Dragon's Heart (18 page)

 
The Dark
Lord stood over a spot just beyond the wards. Stooping down he touched the
soil. He picked up a little bit of dirt and rolled it between his thumb and
forefinger. His pupils dilated and his nostrils flared, emitting a small amount
of red smoke.
You stood here, betrayer,
and watched us. You masked yourself well, but I have your scent now, and it
will only be a matter of time before I find you and finish this once and for all.

“
H
ow’s he
doing?” Sherri asked as she stepped into the spacious room decorated in shades
of bronze and tans set aside for Paul. Maya understood what she asked but to
her ears it sounded like ‘ows e dooeng.’ She found Sherri’s accent
delightful.
 

     
“He hasn’t
moved,” Maya replied as she sat on an antique chair at Paul’s bedside.
 
He still lay flat on his back, his eyes
closed. The same way Draakar left him.

     
“Why don’t you
go get something to eat?” Sherri suggested. “Take a break. I’ll sit with him.”

     
Maya glanced
from Sherri to Paul. She nodded her head. “I’ve already had something, thank
you, but I will take a break. Have you eaten?”

     
“I’m not very
hungry. If I need anything, I can always think it up,” Sherri said with a brief
smile.

     
Maya vacated
the chair she sat in, and acting on impulse as Sherri passed by, she hugged
her. Before she released her she whispered,
He’s
alive and with life there is always hope.

     
Sherri turned
quickly and stared at her. Saying nothing she sat in the empty chair.
 
Maya paused at the opened door and
glanced back over her shoulder, watching as Sherri pulled the chair closer to
the bed and took Paul’s hand. A faint glow surrounded their joined hands and
Paul moved. He didn’t regain consciousness but rolled onto his side to face
Sherri and curled his knees up to his chest. Maya slowly closed the door on the
pair, quietly backing away.

     
“Is he
resting?” a deep voice asked behind her.

     
Startled Maya
whirled around, her arm making contact with a hard muscular chest. She didn’t
give herself time to think. Resting her face against Draakar’s chest, she
wrapped her arms around his waist, needing to feel the strength, the power she
would find in his arms.
 
Just this
once.
 
That’s all she would allow
herself.

     
She shivered
from the contact.

  
Hold me. I just need you to hold me right now.

    
All you need do is ask.
His arms
enveloped her and warmth and comfort flooded her system.

     
Draakar placed
his chin on top of her head, knowing contentment with his mate.
 
He breathed a sigh of relief. At last
he held her in his arms. Where she belonged.

Determined
not to let this moment pass them by, he transferred them to his sitting room.
He had no idea how long they stood there holding on to each other. Whatever she
needed he would provide, even if he had to stand there for an eternity. Much
too soon she pulled away from him, but she didn’t go far, just removed her
hands from around him.
 
Slowly,
reluctantly, he released her and let his hands fall to his sides. Still, she
didn’t step back. They were making progress.

“Are
you all right?” he murmured.

She
looked around. He could tell by her expression she’d just noticed they were no
longer in the hallway, but in his sitting room. She made no effort to leave.
Again progress.

“I’m
not sure,” she said, wrapping her arms around her body as though bereft of his
touch. “I can maybe understand why the betrayer would hurt Paul, but why kill
his wife? She had no power and couldn’t help him in any way.”

“He
thrives off the negative energy of others, Maya. Killing, instilling fear, and
destroying others is the way he gains satisfaction and power over others. With
him it’s all about control.”

“I
guess if he’d kill his own people, his own brother, he’d have no problem
killing an innocent.”

“That’s
not all that’s bothering you though…is it?”

“No.
I sensed something earlier. I…I think I even saw something out there on the
mountain. It looked like some kind of a shadow, but it seemed to have a tangible
presence. The essence of it somehow felt familiar to me.” She shook her head.
“That doesn’t really seem right.”

He
shrugged. “The betrayer may have cloaked himself from your eyes but you were
able to sense him because of an ancestral memory of his presence. That may be
why he seemed familiar to you.”

Maya’s
sigh seemed one of relief. “That’s what I thought, it was just a memory. It was
just such a strange feeling.” She looked around again and stepped away from
him. “Ah, Paul’s still unconscious, but he seems a little better,” she
continued and he read her nervousness. “I…left Sherri with him and he had
rolled to his side by the time I left.”

The
way she moved away from him and her eyes wondered the room to anywhere but on
him, told him she was aware of his nearness as he of hers. “If he’s got
movement back, that’s good. He should be waking soon.”

“What
did the betrayer do to him?”

“He
tried to steal his powers, possibly by trying to drain his magicks and taking
it into himself.”

“My
God! Can he do that?”

“He
has tried before but I have no memory of it working. While he can drain magick,
as far as I know he has not been able to absorb what he’s drained, at least not
for any length of time. If enough of our magicks is drained the brethren is
most likely to die.
 
Paul, somehow,
must have been able to get away from him long enough to cross over the wards.
The power there the only thing capable of saving him. I had to draw a little of
earth’s magicks into Paul to restore his energy balance until he can heal himself.
To do that, both his body as well as his mind needs to rest. He’s suffered
twice fold. He had to watch his wife killed, helpless to stop it.”

“Oh
no, poor Paul! His wife seemed like a nice person. She didn’t deserve this,
neither does Paul.”

“No
one does. I’ll check on Paul in a bit.”

“Ah,
you don’t need to actually go and see him to do that, do you?”

“No,
but I was. Is there some reason why I shouldn’t?”

“Sherri’s
with him and I don’t think they should be disturbed. Give them a little while.”

“Why?”

 
“Well, for one thing, Paul moved for
the first time after Sherri touched him, and when she did, her hand on his
glowed.”

     
“I see. Do you
have any idea what that could mean?”

     
“I’m not sure,
but watching her with him, I just get the feeling there may be some feelings
involved; at least on her part. Could they be a pair?”

     
“Maybe, or
Sherri could be a healer. If so, the glow you saw may have just been the use of
her healing power. She does radiate an aura of natural empathy. It has been a
long time since the brethren had a healer other than myself, and my abilities
would be nowhere near a natural empath. They were the first ones destroyed
during the purges. We don’t know why. We’ll just have to wait and see how
strong Sherri is.

“But
for both their sakes,” he continued, “I hope they are not a pair. Paul’s
suffered a shock, and it will be some time before he will be able to look
beyond his grief. As a result, his powers will be greatly lessened, and if he
rejects Sherri, hers will be as well.”
 

Draakar
did not tell Maya he could read Paul’s emotions. Even unconscious, Paul
suffered with guilt because he’d been unable to save his wife. Draakar could
hear the echo of her screams in Paul’s mind, and they gave him chills. He could
only imagine what Paul must have felt to watch his wife tortured and murdered
before his eyes.
  

     
“If they are a
pair, I hope he turns to her,” Maya said. “Why would he reject her?”

“Sometimes loss can affect people in destructive ways,”
Draakar responded. “He will blame himself for what happened. We’ll keep an eye
on him. He just needs time to heal physically and mentally. While his body will
be fine in a day or two, I’m afraid his emotional health may take longer to
recover.”

I know what it’s like to lose
someone you love.

He
picked up her surface thought, and for a moment, the echo of her pain sliced
through his own heart. “Yes, your grandmother. She died recently. I’m sorry I
never had a chance to meet her, but if you’d let me, I can get to know her
through you. I know how much you loved and miss her.”

“She
would have liked you,” she said while smiling, and cocked her head to examine
him. “She always had a thing for handsome men.”

Draakar
grinned, standing straighter. “So you think I’m handsome?”

     
Maya snorted.
“You’ve got a mirror. Just don’t let it go to your head. I’m not.” She took a
step toward him and the tips of her fingers gently touched his arm.
 
“Wait...something’s just occurred to
me. If I’m brethren, then one or both of my parents are brethren. Does that
mean my grandmother could have been brethren?”

     
It took Draakar
a moment to answer her question, mesmerized by her unconscious touch of his
arm. Unconscious or not, the gesture still sent a charge up his arm, raising
the fine hairs all over his body. She must have sensed his response to her,
probably because he could feel a soft glow emanating from his eyes. She quickly
removed her hand. He took a deep breath to calm his racing blood and forced his
mind to slow down and answer her query.

“That’s more than likely true. For you to have the powers you
do, my guess is both of your parents are brethren, possibly even truemates. I
can not say for certain if your grandmother was brethren, though.” Draakar
moved farther into the room and sat down in one of the two matching chairs,
inviting Maya with a casual flick of his wrist to sit in the other. “Tell me
about your grandmother. Nana, right? Let me get to know her through your eyes.
Let me get to know you.”

A
fair request and Maya read sincerity in his words.
Yet, even sitting Draakar dominated the room, enveloping her within his spell.
“I don’t think that would be such a good idea,” Maya decided.

     
“What? Getting
to know you better? I don’t want to read your memories. I want you to tell me
of them.”

     
Maya allowed
her body to relax. That was the last thing she wanted, him in her head anymore
than he already resided there. “All right.” She sat in the chair next to
Draakar and curled her feet up against her side. A wine decanter and two
glasses half-full of red wine appeared on the table between the chairs. He
picked up a glass and offered it to her.

“Thank
you,” she said, and took a sip of the rich burgundy then began to talk. She
talked about her family and about her grandmother. Then he told her about life
on Akgon, and showed her what it looked like by opening his mind to her.

“Oh
wow!” she exclaimed. “Purple and blue sky. Why, this is beautiful! I love
it!
 
Except for the twin suns, it’s
not much different from earth.”

“Days
are slightly longer there.” Draakar smiled as he spoke. “But the nights are
filled with colorful shooting stars streaking across the skies.” The very vivid
picture he placed in her mind took her breath away. The stars, of course, were
dragons in flight surrounded by their auras.

“It
does seem a lot like earth. Maybe because the trees and landscapes look very
similar to ones here on my planet.”

“Some
of them are very similar. We have something that’s very close to pears. The
trees look the same, as does the shape, but instead of a yellowish color
they’re more of a royal blue color. The taste is the same, though.”

 
“It also looks like your world has an
abundance of waterfalls.” Maya could grow to love it there. Wait, where did
that thought come from? She could never go there, not even for a brief visit.
Going there would mean leaving her family and friends, everything she knew.
Going there would mean accepting Draakar and responsibility for the
brethren.
 
No, she couldn’t do it.

She
leaned forward and placed her empty glass on the table next to the empty
bottle. Had they really just drunk an entire bottle of wine? Not something she
did often. Then again, since she’d met Draakar, she had ventured way past her
comfort zone. Beyond any known zone.

    
“I think I’ll turn in
now.” She got up and stretched, raising her hand to her mouth to cover a yawn.
“What will we do about the betrayer?”

     
“Tomorrow I
will try to find his trail again, but for tonight…are you sure you want to
leave?” Draakar looked at Maya over the rim of his wine glass with hooded eyes.

     
He seemed
relaxed and poised, but hooded eyes or not, she felt his constant desire for
her. It vibrated off her own. “I think I better,” she said, turning away from
him.
 

She
made it as far as the door.
 

Just
before her hand touched the doorknob, two cloth-covered arms appeared over her
shoulders and large, long-fingered hands pressed flat against the door. If she
leaned back a hair she would touch him. Hell, she could already feel him. He
didn’t have to physically touch her. Her body vibrated with awareness of his.
Every pore opened wide, infusing his scent into her body; every hair reached,
straining to brush against his flesh. He bent his head forward and his ebony
tresses cascaded over her shoulders and onto her chest, forming a shroud around
them. Every cell in her body came to full attention in anticipation of his
caress.

     
She raised her
head to rub the side of her face against his smooth skin. The friction caused
both their bodies to give off a soft glow. He withdrew his hands from the door
and gently clasped her shoulders. His mouth hovered near her ear, and she
turned her head to bring her nearer so she could feel his lips against her
skin. The pressure of his hands on her increased, silently, encouraging her on.
She needed to touch him like this, to know his taste, his kiss and assuage this
burning curiosity.

Just once.

Her
words came out as a harsh breath against his lips. “Once is all I need, just
this once.”

I am always yours to command.

 
Nothing about their kiss seemed slow,
gentle or innocent. Their mouths didn’t touch, they fused, and the glow
surrounding them grew brighter. Hotter. Catching both in an inferno of need.

Draakar
brought one hand up to cup her face. The other he wrapped around her waist and
pulled her against his body until she had knowledge of every hard ridge of him.
She shifted closer wanting more as her heart raced to catch up with the demand
of the blood, pumping through her veins because of his touch.

He
moved his mouth to her cheek, neck, anywhere and everywhere he could touch. He
couldn’t seem to devour enough of her. One of the fingers he splayed on her
face ended up in her mouth. Maya swirled her tongue around it as she began to
rub her body against the hard planes of his. The entire room looked as though
bathed in a bright golden bronze light.

I will die where I stand if I
cannot get inside, now
.

His
thought mirrored her own. The shrill ring of an old-fashion styled phone
eventually permeated the sounds of their labored breathing, and infected the
fantasy he’d woven between them.

“What
in all the hells is that?” Draakar snarled.

Gasping
for breath, Maya managed to get out, “Ah, my…my cell phone. I’ve got to answer
it.” Shaking her head, her brain began to function again. “That’s my special
ring for calls from home. My parents only use it if…if it’s important.”

“What
could be...?” Draakar began.

Maya
let him see the memory of the last time she’d heard this particular ring. Her
mother used it to tell her about her grandmother. He kept quiet but kept his
arms loosely wrapped around her waist. Enclosing her in a different kind of
warmth, letting her know whether good or bad happening in her life, he remained
here for her.
You are not alone.

Maya
shifted so she could unhook her cell phone from her belt clip and took a deep
breath before she answered it. Still she stammered. “He-Hello.” She paused.
“Dad, Dad, I can barely hear you. What’s wrong? What’s going on?
Ohmygodohmygod! No! I’m coming. I’m coming home.” Another pause then, “Yes,
yes. I’ll call back with the details. I love you, Dad. Tell Mom…tell Mom, I
love her and I’m coming. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

The
phone fell from her nerveless hand, but Draakar caught it with a look. He
returned it to her belt clip. Holding her in his arms the entire time, Maya
knew he listened in on the conversation from both sides. Grateful she didn’t
have to explain a thing, Maya looked at him. This time tracks of tears covered
her face and more pooled in her eyes. She buried her face in his shoulder.
  

“Mom…Mom.
Please God, not my mom!” Her body trembled with the force of her emotions.

“Shhh.
All will be well. I have already sent Ian to get the jet ready. He will fly us
to the States. I’ve alerted the other brethren. They will meet us at the car
where your packed bags are already waiting. All we have to do is go.”

She
fought to stop the tears and accepted his help.
One less thing to worry about
.
 
She raised her head and wiped her face, trying to pull
herself together. “Just like my nana, Draakar,” she spoke in a voice roughened
by grief. “My mother was involved in a hit and run just like Nana. What is
wrong with this world?”

“She is
alive, Maya, and she will remain that way until I can get there to make sure of
it. I had Ian call in a skilled human doctor with a little brethren blood to
oversee your mother’s care. I also asked Mother Earth to help maintain her life
energy, which she can do. I just need to get us there.”

Evening
settled on the mountain, and Maya clung to him as they walked down the castle
steps. Four of their brethren waited for them beside the limo. Robert opened
the door for them and Draakar followed behind her. Darryl and Robert climbed in
behind them. James shut the door and got behind the wheel. Cass sat up front to
keep him company.

Maya
found herself burrowed under Draakar’s arm, but she raised her head to look at
their companions.
You all don’t have to
do this. Please, you don’t have to come with us. Stay and finish practicing
your magicks.

Cass
turned around to face her.
We go where
you go, my Lady,
Cass sent, expressing her sympathy and resolve in that one
look. Maya nodded in silent acknowledgement. She and Cass had made peace of
sorts between them.

We can practice anywhere,
James
sent, interrupting Maya and Cass’ visual communication.
Besides you might need us.

“What
about Paul?” Maya asked aloud to no one in particular. “He will need looking
after for a couple of days.”

“Sherri
is staying with him,” Draakar said. “They will both be safe here. As soon as
Paul is able to travel they will join us.”

“Won’t
they need to remain here?” Maya asked. “What about the betrayer? I can’t let
what is happening to me stop the rest of you from looking for him.”

“He
is not an immediate danger,” Draakar replied.
Yes, we need to find him, but you are more important.

Maya
turned to give him a sad smile when she caught his thought.

“His
scent is no longer in the area,” Draakar said aloud. “He knows he can’t get
past the wards on his own. Right now your need comes first. Besides, my
instincts are telling me he will follow us in the hopes we can somehow provide
him with the means of entry to the Stones.” Draakar paused before continuing.
“I hope he follows us,” he growled. “I want this over with, so we will travel
to the United States. In any case, I suspect Talon is there.”

“We’re
stronger together anyway,” Darryl said. “So we stick together.”

“Thank
you. All of you,” Maya said and looked at Draakar again. She could sense his
fear—he thought he would not return to Akgon in time—and also his
need to stop the spread of evil on earth. Yet, he remained with her.
Thank you.

We take care of our own. I told
you, you will never be alone again. I will always stand by you. My Lady.

Draakar
didn’t say it as a title, but as something more intimate and personal to him,
and Maya accepted it as such.
 

She
laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, trusting him to get her to
her mother’s side and to keep her alive. More importantly, she began to trust
him with herself. The feel of a firefly’s kiss on her forehead woke her up from
an all too brief dreamless sleep. The moment she opened her eyes, the worry and
fear rushed back in.

“We’re
here.”

The
words vibrated through her. Maya’s head rested on a chest that should not have
been comfortable to lie upon, but it was. Reluctantly, she pushed her body off
Draakar and looked around the empty car. They were parked on the tarmac near an
airplane with a Celtic design of a black dragon painted on its tail. It could
only belong to Draakar.

“Our
things have already been loaded and everyone has just boarded. They’re only
waiting for us. Are you ready?”

“Yes,
yes,” she said, brushing her hair away from her face. “Ah, what about customs?”
He gave her a direct stare and raised one dark empirical eyebrow. “Yeah.
 
Right. Forgot about that mind thing.”

He
touched her hand and she froze, turning her gaze back to his. In what seemed
like slow motion, he lowered his lips to meet hers as she raised them to his.
This kiss, while not as all consuming as their first one, in some ways packed
even more heat because of its gentleness, its awareness. A promise. Something
shifted inside her. Unsure what, she pulled away from him.

“We’d
better go.”

I am here, Maya, always.

I know. I am starting to believe
it.

He
stepped out of the limo first and then helped her out. They did not have far to
walk together to get to the stairs of the airplane. Once onboard, they found
Ian in the cockpit and to Maya’s surprise, Draakar took the empty seat next to
his.
 

He
could read the question as it formed so answered before she could verbalize it.
“Yes, I am going to sit with you, but I need to watch Ian’s take off. I have
the knowledge to fly this thing but I wanted to see how it’s done firsthand.
Once we’re in the air I’ll relinquish my seat to Darryl. He wants to learn to
fly too. This is the closest he’ll come while on earth. After we’re stable I’ll
come and sit with you. Unless you’d prefer I sit with you during take off? I’d
let you sit up here but as you can see there is only room for two. Next time
I’ll get a bigger plane.”

“No,
that’s okay. I’m fine.” She managed a smile. Such a guy thing leaning to fly,
but come to think of it, she wouldn’t mind learning either, but not today. “You
go on and help fly the plane. Just get me home in one piece. That’s all I ask.”