Alec glanced at her and extended an open hand. “Let’s go.”
Lucy swallowed and stepped forward, but her legs shook so badly that she stumbled. Alec caught her elbow and brought her close to his side. His strength and familiar heat anchored her rattled nerves.
As they stepped forward, the human-formed dragons bowed to the floor. The flying dragons landed on the roof with soft thuds, changed into their human forms, and bowed to the ground.
Alec led her through the throng to a stage on the left side of the patio. At the edge of the stage, the lovelorn doctor nodded at her in recognition. Alec helped her up the steps and settled her on a seat at the back, next to Leo and the five men from the casino opening.
“It is expected that you sit with my lieutenants,” Alec said by way of introduction. The six men looked straight ahead and did not greet her or meet her curious glances. Leo sat to her right, and a man who looked like the Canadian MMA fighter Georges St. Pierre sat to her left. In the next seat hulked a swarthy bodybuilder crossed with a computer geek, and on the other side of Leo was a man who looked like he might be Native American. The remaining lieutenants were dark-haired, but too far away for her to make out their features.
Walking to a microphone, Alec smiled at the five hundred or so human-formed dragons. His demeanor immediately changed to that of welcoming host. “You may rise.” He swept an open palm over the crowd, and the assembly rose in a brightly colored wave.
The wind whipped against the side of the casino, reminding Lucy of the height, and her peril. The dragons stood at attention, silent and still, not fidgeting or making a sound. One hundred feet away, at the edge of the crowd, an iron cage sat in a corner. Joey stood inside, his hands wrapped around the bars. Lucy’s stomach clutched, and she rose to go to him, but then forced herself back down.
Alec first—then Joey—she reminded herself.
Joey appeared interested but otherwise unperturbed by the bizarre happenings. He was probably safer in the cage, anyway. He gave her a cocky smile and raised a glass with a dark drink to her. Looked like he even managed to finally get his Jack and Coke.
“I’m pleased that we have every family, from every fold in the world, represented here tonight,” Alec began. “For some of you, this is your first bonding ceremony. For others, such a night has come and gone before.” Alec thumped his right fist over his heart and every dragon followed his action.
Lucy brought her fist to her chest, and five hundred sets of eyes watched her mimic Alec’s gesture. She felt like an imposter, but she kept her chin up and managed a regal smile.
The dragons were striking to look at, all fine-featured and fit. Faces from the Far East stood together on the right, while others with the darker skin of southern climates grouped in the middle.
In the back, the pale hair and visage of the people of the north gathered together. Lucy saw Lil standing with the northerners and tried to catch her eye, but Lil only watched Alec. To the right of the stage, dragons with the hodgepodge features of North American immigrants watched, and so on.
Around the world in one fell glance.
“Our numbers have fallen, and our successful bondings have been too few,” Alec continued. “We have lost too many good dragons for a lack of a mate.” The crowd shuffled and exchanged quiet words. “No more. I offer sanctuary to any dragon who wishes to stay at the Crown Jewel. The seven towers around us have been built to house the dragon folds from the seven continents. You need only follow the ancient code and honor your pledge of fidelity to me to stay.”
“Jer’ol. Jer’ol. Jer’ol.” The dragons intoned as if on cue.
A shiver went up Lucy’s spine. The crowd spoke as though there were puppeteered by marionette strings. Their chant was indeed cultish and definitely creepy. Lucy searched for emotion on the faces in front of the stage but saw none.
“We have let our differences divide us into petty quarrels,” Alec said. “No more. We are united. There will be no more fighting.” The dragons looked right and left at their brethren, but did not comment. “I wish you success in fostering the next generation. We’re few today, but this time next year, we will be many.”
Finally, the crowd reacted. They raised their hands and clapped together in rhythmic applause, eerie for its controlled, non-spontaneous sound. Lucy clutched the armrest and shifted on her seat.
Leo, Alec’s square-jawed, Thor-like lieutenant gave her a frown. “Steady there, Luciana.”
“What do the different clothing colors mean?” Lucy leaned toward Leo.
Leo stopped clapping and spoke into her ear. “There are four different kinds of dragons.” He pointed to the crowd. “Everyone’s ceremonial clothing color matches their dragon forms. Over there are the storm dragons, from the west. They are yellows and browns.”
Leo gestured to his own red tunic and pants with an orange belt. “I am a fire dragon from the south. We wear reds and oranges.”
“What about the blues?” Lucy asked.
“Water dragons, from the east.” Leo pointed to a white and green clad group on the right. “And those are the ice dragons from the north. Only Alec may wear black, because black is all of the colors put together.”
“Why are my clothes red?”
“Alec was from the south before he was King. It seemed fitting to acknowledge his origins with his mate’s colors.”
“So much custom and pageantry…” Lucy looked over the crowd. You didn’t have to be a dragon to feel their pulsing anticipation. Their building excitement was contagious.
“The festivities will begin with the traditional dance.” Alec quieted the crowd with his words. “Please line up by fold and gender. You will adhere to the ancient code when identifying your mate. Anyone disrespecting my house will be banished for the rest of the ceremony.”
A hushed murmur went through the crowd before they silenced themselves. Lucy could tell by their rigid postures that no one wanted to risk banishment. The crowd was as eager as a sprinter in the blocks.
“Tonight is about the next generation.” Alec opened his hands to the air and smiled. “We’ll begin when the moon is directly overhead.” Cheering broke out and the people began to mingle.
Alec’s lieutenants rose in unison and approached him at the microphone.
Lucy watched the reverential way they addressed Alec. A combination of pride and longing clogged her chest. She swallowed and dropped her chin to hide the rush of sadness that swamped her.
“How are you feeling?” The doctor sat in the vacant seat beside her. He wore brown clothing with a yellow sash.
“Okay,” Lucy said with a shaky smile. “You did a good job. My shoulder doesn’t hurt too much.”
The doctor patted her hand. “It has been decided that you and your brother will be mind-wiped when the festivities are over.” He spoke softly in her ear so that nobody could overhear his words. “I wanted to let you know that you don’t need to be afraid. It’s not painful.”
“Mind-wiped?” Lucy mouthed the unfamiliar words.
“The Animi will remove your memories of your time with us. We cannot allow humans to know that a dragon colony lives among them.” He smiled as if his words were not alarming. “They would come after us.”
“I won’t remember any of this? Not even Alec?”
“You can talk to the Animi, but I don’t think so.” The doctor seemed to sense her distress. “I’m sorry things have not worked out differently.”
“Me too.” The lump in Lucy’s throat swelled. When she looked at the doctor’s face, it blurred with her tears. “I don’t want to forget Alec.” She forced the words through stiff lips.
“Everything will be fine.” The doctor patted her hand again. “I took your advice on my phone ring.”
Lucy stared at Alec, trying to communicate her sorrow and longing. Alec glanced over his lieutenant’s heads and met her gaze, much as he had the night she first saw him, but this time his returned stare was flat. He was so done with her that he would wipe himse
lf from her mind.
The doctor waited for her to respond.
“What did you say?” she asked.
He pushed a button on his cell phone, and Bruce Springsteen’s voice crooned through tinny phone speakers: Tell me now baby is he good to you, can he do to you the things that I do—ah ha—I can take you higher. Ohh, Ohhh, Ohhh, I’m on Fire.
“Nice choice.” Despite her sadness, Lucy managed a smile at his pleased face.
“Wish me the ‘luck of the dragon.’”
“Luck of the dragon.” She meant it. He had been kind to her. She was sorry she wouldn’t remember him, either.
The doctor stood and jumped from the stage with surprising grace. Lucy was alone, surrounded by a flurry of colorful people, but still utterly alone. The full moon sat at half-mast in the dark sky, stars glittered in familiar Orion and Big Dipper patterns, but everything was different now.
Over the crowd, Lucy searched for Joey and saw that several dragon ladies talked to him through the bars. That much had not changed. Joey still had a way with the ladies. Apparently, even the dragon ladies.
At the front of the stage, Alec clapped each of his men on the shoulder. The men bowed before leaping off the stage and into the crowd. Their athletic strides and swiveled glances around the roof reminded Lucy of hunters on the prowl. They were off to find their mates.
Alec sat beside her and slumped back in the chair. “Try to look a little less terrified.”
Lucy forced a bright smile, as if she was enjoying herself. “The doctor said you would mind-wipe me?”
“Yes.” Alec picked up her hand and kissed the back of her fingers. “It is not painful.”
The warmth of his lips penetrated. She turned her hand and laced her fingers through his so their palms connected. “How can you do that to me?” Her voice cracked.
Alec frowned and gazed at the moon, distracted. “I cannot allow you to expose us to the humans. There are those who would see us destroyed. ”
Lucy swallowed at his words. “Like St. George in the picture in your hallway?”
“You mean the picture that you moved to steal from my vault.” Alec pulled his hand away from hers, and Lucy felt the loss of contact in her empty hand.
“Joey is all I’ve ever had.” Lucy angled her body so that she could see his face as she spoke. “I couldn’t let him steal from you. You would have killed him.”
“Oh yes. I still might.”
“You don’t mean it.” Lucy swallowed. “If you were going to kill us, you would have already.”
Alec turned away. He seemed so distant from her, as if they were strangers, seated randomly together at a mandated awards banquet.
She had to get his attention. “When you told me you wanted me forever, I didn’t believe you.”
Still, Alec didn’t react.
“Nobody has ever wanted me.” Lucy’s voice broke. “I’m too…complicated.”
Alec glanced at her and shook his head. He touched her interlaced fingers before looking away. “None of that matters now.”
“But I don’t want to be without you. I want forever, too. It just took me longer to realize it.” Lucy’s voice broke as the words of her heart poured out. “I want the melding of spirit you spoke of before. I want to stay with you, figure things out.”
“Let’s just try to get through the evening.” Alec stood and pulled her to her feet. His words said he didn’t care, but the hard contraction of his bicep under her palm told her he was not so unaffected.
Lucy gripped his arm. “At least don’t take my memories. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
“I can’t trust you.” Alec looked at the sky before leading her to the microphone. The crowd was separated into same-colored groups, with the men on the left and the women on the right. They watched Alec expectantly.
“The ancients instruct us to search outside our fold first for a mate. Remember, there is greater strength in a cross bond. Do not forgo the old ways.” Alec lifted his face to the moon and closed his eyes. The crowd silently followed his actions. “Great One, bless our coming together. Let the ceremony begin!”
Chapter Eighteen
Alec led Lucy to the red and orange clothed females. “You’ll start here.” He left her without any further instructions. Lucy peered at the other women, but they all avoided her eyes and whispered among themselves.
Lil joined her, wearing a male’s white tunic and pants with a blue sash. Her clothes labeled her an ice dragon from the north. The water in the exhibit made sense now. Fire and ice made water.
“You aren’t going to participate?” Lucy asked.
“No.” Lil’s voice was matter of fact. “I’m going to keep an eye on you.”
“Even after what I did?”
“I pledged my life to protect you until after the ceremony. Just because you are unworthy, it does not change my pledge.”
Lucy swallowed against the hurt her words invoked. Lil believed her to be unworthy of her pledge.
“I’m sorry for what I did.” It was good to say the words aloud to someone who, unlike Jane, might hear them. “I thought it would save my brother.” Lucy pointed to the cage behind them. Joey and a sinuous brunette talked as if they leaned against a bar top instead of through iron bars. “But Joey does just fine without me. I don’t have to try and save him anymore.”
Lil nodded, seeming to accept her explanation.
“Do you think Alec will forgive me?”
“He needs the bonding, no matter how he feels about you.” Still, Lil looked doubtful.
Lucy sought Alec over the crowd. He stood with the men on the other side of a thirty-foot space across from the women. She smiled despite feeling more fear then excitement. Alec frowned across the gulf and crossed his arms over his chest.
Alec, Joey, everyone else would do what they would do. All she could control was how she behaved. She could savor the night and make a memory that might stay in her heart, even if her mind would lose it in the morning and she was terrified of the heights.
“How does the dance go?” she asked Lil.
“It is like waltzing, or your country-western line dancing,” Lil said. “You’ll catch on.”
Lucy had never done any line dancing, but she had gotten an “A” when she had taken ballroom dancing in college. The orchestra warmed up behind them. Out of the cacophony of string and wind instruments, a single drum banged with a low timbre. The dragons immediately stopped talking and clapped together rhythmically. Unlike the clapping from before, this clapping had emotion, hope, and soul.
“Have fun.” Lil nodded at her and moved to the side.
“Lil,” Lucy called. “Watch for me. I’ll be the human with ‘the kaleidoscope eyes.’”
Lil nodded, acknowledging the Beatles lyrics.
Lucy joined the clapping and moved with the women as they formed five lines facing the men. The beat of the drum thumped in her chest, making every nerve ending turn outward like a leaf before a rain.
Stringed instruments joined the drums, and then intermittent cymbals punctuated the song. The music swelled and the women put their arms around each other’s shoulders. They moved in unison to the right, while the men stepped to the left. Back and forth, the lines danced until the women formed five united circles with the men.
Around and around they spun. Lucy was grateful for the supporting arms of the other women. She threw her head back and laughed, giddy with the beat and movement.
The line of women broke away and swayed down the columns of standing men. Each man Lucy passed grabbed her hands and pulled her close to his chest before releasing her. Each pass brought the men and women closer and closer. Lucy’s senses filled with the scent and feel of so many different men—soap and spice, sweat and virility.
Elation buzzed in Lucy’s chest and she searched the crowd for Alec. He met her gaze and smiled. It was slowly given, but sincere. Lucy’s lower stomach muscles tensed. What would happen when he was across from her, pulling her close to his bo
dy? The tightness coiled between her legs. Sharp arousal shook her frame with longing.
…
Alec watched Lucy sway in time with the dancers, her movements graceful and abandoned. She threw her head back and laughed, and her throat reflected pale in the moonlight, in contrast to her dark red hair and the sari. He remembered kissing her on the neck, pulling her smell into his lungs. Need clutched his body. His dragon vibrated inside his chest, all of his single-minded bestial obsession focused on Lucy.
Was it enough? The desire without trust?
The next pass brought Lucy to Alec’s line. Her scent washed over him, and when her hands touched his, electricity shot between them, startling Lucy so that she faltered. Alec reached out for her and held her up, cradling her into him. The surety of the moment washed over him.
“Give me another chance,” Lucy whispered.
“Yes.” Alec leaned in and kissed the column of her throat. He needed to get her away from the crowd, so he untied the sash at his waist and handed it to her. “Tie the sash around my neck.”
“What?” Lucy said.
“Thanksgiving for what the Fates have willed.” Alec smiled before leaping into the air and changing into his dragon.
…
Lucy spun in the dark sky, and the moon and the stars tumbled with her. The casino roof glittered underneath them like an opened jewel chest. The shock of being airborne stretched her body wide, so her hands and feet splayed to the four corners of the earth, and then she tumbled and fell, head over toes, toward the concrete sidewalk of the Strip. The flashing neon signs blurred and rushed away with the speed of her descent.
Exhilaration changed to panic in one heartbeat.
She was going to die. She was going smash into the ground. It was going to hurt.
A lot.
Lucy screamed, full throated and loud, right before she landed hard on the back of Alec’s black dragon.
Luck of the Dragon (Entangled Covet) Page 17
