“Does he have a favorite?” Aria shook her head. “I need to figure out a way to get close to him. If he has that amulet, he has the power to stop us. Does my sister know about the amulet?”
“Yes, she does. You said us, you’ll take me with you?”
“Aye, you have as much right and reason to be there as I do.”
“Will there be anyone else going with us?” Aria asked.
“No. How much time will you need to set your timers?”
“Geoffrey used to time me. He would count from the time I left the dungeon until the time I returned. It took ten minutes to get to the explosive placed the furthest away, set the timer and fifteen minutes to work my way back. There are ten timers. They will be set to give me enough time to get off the island.”
“So, that means, if you start with the closest one, it would have taken you fifteen minutes to get to the last one. Would there be any reason to come back?”
“No.”
“How were you going to leave the island?” Lazarus asked.
“I have a….. shit. I had a boat hidden, but it’s not there now, I used it to get away.”
“Are there any other boats on the island?”
“Yes, MacDonald has one, but there is always a man guarding it.”
“How many people will it carry?”
“Maybe ten people, I’m not sure.”
“Alright, we’ll need to rescue everyone before you set off the explosives.”
“How the hell will we do that? I only have one shot at this, I can’t stop and rescue people. You need to get your sister and brothers the hell out of there and fuck the rest.”
“No. My fight is with MacDonald and no one else. First, I will not leave any of the dragons behind. We will free the rest of the prisoners and send someone to pick them up later. It will be up to you to tell them where to go so they are not harmed by the explosives. If I fail, it will be your responsibility to bring my family and the other dragons back here.”
“What about his men, their bullets are jacked with liquid silver.” That stopped Lazarus in his track’s. “I heard them say it could kill a dragon.”
“Aye, it can kill us or leave us unable to ever shift again. It slowly poisons us, either way, we still die.”
Chapter 20
Lazarus and Aria continued to go over her drawings. They lost track of time until Michael came to tell them the evening meal was ready. Lazarus stretched. “How is Erik?”
“Resting peacefully. Roana is sitting with him.”
“Good. Sorry, I should have relieved you some time ago.”
“I understand.” Michael looked at the map on the table. “Are you really planning to go there?”
“Aye, my brothers and sister are there.”
“What! Are you sure?”
“Aria says they are there, and four other dragons as well.”
“How do you know she’s telling the truth.” He gave Aria a glare.
“My sister sent her to find me.”
“Mr. MacEachen, how do you know, it might be a trick, a way to get you out in the open.”
“It’s not a trick, Mr. MacGregor,” Aria replied to his comment, “I couldn’t remember before. The shock of seeing that man brought back all my nightmares, only they weren’t nightmares.”
“Whether it is a trick or not, I have to go, I’ll not abandon Gunnar. I know he wouldn’t abandon me. I want all the rooms in the castle ready for guests. If what Aria tells me is true, I’m no longer the only dragon, my brothers and sister are alive, along with four other dragons.”
“I want to go with you.”
“No, Michael. I need you here. I am depending on you to keep the castle running and being prepared for when we return. If I don’t return, you know what to do.” Michael gave him a nod.
“Are ye planning to call Lukar and tell him your plans?”
“Lukar has no jurisdiction here, there is nothing he could do.”
“But he might be able to help you.”
“No, he has a family now. I don’t want to be responsible for his safety.”
Michael shook his head and left the room, telling them dinner was served, as he went through the door.
“Come along, young lady, time to eat, we’re going to need to keep our energy up.” They started for the dining room.
“Lazarus, how will I get to the island?”
“You’ll fly.”
“Fly?”
“Aye, are ye afraid of heights?” He pulled a chair out for her to sit. “You will ride my dragon.”
“You’ll let me see your dragon?”
Lazarus laughed. “You can’t ride my dragon if you can’t see him.”
“Wow,” was all she could say.
Michael served them and then himself and sat down to eat. “I still think you should call Lukar, at least let him know he’s about to lose one of his best men.”
“We’ve discussed this, Michael, and the answer is no!”
“Who is Lukar?” Aria asked as she cut her meat.
“Prince Lukar Adamokus. He is the Laird’s best friend and boss,” Michael answered, “and he needs to be told what is going on.”
“I said, no.” Lazarus hissed.
“Is he a real prince?” Aria asked, ignoring Lazarus.
“Aye, he is a real prince. He could have been a king, but he abdicated.” Michael told her. “He also goes by Agent Luke Adams.”
“Agent?”
“He works for the FBI in America.”
“Michael, I think you have said enough.” Lazarus cautioned again. Mr. MacGregor was stepping out of bounds.
“Yes sir.” Michael let it drop. “How many rooms should I have made up?”
“All of them. I want all the rooms cleaned from top to bottom.” The castle had fifteen guest rooms in addition to the family quarters. Back when the castle was built, entertaining family and friends was common. Guests would come and spend days to weeks. “If new sheets and bedding are needed, Mrs. Stewart can order them immediately. Have Mrs. Stewart take an inventory and throw out all the old linens. If she needs extra help, she can hire some women from the village.”
“I think we have enough people here. I’m sure Roana and her sisters can handle it.” Michael answered.
“Check with Mrs. Stewart, Michael. She will know what is needed. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No sir. Sorry.”
“Good,” Lazarus continued, “can I rely on you to inform Nicolas, or do I need to speak with him. This is the second time I have had to remind you, you are no longer in charge of running the castle. You are my personal assistant now, you follow my directions, is that understood?” Something was up, and Lazarus wasn’t happy about it.
“Sorry sir, it’s hard to stop doing something I have done for so long.”
Lazarus paused. “I’ve been inconsiderate, I didn’t think when I had you take on your new position, you might need a vacation. When was the last time you took any time off?”
“Sir, there was no reason to take time off when you love your job.”
“Unfortunately, that is not true. When this is over, if I live through the next few days, I’m sending you on a vacation. If I’m dead, you can do what you damn well please. Discussion is over.” Lazarus gave him a look that stopped any further comment on the subject. Mrs. Stewart returned to the room with dessert. “Mrs. Stewart, we were just talking about you.”
Mrs. Stewart smiled. “Is everything alright, sir?”
“I won’t beat around the bush and I’ll save Michael the trouble. I want every room in this castle cleaned from top to bottom. New linens, bedding, mattresses, everything. Order rugs for the rooms that haven’t been upgraded to heated floors. If you need extra help, hire whoever you need from the village. Do you think you can handle the job?”
“Yes, Mr. Lazarus. I’ve handled bigger. When does this need to be done?”
“As soon as possible. Could you do it in a week?”
“I’ll do my
best, sir.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Stewart. Let Mr. MacGregor know what you need, and he’ll see you have it.”
“Thank you, sir. Will there be anything else?”
“Is Roana still with Erik?”
“Yes sir. I just took her a tray. Your friend is resting peacefully.”
“I’ll relieve her shortly. I’ll be spending the night in his room if anyone needs me.”
“Thank you, sir.” Mrs. Stewart gathered dishes and returned to the kitchen. Michael got up and was about to excuse himself.
“Michael, I’d like to speak to you in my den after we’ve finished our meal.”
“Yes sir.” He gathered a few empty dishes and carried them to the kitchen.
“Aria, if you’ll excuse me, I need to take care of some personal business. I want you to get some rest.” She gave him a nod. “After my meeting with Michael, I’ll be with Erik if you need me.”
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, I have to go.” Lazarus left the dining room and went to his personal chambers. He opened his computer and started to type. He reported everything he had learned, everything that had happened and what he planned to do. When he was done, he left his friend a note.
“Sorry, Lukar. I must do this one alone. If I don’t make it, you know what to do. Thank you for your years of friendship.” Signed Lazarus.
He knew Lukar would check everything after he got the call from Michael. When he was done, he saved everything to the cloud, then headed for the den. Michael was waiting for him.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting.”
“It’s quite alright, sir. I apologize for my behavior earlier. I’m worried you won’t come back and wasn’t thinking.”
“I was afraid you were working for the enemy.”
“No, I feel I’m not doing enough to help you.”
“Keeping my home safe is more important than you think. I want a home to come back to. I want to bring my family back to where they belong. You are the only one who can do that for me.” He poured them both a drink and handed him one.
“Thank you, Lazarus. I hope I don’t let you down.” It was the first time Michael used his first name.
“You won’t, I have faith in you.”
“So, you are really going to go through with this. Going to the island alone with that woman. She could stab you in the back the moment you get there.”
“Aye, she could, but I don’t think she will.” He sipped his brandy
“You believe that blarney about her memory.”
“Aye, I do.” He patted Michael on the back. “You know what to do as soon as we leave.”
“Aye, secure the castle and our homes.”
“Let me know when you have a list of what Mrs. Stewart requires. I’ll have my man in town pick everything up and deliver it personally. His name is Dofri de Ireby, he is very close friends with Erik. Prepare the room next to Erik for him, he’ll be staying. If you need anything while I am gone, send Dofri, we can’t trust anyone else until this is over. What better way to get inside, but by making a delivery. Trust no one.”
“Yes sir. When do you plan to leave?”
“As soon as Erik is able to tell us what happened. I can’t risk running into the same trap.”
“That’s very wise, sir.”
Chapter 21
Lazarus sat with Erik. He watched him sleep peacefully, other times, he tossed and turned and called out for Gunnar. Just before dawn, Erik opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling, listening, he didn’t know where he was. He heard a rustle of clothing and looked in the direction from where it came. He saw Lazarus napping in a chair next to the bed.
“Lazarus,” he whispered. His throat was on fire. Lazarus instantly sat upright.
“Erik, I’m here, you’re safe.”
“Where am I?”
“You’re in my home, Castle Thighearn.”
“Water,” he whispered. Lazarus poured him a cup of water and helped him to sit up. He allowed Erik to sip small amounts of water until it was gone. “Thank you,” he coughed, “much better.” Lazarus helped him to rest back against some pillows he had placed behind him.
“Relax, Erik. You were in bad shape when you got here. You’re still healing. What happened?”
“We got to the island, no problem. We found an old fortress, or what remained of it. Laz, there are people chained in the old dungeon at the bottom of the ruins. They’re dying from exposure and starvation. It was awful.” Erik coughed, and Lazarus handed him another cup of water. “It looked like a couple of them were already dead. I wanted to help them. Gunnar promised we would try before we left. When we flew over the island, we couldn’t see any of it. It wasn’t until we were on the ground, we could see the ruins and a long house off in the distance.”
“They must be using magic to hide the buildings, so they can’t be seen from the air, but what happened?”
“I’m not sure. Suddenly, we were surrounded. We didn’t see anyone, they were just there, they appeared out of nowhere. They attacked us. Four men jumped Gunnar, two more came after me. I fought them and barely got away. Gunnar yelled, told me to fly. When I looked back, Gunnar had started to shift, but they threw something over him and he changed back.”
“You say you didn’t see them.” Erik nodded his head. “They must be using magic. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought.”
“Sorry, Laz, we didn’t get the information you wanted.” Just then, there was a quiet knock at the door.
“Lazarus, are you there?”
“Yes, Aria, come in.” Lazarus stood and offered her his chair.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you.” She glanced over at Erik. “Oh, you’re awake. Lazarus, I’m sorry, did I interrupt you?”
“It’s quite alright.” Aria was dressed in a robe. “You’re awake early.”
“I did sleep for a while, but the nightmares returned.”
“Erik, I’d like you to meet Aria McDuff. She came to us recently from Rona island.”
“What is she doing here. She must be a spy.”
“No, I don’t think so. She has already told me my brothers and sister are still alive. I wish I had known before you left, but she couldn’t remember. Seeing you, hurt and bleeding, jarred her memory. After you have rested, I’ll have you look at the map she has drawn for me. You can verify its accuracy. You have already confirmed her account of the dungeon below the old fortress.”
Erik started to cough again. Aria got up and quickly poured him a cup of water and held it out to him.
“Thank you. Do you know the people in that disgusting place?”
“Yes, I would smuggle food and water to them.” She sat down again. “Are they alright?”
“I don’t think so, in fact, I think some of them are dead. Sorry.”
Aria’s eyes teared up. “I wasn’t there to help them. They’re dead because of me, I left them to die.” Tears ran down her cheeks.
Lazarus knelt before her. “You couldn’t help them escape. You might even have been prolonging their suffering.”
“They didn’t want to die, Lazarus. They only wanted to get off that forsaken rock.”
“They were the mutineers.”
“Yes. I should have tried to release them before I left.” Her tears continued to fall.
“You would have gotten caught, or worse, killed.”
“What I said before about leaving the prisoners behind,” she sniffled, “I didn’t mean it. We can’t leave anyone behind.”
Lazarus gave her a smile. “That a girl.” He patted her knee and stood up. “Now, I think we need to have breakfast brought up here, I am sure Erik must be hungry, I know I am. Would you stay with Erik while I see if Mrs. Stewart is in the kitchen?”
“Yes, of course.” Aria sat quietly. She glanced at Erik who was looking a bit uncomfortable. “Are you alright?”
“I’m afraid I am embarrassed, I need to get up and relieve myself, but I don’t want to offend you.” She ga
ve him a funny look. “I’m naked, I have no clothes.”
“Thank you for your consideration, would you like me to leave?”
“No, if you would just look the other way for a moment.” He gave her a bit of an embarrassing smile.
“Certainly, I’ll cover my eyes.” She placed her hands over her eyes. “Be sure to warn me when you are coming back.” She heard him get out of bed and while he walked to the bathroom, she peeked through her fingers. In all the time she worked for Madame La Rue, she had never seen a body as magnificent as his. Most of the clientele were fat old business men with sagging bottoms and big bellies. Erik was muscular and sculpted. He had long hair and a gorgeous ass. “What kind of shifter are you?” She didn’t get an answer.
He came into the room a few moments later with a towel wrapped around his waist. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you. Did you ask me something?”
Aria’s mouth hung open, the front of him was even better than the back. Quickly recovering, she asked again, “What kind of shifter are you? Are you a dragon, too? They are the only shifters I have ever seen.”
“No, not a dragon.” Lazarus walked into the room. “He’s a Stellar’s eagle.”
“Really! Wow! I had no idea, I thought the dragons were the only fre… ones.” She was about to say freaky and caught herself.
Lazarus chuckled. “Mr. MacGregor thought the same. Some might consider us freaks, and I can’t blame those who don’t know.”
“Sorry.” Aria didn’t know what else to say.
“Don’t worry about it,” Erik added, “we’re used to it.”
“Erik, you must be feeling better.” Lazarus observed.
“Well enough to make it to the loo, but that’s it for now.” He flopped onto the bed, exhausted. “I never thought I could ever feel this weak.” He pulled the covers over himself. “I never knew I could hurt this much, either.”
“Do you or Gunnar have any clothes here or do I need to find something for you?”
“I’m not sure.” He let out a labored breath. Mr. MacGregor knocked at the door.
“Come in, Michael.” Mr. MacGregor entered the room with a tray laden with breakfast.
Last of His Kind Page 11
