Never Deal with Dragons (20 page)

Trian was nice enough to pretend he didn’t notice.

For lack of anything better to do, I perched on the edge of the bed. “So. I guess you’re all healed up?” I’d assumed with his injuries, Trian would need at least a week before he was healthy enough to fly. But he’d obviously inherited at least a small portion of dragon healing ability, because he stood here—barely twenty-four hours after he’d been injured—clean-shaven, with not a cut or bruise in sight.

He was wearing a classic black-and-white tux with the tie and collar undone, and I wondered whether he was enjoying the party as much as Richard. I’d been so disgusted with myself for sleeping through the most important part of my self-appointed mission that I’d only half listened to Richard ramble about this week’s activities.

“What’s got you wandering the halls this late?”

“Relobu wanted me here to keep an eye on Lady Adelaida. Because she’s hosting the dragon council in her territory, and on such short notice, her resources are stretched thinner than she’d like. She’s not convinced Hian-puo doesn’t have something else in mind to cause her or her people harm. Relobu told her I’m a dragon-morph, so she feels that I am better able to deal with any threats from Hian-puo, should he decide to personally attack her.”

I’d say that Lady Adelaida was just a touch paranoid, but then again I’d met Hian-puo. I wouldn’t put it past him to try and kill her on a whim. The rules of common sense and logic just didn’t seem to apply.

And after the fight between Trian and Hian-puo, I’d gathered that dragon-morphs were the faster, stronger, meaner cousins to the regular strain of dragons. If I were Lady Adelaida, I’d have probably done the same thing. Especially if Trian was doing the guarding. In a tux.

I sighed. It was hopeless. He was my kryptonite.

“Isn’t Hian-puo still in custody?” The last time I’d seen the dragon lord, he’d been trussed up tighter than a Thanksgiving turkey and just as cooked. Dragons may be lenient on humans being injured when dealing with dragons, but they did
not
take well to dragon lords intervening with other lords’ business.

“Dragon lords are forbidden to be restrained while facing charges from the dragon council.”

I waited for Trian to tell me he was joking. “Who made that stupid rule?”

He smiled. “Apparently it was among the original agreements put into effect when the dragons began to nationalize.”

“And I thought human laws were dumb. So is this the new dress code for security detail?” I asked, waving at his formal wear. “Gonna be hard to hide your sword in that.”

Trian sighed. “That’s the least of my problems. Right now, I’m just trying to familiarize myself with Adelaida’s schedule. Which means a whole lot of useless parties.”

“Right.” I fell silent. I still wasn’t sure why Trian had stopped by my room, and judging by the fact that he’d just engaged in more small talk than I’d ever witnessed from him, I knew something was wrong. So I waited until he’d stopped his pacing and came to sit on the bed beside me.

“Myrna, at the trial. You’re going to have to testify.”

“I know. Relobu told me. That’s why I’m here in Budapest. I meet with the council tomorrow morning.” Relobu was still doing his best to keep the human mediator bit under the radar, just in case there was a chance he could revive the international dragon agreements once the dust settled on Hian-puo’s temper tantrum.

“They’re going to need you to do it in public. In front of Hian-puo. The plan was for me, in dragon form, to provide testimony on all of it—from the attack by his subject at Lord Relobu’s to his commission of the weapon and imprisonment of Relobu’s team. That’s why they could keep you out of the public eye. Your testimony would serve to simply fill in the blanks. But since the confrontation at Hian-puo’s, too many people know I’m a dragon-morph.

“They aren’t the type to share that information,” Trian said after he saw my worried look, “but so far they’re proving to be sticklers for following the rules. And, like the rule about dragon lords appearing unfettered before their peers, there is a law in place that allows testimony from, and I quote, ‘human or dragonian subjects.’ Relobu was afraid one of Hian-puo’s cronies would get wind that I don’t exactly fit into those categories and get the trial thrown out completely. We can’t risk that.”

No, we definitely couldn’t. Hian-puo was out for my blood. I looked down to see my hand tightly gripping the bedding, and forced it to relax. This was crazy. “But Hian-puo is a dragon-morph. Are they even sure they can charge him?”

“Yes. Luckily, the laws use a title, ‘Dragon Lord,’ for all references to the procedure for his trial. He’ll be unable to testify in his own defense, but we will be able to try him.”

“Has Hian-puo been told about the events since his arrest?” He was
not
going to be happy about me making a deal with one of his generals.

Trian nodded grimly.

Not happy was an understatement. Hian-puo would be furious. Now the odds that I had a price on my head were almost certain.

Trian’s voice interrupted my panicked thoughts.

“Relobu has petitioned DRACIM for Emory’s presence here in Budapest to serve as the DRACIM liaison while you’re busy with the trial. It’s mostly a way that Lord Relobu can give the appearance that your office is fully invested in the proceedings.” Trian cleared his throat and looked to the floor.

“We’re also saying the dinner invitation to Lord Relobu’s was a chance for the dragon lord to get to know you, since you’re dating the head of his security.” He met my eyes. “I’m sorry about that. It was the only thing we could think of to explain your presence the night of the attack without mentioning Relobu’s plans for international dragon-to-human trade agreements.”

I nodded, ignoring the small stab of hurt that Trian was uncomfortable with admitting, however incorrectly, that we were dating. I struggled to keep my feelings from showing on my face. “No. It’s a good idea. Emory is aware of our past, if not why we broke up, so it won’t be too much of a stretch to convince him we’d picked up where we left off.”

A silence descended upon the room while both of us contemplated the new situation. Trian was the first to say something.

“When Richard spoke to Emory, he did his best to downplay the trial and stress the social functions taking place throughout the week. Emory’s wife was also invited to attend.”

I smiled weakly. Richard had Emory’s number all right. There’s no way my former boss would allow DRACIM to turn down the opportunity for him to rub elbows with an entire world’s worth of the rich and influential. Especially if Amy could come with a camera.

“Richard plans to testify on the majority of events that took place at Hian-puo’s residence, but...”

“I was the only one around for a lot of it,” I finished for him.

Trian nodded. “Myrna, I came by to tell you you’re not alone. You’re still entitled to protection by Relobu’s security services. I stopped by to ask your permission to organize a security detail of human and dragon guards, until Hian-puo’s trial is complete. It won’t be Dan or Henry, but I have a couple of guys that should do a good job.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you.” More guards. More danger. And I still hadn’t completed a single successful mediation session. I nodded my head, and then did something I hadn’t done in a very long time.

I burst into tears.

The shocked expression on Trian’s face was almost comical. To be honest, even I was more than slightly surprised at my outburst.

“Myrna!” In one swift motion, Trian plucked me off the bed and settled me into his lap. Tucking my head into the crook of his neck, he let me sob.

For several minutes all I could do was cry. The stress, the lack of sleep, the fear—all of it had managed to catch up to me at last.

Trian didn’t say a thing; he simply held me while all the pent-up emotions of the past few weeks poured in a wet stream down the front of his shirt.

I made a noise—half sob, half laugh. “Lady Adelaida isn’t going to be happy that I’ve ruined your penguin suit.”

“I’m off duty, and I have a couple of spares. They tend not to make it when I’m forced to go scaly, so I plan ahead.” He squeezed me gently and ran his hand across the back of my head.

“Does it hurt?”

“Does what hurt? Turning into a dragon? Sometimes. A little. It’s a lot easier when I’m relaxed.”

I laughed. “So I guess it hurt a little bit at Hian-puo’s?”

“It wasn’t exactly comfortable.”

“Do you like being able to turn into a dragon?”

“For the most part, yes. It was weird at first. I was eight the first time I morphed.” He chuckled. “A kid hit me with a basketball after school, and I got angry. He never did it again. But I’m sure his mom got one hell of a story when he made it home. When my parents died—car crash—Lord Relobu stepped in. Helped me learn how to control the dragon side, to shift only when I wanted to, and to do it fast. Now, I’m equally comfortable in either form.”

“Wow.” It was a lot to soak in.

“Myrna, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess. It was never my intention to put you in danger. I just...” Trian paused as he searched for his next words.

“I was stupid. I thought I could bring you in on this case, spend some time with you, and maybe find a way to tell you about why I left a year ago. Instead, I risked your life in more ways than I can count.”

He squeezed me again, and this time he was the one with a catch in his throat. “I left you because I didn’t want you hurt. That’s the honest truth. But you’re right. I did it mostly because Relobu asked it of me. And I’ve regretted it every moment since.” I gazed into his eyes, so solemn, so full of absolute despair, and felt my stomach clench.

I put a hand on his arm. “Trian. Look at me.”

It was a moment before his attention returned to my face. When that golden gaze met mine, I spoke, each word carefully enunciated to ensure he didn’t miss my meaning.

“My feelings are still hurt that you decided to hide the truth instead of letting us work through the problem together, but let me make this very, very clear. I’ve spent far too many days of my life worrying what strangers thought about me.

“Who cares that my father was a drunk, and that he often stole from people to help support his habit? I’m not. His actions have no bearing on who I am today. It’s taken me a long time to admit this, and I still struggle with how I’m perceived by others. But listen to me now. I will not allow what others think to dictate my actions in life. I am who I am, and if they can’t accept that, so be it.”

Trian smiled and raised a hand to cup my jaw. “You are by far the bravest, most interesting woman I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. I’ll be honored to play your love interest for as long as the media is interested. And for what it’s worth, Lord Relobu wants you at the trial, but if you’re not comfortable facing Hian-puo, I will personally take you anywhere you want to go.”

I pulled back to meet his eyes. “Relobu wouldn’t like it.”

“No. He wouldn’t. But I’ve learned some things, too. I’ve learned that no amount of disapproval compares to the pain of living without you. Instead of trusting you to make the decision to share that photo or not, I chose the easy way, and hurt you badly in the process. I can’t go back and fix the past, but I’d love the opportunity for an attempt at the future.” He smiled tiredly and shrugged his shoulders. “Well. This is me. Every depressing secret I’ve ever had, I’ve told you. I’m an open book.”

“And an enormous black dragon to boot.”

The weight on my chest eased when I saw the flash of humor. “That, too.”

Well, here he was. Back when he’d first disappeared, I’d dreamed of a moment like this, when Trian would come to me, admit he was wrong, and ask for my forgiveness. Granted, in my imagination, he’d been sobbing in desperation, wearing his heart on a sleeve at a perfect kicking level. Depending on my mood, I’d either graciously accept his apologies, or laugh in his face to cause him the same hurt I was experiencing.

But here, now, I just wanted to know if I could trust him.

“Well,” I nibbled my lip and prepared to jump off yet another emotional ledge. “I’ve always wanted to see Australia.”

I watched him carefully as my words sank in, steeling myself for the crushing disappointment when he found another reason to do his master’s bidding.

Trian’s eyes widened in surprise, but he smiled. “Australia’s a good choice. I’ve met Lord Illim on a couple of occasions. He prefers staying in Darwin most of the time, so we’d have no trouble if we settled somewhere on the south side of the continent.”

His forehead creased. “He’s present for the council meeting. I could approach him quietly and request his permission to relocate. But if Lord Relobu wants me back and actually pushes the matter, I’m not sure Illim would be willing to let me stay. No, I think it’s best that we fly in under the radar. I’ll find a job, you can—”

“Trian.” I couldn’t help but smile. He hadn’t brushed me off. There’d been no lies. No excuses. He hadn’t tried to coax me into compromising on my wishes. He’d instantly, unequivocally chosen me.

“I guess if we’re baring our souls, I have a few secrets I’ve been keeping from you, too.”

He tensed slightly. “What is it?”

I leaned closer to whisper into his ear. “I never stopped loving you. I don’t want to live in Australia. And I’ve always wanted to kiss a dragon.”

He laughed then, and clasped me to his chest. “I can take care of that right now.”

I sighed as his lips touched mine. This was how it was supposed to be. Love with no regrets, no secrets, no guilt. Tonight, right now, Trian and I were the only people who mattered. The worries of the day—Hian-puo, my mother, tomorrow’s trial—they didn’t even rate remembering.

Trian deepened the kiss, his mouth opening over mine until we were both out of breath. I spread my hand across his chest, searching for the buttons of his shirt. I leaned into Trian’s hands as they traveled the long path of my spine. It was all I could do not to groan at the touch. It had been so long since I’d had a man’s hands on my body.

Who was I kidding? Since I’d had
this
man’s hands on my body.