Dragons Don't Love (15 page)

“Bride of Uncle Laryn, what
are you doing?”

I’m so startled I miss a
step and bang my shin. “Damn, ouch, darn…” I cut off the rest of my
tirade because it’s more frustration with Ashrac’s uncle than
actual pain. “What are you doing here, Ashrac?” I try to temper my
question. From the look in his eyes I failed.

“I wished to visit you.”
His lips tremble and I instantly regret my less-than-pleasant tone.
I sit on the stair that jumped up and bit me and rub my shin.
“Please shift to your human form and sit down to tell me what
you’re up to today.”

He doesn’t shift or sit,
which surprises me not at all. Dragons don’t do well with orders.
“My father has gone to the earth realm in search of a great prize.
He says a man without morals has it and he must rescue it so he may
treat it as the treasure it is.”

I know exactly what
treasure he speaks of. The evening before, I wasn’t sure how to
handle the “friend” bit of information Laryn came up with, so I
stewed. Over dinner, Laryn went on and on about a chalice that
Bastian covets. I managed not to laugh and point out that Laryn
covets it more. I heard endless details of Bastian’s search and how
he thinks he might have a viable lead. It will serve my
best friend
right if he
cannot find the treasure before Bastian.

Ashrac breaks into my
bitchy musing. “Why are you running up and down the
stairs?”

I rein in my temper so
Ashrac doesn’t think poorly of me. “I do it to build strength in my
legs.”

He contemplates this for a
moment, his wings slowly flapping to keep him in the same place.
“What of your puny arms. Do they not need exercise?”

I must bite my lip in
order not to laugh. Typical man child. “My arms are not puny, but
if you think so, you may wager your train set for the piece of
jewelry that I stole.” I finger the blue gem at my throat. Laryn
likes it and it will serve the dragon right when Ashrac flies away
with it. I would never damage his ego by winning.

The child spends no time
at all thinking about it. “What have you in mind?”

“There are wooden swords in
my room. If I knock yours away, I win. If you knock mine away, you
win.” He has the impudence to roll his red eyes. Even though he’s a
child, it’s more irritating while he’s in dragon form and reminds
me too much of my blue-eyed devil.

His chest puffs out a bit.
“Then your great jewel is already mine because I will defeat
you.”

He makes it harder for me
to choose losing.

Ten minutes later, I’m
fighting for my life. Of course they’re wooden swords, but his
intent is clear. The little heathen knows how to handle a weapon.
And he’s strong.

“Who trains you,
Ash?”

“Uncle Laryn. These are my
swords that he had made for me. You have the room that he gave to
me when I was a child. I told him you could use it while you’re
alive.”

Oh, that’s right. I’m
facing a kid who looks like he’s eight but is actually older in
human years. I’m guessing that’s why a collection of boy clothes
are in the bottom of my clothing chest. Before we began today’s
wager, I gave Ashrac a set so we didn’t need to fight with him
unclothed. Laryn flapping around in all his glory is one thing. A
small boy quite another.

Ashrac catches me
daydreaming and my sword goes flying. This is what I get for
thinking I’m more sword savvy than an eight year old
dragon.

He crosses his sword down
in front of his legs and bows. I can do nothing but smile. “Will
you hold this, kind sir, while I untie the jewel you have fairly
won?”

“Yes, my lady,” he replies
and takes my offered sword. I reach behind my throat and untie the
leather. He peers closely at it as if I might have switched it for
a lesser jewel. “Thank you, my lady, for a brave
challenge.”

“You are welcome, sir. Can
you stay for cookies?”

Longing replaces
haughtiness. Then his expression changes to contrition. “I should
not leave my mother for so long, but I will return tomorrow or the
next day and you may serve me cookies.”

I am so glad that Laryn
never expects me to serve anything other than my body. I feel my
cheeks flush at the thought and must bring my thoughts back to
Ashrac. “I will see you then.”

I feel better, and I
whistle as I search out Laryn.

He looks up from the desk
in his rooms and drops a map. “Did you have a good visit with my
devious nephew?”

There are so many things
we haven’t discussed and his uncanny ability to know everything
happening around him is one of them. “Very. How did you know he was
here?” I rub my bare neck hoping he notices.

He says nothing about the
missing jewel if he does. “I feel when another dragon crosses into
my realm. Ash’s imprint is very small, but if I’m not greatly
involved in a task, I know when he’s here.” Laryn scoots back a bit
from the desk and pats his knee.

With my improved mood I
don’t mind. I walk around and sit. My heartbeat accelerates. He
smells so good. I know I’m still sweaty from running the stairs and
the mock swordfight. Laryn doesn’t seem to mind as he kisses my
neck. I’m quite the devious bride. I pick up the map and with a
loud sigh, I ask, “Would you show me where the earth realm is
located?”

I receive a less than
gentle nip. “You want…” another nip, “to know where a realm is
located?” He’s barely paying attention to me.

“Yeeeeees.” I draw out the
word. “Ashrac says his father went there to find a great treasure
from a man without morals.”

In the next instant I’m
staring up from the floor at the shocked look on Laryn’s face. “You
tell me this now, bride? When did Bastian leave?” Laryn starts
pacing while never taking his angry eyes from me.

I ungracefully come to my
feet and place my hands on my hips. “My friend wished to play at
swords. When a friend wants to play, you take care of their needs.
What would you have me say to a friend?”

He peers at me like I’ve
lost my mind. My words travel right over his huge, dumb head. “Did
you think to ask when Bastian left?” He pulls his fingers through
his hair in frustration, which goads me.

I answer in the sweetest
voice I can muster, “I asked my friend all sorts of questions
during our sword fight.”

Red is creeping up Laryn’s
throat and I know he’s a little more than irritated. “Well, bride,
what have you learned?”

I give up. His skull is
too thick. He hasn’t a clue that I’m angry. I tell him everything I
know about the chalice.

My empty-headed dragon
hugs me thirty minutes later. “Sleep in my rooms. Sarn would not
dare enter the castle to steal you. If he does, you know what to
do.” He plants a deep kiss on my lips. “I promise to take you to
earth’s realm another day. I must fly quickly and navigate earth
stealthily. You’re sure you will be okay?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Go find
your chalice.”

Chapter
Twenty-Six

Laryn

Earth is much as I
remember—busy, noisy, and crowded. Because of military radar, I
must limit flying as a dragon, which is never easy when one is in a
hurry. I also don’t want Dmitri, a vampire of this realm, to tip
off Bastian that I am here. I have no doubt Bastian used Dmitri’s
connections to discover the location of the chalice.

The man in question, the
one with no morals, lives in a place called Texas. It sounds
decidedly liberal, which matches this country’s appalling views on
feudal societies. I mumble the name a few times, “Tex-ass,
Tex-ass.” It totally fits.

I crossed into this realm
more than five-hundred miles from Texas. Now, I’m on a plane after
booking a private jet with human money that Dmitri exchanged for
gold many years before. Finding a jet and pilot was time-consuming.
Time is my most precious commodity at the moment. My bride gave me
a name and location. The plane will drop me within ten miles of the
place I seek.

I feel my bride plays with
me. For some reason, her friendship with Ashrac caused her
distress. I will never understand the ways of women. At least this
one doesn’t whine when her ire rises. I would think being friends
with the child would make her happy. What do I know?

The jet touches down and
my excitement mounts. The pilot will remain on standby because
hopefully we will be leaving quickly. By that I mean running as
fast as the plane will carry us. I take off at a fast jog. I’m
dressed in black with my hair drawn back to keep it from shining as
much as possible in flashlight or spotlight. I’ve spent much time
in this realm and my attire would pass for business casual if it
weren’t for my shoes. The finest pair of Nike SB Flom Dunk High
athletic shoes I could steal. They came from a pro athlete who was
cheating on his wife. I had visited the model he was cheating with
earlier in the day. I’m surprised I left her enough energy to
accommodate her lover. The only downside to slipping the shoes from
beneath her bed while he was in it were her shouts of, “Oh tiger,
oh tiger,” as he pumped away. The man may have been a tiger, but I
didn’t notice anything above the norm in his sexual
prowess.

The shoes are a shining
treasure in my collection. I wear them whenever I pass into earth’s
realm. They are also good running shoes. I’m sure the athlete
needed them for running if he were ever caught by his
wife.

Too bad.

The shoes are mine
now.

I scent Bastian once I’m
close. He’s here, or was here. I’m not happy that there’s a chance
he’s already succeeded where I’ve failed. There is a high fence and
I draw a spark when I touch it. The electricity doesn’t affect me.
My shoes come in handy when I back up and leap the fence. I make my
way around the perimeter of the house trying to decide the best
place to enter. In the past, I’ve discovered that coming from the
roof is easiest. This is a single-story home, which doesn’t help my
plan. One room is lit up and when I pass, I see Bastian tied to a
chair with several men surrounding him. Bastian has blood running
from the corner of his lip and I watch him laugh after he’s punched
again. These men are armed, but for him it’s not a problem. He’s
playing with these guys much like he enjoys playing with his food.
I roll my eyes.

His idiocy is my
opportunity. Chances are good they did a sweep and think Bastian is
alone. I enter through a side door by tearing the lock open. From
thousands of years of thievery, I know all the best places to look.
The first stop is always the master bedroom. These guys want their
finest treasures close.

The bedroom has a hidden
room behind the large walk-in closet. Totally unoriginal. The
medium sized room is a museum. The lighting and artistry of the
location for each piece is absolutely exquisite. I see the chalice
immediately. I walk closer and something else catches my eyes. It’s
a small painting that I’ve been after for years. It’s
Poppy Flowers
by Van
Gogh. It went missing three years ago from the Mohamed Mahmoud
Khalil Palace in Egypt, a far-off country in earth’s realm. Three
years from the claiming and the search for it helped keep me sane.
And here it is ripe for the taking. I must have it.

I gather what I want and
then stay to await Bastian. He runs in nostrils flaring because I’m
sure he’s caught my scent. I’m kicking back atop the bed with my
legs crossed. “What took you so long?”

He looks straight at the
chalice. “You blue bastard.”

I nod to the room behind
the closet. I left the doors open. “This guy has stolen pieces of
art up the yin yang. You might as well look around and see if
something else catches your eye. I’d hate for you to return
empty-handed.”

His eyes are a brighter
red than usual. They simmer with anger while a slight grin plays on
his lips. We are a breed of habit and we celebrate the prowess of
our brothers even when it’s at the cost of a coveted treasure.
Excluding the brides, of course. He stalks into the closet and
stomps out without a single treasure. “I vow to win the chalice in
a wager you can’t turn down,” he says as his crooked smile grows
and he looks longingly at my chalice.

I give him my own
answering grin. “As long as your end of the bargain isn’t the same
as your bride offers,” I say with a wink.

A lighter red spark shines
in his eyes. “Stop rubbing it in or I’ll carry through with my
black eye threat.”

I only smile in
satisfaction. “You need a lift back to the realm
crossing?”

“If that’s all you can
offer, I’ll take you up on it. May I at least hold the
chalice?”

I stand from the bed and
shake my head. “When the hell of every pantheon freezes
over.”

Chapter
Twenty-Seven

Roxanne

I spend the first night
since the claiming without my dragon. It’s awful. The sheets smell
of him. I curl around his pillow and toss and turn the entire
night. I miss my dragon. Peter brings me food. I practice a bit,
though I don’t have my heart in it. I have no idea what I would do
if my dragon didn’t return. My breath catches in my throat. I can’t
begin to comprehend the pain my dragon goes through when his brides
die. I am completely unable to take my mind so deep into that
darkness.