by Rinelle Grey
“Then can you see why Lyrian couldn’t tell you?” Karla asked softly. “It’s not even just her secret to tell. Her clan has relied on her keeping that secret to keep them safe all these years. She couldn’t give it up for someone who was planning on leaving.”
Brad stared at her, wanting to keep arguing. Wanting to deny the truth right in front of him. Surely there was some way this could have been different? Some way Lyrian could have told him the truth, and for it to have all worked out perfectly.
But he knew there wasn’t a way, anymore than there was a way that they could make this relationship work.
Brad heaved a sigh, his whole body relaxing from a tension he hadn’t even realised he was feeling. There were still many problems getting in the way of a relationship with Lyrian, but at least some of the hurt he’d been carrying had eased. He hadn’t realised how affected he’d been by her rejection.
“You’re right,” he admitted. “She couldn’t have told me. Not then.”
And she couldn’t have told him later, because he wasn’t there. That one, at least, had been his fault as much as hers.
Karla put a hand on his arm. “Don’t beat yourself up too much. There’s still time to sort it out.”
Brad shook his head. Though his heart was more at peace now, he still didn’t see any way he could make things work. His and Lyrian’s lives were too different, too far apart, for them to share anything more than what they had.
He wasn’t sure how he could possibly make Karla understand that though.
Before he could even consider the possibility, the quiet in the room was interrupted by a sound overhead. A dull thunk, thunk, its sound muffled a little by the thick walls of rock.
Brad stared at Karla, his heart in his mouth. Was that what he thought it was? The fear in Karla’s wide eyes said she was as concerned as he was.
Both of them rushed out of the room and back to the main cave.
“What’s that sound?” one of the dragons asked as they burst into the cave just as Lyrian, Taurian, and Verrian arrived from another entrance.
“It’s a helicopter,” Karla said tightly. “Flying over the lair. But don’t worry, they can’t see us in here.” She looked at Taurian, as though confirming that.
Her mate nodded, though he looked far from convinced.
Everyone was silent, listening to the sound pass over head. Holding their breath, waiting for it to fade into the distance.
Except it didn’t. It grew fainter, then louder as it came around again.
Brad’s heart pounded in his chest. If only the lair had a window he could look out. Had the helicopter seen something, or were they just flying a search pattern? What could they possibly have seen? Karla was right, there was no sign of the lair from above.
But the helicopter sounded like it was hovering directly overhead.
Then the sound grew louder, as it moved down almost directly in front of the lair.
The explanation hit Brad with a sickening thud.
“The cars,” he said hollowly. “The ute, and Nate’s four-wheel drive. They’re parked right in front of the lair.”
Karla’s face paled. Even Taurian and Verrian looked a little shaken.
Taurian recovered quickly. “It may be unusual for cars to be out here, but surely not unheard of. We’ve seen at least two groups of tourists drive out here to look at the cliffs since we returned. They are rather spectacular.”
“Yeah, but they’re going to recognise my car,” Brad said guiltily. “The police have pulled me over a couple of times, once looking for Lisa,” he nodded in her direction, “and once to ask why it was all burnt. Now they know about the dragons, they’re going to realise there’s a connection.”
The sound of the helicopter outside changed note for a few moments, before stopping altogether.
Everyone was silent, as though afraid any noise they made could be heard by those who had landed below.
Which was unlikely. They were a reasonable distance away, and several feet of rock stood between them and the occupants of the helicopter. There was little chance of the sound carrying, as evidenced by the fact they couldn’t hear anything below now that the rotors had stopped.
“What are we going to do?” Brad asked quietly.
“Shh.” Taurian held up a hand.
Was he really so worried they might be heard? Brad had spoken very quietly.
Karla drew him aside. “Dragon hearing is a lot better than ours,” she said in a low voice. “They’re trying to listen to what’s being said.”
“Oh.” That hadn’t even occurred to Brad. He waited, silently, wishing he could hear what was being said as well.
“Looks like we could be stuck here for a while,” Taurian said, his voice grim. “They’re calling for more humans and planning a search.” He turned to Brad. “Sounds like they’re looking for you.”
“For me?” Brad’s voice came out in a squeak. His heartrate sped up. That was not good. Not good at all.
How long were the police going to search? How long would they stay here?
“Can they find us up here?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Taurian and Verrian looked concerned. They glanced around the room, and Brad saw many other concerned dragon faces.
“Of course they can’t,” Taurian said, his voice sure and confident.
Brad suspected his confidence was put on, a show for the audience watching him. It didn’t make him feel any better.
His heart began to thud in his chest. If the police found them, he was going to be in trouble. The last thing he needed was a police record.
And his concerns were small compared to those of the dragons around him. To Lyrian, and their daughter, Anarian.
If the police found them, who knew what would happen to them.
Brad’s mouth was dry, and he struggled to swallow.
He’d thought Lyrian would be safe once she was back with her clan, but it appeared the problems had just followed them.
How was he going to keep them safe now?
Chapter 29
Lyrian could sense Taurian’s unease even before his voice entered her mind. “We should be safe here. The entrance is hard to see, even for a dragon. The human’s flying vehicles are far less maneuverable.”
He sounded certain, but Lyrian knew him well. She could see the tightness in his lips, and the stiffness of his body. He wasn’t anywhere near as confident as he appeared.
Verrian was looking at him too, Taurian was projecting his voice to both of them.
“What if they do?” she projected back to both of their minds.
Everyone looked at everyone else, hoping someone had an answer.
Someone had plenty of answers. “We should go down there and make sure no human comes near our lair again,” Ostrian said firmly. “If we catch them by surprise, they are no match for us.”
“We can’t let the humans know we are here,” a young fire dragon said with a hint of panic in his voice. His eyes whirled gold. “If we do, more will come.”
“Jayrian is right, we can’t fight them,” a female voice said into Lyrian’s mind. Lyrian’s eyes widened slightly as she tried to work out who it was. Karla, Taurian’s mate, looked at him, her eyebrows drawn down. It had to be her, but…
What was a human doing with a dragon voice?
“Attacking them will only make the situation worse,” Karla continued. “We all know that dragons don’t do too well against guns, and if they bring in anything larger…” She let the threat hang, not needing to spell it out.
Lyrian suppressed a shiver.
The situation had changed so much while she was asleep. Before, all they’d had to worry about was an enemy dragon. Now the humans added an extra layer of danger to the fray.
“We could call a lawyer.” Lyrian was slightly more prepared for Lisa’s voice to join in their conversation, but it still rattled her a little. “My boss has already offered to work with us if we need help.”
Her suggestion was so human, Lyrian wasn’t quite sure what to think of it. She wished she could ask Brad. He seemed so knowledgeable and confident about the human world. But though she could project her voice into his mind, he couldn’t answer back.
“A lawyer is only useful for defending us in court,” Karla said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Brad was watching them, as though he knew there was something else going on. A conversation he wasn’t part of.
And he had his own suggestions to offer. “Nate and I need to get down there,” he said softly. “If we claim the cars, and say we were out here searching for dragons, but found nothing, then there will be nothing they can do. We can lead them away from here so you will all be safe.”
He glanced around at the other dragons, all of whom were watching him. One or two nodded, as though they thought his suggestion a good one. Especially Ostrian.
Taurian was looking thoughtful.
Lyrian’s heart froze. “You can’t,” she said immediately. Panic slammed through her body at the thought of Brad going out there with the humans. “You can’t let him,” she said to her brothers in her mind.
“It’s the only way,” Brad insisted. “The only way I can keep you and Anarian safe.” He looked down at the baby in his arms, his eyes full of love.
If he did go, he wouldn’t be coming back, Lyrian knew that. If he led the humans away from the lair, he couldn’t risk bringing them back again. He’d return across the ocean to America, and she’d never see him again.
“Anarian needs you here,” she said into his mind. I need you here, she wanted to add, but didn’t. She wasn’t sure if that would convince him to stay or push him away.
Brad looked at her, his eyes sad, his mind made up.
“Lyrian’s right, it’s not possible,” Taurian interrupted. “The only way down from the lair is to fly, and there’s no way to achieve that without being seen. Anyone leaving the lair right now risks leading the humans right to us.”
Her brother’s sensible words calmed Lyrian’s beating heart a little. It was true, there was no way to carry out Brad’s plan.
Brad’s lips were tight, and the way he stared at her indicated he hadn’t given up on the idea.
“We’ll be fine here,” Lyrian said firmly. “The humans can’t see our lair, and provided we don’t leave, they won’t have any idea we’re here. They will grow bored of waiting and leave soon enough.”
None of the humans, not Brad, Karla, or Lisa, looked convinced. Taurian and Verrian didn’t either.
But it wasn’t them Lyrian was trying to convince. The dragons surrounding them looked a little comforted by her words. But not enough.
“That could take a long time,” Lisa warned into her mind.
“Their presence stops us leaving the lair. It stops us waking Princess Sarian while Ultrima is not here. That could ruin any chance of making a truce with the Trima clan,” Karla pointed out.
“And what if Latrima comes back, and gives our position away?” Lisa added. “We can’t control that.”
“We can assign dragons to broadcast a telepathic message, warning any other dragons to stay way,” Verrian said firmly. “My sister is right, there is no need to panic yet.”
“That isn’t going to stop everyone from panicking,” Karla pointed out. “If we don’t do something, Ostrian will stir them up again the minute he sees an opportunity.”
The old man had accused Kyrian of being a traitor earlier. Karla was right, he was the one they needed to watch.
He was watching them now, his eyes narrowed. He knew there was a conversation going on he wasn’t privy to, and he wasn’t impressed.
“The human’s plan is sound,” he said firmly. “He is the one who led them to us, it is only right that he be the one to lead them away again.” He looked at Brad with something akin to respect in his eyes.
Taurian didn’t look respectful at all. “And just how do you propose we do that?” he demanded. “As soon as a dragon leaves the lair to fly him down, our position is given away more surely than anything else.”
“There may be a way,” Mesrian, another of the elders, said thoughtfully.
All eyes turned towards her, and Lyrian’s heart began to thump uncomfortably again.
“What?” Taurian demanded. He wasn’t looking at Lyrian. He couldn’t surely be considering…
“Hundreds of years ago, before we left the lair, the elders were working on an escape tunnel. We tunnelled back into the mountain, intending to come out further down the cliffs, away from here.”
“So there is another way out?” Verrian demanded.
Lyrian’s heart was in her throat. “You can’t let him,” she said frantically. “I won’t let him,” she added.
“If there is another way out, we don’t need to,” Verrian said calmly. “We can evacuate the lair. No one need be in any danger.”
“No,” Taurian said firmly. “I won’t leave our home. We did that once before, and no good came of it.”
“We can’t sacrifice Lyrian’s mate for a lair,” Karla pointed out, her voice firm.
“He is not her mate, she has made that quite clear,” Taurian said, looking at Lyrian. “He is a human. The other humans are no danger to him.” He nodded towards Brad, who looked as determined as he did. “He wants to do this.”
“I won’t let him,” Lyrian said firmly. “He’s already given up too much to get me home. He needs to go home himself, not be tied up in this forever.”
“And you have no right to ask her too,” Karla said firmly to her mate. “Find another way.”
Taurian glared at his mate, and she put her hands on her hips and glared back. Lyrian was glad Karla was on her side. The human was surprisingly formidable.
“If we can get out, someone can go and ask the Trima life dragon for help,” Verrian said calmly. “Her powers of suggestion could make the humans leave without anyone having to sacrifice themselves.”
Everyone turned to stare at him.
“That just might work,” Karla said thoughtfully.
“Ostrian is going to have a fit at the idea of asking Trima clan for help,” Taurian warned. “You saw how distrustful he is.”
“As if you ever let Ostrian dictate what you can and can’t do,” Karla said firmly. “You can find a way to convince him. And if the Trima dragons help us out of this mess, then that will go a long way towards convincing the clan to accept the alliance.”
It was clear this suggestion met with Taurian’s approval. He looked at the grumpy elder thoughtfully.
And it would keep Brad safe. Lyrian’s heart slowed a little, returning close to its normal pace.
“How long would it take to finish this tunnel?” Taurian asked Mesrian.
“If we set dragons working in shifts, a day, maybe two.”
“That’s a long time,” Jayrian said, his voice worried. “What if the humans find the lair in that time?”
“It’s unlikely,” Lisa said. “Humans are slow and methodical. They will wait for others to arrive and set up a base before they even start searching. They will search all the bush below before they even consider searching in the cliffs.”
Her words were certain and sure. Even Lyrian believed her. She relaxed a little more. They could make this work. Brad wouldn’t give himself up to the humans. He would be safe, even if he wasn’t with her.
That was important to her.
But Brad was still looking determined, if a little nervous.
He hadn’t heard their private conversation, Lyrian realised. And the public words seemed to indicate that the plan was for him to give himself up. Ostrian’s self-satisfied smile confirmed that.
She’d have to set that straight as soon as she could get a moment alone with Brad.
Better to let Ostrian go on believing, for now. Taurian was right, he was going to have a fit when he found out they were planning to ask the Trima clan for help. No reason to deal with that before they needed to.
There was still
a chance the humans could leave in an hour when they couldn’t find any sign of Brad or the dragons. No use courting trouble before it was necessary.
“Show me this tunnel,” Taurian said, “and we’ll discuss plans to get it finished.”
Lyrian wasn’t too interested in the tunnel, so she stayed behind while Taurian headed off, followed by several of the elders, including Ostrian. Brad moved to follow them too, probably thinking he needed to know what was happening, but Lyrian spoke into his mind, “Stay. I need to talk to you.”
He glanced over at her, and for a moment she thought he was going to object. But he still held their daughter in his arms, so he remained.
Lyrian retreated back into the room where she and the others had been talking earlier, and Brad followed.
Once they were alone, suddenly all Lyrian’s thoughts deserted her.
She stared at Brad and Anarian, her eyes eating up the image hungrily.
No matter what happened, he would be gone soon. Whether he returned home to his job in America, or gave himself up to the police, the end result would be the same for her. He wouldn’t be here. It would be a long time before she saw him again either way, and when he came, it would be to see Anarian, not her.
And yet, it was vitally important to her that he choose the option that was best for him. The one he needed and wanted.
“I appreciate your offer to distract the police to protect us,” she said softly.
Brad shrugged uncomfortably. “It is the least I can do. It was my truck they recognised. If it weren’t for me, they would have just flown on over.”
Lyrian shook her head. “You were only here because you were returning me to my clan. None of this is your fault, and I won’t let you suffer for it.”
Brad took a step towards her, and laid the hand not cradling Anarian on her arm. Sparks crackled when he touched her, and Lyrian drew in a breath. “I want to do this. For you and Anarian,” he said earnestly. “All that matters to me is that the two of you are safe.”
Tears pricked at the back of Lyrian’s eyes. How could he care so much about them, but not want to stay with them? How could he be prepared to risk his career to keep them safe, but not want to remain here with them?
