“You’re sorry for it?” Lily was suddenly angry, though she didn’t yet know at whom. It wasn’t Graeme’s fault that he’d been pursued, or that he’d nearly been a bear’s chew toy. And yet he’d led this killer to her doorstep, and that was careless at best.
“You do realize that I just saved your life and left my family behind to contend with a psychotic grizzly on their own? And who knows how many others of his sort there might be? My kin might be in danger. They weren’t the ones meant to fight today, you know.”
“I’m afraid that you’re wrong on one count.” Graeme’s voice momentarily demonstrated its own restrained anger. “I didn’t require saving. I had the situation entirely in hand, and it was you who caused problems.”
“In hand? That creature was speeding towards you like a bloody Lamborghini.” Lily knew that a man from the fourteenth century wouldn’t understand the reference, but it was the only one she could think of that didn’t involve four legs and fur.
“He would not have succeeded in harming me.”
“Well, aren’t we confident in our abilities?” she asked, her tone offering a challenge that any shifter would have trouble resisting.
“Of course I’m confident. I’ve fought in many battles and won every one of them. A single bear has no chance against the likes of me, and the sooner you understand that the better…my Lady.” The last two words came out almost as an insult, as if to imply that her femininity made her less able to judge his skills.
“How dare you…” began Lily.
“Your family will be all right, Lilliana,” said Conor, his voice calm and soothing as he interrupted in an attempt to diffuse the quickly mounting tension. “I didn’t sense any threat but the one bear. And if I know anything about your dire wolves and your brother, they’ll have made quick work of him.”
Lily thrust herself down onto the couch, breathing heavily again and relieved more than she’d anticipated at hearing the words. She trusted Conor to tell her the truth, and she trusted his seer’s mind. Only now did she realize how rapidly her heart had been beating for the past few minutes.
“I hope you’re right,” she said. “And I’m sure you are. But for now, I—we—need to figure out what to do from here.”
“Excuse me, my Lady,” said Graeme, his voice calmer. Lily looked up, able at last to study him quietly as he stood over her. His frame was even larger than Conor’s. His hair was more red than she remembered, no doubt a side effect of his northern genes. His turquoise eyes had a depth to them which reminded her of Conor’s own; it was difficult to look into them without feeling drawn into his soul. Her dragon found them of particular interest; attractive, intriguing. Beautiful.
Lily attempted to silence the creature inside her and to assess the other shifter: he seemed to be regaining all of his senses at last.
“Yes?” she said.
“It’s only that I really have no idea what’s just happened. Where exactly are we?”
Lily’s human side took over as she smiled at first despite an attempt to resist, and then broke into uncontrolled laughter. At last she could see the humour in their absurd situation. To Graeme this unremarkable flat must have seemed like the most bizarre and inhospitable setting in the world. One moment he’d stood in an open, green field; the next he was in this oddly-appointed place, well, here.
“We’re in my flat in central London, in the year 2015, Lord Graeme,” she said, wiping away a tear as she looked up at his face. “The three of us have leapt through time together, and will be safe here, I hope. And forgive me for being defensive and difficult. It’s only that I am protective of my family.”
“There is nothing to forgive,” he said, still maintaining his serious demeanour and noble composure. “Your protective nature is admirable. And I’ve heard of your time-leaping abilities; your brother told me something of them. I hadn’t anticipated becoming so well-acquainted with them so suddenly, or so soon. Though I look forward to getting to know more of you.”
Lily felt herself redden, her aggravating cheeks daring to flush at his words. This man, who had annoyed her so much a moment earlier, now had the potential to charm her just as Conor had done—was it a sign of her own weakness or of the men’s excellent instincts for flattering a woman?
“So this is the modern era,” Graeme continued. He began at last to wander around, to study the building from the inside. For London it was quite an old structure, but to the young lord, it must have seemed terribly strange: light fixtures, switches on the walls, strange electrical cords across the floor, spread about like narrow snakes slinking across hardwood.
He leaned down and poked a curious finger at a power outlet in the wall.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” warned Conor. “Unless you’d like to know what it’s like to lose all your nerve endings at once.”
Graeme stood again, glaring across the room at the other man. Something in his tone was too forward; disrespectful, even. He was speaking to a dragon lord, damn it.
“I would like to know this: who are you, sir?” Graeme said. “I saw you at the Tournament. But you are no shifter.”
“I’m Conor Dunbar. And aside from that, all you need know is that I was Lilliana’s accomplice in saving your ass.”
“Life,” corrected Lily, bracing herself for conflict as she regained a dignified seriousness. “I think it’s best that we call it his life, or Lord Graeme might wonder why we rescued his donkey.”
“Well for that I thank you, sir, though as I said, I did not require aid,” said Graeme. “And now your duties are done.” He turned back to Lily. “It’s unseemly, I think, for you to be alone in this place with two men. We should go back to Dundurn and complete the Tournament now that you…we…are safe.”
“I don’t know…” began Lily. “It might be more sensible to stay here for a little, since we don’t know what’s happened. I don’t want to pull all three of us back into danger.”
“It would be less than noble of me to flee like a coward in the face of danger,” said Graeme. “Not to mention this…Conor. If he cares at all about nobility or honour, he should not wish to remain here with you.”
Conor stepped forward, unsure of his next move, but certain that he didn’t like the flurry of hostile thoughts shooting through Graeme’s mind. The notion of people who considered themselves superior was not one that sat well with him.
“Don’t treat me like your inferior,” he said. “I’m nothing of the sort. And I’m not very tolerant of snobs.”
A knock at the door interrupted the fight that was about to erupt between man and dragon.
“Thank God,” said Lily as she made her way past the two men. “Calm down, you two. You’d best learn to get along right now. Maybe try working yourselves into this century.”
Strange, she thought as she took a step towards the flat’s entrance. No one should have known or guessed that she’d be here. Except, of course...
She dashed in a flurry to the door and flung it open to see Lachlan, one of her dire wolf fathers, standing before her.
“There will be no Tournament,” he said immediately, as though replying to an unasked question.
The small child inside Lily took over in an instant and she embraced him with all her strength, which might have crushed the rib cage of a normal man. After the series of strange events, she hadn’t realized how much she’d needed a hug from a parent.
“How did you get here?” she asked when it began to hit her that his presence in this place was as unusual as snow in July. She’d never seen any of her three parents in London.
“With a little help from your mother,” Lachlan said. “She’s better at this whole time travel business than I am, as you know. She managed to shoot me through to a home-made portal nearby. Now, let’s have a bit of a chat.”
“Lord Lachlan,” said Graeme, bowing elegantly as Lily’s father entered the flat.
“Nice to see you again, Lord Graeme. And these circumstances are certainly preferab
le to those in which you were about to be sliced in two by a large set of claws. And you must be the young man Lily’s told me nothing about, and who has most certainly never been in her bedroom,” he said, turning to Conor, extending a hand in greeting. Conor took it without hesitation.
“I am that man, I suppose,” he said, smiling. “And happy to be.”
“What’s happened back home?” asked Lily. “With the beastly bear shifter? Is everyone all right?”
“Fine,” said Lachlan. “Thanks largely to you, my quick-thinking daughter. Rohan and I subdued that damned bear without too much difficulty, though he was a larger one than I’m accustomed to. For once at least, your mother didn’t have to lift a finger or breathe flames on anyone, which was probably for the best. Lighting people or live animals on fire at public events never seems to go over well with the locals.”
“I’ll remember that for future reference,” Lily said, breathing another long sigh of relief. “And I’m not the quick thinker. It was Conor, really, who was responsible for my actions. But where do we go from here? The family’s plans got a little screwed up, wouldn’t you say?”
“As always,” smiled Lachlan. “But we’re nothing if not adaptable. However, Lilliana, I—we—Rauth, Gwynne and I—feel that you should stay put for the time being. Until we figure out what’s going on around Dundurn it seems sensible to keep you and your brother away from there. We don’t know that this was an isolated incident.”
“You think there might be more attempts?” Lily hesitated to divulge what Conor had said. She wasn’t sure if he’d want her talking to her father about his hidden skills.
“It’s hard to say,” said Lachlan. “It’s been many years since we’ve dealt with a threat from outside the castle’s walls.” Lily knew that he was referring to her grandfather, the cruel Lord Drake. “But the Tournament has put a renewed target on our backs, given that we advertised to the world of shifters that you are one of the most powerful of their lot.”
“I suppose I can stay here for a while, if you think that’s best. But where will Rohan go?”
“Probably back to where he was studying,” said Lachlan, cautiously avoiding mentioning his son’s exact location in front of the two men he hadn’t yet grown to trust. Lily fought off a smile, knowing that Conor’s powers might allow him to see exactly where her brother would be headed. The guy was a pretty adept mind-reader, after all.
“All right,” she said. “If Rohan’s willing to desert Dundurn, so will I. I’ll stay here.”
“Good.”
Lachlan turned to address the two young men, and the words that emerged from his mouth both shocked and pleased his daughter.
“And you two will stay here with her.”
* * *
“Lord Lachlan?” Clearly Lord Graeme didn’t expect the command any more than Lily had.
From the start, she’d had the distinct impression that on his own turf, Graeme was a force to be reckoned with—his father had described his wartime exploits as nothing short of heroic, after all.
But now he was out of his element, and no doubt suffering a sort of massive culture shock as well as unaccustomed to being told what to do by anyone. Lily wondered how he felt about the fact that Lachlan appeared to be assigning him the role of glorified bodyguard.
“You young men each seem to have an interest in my daughter. No need to respond to that,” Lachlan said as Graeme’s mouth opened, either in protest or assent. “I would like you to prove worthy of Lilliana if you’re to be with her in the capacity of her mates, and you can do so by protecting her. Not that she needs much protection, mind you. But you know already, I’m sure, that by this century shifters have been a secret for some time; a dormant legend that no one particularly believes in. It’s essential that you attempt to preserve the integrity of our silence for the well-being of our kind. Not only that, but if our line is to continue, it’s best to keep our children isolated from Dundurn, where they would be a target.
“When the threat at home is gone, you can return to our time, our land. But in the meantime it won’t do to bring Lily back into potential danger. If I had to guess I would say that the bear was there not only to take you out, Lord Graeme, but my family as well. And so there will be others.”
“We’ll look after her.” It was Conor who stepped forward first, placing a hand on Lily’s shoulder, which made her go a little weak in the knees. She’d forgotten what effect this man’s touch had on her, though it had only been minutes since he’d last made contact with that very shoulder.
“Of course we will tend to her every need,” agreed Graeme. Much as he would have liked to place a hand upon Lady Lilliana, he felt it too forward a gesture. For now. “Upon my honour.”
“Lord Graeme, another thing, much as it pains me to say it,” added Lachlan. “I realize that the modern world is a novelty for you as it once was for me, but you will have to make a few adjustments. One: don’t say things like ‘upon my honour.’ Two: no one should address you as ‘Lord’ in this century. Is that understood?”
“Yes, my Lord—Lachlan—Mr. Lachlan.”
Lily stifled a laugh. Graeme was handsome—beautiful, even—and obviously strong. But he needed to loosen up, clearly, if he was to adjust to this new life. Perhaps she could help him with the transition. Something told her that getting this man to relax might be a pleasure, really.
“Lachlan will do,” said her father. “And for now I’m off.” He kissed Lily on the forehead and took her hands in his, guiding her towards the door. He leaned in to speak only to her.
“If anything happens, any threat comes your way,” he whispered, “You run. I don’t mean back to Dundurn—they’ll seek you there. I mean to anywhere but where they expect you to go. And if these two unworthy specimens of man-flesh manage to prove themselves to you—well, you have my blessing, Lily.”
“I do?”
“The Ritual is important—more than you know. You are a rarity: a female dragon. Not to mention the phoenix blood that runs through your veins. But it’s in the capacity that you’re my daughter that your true importance lies for me. And I want nothing more than your happiness. Follow your instincts as you always have. They will not lead you astray.”
Lily threw her arms around his neck, whispering, “Thank you.”
He held her as he replied. “Besides, those two aren’t so bad. Intelligent, strong, handsome. You could do worse.”
His daughter laughed as she pulled away. “I agree,” she said.
Lachlan put a hand to her cheek. “When it’s safe, find a way to let us know that you’re all right. You know how your mother is.”
“She’s very good at knowing if anything’s wrong,” Lily acknowledged. “Even across centuries. She and Conor have a thing or two in common that way.” With those words, she turned to the two men who stood some distance away, curiously observing their conversation.
“Oh?” said Lachlan, eyeing the tall, dark-haired man, who was becoming more interesting by the second.
“They call me a seer,” he said quietly, responding to the words he’d absorbed easily from across the large room. Somehow his own words felt boastful and ridiculous. To reveal such an ability in the presence of such a leader as this was like telling Lachlan that he knew how to draw a pretty picture of a tree.
“Well then, use your gift of sight wisely,” said Lachlan. “Use it to protect her. She is precious.”
“I know,” said Conor. “I know that very well. And Lord Lachlan, I must tell you: the bear was after your family. Make no mistake about it.”
“Thank you, Conor. I will take all necessary precautions. And you, Ramsey,” he said, turning Graeme’s way. “Adapt. Learn to love this place and time, and to look after my daughter. And for God’s sake, don’t change into a dragon in the middle of Trafalgar Square. You don’t want Scotland Yard after you as well as a band of murderous shifters.”
“I will protect her. I swear it,” said Graeme, his eyes fixing on Lily, who seemed to
blush under his gaze. “Something tells me that looking after your daughter would give me the greatest pleasure.”
It seemed to Lily that his voice had taken on a slightly mischievous tone. This, perhaps, was his dragon, preoccupied with what was under her clothing. She knew the perils of the beast well, after all; her own had salivated when beholding his naked, rippling muscles diving into the ocean.
Her father happily chose to ignore the tone and kissed her forehead before letting her hands go and turning towards the flat’s entrance.
“Remember everything I said,” he told the three companions before disappearing through the door. “Be good to her, or you’ll have me to deal with. And I can be nastier than any bear. Not to mention her mother.” He disappeared into the hallway, closing the door behind him.
Lily turned back to the two men who now seemed bound to her by duty if nothing else.
“Well,” she said, still dressed in her red silk from that morning. “I think the first order of business should be to find you two—and myself—some less ridiculous clothing.”
21
Escape, Chapter Three
“I’ve loads of clothes at my flat,” Conor said. “But I suggest that you take our dragon friend here shopping for some more appropriate duds. You might want to have a look at Big and Tall Dragonmen or a similar boutique.”
“There is such a shop?” asked Graeme, the hope in his voice betraying momentary gullibility.
“No,” laughed Conor. “You really are new to this century, aren’t you?”
“I…” Graeme began, unsure whether he was facing an insult or not.
“It’s all right, mate. I’m just taking the piss,” said the other man, feeling a twinge of guilt at playing with the poor guy. “You’ll learn your way around soon enough. No doubt you’ll take this town by storm.”
Graeme forced a smile. It seemed that he was coming to terms with his own need to loosen up.
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