Knights of Desire [Flights of Fancy 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (16 page)

The dragon smiled. "I gave my word to Cedric, and I will defend you and the lady with my life. This war must end, and that will be a small price to pay."

Clemmons smiled back and then turned to her. "How are you?"

Shane couldn't lie to Clemmons and make him believe her. "It really hurts, and I can't breath very well, but if I can rest just a little, we can go on."

"We're both warriors, and we have few other choices." Clemmons pulled the dagger from his belt and turned it in his big hand. Holding the tip of the blade in the fingers of his right hand, he rested the blade on his left arm, extending the hilt to her. "Take this. If we are to die here, we can die like warriors."

She hesitated, looking first at the offered blade and then into the face of the man who offered it to her. It seemed many important things were happening here in the cave of the dragons. Clemmons recognized a dragon could be not only honorable and true, but also a friend. He also recognized a woman could be a warrior.

But Shane realized she had feelings of more than simple lust. She'd felt the lustful attraction to Clemmons and Landis on sight, but things changed. She'd made love with Landis, and it was more than lustful passion, though she couldn't say exactly how. She'd shared a few kisses with Clemmons, but lust had little to do with it. Yes, she wanted him enough that she would risk death to have him, but Shane knew she would be happy if she could only be close to him.

Shane took the hilt of the dagger in her hand. "I'll take this, but we aren't going to die. Not here and not now."

Clemmons smiled. "I like the way you think."

Drongly glanced around. "I hear others approaching. We should go, if Shane is able."

She nodded. "I'm ready."

The dragon peeked around the corner before leading the way again. He moved a little slower, and Shane was able to keep up better. Drongly approached an intersection, and as he entered the crossing, a club the size of a small tree lashed out from the cross-passage. Drongly dropped to the floor like a sack of wet cement.

Fourteen dragons stepped into the corridor and faced them. Shane recognized the largest of the dragons as the remaining guard from her cell. He kicked Drongly and smiled at them.

"So, we have you. We'll soon find the traitor Cedric and his whore."

Clemmons stood beside her, the tip of his sword tracing small circles in the air. "You don't have us yet."

The dragon laughed. "If you want a quick death, I'd suggest you fall on your sword."

"My death matters not." Clemmons pointed at the big dragon with his blade. "Yours does."

The dragon looked at her, and Shane felt the same evil she'd sensed from Handley. "Perhaps your brave knight will die last, after watching you begging for death."

The pain had faded somewhat, and Shane didn't know if that was good, bad, or just an effect of the rush of facing death. It didn't matter. She pointed at the dragon with the dagger. "Fuck you."

Departure

Clemmons considered retreating back down the corridor, but that would only prolong the inevitable confrontation with the dragons. Better to make their last stand here, no matter the outcome.

The big lizard's only response to Shane's insulting threat was to smile and walk toward them with his group of henchmen following close behind. Clemmons shifted his sword in his hand to get a better grip.

Shane bumped her hip against his. "I'll give you one thing. You know how to show a girl a good time."

"Don't be flippant. There are a lot of things to say at a time like this, and making jokes isn't one of them."

"I'm not joking. What better time could two warriors have than this?" She looked up into his eyes. "Besides, like I said before, we're not going to die here."

He chuckled a little. "What makes you think that?"

A voice rang out from someplace behind the group of advancing dragons. "Halt! Turn around slowly!"

A few of the lizards at the rear of the small crowd spun quickly to look behind them, and a sound Clemmons had never heard before rang out. It had the sharp cracking of Shane's weapon, but a series of reports came in rapid succession.

Shane smiled. "That does!"

Some unseen force coinciding with the noise of the reports hit three of the dragons, and they jerked violently. They fell to the floor, blood pooling around their bodies.

Shane suddenly looked frightened. She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Friendly personnel in the firing line! Code delta one gamma three!"

There was a moment of hesitation before the voice at the other end of the corridor responded, "Copy, friendly personnel. Evade via bravo eight one."

The smile again flashed to Shane's face. "Copy!" She grabbed his arm and pulled. "Over here!" She tugged him to fall to the floor, and they rolled to lie close against the right-hand wall. "Clear!"

Clemmons ended up on top of her, but he had only an instant to enjoy staring down into her beautiful eyes before the air of the cave seemed to explode with the sounds of the projectile weapons of Shane's people. The reports echoed loudly in the enclosed space and slugs whizzed through the air around them. An acrid smell filled the cave. Projectiles ricocheted off the walls, and whining sounds accompanied flying chips of stone. The slugs chewed them, and dragons flailed. Lizards—and parts of lizards—hit the floor, and blood ran across the stone.

As the reports faded, Clemmons looked down into Shane's face. She managed a weak smile. "See? I told you we weren't going to die here."

Blood flowed freely from her ear, and when he rolled from on top of her, Clemmons saw bright red blood soaking through Shane's shirt. He looked across at the dead dragons and he could see men moving among the bodies.

He called out to them, waving his arms. "Over here! Shane's hurt!"

A man ran to them and flipped up the visor of his helmet. "Sergeant? I'll get you some help."

She smiled at the young man. "Good to see you, Meyers."

"Medic! Man down!" Meyers knelt beside her and pulled bandages from the pouch at his hip. He pressed them against Shane's chest and leaned his full weight on her.

Shane grunted with the pressure, but Clemmons didn't interfere. Another man with a red cross on the side of his helmet ran up and began to connect tools to her body from a bag he carried. He placed a clear object over her mouth and nose, and Clemmons saw the telltale mist of breathing form on the thing.

The man held her eyes open, and he flashed a bright light into them. "Can you hear me, Rawls?"

She nodded a little, but pain washed over her face. "Yes. Is everyone all right?"

"You're my only patient and problem child."

She looked up at Clemmons and smiled a little. "You OK?"

"I'm fine." He found himself feeling the tingle of tears in his eyes. She would live.

* * * *

The Communications Officer looked up from her console. "Captain Ells on the priority channel, Ma'am."

Elsa still hadn't slept or bathed, but Chris did make her eat a sandwich earlier. That just made her sleepy. "Thank you." She tapped the communicator switch. "Davis here."

"We've got Rawls, Captain. She's hurt pretty bad, but we have her. And the other knight, Clemmons."

She was suddenly wide-awake. "That's amazing! We'll be ready to transport as soon as you're out of the cave."

"Copy that. We have to fight our way out, but a lot of the dragons seem happy to run away. We're in a purely defensive posture now, and the ones that back off live another day. ETA to surface is forty-five minutes."

"Understood. Good work, people." After she signed off, Elsa knew that in maybe two hours she could get some sleep and a bath—maybe not in that order, though.

* * * *

The last thing Shane remembered was Clemmons leaning over her as he held back the arm of the medic who was trying to sedate her. Clemmons had pulled the leather tie from his hair, and the blonde locks had spilled down to tickle her face. He smiled at her. "Yes, you were right. We aren't going to die here." He kissed her softly and then let the medic give her the injection.

Even before she opened her eyes, she knew she was back on
Daedalus
and in sickbay. The air maker removed all smells from the air, and she missed the scent of the living plants of the planet. She also knew Clemmons sat beside her bed, because she felt him holding her hand.

She opened her eyes, and the sterile, functional layout of the ship greeted her, but the splendid vision of Clemmons tempered it. He had his hair tied back away from his face again, and he'd found someplace to shave.

He smiled. "How do you feel?"

The wrenching pain in her chest and side were gone now, and other than being a little sore, she actually felt pretty good. "Not too bad."

He opened his mouth to speak, but the doctor came into the room, and Clemmons closed it again.

"I thought you might be awake by now." The doctor checked the biosensor readings. "Everything looks good. You had some bad injuries, but they were all easy to treat once we got you here. Besides, with my great bedside manner and medical skills, how could you do anything other than recover fully?"

She laughed. "That's right, doc, put it all on me."

"You bet." He glanced at a few more of the instruments. "I think you can go back to your cabin in a couple of hours, as long as you take it easy."

"I promise."

"Good enough." The doctor frowned a little. "By the way, there are a couple of, um, people who would like to see you if you're up to it."

She wondered what the hesitation was about. "Sure. Send them in."

"Will do. I'll be back in a while to discharge you." He went to the door and waved at someone outside.

Cedric's bulk nearly filled the room, and when Alicia followed him inside, the image of a sardine can was complete.

Alicia almost ran to the side of her bed and hugged Shane. "I'm so happy you're going to be all right."

Shane didn't even try to extricate herself from the girl's grip. "Thanks to you."

Cedric nodded to her. "Shane, we all, men and dragons, owe you a great deal. You've made us look at what we were doing with our war and have the courage to change."

"I'm sorry so many had to die before you reached this point." Tears hit her suddenly, and she longed to feel Landis holding her other hand.

The dragon nodded again. "No more blood will be spilled over this meaningless war. Alicia and I will leave you to rest."

Alicia kissed Shane's cheek and then took Cedric's arm in hers as they left the room.

Shane turned to face Clemmons, and he still smiled softly. She took a deep breath, hoping that would help keep the tears in check. "I wish Landis were here."

The smile wavered a bit. "The doctor said you could walk with help. Come with me."

Clemmons helped her stand and slip on a robe and then walked with her from the room and down the hall. He stopped her at a door marked with a small placard reading
Regeneration Chamber
, and when he pressed the switch, the door slid open.

Inside the room was a large machine behind a plate of glass, and connected to the machine was Landis. He looked like he was asleep. Shane felt her knees try to buckle, but Clemmons caught her and lowered her into a chair.

"I didn't mean to shock you, but your people found him alive, though badly injured, in the rubble of the cliff. Your doctor had to remove both of his legs, but I'm told this machine will regrow them in a few days."

She had the same
what-the-fuck
feeling as when Clemmons had caught her and Landis in the act back in the forest. Shane wasn't exactly sure what to do next. At some point, she'd admitted to herself she'd fallen for Landis. With him dead, that let her fall for Clemmons. The idea of being in bed with two men still sounded like fun, but being in love was something very different from a romp in the sack.

Just what exactly was she supposed to do now?

* * * *

Elsa waited on hold while the Fleet operator completed the connection to the Emperor. It seemed Admiral Reeves wasn't available, Q wasn't back from vacation yet, and the Emperor wanted to take her report himself. She didn't know how comfortable she was with the idea.

The Emperor came online, and his hair stuck out in about a dozen different directions. Elsa didn't see any of the trappings of his office in the background of the picture, so she wondered if maybe he was in his cabin aboard his flagship
Boone
. She had no idea what time it was there.

He stifled a yawn. "Good morning, Elsa. What's up?"

"Good morning, Your Majesty." She gave him a summary of what had happened to go with the detailed report she had sent.

"So, everyone is back where they belong, there were only a few casualties, and you've stopped a war that's been going on for more than a hundred years." He grinned. "I like it."

"That pretty well sums it up, yes. I think things turned out well, though the path to get there was a little rough."