“What’s she doing?” I asked.
Nikolai breathed out shakily.
“Fairy dragons are so rare…so blasted rare and true, that they bring out the good in almost everyone,” he explained. “I don’t really know what she’s doing, but I’ll be sure to ask her once she’s back to normal.”
Perdita looked like she’d imbibed on enough alcohol that she was punch drunk. It was actually kind of…cute.
“What’s their story?” I asked, giggling when one of the pink dragons—and they were pink, bright pink— jumped up from Nikolai’s arm to his shoulder.
“Fairy dragons grow up to be the size of a housecat,” he said, shivering when one of the dragons started to curl herself into a lock of his hair just behind his ear. “But they’re so rare, that no one really knows anything about them. There are a few articles about them in the archives, but they just cover the basics on them. What I’ve gathered is that, mostly, they’re social creatures that show up when someone worthy is brought forth. Those that can see them are worthy.”
“So I’m worthy…of what?” I asked.
“Their loyalty,” he said with a shrug.
“But they’re not on me, they’re on you.”
He shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”
My head started to ache from holding the picture in my head for too long, and I sighed.
“I have to let the picture go,” I admitted. “My head hurts, and I think I need to lie down.”
Then I let the illusion go and sighed with relief when my head stopped throbbing almost instantly.
Nikolai stood, and the tiny dragons stayed on his shoulders, clinging to him like little spider monkeys.
“Do you still have that shivery feeling?” he asked.
I pursed my lips and thought about it.
“No…and yes. They’ve turned more to tingles of awareness now,” I said. “It’s almost as if they were trying to make me find them, but now that they’ve been found, they’re content to just let me feel that they’re there.”
One dragon broke off and launched itself from Nikolai’s shoulder to mine, and I gasped in surprise at the warm, gooey feelings that shot through me.
“Is this what you’re feeling?” I asked.
He scrunched his eyes up and focused on my mind, then nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I’m feeling. It’s kind of emasculating, if I’m being honest.”
I laughed.
The dragon on my shoulder rubbed my chin like a cat would.
“I think we should take them back with us,” I said.
Thirty minutes later, we finally arrive back at the manor.
The fairy dragons had climbed into the front pocket of my zip up jacket, as well as made themselves at home in my hood.
There were ten of them in total, but only one really seemed to be truly ‘mine.’
The same had happened with another. The thing had stayed curled up in the hollow of Nikolai’s arm, in between my body and his.
And the moment we touched down on the lawn of the manor, two other dragons broke off from my pocket. One from the left, and one from the right.
It wasn’t until we were in the kitchen that I realized where the two had gone.
One was on Blythe’s hand, crawling up the sleeve of her arm, and the other was perched on top of Keifer’s head.
Both of them were frozen.
“What…what is it?” Blythe asked.
“None of you can see them?” I asked.
They shook their heads.
Fighting back the headache I knew would come, I pushed my mind at them once again and gave them a real time picture of what was surrounding them.
“Fairy dragons,” Keifer breathed.
I smiled, looking down at the cute little pixies.
“What else do y’all know about them?” I asked the group in front of me.
Blythe reached out and ran the tips of her fingers down over the cute little winged creature on her shoulder.
“I just read about these little guys in the archives,” she said. “Aren’t they supposed to show when ‘all three sons come into their power?’” she asked. “I could’ve sworn that was what I read.”
Silence filled the room, and it wasn’t lost on me that it wasn’t an easy silence. It was heavy.
Then both men started talking rapidly back and forth about prophecies and what was to come.
“It also said something about the ‘dragon keeper’,” Blythe continued. “The one that holds the heart in her heart, or something like that.”
I saw Nikolai’s head whip around.
He was staring at me, or at least his eyes were pointed in my direction…but Nikolai wasn’t home. He was in his head, thinking furiously.
When I tried to concentrate on his thoughts, to ascertain what he was thinking, he shuffled through so much information that I couldn’t make out a single thing he was thinking.
“So you’re the dragon keeper?” Keifer asked. “I always thought that was a man.”
“We haven’t had a dragon keeper in well over a hundred years,” stated a man I’d never seen before in my life that came in through the living room, startling me so badly that I gasped.
And suddenly, every single fairy dragon was in attack mode, making a dragon wall in front of me and the newcomer.
“I can see that y’all need to be introduced,” Nikolai said. “Jean Luc, this is my mate, Brooklyn. Brooklyn, this is one of our fellow dragon riders, and a brother of the Dragons Warriors.”
Jean Luc stopped in front of me, not seeing the dragon wall, and tried to offer me his hand.
His advance, however, was stalled before he could make it within a couple of feet of me.
“What the…” he said, pulling his hand back.
Blood welled on one knuckle as he stared in confusion at the air in front of him.
“And I guess I should also tell you that you’re looking at the dragon keeper,” Nikolai said humorously.
Jean Luc brought his bloodied knuckle to his mouth, and only then did I extend the illusion to envelop him as well.
By this time, my head was absolutely pounding, and I was only able to hold it long enough for Jean Luc to fall back into a defensive position after seeing the dragon wall of flesh in front of him before it all faded away.
I could tell the moment everyone in the room could no longer see them because they all slumped slightly where they were standing.
“I guess I walked in on a part of the conversation that obviously needed more explanation,” Jean Luc croaked, looking around the room in awe.
“I’ve been telling you not to butt your fat head in for years,” another man said as he came into the room. “Now, what’d I miss?”
***
Jean Luc was a tall, dark and handsome man.
Then again, all of them were handsome.
Ford, Alaric, Jean Luc, Derek and Dorian were all talkative and friendly. They were also the epitome of best friends.
When you thought of brothers, these guys were what you pictured.
Then there was the real brother of Nikolai and Keifer.
Farrow didn’t act like he wanted to be there.
Something about him just screamed leave me alone! even though he was in the room.
The other man who didn’t seem to fit was Ian.
He was the one in the corner, a deep, brooding feeling wafting from him.
He had dark eyes, a scowl set in stone, and a set of arms that could easily break me in half if he had half a mind to try.
Dark, scary looking tattoos took up the majority of said arms, snaking and curling around each contoured muscle like it was alive.
But it was his eyes, though, that let me know that he wasn’t truly a bad person.
That, and the pink fairy dragon that was perched on his shoulder.
I knew he knew it was there, too.
He could see it.
; Nobody else could, though.
They could feel them, though.
Each and every one of the fairy dragons I’d brought home were now paired with various dragon riders.
Everyone in the room had one, including Mr. Grouchy Pants, aka Farrow, Keifer and Nikolai’s brother.
“Why do you think we can’t see them?” Blythe asked. “Do you think I have to do something worthy, like push this kid out to get them to let me see them?”
I shrugged. “I don’t really know.”
She pursed her lips. “You’re not being very helpful tonight.”
I snorted. “I know just about as much, if not less, than you do. So what exactly do you want me to say here? I’m learning right along with you.”
She growled.
“This kid is giving me indigestion. And I want to eat a cow,” Blythe grumbled.
“Like a literal cow, or a steak?” I asked worriedly.
“A steak. And a hamburger. And some ribs and brisket,” she qualified.
“The last time you had ribs, you threw up because the barbeque sauce was too thick,” I said. “Remember?”
She glared at me.
“It was gross,” she said. “Like literally. I threw up because it was poisoned.”
I rolled my eyes.
They landed on Ian again.
“Why’s he over there by himself?” I asked.
Blythe followed my gaze, and she shivered.
“I don’t know,” she said. “When I first got here, Keifer told me to stay away from him because he wasn’t ‘stable’.”
“How’s he not stable?” I asked. “Like mentally unstable or traumatized unstable?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve asked Keifer about him, but I never really get any answers.”
“Hmmm,” I said.
My eyes caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and I watched as Ian walked out of the room without a backward glance.
But he moved deliberately, as if he was being careful of the dragon on his back, confirming that he was more than aware of just exactly where that dragon was.
“I’ll be right back,” I said. “I have to use the little girl’s room.”
“Hmm,” she said, her eyes falling on the food that Keifer had just brought into the room.
On the plate was a huge ass steak, and nothing else.
He set it down in front of Blythe, then walked away.
“What the fuck was that?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I think the baby talks to him.”
“Weird,” I said. “What does he say?”
She shook her head. “I don’t really get much on that subject,” she answered. “And I thought you had to go to the bathroom.”
I glared.
Then left, waving to Nikolai as I exited the room.
He winked at me, then lifted his beer up to his mouth as he turned back to the man he was talking to, Derek.
Derek, apparently, had been in a coma not too long ago, and he was still pretty lanky due to that.
He looked like he could easily stand to gain at least twenty-five to thirty pounds.
And Nikolai’s sister stood at the bar, shooting the man inconspicuous glances during her conversation with another man that belonged to the Dragon’s Warriors, Alaric.
I walked out of the room, my eyes searching before I’d even gotten all the way into the hallway.
I found Ian a lot sooner than I thought I would.
He was standing in the kitchen in front of the fridge, offering the dragon on his shoulder a marshmallow.
“You can see him!” I said excitedly.
“Her,” he said. “And yes I can.”
“How?” I asked, walking closer with no regard for personal space.
I had a problem with that.
And I was working on it.
In the meantime, I hoped that the people I did it to didn’t care.
“I named her,” Ian said darkly. “That’s why I can see her.”
I blinked.
“How did you know to name her?” I asked questioningly.
He shrugged. “I didn’t.”
The man was full of embellishments…not.
“Hmm,” I said. “Can you see the others?”
He shook his head. “No, only this one.”
“Hmmm,” I said again, turning to look outside as I took a seat.
Ian didn’t say anything more, and I didn’t ask him to.
We sat there in silence as we looked over the lawn.
The three ice dragons, that seemed like they’d grown in the last day alone, were playing in the swimming pool that Keifer had turned to ice in front of my eyes.
They were having a grand old time, and about five other dragons belonging to the other dragon riders in the house, sat and watched them.
“What’d you name her?” I asked.
“Daisy,” he answered shortly.
“Do you mind if I sit here?” I asked. “I’m a little overwhelmed, and for some reason, you’re making my head feel better.”
He grunted.
“Do you know why that is?” I questioned him.
He sighed.
“I’m a healer,” he answered.
I blinked. “You’re a healer?”
“Are you going to repeat everything I have to say?” he asked.
I scowled at him.
He sighed again.
I seemed to be getting that reaction from him a lot.
“I get my healing powers from Mace.” At my questioning look, he said, “My dragon.”
I nodded, not saying anything to encourage him to continue.
“I can heal just with my presence,” he explained. “And go even deeper by touching you.”
When my eyes widened, he shook his head. “No, I will not touch you.”
“Damn right you won’t, Ian,” Nikolai said.
The headache started again at my temple, then spread back into my skull until it was pounding once gain.
“You give me a headache,” I said, not totally lying.
He frowned.
Then his expression turned to understanding.
“Touch her,” he ordered Ian.
I laughed.
Ian didn’t move.
Nikolai glared at Ian.
“Touch her, please,” he grated out through clenched teeth.
Ian sighed and touched his pointer finger to the middle of my forehead.
My eyes crossed as I tried to see the tip of his finger, then my headache started to slowly disappear until I no longer had it.
“Wow,’ I said. “That was better than ibuprofen!”
Ian grimaced.
“Ian doesn’t like calling attention to his abilities,” Nikolai explained. “Keifer and I are the only ones who know that he can do it.”
“Ahh,” I said. “Any idea why my headache keeps coming back?”
When you talk? I wanted to add.
You’re blocking him, floated through my brain from Perdita.
My eyebrows rose to my hairline.
I am? I asked secretively. From what?
I think you’re blocking him from your emotions and your head, but I can’t really tell because you’re blocking from me, too. I only get bits and pieces from you, which is what I’m assuming Nikolai is getting as well. I just know what to look for when someone is blocking, and you’re doing it.
I pursed my lips as I thought about what she’d said.
I wasn’t intentionally blocking him.
Really, I was just being me.
What would I have to block from him?
Ian and Nikolai spoke about possibilities, and I thought about others.
I did it so long and intently that I hadn’t realized that Nikolai had asked me a question.
“What?” I asked when the silence became deafening.
“Are you ready to go to bed?” he asked.
&nbs
p; Ian got up and walked out the back door without another word, and I watched him curiously.
“He’s not very social,” I observed dryly.
“No, he’s not,” Nikolai agreed. “And you need to be careful with him.”
I blinked. “Why?”
Nikolai thought about it for a long moment before he said, “You just do.”
I wanted to roll my eyes, but he was being completely serious, so I decided not to argue…for now.
Chapter 12
Did you happen to me, or did I happen to you? Because I want to know which of us has the shitty luck.
-Brooklyn’s secret thoughts
Brooklyn
My muscles strained as I held onto the headboard with both of my hands.
My eyes squeezed tightly shut as Nikolai took me slowly from behind.
And when I say slowly, I mean so slowly that I wanted to yell at him to speed up.
Alas, Nikolai was in charge, something he’d told me no less than twice already since we’d begun.
My eyes crossed as he pushed into me so deep that I had to bite back a curse at how good it felt.
There was a house full of people, and both rooms on either side of us were filled.
Keifer had thought it best to make sure all the dragon riders were under one roof, meaning all the other rooms, including the one I’d been previously occupying, were now occupied.
But these people had supersonic hearing thanks to their magical abilities from their dragons.
I buried my face into the mattress, gasping for breath as he pulled all the way back out.
With infinite slowness, he filled me once again.
I was so full. So very full.
Please.
Please what? he asked.
Please, I need more, I said, keening.
His version of more, wasn’t my version of more.
But I couldn’t say his version of more didn’t have me feeling like I’d been stuck into an electrical socket.
His thumb brushed the tight ring of my asshole for a second time, and I involuntarily pushed back, giving him permission.
He took it and ran with it.
His thumb swept down and gathered the wetness that’d gathered at the base of his cock, thoroughly coating his thumb before he brought it back up and slowly pressed it inside.
I came.
I couldn’t not come.
Dragons Need Love, Too (I Like Big Dragons Series Book 2) Page 11
