dragon archives 04 - dance with a dragon (29 page)

“I need my hands free,” she said. Danny stared at her for a moment, then nodded.

“Don’t try anything funny,” he said. “We are a lot faster and stronger than you.” It took a while for him to release the bonds, then he turned and undid Kathleen’s. “I will wait right here,” he said. He turned his back to them and planted his feet solidly on the ground as Anna grabbed Kathleen by both hands and dragged her behind the bushes.

“I want you to forget everything you know about dragons,” Anna asked as soon as they were out of sight of the man.

“Dragons? What are you talking about?”

“Shh, keep your voice down.”

“Dragons eat people, especially girls,” Kathleen whispered. “They are horrible monsters.”

“Not all dragons are horrible monsters,” Anna said. “And we are about to be rescued by one.” She saw Kathleen’s eyes open wide. “Shh,” she repeated. “I know a dragon, and he is coming to rescue us.”

“How do you know a dragon? And how do you know it will rescue us instead of eating us?” Kathleen whispered back.

“Because I saw him.” Anna waited a moment. “You have to trust me. Nothing bad will happen, I promise. The dragon will take us back to the camp. We are going to run away from here as fast as we can, do you understand? And when the dragon grabs you, you are not to be afraid.”

“When the dragon grabs me?” Kathleen turned as pale as the moon.

“Either we be rescued by the dragon, or we stay with these … these … rogues.” Kathleen stared at Anna for a moment, then slowly nodded. “Are you ready to run?”

“No!”

Anna grabbed her by the hand. “Run,” she shouted in a whisper. “Now!”

They ran into the darkness that lay behind the bushes, stumbling over rocks and shrubs. They had gone a short distance when Anna heard a yell, then the pounding of pursuing feet as Danny started to give chase. “Max,” she shouted. She felt a tug as Kathleen tripped to the ground, and she paused to help her to her feet. She glanced backwards to see Danny gaining ground, with Syngen a short distance behind, and grabbed Kathleen’s hand again. “Come on,” she shouted.

“Where’s the dragon?” Kathleen huffed. The words had just left her mouth when Anna felt a roll of heat wash over her. She dropped Kathleen’s hand, but continued to run. She heard a squeak from Kathleen and knew that Max must have grabbed her. 

“Anna!” The dragon roared her name, and she glanced up, slowing when she saw the dragon coming towards her with claws outstretched. “Stop!” But the warning came too late. A log lay in her path, as high as her ankles, and she tripped over it, tumbling head-first into a ravine. She screamed as she tumbled over and over down the steep bank, hitting branches and rocks. She came to a stop against a tree, and lay still.

“Anna!” Anna opened her eyes slowly. Max was hovering above her, Kathleen dangling in his talons, her face frozen with shock. Anna tried to move, but every part of her body screamed in pain. She was tangled in a bush, her gown and hair caught between twigs and branches.

“Go,” she said. “Take Kathleen. Come back for me.”

“No, I’m not leaving you.”

A shout reached her from above. “Here, she fell down here.”

“Go,” Anna said. “Quickly. Come back before they find me.”

There was a moment of hesitation, then Max nodded. “I will be back very shortly,” he said. There was a whoosh of air as Max rose into the air, his huge body fading into blackness.

“Hey, what was that?” Anna could hear the trace of fear in Danny’s voice.

“An owl, maybe.” Syngen sounded unconcerned. “We need to get the girl out. What happened to the other one?” 

“She disappeared. Something dark came out of the night and took her.”

“Something dark? A monster?”

“Yes! A monster!” Danny sounded relieved to have an explanation. Syngen cursed softly before replying.

“You should know better than to believe in monsters, Danny.” His voice was resigned. “It is too dark to descend the ravine now. The girl cannot go far, and we will retrieve her …” The voice faded as Anna closed her eyes again. When she opened them again, all was silent. Her eyes drifted closed once more as she wondered how long it would be before Max came back, but when she opened them again, she was lying in the middle of a meadow, the ground beneath her flat and soft. Max was on his knees, leaning over her, his face etched with concern.

“Max,” she whispered. He bent closer and gently stroked her cheek.

“My darling, thank God you’re awake. You’ve got quite a few scrapes and bruises. Your wrist is sprained, and you lost a lot of blood from a head wound.”

“Nothing too … serious then,” she whispered. He smiled slightly.

“You must drink some of my blood.”

Anna looked into the darkness. “No,” she whispered, “no blood.”

“Anna, please,” he said. “It will help you heal.”

She met his gaze. “If I have your blood, I will be bonded to you, won’t I?” He nodded. “I cannot have your blood, Max,” she said. He stared down at her for a long time.

“You are the most stubborn woman I have ever met,” he said. “Very well. I’ll take you back to the camp when it’s light. Rest a little more.” He lay down on the ground next to her, and gently pulled her against his chest, cradling her head with his arm. She groaned with the movement, but as his heat enveloped her, she closed her eyes with a sigh.

“Is Kathleen all right?” she asked.

“Yes. The poor girl was terrified, but I landed her behind the camp and she managed to walk the rest of the way. I didn’t wait to hear her explanation to the others, as I came straight back to get you.”

“I didn’t see you come.”

“You had lost consciousness. I had to untangle you from the trees and bushes, and then I brought you here, away from those men.” He paused. “Who were they?”

“Terran’s men.” Anna started to explain what had happened, but was asleep before she even reached the part where they ran away. When she awoke, the sun had risen. There was a canopy over her, blocking her face from the rays. She stared at it, mesmerized by the way it shimmered in the morning light. Something shifted behind her, and she turned to see Max looking down at her.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Sore,” she said. He smiled.

“You need something to eat,” he said. “Will you wait here while I find you something?” She nodded. He rose to his feet, and the canopy that had been shading her lifted, stretching out behind him. He flexed the wing and then unfurled the other, and with a quick smile in her direction, shot into the air. He was back within a matter of minutes, his fingers wrapped around the neck of a dead rabbit. He tore the creature apart with his hands, and Anna looked away with a shudder. He glanced down at her with a rueful smile. “I’m afraid I don’t have the tools to skin it,” he said. “It isn’t something I usually need to do.”

“It’s all right,” she said. He ripped off a small piece of flesh, and holding it to his mouth, blew a glowing flame over it, before dropping to his haunches next to her. She lifted her arm to take the piece, and then groaned as a sharp stab of pain shot through her. Immediately Max’s arm went around her, holding her carefully against his side as she cradled the arm. He lifted the morsel of meat, his fingers brushing her lips as she opened her mouth. His fingers lingered a moment as she closed her lips over the morsel, and when she glanced up at him, she saw a blaze in his eyes that matched the one in the pit of her stomach. He pulled his eyes away, and shifting his weight slightly, ripped off another piece of meat. Once again he lifted it to her lips, and she took it from his fingers. She did not look at him, and pulled away as soon as it was in her mouth.

He offered her more but she shook her head. He flung the remains of the rabbit aside. Max reached across her legs and slipped an arm beneath her knees, then rose to his feet with Anna in his arms. He held her against his chest, and she nestled into the crook of his arm. She could smell the heat and fire that raged within him, and when he pulled her closer and higher against his chest, she snuggled herself against him, closing her eyes. His wings rustled as he opened them, and they shimmered in the morning light as he stretched them to their fullest extent. He shot into the air and the wind rushed past her, whipping her gown around her ankles. Her sprained arm was cradled between her chest and his, but she reached up with the other arm and slipped it around his neck. She felt him look down at her, and the rushing wind slowed. She opened her eyes, wondering if they had landed, but he was hovering in the air, his wings moving slowly behind him, staring down at her. She closed her eyes again, and after a moment, she felt the soft rush of moving air once again.

She lay in his arms with eyes closed as he drew closer to the camp, but she opened them when she felt the soft thud of his landing. His wings disappeared as he looked down at her. “I’ll carry you the rest of the way,” he said.

“I can walk,” she said, but when her feet touched the ground, her knees buckled beneath her. Max scooped her back into his arms and strode in the direction of the camp. She could hear voices in the distance, and as they grew closer, she heard her name being called. Kathleen had seen them approaching, and came running.

“Anna! Master Brant! What are ...? How is it ...?” She stopped, the confusion clear on her face.

“Anna is badly injured,” Max said. “The dragon didn’t want to land in the camp, so he gave her into my care.”

“You know the dragon?”

Max cast a quick look in Anna’s direction. “You could say that. But we need to get Anna somewhere comfortable. Her arm is injured, and she’s lost a lot of blood.”

Kathleen nodded. “Follow me,” she said. She fell in beside Max as they walked. “Master Garrick was here earlier,” she whispered to Anna. “He heard that two ladies had been taken.”

“What did you tell him?” Anna asked.

“I told him what happened, and that a dragon had returned me to the camp, then gone back for you.” Max laughed and Kathleen glanced at him in surprise, before quickly averting her gaze.

“I’m sure he was pleased to hear that,” Max said, grinning at Anna when she pinched his neck.

“He was glad that you were being rescued, but he also seemed sad,” Kathleen said.

“Sad?” Anna said in surprise. She glanced at Max again, but he had turned his face away, and she could not see his expression. They were almost at the camp when the others noticed them approaching.

“Mistress. You are back.” Frank’s voice was cold and suspicious. He glanced at Max’s bare chest, and his eyes narrowed.

“Mistress Anna has been badly injured,” Max said. “And I would thank you not to make assumptions regarding my lack of attire. I considered her comfort and safety of more importance than stopping to clothe myself more fully.”

“Anna? Anna? Is that you? Are you back?” Matilda emerged from her tent and hurried over. “We have been so worried. When Kathleen told us what happened, that you had fallen down a ravine after escaping from your abductors, we feared the worst. But here you are, safe and sound.” She stared at Max for a moment, her eyes roving over his bare chest, then looked back at Anna.

“Is there a place I can lay her?” Max asked.

“Of course.” Matilda waved towards the other tent.

“Come,” Kathleen said, holding open the flap and indicating a low camp cot. “Here is her bed.”

Max knelt on the floor and carefully lowered her down. Her arm slipped from his neck. “Thank you,” she whispered. Max leaned closer, bringing his mouth close to her ear.

“Rescuing you is always a pleasure,” he said, and she could hear the amusement in his tone. He rose to his feet, and turning, walked from the tent.

Chapter 38

Anna lay on the bed as Kathleen gently wiped the dirt from her wounds, before coating them with a salve that she had mixed. There was a deep gash on her forehead, and scratches covered her arms and legs. She had twisted her arm in the fall, and Betsy fashioned a sling to keep it secure. She slept after that, drifting in and out of consciousness. Once, when she awoke, she heard Rupert questioning Kathleen outside the tent.

“And you say Mistress Anna was surprised when the men made an appearance?”

“Oh, yes. We both were. We tried to run away, but it was too late.”

“I’m sure it was,” Rupert replied dryly. What did that mean, Anna wondered? “And did Mistress Anna provide any information about our forces to these abductors?”

Anna could hear the puzzlement in Kathleen’s voice. “Information, Your Highness?”

“Yes. About our movements, perhaps?”

“No. Why would she do that? The enemy already knows where we are, do they not?”

There was a moment of silence. “Thank you for your time, Lady,” Anna heard him say, and then the sound of him moving away.

Kathleen came into the tent a few minutes later. “I just had to talk with the prince,” she said, her face pale and her hands trembling. “He’s so stern!” She sat down on a stool next to Anna. “He asked me a lot of questions about you.”

The flap of the tent lifted, and Blanche walked in. “Well, well,” she said as she plopped herself down on her cot. “Here is our little Anna, returned safe and sound against the bare, naked chest of Max Brant.” She cocked her head. “Tell me, was this a ruse to spend time with your lover, Anna?”

“Her lover?” Kathleen swung around to glare at her. “You are making a horrible mistake, Blanche,” she said. “Anna would never do such a thing! We were abducted by Terran’s men and taken hostage!”

Blanche laughed. “No need to get so riled up in Anna’s defense,” Blanche said. “I was only funning!”

Anna took Kathleen’s hand in her own. “Blanche is just being spiteful,” Anna said. “We both know the truth of what happened, and Blanche knows that defaming my character does not make the words true.” Kathleen glared at Blanche a moment longer, then turned and left the tent, leaving Blanche looking at Anna in cynical amusement as Anna turned away and closed her eyes.

Garrick came by later that day, his face etched with concern as he knelt next to the low camp cot with its woven straw pallet.

“Lady Kathleen told me you ran into some of Terran’s men.” Anna nodded. “Did they hurt you?” He glanced down at the scratches that covered her body.