dragons breath 02 - dancing with flames (15 page)

The clan healer, a wizened old man, came out and pulled the pendragon aside. They did not speak aloud, but by the expressions on their faces, they were communicating by telepathic means. This went on for several minutes before they turned to face the crowd.

The healer cleared his throat, and everyone quieted to listen to him speak. “Nanoq did not survive. I am afraid his throat was cut too deeply, and I could not heal him in time before he bled out.”

Aidan’s chest tightened. Dragons died all the time in battle, but not like this. Not while sitting in their bath, surrounded by the protection of the fortress walls and their clansmen. The very thought of a coward sneaking in to take the honorable shifter’s life when he was most vulnerable made Aidan sick.

Murmurs ran through the crowd around him and one woman screamed—Nanoq’s mother. Her mate pulled her close, anguish reflecting in his eyes as well. The healer did not allow anyone inside the circle of stones while he worked, so the captain’s parents had been required to wait outside the same as everyone else. They’d lost those final precious moments with their son.

The mother pushed away her mate and marched toward the pendragon. “I demand justice!” she said, tears streaking down her cheeks as she shook her fist. “Whoever did this must be punished!”

Throm took her by the shoulders. “I vow the killer will be found.”

Nanoq’s father nodded at the pendragon. “We expect no less.”

The captain’s parents met with the healer next, no doubt to discuss the burial ceremony. According to toriq custom, it would have to take place within the next twenty-four hours. The family would decide whether it was private or if guests were allowed attend, but first, the healer would clean and wrap the body. He took great pride in ensuring the families would not have to perform that burden themselves. For all that shifters were fierce, they took death very hard.

Throm ran his gaze across the assembled crowd until it caught on Phoebe. He beckoned her forward, waiting until she stood in front of him. “Your new task is to find the killer before the Bitkal. Do not fail me.”

“I will not,” she said fiercely and bowed her head.

Aidan’s sister would have a little over one week to manage it, but from past experience, he knew if the killer wasn’t found by then, it was unlikely it would ever happen. It was rare for new evidence to turn up after that. For Nanoq’s sake, Aidan hoped she succeeded. He wanted the bastard who did this captured and executed.

Phoebe turned toward the crowd and spoke, her voice loud and authoritative, “I want to speak to everyone who has been in or near the east bathhouse tonight, and anyone who saw the Captain of the Guard today. Meet me in the great hall in one hour.” She marched through the crowd, heading straight for Aidan and Falcon. “You two, come with me.”

Since she didn’t stop, they hurried after her as she stormed toward the fortress gates.

Aidan quickly came alongside his sister. “What is it you need?”

“You and Falcon just returned from your trip, correct?” she asked.

“Yes,” he confirmed.

She stopped and turned around. “Then at this time you two are the only ones I can rule out as suspects. I need you to help me identify the scents in the bathhouse and search for any evidence.”

Aidan lifted a brow. “You do realize a hundred or more people may have been in there today, don’t you?”

The only reason Nanoq had been caught alone was that, as the Captain of the Guard, he had a one hour block of time in the bath house in the evenings. It was a privilege of his position, which everyone knew about. Dragons loved baths, but few had the luxury of washing alone. They had always used communal baths to save on water resources.

“Which is why I need your help.” Phoebe glanced over at the standing stones. “Three sets of eyes are better than one, and I’ll be damned if anyone thinks our family had anything to do with Nanoq’s death, so I’m going to make certain I find the actual killer.”

Aidan gave her a confused look. “Why would they suspect us?”

“Ruari was seen in the keep earlier this evening, acting suspicious. Someone saw him slip away with Ember—who is linked to countless crimes, though there isn’t enough evidence to try her yet. No one has any idea where Zoran has been since this afternoon. You and I are the only ones with solid alibis.” She sighed. “Everyone knows this is a time when potential candidates for the Bitkal are most likely to turn up dead—usually killed by their competition.”

Aidan found it rather interesting that Phoebe had been keeping watch over their brother. Did she have spies on Ruari as well?

“I overheard Zoran and Nanoq speaking in private the other day,” Aidan admitted. “Our eldest brother was taunting the captain and telling him that he should not try to become pendragon.”

Phoebe let out a frustrated noise. “Oh, that’s just great.”

Falcon spoke up, “Though I do not trust Zoran, I’m not certain slitting a man’s throat in the bathhouse is his style. He seems more likely to challenge a person openly instead.”

“Perhaps,” Aidan snorted. “But I’d like to know where Ember has been since her meeting with Ruari.”

“I’ll look into it,” Phoebe said. Her eyes rounded as she saw something behind Aidan and Falcon. “Look!”

They turned and caught sight of Zoran in his dragon form, landing nearby with a large sack hanging from his mouth. He dropped it and shifted to human form. As soon as the flames died down, Zoran grabbed the sack and headed in their direction. There was a look of complete smugness in his expression. Aidan noted the crowd near the standing stones watching his arrival as well.

Zoran stopped about a dozen paces away and gazed around to make certain he held everyone’s attention. Then he opened the bag and pulled a green dragon head from it. Aidan had no doubt whose body the head belonged to or which clan.

“This,” Zoran called out, twisting the head around with its still-open red eyes for everyone to see, “is the head of Blayze—eldest son of the Shadowan pendragon.”

Phoebe stiffened. “Well, that rules out Zoran as a suspect.”

“And he has completed our father’s task,” Aidan added grimly.

Chapter 15

Aidan

Aidan hefted a heavy set of chains up, letting Bailey get a good look at them. “Do you trust me?”

“With those?” She eyed him warily. “What are you going to do with them?”

“You see that large tree over there?” Aidan nodded across the field at the largest one nearby.

She glanced that way. “Yeah.”

“I’m going to chain you to it so you can’t get free while I’m in my dragon form.”

Aidan was resorting to rather drastic measures, but he didn’t have much of a choice. The way Bailey had reacted to seeing him as a dragon last time proved they needed to work harder on her gaining control. His visit with his uncle in the library had also confirmed it.

He purposely woke up earlier than usual today—before noon and the rest of the toriq arose—just for this reason. It was the only time Aidan could spare. At most, he had two hours before he had to return to the fortress and resume helping his sister with her investigation.

They hadn’t found any evidence at the bathhouse—there were too many scents to narrow down a suspect—but Phoebe had gotten a few potential clues after questioning the witnesses last night. She wanted his assistance following up on them today. It wasn’t really his job, but the death of the Captain of the Guard was serious. Nanoq had been a good man, and he had not deserved to die that way. Aidan wanted the killer caught as much as anyone.

“Okay,” Bailey said, expelling a breath. “Let’s do it.”

Aidan raised a quizzical brow. “Truly? I’d expected more resistance from you.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes if it helps me get control and…I trust you.” She met his gaze and he could see the truth of her words in her eyes. “Right now, I’m too dangerous, and I don’t want to risk hurting you or anyone else.”

He’d half thought she’d punch him in the face for suggesting chains and tell him to go hell—which he still needed to ask what that meant. Instead, she appeared more desperate than him to do this. Aidan glanced back at the house and gestured for Donar to join them. He’d thought it best to talk to Bailey in private before bringing his cousin into it.

“What’s
he
going to be doing?” Bailey asked, giving Aidan an accusing glare. She didn’t care for Donar all that much, nor he for her. Perhaps someday they would work out their differences, but Aidan doubted it would be today.

“Donar will help talk you through the process while I’m in dragon form. He will also act as a safeguard on the minor chance you manage to break free.” Aidan didn’t think it would happen, and they’d locked all the weapons away already, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Bailey cast Donar a skeptical look, then turned to Aidan. “Why can’t you talk to me instead?”

“When he is in dragon form, you don’t hesitate to attack, but I’ve noted some hesitation when you’re around me. I want to build on that before trying it again with my cousin,” Aidan said.

“And she’s more likely to break those chains if it’s me,” Donar added with a hint of annoyance. “For once, I’d like to come out of this unscathed.”

For their last two attempts with Bailey, she had managed to injure Donar with whatever objects she’d found on the ground. Aidan had learned to clear away all nearby sticks and rocks, but she could always become more creative. He studied the ground now to be certain nothing could be converted into an effective weapon. There wasn’t anything except dirt and grass.

Bailey gave Donar an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, if that means anything.”

His cousin stiffened. “Learn to control yourself and that will mean more.”

“Sit against the tree,” Aidan ordered Bailey, not wanting to waste any more precious time with talk.

She did as instructed, staring straight ahead as he began wrapping the chains around her chest and stomach. He trusted his cousin with his life, but he could not stand the idea of Donar being the one to bind Bailey. Aidan had asked her to do this, and he’d ensure the chains were tight without restricting her ability to breathe. It was the least he could do. No other dragon slayer would ever allow a shape-shifter such liberties or care to learn control.

“How do you feel,” he asked, going around for the third loop.

Bailey flexed her hands where they rested near her thighs. “Fine.”

Aidan studied her face. She wasn’t quite meeting his eyes, as if something was bothering her. “Are you certain?”

“The chains are fine, but there’s something else.” Guilt flooded her features. “This is probably not the best time to tell you, but…uh, I attacked a red dragon yesterday.”

“What?” Donar stomped forward.

Aidan closed his eyes. This was why Bailey had been so cooperative today. “Did you kill him…or her?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I wounded him a couple of times, but somehow I managed to get control of myself long enough to tell him to go, and he flew off.”

He was relieved she’d managed such a feat without anyone there to help. Aidan hadn’t thought she was at a stage where she could gain control—even for a few seconds—while facing an unknown dragon. That gave him some degree of hope.

“Did you confront him here?” he asked. It had suddenly dawned on him that his lair may have been compromised, though he had not caught Ruari’s scent anywhere.

“No.” A fresh look of guilt washed over her face. “I was out hunting pure dragons in town.”

Aidan took the chain and wrapped it around her a final time—a little tighter than before—and locked it into place. “After I told you it was too dangerous right now?”

“I was in Thamaran territory. I figured that would be okay and I sure as heck didn’t expect to see one of your guys that far out,” she defended.

“Thamaran territory?” Aidan glanced at his cousin. “Any idea why one of our people would be there?”

Donar rubbed his chin. “None. Zoran’s task was with the Shadowan, and Phoebe has been busy inside the fortress. I haven’t heard of any scouting parties going that way, which leaves…”

“Ruari,” Aidan finished. He redirected his attention to Bailey. “Did he have silver tips on his scales?”

She mulled it over for a moment. “Yeah, he did.”

“Whatever task father set before Ruari, it must have something to do with the Thamaran.” Then something else occurred to him. “When did this take place?”

Bailey frowned. “Mid-afternoon, I think. When I came across him, there was a group of human men who’d caught him with hooks and ropes. They were shooting at him too, so he was already wounded when I arrived. I found out later they thought he was one of the dragons taking children, and they had set up a trap to catch him.”

Donar laughed heartily. “I wish I’d been there to see that.”

“What happened after you arrived?” Aidan asked.

“Well, I started tossing the men out of the way because he had a hook in his mouth. I figured it could loosen at any time with the way he was struggling, and then he could have burned the humans to death. Well, the hook did come out, and he burned one man to death before I cut him with my sword.”

Aidan bowed his head. This was not good at all. “He must have figured out you were a dragon slayer then.”

“Between my outfit and lack of burning to death in his flames…” Bailey sighed. “Yeah, he had to have known or figured it out later.”

“How badly injured was he?”

Bailey’s brows drew together. “He ripped a hook out of his jaws, so I imagine that was pretty bad. There was another one stuck in his hip that was still in him when he flew away. I slashed him a couple of times in the chest, and his belly was bleeding where the human guys shot him. It was all he could do to get up in the air before I lost control.”

“He has a low tolerance for pain,” Aidan said, shaking his head. “With those sorts of injuries, I am surprised he got away at all.”