by Rinelle Grey
Taurian could see what Jayrian saw in the petite human. Pity he was more attracted to the fire in Karla. Convincing someone like Gretchen would be far easier.
“You could have given me a heads up!” Karla exclaimed. She smiled to take the sting out of her words, but the expression was forced. “I had no idea what I was walking into.”
Gretchen smiled back, but with a touch of nervousness. “Would you have believed us if we’d told you?
Karla stared at her for a moment, then gave a short laugh. “Probably not,” she admitted ruefully.
“And would you have wanted to miss this adventure?” Gretchen’s smile was more confident now.
As was Karla’s immediate reply. “Not for a second.”
He knew she’d slip up and admit she wanted him. Taurian wanted to hug her. But she wasn’t smiling at him. She was sharing a moment with her friend. When she looked over at him, her smile thinned into a line.
His confidence slipped a little. Was her friend right? Was it the adventure she was revelling in, not him?
Then he remembered how her body had reacted to him. It couldn’t be just the adventure. Could it?
“Well, I guess it worked out okay.” Her voice was dismissive. “Anyway, it will all be finished soon, if you really do know where Taurian’s clan is.”
Gretchen nodded.
“If you are certain Ultrima is not following you, Rian clan would love to welcome you back to our lair,” Jayrian said.
Taurian let the excitement of Jayrian’s words fill him and take the sting out of his doubt over Karla’s feelings. He was going home. No, not home, he corrected. This lair wasn’t his home, but he would be with his people, that was what counted. Once they defeated Ultrima for good, they could return to their rightful home. And there was no doubt that they would, just as soon as he had woken his brothers and sisters as well.
“I can’t leave the library.” Gretchen looked disappointed. “I’ll come as soon as I close up for the day?” Her voice rose on the last words, and she looked at Jayrian, waiting for an answer.
He smiled sweetly at her. “Of course. I’ll be waiting for you.”
Karla picked up on the exchange too. “Is there something wrong? If the two of you are involved, wouldn’t it be expected that you will be there?
Jayrian sighed. “I expect it, certainly, but the rest of the clan isn’t so accepting.”
“They thought Gretchen should have agreed to wake me?” Taurian guessed.
“No, they understood that. Respected it even. They just aren’t impressed that I’ve fallen in love with a human. They’re pretty set on dragons not being involved with humans at all,” Jayrian explained. He looked over at Karla, and frowned a little. “In fact, it might be best if just the two of us go.”
A heavy feeling of uncertainty settled in Taurian’s stomach. The first hint that this was going to be more difficult than he’d imagined. He wasn’t sure which he was more concerned about, having his clan accept and admire Karla as much as he did, or having them accept his rule again after all this time.
Karla’s expression turned into a definite frown. Then she gave herself a shake. “Jayrian has a good point. You don’t need me now.”
Taurian felt her slipping away, and the thought caused a jolt of panic. This couldn’t be how it ended. He wasn’t willing to just let Karla walk out of his life. Most certainly not while Ultrima was still around and she could be in danger. Even if she didn’t want to be with him, he owed it to her to protect her. That gave him the perfect opening to say, “The clan will have to accept Karla’s presence. She has helped me over and over again, and has not hesitated to turn her own life upside down to do so. She has earned the right to my clan’s protection and respect. As have her friends and family.”
Jayrian nodded immediately, though his expression didn’t change. It was clear he wasn’t convinced.
Taurian didn’t care. If he and Karla did decide that they wanted to mate, then the opinion of his clan wouldn’t matter.
He was a prince. He made his own decisions.
Until his brothers and sisters were awake anyway.
Chapter 3
A tumult of feelings cascaded through Karla’s mind as Jayrian directed them to where Taurian’s clan had moved their lair. She was relieved Taurian was quiet, not interrupting her thoughts. She didn’t know what to say to him.
She wasn’t even really sure what she was doing here. Yes, she’d felt a little nervous when Taurian had pointed out that Ultrima would not just leave her alone because Taurian had disappeared, but though it was still disconcerting to think that a dragon might be chasing her, she wasn’t really scared of the Trima dragon. She’d talked to him and knew he could be reasoned with.
So if she wasn’t motivated by fear, why had she agreed to come?
It could simply be that she wanted to see a dragon’s lair. To see Taurian’s family, and be sure that he was safe before she left him. She tried to convince herself of that.
But she knew it wasn’t the truth. The truth was, she didn’t want this adventure to be over. She didn’t want to return to her normal, adult life, filled with bills and paperwork and red tape.
Who would?
Oh, she knew she would have to eventually, but right now, she was going to take this excuse to see one last bit of magic before she had to go. She didn’t need to deny herself that.
Just as long as she kept her distance from Taurian. That shouldn’t be too difficult in the middle of his clan lair, especially not when dragons didn’t approve of humans. Once Gretchen brought her father, Lisa, and Bruce, it wouldn’t be hard at all.
Only a day or two now, that’s all she could allow herself. Then this would all be over.
“Through the trees there,” Jayrian pointed.
Karla dropped the debate in her mind and steered the car where he indicated, through a gap in the trees.
Not that they were worthy of the name. Stunted and twisted, they were barely taller than the car.
“There is a magical protection on the area,” Jayrian explained. “You may see shadows and feel afraid to go on, but I assure you it can’t hurt you.”
“Are you sure?” Taurian asked sharply.
“Gretchen made it through with no problems.”
Taurian nodded. “If you feel uncomfortable continuing at any point, let me know,” he said to Karla.
Karla took a deep breath. “Shadows and fear, okay, I think I can deal with that.”
It could hardly be worse than some of the other things she had faced since meeting Taurian. Dragons chasing her had to be worse than shadows, right?
So she wasn’t surprised when she saw dark shapes sliding through the trees. She ignored them, and kept driving. Then the fear grabbed at her heart with a suddenness that took her breath away. She broke out in a cold sweat, and her hands started trembling.
She’d never felt a fear this intense before, even when she had been facing Ultrima. “Bloody hell, you weren’t kidding, were you?”
“Are you all right?” Taurian asked, his voice concerned. He looked over at her, frowning.
Karla managed to nod. “Yes, I think so. I’m glad you warned me about this though, Jayrian. It goes away you said?”
“Yes, as soon as you are determined to ignore it,” he assured her. “That’s how it worked for Gretchen.”
Kind of like the dingoes at Ultrima’s lair. For some reason, that thought made the panic retreat a little. Karla took a deep breath, and reminded herself that there was nothing to be afraid of. This wasn’t an enemy dragon’s territory, it was Taurian’s clan’s. They wanted them to come.
They wanted Taurian to anyway.
They may not be as keen on her.
Taurian didn’t seem to think it would matter. He hadn’t wavered from his certainty that if he said she should be there, the clan would accept it.
Karla wasn’t so sure.
Then again, she wasn’t planning on staying that long. Once she was sure Taurian was s
ettled with his clan and that he would be safe from Ultrima, there was no reason for her to stay.
If she kept telling herself that, maybe she’d eventually believe it.
The fear retreated a little as she pushed on down the path. Once she rounded the corner, and could no longer see the plains through the trees, it disappeared completely. Karla took a few deep breaths, relief filling her.
“So that only happens the first time you come here, right?”
Why was she even asking? It wasn’t like she was going to be coming here more than once.
Jayrian nodded.
No one said much as they pushed on through the trees. After a few minutes, a dirt mound, red like the sand surrounding it, appeared in a clearing in the trees. A dark hole leading inside gave a clue to its purpose. Several men, wearing leather shorts similar to the ones Taurian had worn when she’d first found him, stood up straighter and exchanged glances.
They watched the ute pull to a stop, not moving. Karla’s heart beat uncomfortably fast. This was it. Taurian’s clan. After all this time, they had found them.
Chapter 4
Tears pricked at the back of Taurian’s eyes, and he blinked hard. He would not cry. A prince of Rian clan would never cry. But it was hard to dampen the strong emotion that welled up in him. They were here. Rian clan still lived. Dragons, several of them, clustered around the opening to the lair.
He was so incredibly relieved to know he wasn’t alone. That his clan had survived.
That there would be chance to rebuild.
He climbed out of the ute and stared at the human form dragons gathered around the mound. He didn’t recognise any of them.
Of course he didn’t. Anyone he had known was long dead. These were the descendants of his clan. Dragons lived a long time, longer than a human—it wasn’t unusual for one to make two hundred years—but none would survive to three hundred. The only reason he was still alive was that ageing, like the need for food or water, had been suspended while he was in the Mesmer sleep.
He tried to tell himself it didn’t matter, that they would always be his clan even if their faces had changed. But his excitement was dampened a little.
“Get the elders, quickly,” one of the men hissed.
A younger man raced away inside the mound.
Jayrian climbed out after Taurian, and Karla followed.
The men at the entrance watched warily as they approached. They inclined their heads towards Taurian respectfully. “Welcome, Prince,” one of them said.
The dampened excitement had returned in full force at the greeting. Taurian inclined his head back, trying to keep his expression solemn, as this moment required. But he’d been waiting for so long for this, he couldn’t help a wide smile spreading across his face. As he saw their answering smiles, he decided it didn’t matter. This moment wasn’t solemn, it was joyous. “I am glad to be back among Rian clan.”
Several more men and women appeared at the mound entrance, and as soon as they had cleared the entrance, more followed. Soon, about fifty people, fifty dragons, their varied scents filling his nostrils, surrounded Taurian, Karla, and Jayrian.
“Welcome to our new lair,” an elderly man, his hair a steely grey, said formally to Taurian. “I am Kyrian, one of the elders elected to guide Rian clan in your absence. On behalf of the elders, and all the dragons of Rian clan, I bid you welcome. We rejoice at your return.”
Taurian memorised his face and name. He would have a lot of new names and faces to learn today, he needed to concentrate and not miss any.
“Thank you,” he said. “We appreciate your care of the clan in our regrettable absence. And now that I have returned, I would appreciate your guidance as I adjust to the situation that has eventuated.”
He thought he had sounded suitably respectful, but Karla was staring at him.
Her confusion apparently had nothing to do with his tone. “You’re all speaking English,” she said in surprise.
The elder who had spoken, Kyrian, looked at her as though seeing her for the first time. He inclined his head slightly, though to his dismay, Taurian sensed more annoyance than respect. “We have always spoken English in human form,” he said flatly. “Although this language you speak has changed so considerably since our days in England, it may well be considered a different language.”
Taurian remembered how difficult he had found it to understand Karla when she had first woken him. Surely it could not be the same language? He had been so weak though after such a long sleep. That must have affected his ability to detect the similarities in the language. It had been easier to use the contact to connect directly to her mind, and use that understanding of the meaning to learn the language. It did explain why it had been so easy though.
Karla tilted her head to one side, obviously going through similar thoughts. “How long is it since you were last in England?” she asked.
The man looked even more annoyed, but when he glanced sideways glance at Taurian, Taurian frowned. Kyrian’s reply was just barely polite. “We left England over five hundred years ago.”
Karla nodded, as though that cleared it up for her.
“Prince Taurian, if you would come this way, we will show you to the rooms that have been prepared for you. There is much we must tell you of things that have happened in your absence,” Kyrian said.
Taurian nodded. “Karla’s family will be arriving soon. Please see that rooms are prepared for them as well.”
Kyrian looked shocked. He stared at Karla, then back at Tauian, and Taurian only barely avoided grinding his teeth. This disrespect was getting old fast. Something of his anger must have shown on his face though, because Kyrian said quickly, “Of course, Prince Taurian. We did not know that others would be coming with you, but rooms shall be prepared immediately.”
“That’s okay, we won’t be staying long,” Karla assured him.
Taurian’s stomach dropped at her words. Was his clan making her feel unwelcome and hastening her departure? If so, he would never forgive them. He frowned.
Karla turned away, avoiding his eyes.
He needed to do something, quickly. “Until then, Karla will stay with me.” His words were short, and his voice clipped. It wasn’t technically a reprimand, but apparently the elder had the sense to realise it really was. He whispered something to a man behind him, who scurried off immediately.
Karla still looked uncertain, but when Kyrian waved a hand and said, “This way,” she followed them without objecting further.
The narrow passageway opened up into a spacious room. They were well below the surface now, and the air was cool and pleasant, and the sandy floor shifted beneath his feet.
Taurian tried not to stare. As he had said back in Karla’s father’s house, dragons didn’t need beds or other human comforts. Even given that, there wasn’t much here at all. The size of the room, at least, as big as Karla’s father’s whole house, was impressive. But the only furniture was a pile of skins and a cut off log standing on its end with several wooden bowls stacked on it.
Where were the woven grass mats? The gourds of water? The extra skins for visitors to sit or sleep on?
“I’m sorry it’s not much,” Kyrian apologised. “Ever since you entered the Mesmer, the Trima clan has been hounding us. Hunting or collecting anything more than the bare necessities has been virtually impossible.”
For the first time, the man looked embarrassed.
Taurian felt sorry for him. “I understand,” he said gently. “But now that I am back, all that will change.”
Karla raised an eyebrow, and he deliberately didn’t meet her eyes. He knew what she was thinking—that he had already been defeated by Ultrima once, what did he think was going to be different this time?
Taurian was grateful she didn’t voice her doubts. The shame of that fight, and the fact that he owed his life to Bruce and Lisa, twisted his belly. But his clan didn’t need to know about that. At least, not until Ultrima was defeated. They needed hope now, even
if it wasn’t based in reality.
Kyrian looked surprised at his words, but he obviously decided on prudence as well. “We are preparing a feast in your honour,” was all he said. “If you wish to join us in the main room when you are ready, we can begin.”
“Of course,” Taurian agreed. He gave one glance around the room, then turned to Kyrian. “Lead the way.”
For some reason, Kyrian looked taken aback. He stared at Taurian for a moment, then said, “Don’t you wish to get changed, Prince Taurian?”
Taurian stared down at the clothes he wore. The garments he had bought with Karla were still clean and presentable. A glance at Karla and the way she was staring at him reassured him that they were fine. Anyway, since his last lot of clothes had been destroyed when he’d transformed back at his old lair, they were all he had.
Of human clothes anyway.
“What is wrong with these?” he asked, frowning.
“I just thought…” Kyrian stammered. He looked at Karla, then back at Taurian. “I thought you might prefer to wear dragon clothes, that’s all.”
Taurian couldn’t help pretending ignorance of what he meant. He shrugged casually. “These are quite comfortable. I see no problem with them. Or do they offend you?”
Kyrian looked flustered. “It’s just, well…” He trailed off, looking nervous and very uncomfortable.
“Well what?” Taurian demanded, dropping his pretence.
To his surprise, while a sweat broke out on Kyrian’s brow, he didn’t immediately withdraw his comments. “The other dragons, they are rather nervous about human clothing. With the human woman’s presence…”
This was worse than he thought. He needed to fix it. Now.
“Is there a problem with Karla’s presence? She saved my life,” he said flatly.
“Of course not,” Kyrian said hurriedly. “I understand completely. You must do what you believe is best. I just feel that the other dragons will be more comfortable if you are dressed as they expect their prince to be.”
