Whisper Kiss

by Deborah Cooke

  Thorolf beamed with the attention; then his gaze fell to Rox. "She's going to be okay, isn't she?"

  "She'll be fine," Sloane said, exhaling as he smiled. He nodded at Niall. "Now."

  "Good." Thorolf's relief was obvious. The other Pyr were uncertain, but Niall knew there was no romantic interest between his mate and her most recent project.

  "Because you still owe her big-time?" Niall teased, and Thorolf grinned.

  "I'm going to pay you all back with interest," he said.

  Erik's approval was more than clear. "And in so doing, you will honor the legacy of your father and grandfather." He offered Thorolf his hand. "Welcome to the team."

  "I just gotta get me an affinity with an element," Thorolf said.

  "I have an idea or two about that," Rafferty said softly, but shook his head at Thorolf's obvious interest. "Heal first, then we'll talk."

  "I'm going to kick that Chen's butt," Thorolf said. "It's only fair after he nearly finished me."

  Sloane fixed a stern eye on Quinn. "What happened to you?"

  "Ambushed by a shadow dragon on descent," Quinn said, his words taut. "But it'll be the last time the shadow dragon made of my brother Michel will trouble me."

  "You'll want to look at this," Rafferty said to Quinn, offering him the brand that Chen had used.

  Quinn whistled through his teeth. "This is old metal, reforged a hundred times." He turned the brand, considering it warily. "It has a strong charge about it."

  "Can you reshape it?" Erik asked.

  "I wouldn't risk it," Quinn said thoughtfully. "There is a charm woven into it, likely one that will be released in an unpleasant way if anyone tries to destroy it. Whose was it?"

  As Sloane tended Quinn, the Pyr reviewed what had happened underground. Quinn continued to examine the brand, humming periodically to it. Garrett reached for it once, but Quinn lifted it away from his son with flashing eyes. When the stories were told, Erik frowned with concern.

  "Now that they're loose, when do you think the other shadow dragons will attack?" he asked Delaney.

  Delaney shrugged. "It could happen at any time."

  "They might want to take advantage of our injuries," Niall said.

  Rafferty frowned. "It'll happen when Chen commands them to do it. We must be vigilant."

  Quinn and Sara exchanged a glance, and she opened a book. "I dreamed a second prophecy as well," she said.

  "Two prophecies?" Delaney teased with a low whistle. "A bit greedy, isn't it?"

  Niall waved a hand, intent on what Sara would say. She read the verse with care.

  When the Dragon's Tail turns in the sky,

  When the year of tiger rises high,

  The Phoenix and the Dragon mate,

  Desire does their child create.

  But at this junction the old charm,

  Can be performed to make great harm.

  Elements four in union do conjure,

  The chance to invoke the fifth's measure.

  Master the four, command the thoughts

  of all Gaia's populace.

  "Rox was right," Sloane said. "Chen wants Niall to be able to control all four elements in union." He reviewed Rox's summary of the elements Chen already controlled.

  "Then he'll be able to command the thoughts of everyone?" Thorolf asked with obvious horror.

  "So long as the firestorm burns, he'll want Niall," Sloane said.

  "The decision to end the firestorm has to be made by Rox," Niall said. "She has strong feelings about not having kids."

  "You'll be in peril," Rafferty warned.

  "Surely you're not telling me to annoy my mate," Niall responded, and the older Pyr smiled.

  "He's going to want this back so he can gather the shadow dragons again," Quinn said, indicating the brand. "Why don't we invite him to come get it? That way, the battle occurs on our terms."

  They quickly agreed upon this course, and Rafferty volunteered to send the invitation through the earth. "I will taunt him. I know he has an affinity for the earth. We shall trap him, with the prospect of both Niall and the brand."

  Erik assigned a sentry rotation. Niall, Quinn, and Thorolf were excused for the short term in order to heal and the others were quickly dispatched. Sloane cleaned Niall's shoulder, Niall refusing to leave Rox's side.

  Niall got his laptop as Sloane turned his attention to Sloane, knowing he couldn't sleep just yet. He had to finish the checks for his tours and dreaded the number of messages that were probably in his e-mail in-box.

  Responding to them was better, however, than counting shadow dragons.

  Chapter 17

  It was dark when Rox awakened and she was disoriented for a minute. She looked to be back in her own bed, but her dream was vivid in her thoughts. Had the adventures she remembered even happened? Or had she dreamed them all?

  Then she saw Niall sitting on the floor beside the window. His right shoulder was bandaged, proof that Rox hadn't imagined their trip into the tunnels. He wore only his jeans and had a fair five o'clock shadow.

  The night sky outside the windows told her she'd slept at least a day. It was still pouring, the raindrops beating against the window in a steady drum. The clouds were flat gray and the air was damp.

  Niall was as yet unaware that Rox was awake--or at least he was pretending to be oblivious. With his keen senses, Rox would never be sure.

  Once again, he had his laptop braced on his knees and his back against the wall, and the light from the screen touched his features with blue. He was intent upon whatever was displayed, typing something, then checking his cell phone, which lay on the floor beside him.

  There was an ache in the back of Rox's shoulder, but the wound from Phelan's talon wasn't as painful as she would have expected. It felt as if it was healing. She was mostly aware of the tingle fed by the firestorm and the silky smoothness of the sheets against her bare skin.

  Who had undressed her?

  She hoped it had been Niall.

  Her heart clenched with the conviction that he must have seen her dragon tattoo, and she wondered what he thought of it.

  Were there Pyr groupies? It would be awful for Niall to believe she was just a fan girl, when her fascination with him went far deeper than that. She watched him through her lashes, pretending to be asleep, wondering how she'd find out all the things she wanted to know.

  "Hey," a man said softly from the doorway. Rox saw the silhouette of another muscular man, although this one was leaner and taller than Niall. His hair was short, but auburn in color. "I talked to all the tour leaders again," he said, keeping his voice low. Presumably he didn't want to disturb her.

  Niall nodded and gave him a thumbs-up. "Thanks, Delaney."

  "Anything else you need covered?"

  "No." Niall shook his head. "Everything's good, for the moment." He shut down his laptop and looked suddenly tired. "I'll solve the office issue later. Get some sleep."

  Delaney hesitated, though. "You should hire some staff," he scolded gently, and Rox knew he was a good friend.

  She remembered Niall mentioning a Delaney who was Niall's former partner and the Pyr who had recovered from the Elixir.

  "I know, I know. I just never seem to get around to it." Niall shrugged.

  "Well, get to it," Delaney said. "You push yourself too hard."

  "Thanks," Niall said; then Delaney quietly closed the door.

  Niall leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Rox thought he might fall asleep on the spot and jumped when he spoke. "Know of any empty live-work space at a good price?" he asked quietly, and she realized he knew she was awake. "Reliable employees who don't care or won't notice that their boss is a dragon sometimes?" Then he smiled.

  Rox sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. She kept the sheet tucked around her so that only her shoulders were bare. "I can ask around."

  Rox did know one person who was good with the dragon bit, but she wanted to think about the idea a little more.

 
She needed to know more about how Niall felt.

  Niall yawned. "Me, too, but not now." He rubbed his eyes and looked exhausted. Rox was sure he hadn't slept, that he'd been so busy taking care of his responsibilities that he hadn't worried about himself.

  The man needed more than an employee.

  Rox deliberately kept her tone light, half afraid of the thought that kept pushing into her mind. "Your trips okay?"

  "All good."

  "That's good."

  He flashed a bright glance her way. "Feel better?"

  Rox nodded. "Is that the Delaney who was your partner?"

  Niall nodded. "Delaney was always the idea guy and I was the one who made it work. We started the company together; then he sold out to me."

  "Why?"

  "Well, the short version of the story is that he had his firestorm. You'll like Ginger--they run an organic farm with heritage breeds of cattle in Ohio. She calls him hotshot and sets him straight." Niall arched a brow without opening his eyes. "He thought he was in heaven, even before Liam arrived."

  Rox smiled. "I like her already."

  Niall opened his eyes then and looked straight at her. "She's here, you know. They're all here."

  "All?"

  Niall counted off the Pyr and their mates on his fingers. "Erik and Eileen and their daughter, Zoe. Delaney and Ginger and Liam. You know Rafferty and Sloane already, and of course, Thorolf. Quinn and Sara and their son, Garrett. Erik said Donovan and Alex and their son, Nick, will be here by morning. It'll be a full house."

  "But they want to stay close." Rox appreciated that the Pyr had gathered in defense of their own. They were exactly as she'd always imagined dragons would be--powerful, loyal, and protective of their own. They were also good friends to have.

  "The shadow dragons are loose," Niall agreed. "Which means they'll follow Chen's command. Rafferty thinks they'll attack at any time. We're ready." He fixed a bright blue glance on her and changed the subject. "How are you really feeling?"

  "A bit sore, but it's not that big a deal." Rox shivered. "I thought he'd buried a piece of ice in me."

  "A piece of darkness, more like."

  Rox swallowed. "You must have seen my tattoo."

  His eyes glittered. "It's gorgeous."

  Rox smiled in her relief. "Chynna did it. She took the outline from one of my drawings. She believes that tattoos can be talismans, that they can protect someone from harm."

  "So she gave you a dragon to guard your back."

  Rox nodded, liking that he understood. "His eyes are always open."

  "Vigilant dragons are the best kind," Niall murmured. "And I have to admire one who defends the prize."

  Rox had to look away from the intensity of his gaze. "It's only half done. It's supposed to be a dragon and a phoenix, but I haven't drawn the phoenix part yet."

  "Your tattoos all mean something important to you, as if the story of your life is on your skin. Why a dragon and a phoenix?"

  Rox knew she shouldn't have been surprised by his perceptiveness. "They're a sign of good luck. In Chinese mythology, the phoenix is associated with benevolence and the dragon with material success. When seen together, they indicate a period of peace and prosperity." She shrugged and smiled. "I drew the dragon first, but it was on my skin before I realized I hadn't planned ahead."

  "How so?"

  "They're supposed to be looking into each other's eyes, but my dragon is looking over my shoulder, up into the sky. That's exactly how I drew it, but it was too late when I saw my mistake. Other than putting the phoenix on my chest, which I don't really want to do, I'm not sure how to solve it."

  Niall looked down at his hands and Rox wondered what he was thinking. "Maybe it wasn't a mistake," he suggested, his voice low.

  "What do you mean?"

  "You have a dragon drawn on your back for protection," he said quietly. "Ever thought about upgrading to the real thing?"

  Niall's softly uttered question hung between them as Rox stared at him. It was true that Niall was more effective than the tattoo had been. Her mouth went dry, her heart started to pound, and she found it impossible to look away from his fearless gaze.

  She wondered whether it was crazy to ask him about her dream. He had a knowing look about him, though, and he seemed to be almost smiling.

  As if they shared a secret.

  Rox thought she might know what it was.

  "You came into my dream."

  He nodded; then his smile broadened. "Yes, I did."

  "How did you do that?"

  "I'm not sure, exactly." He frowned, as if he had been surprised, as well. "Erik said our affinities can change during the firestorm and gain in power. He said we sometimes can add to our abilities, and air is associated with dreams."

  Rox liked that he tried to explain the details of his nature to her. It made her feel that he respected her intelligence, and also as if they were working together. "I was having my nightmare."

  "Is it one you always have?"

  Rox nodded, not wanting to think about it lest she invite it back again.

  Niall spoke quickly, as if he also wanted to keep her thoughts from straying into dark memories. "Sloane said the darkness found a resonance within you, that it was feeding a shadow that haunted you. He said the firestorm might be able to light the darkness, but I didn't know what to do. Sara brought a prophecy about us, about my having the chance to become the DreamWalker." Niall's gaze danced across the floor as he sought an explanation. "I wanted to help you but didn't know how, not until Zoe grabbed my hand. Then it was easy."

  "Erik's daughter?"

  Niall nodded. "She's just a toddler, but she's supposed to be the new Wyvern. She seems to already have an ability to send dreams, which the old Wyvern did, too. And somehow she guided me into your dreams. When she held my hand, I just knew how to do it."

  "Do you think you can do it again?"

  "I'm hoping so." Niall's enthusiasm was clear, and Rox understood that he loved to learn new skills. "I need to learn how to control it, but it would be an amazing ability to have."

  Rox smiled, her confidence complete. "You'll do it. You'll keep practicing until you completely nail it." She already knew that much about Niall--he didn't give up.

  He smiled at her and she felt the welcome warmth of the firestorm as it burned a little brighter. "I will. Sounds from the prophecy as if I'll need your help."

  They stared at each other across the room, a pale glow illuminating the space between them. Rox felt the flames become a little stronger as her awareness of Niall grew.

  She eyed the muscled strength of him, but it was more than his appearance that she found so attractive. She admired his principles, his strong sense of right and wrong. She respected his ability to think beyond himself and his own needs, to worry about others such as Thorolf and even the world at large. She appreciated how he took responsibility for both his employees and his customers, and she believed that anything Niall pledged to do would happen.

  Rox thought about how he had repeatedly defended her, how he had helped her, how he was pretty much her every fantasy come true. She thought about her dream, about her conviction that she was going to die, about her realization that she had the chance to have what she wanted.

  If only she had the guts to reach for it.

  It was risky, caring for other people, but the reward, if that love was wisely placed, more than made up the deficit.

  And if you didn't take the chance, if you didn't try, you could end up with nothing at all.

  Rox had cared for a lot of people at arm's length, between her projects and some superficial romances, but it had been a long long time since she'd truly let anyone into her heart.

  No one really since Suzie.

  She decided it was time to change that.

  "I could have died," she said quietly.

  Niall caught his breath, nodded, looked away, and swallowed.

  He didn't lie to her.

  He eyed the window, and she knew
he was thinking about Phelan. Rox didn't want him to think about his brother, about the darkness, about any of that.

  "I could have died without knowing what it was like to make love to a Pyr," she said, her words husky.

  Niall stared at her again, his eyes glowing. He seemed taut, as though holding his breath, anticipating what she was going to say but not wanting to jinx it. Rox understood how it was to want something so badly that you were afraid to lose it.

  She understood that she felt that way about Niall.

  And that meant she had to take a chance.

  Rox sat up, pushing away the sheet. The firestorm's heat danced over her, painting her body with its golden touch, making her feel alive and invigorated. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, welcoming its promise. Niall's gaze never swerved from hers. Rox braced her hands on the side of the mattress and spoke with care.

  She didn't want to jinx this, either.

  "I think the world has enough babies," she whispered. "But I agree with Erik. There aren't nearly enough Pyr." She swallowed. "Let's satisfy the firestorm and make another one."

  Niall didn't move. "Are you sure?"

  "Yes." Rox smiled at him, completely confident in her choice. "I want to know what it's like."

  "I want more than that from a partnership."

  "I know." Rox dared to hold his gaze. "I think we can work it out." She wrinkled her nose. "Even if you do have this old-fashioned idea of marriage."

  "It's not about a piece of paper, Rox."

  "No." Rox held his gaze. "It's about the commitment. I'm good with that part. Finally."

  Niall moved so quickly that Rox never saw him get up. He was sitting on the floor, poised to spring; then he was in front of her, dropping to one knee. He hesitated, his gaze sweeping over her and lingering on her shoulder.

  Rox's heart squeezed that he was so protective of her. How could she have ever had any doubts? "I'm not the only one who took a hit," she said. "I'm not the only one who could have lost it all." She reached for him and it was all the encouragement he needed.

  Rox saw the flash of Niall's smile; then he locked his hands around her waist and caught her against him. When her breasts touched his chest, the firestorm crackled and burned, looking to Rox like celebratory fireworks.