I Dream of Dragons (Boston Dragons) (7 page)

Damn. I hate it when she knows what I’m thinking.

“Get used to it, muse of air travel.”

“Oh. I’m already a muse? But I have questions…”

“And Euterpe has answers.”

“I guess there’s no formal ceremony or papers to fill out?”

Mother Nature smirked. “You wanted a ceremony and paperwork?”

“No! No, I really don’t. I just never thought it would be this easy.”

“Well, it isn’t. You’ll need to learn a lot from Euterpe. If you screw up—and please don’t…but if you do, there’s a nice family in Atlanta looking for a child to adopt.”

“But I’m not a child.”

One finger snap later, Amber was lying on the floor, waving her baby-sized fists and feet in the air. Fortunately, the goddess snapped her fingers again and returned Amber to her adult size. She was still lying on the floor though.

“Oh! You mean…”

“Yes. I can be very mean. That’s why they tell you not to mess with Mother Nature.”

Amber pushed herself up to a standing position and said, “Well, um…thank you, I guess. I’ll try not to screw it up.”

“Good.” Gaia smiled at the other muse. “She’s all yours, Euterpe. Good luck.”

The muse bowed and the all-powerful one disappeared.

“So, that’s it? You’re my teacher? I’m a muse now?”

“Yes. Let’s leave this tiny room and meet your unintentional roommate.” Euterpe started toward the bathroom door.

“Wait!” Amber grabbed the muse’s arm. “He’ll wonder how you got in here. You have to pop out to the street and come in through the front door.”

“Hmmm…” Euterpe tapped her lower lip. “I could do that, but supernaturals aren’t supposed to expose their powers to humans. There are people on the sidewalk. On the other hand, I could go out to the back alley. My senses aren’t picking up any large life forms, only the tiniest—probably birds and insects.”

“Okay. As soon as you’re gone, I’ll go out to the living room and wait for you to ring the bell.”

“Agreed,” Euterpe said and disappeared.

Amber opened the door slowly and peeked out. She was startled when Rory appeared. Apparently he’d been hiding on the other side of the doorjamb.

“Nervous?” he asked.

“No.” Amber crossed her arms. “And why were you skulking about?”

He raised his brows. “There was no skulkin’. I was merely waitin’ me turn.”

“Yeah, right.”

They traded places, but before he shut the door, he asked, “And who were you talkin’ to?”

Her jaw dropped. “Uh, nobody. I was…um…rehearsing.”

“Rehearsin’? Are you in a play?”

“Not exactly. I—um…I read books to the blind. I mean, I make audiobooks. I was just testing the acoustics in the bathroom.”

“And are they acceptable for your purposes?”

“Yes. It should do nicely. I may have to tie it up for a few hours at a time…”

A sly smile stole across his face. “No matter,” he said. “There’s always the sink.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Ewww… Don’t you dare. Just tell me when you need the privacy, and I’ll pause the recorder.”

He shrugged. “That seems fair. By the way, where is your recorder?”

“Um. It’s…well…”

“Still at the store?”

She gritted her teeth and couldn’t think of a retort. Damn this man. One look at him and she forgot everything but her name.
Wait. What’s my name again?
Disgusted with herself, she just bit out, “Ugh. You frustrating, arrogant—”

“Now, now. I must use the facilities. Perhaps you can finish your insult later.”

He shut the door in her face, and it was all she could do not to scream.

“I tell you, there’s a castle there that didn’t used to be,” Finn insisted from his perch at O’Malley’s Tavern.

Mr. O’Malley laughed. “You must have hit your noggin pretty hard when you fell off my bar stool the other day.”

The villagers who overheard crowded closer.

Pat grabbed Finn’s shoulder. “What did I tell you? People will think you’re crazy. Keep that foolishness to yerself.”

One of the local farmers piped up. “A castle, you say? Whereabouts might that be?”

“Near the Arish cottage, but it’s built into the cliff beyond.”

One of the local fishermen turned to his mate and said, “And you thought I was daft.”

“You
are
daft, but that’s beside the point.”

Finn focused his attention on the first fisherman. “Did you see it? From the ocean?”

“I did.”

The other fisherman said, “It looked more like rocks crumbling into the sea.”

“That was down below. I saw something that looked like a castle at the top of the cliffs.”

One of the elderly female shopkeepers spoke up. “Maybe the legends are true.”

Her friend elbowed her in the side. “You can’t be serious, Margaret. The legend of ancient dragons livin’ in the cliff caves is just a story our mothers told us to keep us in line. Is that the one you’re talkin’ about?”

“To be sure,” Margaret answered.

“I admit it sounds far-fetched,” Mrs. O’Malley said. “But the lad could have seen what started the legends in the first place.”

“There’s only one way to know for certain.” One of the farmers gestured toward Finn with his beer mug. “You could take us there.”

Finn shot a panicked look at Pat.

“Now you’ve gone and done it,” Pat said. “The whole village will follow you to the cliffs, and now that it’s dark and everyone’s had a few pints, we could lose a few over the edge.”

“We’ll go in the mornin’,” the first farmer said. “Right after the milkin’.”

“Ha. We’ll beat you to it,” said one of the fishermen. “We’ll cast our nets out there and have a better view to boot.”

“’Tis not a good fishin’ spot,” his mate said.

“I wonder why not? Perhaps the fish have all been eaten by dragons,” one of the farmers quipped.

The whole pub erupted in laughter.

Pat leaned in and whispered to Finn, “Perhaps you can laugh and pretend you were jokin’. All this talk of people fallin’ over the cliff is makin’ me nervous. If it happens, it will be blamed on you.”

Finn shook his head. “I can’t lie.”

“Then you should learn to shut up when liquor loosens your tongue.”

“’Tis not the liquor, Pat. I need answers. I need to know what happened. Maybe they moved into the caves.”

“And were eaten by a dragon?” his friend asked without saying the rest of what he was probably thinking…something like, “you love-besotted fool who can’t or won’t believe your lady up and left you.” Patrick sighed. “Whatever the reason, she’s gone. You may never know why. You must accept that.”

“I’ll accept nuthin’ of the kind. She
will
find a way to contact me.” He lowered his voice. “Or I’ll find her, by God.”

“Meanwhile, gettin’ the whole village lookin’ for a castle on the side of a cliff? Think, Finn. It’s an accident waitin’ to happen. Tell everyone you were jokin’. Please.”

Finn stubbornly shook his head. “I’ll not take back the truth.”

“Then whatever happens is on you.”

Pat stormed out of the pub, leaving Finn to listen to the entire village debate the possibility of dragons, ancient castles, and his own loss of sanity.

* * *

Rory exited the bathroom wiping his hands on a paper towel. “This was all me sisters could find at the grocer. We need to pick out terry-cloth towels together.” He shot Amber a wicked grin as he tossed the towel in the trash under the kitchen sink.

“We? As in you and them, right? You want a female point of view to decorate
my
place, I imagine.”

“I do not. Me sisters would just confuse matters. Shannon would pick ruffles and Chloe would talk me into camouflage.” He reclaimed his spot in the middle of his futon and patted the empty space beside him. “I meant you and me. After all, we’re the ones who are to be livin’ together.” The more he thought about sharing his intimate space with the sexy, honey-haired flight attendant, the more he liked the idea. And the less he was just teasing.

A pretty blush colored her cheeks and she stuttered, but Rory was saved from another poor attempt at an insult when the intercom buzzed.

“Ah, we have company.” He rose and strode to the buzzer before she could get there, then punched the Answer button. “Who might you be, and who are you callin’ for?”

The female voice announced, “I am Euterpe, and I’m here to see Amber.”

“Euterpe, is it? Like the muse?”

He heard a giggle on the other side of the intercom.

“She’s my…my funny friend,” Amber said quickly. “Let her in.”

Rory pushed the Enter button, and a few moments later there was a knock. Amber was ready for it. She opened the door, clamped her hand around her friend’s arm, and practically dragged her to the bedroom with no further explanation.

“Wait,” Euterpe said. Amber paused but didn’t let go.

“Who is your handsome friend?”

Rory straightened to his full six-foot-two height and sent her his most charming smile.

Amber rolled her eyes. “That’s Rory. Pay no attention to him. He’ll be gone before you know it.”

“No, I think you should introduce us,” Euterpe said. She lowered her voice. “I have the feeling we have something in common.”

Amber hissed, “How could you possibly think you have anything in common with my unwanted roommate?”

Rory, with his acute sense of hearing, caught every word. He strode over to the women and extended his hand.

“Pleased to meet you, Euterpe. If you be named after the muse I’m thinkin’ of, we may well have somethin’ in common.”

“Like what?” Amber asked.

Euterpe took his hand and they both said, “Music,” at the same time.

Rory grinned and lifted the woman’s hand to his lips, where he placed a kiss on her knuckles.

Euterpe seemed perfectly comfortable with the gesture. “Do you play?”

Amber snorted. “He plays with my patience.”

Rory ignored her. “I play the fiddle, squeeze box, guitar, and bodhran. I sing and compose a bit too.”

“Really?” Euterpe sighed. “I’d love to hear some of your songs—”

“Not. Now,” Amber bit out. She tugged on the muse’s arm until it was clear she’d rather dislocate it than let her talk to Rory.

Ah. She must be threatened by me Irish charm. That’s well and good.

“A private concert it is then. Me sisters make up the rest of our trio. I’ll call them down.”

“Don’t bother.” Amber marched her friend to her bedroom, shoved her inside, then closed the door behind them.

Rory chuckled.
Ah, I’m gettin’ to her
. He needed to speak to his sisters anyway, so he removed his shirt and shimmered, allowing his dragon form and wings to magically appear.

He flew up to the ceiling and rapped on it. He probably didn’t need to use the secret knock he and his sisters had developed, but he did anyway.

Chloe was the first to come downstairs. She let herself into the apartment, and as soon as she spotted Rory’s dragon form, she slammed the door behind her. “Stop feckin’ around,” she hissed. “You’ve a human in the next room.”

He transformed quickly and stood with arms folded as Shannon opened the door and walked in.

“Why did you slam the door in me face, Sister?”

“This foolish idjit had his dragon out.” Chloe glared at him. “Next time, bang on the ceiling with a broom handle—like a human would.”

“I guess you’ll have to buy me a broom. Don’t worry. Amber is fully occupied with a friend right now,” he said. “A friend we may be able to sway to our side. She loves music. Her name is even Euterpe.”

Shannon’s jaw dropped. “Euterpe? The muse of music?
Our
muse?”

Rory lowered his voice. “I don’t know if she’s supernatural or not, but this building must be a safe place for muses. Bliss comes here.”

Chloe pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her jeans pocket. “I was makin’ a list of things we need. Which is more important? Puttin’ on a show or movin’ in fully?”

“I may not have a place to move into if a muse is against me livin’ here. I’ll probably end up in a cardboard box,” he said.
And I need to protect my sisters—not that they’ll admit it. Plus, seein’ that wizard again is vital. Three pairs of eyes on two floors will be better for spotting him.

Chloe and Shannon glanced at each other. “We’ll get the instruments.”

“I was hopin’ you’d say that.” Rory dug a key out of his pocket. “Do you remember the way back to the storage locker we rented before going to the tearoom?” he asked.

“I do.” Chloe snagged the key and slipped it into her front pocket.

“Never fear, Brother,” Shannon added. “We’re here for you.”

Chloe smirked. “We may fight amongst ourselves, but when outsiders attack an Arish, they take on the whole clan and rue the day.”

Rory chuckled. “I’ll compose a special song. Something that will irritate Amber and entertain her friend.”

Shannon moved closer and touched his arm. “You might not want to anger her overmuch. Did you not notice her eyes? They’re hazel green. Grandmother gave you a magic gem at birth. I can’t remember if the color was gold or green, but it was amber, which comes in both colors. Heavens, even her hair and her name are Amber.”

He’d noticed all right. Perhaps his sister was giving him good advice, and it was best to tread lightly. Their gifted gems were said to match their true love’s eyes.

Chloe reared back. “I know his magical gem is amber, but surely you don’t think she’s the one for Rory?”

Shannon sighed. “My gem is sapphire, and Finn’s eyes are as blue as the princess’s ring.”

Chloe muttered, “Bollocks. At least me gem is an impossible color for eyes. One more bit of proof there’s no lover meant for me. I can’t think of anyone with diamond eyes.”

Shannon smiled. “You never know. Mayhap a supernatural has diamond eyes.”

“Ha. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

One side of Rory’s lips rose. “Or maybe he just has the hardest head on earth. In that way, she’d have met her match.”

“I should let you get your own feckin’ instruments, food, and furniture.”

“All right. All right.” He held up his hands in surrender but couldn’t help chuckling all the same. “Don’t rush. I’ll probably need the night to compose something, and it’s late already.”

“Do you think her friend will be here tomorrow?” Shannon asked.

“I think if we invite her to a session, she’ll arrive at any time we agree upon.”

* * *

“I want to know more about the actual duties of being the muse of air travel. Can you tell me what I’d be expected to do?” Amber asked her trainer.

“Um…I can show you, although I may need your help.”

“But how can I help if I don’t even know what I’m doing? I’m a flight attendant, not a pilot. Am I supposed to tell the pilot or copilot how to fly a plane?”

“Of course not.” Euterpe laughed. “One would suppose they’re in the pilot or copilot’s seat because they already know how to fly. All their muse would do is encourage them to stay calm and focused on a safe flight or landing—or whatever. I think. I don’t know.”

“Okaaaay…” Amber said, still confused.

“Let’s start at the beginning. Why do you want to be the muse of air travel?” Euterpe asked and began pacing.

“I’m not sure I do. I know I want this apartment, and if being a muse gives me an edge…”

Euterpe snapped her focus back to Amber. “That’s it? You just want the muse power to throw your weight around? Why, I should report you!”

Amber jumped up. “No! Please don’t do that.”

Euterpe continued pacing and kept right on talking as if she’d heard nothing. “On the other hand, since I haven’t even trained her yet, that might not be fair.”

“Yes. That’s the right idea.” Amber nodded emphatically. “I need to be trained.”

Euterpe continued to ignore her and spoke as if carrying on a conversation with herself, alone. “I suppose I could give her a warning.”

“Absolutely. I’d appreciate that. Consider me warned.”

She whirled on Amber and folded her arms. “You must concentrate on your muse duties first and foremost. Your personal wishes come second.”

“Agreed.” Amber would have agreed that the sky was yellow and the grass was blue at that point.

Euterpe looked down her nose at her. “That is your first lesson. Now, sit.”

Amber almost fell to the floor, as if a giant invisible hand had pressed down on her shoulder.

Euterpe remained standing with her arms crossed. “I know nothing about air travel. You will have to teach me as well.”

Amber gulped. How much was she expected to know? Flight attendant training had taught her about safety, how to put out fires, keep passengers calm, and respond to medical emergencies, but
not
how to actually fly a plane. Flight attendants might pull off a miracle and land a plane in the movies, but it wasn’t part of their certification.

Amber didn’t feel particularly confident at the moment. In her bedroom, she had a goddess who spoke in riddles and couldn’t make a decision without a long monologue with herself. In her living room was a drop-dead gorgeous guy who acted like he owned the place. And nowhere could she find a piece of furniture that she could call her own and sink into for a good cry.

The intercom buzzed.
Maybe it’s the movers.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to see who that is,” Amber said as she escaped the bedroom.

Rory was already speaking over the intercom. “She’s here. Please come in.” He hit the buzzer that opened the outside door.

Well, at least he’s polite to strangers.

She strode to the door, asking, “Is it the movers?”

“No. Some woman. She said she was a friend of yours.”

She opened the apartment door and in strode Mother Nature herself. She was wearing perfectly fitting jeans and a clingy green sweater that could have been made for her by a famous designer.
Why couldn’t I have become the muse of fashion?