Drakon's Promise (Blood of the Drakon)

by N. J. Walters

“Sit. I have soup and sandwiches ready.”

  Sarah slid onto one of the kitchen chairs and waited as he served up the simple meal. Neither of them spoke as they ate. It was a comfortable silence.

  As soon as she was finished, Darius cleared the table and came back to stand next to her. Her hair was damp and her face makeup free. Her clothes were too big and she was still too slender, but to him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Her beauty and kindness and courage shone from her eyes.

  He went to his knees beside her chair, and she swiveled so she was facing him. “What is it?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”

  He cupped her precious face. “Nothing. Nothing is wrong. Everything is right.” Then he kissed her.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “We’ve got them.”

  Herman Temple swiveled around in his chair as Riggs strode into his office. “Where?”

  “A private airfield just outside of Salvation, North Carolina.” Riggs stopped on the other side of the desk, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “We’ve had feelers out to every small airfield around the country, offering a small monetary reward for information. A man called in. Seems he picked up two people after their plane landed and took them to see a priest.”

  “A priest.” Herman rubbed his chin and considered the possibilities. “Go. We need to know everything this priest knows.”

  “I’m on it.” Riggs left without a backward glance.

  Herman pondered the changes in Riggs over the past few days. Most people wouldn’t have noticed, but Herman wasn’t just anyone. He hadn’t lived for as long and risen as far as he had within the Knights without observing such things. Plus, the dragon’s blood he’d ingested over the decades had increased his ability to detect small details, which was very useful when it came to business, and also when dealing with his people.

  And Matthew Riggs was different. And different in his world was never good. The change had occurred after he’d sent his man to Boston, to Karina.

  His gut tightened as he considered the ramifications. Riggs was either sleeping with the leader of the Knights, working for her, or both. Either way, Riggs’s usefulness to him might soon be at an end.

  And speaking of endings. He picked up his phone and punched in a number. “Karina, my dear, I just wanted to give you an update.” Riggs had probably already informed her, but better to keep up appearances.

  “Have you found Varkas?”

  Always so brittle, so single-minded. Herman couldn’t imagine sleeping with her. Yes, Karina was beautiful, but he’d be too worried about getting a knife in the back to be able to enjoy himself.

  “We know where he was last. Riggs is on his way to investigate. We’ll have Varkas soon enough.”

  “Call me when you do.” She disconnected the call. Herman took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. He hated the way she treated him like a lackey. He was older than she was, had been a member of the Knights far longer.

  But she came from the founding family. Knew all their secrets. Secrets Herman coveted.

  He hit another button on his phone. Christian answered on the first ring. “Any news?” his son asked in lieu of a greeting.

  “Get to the plane. Fast. Riggs is on his way to an airfield in North Carolina. Varkas and Ms. Anderson were seen there.”

  “I’m not far from the airport now. I’ll probably beat Riggs there.”

  “Good.” His son was like him. Ambitious. “I want someone there to look out for our interests.”

  Christian paused, and Herman knew he’d surprised him. “I understand.” Christian’s voice gave away nothing, but Herman knew he’d keep a close eye on Riggs. And Riggs would keep a close eye on Christian.

  Herman thought about joining them, but knew he was better off here. Varkas might have passed through North Carolina, but Herman knew he was long gone. The question was, what did he do while he was there?

  …

  Darius let himself sink into the kiss. Sarah’s tongue stroked his and sent pulses of pleasure bursting throughout his body. He slid his hand around her nape and held her as he tasted her sweet lips.

  “I was afraid you might never wake up.” His voice was husky with arousal and remembered fear. He rested his forehead against hers.

  “I’m sorry you were so worried.”

  “Just don’t ever do that again.”

  A soft gurgle of laughter escaped her. “I don’t plan on it.” Then she sighed. “But then again, I never planned on any of this. What’s our next move?”

  He eased back and rested his hands on her thighs. Her skin was warm and smooth. It would take no effort at all to ease the shirt out of his way and have access to her sweet body. His cock throbbed with no relief in sight. Sarah had been through a trauma. She needed care, not for him to jump her and carry her back to bed.

  “I’ll pick up the parcel Tarrant arranged to have delivered, and then we leave town.”

  Sarah rubbed her hand over her face. “There’s nowhere safe, is there?”

  Darius reluctantly shook his head. “Not until we destroy Herman Temple and everyone who knows about us.”

  Sarah shuddered, her face pale. “That’s—” She broke off before she said more.

  Darius slowly stood. A sick feeling pervaded his stomach. “It’s war, Sarah. Plain and simple. We’ve left them alone for centuries, hiding and running, but they continue to hunt us.” He knew his eyes were probably glowing with barely suppressed anger. “It’s time we became the hunters. They won’t stop until we’re all dead or enslaved. I can’t live like that, not anymore.”

  He turned away, unable to look at Sarah, to see the grief and sadness in her eyes. Darius opened the back door and stepped out onto the porch. The creature inside him wanted to be free. His skin itched and his soul ached.

  It wasn’t smart to give in to such needs, but he no longer cared. He stripped off his pants just as he heard the soft shuffle of footsteps behind him. Sarah sucked in a breath. “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Reminding myself, and you, of what I really am.” He stepped out into the clearing behind the cabin and embraced the dragon that dwelled inside him, that part of himself that was not human.

  Thick plate-like armor snapped over his skin as his body changed shape, becoming larger and stronger. His head flattened and his jaw elongated. Claws replaced fingernails and toenails, and wings erupted from either side of his spine.

  He stretched, extending his tail and his neck. He felt Sarah’s gaze on him and turned his head so he could see her. Her mouth was open, her eyes wide, but not with fear. With wonder.

  Darius stayed where he was but extended his neck until his head was practically touching her. She reached out and tentatively touched his face. “I know what you are,” she reminded him. “I know who you are.” Her hands were soft and tender as they stroked his forehead. “I know you don’t want to hurt anyone but that you have no choice. I get that. I do.”

  Her assurance settled something dangerous bubbling inside him. He wasn’t sure what he’d have done if she’d feared him or looked at him like he was nothing more than a killer.

  Sarah slid her hand away from his face and sat on the step. She pulled the hem of the cotton shirt over her knees. It was chilly and she wasn’t wearing much.

  “You should go inside.” His voice was deeper and gruffer in this form.

  She shook her head. “I want to be with you.”

  Those six simple words calmed both man and dragon, chaining them more easily than any potion or incantation the Knights had ever created. He was completely and utterly lost and didn’t care.

  He’d lived alone, except for his brothers, for four thousand years. After knowing Sarah, he couldn’t go back to that way any longer. If she left him, he had two choices—death or the Deep Sleep of his kind. He didn’t want to live in a world without her.

  And that kind of declaration would probably scare her to death. She was human with a limited lifespan. His job was to use his blood
to keep her alive, unless he could find another way.

  “Darius?” He brought his attention back to Sarah. “What are you thinking about?”

  He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “I think it does, but that’s neither here nor there.” She yawned and rubbed her face. “I shouldn’t be tired, but I am.”

  He shifted without thought, going from beast to man in a heartbeat. Her eyes widened and her gaze went straight to his groin. There was no hiding his arousal. He grabbed his jeans and pulled them on.

  “Of course you’re tired. You’ve been through an ordeal. You need to rest.” He didn’t wait for her to stand. He put one arm around her back and the other under her knees and lifted her. He liked the way she automatically wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Will you stay with me?”

  He really needed to go to town and get that package. Sarah needed clothes. But that could wait. “Yes, I’ll stay with you.” No one knew they were here but Tarrant, and Sarah needed to rest and regain her strength.

  He pushed the door open with his shoulder and kicked it shut with his foot. He carried her into the bedroom and placed her on the bed. She grabbed his hand and didn’t let go. “Stay.”

  There was no way he could resist her plea, and he didn’t want to. He pulled the covers around her and stretched out beside her. “Sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder and placed her hand over his heart. “And I’ll watch over you.” It only took a few minutes for her to drift off. It worried him that she was so tired after sleeping so long already. She was human, her body much more fragile than his. Whatever she needed, he’d make sure she had.

  Even as he closed his eyes, Darius couldn’t quite shake the worry that time was running out. They’d have to move soon, even if he had to carry a sleeping Sarah onto the plane.

  …

  The truck rolled to a stop outside a small church, and Riggs studied the building carefully. It was quaint, with its white paint, and looked like it had been here for more than a hundred years. The only exceptional thing about the building was that all the windows seemed to have been smashed.

  “This is the place?” he asked the man behind the wheel.

  “Yes.” The man was sweating. Riggs could practically smell his fear. He should be afraid. He had no idea what he’d involved himself in by making one simple phone call. It was his own greed that had brought him to this point. Like Judas, he was betraying a friend for monetary gain.

  “And Father Simon is inside?” Riggs didn’t trust anyone but figured the man was too afraid to lie. Christian shifted impatiently in his seat. Riggs had been pissed to find the bastard waiting at the airport for him. He knew right then and there that Herman no longer trusted him, not if he’d sent his son to go with him. Herman didn’t trust Christian, which meant he now trusted Riggs even less.

  “He should be.”

  “And you saw Varkas and the woman leave?” Riggs wanted as many facts as he could get before he disposed of the informant. The Knights couldn’t afford to leave loose ends.

  “I don’t know their names, but they left and got back on the plane. I was parked close to the airfield watching for them to come back. I heard the man make a phone call while he was fueling the plane.” He drummed his fingers nervously on the steering wheel.

  Riggs pinned the driver with a glare. “And I’m only hearing about this now?”

  The man rubbed one of his hands over his faded jeans. He stank of cigarette smoke. “I was hiding but could hear some of it.”

  “Well?”

  His eyes took on a sly glint. “It’s worth more?”

  “Yes.” Christian made an impatient sound, but Riggs silenced him with a glare. “It’s worth more.” It didn’t matter how much they offered to pay the man since they had no intentions of ever allowing him to collect.

  “He mentioned North Dakota. That’s all I heard.”

  “And the woman?”

  He shrugged. “He carried her onto the plane. Like she was sick or passed out or sleeping or something.”

  “And that’s everything you know?”

  The informant nodded vigorously.

  “Okay, let’s go talk with Father Simon.” They climbed out of the vehicle, and he and Christian followed the local as he led the way to the church door. Riggs let him go first. He hated having Christian at his back. He didn’t trust the bastard.

  As he pulled open the door, an idea formed in Riggs’s mind. The more he thought about it, the more he liked it. He waved Christian ahead of him. The younger Temple frowned but did as he was told. That was Christian’s biggest problem. He was too used to being told what to do and didn’t know how to act independently. That would play right into Riggs’s hands.

  Riggs had been expecting the priest to be a much younger man, not one who looked to be in his sixties. With his white hair and beard and T-shirt, he looked more like an aging hippie.

  “William,” Father Simon addressed the local man. “What are you doing here? Have you all come to help replace the windows?” The priest shrugged. “Vandals. Even in a small town they can be a problem.”

  Riggs noticed the priest didn’t approach them. The man was smarter than he let on. “I’m looking for someone, Father Simon. Maybe you can help me.”

  “If I can. Who are you looking for?”

  Riggs gave the old man credit. He looked like he didn’t have a clue. “A man and a woman,” Riggs prompted.

  The old man’s gaze narrowed and then shot to the informant. “What have you done?”

  “I’m sorry, Father,” the man babbled. “I needed the money.”

  “Shut up.” Riggs cuffed the man in the back of the head.

  “You should have come to me.” Father Simon shook his head. “You won’t live long enough to spend your money.”

  The traitor glanced from Father Simon to Riggs. This was going to get messy faster than he’d hoped. Riggs pulled his gun from his shoulder holster and aimed it at his target. The man turned and ran for the door. Riggs didn’t bother telling him he couldn’t outrun a bullet. He simply shot him in the back. The body was still falling when he turned his attention back to Father Simon.

  “You understand there’s more at stake than money.” Riggs wouldn’t underestimate the priest.

  “We can give you anything you want,” Christian rashly promised. “Money, power, anything.”

  And this was why Christian would never be a leader. It was obvious to Riggs that none of those things interested the good priest. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he told the old man. “I can make your death quick and painless.” He paused to let his words sink in. “Or I can make it long and very painful.”

  The priest laughed. “My son, do you think that frightens me?” He raised his own hand and a knife glinted in his fist.

  For the first time, Riggs began to worry. The old man might kill himself before he had a chance to question him. “Isn’t suicide a sin?” He didn’t know much about Christianity, not being a man of any faith, but he knew that much.

  The old man shrugged. “I’m dying anyway. I have cancer.” He tilted his head to one side. “And maybe I won’t kill myself. Maybe you two will be the ones to die.”

  The back of Riggs’s neck prickled. The priest was seriously creeping him out. He didn’t seem scared, just calm and determined.

  “We can cure your cancer,” Christian promised rashly.

  No surprise showed in the priest’s eyes. Not a flicker. “You know, don’t you?” Riggs asked.

  Father Simon nodded. “Yes, I do. But I’m human, and not meant to live any longer than is natural for me. I’m fine with that. I’ve had a happy, productive life. I’ve made good friends. Friends I won’t betray.” The priest turned his attention to Christian, a shrewd look in his eyes. “Not like your friend here. He’ll betray you just as William did me.”

  Christian’s gaze narrowed, and he pulled his own gun. “I don’t think so.”


  Fuck. Riggs turned and fired as Christian uttered his last word. Shock crossed his face as he tumbled back. The shot was straight to the heart, and he was dead before he hit the floor. “I really hadn’t wanted to do that yet.”

  “But you would have eventually,” the priest pointed out.

  “Yeah, I would have.” Riggs had to give the old man credit. He was totally calm in spite of the situation.

  “You should walk away while you still have a chance,” the priest told him.

  “I can’t do that.” And surprisingly, Riggs wished he could. He liked Father Simon. He reminded him of his grandfather, a tough, uncompromising son of a bitch who’d held honor above anything. His grandfather wouldn’t understand the choices Riggs had made, but for better or worse, he’d made them.

  “Then you know what you have to do.” Father Simon held up his hand. “I won’t betray my friend no matter what you do to me. Are you willing to take the risk that I might get lucky and slit your throat before you can finish me?”

  Again, prickles raced down Riggs’s spine. No matter that he was a priest, this man had a past, and a dark one. The way he held the knife in front of him, and the ease with which he did it, told Riggs he knew how to use it.

  “Tell me about the book,” he demanded.

  The priest’s expression remained the same, betraying nothing. Then he sprang forward, knife slashing out.

  Instinctively, Riggs raised his gun and fired. The old priest jerked and seemed to be suspended in midair for a long moment before tumbling to the ground. Riggs swore as he walked to the man. He checked for a pulse, but the priest was dead, and Riggs didn’t know any more than he had when he’d walked in the door.

  He searched the priest’s pockets but found nothing of interest. Then he systematically looked through the church. He checked the office and the computer but found nothing. Father Simon had been damn careful and taken his secrets to the grave with him. It was time for Riggs to leave.

  He examined the church. It was old and well-built, but it was also constructed of wood. He tore down banners and used what was at hand to start several small blazes burning. Then he headed for the door, stopping long enough to remove Christian’s phone and identification.