by Lori King
As if the beast had heard her words, he gave a single nod of his head, letting her see the many horns upon his head. His small puff of smoke reminded her that he too had the power of fire just before he blinked out of sight. Whirling from what she’d just seen, Caitlin squeaked with surprise when Kyran’s hand tightened against hers as he sat up.
“Kyran, what are you doing? You should be resting….” The words were barely out of her mouth before he was kissing her burnt hand.
His words floated through her mind, “A’m kissin’ yer booboo.” His masculine chuckle rumbled through her, making it hard to concentrate.
Pulling her hands from his, she felt one and then the other, surprised to find the skin smooth and blemish-free. “What…?”
“Did ye nae see mah dragon?”
She could tell he was smiling as she quickly answered, “Well, yes, but…?”
“But noothing. He was thankin’ ye fur removing th' dark magic 'n' healing yer wounds.”
“Oh! Thank you! But I almost killed you both in the process.” She hung her head. The guilt of what had just happened was overwhelming. “How could I have made such a rookie mistake? You must think I’m such an idiot.” She started to turn away, but Kyran’s hands on her face halted her progress.
“Noo, noo, Ah will hae none o' that.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “That wasn’t yer fault.” His thumbs rubbed her cheeks as he added, “But Ah hae a feeling ye knoow who’s tae blame.”
Nodding, she took his hands in hers and lowered them to her lap. Her anger once again rising at the betrayal she’d suffered from the only other human she’d let get close to her during all the years of her seclusion. “Yes, I do,” she spat, standing, holding tight to the blanket wrapped around her and added, “And she will pay.”
Reaching for Duke, she stepped to the side and said, “Hey, boy, where are my clothes?” A second before Kyran threaded his fingers through the fingers of her free hand and gave a little tug.
“Yer noo longer alone.” His hand squeezed hers. “Let me hulp ye. Let me bee yer eyes.”
She chuckled at Duke’s growl as her furry companion pressed against her side. “I think Duke may have something to say about that.”
She went willingly as Kyran pulled her to him, hearing the smile in his voice as he snickered, “Aye, weel, he’ll juist hae tae git ower it,” before kissing her soundly, then pulling back and asking, “Noo, whoose arse ar we aff tae kick?”
Shaking off the effects of Kyran’s kiss, she blew out a breath and spat, “Marcie…my nurse.” Pausing to get her thoughts in order, Caitlin finally continued, “She’s been with me for more than ten years. She’s always been so sweet and kind and then when I found out she was an earth witch, I was thrilled. Dad taught me a lot about gypsy magic, but I still had a lot to learn. I knew it was all in his grimoire but with no way to see it, well…I’d kinda given up. Then one day, about five years ago, Marcie found the book and said she could have it translated into Braille. I was thrilled. When she brought it back to me, I spent every day learning the spells, reading my father’s instructions, mastering my legacy so that one day I could take the lives of people responsible for killing my family. I never guessed she’d messed with my father’s rituals. Why would she do that? What did she have to gain?”
“I dinnae knoow, but Ah'm damn sure gonnae fin' oot.” His fury on her behalf warmed Caitlin’s heart. It was an amazing feeling no longer to be alone in the world, but there was still more he needed to know...that she needed to tell him.
Gripping his hand tightly, she tried not to let her need for vengeance overshadow what was happening between them and what he meant to her, but she felt the need to be completely honest with the one man in all the world made just for her. Taking a deep breath, she added, “I hope you don’t think any less of me, but dammit, Kyran, I want to be the one to confront Marcie and…” She paused, working up her courage to continue, then blurted out, “And I want to be the one to kill Eve O’Baoill.”
Caitlin felt Kyran tense, heard his breathing speed up and knew beyond all doubt she wasn’t going to like whatever he was about to say. So, speaking before he had a chance, she rushed on, “I know you already killed Tariq and that Adam is also dead. I can also tell from the few thoughts you’re letting slip through your mental block that you want to tell me that you’ll take care of it, but I’m sorry, that just doesn’t work for me.”
“But, Caitlin, yoo…”
“I what?” She pulled her hands from his and slammed her fists to her hips. “I’m blind? I’m a woman? I can’t handle it? What? What is it, Kyran?” She knew she was screaming and was sure the way her foot tapped of its own volition against the stone floor made her look like a hysterical female, but it didn’t matter. There was no way she was going to stand there and be dismissed by the one person in all the world whose opinion mattered.
Caught up in her anger, she completely missed the sound of Kyran’s movements until his arms were around her waist and his lips were once again on hers. His voice in her mind was low and grumbling as he kissed her with a fierce passion that stole her breath and almost made her forget her anger. “What Ah was gooing say, afore Ah was soo rudely interrupted, was that ye cannae doo it alone. 'N' that Ah hae a plan. Noow, kiss me lik' ye mean it, 'n' mabbee Ah’ll tell ye what Ah hae planned.”
Unable to deny her dragon anything, Caitlin pushed all thoughts of Marcie’s betrayal and Eve’s heinous deeds to the back of her mind, relaxed into his embrace, opened completely to him, and answered in his own ancient language, “Mar mo orduithe Dragon, mo ghrá.”
7
Pulling away from Caitlin and helping her get dressed was infinitely harder than a hundred years of captivity and torture at the hands of his enemies. Never in all his life could the black dragon have imagined what it would feel like to have his mate, the one made just for him by the Universe, in his arms. Making love to her had been as close to Heaven as he was sure he would ever get. She was so much more than he could’ve ever hoped for that he had to keep reminding himself he wasn’t dreaming. And…there would be time to show her exactly how much he’d come to love her …later. Right now, they had to confront Marcie and find out why she’d betrayed Caitlin in such a personal and profound fashion.
“You know I can dress myself, right?” Caitlin teased, her kissable lips curled in a cheeky grin and her eyebrow raised just so that Kyran had to fight both himself and his dragon not to say to hell with the witch, take her in his arms, and remove the jeans he’d just helped her into.
“A'm sure ye kin. Doesn't mean Ah cannae hulp, does it?” He chuckled as she took her T-shirt from his hands and slipped it over her head.
“No, I guess it doesn’t.”
He held perfectly still as she reached for him, loving the sparks of their attraction as her fingers danced over the still tender skin where the black magic glyphs had been. Her brow furrowed as she asked, “Does this still hurt?”
“Juist a wee bit tender. It'll be goone soon enough,” he quickly answered, feeling her concern and guilt returning. “'N' stoop yer worrying. Ye coudnae hae knoon what that witch had doon. Tis nae yer fault 'n' Ah wullnae stand fur ye feeling guilty aboot it.”
“I know, but if…”
“Bit if whit? Whit Caitlin? Whit noothin’ that’s bit whit. Ye did th' best ye cood dae. Ye saved nae oonly mah life bit that o' mah dragon’s.” Taking a deep breath after almost losing his temper, he took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles, grinning at the fact that she stood tall even when he raised his voice. “'N' fur that Ah wull be eternally grateful.”
Smiling so sweetly it made his heart hurt, Caitlin gently touched his face and whispered, “You are absolutely beautiful, mo Dragon.”
His breath froze in his lungs. His heart skipped a beat and in that moment the true gravity of his situation hit the centuries-old black dragon over the head like a ton of bricks. Caitlin had become a physical necessity, her love, the light at the end of a tunnel of a century of loneline
ss, pain, and despair. She made him whole, calmed the voices, and for the first time he could remember, made him…happy.
Opening his mouth to speak, Kyran swallowed his words as his mate raised up on her toes, and just as her lips would’ve touched his murmured, “You are the answer to every prayer I have ever prayed.”
Unable to hold back any longer, he closed the scant distance between them and kissed his little banshee like she was the very air he breathed. What started out as teeth, tongues and the need to all but devour her, slowed to a languid, sensual expression of everything he was feeling but didn’t have the words to say. All too soon, Duke was whining and pushing between them, making Caitlin giggle against his lips.
“Blasted dog,” he grumbled under his breath as his mate continued to laugh which, sooner than he’d would’ve liked, had him chuckling, too.
Catching her breath, Caitlin snickered, “At least he’s not growling at you anymore.”
“Noo, now A'm th' oone growlin’.” His comment had his banshee laughing again, and this time so hard tears ran down her face. He couldn’t help smiling. Her laughter only added to her beauty and made her more irresistible, to not only him and his dragon but also Duke.
Kneeling down, he ruffled the fur at the dog’s neck and commiserated, “She's git us booth tied aroond her leetle finger, doesn't she, laddie?”
His answering whine said the German Shepherd was in perfect agreement and would stay loyal to Caitlin until the day he died. Kyran figured it was the closest the two would ever come to agreeing whose responsibility it was to protect his mate, and agreed with a gruff, “Aye, laddie, aye.”
With her hand on her hip and her laughing under control, Caitlin added, “I do not have either of you tied around my little finger, thank you very much. It’s just that you realize… I know what’s best.”
Jumping to his feet, Kyran scooped her into his arms and spun around, kissing her neck and teasing, “Whatever ye say, mo ghrá. Whatever ye say,” while Duke barked in agreement and jumped beside them.
Squealing in delight, Caitlin pushed at his chest, pleading with him to stop until she was out of breath and flushed. Setting her on her feet with his hands still on her shoulders, he grinned from ear to ear as he kissed the tip of her nose and said, “Noow, that that is settled, whatcha say we head oot 'n' catch a sneaky backstabbing witch?”
Her expression immediately turned sad and her voice wavered a little as she sighed, “I just wish I understood.”
Hugging her close and rubbing her back, he reassured her, “Soometimes thare is just noo explanation, but Ah promise tae give ye a chance tae ask before Ah send her tae hell.”
Kyran knew his words, as well as his tone, were gruff, but he needed her to understand that he would never put up with anyone hurting her in any way. It was his job to keep her safe, and he was going to do anything and everything within his considerable power to make it so.
Her arms tightened around his waist and she whispered, “Thank you, Kyran. Thank you so much,” was all he needed to hear. They were in agreement, all was right with the world, and he would take care of the wretched woman who dared to hurt his mate before the sun set on another day.
“Okay, mo chroí, let’s head oot,” he said, as they pulled apart in unison.
The cheeky grin on her face said his Caitlin was up to something and sure enough, her next words had him barking with laughter. Waggling her eyebrows, in her sauciest voice, she teased, “I hope you have a shirt to put on, because although I may not be able to see other women looking at you, I can sure as hell feel it, and I would hate to have to ‘scream’ at them.”
“Noo woorries, Ah was just aboot tae poot one oon,” He chuckled, throwing the worn T-shirt over his head before sliding on the boots he’d swiped from Drago, his old Commander and one of his best friends when he was at the lair, then grabbed Caitlin’s hand and whistled to Duke. Reaching the mouth of his cave, he stopped, looked down at his mate and asked, “Ye ready fur this?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She smiled, but he could feel the anxiety wreaking havoc on her nerves.
Kissing the back of her hand, he nodded then out loud said, “Then wur ooff.”
Nodding, she followed as he led her down the trail and through the woods. The longer they walked in companionable silence, the more amazed he became until he could hold back no longer. Stopping by a fallen log, he asked, “How in a' that is holy did ye mak' it a' this wey by yersel'?”
Shrugging her shoulders, she simply said, “I wasn’t alone. I had Duke.”
Shaking his head, once again in awe of her strength and tenacity, it took Kyran several seconds to reply and when he did all he could say was, “Weel, noow ye hae me tae.”
“Then I want for no more,” she breathed, as her palm rested on his chest and she raised her head toward the sky. “My mother always talked about the importance of a banshee’s mate for balance between the light and the dark, but it was my dad with his hot gypsy blood and gift to see all the parts of the world everyone else overlooked, who made me believe in the real gift of having you, my special man, in my life. He said a gypsy has no boundaries and neither will her mate. Together, they will love fiercely and have a life that others can only dream about. There will be no regrets, no looking back, only moving forward at the speed of light, in tune with Mother Nature and one with the Universe. Together, hand in hand they will walk in love, truth, and beauty, and when she gets ‘that look’ in her eye, only the gypsy’s one true mate will know how to nurture her wild nature instead of trying to tame her.”
Barely able to breathe, as the words she was speaking spoke to not only his heart and soul but also his dragon, Kyran waited as Caitlin closed her eyes and dropped her chin before adding, “He always said my need for my mate… for you, would override my desire for sanity, and boy, was he right. Ever since the first night you sat under my tree, I knew my life would never be the same. You make me whole. You give me the sight that was always just out of my reach.” She closed the scant inches between them and smiled, “Just knowing you makes me a better person, and for that, I will be eternally grateful. So, you see, I had to come find you. I couldn’t take the chance that you would go off half-cocked and get yourself killed or worse yet, captured again.” She took a deep breath, “Because without you, I fear I would cease to exist.”
Kyran, the Phantom, the black dragon who had been feared by even those he called brethren for most of his life, was completely and totally dumbfounded. This woman, his mate, the light of his soul had just put into words what he was feeling. He didn’t know how or why and refused to question the synchronicity of the moment, Caitlin was his forever, and nothing and no one was going to come between them.
Touching his forehead to hers, he spoke directly from his heart, “Ah love ye, mah wee Caitlin. 'N' whin a' this is over… Ah wull spend th' rest o' mah life showing ye exactly mooch.”
One more quick kiss and a deep breath and Kyran added, “Enuff lollygagging. Th' sooner we’ve handled yer Marcie, th' sooner we kin git tae moore important things.” He whispered the last part, letting images of exactly what he meant by ‘more important things’ drift from his mind to hers.
The light blush that covered her cheeks and worked its way down her gorgeous neck pleased him to no end. Just to know he had the same effect on her that she had on him made Kyran’s day…hell, made his whole damn life. Threading his fingers through hers, he whistled for Duke and grinned, “Just a wee bit moore 'n' we’ll be there.”
“Lead on, my mighty dragon,” Caitlin chuckled.
Talking and laughing with his mate made the rest of their journey fly by, so that when they reached Caitlin’s cottage there was still few hours before nightfall. Following both his mate and Duke into the house, he checked behind every door and in every closet using his enhanced sense to make sure no one had been there, set any traps – magical or otherwise – for her, or was lying in wait. When he was sure everything was as she’d left it, Kyran made his way back t
o the kitchen only to find Caitlin making sandwiches.
“Ye didn’t need tae goo tae th' trooble. Ah could’ve helped,” he offered, stopping next to where she stood at the counter, placing their food on the plates she had laid out.
Stopping what she was doing and turning toward him, Caitlin rolled her eyes and sighed, “How many times do I have to tell you…I am not helpless. I can take care of myself and I want to take care of you, too.” Pointing her finger in his general direction, she added, “So, you better just get used to it.”
All he could do was grin as his feisty mate turned back to what she was doing without waiting for an answer and called over her shoulder, “You can get the iced tea out of the refrigerator and some glasses from the cabinet to the left of the sink.”
Everything Caitlin did amazed him. Kyran couldn’t imagine what it was like to go through life not only not being able to see but also alone, but his mate didn’t let it slow her down in the slightest. She forged ahead, unafraid and fearless, and for that, he would forever be in awe of her.
Sitting across the table from Caitlin, eating sandwiches and drinking tea, seemed so normal that it occurred to Kyran it was the most civilized thing he’d done in longer than a century. He was just about to comment when Caitlin asked, “So what’s the plan?” She took a sip of tea, before adding, “And don’t tell me you don’t have one. I can feel you trying to keep me out of your thoughts, and I have the sneaky suspicion you think you’re gonna take Marcie on all by yourself.” She sat her glass on the table and pointed in his direction, “but I am here to tell you…that is not going to happen.”
He thought about lying to her, about telling her that he hadn’t even entertained the thought of handling the treacherous witch on his own, but even attempting to be dishonest with his banshee felt wrong, so he admitted, “Aye, Ah thought aboot dealing wi' her maself, but then realized ye’ll be needing answers 'n' it woold be wrong o' me tae deny ye that.” He took a deep breath before continuing, “Ah'm waantin' ye tae call her. Tell her ye need her tae come oover. A'm gooing wait ootdoors, 'til she gets 'ere. Ah'm waantin' tae see what she does before she enters yer hoome. Wance she’s inside, Ah’ll come thro' th' back door 'n' subdue her then ye kin git yer answers before Ah dispatch her soul tae Hell.”
