“Sure. We’ll be in the kitchen.” Lancelot clapped Thorsson on the shoulder as they left the room.
“You didn’t think I’d let my little brother get the best of me?” he whispered into her ear.
“I didn’t know what to think.” She raised her head. Her eyes were dark and terrified. “It was hard enough wrapping my mind around the fact that dragons do exist, but then he breathed fire on you and—”
“Dragon fire can’t hurt us in human form.” She was trembling, and he caressed her back. “I’m sorry, I should have told you.”
Eva sniffed and wiped a hand across her face. “Yeah, you big idiot, you should have.”
“Shh,” he whispered, and kissed the corner of her mouth. “I’m here, right?”
She melded her lips to his, dragging her fingers through his hair. He had taken a huge step by entrusting her with his secret. Did he sense something within her that even maybe she wasn’t aware of? Legends stated that dragons were a good judge of character.
He growled into her mouth as he deepened the kiss, his tongue flicking gently against her lips. She sighed, opening her mouth, and he delved inside, tangling his tongue with hers. He pushed his weight against her, and she reclined on the couch with him on top of her. His hands slipped down and pulled her sweatshirt up over her breasts. He explored every exposed inch while she squirmed beneath him, her nails lightly scratching his back. He hissed when she grabbed his ass and molded her hips to his. “You little minx,” he said, his voice rough with desire.
She kissed him again, then nipped his bottom lip with her teeth.
Balthazar dragged his mouth from hers to bury it against her neck, teasing her ear lobe and returning the favor, gently biting the sensitive skin near her collarbone.
Eva gasped, and when she tugged his hair near the nape of his neck, he almost lost it. He kissed her again and ground his hips against hers, letting her know he was more than willing to go further.
But her hands were on his chest, pushing him away. “Sorry, that was only supposed to be a thank you.”
Bal growled in appreciation, and he knew he smiled. “That’s one hell of a thank you.”
He heard Lancelot’s and Thorsson’s voices in the hallway. Eva tried to push him off, but he wasn’t prepared to move. “Balthazar, get up!” she whispered fiercely. “I don’t want your brother seeing us like this.”
“Why not? Lancelot said you were my girlfriend.”
“Come on!” She pushed again, harder, and he finally rose, dragging her with him.
“Coward.” He tugged Eva’s sweatshirt down, grazing his knuckles against her warm skin.
Eva opened her mouth to say something when Lancelot came in with four mugs, followed by Thorsson with his hands wrapped around a tray. “Thought we should also eat—it’s been a long day.” Lancelot glanced from him to her and back again. “You haven’t told her yet, have you?”
“Nope. I thought it best we talk about this together.”
“Yeah, right.” Lancelot snorted, placing the mugs down.
“Talk about what?” she asked.
He stalled while grabbing a coffee and biting into a sandwich. “It involves Ti.” Thinking about his brother made him antsy, and Balthazar got up and paced the length of the room. “Dad talked to us about a rumor. That a dragon shifter can die if he lost a scale.” His shoulder ached as if mirroring his thoughts. “I didn’t take it seriously because there wasn’t any proof.”
“What’s the rumor exactly?” she asked.
“A shifter had one hundred years to find his missing scale. I’m surprised that our dragon souls were willing to wait that long. Dragon souls can’t be contained indefinitely—they need to be released, to enjoy their freedom as much as their human souls.”
“Well, that makes sense, I guess.”
“If a shifter isn’t whole when the hundred years have passed, the dragon soul will assert its right to shift about every ten years. That means excruciating pain for the human, and increasing frustration for the dragon. If the dragon soul overcomes its human counterpart and transforms…” He paused. “It will kill the shifter.”
Eva sat up at that bit of news. “Even though the dragon soul knows it’s missing a scale?”
He nodded.
“Why would it do that?”
“You know the fairy tale about the genie in the lamp?” Lancelot said. “It’s something like that. If you keep someone locked up for too long, they get annoyed.”
“The other problem is the Summer and Winter Equinoxes,” Balthazar added. “During the transition of the seasons, it’s easier for us to shift into dragons, but in my case, it’s more dangerous for me. My dragon soul has more strength during that time, and fighting Bal can be excruciating.”
Eva nodded. “How long have you been fighting Bal?”
“This will be my one hundred and tenth year.”
She closed her eyes, and he swore he saw the wheels turning in her head. “You mentioned a rumor, earlier. Did your Dad mention any dragon shifters he knew of that survived the loss of their scale?”
“None survived.”
“Yes, but how long did they manage to live?”
Balthazar glanced at his brother. “About one hundred and fifty years.”
“And Ti knows this, right?”
“Yeah.”
Eva leaned forward in her seat. “Does your brother have a human name as well? Ti isn’t a guy’s name.”
“You had guessed correctly that it was Timothy, but he doesn’t use it.” Balthazar remembered Ti’s sneering reaction when Dad had asked him to use the name while in human form. “Ti’s much more dragon than human. He’ll shift when he needs to, but refuses to use his human name. He thinks it’s degrading.”
She frowned. “I guess your brother thinks you’ll be weak enough to kill during the Equinox, even with Lancelot helping you.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. She voiced his greatest worry, but it sure as hell didn’t make it easier to digest. “Not a very happy thought, Eva.”
“No, it’s not. But now you might stand a chance.”
“I don’t get what you’re saying.”
Eva smiled, but there was something in her expression that made him twitch with apprehension. “You’ve got me in your corner.”
Chapter 4
“Hey.”
Eva almost dropped the book she was reading, but managed to scoop her hand underneath it before it hit the ground. “Hi.”
“May I join you?” Balthazar asked.
“Please.” She scooted over, making room.
He sat down and tilted his chin at the book in her hands. “Enjoying the read?”
“Yeah.” She had found the old book on Viking myths and legends in the small library behind the living room. The books were a treasure find of valuable and little-known information. Finding the small conservatory adjoining the library was a bonus. “I hope it’s okay for me to read it? I should have asked for your permission first before charging into your library.”
“How did you manage to open the door?”
“Thorsson. He brought a bottle of oil he uses for his sword and poured it over the hinges. Then it was a lot of pushing and swearing before the door gave way.”
“I’m glad you figured it out. Books are meant for reading.” He traced the title with a finger. “And you don’t have to ask for permission, either. I’d have thought you would know that by now.”
“I didn’t.” She had a habit of doing things first and thinking of the consequences later. “And I should know better, being in a home that belongs to a dragon. I could get my head bitten off.”
Balthazar chuckled. “I won’t bite your head off.” He leaned forward. “But I do bite, if you want me to.”
She turned the book over in her hands, not sure what to say. His flirting had been a wonderful distraction, but it only worked so much. Knowing that he could die had her on pins and needles.
“Are you all right?”
“No, I’m not.” She placed the book carefully on a wrought-iron table.
“Out with it, then.” He placed his arm around her shoulders. “What’s going on?”
“You’re taking all of this a little too well, don’t you think? Aren’t you scared?”
He shrugged. “A little.”
“I’d be terrified.”
He grasped her hand and stroked a thumb over her fingers. “It’s possible that Ti has changed over the years. I might be able to reason with him…”
“I don’t care about your brother. I’m worried about you.” She squeezed his fingers. “You just told us that you could be dead in forty years.”
“Or I could live for another two hundred. I don’t know what may happen, Eva.”
“Do you really want to take that chance? I sure as hell don’t.”
He frowned. “Eva, I haven’t found my scale.”
“Not yet, and like I said, you didn’t have me to help you.” She looked down at their intertwined fingers. “There might be something in the artifacts Papa and I dug up. If you let me go to the museum, I can look.”
“No.” He placed his hand over hers. “It’s too dangerous.”
“So you’re going to hide here until your brother shows up?”
His anger flared at her accusation. “I’m not hiding. Ti knows where I am.”
“And when he gets here, then what? You can’t fight him. Is Lancelot going to fight on your behalf?”
He stood up, bristling. “I can take care of myself.”
“You’ve been looking over your shoulder for a very long time.” She rose as well. “There may be a chance to regain your full strength, but you refuse to go after it.”
“That’s enough.” He turned away, but she grabbed his arm.
“Why won’t you let me help you?”
He turned back, then stretched out his hand. Snaring a curly tendril of hair between his fingers, he raised it to his nose and inhaled. Goosebumps prickled her skin. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Isn’t that my choice to make?” She placed a hand on his chest. “I want to help.”
Balthazar visibly swallowed. His hand fell from her hair to her face, and he traced her cheek with a trembling finger. She sighed, then took a step so that her body brushed his from chest to hip.
His nostrils flared as he inhaled sharply. “You’re not helping.”
“My apologies. Do you want me to leave?”
In answer, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew closer until her breasts crushed against his chest.
He growled into her mouth and grabbed her ass to pull her closer. His cock pressed against her stomach, and she felt herself grow wet in an instant bloom of lust, and moaned softly as he ground his hips against hers. Her hands travelled down his chest and beneath his shirt, and he hissed against her mouth when she gently raked her fingernails over his skin.
“Damn it.” He pushed her back but didn’t release her. She was breathing heavily, and she licked her lips, enjoying his taste. His gaze fastened on her movement, and a low rumble of frustration was the only sound he made. She noticed him fidgeting, and she glanced down to see his swollen cock outlined against his jeans.
“What are you looking at?” he growled.
“I’m looking at something a lot more interesting than that damn book.”
His smile was dangerous. “Would you like a closer look?”
She swallowed. Balthazar never hesitated in making her hot and bothered, and she enjoyed it, damn him. “What do you have that other men don’t?” she teased.
“I’m not just a man.” He snagged her hand and placed it over the bulge between his legs.
“Oh, you mean like you’re special?”
“Hmm.” He guided her hand over his length.
She shivered as he continued, not letting go of her. His eyes were half-closed, but he watched every move she made. She looked down at their joined hands, and when he eased the pressure, she squeezed gently.
Balthazar gasped and lowered his head to her neck. “How are you doing this to me?”
“Doing what?”
“All you need to do is look at me a certain way, or touch me, and I can’t think straight.”
She leaned her head against his. “Like this?” She squeezed his cock again.
His loud groan rumbled through his chest. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her fingers. His eyes had darkened, and Eva couldn’t help but stare at them—they were such a rare color. “Yeah,” he whispered hoarsely. “Like that.”
“Wow, I have some control over a dragon.”
He chuckled. “I will not agree nor disagree with that statement.”
“Spoken like a diplomat.” Eva wondered when she could take this further. “But I hope I have the opportunity of testing that statement.”
His heated look almost had her knees buckling. “Whenever you want.”
They stood still for several moments, the silence broken by the wind vibrating the conservatory windows. She closed her eyes to enjoy the peace and solitude in this little room, away from the others, and far from the problems that Balthazar faced. She wanted the world to stay away, but reality intruded when he raised his head. He looked peaceful, but there was something hidden in the depth of his eyes, and it dawned on her that he couldn’t move forward until he dealt with his brother.
She kissed his cheek and gave him a wide smile. “I’ll remember that. However, we’ll have to save your ass first.”
“Eva, you’re going to stay in the house. No roaming around outside until this is over.” He shook her slightly. “Did you hear me?”
“I did.” She backed off and crossed her arms. “Can you defeat Ti as a human? What are your honest chances of winning?”
He didn’t answer, but his clenched jaw and fists told her enough before he turned on his heel and stalked off.
***
An anguished scream propelled Eva out of bed. A dim light and urgent voice below directed her into the hallway near the kitchen, where Thorsson knelt beside an unmoving Balthazar. Thorsson slapped his face, yelling Balthazar’s name, but he didn’t regain consciousness, and with a curse, Thorsson picked him up and slung him over one shoulder.
“Mr. Thorsson, Balthazar needs medical attention!” she yelled.
“My lord needs to be placed in the basement. The Equinox is very close, and Bal will fight even harder to be free.”
“Why doesn’t Bal understand that being free means the death of both of them?”
“The dragon only understands that it has been caged in human form for too long. It doesn’t care.”
But they didn’t get far before Thorsson had to put him down. Balthazar’s body shook violently and smoke rose from his clothing.
“His skin’s too hot—my lord Lancelot!” He ran off.
She sat beside Balthazar and reached for his hand but dropped it quickly. His flesh was burning. She grabbed a dishcloth, soaked it in cold water, and placed it over his forehead. “Balthazar, can you hear me?” she said, trying to keep her tears back.
His shaking stopped, but his eyes darted beneath closed eyelids. She reached for the dishcloth and shrieked in surprise—the damn thing burned her fingers.
Footsteps rang in the hallway before Lancelot appeared, took one look at the situation, and scooped his brother over his shoulder. He hurried to the door beside the pantry with Thorsson following him, and went downstairs.
It all happened so fast, and Eva released the tense breath she hadn’t realized was lodged in her throat. She stood on the threshold, too nervous to go down, when Thorsson appeared from out of the darkness. “Lord Lancelot will stay with him,” he said, his hands shaking. “It is still early before the true battle between my lord and his dragon spirit begins.”
“May I see him?” The question surprised even her.
Thorsson’s eyebrow shot up. “That wouldn’t be wise.”
“I need to se
e him. I want to help if I can.”
Another tortured scream rose from the basement.
“Most people would run screaming from here, babbling madly to anyone who would listen.” Thorsson came up the stairs until he overshadowed her. “But you haven’t.”
“I’m not most people.” Eva anchored her hands on her hips. “Will you let me see Balthazar, or do I have to knock you out of my way?”
Suddenly, Thorsson laughed. “I have never met a person who was willing to enter a dragon’s lair.” He stood to one side. “Lord Lancelot will remain with him, so he’ll keep watch.”
“You keep calling them lords. Why?”
“They’re royalty. And as dragons, they command respect.”
Eva nodded slowly. She stood at the top of the stone stairs, listening to Balthazar’s anguished moans and Lancelot’s words of comfort. She slowly walked down until she located them on the opposite side of the basement against a wall. The floor was covered in dirt and the walls made up of huge slabs of unhewn stone. An empty cage dominated a corner.
Lancelot saw her and rose. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I—I needed to see how Balthazar was doing.” She stared at his shivering form, his bare chest and arms covered in burns. “What’s wrong with him? He didn’t have those burns this morning.”
“This is different. The burns are from Bal. Balthazar can’t release his dragon fire until he finds his missing scale. If Bal gets the best of him…” Lancelot didn’t finish.
“Will he be all right?”
“Balthazar normally pulls through.” Lancelot glanced at him. “He’ll take a beating, but when the Equinox has passed, he should be okay.”
Eva watched as Balthazar rolled onto his side and curled his legs tight against his body. “How long will this last?”
“Another day or two.”
A groan escaped from Balthazar. “Leave me, please.”
Eva started to approach him, but Lancelot grasped her arm. “I wouldn’t get too close.”
She shook him off and moved carefully so that Balthazar noticed her. He turned his head, and she gasped at the anguished expression on his face. “We’ll find your scale, Balthazar,” she told him, believing her words.
Flight of Dragons Page 13
