“Did you bring Toal MacMorgan with you, or did you throw him overboard?”
The other men chuckled, but the pirate captain growled. “After we realized you had gone for a swim, he lost his leverage. You were promised to me.”
Vika didn’t like the sound of that, so she waved the dagger in his direction. Spark pranced nervously behind her, but she didn’t flinch. Showing fear was not an option. Besides, she had a warrior’s steed at her back, or a warrior named Evan Brown. What could go wrong?
A thunderous roar filled the sky, and the flap of wings made each man turn and stare above their heads.
“Dragons!” one of the pirates cried.
Two dragons flew straight toward the group. The men scattered, but Vika couldn’t move. The beasts were glorious. A riot of color, and different than the purple and brown beast she had ridden after her short dip in the sea.
One was green, with snowy wings, and she realized she had encountered that one before, while with Evan. The other’s scales were red as blood, with huge black wings. Were they friends of the purple dragon?
“At least Evan isn’t actually a dragon.”
CHAPTER 19
As the dragons dove at the men, Spark reared on his back hooves. The force of the wind from their flapping wings blew Vika’s hair across her face, but she stood her ground. She watched the graceful creatures as they chased the men down the trail toward the sea.
One thing was clear. They were obviously not bent on harming her, nor Spark. Could they sense their comrade had been here, or was nearby? After leading Spark to a few boxes so she could mount him easily, she slipped the small dagger back into her boot. She latched onto his halter, and swung up into the saddle. She would normally ride sidesaddle while wearing a skirt, but she wanted to get to the village, and to Orin. Galloping with her skirt drawn up was the only way to ride with haste.
They sped through the forest. The sun beat down on her back, and she felt like she was flying! Once she settled Spark at the village stable beside the creek, she would find Orin and tell him what nearly happened, if not for two more dragons.
“He will be angry he missed seeing those magnificent creatures.”
Spark whinnied as they galloped closer to the village gates. Vika pulled him to a trot, then stopped him altogether. She threw her right leg over the side, slid to the ground, and walked toward the gate. The two warriors on guard waved her through. She was glad to see they had doubled the guards.
She felt safe inside the village walls, but would the pirates return to the farm? How could she and Orin go about their lives while worrying about their property? Would things be better if she was a married woman?
“Which brings to mind Evan Brown. Could he be the answer to our problems?”
Spark snickered, and she slapped his neck. Evan would make a fine husband, but she hardly knew him. He was courageous, and quite handsome, but they hadn’t talked about their lives, or families, though he had met Orin. Had she discussed her parents’ deaths? He had not shared anything about himself, yet she would forgive him anything if he would kiss her again.
She kissed Spark, or Evan, and left him with a stable lad, grabbed her satchel, and walked briskly to the tavern. She left the bundled plaide tied to Spark’s saddle. If he was Evan, he’d need them. Finding Orin was a priority, then she wanted to inquire about Maeve’s condition. She wished to share the clothes she had brought with the lass, then talk to Orin in private. Only then would she consider sharing this latest threat with the village.
Striding inside the tavern, only a few villagers were seated in the dining area, enjoying a mid-day repast. Her stomach growled, and Mistress MacFingan shoved a tankard of warmed spiced cider into her hand.
“Your cheeks have turned pink, so you must have ridden hard. The young lass be right upstairs, and waiting on you, with Orin.”
“Mistress, you amaze me.” All the villagers were wary of her ability to see things, but most ignored this trait due to her healing abilities.
Vika swallowed the cider, thanked the older woman, and headed up the stairs. She found Orin sitting beside Maeve’s bed, and the two were whispering.
“Mind if I interrupt?” she asked.
Orin jumped to his feet. “Vika! Here already? The meeting be not for an hour or so. I still need to talk to some villagers, and…”
“You sound like the devil has captured your tongue. Fear not, but I do need to speak to you on a private matter. Come with me?”
Orin turned and spoke softly to Maeve, who nodded, and settled lower into the bed. Orin helped cover her with warm blankets. Vika smiled at how chummy the two looked, but other matters had to drive them apart.
For today, at least.
Thinking of the pirates and the danger to the village gates, which would in turn put Maeve in danger, Orin needed to know what had happened.
She and her brother walked down the stairs, and found an empty corner near the hearth. The other villagers had finished their food, and had left. A server brought them both cider, and she swallowed several mouthfuls.
“Orin, we have a problem.”
“Oh? Has Spark slipped away again, or has Evan Brown failed to show up and kiss you once more?” He chuckled.
As Vika recalled what she and Evan had shared in her cottage, her cheeks heated. She sipped her cider, and did her best not to react to her brother’s insightful words. How could Orin get one part correct?
“Do not try to rile me, brother. Spark be fine and in the village stable. Evan Brown can come and go as he pleases. However, soon after you headed to the village I was nearly captured by pirates.”
Orin jumped to his feet, spilling their tankards. The sweet aroma of spiced cider, as it dripped onto the wood floor, was comforting for only a moment. The horrified expression sweeping over his face was as shocking as finding pirates at her farm.
“Tell me all,” he demanded.
Her chest constricted, but she couldn’t tell him everything. She wouldn’t share the joy still resonating inside her from Evan’s lovemaking, but her brother deserved to know about the sordid parts.
“Orin, after you left, I readied for travel. I walked into the barn to saddle Spark, and we headed out into the open, where we were met in the yard by six men. I recognized one as the captain who argued with Toal on the pirate ship. During their heated argument, I had managed to jump overboard. You know the rest.”
“Did they hurt you?” he whispered.
Vika assumed he worried that they had taken liberties, and she was quick to reassure him. “Nay. I had me dagger, and Spark at me back, but the main help came from two dragons.”
“Me dragon friend came back with another?”
Vika shook her head. “These were different than the purple one that saved me from the sea. One was green like the mountain meadows in full summer, with wings as white as freshly fallen snow. The other was scarier. His deep red scales looked like blood, and his wings were black as night. While the pirates fled, I mounted Spark and galloped toward town. Me fear be that they might try again. They claimed I was a prize they meant to collect.”
“What about the toad?”
“I did not see him. He might be dead. The pirates were not happy with him after I escaped. I asked them what had happened to Toal, but never heard the answer, because the captain said they planned to capture me for themselves. Luckily for me, two dragons attacked.”
“Then we shall wait here until ‘tis time for the meeting with the elders. Toal was ordered to appear.” Orin ran his hand over her head, then kissed her cheek. That he had to lean down to do it was not lost on her.
“Be you leaving?”
“Aye. I must talk to the villagers, and bring our cart to the tavern for the final inspection. Mistress MacFingan’s words carried much weight, but I fear the bribed elder will say something at the inquest.”
“You know where our cart be?”
Orin smiled. “Mistress MacFingan told me. She assures me ‘tis safe. Besides, I want
the entire village to share in our success. ‘Til the meeting?”
Vika nodded. Suddenly exhausted, she leaned back against the stone wall beside the hearth, and breathed in the soothing scent of the smoldering coals. Her limbs relaxed, and she let the warmth and quiet of the room take her to a place where Evan Brown stood proudly on a craggy mountaintop. Wind blew through his coppery hair while he flexed his arm muscles reaching for the sky. He must have sensed her watching, because he turned and stared straight at her, his amber eyes burning into her soul.
“Amber eyes?” Vika woke with a start. Laughter and loud deep voices filled the tavern. How much time had passed? No one had noticed her, so she stood. Smoothing her hair and gown, she headed for the council chamber, and prayed she was not late.
“Orin would have woken me,” because what was to happen in that chamber was as important to him, as to her. Spark was safe, but their future hinged on making sure the council understood what havoc Toal and his men had caused.
“Vika! You be awake!”
“Aye. ‘Tis time for the meeting?”
Orin rolled his eyes, then latched onto her elbow. “Come with me, sleepy head.” As he dragged her out into the street, laughter rose around them.
“Why be we outside? The meeting chamber be inside.” Old Gray was tied to a post.
“Vika, did I not say that we must find our cart? I’ll be needing your help.” Orin latched onto the pony’s lead, and headed toward a far corner of the village. Near the wall, and beneath a leafy tree with low-hanging branches, stood their cart.
She sighed with relief. “It appears fine. Not even scorched.”
Orin hitched the pony to the cart, helped Vika up onto the seat, and drove it to the front of the tavern. A warrior offered to guard it while they went inside to meet with the elders.
“You saved Sinna’s life, so I will show me gratitude by watching over it,” the man said.
Orin’s nodded his thanks, and helped her from the cart. She followed him inside, and they entered the chamber of the Council of Elders. Vika kept her back straight and a smile on her face, as she stood beside her brother. The men of the council were talking among themselves, and Orin leaned closer and squeezed her hand. Toal had not arrived, and she felt guilty hoping he was dead.
Several villagers walked in and filled the benches. Vika nodded to those she recognized, and was happy that most of them had been kind to her and Orin after the deaths of their parents. However, when Evan Brown walked in, she swallowed hard, and clenched her hands into fists at her sides.
He was here in the flesh, and she wasn’t sure whether she was ecstatic to see him, or angry that he neglected to share his secret. If he was a man with the ability to shift into a horse, he should have told her before taking her to bed.
What if he be a horse, who can shift into a human? The idea was ludicrous, until she realized what he had said before making love with her. “I can honestly say I have never bedded a woman.”
Did that mean he’d spent his life as a copper-colored stallion? There was no denying how much his hair matched Spark’s glistening copper coat, and their eyes…uncanny.
Hushed voices grabbed her attention, and several rough looking men sauntered in. They shoved villagers out of their way, and pushed others off benches.
“Toal’s men, I presume,” Evan whispered in her ear.
Her shoulders stiffened. How had he gotten so close? Too many people were suddenly looking at them, wondering who this stranger was. She had introduced him to Elder Kinnon, but to all others he was an outsider.
Time passed and other arguments between villagers were brought before the council. She wished they had allowed she and Orin to sit, but until the council members acknowledged them, they had to stand.
Evan leaned in a leisurely pose against the wall beside them. Vika glanced at him from the corner of her eye, watching as he scouted the room’s inhabitants. The large crowd was growing noisy, and when the doors near them opened wide, and Toal strode in, her heart stopped.
The wicked bastard smirked at her, barely glanced at Orin or Evan, and headed to the mangy group of men. Roars of laughter at something he’d said disturbed the proceedings. Elder Kinnon slammed his fist on the table, and ordered quiet.
Toal spit on the floor, and sat on the edge of a bench. Vika bristled at his lack of manners, but she wasn’t surprised. She’d hoped he had died, but now she must appear strong, and speak the truth in front of everyone. Toal would not browbeat her into not revealing everything.
Elder Kinnon cleared his throat. “Charges have been filed by the winner of a wager. We will hear testimony first from Lord MacMorgan, the loser.”
Toal jumped to his feet. “What nonsense be this? I have lost nothing!”
“Vika MacKinnon has already been declared the winner of the wager you insisted on.”
“Not possible! I was told…” Toal glanced up and down the table filled with the council members.
“Be you looking for someone in particular? We recently arrested one of our own council members. ‘Tis sad when bribery and unethical machinations raise their ugly head.”
Toal’s face turned green. He turned and faced Vika. “This be all your fault. Miss high-and-mighty, eh? We shall wed, and then you shall--”
“Excuse me,” Evan interrupted, “but I have heard differently from this lass. She told me and her brother that you tried to force her into marriage. ‘Tis unethical.”
Toal’s face turned from green to bright red, and his hand went to his hip.
“MacMorgan, do not remove your weapon from its sheath or you will be removed from this room. Share your story of the events that occurred over the last three days, or sit down,” Elder Kinnon demanded.
Vika grabbed Evan’s hand, and hoped he wouldn’t pull away. She needed his strength to carry her through the upcoming ordeal. If he refused to give testimony to what he’d seen at Toal’s manor, she might lose more than her reputation. She had no doubt that Toal would spread lies, and they would condemn her as a harlot, and possibly force her to wed the animal.
“Vika McKinnon set up a silly wager--”
“Nay! You did, MacMorgan!” she shouted.
“Be as it may, the wager was struck just to save a dangerous beast. The animal kicked me, nearly killing me in the process. For three days I have done me best to show her that I meant no harm by me outburst. Killing the beast was not the answer, but I did not want her taking him home like a stray. Once we be married, and residing at me manor home, the horse would not be welcome.”
Vika bit her bottom lip, and tried her best to keep her mouth shut. Lies fell from Toal’s mouth like slimy creek water, but she would have her say. Whether anyone believed her was another story.
“Lord MacMorgan, I was there when the wager was accepted by both parties. You did indeed threaten to kill a horse. The three days have ended, and your kills were tallied. The MacKinnon family has been declared the winner, and the horse be safe. We be here to have you answer to a list of complaints on your treatment of Vika MacKinnon.”
“How dare she complain! I have offered her the world. She had no reason to win that silly wager, either. I told her I would wed her, and keep her fed throughout the coming winter. I must have touched a nerve. She be too proud for her own good.”
Vika could not stand his lies any longer. “I be not proud, but I be the owner of me destiny. He wishes to force me to marry him. I would rather starve, but me brother and I have enough food to last the winter. Toal’s recent atrocities--”
Toal shook his fist at her. “That be Lord MacMorgan to you, bitch!”
Shouts and curses erupted, and Orin threw his arm around her. Evan sidled closer, until they cocooned her between them. Their heat and concern was welcome. The council leader slammed his fist on the table several times before the crowd quieted.
“There shall be no disparaging here. Vika MacKinnon be a beloved member of our clan. I know of no wrongdoing on her part. If you have a specific example to sh
are concerning her behavior before she speaks to us about you, say it now.”
CHAPTER 20
Evan held his breath. Standing in a room filled to capacity with humans made his muscles tense as if flight was the best option. He could not leave, not when Vika needed a friend. Was he still only her friend? They had made love in her small bed, inside her cottage, and he wanted to share such pleasure again.
Was she already pregnant? Would she consent to birth his dragon-shifter offspring for him? Or, would she swear and condemn him for keeping his secret from her? She suspected he was Spark, though she didn’t act shocked by that knowledge. She loved the horse, but could she love the dragon?
When Toal did not speak, Elder Kinnon asked Vika to come closer to the council members, and share her problems. Evan hoped she would make simple statements that would not condemn her in others’ eyes.
“Vika MacKinnon. Please share what has happened these last few days to make you…claim Lord Toal MacMorgan has acted…less than…honorable.”
The old man seemed searching for the correct words, so as not to disparage Toal. He must be a high-ranking human in this village, and concern for Vika grew.
“First, the horse in question kicked him after Toal touched me…inappropriately, and threw me to the ground.”
“You cannot believe the words of a--”
“Lord MacMorgan! I said we will hear her. You had your chance.” The old man turned back to Vika. “Go on, lass.”
“During the hunt, his man Ranald whipped me horse and tried to steal our meat. I did not witness this, but Toal admitted he had sent the man. Later, Toal accosted me on the trail, and threw me to the ground, bruising me.”
Toal scoffed, and his men laughed.
The old man glared at him, then turned to Vika. “Lass, will you show us these bruises?”
She nodded.
Evan wondered how she could prove what he’d already seen without undressing in front of all the humans.
Spark (Clan of Dragons Book 1) Page 16
