Dragon Heat (Dragons of Perralt Book 2) (7 page)

Flint turned over and reached for Laila. Damn, the woman was gone. He quickly looked around the room. Gone, like a wisp of the wind in the night.

His arms ached with the need to hold her. What had he done? The woman was intoxicating, and he was giving her away to some strange prince from a distant land.

The coin he reminded himself. Everything must be for the coin. His family’s heritage, his family’s future depended on it.

Yet, the sense of loss that washed through him could not be denied.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed he held his head in his hands and fought to tame the beast raging inside of him. Take her, the beast yelled. Take her away from here and never come back. Make her yours forever.

Flint’s fingers dug into his forehead, trying to silence the beast.

“She doesn’t know about you,” he said to the beast inside of him. “She doesn’t know what I am, if she did, she would never love me.”

The beast pushed back, it didn’t care. All it wanted was the woman. To hold and protect her from all evil.

Pushing the animal away, Flint rose and slowly got dressed for the day. No. he would do this. He had given his word. And, a Dragon of Perralt never broke his word. His ancestors would rise up from the dead and curse him if he did. And he wouldn’t blame them.

Sighing to himself for the tenth time that morning, he entered his study. His heart jumped. Laila was there, standing by the fire. As beautiful as ever. Her long brown hair glistening, her eyes shaded as if afraid he might see what she was thinking.

“Good morning,” he said with a smile.

She smiled back at him hesitantly. She doesn’t know how to act, he realized. She is scared and excited, and absolutely clueless about the impact she had on him.

“Good morning,” she replied, her hands clasped together in front of her.

He chuckled. “Relax, Laila, I’m not going to bite, I swear.”

She blushed, and he was sure she was remembering the love bites she had given his shoulder last night.

“I uh, I …”

He smiled to himself and walked over to her, taking both of her hands in his as he stared down into her eyes.

“I understand,” he said. “Don’t worry. Last night was wonderful. You were wonderful. Thank you.”

She looked up at him, her eyes began to tear up at the corners. He was positive she secretly wished she had her dagger easily available. The woman would rather fight than show any weakness. She didn’t realize that it was her vulnerability that was her greatest strength.

He leaned down and kissed the corner of each eye then brought her into a deep hug.

“What now?” she said into his chest.

“Now,” he replied slowly as his heart twisted in the wind. “Now, we get you your dream. A prince with a castle. What every girl wants.”

She squeezed him, as if afraid to ever let go. “Just like that? We forget about last night.”

Flint laughed. “Oh, Laila, I will never be able to forget last night. But, we each have a life to live. I have duties and responsibilities. You are the girl from Fifth Point who will marry a prince. Our lives are not always our own.”

“Why can’t they be?” she asked as she continued to hold onto him. “Why can’t we do what we want to do? Why can’t every night be like last night?”

He took a deep breath. Oh, how he wished he could follow his heart. But, the woman didn’t understand. She would never understand. His secret would ruin any chance of happiness between them. And, she deserved a prince. Hell, she deserved everything in this world.

He gently pushed her away and looked deep into her eyes. “Laila, we can’t. There are things about me, you do not know. Things that would change everything.”

“What? Do you become a ghostly ghoul on the summer solstice? I know, you have a wife and a dozen children? Or, you’re secretly a member of the City Watch. Sent here to capture Laila Mason, the dangerous pick pocket? What?” she demanded.

Flint stepped away from her. How he had hoped to avoid this. But the only way to avoid this would have been to deny themselves last night. And nothing in this world would ever make him regret their night together.

“Things, Laila, let’s leave it at that.”

She looked up at him, hands on her hips, her look of adoration quickly turning to hate and contempt.

“I see,” she said. “You got what you want. Now, it’s thanks, see you around sometime.”

“No,” he barked. “It is not like that, and you know it. What’s more. It is you that will be leaving with a prince, remember?”

Her eyes turned to spiteful flames as she shook her head at his idiocy. Giving a big huff, she stomped out of the room.

Great, Flint thought. Just great.

.o0o.

Laila studied herself in the mirror. Her hair was up in an intricate arrangement that defied all sense of the laws of nature.

She ran her hands over the front of her dress. Who would ever believe a girl from Fifth Point would wear such a garment. The deep blue fabric shimmered, the cut hung perfectly, accenting every good thing about her and hiding all the bad.

The bastard wanted her to marry a prince. Well, this dress was going to make it happen.

She glanced into the mirror at Mrs. Peabody standing behind her as she examined her one last time. The woman smiled and nodded her head with approval.

Laila inspected the sapphire earrings Sharp had delivered to her room. They matched her dress exactly. The deep blue stones glinting in the candle light. Flint had sent them. Along with a gold necklace with a large sapphire pendant.

She had put on the earrings, but decided to wear the locket he had given her. The one with the coin inside. It looked good around her neck, and she wouldn’t feel whole without it.

“You will outshine every woman there, I promise,” the housekeeper said to her, catching Laila’s eye in the mirror.

“Thank you, Mrs. Peabody. I couldn’t have done it without your help.”

The housekeeper stopped fiddling with the fabric around the belt and looked up into Laila’s eyes again.

“Remember dear,” the older woman said. “The only difference between them and us is that they think they are special, and we know they’re not. I’ve worked for a dozen different families. Helped arrange a hundred parties. I’ve seen them all, at their best and at their worst. And, believe me. None of them are as special as you. None of them could have come so far, so fast. None of them could have lasted ten minutes on those streets down at Fifth Point. You remember, no matter what, you are just as special as they are, even more so.”

Laila’s heart broke. She leaned forward and hugged the woman. She could not let her down, nothing must stop her from landing this prince. It was as if she represented all of the people of Fifth Point. She was the one who got to live their dreams of escape.

Mrs. Peabody smiled at her, then gently reached up and wiped a tear from Laila’s cheek. “No matter what, don’t let them see you cry. If this doesn’t work, hold your head up.”

“Maybe I should take my dagger,” Laila said with a laugh.

“Maybe you should,” Mrs. Peabody answered with a serious frown. “Half those people will stab you in the back without a second thought. At least you’d gut them, staring them in the eye.”

“And give the knife a little twist,” Laila said with a smile.

Mrs. Peabody laughed with her, then stepped back and gave her one last examination.

“You’ll do girl. If ever there were a princess, it is you.”

Laila lifted her chin and thought to herself. It is now or never.

She glanced one last time at the dagger resting on her bureau. Should she wear it under her dress? The thought was almost sacrilege, yet she would feel naked without it. Her hand ached to take it. In all of her years, that dagger had been the only thing she could ever rely on.

No, she thought. Flint said that princesses don’t wear daggers. Well, she would show him that she was a princess. At least for tonight. He might not want her, but a prince would. She was determined to show Flint what he had thrown away.

Taking a deep breath, she gathered her inner strength before she started down the stairs.

Flint waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. For a change, tonight, he was dressed in black with a stark white shirt under his tight jacket. On him, it worked. But then, Flint would make any clothes look good.

The man looked scrumptious, as always. Her heart jumped when his eyes locked onto hers.

A deep desire passed behind his eyes. He might not want to keep her. But, he definitely wanted to take her again, she saw. It was as if he saw her as his prey. Something to be caught and then forgotten.

She lifted her chin and ignored his look of passion. To hell with him. She would find her man at the party tonight and forget this arrogant idiot.

Turning she let him slip her cloak over her shoulders.

“Slightly different than my pants,” she said with a small laugh.

“I don’t know, I liked you in those pants,” he said. “You look priceless,” he whispered into her ear.

Laila shivered as his warm breath caressed her neck. Oh what might have been, she thought.

Turning, she gave him half a smile and dipped her head. She would have to put their argument behind her. She needed his help to get through the night. And after all, he was doing this for her. For her and his damn coin.

“Thank you,” she said. “And just think, you will soon have your precious coin.”

Flint looked taken aback for a moment. “True,” he said, “and you, your prince.”

They rode together in a fine carriage, their shoulders brushing. Laila had a hundred questions she wanted to ask. Who would be there, what should she expect. Emily had gone over the details a dozen times, but still, she wanted to hear Flint’s voice assuring her everything would be fine.

Instead, she remained quiet. The tension between them rising with every turn of the carriage wheel.

Why didn’t the man talk? she wondered. To him, this was just another party. Another opportunity to meet new women and obtain new conquests.

The tension became unbearable. Laila couldn’t take the quiet between them any longer.

“This is the first time I have seen you outside the house without your sword,” she said. It was the only thing she could think to say.

He laughed. “True, a fact that I hope to not have to ever repeat. The Ambassador let me know that swords are frowned upon at these parties.”

She smiled and nodded, but the awkward tension quickly returned.

“How about your dagger?” he asked. “Did you wear it?”

She shook her head, ‘no.’ He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “Oh well, we are both defenseless tonight,” he said with a sad smile.

She smiled back at him and said, “I don’t know. I believe you would be even more dangerous without a sword. That scowl of yours could disarm a dozen men.”

He laughed, but said nothing more. Once again, an awkward silence fell over them like a thick fog.

What is it? she wondered. Why does it have to be like this? Is it last night? Their argument this morning? Or, the future fast approaching? For some reason, she felt this distance growing between them and she hated it.

Laila sighed and stared out the carriage windows into the night. Into the dark unknown. She could feel the end approaching and the fact terrified her.

Suddenly, they passed beyond the Protected Enclave gates and into the city proper.

Turning to him in surprise, she asked, “Where are we going?”

Flint smiled, “The embassy is on the other side of town. They are rather new to this Kingdom. I believe the Queen of Lushcany has only recently begun sending Ambassadors to neighboring kingdoms. All trade and goodwill type of things.

Laila nodded. She would never understand politics, not really. But, she didn’t need to. That would be her new husband’s responsibility.

The wagon wheels rattled over the cobblestones as the carriage weaved its way through the streets of Quaster. Laila took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she tried to compose herself.

But, no matter how hard she tried she could not ignore the big man seated next to her. The warm smell of leather and pine, the way his shoulder brushed hers every time they hit a bump.

It was impossible. How was she supposed to ready herself with him right next to her? This was the most important moment of her life, and he was crowding her like a giant rock in the middle of a river. Just there, unable to be ignored.

At last, after what seemed like a half a life time, the carriage rolled to a stop before a huge stone building with a red terracotta roof. Torches ringed the building, lighting up the night with a thousand shadows.

Laila’s insides turned over. This was it. Succeed or spend the rest of her short life in the mines.

Flint jumped out of the carriage before the servants could reach the door. Was he in that much of a hurry to get rid of her? she wondered.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to center herself. Forget about Flint. Forget about last night. You are a Princess. Remember, you deserve this.