Heart Of The Dragon (Her Dragon's Bane 3) (6 page)

As they entered, she saw the wood, old oak if she wasn’t mistaken, covered in some kind of grease. At a guess, she would say that it was to protect the ancient doors from burning down. A natural thing to do since the only things that lived here were creatures of fire.

With so much testosterone swimming about the place there was bound to be infighting. Such painstaking craftsmanship was not something you would find in this modern age. Not without raising many questions. If Dòmhnall was anything like Connor and Zoah, he would avoid questions. Staying away from mankind in general.

All thoughts of carpentry and doors escaped her brain in one sudden sickening lurch. Instead, the giant of a man, seated on what could be mistaken for a throne, grabbed her attention. It might seem pretentious, if it wasn’t for the way the beast of a man commanded the room with his very presence. His attention wasn’t drawn anywhere particular, or to anyone.

However, as they approached, their escort seemed to hold their collective breath. They waiting for him to speak, for him to address one of them. Kier’s face changed, an expression of horror crossing his face. Stiffly, he bowed and left the hall. At the same moment, the man she assumed was Dòmhnall shifted his body subtly. Slowly he lifted his head to survey those brought before him.

“So this is the seer?” He looked hard at Tara, who stood proud and unflinching before him.

“I have the gift of foresight.” She bowed her head in respect.

“I did not ask you to speak. Only dragons are allowed to address me without being spoken to.”

“Really,” she continued. “Oh mighty Dragon Lord, my gift is too precious to be only used when allowed. What if I see a threat to your lands? I could not warn you if I am not allowed to speak unless spoken to?”

Before the last word had left her mouth, he was there beside her. His hand on her throat, making her kneel before him. “There has not been a threat for the last thousand years that I have not been able to deal with. My actions are always swift and merciless. So do not come here with your words and expect me to value anything you have to say.”

“Then why did you have your guards bring me here, if not to hear what I have to say?”

He leaned forward, his face close to hers. The blood drained from her cheeks, leaving her pale and wraith like. “Because the only value you have to me is in your silence. In here, your gift is worth nothing. Outside of these walls, there are those who would pay handsomely to see the future.”

“But...”

“If you do not wish to be gagged, you will keep your mouth shut.” He released her, and she stayed where she was, on her knees at his feet. Looking down at her, he sneered. “If you are indeed a wise woman, you will do as I say.”

Looking shocked, Tara stayed where he had left her. While the Dragon Lord came to stand in front of Serena and Connor. Undiminished by the size and obvious strength of Dòmhnall, Connor squared his shoulders in a show of confidence.

“Relax; we are not enemies, Connor Outcast.”

“It seems you know more about me than I know about myself,” Connor said. Dropping his shoulders, he tried to appear less threatening.

“I remember your father. And his mate. We parted under harsh words.”

“I would like to hear what those words were.”

“Another time. And not in front of ... those of lesser blood.”

“Serena is my mate, she carries my child. There is nothing you cannot say in front of her, she is loyal to me.”

Serena clenched her fists, hating Dòmhnall talking as though she were a trinket. It brought back painful memories of the way she had been controlled by Samuel. He had used emotional blackmail and pain to make her do his bidding. She reminded herself that was not how her relationship with Connor worked. However, if it was how this self-styled Dragon Lord needed to see it then so be it.

All she wanted was to get what they had come here for and go. For a second her mind swam, and she felt dizzy and nauseous again. Only this time she knew it had nothing to do with their dragon baby, this was something more. Connor had brought her here so that she could be given immortality. Tara had somehow persuaded him that it was possible. That the Dragons of Spellholm knew the secret.

Immortality.

Serena repeated the word several more times. It sounded false on her tongue. How could a woman such as her be given something so rare, so precious. Did she deserve such a gift? Then the most important, the most disturbing question. Did she even want immortality?

Beside him, Serena looked faint, her eyes no longer focused on the room. While in front of him stood a dragon who had banished his father from this stronghold. Why? What had his father done to deserve such a punishment? To be exiled from his brothers, from the only creatures who understood him.

“Tonight, you will dine with me, and I will tell you all you need to know. Now you should rest, I have other matters to attend to.” His gaze skimmed the other dragons in the hall.

Connor decided to leave him to these other duties. It worried him that Serena looked so ill. He feared the journey and the reception they received had been too much for her, and the baby. Who already seemed to be a force to contend with.

He had never told her, but his mother always used to make jokes about how he and Zoah showed their personalities long before they were alive in this world. He had not taken much notice of the stories she told. However, now he believed his mother spoke the truth.

“Raal, show our guests to their rooms.” Dòmhnall turned his attention to Tara. “I trust you will stay in your room, and not speak to any of my men. You unsettle them with your curse.”

Tara nodded, and then stood up shakily. Connor offered her no assistance. It might be good for her to lose some of her confidence in manipulating others. His concerns focused entirely on Serena instead.

Raal waited for them, while Connor picked up their bags. He offered no assistance, instead looking at them as if they were wasting his time. When they walked over to him, he simply turned around and left the hall. He expected them to follow, seeming not to care if they did or not.

Connor had not expected this kind of welcome. Yes, he knew they would not greet him like a long lost cousin. Although in some ways he was. Related, or not, he had certainly not expected such animosity. Perhaps that came from the fact that he was not alone, he came with baggage, a mate and a witch. In the simplest terms, he had arrived with two women. Who, if he was not mistaken, were the only two women in the castle.

Strange, he would have expected at least one or two of the dragons to have found their mates. Unless they were like his father, and had lost their true mates due to normal human ageing.

Connor wished he could talk to Tara, but she was some way behind him. He did not want to wait for her, his priority was to take care of Serena. Later he would find her. He needed to ask the witch why she thought the dragons here knew the secret to immortality.

If they did, he was beginning to think they did not use it. Which led him to the question why?

Raal had shown them to a room, and left them with no word about what they were supposed to do. Instead, he had closed the door on them, and taken Tara elsewhere.

“You need to follow them and see what they do with Tara,” Serena said, suddenly coming back to herself.

“You’re worried about her?”

“No. But she has answers to a lot of questions I have buzzing around in my head. I want to speak to her.”

“You should lie down and rest.”

“I will, for now. But tonight, when you go to dine with Dòmhnall, I am going to have a little chat with Tara.”

“Serena, don’t antagonise these dragons.”

“I don’t plan too, and anyway they haven’t told us to stay in our room.”

“Let me see what I can get out of Dòmhnall. Then we can talk to Tara tomorrow.”

“If she’s still here. What if they get rid of her in the night?”

“She would know, and circumvent it.”

“Damn, Connor, you don’t get it do you?" He looked at her bewildered, and so she carried on, spelling out to him what was now so obvious to her. “She’s already told us she can’t see her own future. Well I’m certain she can’t see Dòmhnall’s either.”

“So? She said it’s not a totally infallible gift.”

“Have you never questioned why she wanted to come here?”

“I try not to think about what goes on in that woman’s head.”

“Connor, I’m certain she came here because Dòmhnall is her mate. Or she is his mate, if that’s how it works.”

Connor shook his head. “No, you have it wrong. That’s impossible; she wouldn’t have been able to keep it to herself.”

“I am sure she can’t see his future because it’s too wrapped up with her own. She has no idea what he’s going to do next. That’s why she didn’t move when he went to grab her. And why she was so shocked when he told her he didn’t need her gift.”

“No. It’s only because it’s her future,” Connor insisted.

“She knew what Kier was going to do when he changed into a dragon, she ducked in time. But she didn't have the slightest idea Dòmhnall was going to grab her like that.”

“Maybe it’s part of her plan.”

“Connor, I’m pretty sure she no longer has a plan.”

He stared at her for one moment longer, and then turned and disappeared out of the door.

***

“I hope I can remember the way to her room. I would hate to burst in on a dragon. That would take some explaining.”

Connor put his hands on her arms and looked at her directly. “Calm down, you will remember. Down the hallway and turn left. Pass two more corridors on the right, and then take the third. Her room is the fifth on the left.”

“Why so far away?” Serena asked.

“So that we wouldn’t know where she was. I’m only hoping they haven’t locked it.”

“I don’t think she dares leave there. Do you? Dòmhnall made her aware of the consequences, and I don't think he was joking.” She could still picture the Dragon Lord's face. “What if there’s a guard?”

“Then you make some excuse, and turn around and come back here. You are my mate, Serena. Nothing is going to happen to you, not while there is breath left in my body.”

“That’s what worries me. Do they care if we live? I think we’re simply a distraction that they don't need. They have this quiet little life here, living out their dragon years in seclusion.”

Connor came to her, lowering his head and nuzzling her neck. “That reminds me of someone else you know.”

She turned her face, and cupped his chin so she could tilt it upwards. Their lips met, and he kissed her, making everything seem right in the world. No matter where they were, if they were together, that was all that mattered.

“I still wish you’d told me why you wanted to come here so badly.”

“I’m sorry. Tara said it wouldn’t work out right if you knew.”

“What difference can it possibly make?”

“I don’t know. But she has been right about so much. You heard her today. She knows their secrets.”

“Except Dòmhnall’s. And she’s made an enemy out of Marcas; I don't see that ending well.”

“I wish she would let us in on what she sees. She purposefully riled Marcas. I’m sure she has a plan. Damn if she would only tell us his secret. He certainly doesn’t want the others to know what it is. I bet she’s hoping her room is locked so he can't get to her.”

“He would have access to the key if it was; he is the strong arm of the Dragon Lord after all.” She did an impression of Marcas. Blowing her chest out and holding her arms out to the side, striding around the room before collapsing into a fit of giggles. “You dragons are so typically male. All brawn.”

He grabbed her and pulled her to him, his hard length pressing into her thigh. “I would like you to sample my brawn,” he said, as more giggles erupted from her.

“I bet you would.” She placed her hand on him, stroking him, feeling him harden under her touch. “I don’t think they particularly want us wandering round either. So we have a couple of hours at least to fill.”

“What did you have in mind?” A thrill of excitement filled her. Maybe it was the feeling of taking a risk, of someone walking in on them. Perhaps it was the relief at making it here alive. Whatever was to blame, she didn’t care, she wanted him. Right now and she didn’t need Tara’s gift to know that he wanted her too.

Connor lifted her off her feet, and took her to the small bed, which was pushed against the wall. The whole room was so sparse; these dragons must do their entertaining elsewhere. They appeared to live the same way Connor and Zoah had lived for years. No doubt going out into the wider world to find their sexual release. Always returning to the castle, but never with a woman.

While Connor kissed her neck, she closed her eyes in bliss. Despite his lips, she couldn't help musing on why none of the dragons living here had no mate. Connor had not mentioned his father's exile. However, she had her suspicions about the true reason. It appeared dragons here were not allowed mates.

Did that mean Dòmhnall wouldn't give them the information they needed for her to become immortal? She only hoped that he would never find some way to make Connor give her up. She was stupid to worry, because that would never happen. Least of all because she had their child growing inside her.

Connor shifted his hand, sliding it up her thigh, lifting her loose skirt up. She had changed from her warm clothes once they were inside. She wanted to look pretty and feminine, to counteract the whole maleness of the castle. It was as if a woman had never set foot in there before today. But a woman was here now. One that was about to be pleasured by her mate, in the dragon stronghold. How many years had it been since that had happened.

"Ohh," she gasped, his hand reaching the origin of her need. His fingers running along the length of her slit, probing into her heated depths. She opened her thighs wider, allowing him to push deeper. For the moment, she forgot everything around them. The only thing that mattered in this world was right here with her.