dragon archives 03 - loved by a dragon

by Linda K Hopkins

  “I’ve been learning greater control over my powers,” he whispered into her mind.

  “I could feel you holding me – not as flames but as though you are flesh and blood.”

  “I’ve learnt to use my mind to control my actions. I can be like a breeze, blowing any which way, or like a rock, a barrier that none can pass.”

  “This is …”

  “A lot to take in?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m still me. That hasn’t changed.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “I love you, Keira. That is all that matters. I promise I will never try and deny that love again.”

  “I love you, too,” she whispered.

  He held her for a long time before pulling away reluctantly. “I need to go find Max.”

  “Of course,” she said. Another thought occurred to her. “How can you manage to keep changing without hunting? Is it because you have grown so much more powerful?”

  “Yes, I think so. I’ll still need to hunt again soon, but I’m finding that my strength remains longer each time.”

  She gazed at him. “You are truly amazing. Now go.”

  He smiled, then dissolved in a blaze of flame. “I’ll be back,” he said, before swirling into a fiery mist and disappearing through the crack under the door as Keira watched.

  It was already dark by the time Aaron returned, a spreading blaze that swept under the door and wrapped around her like a quilt.

  “I’m afraid you will have to endure this hellhole for a few more days, my sweet,” Aaron said as he formed before her.

  “You saw Max?”

  “I did. And Jack too. He’s planning to use you to lure me to a place of his choosing.” Aaron ran his hand over her cheek. “I wish there was another way, but I have to leave you here. But what Jack doesn’t know is he will be walking into a trap of our own.”

  “Do you know where he plans to lure you to?”

  “Not only where, but when as well.” Aaron smiled grimly. “And I will be ready and waiting.”

  Anna nodded. “Of course you will, and Jack will learn that he should never have challenged such a powerful dragon!” Aaron smiled. “Did you see Anna?” she asked.

  “I did. She is in far more comfortable quarters than you.” Aaron glanced around the bare cell with a frown. “But she is furious with Max. I expect she is making his life quite unpleasant.”

  “He hasn’t told her the truth?” Keira asked in surprise.

  “No. She still thinks he’s a traitor.”

  “But why?”

  Aaron shrugged. “Perhaps he doesn’t know if he can trust her.”

  Keira opened her mouth to protest, and then closed it again. She didn’t think Anna would betray Max, but Anna had given Max little reason to think well of her.

  “I need to go, my sweet,” Aaron said. “But before I do, I want you to drink my blood. You need to be as strong as possible for whatever lies ahead.” He was growing more substantial before her as he spoke – not just skin wrapped around flames, but flesh and bone. He stretched his hand into a talon and scored the palm of his hand, holding it up to her mouth. She placed her lips over the wound and allowed the blood to flow into her mouth, warm and sweet. As before, she could feel it spreading through her, reaching into every part of her body and warming her from within. Stepping closer, Aaron wrapped his free hand into her hair, pulling her closer when she lifted her head from his hand.

  “I don’t want to leave you,” he whispered.

  “Go,” she said. “I will be fine.”

  He nodded, then brought his lips to hers for a kiss before taking a step back, dropping his hands slowly from her body. He turned towards the window and then, as she watched, he dissolved into flames, disappearing between the bars into the night.

  Chapter 40

  Anna could not understand Max. He had betrayed Aaron, yet he wanted to keep her safe. She didn’t completely understand everything about dragons, but she knew Aaron was important in the dragon hierarchy. And by turning against Aaron, Max was doing more than just betraying a friend. And what did he think would happen to Keira if Jack killed Aaron? The questions swirled around as she sat alone in the room. She wished she could put him from her mind, but it was impossible. If only he hadn’t betrayed Aaron – but what was the point of ‘if only’?

  He had come and gone just shortly before, but had been acting rather strangely, grinning and whispering to himself. She could not make out the words, but the way he spoke made her look around to see if someone else in the room. There was no one except her, of course, but it had been most peculiar.

  Stretching out her arms, she climbed off the bed and walked over to the window. It had grown dark outside, but the light of the moon reflected against the water. She could see the beach where Max had interrupted her escape attempt, and she shivered when she recalled his strong arms carrying her back. It was a rough night out at sea, and the waves crashed loudly against the boulders far below. As she watched, a faint glow of light caught her eye. It was spilling out a window near the base of the building, casting dancing shadows against the castle walls. She had not seen Keira since the day Max arrived, and she wondered if this was where Keira was being held. Anna knew there were cells in the dungeon – she had stayed in one for the first few days of her incarceration until Max’s arrival. She shuddered to think that Keira could still be locked up in something so squalid. She looked back at the light, pulling back with a start. It was no longer a faint glow, but was growing in intensity. Was there a fire down there? Did she need to call for someone? The door to the chamber opened, and Anna turned to see Max enter the room.

  “Max,” she called, turning back to the window and leaning out again. Max was at her side in an instant, his hands at her waist as he held her steady, but Anna didn’t even notice. “Look down there,” she said, pointing to the growing light. “I think it’s a fire!” Max watched in silence for a moment.

  “It’s not a fire,” he finally said.

  “It is! We need to sound an alarm!” Anna leaned even further forward as Max tightened his grip, but then gasped in surprise when the light suddenly shot out from the window, spreading out in a blaze as it sped over the ocean.

  “What was that?” she gasped. She pulled back into the room as the light disappeared in the distance. Max’s hands were still on her waist as she turned to him, his face just a few inches from hers. She took a hurried step back, freeing herself from his grasp, and turning around, walked over to the bed. She sat down and turned to look at him.

  “What was that?” she asked again.

  “A signal,” Max said with a grin.

  “A signal? A signal for what?”

  “A signal that events are moving forward.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “This issue between Aaron and Jack will soon come to a head. Jack plans to lure Aaron into a trap.”

  “But then we must warn ….” Anna looked away. “Never mind.”

  “Anna.” Max took a step towards her, but Anna held up her hand. She had forgotten for a moment that Max was a traitor, but she would not forget again.

  “Stop, Max. You have nothing to say that I want to hear. You are a traitor, which is worse than the most despicable monster. When this is over, I never want to see you again.”

  “Anna, please listen –”

  “Stop,” Anna shouted. “I don’t want to hear it. Just go away. I hate you.” She turned around on the bed and placed her hands over her ears. She heard the door open a moment later, and then softly close, and she collapsed onto the bed in a flood of tears.

  Sleep eluded her as she lay tossing and turning, but when she heard the sound of the bar being lifted, she closed her eyes, curled onto her side and pretended to be asleep. She listened as Max came into the room, pausing to pull his boots off his feet. She sneaked a quick peek at him, pulling in a breath when she saw the light of the fire dancing over his golden skin. She quickly closed her eyes again when he rose t
o his feet once more. He walked over, and she could feel his gaze resting on her as he stood at the end of the bed. It was a long time before she heard him move again, but when he did, it was to throw a log onto the fire. As it crackled and hissed, he walked over to the wooden chair and sat down, and Anna risked another peek. He stretched his legs out before turning and looking at her, catching her by surprise when his gaze caught hers. He stared at her in silence for a moment, then leaned his head back and closed his eyes. She could feel her pulse racing as she closed her own, and it was a long time before she finally fell into a troubled sleep.

  Chapter 41

  Another two days had dragged by since Keira had seen Aaron. Max had been by again and given her yet another tunic, which she had pulled gratefully over the others. All the warmth that Aaron had left behind was gone, but Max had told her, in a whispered conversation through the bars, that today was the day. Jack had already sent out a pair of dragons to deliver a message to Aaron: Come with us now or Keira will be killed.

  A rattle in the passage outside her door brought her to her feet. Aaron’s blood had restored a lot of her strength, although it hadn’t helped with the occasional bouts of nausea that assailed her. The door swung open and a human guard stepped into the room. He gestured with his hand.

  “Come, Jack wants to see you.”

  Keira followed him in silence as he led the way along the passage and up the stairs, retracing the steps she had traveled before. They reached the room, and as she entered, Keira saw there were a number of other dragons in the room apart from Jack and Max. Jack was standing behind a chair at the table, while Max stood at the window, his back to the door. He had found another tunic somewhere, Keira noticed. He glanced over his shoulder, meeting her eye for a moment before turning away again. The two dragons that had brought her and Anna to this fortress stood near Jack, while three more she did not recognize sat in seats around the table. As she entered the room, all eyes except Max’s turned to stare at her.

  “She lives,” Jack said, raising a cup of wine and saluting her before tipping back the contents. The other dragons laughed as they watched her. Returning his cup to the table, Jack stalked up to Keira, lifting her chin with his finger.

  “I’m not sure what Aaron sees in you,” he said. “I thought I saw a spark of something before, but I was wrong. There is nothing of interest in there.” He dropped his finger and stepped away as Keira kept her eyes on him.

  “Max,” Jack said, turning to where Max still stood at the window. “You can take the woman. Aaron will be twice as affected seeing you bring his wife to the altar of sacrifice.” Max turned and nodded, his voice smooth as he answered.

  “Of course, Master. Nothing would please me more.”

  “Good. We leave immediately.” Jack turned towards the other dragons. “Let’s go declare a new Master.”

  “Hear, hear,” said one of the dragons, raising the cup of wine he held in his hand. He looked about the same age as Aaron, with long blond hair tied at the back of his neck. His green eyes turned on Keira, and he grinned at her mockingly. “I have been waiting for the day when Aaron Drake is cut down to size, and his rage when he sees you killed will be priceless.” He rose to his feet. “What about your humans, Jack?”

  “They stay here. They’ve served their purpose for now. We may have need of them later on, and if not…” Jack shrugged as the other dragons laughed. “Stay close, Uesli. We have the advantage of surprise, but we must not underestimate Aaron.”

  Uesli, the green-eyed dragon, nodded his head. “Of course.”

  It was a gray and misty day, with the clouds hanging low, and the dampness clung to Keira’s skin as Max swung her onto his back. A steady cloud of vapor rose from his scales as the moist air flowed over him, steaming like a kettle of water hung over a fire. Keira could see the vague outlines of the dragons ahead of them through the thick mist, but even without the benefit of sight, Keira knew Max could have followed by scent alone. Keira wrapped her arms tighter around Max’s neck and leaned forward.

  “Where’s Anna?” she asked.

  “I left her in my chamber. Jack has all but forgotten her, and I took steps to ensure her safety while we are gone. As soon as this is over, I will return for her.”

  “You’re sure that you will be able to return for her?”

  “Of course.” Keira could hear the confidence in his tone, and smiled to herself.

  They had been flying a few hours when Max dropped through the clouds. Keira could see Jack and the other dragons flying ahead, while not too much further an open area stretched out before them. It was bordered on one side by a wide swath of trees and on the other by a narrow stream. Jack was the first to land in the empty clearing, circling above a few times before landing. Keira could see Jack looking around as she and Max landed, his head cocked slightly as he sniffed the air. He turned as if to say something, but just at that moment, three more dragons dropped down from the sky and landed on the ground. The one in the center was Aaron, his golden scales dull in the gray light, with the other two dragons flanking him closely on either side.

  “Well, well, look who’s arrived to join the party,” Jack said. Keira had slid off Max’s back and was standing at his side as Aaron landed on the ground. She ran towards him, only to be caught up short when Max wrapped his claws around her chest and pulled her hard against him.

  “Not so fast, Keira.”

  “Take your hands off my wife,” Aaron snarled, but Max kept his claws around her as Jack laughed.

  “Ah, Aaron,” Jack said. “Isn’t this wonderful? Do you see that I have both Max and your pretty little wife on my side, although I must admit only one of them is here willingly.” Aaron pulled his lips back in a snarl as sparks flew from his mouth.

  “Let my wife go,” he said through bared teeth. His tail was swishing against the ground as he spoke, stirring up bits of dried grass and twigs, while flames seeped from his mouth.

  “Or what, Aaron?” Jack said. “What will you do? As you can see, you are sorely outnumbered.”

  “I will kill you,” Aaron growled. “I might have killed you quickly before, but you took my wife and locked her in a stone dungeon. For that, I will rip you apart limb by limb.”

  Jack started slightly, Aaron’s knowledge of Keira’s prison clearly surprised him, but after a moment he laughed. “As I have already pointed out, Aaron, you are quite outnumbered.”

  “Stop!”

  The word rang out across the clearing, and Keira turned to see a group of men marching out from the trees where the forest bordered the clearing. The man in front was Owain, while behind him strode Favian and five other men whom Keira recognized as dragon elders. At the sight of the elders, all the dragons in the clearing fell back a few steps, except Jack and Aaron. The men seemed unconcerned about the fact that they wore not a stitch of clothing, and when they came to a stop, they stood with feet firmly planted and their arms folded across their chests. Despite their ages – Favian was the only one younger than two hundred years – they looked like men in their prime, strong and menacing. Jack threw a quick, considering look at Max before turning back to the elders.

  “Jack,” Owain said, “you have broken numerous dragon laws, and we are here to hold you to account.”

  “Really?” Jack said. “And tell me what these laws are.”

  “You have made our ability to change form known to humans, you have hunted humans indiscriminately and at will, you have given humans your blood with the sole purpose of bonding them to you, and you have abducted the mate of a fellow dragon. Furthermore, you have attempted to use subversive methods to defeat Aaron as Master, instead of challenging him to a fight, as is your prerogative.”

  “My, my, I am impressed. You have been thorough in your investigations. Clearly I was too trusting of those who swore their fealty to me. But as for your charges, let me respond that our Dragon Master should also be held to account for his actions, for he too has shown himself to humans, and has created a blood
bond with one who is not his mate.”

  Owain turned to look at Aaron. “Master? How do you answer these accusations?”

  Aaron growled, long and low, before replying. “I have not hidden my actions from you or anyone else. I am guilty of the charges, but I have not done them to gain further power and control. Anyone who chooses to challenge me to a fight for Mastership is entitled within our laws to do so. But this traitor has not challenged me to an honorable fight, instead attempting to lure me into a trap by using my wife. So I will kill him, and any other who will challenge me. Also, any dragon who has given Jack support against me in these dishonorable actions will also forfeit his life.”

  Owain nodded “It will be as you say, Master,” he said.

  Aaron turned to look at Jack, his eyes flaming as he lifted his fiercely armed tail into the air and whacked it against the ground with an ear-splitting crash. He lifted his head and roared, a terrifying, blood-curdling sound that sent a shiver down Keira’s back. As swift as an arrow leaping from a bow, he launched himself into the air at Jack and streamlined his body towards the other dragon. He was traveling so fast, Keira couldn’t even trace his movement, and when he slammed into Jack, the force of the impact sent him flying through the air.

  Spinning around with a snarl, Jack turned to face Aaron, but Aaron was already upon him, his talons sinking into Jack’s belly. Jack wrenched himself free and launched himself into the air, circling heavenward as Aaron followed close on his tail. Massive wings spread through the sky, holding the two mighty beasts aloft, as flames spewed through the air. Keira gasped when she saw Jack swing his tail, his sharp spikes catching the front of Aaron’s neck as blood spurted to the ground; but when Jack tried to clamp his jaw into Aaron’s hide, his mouth found nothing but flames as Aaron pulled away in a fiery blaze, reforming a moment later and once more slamming his weight into Jack. A loud crash rang through the air as the hard, iron-like scales collided, while flashes of flame lit the lowlying clouds. The huge bodies twisted around each other, partially hidden by massive wings, but when they swung back into view, Aaron had his jaws clamped around Jack’s neck. He was pushing Jack towards the ground, forcing him down with his weight. Flames trailed out behind Aaron, his tail like a burning whip that lit the sky behind him, while his form wavered between physical and hazy as he dragged Jack down.