Dragon's Touch (Book 1 Linty Dragon Series) (21 page)

Uncle Charles had become pensive, my father’s expression was one of anger, and I smiled. “I’ll walk you to the door.” Neither man liked to be sent packing, not one single bit.

As they strode to the car, I could feel a presence behind me. The scent of sexy cologne, combined with his masculinity, brought a sharp awareness of Cullen, as he stood close.

Chapter 16

Warmth from his hands brought a flood of emotions I refused to acknowledge. An errant thought raced through my mind, but I stuffed it away. Unwilling to consider what would happen if I turned in Cullen’s arms and accepted a kiss that I was sure would be there for the taking, I took a deep breath.

“You handled them well, Linty,” he said and walked toward the dragons. “Have you determined if you’re able to read the book? We must find the key to the dragons.”

“I haven’t opened it, let alone read it,” I lied. This lying business had become a bad habit, one I loathed. Plain and simple honesty was my usual policy. That way I didn’t have to keep track of lies that tended to grow out of proportion and could trip me up when I least expected them to.

His brow hiked, he offered me a cool look of disbelief.

“What?” I asked innocently.

“You might lie to your family, but don’t lie to me. You’re lousy at it.”

“All right, I opened the book, tried to cross the language barrier looking for words Gran had used when I was young, but I understood nothing. Happy now?”

“Better, but not quite the whole truth. Try again.”

“Get over yourself, and stop expecting me to complete your agenda for you. When I figure out how to read the book, you’ll be the first to know, okay?” So, I’d become testy, so what? First my relatives tried to boss me around, and now Cullen had picked up where they’d left off. For goodness’ sake, what had I gotten myself into? Maybe it would be smart to walk away from all this nonsense, and I promptly put the brakes on that thought. In my heart, I knew leaving Drake was impossible.

A glare from Cullen showed he wasn’t happy with my response. I shrugged, offered him a drink and pulled a bottle of Balvenie Double Wood single malt whiskey from beneath the sideboard. He watched as I poured us each a shot of the sweet liquor I’d come to favor. With a smile, Cullen took the glass I proffered.

“Let’s sit outside before it rains. Gosh, I’d forgotten how often that happens here.” I walked away with glass and bottle in hand. I sipped the liquor slowly, its flavor of dried fruits, sherbet spice, toasted almonds and cinnamon, layered with creamy toffee notes, traces of oak and vanilla left a delicious lingering taste in my mouth.

We sat in pale sunlight while gray clouds scudded in, dimming the day with threatened rain. I toasted Cullen and he nodded. “You arrived just in time to save my sorry butt.”

“And a fine one it is,” he murmured with a gleam in his eyes.

Changing the subject, I asked if he’d stay with the dragons while I went to Aberdeen.

“I will, but don’t dally. You and the dragons mustn’t be separated for extended periods of time. Essie had told me she couldn’t leave them for more than twenty-four hours, and she never left them unattended. I have no idea why, perhaps to prevent theft.”

“What else did she tell you about them?”

“They have a long history. Having been passed down from generation to generation throughout the centuries, the dragons have always been protected by the oldest family member. I can see why Charles wouldn’t be appointed to the position, but I’d have thought your father would be next in line.”

With a bark of laughter, I said, “Hardly. My father has never stayed in one place long enough to watch over his shoes, let alone a slew of dragons such as this precious lot. You mentioned he worked for the government, which, in my estimation, fits him perfectly. As long as I can remember, Dad hopped from country to country. He rarely visited me at school, and only did so when he was in the area. He keeps his Boston residence private and probably always will.”

“You really care about the dragons, don’t you?”

I nodded. “They have always been part of me, and I cherish them. Gran must have known this when she appointed me dragon keeper. I relish protecting them, making sure they never come to harm or are used for personal gain.”

“You and Drake have an unusual bond.”

“Indeed. He was my soul mate from youth, and will forever stay first and foremost in my heart.”

“He speaks to you.”

I gave Cullen a wide-eyed stare. “Yes.”

A satisfied look crossed his face. “He whispers to you.”

That he knew Drake was more than a statue, but lived encased in his stone prison worried me. I leaned forward, ready to spit out an explanation.

Cullen raised a hand and said, “It’s fine, I’ll never tell anyone. How could I accuse you without admitting I hear him as well. The authorities would likely send us to the same insane asylum.” 

I chortled. “You have a point there. Drake whispers to me, he always has, though I’d never realized it until recently. As a child, I’d thought my imagination was at play and that belief stayed with me all these years. It wasn’t until I was alone with him this past week or so, that I finally admitted he could communicate. He’s aware of what goes on around him and is insistent that I decipher the book.”

A gleam of interest entered Cullen’s eyes, and that was all I got in return for my confession. Would he ultimately use the knowledge against me? I had to believe he wouldn’t. My next steps in discovery of what the book held would be taken with great care. It paid to be shrewd, I was capable of it, and resigned to being so. My amazement and curiosity over him hearing Drake speak caused me to ask, “When and how did you come to hear Drake?”

Cullen turned and looked me in the eyes. “When he first spoke to you, I heard what he said. Unwilling to admit it, I feel compelled to do so now. You’ll need all the help you can get when you have learned that you are capable of reading the book. Don’t fight doing so, Linty, I know you will develop confidence in whatever skills are presented to you, and reading the book will be one of those skills.”

“You might find the book enlightening. It may hold secrets you’re unprepared for and information that can lead to offering the dragons their lives back. In return, you’ll be free to live your life without fear, as you should.” Cullen stood and walked the patio, stared into the wooded grounds past the stone wall. He turned and murmured, “Go inside.”

Startled, I opened my mouth.

“Right now,” he ground out with a fearsome stare.

“I’ll be indoors if you need me,” I said and raced into the sanctuary of the house. From the library doors, I watched him walk idly down the road and into the forest. He’d disappeared from view when I heard a loud thump from upstairs.

The front staircase was quicker than the rear stairs off the kitchen and I took the steps two at a time. At the top, I stood quietly, awaiting an indication of where the noise emanated from. An eerie silence persisted, and slowly I checked the rooms, closets, and peered under beds. Where I got the bravery to do so was a mystery.

Each room was the same as I’d left it, void of a human, a critter, or anything else that might make noise. Worried over the possibility that somebody was in the servants’ quarters, I set off to search them as well. A shadow flickered as I topped the stairs, I caught my breath and fell sideways when pushed aside by the stranger. My fingers gripped the handrail when I headed into freefall. Panic rose in my throat, choked me, and I held fast while I slid down a few steps on my knees, leaving them bruised and scraped.

Alarmed, I gave a yell for the intruder to stop. He fled. Footfalls thumped down the second floor stairs, the front door banged against the wall and he was gone in an instant. It had taken me but a second to regain my balance and I ran after him. When I reached the first floor, the front door swung in the wind, spattered by rain that now came down at an angle and blew in through the opening.

With a swift motion, I slammed the door, rubbed my sore shins and using a tissue from my pocket, I dabbed blood that dribbled down my knees. The rear door struck the kitchen counter, and I turned as Cullen stormed inside. His clothing wet, his hair dripping, he held a towel in one hand. With a look at me, he tossed the towel over.

“Here, take this. What happened?”

“There was a noise upstairs. I checked it out and found somebody had gotten in and had hidden in the servants’ quarters.” I related the rest of the events and inspected my bruises. The scrapes had stopped bleeding.

“Are you all right?” Cullen asked as he walked toward the dragons nestled behind glass doors.

“Fine, I’m fine,” I groused. “What were you looking for out there?”

“I thought I saw someone lurking beyond the trees. When I got close, I found they’d gone. On my way back, I heard you yell just before the skies opened and I got soaked. Did you see who’d gained access to the house?”

“Not really. I thought I’d left the front door locked, but maybe not. I tend to lock it when I’m here alone, but sometimes I travel in and out that way. Life is getting crazier by the moment, Cullen, and I’m worried.”

He stared into the case, leaned close to the glass panes and then opened the door. “One of your dragons has gone missing,” he said flatly.

Hurriedly, I crossed to stand beside him and asked, “Which one?”

“The one with gold trim on the edges of his scales. Was it the one Charles was after?”

“No,” I said and pointed to the dragon Charles had wanted. “He was interested in that one.” I glanced over my shoulder at Drake. His tail twitched and a tendril of smoke rose from his nostrils. “Well?” I asked impatiently.

“He was taken by the one who ran from you.”

Cullen and I looked at one another. I stamped a foot in anger. “Damn it, we need to get him back.”

His phone in hand, Cullen dialed a number and said, “I’ll put feelers out for who took it.”

I stepped aside and whispered to Drake, “What is the dragon’s importance, and why would he be specifically selected?”

Eyes the color of warm embers glowed softly.
“He’s a powerful dragon from the dark side of the moon. Unleashed from his encasement, he will become a deadly force on behalf of his master. You must find him, Linty.
Find him before anyone knows you have the book.”

I leaned in close and whispered, “Surely, the thief will need the book?”

His eyes glowed fiercely.
“All that is needed is the key from the book.”

Cullen turned to stare at the two of us. Drake became as immobile and as silent as ever. Cullen had also heard his warning, I could tell by his angry expression.

“Of course, it makes sense that a dragon of his power and force would be taken. It’s pretty clear, now that I think about it,” Cullen mused thoughtfully. “I have to leave, bolt the doors, and windows, let no one in, not even your father, understand?”

With a nod, I did as he asked and watched Cullen tear down the drive like a madman. My senses bombarded with fear, doubt, and more fear, I returned to Drake and stroked his scales. “You’ll help me find the missing dragon, won’t you?”

“You must do this without me,”
his soft whisper echoed in my mind. “
Read the book, find the key needed to free us so we can return to our habitat. This must be your focus from here on in, or you will lose all of us, one-by-one. While you have the book, we are mere statues and can’t be set free unless the key is used.”

The book, the last thing on my mind, was supposed to take precedence? Apparently everyone thought it held the key to the dragons. What would I know about freeing dragons and what that freedom would mean to humanity? With a snort, I set the book on the desk, opened it to the page I’d marked with a sliver of paper, and browsed through words that appeared disjointed. My mind slowed, I relaxed, and trance-like, I stared at the pages before me. Page after page, words flowed into my head until heavy pounding, followed by the phone ringing, snapped me back to reality. I placed the sliver of paper onto the page and tucked the book away.

Worried and trembling, I peered through the front door glass panes and stepped back. Daniel Cairn waited on the doorstep. Disregarding Cullen’s warning, I opened the door.

*    *    *

His smile dashing, I greeted him like a long lost friend. He was hardly that, though somehow, it felt right to behave that way.

“I’ve been out there a while, Linty. Is everything all right?” Daniel asked as I served hot coffee.

“Yes, yes, I was busy, is all, sorry,” I answered with a grin.

“My father thought you might be nervous here on your own in this storm. The highlands can be pretty frightening when bad weather strikes.”

“Evan sent you?” I smiled.

“No, he mentioned it. I took the chance that you’d like company. It must get lonely surrounded by dragons and have no one to talk to,” Daniel said.

“Not at all, as you know, there hasn’t been a dull moment since I arrived, so loneliness hasn’t been a problem. The dragons are a heavy responsibility and one that I gladly accept.”

“They are incredible creatures, for sure. The position you hold surely binds you to this place?” Daniel asked as he stared at Drake.

“I suppose it could, if I allowed it to.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to lend the lot of them to a museum? I know the curator in Edinburgh who would be happy to have them, I’m certain of it.” Daniel grinned and then said, “I’d be happy to call him for you, Linty.”

“That’s a nice offer, Daniel, I’ll give it some thought,” I said without meaning a word of it. Why were so many people insistent on my giving up the dragons, and their care?

“How do you know the curator of the museum?” I asked.

“We met when I was at university. I spent many an hour at the museum, mainly trying to pick up girls, but I also learned a lot about art.” He laughed and then said, “Let me know when you’ve made a decision, and I’ll set up an appointment for the two of you to meet. A lass like you should live a life of freedom, have a family, and not be tied up with such a burden.”