predatory look on Lisa’s face.
She paused. Why did she care? It wasn’t that she was still interested in Bruce. Her knowledge that things were over was clear, despite the small feeling of sadness that accompanied that fact. She knew he would move on. She hoped he would.
She just didn’t think Lisa deserved him, that was all.
Luckily, she didn’t think Bruce would be at all interested in Lisa. She totally wasn’t his type. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, “He is, but he might not be ready for another relationship right now.”
“Or he might be looking for a rebound girl.” Lisa’s voice was cheerful and upbeat.
Really? She thought that was a good thing? Well, that wasn’t Karla’s problem, much as her stomach squirmed at the thought. “I’m going to see if the others are ready,” she said. “We need to get moving.”
Lisa nodded. “Let’s go.”
Taurian, Bruce, and her father were ready to go. Her father looked surprisingly dashing in one of the dress shirts Taurian had bought. Taurian’s black t-shirt didn’t suit Bruce quite so well, although from the way Lisa was eyeing him, that could just have been that Karla was too used to his normal clothes.
Taurian still wore the silver shirt he had dressed in earlier. Ultrima hadn’t seen it, so he had no reason to change. No one had pulled all the buttons off it either. Possibly because it hadn’t been buttoned up at the time. She was kind of glad, it was one of her favourites. He looked so sexy in it.
Who was she kidding? He looked good no matter what he wore. Especially when he wore nothing.
Karla cleared her throat. “Are we ready to go?”
“You need to eat first,” her father said firmly, and handed her a bowl of reheated soup.
Karla would have objected, but her stomach insisted she listen to him. And an empty bowl indicated Taurian had already eaten. So she took the plate. “Thanks.”
“We were talking about the vehicles,” Taurian said, while she ate. “The ute is too recognisable.”
Much as it pained her to leave it behind, Karla had to nod her head in agreement. “And we don’t all fit anyway. We’ll have to take Lisa’s car. Is that okay, Lisa?”
“Do I have a choice?” Lisa asked. “We’re all stuck in this mess together. Whatever it takes to get us out of it.”
Karla hesitated. “There’s really no need for you to stay, Lisa. Or Dad or Bruce either.”
“That dragon knows where I live,” Lisa said flatly. “Your dad too. If he can’t find you, he’ll come after us next.”
Karla sighed. Would it ever be sorted completely enough for her dad and Lisa to go home in peace? She hoped so.
“Right, well, I guess that’s settled then.”
They all headed out to the car and piled in. Karla insisted on driving, and Taurian insisted on sitting next to her to give directions. Leaving Lisa, Bruce, and her dad squeezed in the back, in that order. Karla avoided looking back.
“Which way?” she asked Taurian.
“West,” he said firmly.
Chapter 8
It was difficult to figure out directions from here on the ground, especially since so much had changed in the years since he’d last been home. But after a few hour’s drive, the scenery began to feel more familiar.
A familiarity that left Taurian with an aching sense of loss. When Karla had spoken earlier, she’d been so convinced his family was still alive that he’d almost started to believe her. But it didn’t feel real. The possible loss still hung in the balance. Until he found out, they were neither alive nor dead, just in limbo. If his worst fears were confirmed though, there was nothing to stop the pain he knew would come.
Except Karla.
She was the only person he had in the whole world right now. Even then, their relationship was tenuous. She seemed to have warmed from their initial meeting, and was staying by his side even though the Mesmer ritual was complete, a second time even, and there was nothing to stop her leaving. He couldn’t count on that being permanent though. She had another life in another world. He couldn’t expect her to just give that up for him.
Meaning if he
found his family alive, he would probably lose Karla.
He shouldn’t be bothered so much. If his family were still alive, he’d be so busy he wouldn’t have time for mating. If his family was alive, then they’d be right where they had been before he went to sleep—right in the middle of a full scale war.
Yet another reason for him not to get involved with a human. They couldn’t possibly understand all the responsibilities he had. All the sacrifices he would have to make.
Dragons mated with other dragons—everyone knew that.
Not always, he had to admit. Once they had mingled, back in their homeland. And look where that had gotten them. Killed almost to the point of extinction.
A dragon mate would be far safer.
That thought didn’t bring him any satisfaction. He had no interest in mating with another dragon. He’d had many lovers, temporary as was the dragon’s way, but none of them had felt the same as this did. Never once had he thought of those pairings as anything more than a momentary diversion.
Never once had he called any of those dragons mate, even in his mind.
None of them had ever come close to Karla. Not in kindness, not in bravery, not in bed, not in anything.
“Which way?”
Karla’s question pulled him out of his thoughts. They’d come to an intersection, with the road going left and right ahead of them. Taurian peered up at the sun, trying to judge its position and get his bearings. “Right.”
Karla nodded and turned, not adding more to the conversation. But Taurian was more than happy to be distracted from his earlier thoughts. They were close. Very close. The scent of the eucalyptus leaves and red dirt floating through the open car window teased his senses with familiarity.
The road ahead wound through the trees, blocking out the cliff Taurian knew had to be around here somewhere. A strong urge to jump out of the car and take to the sky, to see his home as he always had, came over him.
Fear held him back. What if it wasn’t there? What would he do then?
What if Ultrima was?
The silence in the car didn’t help. He could hear squirming in the seat behind him, but he didn’t look back. Karla’s slow and steady breathing filled his mind, and he hung onto it, one constant in an uncertain world.
Karla turned the corner and the trees thinned. Ahead of them towered the cliff, its smooth grey surface climbing into the sky. Taurian’s heart lifted a little.
It was far too early to feel relief, he chided himself. Of course the cliff was still here. It wasn’t going anywhere. Its presence didn’t in any way indicate that any of his clan had survived.
As Karla pulled up in front of the cliff where the road ended, Taurian’s eyes searched the unmarred surface of the rock for the entrance. The trees obstructed the cliff in either direction, blocking his view of home, but he knew it had to be there somewhere.
Without waiting for the others, he opened the car door and strode towards the cliffs. His heart pounded in his chest as he put the palms of his hands on the smooth stone, soaking up the warmth from the rock. Home. He’d thought he’d never see it again.
But he wasn’t quite home. Now that he was closer to the rock, his view was unobstructed. He stared to the left. Nothing. Then to the right.
There, there it was. A small fold in the rock hid the entrance from view, but he knew it was there. He could have just been here yesterday, the area was so familiar. Yet, there were subtle changes, just enough to make it all feel unnatural and surreal.
“Is this it?” Karla’s voice was breathless as she caught up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder.
“There.” Taurian pointed.
Karla’s eyes followed the direction his finger pointed, her eyes squinting against the bright sun. “Where? I don’t see anything.”
“See where the rock juts out a bit? The entrance is behind that.”
Karla turned to look at him. “How do you get up there?”
“There’s only one way,” Taurian said solemnly.
Karla guessed. “Fly,” she said, at the same moment he did.
Taurian nodded solemnly, his heart thudding in his chest.
“Do you want us to wait here for you?” Karla asked.
Taurian hesitated, torn between wanting to fly up to his home as fast as he could, and to sit here and put off the inevitable for a while. Either way, he knew one thing. “I want you to come with me.”
Karla’s eyes shone. “If that’s what you want.”
He could almost feel her support radiating over him. It gave him the strength to step back. “Give me some room.”
The others stood near the car, gaping. But Taurian didn’t spare them more than a glance. His eyes didn’t leave Karla, staring at her face as she watched him shift.
He felt the scales flow out of his skin, starting around his eyes. His bones shifted and swelled. He forced the wings out of his body, enjoying the feeling of stretching them after so long cooped up.
Karla’s eyes widened in awe.
Taurian shook himself, settling his scales into place, then bent his knee for Karla to climb up.
She took a step towards him, putting one hand on his knee and reaching the other up to stroke his scales. Taurian felt them move under her hand, the touch sending shivers through his skin. Every time she touched him felt that way.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Karla’s father had reached them by now. “Shouldn’t you have a harness to keep you on or something?”
Taurian snaked his neck around and looked solemnly at Karla. His dragon throat would not form the words to ask her, and he was uncertain how her human mind would cope if he spoke to her with dragon speak, but he hoped his eyes voiced the question clearly enough.
Karla smiled at him and touched his cheek, trust shining in her eyes. “Taurian will keep me safe.”
Her father looked up at the cliff, then back at Taurian. “I have no doubt he will try, but that cliff is bloody high, and you’ve never flown on a dragon before.” His voice was doubtful.
“Do you think I’m going to turn down the opportunity now?” Karla demanded. Her voice was full of excitement. “Would you, Dad?”
Father and daughter exchanged a look, silent look. Then her dad nodded, and stepped back. “Take care of her,” he admonished Taurian.
As if Taurian would do anything less.
Karla stepped onto his knee and swung her leg up over his back, throwing her arms around his neck. A little too tightly. Taurian wriggled slightly and Karla slid back, her knees hooking under his wings on either side. Taurian gave a gentle shake, but she was firmly in place.
He flapped his wings once, twice, testing the air, then leaned back on his haunches and launched them into the sky.
Karla gave a small squeal and her hands scraped for purchase on his scales. Taurian hoped she wouldn’t try to hang on around his throat again, that really wasn’t comfortable. But she just pressed her palms against the side of his neck, and her knees tightened on his sides. He could feel the rhythm of her heart thumping through her hands and legs.
Once they were in the air, Taurian’s flight was smoother. He tried not to bank too sharply as he turned and flew along the cliff, rising higher with each wing stroke.
He lifted above the cliff, getting a feel for the surrounding countryside and how much it had changed. He wasn’t really avoiding going to his home. It made sense to check that they weren’t being followed before he gave away the entrance to the caves.
Not that the Trima clan wouldn’t know exactly where it was, just as he knew where their lair was.
That thought made him feel cold, and he angled down towards the cave entrance. Suddenly, he needed to know. He’d put off the truth for long enough, it was time to face it.
A high pitched scream split the air behind them.
Taurian whipped his head around, turning so sharply that Karla’s knees dug into the soft skin under his wings and her hands clutched around his throat again.
A silver dr
agon streaked towards him. Taurian’s heartrate spiked, racing like an eagle diving for its prey. Adrenalin flooded his body. Ultrima had found them.
Taurian had put Karla in danger by bringing her with him.
His eyes focused on the dragon ahead. No, it wasn’t Ultrima. The shape was too small to be his enemy. Apparently, his victory had made him lazy. He’d sent another one of his clan. A younger one.
Edtrima.
The substitution was insulting to Taurian.
And he couldn’t help feeling a little grateful. He could beat Edtrima without difficulty. In fact, he was looking forward to it.
But first, he had to get Karla to safety.
She hadn’t made a sound, even though there was no way she could have missed the approaching dragon. Not like the others on the ground whose feint screams carried on the wind.
Edtrima didn’t even look down at the humans. He was intent on Taurian, and gaining fast.
Too fast for Taurian to take Karla back down to the car.
He banked sharply, landing on top of the cliff a little roughly. When Karla didn’t immediately slide off his back, he twisted his head around to look at her. Didn’t she realise that Edtrima was gaining on their position every second?
“We need to get down to the others and into the ute.” Her voice was panicked, and her knees dug into his sides. “You can’t fight Ultrima again.”
Ahh. That was the reason for her reluctance. She thought the other dragon was Ultrima. He didn’t have time to explain. He gave his shoulders a shake. The other dragon was almost upon them. Karla needed to get off his back, or she would be hurt.
She didn’t seem to get the message though. Edtrima rushed at them, his claws extended. There was no choice for it. Even though it could be overwhelming to a human, Taurian used his mind speech. “Not Ultrima, Edtrima. An easy fight.”
Karla’s hands left his back to cover her ears. Her knees loosened on his back, and Taurian gave his shoulders another shake.
Karla slid down off his back, and Taurian wasn’t sure if she had dismounted, or fallen. And he didn’t have time to find out. The dragon was bearing down on them, and he didn’t want to fight on the ground. Especially not near Karla.
