Stroke of Fire

by Kira Nyte

  A matter of minutes changed her life, because now she knew she couldn’t be without the man by her side. She hoped he was serious about helping her reach her dreams. She couldn’t give up on those, either.

  The cottage reminded her of something she might see in a fairy forest. Built of wood and some unfamiliar materials with a thatch roof, covered in spindles of climbing greenery and spots of colorful blooms, it didn’t seem like a place that could withstand bad weather or brutal attacks. It was larger than she expected, but still smaller than their family home.

  No gardens. Nothing that hinted at her mother’s touch or her father’s design.

  Syn pushed the wood-slat front door open and let her pass into the cottage.

  She stopped, looked around, stepped back outside, regarded the size of the structure, and returned to the expansive sitting room.

  Syn quirked a brow. “Is everything all right?”

  Briella listened to the excited shouts and greetings and oohs and ahhs from somewhere within the cottage, but where exactly, she wasn’t sure. As far as she was concerned, the cottage should have been a matter of four or five rooms at most. The sitting room she and Syn walked into should have filled the cottage.

  “Umm, how is this possible?” She circled her hand in the air, motioning to the room. “The house shouldn’t be this spacious from the looks of the exterior. Dimensions are way off.”

  Syn’s grin turned thoughtful as he looked around. “I never noticed that before. Interesting.”

  She shoved his arm playfully. “Bull.”

  “I told you, this world is magic.” He turned back to Briella, eyes glittering with humor. “It’s a defense. The homes appear small on the outside to make them more difficult targets to enemies. But, yes. They’re far more spacious once you step inside. Think of it like an accordion unfolding the minute you step through the door. There’s a shift of space. Physics at work.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re a physicist.”

  “Far from it, but the importance of it when explaining how things work in The Hollow doesn’t elude me.” He tilted his head as another burst of laughter echoed through the house. “Sounds like Cade’s here.” He sniffed the air. “Smells like Alazar’s here, too.”

  “Who?”

  “Come. Cade’s been eager to meet you.”

  Briella and Syn passed through the large sitting room and down a hallway where they followed succulent aromas to another large living room with an adjoining dining room and spacious kitchen. She came up short of the archway into the kitchen, her body going rigid when she spotted the monster of a man at the opposite end of an island. With deep red hair and a matching red beard, all fierce angles and thick muscle, the man had to be close to seven feet tall, if he didn’t cross that mark. He towered over Syn by half a head, and Syn ate up inches on the height scale. His eyes held a fiery glow, a baseline to his coloring more so than the flames she’d seen in Syn’s eyes.

  He looked like an ancient warrior who belonged in the history books, not a man leaning against a kitchen island with a smile on his face and taking on the role of a happy greeter. Briella narrowed her eyes. Yeah, that smile didn’t fit him at all.

  “Sweet, you’re gaping.”

  Briella cleared her throat behind a hand she threw up to cover her open mouth. She ducked her head as a merciless flush filled her cheeks. Leaning into Syn came subconsciously, an instinctive reaction without thought. He settled a hand against the dip of her lower back.

  “Well, I must say, Gio. Saralyn knows how to pass on fine genes.” The voice that came from the monstrous man was as growly and gravelly as a dragon that tried to speak while in scales. It fit the guy. “Briella, is it?”

  Syn pressed her forward gently, urging her closer to Cade. Briella scanned the kitchen, which would have been huge had it not been crowded with dragon-men and strangers she didn’t know. Aside from her mother and herself, she spotted another young woman leaning up against the counter beside the stove. Another tall, dragonish man handled numerous pots and pans like a culinary expert.

  “Briella Isabelle,” her father said, pride filling his voice. He had been talking to someone who appeared fairly human and roughly around his own age. Another Keeper, perhaps.

  “I think I’m a bit overwhelmed, Syn. Who are all these people and where are we?”

  “This is your parents’ home. And these are people who will become family.”

  “Okay, that’s great and all, but honestly? I feel like the odd-woman out.”

  Syn glanced down at her as his hand slipped to her hip and squeezed gently. “I wasn’t expecting a party when we arrived. Had I known, I would’ve advised against it.”

  Briella nodded, coming to halt as Syn stopped in front of Cade.

  Cade held out his hand. Briella regarded it, wondering what damage her fingers were about to incur. She would not want to cross Cade’s path in a sunlit alleyway, let along a dark one. She gave him credit for trying to appear less intimidating.

  She placed her hand in his and was surprised by the tenderness of his grip and the easy shake.

  “Cade Fenryn. Leader of the Firestorm tatsu clan. It’s a pleasure, Briella. We’re thrilled to have you here at The Hollow. I do hope you find it to your liking,” Cade said. The more he spoke, the more the underlying rumble in his voice faded. He shifted enough to motion toward the cook, the woman, and the man with her father. “Alazar and Ariah Brandvold, and Mark Callahan, Alazar’s Keeper. They moved back to The Hollow a few months ago.”

  Ariah rounded Cade and approached Briella, the friendly smile and gleam in her eyes touching. Briella was startled when the woman embraced her.

  “Welcome,” Ariah said. “I hope your experience flying into The Hollow wasn’t as terrifying as mine.” She cast a sharp look toward the cook, who flashed them a wicked smile. “He forgot to tell me about the veil and I thought we were going to crash into the mountain.”

  “And he’s still breathing. I give you credit,” Briella said. Ariah laughed, a light, airy sound that fit her smaller frame. Briella eased away from Syn. “He warned me.”

  Ariah nodded up at Syn. “I always took you for a decent guy. You haven’t proven me wrong yet.”

  “I have no intention of doing so,” Syn said.

  Ariah tucked a loose wave from her asymmetrical haircut behind her ear. “Alazar told me Syn fixed up this place a few years ago in hopes that Giovani and Saralyn had survived. I understand most of the homes were destroyed after the Baroqueth attack.”

  “He’s done an amazing job, too,” Saralyn chimed in, stepping up to Ariah’s side. “I believe Alazar’s almost done preparing dinner, but I want to take a quick walk of the property and start plotting out new gardens. Would you ladies like to join me?”

  “Ma, it’s night.”

  Saralyn’s smile stretched. “The best time to walk. Syn?”

  Syn stepped back, leaving Briella to go with her mother and Ariah. Unfortunately, her discontent with these small bouts of separation was becoming more and more intolerable.

  “Enjoy, sweet.”

  For a second, she wanted to hate him. Hate him for being so kind and easy-going. Hate him for being so understanding and generous. She wanted him to say no, to give her a reason to push him away.

  No. I don’t.

  “Nighttime garden plotting it is, then,” Briella said, taking her mother’s outstretched hand.

  As she followed her mother and Ariah to the front door, she wanted Syn to stop her and ask her to come back.

  God.

  She thought she was starting to fall in love with a dragon named Syn.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dinner was as raucous as Syn imagined it would be. The reunion of dragons, Keepers, wives, and lifemates was celebratory, to say the least. Cade contributed a cask of wine from the wild grapes and berries he tended on the knoll beside his mountain home, which added to the jubilant atmosphere. Alazar’s meal of roasted meats and an extensive choice of sides received accol
ades and salutes.

  Two hours of dining, chatting, and catching up on poignant memories passed in a blink. He kept a keen eye on Briella, content that she had warmed to Ariah. She spent a good portion of the meal learning about The Hollow, lifemates, Keepers, and all the roles she would hopefully embrace. Her questions and curiosity were genuine, as were the subtle soreness and evident exhaustion that seemed to have intensified over the last half-hour. Her eyes had noticeably dimmed when he met her gaze across the table.

  Syn threw back the rest of his wine and pushed away from the table, drawing the rowdy crowd’s attention. “It’s been a long day. I think we should let our guests settle in for the night. There will be plenty of time tomorrow to continue this celebration.”

  Cade nodded, following Syn’s lead. He gathered his plate and cup and looked at Giovani. “We’ll clean up from this meal and supply you with whatever you need through this stay.”

  His brethren caught on quickly, finishing up the last of their drinks and clearing the table of dishes. When Ariah joined them in the kitchen and took a spot by the sink, Syn stayed her hands before she could start washing dishes beside Alazar.

  “She’s taken a liking to you, Ariah. Spend time with her. We’ll take care of this,” Syn suggested. “She needs someone who came from her world before learning about this one.”

  Ariah’s gaze shifted to her lifemate’s before she nodded and disappeared back into the dining room. Syn moved into her spot, grabbed a dishrag, and took the chore of washing dishes next to Alazar.

  “You’ve got yourself a stunner,” Alazar said quietly, rinsing off plates he had washed. “How the heck did your ugly ass manage that one?”

  “I should ask you the same thing, but you’ve got a sense of humor that can draw anyone in, so I know my answer.” Syn held up the remainder of a few cuts of meat. “And you cook.”

  Alazar snickered. “Ri helped me with dinner tonight. Her dishes can rival mine.”

  “That’s saying something.”

  “I taught her.” Alazar smiled. “That’s saying something.”

  “Have you spoken to Zareh?”

  “We visit every month. Kaylae’s due soon. He’s come here a couple times over the last few weeks, tidying up his pretty little cave in preparation for the big move once the baby’s born.” Alazar nodded toward the dining room. “What about Briella? She game for a one-way trip?”

  Syn shook his head. “Not yet. Unfortunately, she’s being tailed by Baroqueth.”

  “So I heard. Cade’s got a big mouth.”

  “Cade’s big overall.”

  Alazar dropped the plate he had rinsed in the sink, turned to Syn, and arched his brows. “And how would you know?”

  It took Syn a moment to catch Alazar’s double entendre, and when he did, he let a short spurt of sparks loose from his throat. Alazar jumped back, laughing.

  “Such a gentleman all the time. It’s fine to go crazy every once in a while,” Alazar said, returning to Syn’s side.

  Syn rolled his eyes and finished washing the last of his dishes. Gabe and Emery had joined them to dry and put the dishes away.

  A short time later, after everyone said their parting goodbyes for the night, Syn and Taryn hung back. Syn felt Briella’s growing discomfort from her wounds reflected through his body.

  “Thank you, Syn. For everything. Saralyn and I are utterly grateful for this,” Giovani said, spreading an arm toward the house. His eyes shimmered with tears. “It’s so good to be here, in our home. We’ve missed it tremendously. We’ve missed you and the clan.”

  Syn squeezed his shoulder. “You know this is your home, Gio. You tell me when you want to come here. For good. I’ll make it happen.”

  Giovani nodded. “In time. When Briella is ready. We won’t leave her.”

  “And neither will I,” he promised. “Give Saralyn my partings. Taryn and I are going to draw buckets from the mineral pools for Briella to soak in tonight. It would be best for her wounds. She won’t rest well otherwise. We’ll leave them on the front stoop and I’ll let you know when they’re outside.”

  Giovani stared at him for a long moment, more emotions playing across his face than Syn could decipher.

  “I’ve always known that if I was blessed with a daughter, you would give the world to her. I see that, Syn. As a father, I can’t tell you how much it means to know you adore her. It’s written plain as day every time your eyes land on Belle. I’ve noticed. And so has Saralyn.”

  Syn hid the sliver of disappointment that he’d be spending the night alone behind a gracious smile. “She is a treasure greater than anything I have crossed. And I am grateful she is your daughter, and my lifemate. I hope one day to make her happy.”

  “If I know anything about her, it won’t be long,” Giovani said, his voice low.

  Syn nodded once and stepped back. “Taryn and I will be back soon.”

  Giovani walked them out. A dark ache in Syn’s chest pulsed, growing stronger every second he thought of Briella.

  She hadn’t come to bid him goodnight. Not that he expected her to. She owed him nothing.

  “I’m still waiting for that nuclear explosion,” Taryn said as they started the climb up the hill to the level field. “If the tension between you two gets any thicker, you’ll need a hacksaw to pass anywhere near you.”

  “Tension is but tension, my friend.” Brutal, merciless tension. “I doubt it is as great as you suspect.”

  Taryn snorted. “Brother, Al noticed, and he notices little besides Ariah and any danger that might present itself toward her.”

  “What did you do, bet him a gold piece—”

  “Syn!”

  Syn stopped short and spun around. Briella hopped off the front stoop and sprinted up the path toward him. Taryn chuckled beside him.

  “Ka-boom.” Taryn flexed his fingers, mimicking an explosion. “Heed my warning.”

  Briella slowed as she approached him, her cheeks flushed and her ponytail mussed. Her breaths were labored, but her eyes glowed silver beneath the moonlight.

  “Where are you going?”

  “We’re going to fetch some mineral water so you can soak tonight. You’ll feel wonderful come morning,” Syn said.

  “Not just the minerals, but the power that infuses the water from the land,” Taryn added.

  Briella’s attention cut between Syn and Taryn as she caught her breath. She took another step closer to Syn and brought those sultry eyes back to him, melting him. He caught an irrational request on the back of his tongue before it spit from his lips and made him a complete fool.

  “Dad said you weren’t staying the night.”

  Syn shook his head. “No, sweet. I have my home and I’m not going to intrude.” He grinned, brushed a strand of hair from the corner of her mouth, and felt her jaw clench. “What?”

  “Why are you so…so…” A sharp groan escaped her. “Ugh! You’re too understanding.”

  Syn’s grin dropped and a brow lifted. “And I assume that’s bad.”

  Briella shook her head. “No.”

  “Then?”

  Briella’s fingers fisted at her side. Syn witnessed an incredible storm of warring emotions cross through her eyes.

  “I want to stay with you. If you’ll have me.”

  Syn narrowed his gaze on her, certain he’d not heard her correctly.

  Had he?

  “You want to stay with me? My home, Briella, is not a home like your parents’. Dragons live inside the mountains.”

  “That sounds perfect. As long as you’re there, it can be in a tree trunk. I just want… I want to be close to you.”

  Oh, he heard her right, and her confession struck him straight through the heart. The right thing to do would be to deny her request.

  “Please,” she said, her voice just above a whisper.

  Oh, dear goddess. He’d have her.

  “As you wish, sweet.”

  * * *

  “You weren’t kidding when you said you live in
the mountains.”

  Syn adored her spark of humor and evident awe when they arrived at his mountain home. They mixed together and created a uniquely innocent yet sexy tone in her voice. The calm of her expression and the glow in her eyes added to her allure, and the idea that she insisted on being with him let him release some of his propriety.

  “Each mountain peak is the home of a dragon. We need space to take off and land. Provides immense protection and plenty of room.”

  It had been a subpar explanation. His brain wasn’t cooperating with his usual collected manner. Not while faced with the prospect of Briella and him, alone.

  After the short tour of his mountain home—he bypassed the subterranean levels to show her the main living area fitted with many modern furnishings, from beds and sofas and tables to a rustic kitchen with a few modern utilities—he left a safe Briella to fetch mineral water from the underground springs. Taryn had gone ahead and filled a dozen large buckets by the time he arrived.

  “And I thought I’d be hauling these suckers back alone.” Taryn snickered and placed the last bucket on the rocky shelf beside the others. He eyed Syn through the swirls of steam rising from the crystalline waters, lit a serene silver-blue in the moonlight. “Tell me, brother. Why are you trying so hard to be the gentleman she doesn’t want you to be? That you don’t want to be?”

  Syn stared at Taryn. That same question pinged around in his head on the flight over to the springs. Briella had pointed out his gentlemanly behavior, too. Was it really so bad?

  Hell, yes.

  Syn scowled. “She’s a strong-willed woman. I want her to make the decision.”

  “Um, Syn. I know your sight is spot on, and then some.” Taryn waved a hand toward the cave’s entrance. “But you’re damn blind when it comes to her. She’s at your place. What more do you need? Geez, man. Even I heard the innuendo in her plea to come with you.”

  So had Syn. He’d heard it, seen it, felt it. His dragon rumbled with pleasure.

  “You’re a damn dragon and she knows that. Show her how we treat our women.” Taryn shrugged, dragging half of the buckets together. “But hey. I’ve never been one to drive myself crazy trying to make an impression that’s already understood by the other party. She knows you’re a gentleman. No reason to keep proving it. Maybe that’s not what she wants right now.”