Dragon in the Blood (Vale of Stars Book 2)

by Juliette Cross

  “I am.”

  Made up of only members of the Icewing clan, they were known for having miraculous healing powers, well beyond the gifts of Icewing healers who could mend severe physical wounds. The brethren of Morga’s Keep were known to heal even the deepest wounds of the soul. Or so legend said.

  “And I hope to return to the keep quickly,” he added. “If the weather holds.”

  I nodded. “I believe it will. The storm is gone, though heavy fog hinders visibility.”

  “That won’t matter much on the route I’m taking.”

  “Oh?”

  Bowen paused from forking a bite of hash, which smelled far better than the stew from last night. “The Brother here was just suggesting a less conspicuous path through Aria,” said Bowen before diving back into his breakfast.

  “I’d love to hear it. I was just thinking we need to take an alternate route to the coven.” Seemed I didn’t need Corbin’s help after all.

  “Aye.” Brother Silvanus nodded as he reached into a satchel under his robes and pulled out a folded map, then spread it onto the center of the table.

  Peculiar crosshatch markings were etched beneath all the recognizable places around Aria.

  “My map of Aria differs than most maps you’ve seen.”

  “Yes.” I leaned forward, as did Valla, her night-flower scent slamming into me. Irritated that she could draw my attention without even trying, I scowled down at the map and pointed. “This says Barren Falls, but what are these slashes beneath?”

  “It’s an old code the brothers have used for centuries. It’s no great secret. We share our knowledge with any traveler in need.” He arched a black brow. “And anyone on the side of good will toward man and Morgonkind. From what Valla has told me, you are in search of information that may lead to this murderous Blood King we have been hearing about.”

  “We are,” I agreed.

  “Well, then. Look closer and see how this may help the three of you on your journey.”

  Benta stepped up to our table and set a heaping plate in front of me, taking Bowen’s now empty one.

  “You can take mine as well,” said Valla, having eaten less than half her meal.

  An angry burn lit up my chest and caught me off guard. My dragon didn’t like her lack of care for herself, and it pissed me off my beast would notice. Still, I couldn’t keep my fucking mouth shut. “That’s all you’re going to eat?”

  Her bright blue eyes shifted from the map to me. “I ate.” Her brows pinched together. “Besides, I have plenty of protein bars.” She crossed her arms on the table and settled in to examine the map.

  I stuffed food in my mouth to keep from making another smart remark. The priest seemed amused.

  “As I was saying”—he pointed at the slanted hash-marks—“these markings show us what is below the flight-line.”

  The flight-line was the mid-sky level where most Morgons traveled—not too high for thin oxygen levels and frigid weather and not too low to avoid hazards closer to ground-level.

  I paused, honing in on the double-X hash-marks. “So what is below Barren Falls?”

  “Jagged peaks and windy caverns. Too dangerous for low-lying flight. The double-Xs are a warning not to fly or travel below the flight-line. This map marks safety zones for low-level flight or footpaths to use to avoid danger in the air.”

  “Walk?” asked Valla. “Like humans?”

  The priest laughed. “Yes. Like humans.”

  “Brilliant,” said Bowen.

  “Yes,” I agreed. “Who would suspect a Morgon of traveling by foot?”

  “No one. Because it’s ridiculous,” said Valla. “It would take you twice as long, maybe three or four times longer, to travel the distance.”

  “But you’d arrive safely and unharmed if you moved without detection,” said Brother Silvanus with a patient air. “The wilds of Aria are no trifling matter. A single traveler stands little chance if he is caught by a wulving pack or marauders. A party of three stands better odds.” He crossed thick arms over his chest. “But you’re still vulnerable.”

  Valla tilted her head to the right as she often did when considering an idea. Her silken tail of blond hair slipped to the front, distracting my attention. Once again.

  “What are the right slanting marks here near Wulving Gorge?” I asked, pointing back to the map.

  “The right slants indicate safe travel on the ground—trees for coverage, easy paths for walking, few obstacles.”

  “Safe travel beneath Wulving Gorge?” she asked in surprise. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but our debriefing of the area showed this is where the highest concentration of these wild beasts reside.”

  “It is,” he agreed. “But they keep to their dens in caves in the mountainside. And they hunt only at night. If you take this route by day, you’ll be safe.”

  “So what of the left slanted hash-marks?” I asked. “Like here near the Carpian Range.”

  “These indicate there are some places to travel by ground with a few obstacles, such as frozen lakes or perhaps rock build-up from avalanches and such. You may be able to travel mostly by ground but will need to come into the open and fly where obstacles are in the way.”

  Valla shook her head. “It just seems more dangerous. This would take longer and would be tedious, leaving us in the open for predators to pick off more easily.”

  “I disagree.” Bowen’s chiseled, calm features showed nothing of the broken man he revealed to us last night. “Valla, you’re thinking like a Morgon.”

  She blushed as she said, “I am a Morgon.”

  “Quite so. And consider that all Morgons feel as you do. Let me ask this—why don’t you want to travel by ground?”

  “Because it’ll make us slower.”

  “That’s not all. Why? Why is it so objectionable to you?”

  Her smooth brow pinched together yet again. She didn’t want to answer.

  “I’ll tell you why. Because humans travel on the ground. And you feel it is inferior to your race to adopt their mode of transportation.”

  “I’m not a bigot, Bowen,” she said rather calmly, though her eyes flickered white-hot, her dragon shining through.

  “I know that. But you’re a proud Morgon of the highest stock. And it’s been drilled into you since birth that we are a stronger species.”

  “We are, physically,” she said without remorse or arrogance. “That does not make me feel I am superior to them. I love my sister-in-law, Moira. She is human, yet she is strong. She survived captivity with that bastard, the Blood King. I don’t think myself superior to her or her kind.”

  The fire in her drew me like the tide to the moon. Why, in heaven’s name, did I suddenly have the urge to lift her out of that chair and kiss her harder than I did last night? I clenched my fist under the table.

  “I understand,” said Bowen, lowering his voice to a soft, hypnotic tone. “But you must set your ego aside to see this clearly. And to see why Brother Silvanus is right. The same reason you defy this mode of travel is the same reason it would be safest. No Morgon would lower themselves to travel by foot. Certainly not the Larkosians or any Greyclaws they may rally to their side.”

  She glanced back down at the map and angled the parchment toward her. After a moment of crackling silence, she heaved out a sigh. “The Syren Sisters Coven is surrounded by double-X hash-marks. We will have to fly into their sanctuary.”

  Brother Silvanus tapped onto that position of the map. “Their sanctuary sits on a flat mesa surrounded by deep caverns and jagged cliffs.”

  Valla clicked on her wrist comm and lifted it above the table to snap a photo. “Well, then. We’d better get started if we’re going to be walking part of the distance. Shall we?”

  And there it was, the reason I found Valla so amazing. Her honest nature and willingness to do what was right always overrode her own misgivings or intuitive resistance. She wasn’t like those women who would cling to an opinion just to be right. She’d always swallow her p
ride and admit her wrong to take the best path.

  “I will travel with you till our roads diverge,” said Brother Silvanus.

  “We would appreciate your company,” I admitted.

  Bowen stood first. “I’ll take care of our morning meals with Orlik.”

  Brother Silvanus followed Bowen to the bar.

  Valla gave me a sideways glance, brow furrowed, then headed for the door, sliding on her gloves.

  “What?” I asked, exiting right on her heels, both of us shouldering out into the cold.

  “Nothing.”

  I sighed, not in the mood for this. “What’s the problem? I can see those wheels turning so fast in your head they’re smoking.”

  She affixed her goggles and swiveled quickly. “I’m just a little surprised, that’s all.”

  “Really? About what?”

  “You’re just so—I don’t know—agreeable this morning.”

  “And why is that surprising, may I ask?”

  She shrugged.

  “Oh, hell no, woman. You can’t say something like that, then go silent.”

  “Put your goggles on. The wind shear will damage your corneas.”

  “Stop trying to change the subject and explain yourself.”

  She smiled. “Now, there’s the Conn I know. Mr. In-Control-and-Command.”

  I shook my head, feeling a distinct burning in my chest. “And what exactly does that mean?”

  “Just that I know what you’re really like.”

  “You know me, do you? And what exactly do you know?”

  “I know you’re the kind of guy that charms his way through life and is used to getting what he wants. Especially when it comes to women.”

  “You’d be surprised that’s not always the case. Though yes, I’ve been known to enjoy the company of the fairer sex. And from what I understand, they’ve enjoyed my company as well.”

  Her lips tightened into a line, a flash of blue-fire despite the shield of her goggles. She poked her finger in my chest. Actually poked me. “Well, get this, Conn Rowanflame. I’m not one of these women you can charm into bed. I’m not the kind of woman you can toy with and toss out once you’re finished playing.”

  “I never thought you were.”

  “I don’t play those games.”

  “I never thought you did.”

  The sincerity in my voice must’ve stunned her silent for she simply stared, her breaths puffing out in white clouds. She removed her finger, dropping her hand to her side.

  “I know what kind of woman you are, Valla. The kind I want to know better. Not simply in my bed.”

  “Ha.” She crossed her arms, flaring out her wings. “But you admit you want to bed me.”

  Unable to prevent the rise of one eyebrow, I smiled. “Oh, I definitely want to bed you, sweetheart. I’m only made of flesh and blood after all.”

  “And beast,” she added.

  “You got that right.”

  She flinched when Bowen and the priest exited the pub, taking a step away from me and making a show of reading her comm.

  I finally fastened my goggles as they drew closer to us at the landing’s edge. Leaning in so my mouth was close to her ear, I whispered, “But don’t fool yourself.”

  “About what?” she asked, still pretending to read the map she’d gotten from the brother.

  “Your beast wants to play with mine. And I plan to give her what she wants.”

  With that, I stepped off the cliff and whipped my wings wide, feeling a hell of a lot better than I did when I woke up this morning. Valla needed to know what was coming because she was right about one thing. I was used to getting what I wanted. And I’d never desired a woman more in my entire life.

  CHAPTER 7

  We’d flown for hours in silence till we parted ways with Brother Silvanus at the fork of Arian Way. With a wave to us, he winged right to the Carpian Range, and we followed the split toward the Syren Sisters Coven. After all the talk of traveling on the ground, we’d opted to travel by air during the early hours. But sure enough, not long into our flight after the fork, I heard Conn’s steady voice in my ear-piece.

  “Just checked the map. We’re closing in on Wulving Gorge, and it’s near mid-day. We’ve been lucky avoiding others, but I say we test out the brother’s method and go to ground.”

  The sound of his rolling timbre in my ear reminded me of what he’d said outside Orlik’s tavern. A pleasant shiver shot through me at the thought of his promise this morning and the memory of the kiss he had laid on me last night.

  “Agreed,” said Bowen, snapping me back from wayward thoughts.

  “Let’s do it then,” I said.

  Sure, I’d been stubborn at first, but it’s my nature to question all new ideas or tactics until I understand them fully and am assured it is the best option. They were right. Few Morgons would consider traveling through Aria on foot. Unless they were injured. It was certainly the more covert, and thus the smartest, option since we knew the Greyclaws were almost surely in league with the Larkosians. If they were searching for us, they’d be searching from high in the air.

  Conn darted ahead and downward, his draft knocking me off-center. Damn, he was fast. I followed first with Bowen behind me.

  What had happened to me last night? I’d lost all reason and made out with a fellow officer while on a mission. It was so outside my normal behavior I began to wonder what really was in that damn moonshine. But if I was totally honest, I’d wanted to kiss Conn. Regardless of mind-altering, magic-laced moonshine. I had to finally admit that he’d always gotten under my skin. He was charming and handsome and sexy as sin. He was also cocky and moody and pushy as hell. The only men I allowed to give me orders were my older brothers, and even they didn’t always get their way with their machismo crap. I was used to dealing with alpha males with attitude. That was nothing new. But Conn? There was just something about him that sent my logical, reasoning brain to sleep and woke up my sensual side.

  Why did Conn care what I ate and when I ate? Why was it any of his damn business? Actually, I knew the answer to that, too. If I became physically weak, I’d be useless as part of the team. But I was a big girl. I could take care of myself. I knew my limits. And what was with all the scowling over breakfast? We kissed. So what? Did he think I planned to force him into a relationship or something? The kiss was a mistake—a delicious, heart-pounding mistake—that wouldn’t be repeated. No matter what he said about my beast wanting to play with his. I could resist the smoldering, sex-wielding Conn Rowanflame if I wanted to.

  Conn slowed his descent as treetops came into view beyond the fading mist, which had thinned to nearly nothing in the past hour. Whipping open my wings, I landed softly on the hard ground among a grove of evergolds. Even in this frozen tundra, the giants famous for their flora of fire-gold leaves grew tall and thick-branched in abundance. I lifted my visor to a brilliant burst of color that contrasted against the brown earth and snow-swept embankments.

  Bowen landed quietly behind me. “How about some lunch before we set out on foot?” He removed and tucked away his visor and unpacked his crossbow from its sheath on his back for the first time on this journey.

  “Let’s get into the cover of trees,” said Conn, moving along the natural path. “And lunch sounds perfect.”

  “Benta’s breakfast wasn’t enough for you?” I asked, meeting his long stride.

  “I always have an appetite, sweetheart.”

  “While you two continue flirting, I’ll find some small game nearby. Set up the hotpad over near that big evergold.”

  Without a sound, Bowen disappeared into the trees.

  “Flirting?” I scoffed. “I wasn’t flirting.”

  “I was.” Conn grinned.

  “Stop it.”

  “I haven’t even gotten started yet.”

  “You’re infuriating.”

  “So you’ve said before.”

  “Listen—” I put up both gloved hands to stop his snarky banter for just o
ne second. “I’m glad we’re finally alone.”

  “Me, too.” His lopsided grin made my heart flutter.

  Exhaling a frustrated sigh, I stopped under a thick oak with ample coverage from above and unhooked my chest pack before dropping it to the ground. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about…about last night.”

  “Mmm. Last night.”

  He removed his own pack and gloves, then pulled out the small, electronic hotpad. After opening the tripod that kept it off the ground, he turned it on. Gisa ordered us to use the hotpad instead of fire when we were in the open to avoid alerting predators or criminals to our presence.

  Conn stood and propped his hands low on his hips. “Would you like a second round?”

  “No…no.” I cleared my throat and shook my head, my ponytail sliding on the smooth leather of my jacket. “Actually, that should never have happened. I shouldn’t have let that happen. But I—”

  “Couldn’t resist,” he finished, a devilish smile brimming his beautiful face. “It’s okay. It happens a lot.”

  “You’re such an ass.” I rolled my eyes. “I could’ve resisted.”

  “Could you?”

  He broke his rigid stance and sauntered closer, a feral glimmer in his gaze. By instinct, I backed up a step, my wings scraping the rough bark of the evergold behind me. He moved into my personal space.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, heart hammering.

  He flattened one hand against the tree above my head, his finger grazing the arch of my wing. I shivered.

  “Are you sure you could resist?”

  I cleared my throat. “Of course,” I said, trying to sound confident, but my voice betrayed me and broke.

  “Well…I couldn’t.” He brushed the back of his knuckles along my jaw. I held still, caught.

  “Actually, I want to taste you again. Right now.”

  Even stone-cold sober, I felt drunk from a single touch, longing to fall back into his arms and let him show me what his hazel-gold eyes promised without a word.

  He leaned close, his warm breath grazing my ear. “Let me taste you again, Valla.”