Desperate Magic

by Rebecca York

  Knowing the dragon was watching her progress, she moved one hand and one foot at a time, making her slow way to the barrier across ground scorched by the increased power of the shield. By the time she reached the shield, her head was ringing like a milk pail kicked by a cow, her breath felt like shards of metal in her lungs and she was sure the dragon was the only thing keeping her alive.

  When she lifted a hand to touch the barrier, shock waves zinged from her fingers, up her arm and into her body, and she pulled her hand back.

  The dragon’s yellow eyes narrowed as though he was reproving her for her weakness. Clenching her teeth, she forced herself to try again.

  On the other side, the dragon raised his claw and they both scrabbled at the invisible dome that separated them.

  Did she feel a small patch opening up? Or was that only an illusion. There was nothing to see, but she thought she felt air rushing in from the exterior.

  The dragon must have also sensed that they were making progress. He scrabbled harder, his claws clicking against the transparent shield. He tore at the edges of the hole, enlarging it until it was the size of the big kettle her mother kept hanging in the kitchen fireplace.

  When the dragon reached one of his front legs through the opening, she shrank away from his claws, then watched them retract like a cat’s before he grasped her shoulder and pulled her toward him.

  The opening was narrow, and the sides scraped her arms, sending lightning bolts of pain through her body as she tumbled forward and fell to the ground on the other side.

  Once again, blackness enveloped her.

  Chapter Two

  Willow woke to feel lips moving against hers. Someone was kissing her. A man, judging by the spicy scent of his body. She lay with her eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of his mouth on hers—and the dream.

  Was she in her own bed? She didn’t think so, but this couldn’t be reality. Languidly, she raised her arm and cupped her hand around the back of his head, her fingers combing through his thick hair as she moved her lips against his, feeling heat radiating from that point of contact to the rest of her body.

  His hand slid from her shoulder to her chest, cupping the soft mound of her breast, making her nipple tighten.

  It was a liberty he had no right to take, but she sighed in reaction, moving her torso to increase the sensation. When scratchy grass poked into her skin, she realized she was lying on the hard ground—not in her bed.

  This wasn’t a dream at all.

  Her eyes flew open. It was still dark, and by the light of the twin moons, she found herself staring into a man’s midnight gaze.

  “Don’t.”

  When she pushed against his shoulder, he straightened, giving her a better look at him.

  She saw dark hair pulled back into a queue, sensual lips, a straight nose and high cheekbones. He was dressed in clothing that a well-off Valleyholder might have worn—a shirt and light coat of good quality, covering leggings that disappeared into stout leather boots.

  At any other time, he would have held her complete attention, but as memories flooded back to her, she anxiously scanned the hillside in back of him.

  “What are you searching for?” he asked.

  “The dragon.”

  “You have nothing to fear on that count. I chased him away.”

  “You claim to have that power?”

  He shrugged. “He is not here, and I am. Perhaps he recognized me as an enemy.”

  Struggling to take that in, she started to push herself up.

  He put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I woke you with a kiss, but I think you need to get your strength back, Sleeping Beauty.”

  She slapped his hand away and sat up. “Sleeping Beauty? Where did you get that notion from?”

  His face contorted. “A story I heard. Is it wrong?”

  Her pulse began to pound as she remembered why she’d struggled to get out of Valleyhold. Rowan. “I hope I wasn’t asleep for a hundred years.”

  “I think not.”

  Her fuzzy brain was beginning to clear as she looked from him to the shield and back again. Could he see it? Did he know it was there? And why was she so far from where she had tumbled out and fallen to the ground.

  Had he dragged her a safe distance away? No, he couldn’t have gotten that close to the dome, could he?

  As those questions chased themselves through her head, he kept his gaze on her, his regard much too bold. Yet he’d already taken liberties with that kiss.

  “Who are you, and what are you doing here, so high up in the mountains?”

  “I am called Cullendor.”

  “And why are you here?” she pressed.

  He looked down at his hands, before raising his eyes to hers again. “I was cast out from the kingdom where I live, and I have been wandering this earth ever since.”

  “Arandal?” she asked, wondering if he might have news of Rowan.

  “Not Arandal.”

  “Where?”

  “You have not heard of it.”

  “Why not?”

  “It is far from here. A place where women rule.”

  She thought of the way the elders—all men—guarded their power. “Women? How could that be?”

  “I know it is strange to you, but it is true. They do not want to be challenged by men, so when a boy approaches maturity, they drive him out.”

  She caught her breath, then tried to ask the obvious question in as bland a way as possible. “Then how do your people...have more children?”

  “The men are allowed back to...mate,” he said in a hard voice. “Then we must leave again.”

  She had thought the rulers of Valleyhold were harsh and autocratic; this sounded worse, but she supposed there was much outside the dome that had not reached the people living inside. Before she could ask another question, he turned the tables.

  “What are you doing on this hillside alone at night?”

  She looked back toward the village, wondering if he had seen Valleyhold.

  “I am going to aid my sister,” she said.

  “What aid does she need?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Then how do you know she needs you?”

  “I received a message,” she said, “but it didn’t explain the problem, only that she wants me to come to her.” Scrambling to make her explanation sound plausible, she added, “My parents forbid me to leave home, but I slipped away.”

  “They worry about you, but not her?”

  He was asking a lot of questions she didn’t want to answer, and she worked to rein in her impatience. She settled for something close to the truth. “They already lost her. They didn’t want to lose me too.”

  “They were wise, if you think to travel alone.”

  “I hadn’t planned ahead. I only knew I had to start the journey.”

  “Where is your sister?”

  “I think she is in the castle at Arandal.”

  “But you don’t know for sure.”

  “I hope she’s there.”

  “It’s a long way to travel if you are only guessing.”

  “I have to find her.”

  When she stood, he did the same, catching her as she wavered on unsteady legs.

  “Most people never leave the village or town where they are born, and they do not know that there are many perils in the world. I see you don’t realize it is dangerous for you to travel alone.”

  “I have no choice.”

  “I could go with you.”

 
“Why would you do that?”

  “Because I had thought to visit Arandal.”

  “Why?”

  “It is a rich kingdom, and I presumed I could do well there.”

  “Do well at what?”

  “I would bring in goods to sell from foreign places.” He looked up. “There are still a few hours of nighttime left. You should make haste to get off this mountain.”

  Again, she realized she hadn’t been thinking clearly. If the elders found her up here, they would drag her back and punish her.

  “Yes,” she murmured. She hadn’t agreed to travel with him, and she ignored him as she started down the mountain, yet he kept pace with her as though they were together.

  When she caught her foot on a hidden rock, he took her arm, steadying her again.

  “We will go together from this exposed place. Then you can decide if you want to keep company with me.”

  “Do you know the way to Arandal?” she asked. This was another problem she hadn’t fully considered.

  “Yes.”

  “How?”

  “I talked to merchants who follow the trade routes. They told me where it was.”

  She nodded. He was right, she could travel with him for now, then make a final decision.

  They kept moving down the mountain, and every step that took her away from Valleyhold made her feel freer. She kept glancing at the man walking beside her. He was very attractive, but she couldn’t let his looks guide her. She had to be objective about whether it was safe to stay with him.

  They moved quickly, his hand on her arm much of the time. When he touched her, it seemed that she moved faster and covered more ground than normal. Was that right, or was her perception out of kilter from breaking through the barrier?

  Neither of them spoke, both putting all their energy into walking.

  After only a few hours, she began to stumble.

  “You need to rest in a safe place,” Cullendor said.

  “Yes,” she admitted.

  “Sit down for a while. Let me see what I can find.”

  She sat with her back propped against a boulder, glad to get off her feet. While she was alone, she took the knife out of her carry bag and hid it in the folds of her skirt, then closed her eyes—for a moment. She was asleep before she knew it.

  When Cullendor touched her shoulder, her head jerked up and her hand went to the knife. Then she saw it was him.

  “I found a cave where you can spend the day.”

  “What about you?”

  “I must be alone during daylight.”

  “Why?”

  “It is my way,” he said stiffly. “Come, let me show you the cavern.”

  He led her through the rocks to an opening in the side of a cliff where rubble had fallen, partially blocking the entrance.

  “I put some provisions in there for you.”

  “Where did you get them?”

  “I found them. They must have been stashed by some traveler and forgotten.”

  She stepped inside the cave, moving cautiously into the darkness, waiting for her eyes to adjust.

  “I will be back at sunset,” Cullendor said.

  “Wait.”

  “I will be back,” he said again, handing her a burning brand. “This will give you light to explore.”

  “Where did you get this?”

  “It was already here,” he answered, and then he was gone.

  Alone, she held up the brand and looked around, seeing the remains of a campfire built under a place where there was a crevice in the ceiling.

  Someone had camped here. Cullendor or someone else?

  As she walked farther into the cave, she saw a stream and nearby a sleeping pallet, along with some pieces of coarse cloth that she recognized. Picking one up, she held it in the light and felt her heart leap. It was from Valleyhold—and it belonged to Rowan.

  It must be an omen that her sister had been here! In this very cave. Perhaps she had touched this brand.

  That knowledge was like a sign that she was doing the right thing.

  There were more packages on the stone floor beside the folded blankets, and when she unwrapped one, she found fresh meat and cheese.

  These must be the provisions Cullendor had left for her. She sat down on the pallet and took a few bites of the food, but she was too exhausted to eat much.

  Tottering over to the stream that ran along the side of the cave, she scooped up water in her palms and drank. Then she returned to the bed and lay down.

  Once again, sleep claimed her, and she knew nothing of the world around her.

  * * *

  Cullendor hurried to a nearby cave. Heartbeats before the sun rose above, he slipped into the darkness.

  He had no trouble seeing without light. Quickly he walked to the travel bed he had left for himself and lay down, satisfied with his night’s work.

  He would sleep soon, but before he did, he went back over the steps he had taken to improve his position in this world. He had taken the form of a handsome man, but he had not been born a man. He was the dragon who had flown over Valleyhold, the dragon who had helped Willow escape, and he had the power to assume any shape he fancied.

  His knowledge of mankind was sketchy, but he had many talents he could call on.

  He had probed the village of Valleyhold with his mind weeks ago and found a woman that pleased him.

  Willow. He’d known her unhappiness, and he’d helped her come to the conclusion that she must leave Valleyhold.

  Then he’d heard her sister call for help. She was in Arandal, too far away to contact Willow on her own. But he had bridged the gap between the sisters.

  He smiled in satisfaction at the way that had worked out—and at the way he had subtly manipulated Willow. He hadn’t tried to make her do something she hadn’t wanted to do on her own. He had simply urged her to follow the course of action she wanted to take.

  Then, to his dismay, she’d almost died in the attempt to escape through the shield and he’d had to rescue her. But now she was safely on the way to meet her sister. And he would go along with her and use her as his entrée to Arandal Castle. He’d walk there with her, and on the way he would learn much more about human interaction. Enough so that he could ensure his welcome in Arandal—where he would gain the regard of the people. The next step would be to take over as their king, but he was long-lived and there was plenty of time to cement his position.

  The plan was much better than his last, he silently admitted. A few months ago he’d tried to seize what he wanted by force. He’d spotted Prince Grantland coming back to the kingdom. He’d been with a woman—who Cullendor presumed was Willow’s sister, judging from what he’d picked up in her mind.

  Cullendor’s natural instinct was to win by violence, and he had tried to kill the prince in order to take over his kingdom. But another dragon had appeared in the sky and fought him off. A dragon who had come bursting out of the clouds with a woman riding on his back. A very curious sight. But it meant that the dragon and the woman had joined into some sort of partnership. Which was a good sign as far as he was concerned.

  If that other fellow could do it, Cullendor could do the same. And now he had a blonde-haired beauty who had put herself under his protection.

  He slept, then woke abruptly as the sun was sinking behind a nearby hill. He had known he might not be able to hunt, so he had stocked his own provisions in the cave. He strode to a fissure and pulled on the
cord he had tied to a rock, bringing up the bottle of animal blood he had stored in the cold depths there. He drank deeply, then washed out his mouth with water he had also stocked. The blood wasn’t as good as fresh, but he would remedy that soon. He had killed humans for food when he had first arrived in this world, but now he preferred the tang of animal blood.

  Refreshed, he walked to the cave where he had left Willow and stopped short as he saw her sit up on her pallet. She hadn’t spied him yet, and he changed his plans abruptly, making himself invisible as he watched her stand and stretch.

  You’ll feel better after a nice bath in the river.

  After sending her the suggestion, he waited to see if she would follow it.

  To his delight, she headed for the underground river where she looked around carefully before taking off her long skirt, blouse and boots. Naked, she stuck one foot into the water, then waded farther in.

  As he took in her high firm breasts, the indentation of her waist, her flaring hips and the thatch of golden hair at the juncture of her legs, he felt his cock harden.

  She was a beautiful sight, and he wanted to cross the cave’s stone floor, wrap her in his arms and press her against the length of his body. But she had no idea he was watching her, and she would doubtless be shocked if he followed up on his desires so rudely.

  Clenching his hands into fists, he contented himself with looking at her as she waded cautiously into the river, her nipples hardening from the cold water. Was she experienced at lovemaking? He hoped so because she would make a good teacher. Knowing how to please a woman would be an important skill to acquire.

  * * *

  Willow touched two fingers to her lips, remembering Cullendor’s mouth on hers. It had been a sensual kiss. He had touched her breast, but when she had protested, he had let her go at once.

  That was a sign she could trust him, wasn’t it?

  Remembering the kiss made her body heat, and she splashed cold water on her breasts and shoulders. Thinking that she shouldn’t linger lest he come upon her unclothed, she climbed out of the water, dried off with one of the blankets from the pallet and dressed again before braiding her hair.