The Dragon and the Dreamwalker (Elemental Series) (19 page)

“What are you saying?” Her heart sped up at his words. The only way she knew to leave the castle without exiting the gate was to do it by
dreamwalking.
Surely, this couldn’t be what he meant. Could it? Then she felt relief when she understood where he meant to bring her.

He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her up the steps toward the walkway atop the battlements. Brynn hadn’t been up so high since she was a curious child. Women weren’t allowed up there, only the castle guards. Her father had seen to it she stayed on the ground where she was safe.

“I’m not supposed to be up here,” she told him.

“I’m lord of Thorndale now, and if I bring you up here, then you’re allowed.”

“’Tis so high. ’Tis not safe for a lady.”

“Since when do you care about being safe? Besides, I’ll be with to protect you from falling over the edge.”

Either that, or if he lost his temper he may be the one to push her over the edge. Against her better judgment, she followed his lead. It was cold and windy when they made it to the top. Drake nodded to a guard and went on past to the next merlon.

“I don’t find this horribly romantic,” she spoke loudly to be heard over the wind. “As a matter of fact, it’s very cold up here and I’d like to retreat.”

“Not before I show you why I like it so much up here.”

He walked past several more of his guards watching out over the grounds. She wondered how these men endured such an awful position. While everyone else was sitting near a warm fire drinking mead, they were guarding their posts, alone and cold, far beyond the merriment of the minstrels in the great hall.

“Ah, there!” He stopped and took a hold of her shoulders, turning her to face the sea. The moon shone brightly out over the water, giving the sea a glasslike appearance. The waves were barely visible. For the amount of wind atop the battlements, the sea was surprisingly calm. Thousands of bright stars lined the velvet sky above them, almost making her feel as if she were far away from the memories of Thorndale Castle and the stones that cried out for the loss of its occupants.

“It’s beautiful,” she said. “I’d forgotten how I used to like to steal away up here as a child.”

“Somehow I knew it wasn’t the first time you’d climbed these walls.”

Brynn shivered and Drake noticed. He stood behind her, enclosing her in his cloak for warmth. His arms wrapped around her and she closed her eyes to revel in his warmth. She couldn’t help but remember her
dreamwalking
and making love with Drake in the mews. Could things be the same in the physical? Could their marriage be as grand as their consummation in their etheric forms? She tried to remind herself it couldn’t, but her heart took control at his gentle touch. It was the touch of a lover, not a warrior. Soft and gentle, loving and caring. This couldn’t be coming from
The Dragon
. The thought alone scared her. She didn’t understand him at all.

“You tremble beneath my touch.” His breath was a mere hot whisper in her ear.

If she hadn’t been trembling from his touch before, she certainly was now.

“’Tis the wind, my lord. Naught else.”

“I don’t think so, my lady.” He pulled her closer and she couldn’t help but feel his need for her. She tensed, wondering how she was going to get away from him now. Wondering if she really wanted to leave at all.

She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing as his lips burned a trail from her cheek to her collarbone. It was so much like their
dreamwalking
that it was unnerving her. For a moment she wondered if she’d slipped into the
dreamwalking
state without remembering. She wanted to feel those same pleasures physically, and was feeling wanton though she was his wife, at every kiss he placed upon her. She wanted so much more.

“Your skin is soft and sweet,” he said as he nuzzled her ear.

“And you are getting better at wooing a woman.”

“I’m not trying to woo. I’m just being myself.”

“Well, mayhap that’s the secret, my lord.”

“Then I’m pleasing you?” he whispered into her ear, letting his tongue flick at her lobe.

She felt her knees weaken and a dampness beneath her skirts.

“Very much so,” she answered in a breathy voice.

His hands rested on her belly, and he inched them upward ever so slowly. Her breath caught in her throat when she felt them resting on the undersides of her breasts.

“A woman’s curves are much like a river. Winding, turning, exciting. You never know where you’ll end up.” His words were those of a lover. No more silly attempts at wooing, comparing her eyes to rotten apples. This came from his heart. A heart she had previously thought was black with soot and unable to show love or compassion of any kind.

Her breasts rose in breath as he moved his hands still a bit higher, his fingers now resting directly over her nipples.

“You harden under my touch,” he told her.

“’Tis the wind,” she answered. “I’m taut from the chill.”

The fingers of one hand dipped below her bodice. Her skin almost sizzled against his touch. Then he brushed a forefinger over one nipple, sending a spiral of heat from her breast down to her groin.

“You’re so hot you burn my touch like fire. You’re body calls out to mine, my lady. Let me take you back to my bed and make you my wife as should be.”

She didn’t want him to take her back to his bed. She wanted him to take her right there on the battlements. She was so aroused by his hot whispers and tender caresses that one more flick across her taut nipple and she’d be lifting her skirts herself in eager anticipation.

“Lord Dunsbard, Lord Dunsbard!” called a male voice.

Drake’s warmth went with his touch as he quickly pulled away at the approach of one of his men.

“Blast it anyway, what is it?” His angry growl was back, ruining the moment, not to mention bringing her back to her senses.

“I told him he wasn’t allowed up here, but he insisted on seeing you,” said the guard.

“Who?” snapped Drake “Of what do you speak?”

Brynn’s eyes opened wide when she saw Calais limping across the battlements toward them. He cocked a half smile when he saw her and suddenly she felt like nothing more than a whore.

“My lord, I thought if I am to be your new squire soon, I should start staying by your side to tend to your needs.”

The guard went back to his post. She saw Drake turn away, pulling his cloak closer around him to hide his intent for her.

“Your practice today didn’t fare well, Calais. I see you limp from your training. Your face is bruised and your arm looks stiff. I can’t have a squire who can’t protect me. I’m afraid you don’t qualify for the position.”

Calais looked to Brynn and she quickly looked away. She didn’t want Calais being Drake’s squire. She didn’t want him anywhere near her husband or herself. And right now she wanted to throw him over the battlements herself for interrupting her intimate time with Drake.

“I don’t feel Lady Brynn agrees with that,” he prompted.

“Lady Brynn does not choose my squires. Now if you’ll please leave the battlements at once.”

“Lady Brynn, how are you this night?” asked Calais. “It looks to me like perhaps you’re a bit cold?” He smiled his broken-toothed smile and stared at her chest. Brynn knew what he was doing. He was blackmailing her. If she didn’t get Drake to agree to train him as his squire, he’d be telling his tale next of how she gave herself to him though she won’t give herself to her own husband.

Drake couldn’t find out. Not here, not like this. When the time came, she would tell him herself. He wouldn’t hear it from a cur like Calais. She needed to think about all this, and what to do. Her heart was changing and she wanted to tell him, but at the same time she knew by doing so, she would soil her image in her people’s eyes.

Everyone had been accepting her so nicely since they thought she had thrown Drake out of the bedchamber. She was admired by the women for her courage, and even by the knights for her defiant spunk. She was adored by the children, and idolized by the people of Lornoon who thought she bravely stood at the sacrificial stake in order to save their lives. She could gain control of her father’s castle easily at this rate. But her heart ached to think she’d gained their honor and respect out of false pretense. She looked at Drake and then back to Calais. Her body vibrated for her husband, desiring him as her lover, not the eight-fingered man whom she’d given herself to out of desperation. She needed time to ponder this issue. She had to gain more time to think what to do.

“My lord,” she spoke to Drake. “I think mayhap Calais has had a bad start, but will do better from now on. Perhaps he can continue his training elsewhere while his body heals?” She hated herself for saying this. She closed her eyes in anticipation of Drake’s answer.

“I don’t think so.” Drake’s voice was gruff from the night air.

Her eyes sprang open, settling on Calais. Here stood a wolf licking his lips, anticipating his lamb for dinner.

“Please, my lord. I beg you to give him another chance,” she cried, not knowing what she would do if he denied her the request. Her stomach retched at her own words, and especially from the grin of approval from Calais.

Drake ran a hand over her hair, pushing back a lock that went astray. He didn’t look at all pleased. “I don’t like a woman trying to change my mind.”

Her eyes closed at the feeling of his hand caressing her hair. How she wished she didn’t have to do this. She opened her eyes and looked up to her husband. “I don’t try to change your mind, my lord. I just ask that you let Calais try once more.”

He pulled away and paced the battlements. Calais watched eagerly and Brynn felt like a traitor.

“I don’t understand why it’s so important to you that Calais be given another chance. I don’t understand any of this at all.”

She didn’t want him to understand. She wanted to just forget about it, and send Calais on his way. She just wanted to go back to what they were doing before Calais interrupted.

“So what’s your decision my lord?” Calais faked an honorable bow of respect.

Drake took a moment to answer. Brynn’s stomach tightened, as she waited for his answer. She felt trapped up on the battlements with no place to go. If Drake found out now, he’d want nothing to do with her. This should probably please her, but instead it terrified her. She knew he’d lose his temper horribly, and any feelings he may have had for her would be gone, her image tarnished.

“All right,” he finally agreed. “Although it’s against everything I stand for, but because it means so much to my wife, I’ll give you another chance.”

My wife
. He’d called her his wife. Though it were true, she felt nothing like his wife at the moment. She felt more like a whore siding with the enemy. Not a good feeling at all.

“Thank you, my lord. You won’t regret it,” said Calais.

“I already do,” grumbled Drake. “Now get out of my sight. I don’t want to see you again tonight. Meet me in the armory tomorrow morning. We’ll go over weapons and I’ll have Asad show you how to remove rust from my armor.”

“Aye, my lord. Thank you my lord.” Calais bowed once more, winking at Brynn.  He then hobbled away off the battlements. Brynn prayed that Drake hadn’t seen the wink.

“What is that man to you anyway?” asked Drake.

His words caught her by surprise.

“He means naught,” she answered quickly. “He’s just a villager I met in Lornoon.”

“He’s a black-hearted knave not to be trusted in the least. If you hadn’t taken such an interest in the man I would have put him on duty cleaning out the garderobes instead of letting him be trained as my squire.”

“That was courteous of you to give him another chance, my lord.”

“Courtesy had naught to do with it.” He wrapped his arms around her, this time facing her. “I did it to please you, Brynn. I guess you could say it’s part of my own training in wooing a lady. So, did I please you?”

He ran his hand up and down her back, his intent to lie with her still obvious. He hadn’t known what he’d just done. If he knew it was part of a blackmailing attempt and that Brynn was trying to regain control of Thorndale Castle and see him on his way, he never would have allowed Calais another chance. If he knew Calais had lain with her while he himself was kept waiting for her cooperation, he’d have the man hanged for sure. She wasn’t sure what he’d do to her, but didn’t want to find out.

“So where were we?” he whispered into her ear.

Suddenly, she couldn’t continue. Horrible thoughts of lying with Calais filled her mind and she felt like she didn’t deserve to be wrapped in Drake’s arms. She didn’t deserve the pleasure he’d been giving her, nor the respect of listening to her pleas about Calais. She was nothing more than a traitor who’d sold her soul to the devil once she gave herself to Calais, and meant to deceive Drake and take Thorndale Castle from him. She couldn’t go to bed with Drake now, even though her heart longed for him.

“I wish to go down from the battlements, and back to my bedchamber.”

“Aye,” he said with a smile. “That’s a fine idea. Let’s go to bed.”

“Alone!” She felt the stab to his heart when she said the word. She felt the stab to her own heart and wished she could make the situation different.