DragonsHeart.wps (2 page)

Whether you want to believe it or not, a terrible civil war has broken out in my world.

Thousands have been killed, and the Kingdom of Dragonia is in danger of falling. I can’t let that happen.”

“From what I’ve heard, you might not be able to stop it.”

“I will. I have to. I, alone let this firestorm happen, and I must fight it now that it’s started. You don’t know what it’s like to see your world torn asunder. I grieve every day, for every day another one of my friends fall in battle. Our kind can’t be killed easily, but we can be killed, and Denys’s kind has no scruples when it comes to wiping out everything and everyone that gets in their way.” She walked to her car, and waited for him to follow her. “I learned to drive one of these things when they were first invented.”

She let out a rueful chuckle. “Looking back upon my life, I guess I’ve always held a certain affinity for Earth.”

“Is that why you’re going to make sure that Denys’s side doesn’t make it into our realm?”

“Yes. Denys wants to destroy everything and it doesn’t matter who or what gets in his path. He wants to take back what the humans of this world took from us so long ago. The old adage let bygones be bygones won’t fly with his side. But you

misunderstand. Denys isn’t the leader of his order. He is only the right hand man. The leader is a dragon shifter that has centuries on Denys. The leader knows how to wage war, and win. He was the one that won our campaign against your kind. But in those days, the monarchy had absolute power. When he suggested that we wipe out the immortal wizards and witches, the monarchy told him to stand down … and he listened.

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But now, there is no reasoning with him. He has let the dark side of dragon shifting consume his mind. Without his mate … he is lost.”

“That’s rough. Can’t say I feel sorry for the bastard. Why doesn’t he just die from the heartache? I thought a dragon shifter's heart breaks when they lose their mate.

How can you still survive with a totally broken heart?”

“Get in.” She clicked off the car alarm and released the lock. “He still survives.

Though he is a shell of what he used to be. He’s a shadow.”

“I don’t think I want to go with you. You look at me like I’m something rotten. I think the two of us mix like oil and vinegar. I should just find shelter with my own.”

She looked up at the dark sky. Stars twinkled in the sky … making her

momentarily forget how twisted and dark her own world had suddenly become.

“You stay.” In the flash of an eye, she was behind him. She pushed him into the car. “I’m not disobeying orders by letting you out of my sight for one bloody minute! So stop being such a pain in my ass!”

“You bloody bitch!” He looked up at her and found that she’d already whipped

around to the driver’s side.

“Now, you come with me. I have a secure hideout … Denys won’t ever find us.

You need to get that spell you’re working on to ....” Suddenly she lost her breath. No matter what, she couldn’t quite swallow the thought of a spell created solely for exterminating her kind. The last war between dragon shifters and wizards had erupted over the same sort of spell. Fortunately, they’d won the war and destroyed the spell before it could be put into effect. But this time would be different … for her king and queen wanted that spell. They needed the spell to win the war. And she would defend this man until her dying breath if need be, if only to ensure that he lived long enough to perfect the incantation and hand it over to her king and queen.

“I can do my work on perfecting the spell without you. I really must insist that you leave me to my own devices.”

“Well, get over it. Like it or not, and I know you don’t like it, you’re stuck with me. I’m going to stick like glue to you. Wild horses couldn’t drag me away.”

“What about wild dragon shifters?”

“I’ll be fine. I don’t think the shifters that are out to get you will kill me when it comes right down to it. Sure, they might give me a good work over, but end my immortal life? I don’t think so.”

“You’ve gotten it all worked out, what the hell are you? A bloody seer?”

“No … I’ve never been completely psychic, though I do get flashes from time to time.” She started the car and swerved out into the light traffic. She made sure she wasn’t being followed and then headed for her safe house.

“You have no idea what you’ve gotten into when it comes to safeguarding me. I have more enemies than you could even keep track of.”

“Just try me. We dragon shifters are well known for our keen intelligence.”

“Yes, yes. You’ve always tried to assert your superior intelligence over us.”

She set her lips in a grim line and looked over at him. Now that he’d gotten rid of the illusion of being a bloody mess, he actually looked—dare she think it—he looked handsome.

“Why did you create that false illusion back in the shop?”

“What?”

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“You heard me, I asked you why you had created the illusion of being soaked in your own blood back in the shop. I thought that Denys had really given you a good beating.”

He laughed. “I can see why you’d think that. That wasn’t my own blood. I was trying to put an attack spell on Denys, and well, he bleeds quite a bit when you hit him in the right spot … unfortunately, he spewed blood all over me. Then, that bloody fast healing gene you shifters have went into effect and he ended up looking better than me.”

He gave her a penetrating stare. She shivered beneath his gaze. She’d only known him for less than one hour and already the heat was on between them. She knew that her attraction to him was probably only one sided—besides, nothing could ever happen between them. A relationship between a dragon shifter and a wizard was unheard of—

and certainly frowned upon.

“You know, I feel as if you and I have met before. I don’t know why but when I look at you I get the strangest sense of déjà vu. Maybe we’ve met in a dream.”

“I don’t think so. Dragon shifter dreams are a lot different than the sort of dreams you wizards have.”

“There you go again. Every time we try to have a conversation we end up biting each other’s heads off.”

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of biting your head off. I’m not into that sort of sport.” She directed her attention back to the road. “This would be so much easier if we were allowed to fly in this realm.”

“You’re not allowed to fly? I can … our government doesn’t prohibit flying in non magical realms.”

“Good for you. Our governments are a lot different then. My government

doesn’t want us to be exposed. If we are, the humans might decide to start hunting us again.”

“Well, then, Draconian Law must be a lot different from ours.”

“What did you say?” She turned onto the isolated back country lane that led to her small cottage.

“Draconian Law.”

“I thought I heard you correctly. We don’t like that particular name anymore.

Not since the war broke out. My side has sort of blacklisted it.”

“Why?”

“Because the leader of our opposition is Lord Draco. He might have been the

man that instituted many of our laws back when we started to settle Dragonia, and yes, he is related to the Queen by marriage … but now that he has rebelled, his name is mud.”

“I think your red hair is getting brighter. It’s the color of flames, but when you get heated up, it looks like it really is a halo of fire. Come to think of it, your passions are getting riled up. Do me a favor and keep that beautiful red hair of yours from bursting into real flames. I don’t feel like getting a little crispy around the edges, if you get my drift.”

“Was that meant as a compliment?"

“I guess. It is quite enchanting … I think it is your best feature.”

“Thank you.”

“So why does the mere mention of this Draco’s name shake you up so much?”

“Are you telling me you actually don’t know?” She turned into her long gravel

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drive and drove up to her sixteenth century cottage. She’d had a hand in building this cottage, and the lands that surrounded it were just what she needed when she underwent the shifting. Sometimes she even went against her kind's law by taking a nightly fly now and then.

“I don’t know. Contrary to whatever you believe, I’m not that educated in dragon shifter lore.”

“History. It’s our past … it’s our history. It all happened, and it’s well

documented.” She got out of the car and stretched. She watched him stand up to his lanky height. “The mention of his name rattles me—because—he’s my father.”

“Poor you.” Without missing a beat, he turned and headed toward her cottage.

“I’m knackered. I want a nice hot cup of tea, some beans and toast and then I need to sleep. Since you want to stick so close to me, why don’t we just share the same bed?” He laughed. “I’m up for little bit of loving if you are. It will be a grand hook up.”

Groaning, she followed him to the cottage door and unlocked it. She could see she was in for a lot of fun guarding the smart assed, wizard. “I love being a loyal subject to the crown.” Rolling her eyes, she stepped into the house.

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The dragon shifter known as Grania was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he’d ever set eyes on. Her flaming red hair and emerald green eyes had already entranced him. In truth, he was falling fast for her, but he needed to keep his distance.

So, he’d fallen back into his comfort zone of being a right and proper prick. Soon, she’d go running from him. She’d forget her vow to protect him and leave him in peace. And in turn, he’d hold onto the last vestiges of his sanity. He had to focus all of his energy into finishing the spell he was crafting, since without it the world he knew and loved would be destroyed or changed forever.

“The bedrooms are upstairs. Yours is the one to the left of the staircase.”

“Pity. I thought we could keep each other warm tonight.”

“Well, if you have an issue with being cold, I’ll be sure to light a fire in your hearth before I go to bed … custom made.” She snapped her fingers, and he started at the spark fizzing between her fingertips.

“Don’t worry, my kind mastered fire conjuring more than three thousand years

ago. I don’t need your assistance in that area, though I’m always open to helping you keep your bed warm.”

“You just never give up, do you?”

“Well, when the first dragon shifter representative from your King and Queen

came to me, they didn’t exactly say they’d be sending one hell of a dishy sweetheart to watch over me. I told them I didn’t need a fire-breathing dragon, but they were determined to see me protected. Fortunately for me, they sent someone I can really get into.”

She groaned. “You can’t possibly be this annoying—you must be pulling my leg

for some reason.”

“Pulling your leg, no … though, I could take a look at your legs for you—I’m

quite sure they must be just as beautiful as the rest of you.”

“I’m being slathered in compliments … and you know what, I like it.” Her voice turned to a seductive drawl. He watched her face transform from slight irritation to a look of complete adoration.

“Wait a second.” He coughed. He could feel the blood draining from his face.

He suddenly felt lightheaded. Breathing was becoming difficult. His groin ached.

She walked toward him.

“Sure—I’ll let you keep my bed warm … I’ve stayed chaste long enough. I think I could use someone like you to make me feel again. And, I warrant you’ll make me feel like one hot-blooded human woman.”

“Whoa. Steady on, Grania. Don’t be jumping the wand.”

She smirked. “What’s the matter, Dylan? Can’t you handle a forward woman?”

“Forward? You’re bloody fresh that’s what you are.”

“You said you liked the fact that they’d sent someone that you could really get into. Why don’t you prove that you’re not just talk?”

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“All talk and no action … that’s
not
me.” He knew what she was doing … she was calling his bluff—the question was, would he return in kind? Did he really want to get skin to skin with a dragon shifter? His mother would think he had lost his marbles.

His father would probably tell him to blow up Grania rather than sleep with her.

“Really? Prove it.” She was tempting him—she was goading him … and she’d

called his bluff—again. He’d never had another woman stupid—or spirited enough—to do that. He swallowed, hard, trying to forget the other part of his anatomy that was becoming more than a little stiff.

“We’ve only just met,” he said hoarsely. Her emerald green eyes sparkled like the gemstone they mirrored.

“Yes. But we’re both wise and we’re both old enough to know what we want.”

“You think so, huh?”

“I do. I think we should take chances in this life. We are living in very uncertain times. Any moment now, this entire world could be thrust into complete chaos.”

“In case you hadn’t noticed, Earth isn’t the most peaceful planet as it is.”

“Throw in blood hungry dragon shifters and I guarantee you, the way that Earth is right now will look like Paradise.”

"You know what I think? I think you’re trying to rebel by proving to your people that you can screw with a wizard and have fun thumbing your finger at them.”

She took a step toward him. “You might be right on track—and then again, you

might be right off the beaten path.”

He took a step backward with every step that she took forward. “I think you’re being a bit hasty.”