by Bianca D’Arc
“Sir Gowan.” Leo’s demeanor changed slightly, from open friendliness to slight wariness.
Gowan held a position of authority over Leo and his dragon, since Gowan and Genlitha were leading his fighting wing and Gen was tutoring Xander in the use of his exceptionally strong wings.
Gowan stepped up and offered his hand to Leo, breaking a bit of the tension. “It’s my day off, Leo. I’m sorry we intruded on your family time. It was not our intent.” Gowan shifted his gaze to the curious children gathered behind their older brother. One girl was nearly as tall as Leo, the rest ranging in size—and age—on downward from there.
“My day with the sibs,” Leo explained. “And then dinner with the family. My brothers and sisters love Xander almost as much as I do.”
Seth was pleased by the young man’s candor about his feelings for the dragon who would share the rest of his life. Theirs was a very good match, indeed.
“Like Gowan said, we didn’t mean to intrude. We came down to the beach so Sir Hrardorr could join us, and then, we were supposed to meet up with Mistress O’Dare to introduce her to our visiting dignitary from Gryphon Isle.”
“Miss Livy’s coming here?” a small girl asked, her eyes wide as excitement sparkled.
“Hush, Jenny,” Leo told the small child gently.
Seth intervened, crouching down to meet little Jenny’s gaze at eye level. “Do you know my friend, Miss Livy?”
Jenny nodded, her whole body moving up and down with her little head. “She gives us sweeties sometimes,” Jenny admitted.
Seth dug into his pockets, remembering he had a few hard candies in there somewhere. Sure enough, he found the small parcel, wrapped in cloth. He unveiled the small sugar-dusted drops like he was unwrapping a magician’s rabbit, enjoying the way Jenny’s eyes widened as she watched.
The other children had gathered around him, and when he offered the little mound of hard candy drops to them, the candies were gone in a flurry of little hands. They were polite about it, though, each taking one first, to be sure everyone had one, only then going back for more. They were happy, well-behaved children and Seth thought he understood a little better about Leo and how strong a family foundation he’d come from. No wonder he’d been chosen so young. He came from good people and would doubtless turn into the best of men, in time.
CHAPTER SIX
While Seth entertained the children, Gowan took the opportunity to have a quiet word with Leo. He gestured off to the side, away from the dragons and Seth and the kids, where they could talk privately. Leo followed, somewhat formal in his movements, since technically, Gowan was his superior.
That was good, as far as Gowan was concerned. It showed that Leo was aware of the chain of command and respected it, but it also made Gowan want to put the young man at ease. After all, they’d intruded on his time off with his siblings. Gowan wanted to make sure Leo realized it had been purely accidental that their paths had crossed.
Then again… The Mother of All worked in mysterious ways. Maybe their paths had been meant to cross all along. Maybe this group of youngsters was just what Flurrthith needed today, to keep his mind off the troubles in his homeland and the idiotic delay in responding from the Lair leadership.
“I’m sorry we interrupted your family time,” Gowan told Leo, speaking plainly as was his usual habit. “It wasn’t our intent. We merely wanted to get Sir Flurrthith away from the Lair for a bit and introduce him to Livia O’Dare in hopes that she could connect him with some younger people that he might enjoy meeting. He is very young to have been sent on such a mission, but you can see why.” Gowan looked over at Flurrthith, talking with the dragons. “He is an amazing flyer for his age.”
“I didn’t realize he was young. I’ve never met a gryphon before. Are they bigger than that when they’re adults?” Leo asked, his eyes on the gryphon, as well.
“The adult gryphons in the capital are larger, but I’d say Flurrthith’s wings are even longer than the adults I’ve seen fly around Castleton. His wingspan is remarkable for any age—or so Genlitha assures me. I have not spoken to a gryphon before either. Flurrthith is my first, but I hope not last.” Gowan frowned, thinking about the trouble facing the gryphon’s island home right at this very minute.
“Then, you want us to go help the wizard and the gryphons?” Leo asked.
Gowan looked at the young knight. “I do.” He had to sigh, thinking about the complications at the Lair. “But I very much fear our leadership is going to be…shortsighted, on this issue.”
“You think they’d leave Gryffid in the lurch?” Now, Leo’s expression took on an appalled cast. Good man.
“I don’t know what they’re going to do, but recent events have led me to doubt their courage.” Gowan had just uttered a huge insult, but he couldn’t find it in his heart to regret his words. They were the absolute truth, and he’d stand behind them if Leo went telling tales for some reason.
Leo’s lips went thin as he clenched his jaw, looking from Xander to Flurrthith and back again. Then, his bright eyes shifted to Gowan again.
“Sir. Xander and I have been talking this over.” That was a good sign, Gowan thought. The young knight was seeking the counsel of his dragon. “If it comes down to it and the leadership does something incredibly stupid, we’re considering…”
Gowan put a cautious hand on the young knight’s shoulder. “Do not do anything without telling me, son,” Gowan advised, knowing Leo’s strong heart would demand he and Xander race off to try to help the allies they had unknowingly put in danger from the pirates.
Leo met his gaze, a core of iron showing in his dark eyes. “Likewise, Sir.”
Well. That was unexpected. If Gowan didn’t misunderstand, Leo and Xander had just volunteered to go rogue with him and Genlitha if the leadership denied Gryffid’s request for aid. Hmm.
There was no chance to take the conversation further since, at that moment, a cheer went up from the children as they were the first to spot Livia O’Dare making her way toward them from the direction of town. She had walked along the beach to get to them, much to Gowan’s surprise. He’d thought the dragons and Flurrthith were going to walk into town to meet her, but apparently, she’d found a way to get free of her father’s guards and come here on her own.
Then again, Livia was a very creative lass, with a mind of her own. If anyone could escape those who would try to keep tabs on her, it was Livia.
Livia had managed to escape her watchers for the day when she saw the dragons flying overhead with the small gryphon. It was easy enough to point out the fact that it would be simpler to go meet the dragons on the beach than to make them walk into the crowded town looking for her.
With a stern warning, her father had let her leave their place of business. He’d taken to letting her do the bookwork with him each day, since he’d found no fault with her bookkeeping while he’d been away. In fact, he’d been very complimentary about her running of the office.
He hadn’t meant to leave her in charge of the whole thing, but when the man he had hired to run operations ran off with a saloon girl a few weeks after her father had set sail, there had been no recourse. Frankly, Livia was relieved the man had gone. Without him to get in the way, she’d been able to run the operation as she’d always known she’d be able to. It had been a challenge, and she had risen to it.
Luckily, her father agreed after some initial anger.
As she worked with him in the same office, she hoped to show him that she really was an adult, not the child he’d left behind. It was slow going, but if she was ever going to get out from under his thumb in a graceful manner, she had to prove to him she wasn’t some silly child.
She loved her father and didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but it was clear he had a very unrealistic view of who she was. There were times when he looked at her with such sadness in his eyes. Those times, when he thought she didn’t realize he was watching her with such haunted eyes—when she probably reminded him of her dead mother…
It broke her heart too.
The portraits in the house confirmed that, as Livia got older, she began to look more and more like her. Livia knew that had to be painful for her father. He’d loved her mother truly and had gone a little crazy when she’d died.
He’d fled. Plain and simple. He’d fled to the sea, returning only intermittently to a heartbroken little girl who had grown up mostly without his presence.
Theirs was a sad tale, but she understood. She, too, had lost her best friend when she’d lost her mother.
While she didn’t agree with the way her father had handled his grief, she had come to understand it over time. Livia was philosophical by nature—as her mother had been. She had long ago forgiven the sea captain for running away from the reminders of his loss.
Now, she just had to work to make him understand that time had not stood still here while he’d been off adventuring. Livia had grown. She was ready to step out into the world as, in fact, she had been doing all along while he hadn’t been here.
He’d come around, but in the meantime, she had to be creative if she wanted to keep living the happy life she’d carved out for herself. It had been a challenge. Especially in regards to her two suitors.
That had been the most difficult challenge, in fact.
But there they were now. Her two favorite men, down on the beach, and she was unsupervised, for a change. The possibilities danced before her mind, tempting her to instigate a change of plans, if at all possible.
As she realized there was a crowd of children, as well as another knight and his dragon present, she began to hope that maybe there was a way to contrive some time alone with her guys. And they were hers. Since they had shared ecstasy together, she couldn’t seem to think of either of them separately. Whenever she pictured being with them, she pictured them both. Oh, she’d happily take one of them to her bed, if the opportunity arose, but after knowing the total rapture of being with them both at the same time…only that would do for her fantasies.
When the children spotted her and cheered, Livia could only smile. She knew these tykes. They were all related. Brothers and sisters from a family that had moved to Dragonscove recently, with connections to the Lair and to her father’s far-flung business enterprises.
Livia, in fact, had helped Mr. and Mrs. Stuart find their new place and had helped arrange their move. Mr. Stuart ran the supply side of her father’s export business, coordinating shipments from various farms and craftspeople to the warehouses, there to be loaded onto ships and sent abroad for trade opportunities.
Livia had known Mr. Stuart for a while now. He’d come to town with every major shipment and had met with her to coordinate distribution of payment and planning for upcoming needs. He’d run his part of the business from the next port over for years, but when his son had been chosen by a dragon and stationed at the Lair above Dragonscove, he’d immediately asked if he could keep his position if he moved closer.
Livia had been only too happy to have such a capable manager closer to hand and had helped the family move. She’d also taken an immediate liking to his wife and children when she’d finally met them. Mrs. Stuart was a no-nonsense sort of woman who had a talent for cookery of all kinds. She’d been the head chef at a famous inn in Port Waymouth that was known far and wide, but she’d easily given it up to be nearer to her eldest son and his new dragon partner.
There were several establishments seeking Mrs. Stuart’s advice, and more than one was trying to hire her, but she claimed to be enjoying being with her family too much to go back to working as hard as she had before. She did offer advice in return for payment and had become something of a consultant to inns all over the county.
Livia had plans to help Mrs. Stuart market her expertise on a wider scale, but she hadn’t broached the idea with the good lady yet. Her father’s return had made Livia put many of her side projects on hold, but she’d get back to them. Eventually.
“Hello, the Stuarts!” she called merrily toward the children who had been gathered around Seth. His golden blond hair shone in the sun as he rose and smiled at her.
The children ran to her, the littlest trailing behind until Livia scooped little Jenny up and carried her back the way they’d come. They were all talking at once, asking her questions and giving her little chance to reply. It was fine though. She loved their natural enthusiasm and inquisitive minds. This family was a model of what she wished she’d had growing up, and she admired them for it.
When she reached Seth, she put Jenny down and faced him, a broad smile on her face.
“It’s good to see you, Master Seth.” She felt as breathless as her voice sounded and hoped the children would blame it on her long walk.
“Lovely to see you again, Mistress Livia. Thank you for joining us here today to meet our visitor.” Seth played the gallant, escorting her toward the gathered four-footed creatures, who were all watching them.
The children followed behind Livia, cautious but curious. Genlitha and Hrardorr stood together, with a slightly smaller sparkling dark blue dragon and their furred and feathered guest, the gryphon.
Gowan watched all from the other side, standing with a young man who must be the eldest of the Stuart children. She hadn’t met the famous Leo yet, but she’d heard all about him from his brothers and sisters.
Livia had heard a great deal about the formality of gryphons and knew enough to greet the young gryphon first. She held the creature’s gaze as she walked toward it, her heart fluttering a bit with nerves. She’d never met a gryphon before.
“Sir Flurrthith of Gryphon Isle, may I present Mistress Livia O’Dare of Dragonscove?” Seth said formally, stopping next to Livia as she faced the gryphon head on.
Livia sank into a deep curtsey, her eyes remaining raised as a sign of respect for the gryphon’s great strength. The gryphon lowered one front leg by bending at the knee, also bowing, in its way, holding her gaze as if measuring her in some way.
Livia felt the impact of the gryphon’s regard down to her toes. It wasn’t really something she could put into words, but the way the gryphon looked at her, it was as if it was seeing down into the core of her being, measuring and considering before making some sort of decision about her. And then, it spoke, the audible words jarring her a bit.
“It iss good to meet you, Missstresss. Even on Gryphon Isle, we have heard of the daring ssea captain named O’Dare. Iss he your ssire?”
Shocked, Livia rose from her curtsey as the gryphon stood before her. “Why, yes. Captain O’Dare is my father.”
“You are the sea captain’s daughter the whole Lair is talking about?” The young dragon’s shimmering blue head lifted and moved closer to Livia, eyeing her with deep blue eyes that sparkled even more than his scales.
“I guess so,” she answered the new dragon. “I’m Livia,” she said simply, introducing herself.
“Xanderanth, don’t crowd her so,” Genlitha scolded from the side. “Livia is our friend. She is the one Hrardorr goes fishing with all the time.”
“I’m Xanderanth, partner to Leonhardt,” the young dragon went on, clearly not cowed by Genlitha’s gentle scolding.
Livia smiled. “Oh, I’ve heard great things about Sir Leo from his siblings, and of course, I’ve known Mr. Stuart for several years since he holds a very important position in my father’s trading company.”
“I’m Leo,” the younger man stepped forward, offering his hand with a smile. “It’s very nice to finally meet you, Mistress.”
When the greetings were finally over, it was quickly decided that Flurrthith and Xander would be good entertainment for each other, accompanied by Leo and the Stuart brood, with Genlitha and Hrardorr to supervise. Livia was included in their plans at first, but she coaxed the talk around to the idea that she and Gowan and Seth had other duties to see to before they could rejoin the group for a meal later in the day.
The plans were quickly set, and Livia eagerly led her two men away from the crowd, to a secluded spot she
knew a little farther down the beach, near the rocky part of the shoreline.
“Lady Genlitha, is anyone following us or noting our movements?” Livia sent silently to the dragon who had stayed behind with the others. Genlitha had sharp eyesight and would be able to tell if anyone was trying to follow them.
“No, Livia. You made a clean getaway. And I will keep watch and alert you if anyone comes near.” Livia swore it sounded like the dragoness was amused more than anything.
“You’re the best, Lady Genlitha. Thank you!”
Livia was leading them toward the rocks, and Gowan knew from his aerial reconnaissance of the coast that there were a few caves along this stretch of beach. Perfect smugglers caves, he’d thought, when he’d seen them from above, though none had seemed in use when he’d flown over. Perhaps Dragonscove had more honest folk than most towns, but he’d bet at least one of the caves had seen use sometime in the past for illicit cargoes snuck in at the dead of night.
Sure enough, the cave Livia led them to was perfect for smuggling. It had an entrance that was very close to the water, and anyone going from cave to water couldn’t be seen from the beach. At high tide, a skiff could tie up very close to the mouth of the cave for unloading and never be seen.
The cave was tidy, free of the usual debris found in such places, which made Gowan think that maybe someone was still using it. There were no signs of cargo here at the moment, and no human footprints, but the place was just a little too neat for nature.
The sand was smooth, but it was still sand and would get messy if they were going to tryst here. First, he had to find out if she planned to dally with them, and if so, he had to devise a plan to keep Livia looking as if she hadn’t been rolling around on the sand with two men. With her father back in town, they had to be careful. Not because he was ashamed of what they shared, but because he didn’t want to make life at home harder for her than it was already.
