Call of the Dragon (Return to Avalore Book 1) (4 page)

“Who are you and why are you in my apartment?” She crossed over to the old wooden chair again. She had to sit or risk falling at his feet. Her knees trembled and threatened to buckle beneath her.

When her question met nothing but an unblinking stare, she tried again. “Okay, I’ll start. I’m Rhia. You are?” She kept herself still even though his scrutiny had her wanting to squirm in her seat.

His eyes widened and then narrowed. “My name is Drake Sperwell. I’m pleased to meet you, Rhia.” He paused, then added, “What a pretty, but unusual name.”

“Thanks. It’s nice to meet you too.” She smiled.

“Rhia” He repeated her name, rolling the word off his tongue. “I’ve never heard it before.”

“My mom read a lot of Welsh mythology when she was pregnant. She named me Rhiannon after some queen or goddess or some other foolish thing.” Why was she telling him all this? He was a stranger, albeit a really hot one, but a stranger nonetheless.

“I must insist, Rhia, please tend to your wounds. I cannot allow your injuries to remain.” His gaze didn’t waver.

Her eyebrows rose along with her annoyance. “They’ll be fine. I’ll put some antiseptic on them once you leave.”

Amusement shone in his eyes. He stalked over to where she sat, reminding her of a large jungle cat, sleek and dangerous, eyeing its prey. When he smiled, it was a stubborn I-always-get-what-I-want kind of smile that made Rhia want to grind her teeth. He bent towards her, moving excruciatingly slow, and stopped with his face just inches from hers.

She met his glare head-on. He might be strong and powerful but she wasn’t afraid of him. Her heart skipped a beat and then began racing as she breathed his scent into her lungs again. His eyes mesmerised, keeping her prisoner. When his large hands rested on her neck and arm, she didn’t think to pull away or resist. She held her breath. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her and truth be told, she wasn’t sure if she’d stop him. His warm breath teased her lips.

Soothing warmth seeped into her body, and she struggled not to lean forward, the urge to press her lips to his, almost irresistible. Her entire body came to life, tingling in places she didn’t normally tingle.

“You see, Rhiannon, you’re not the only one with the ability to heal.” His whispered words broke whatever spell he’d had on her as he straightened.

Her gaze slid from Drake to her arm where the beast had sliced into her. She didn’t have to see to know the wounds were gone. The burning and throbbing disappeared as though it had never been. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She’d never met anyone else with the same abilities she had—not once.

“Who are you?” Her heart raced as she pulled her legs out from beneath her.

“As I mentioned before, my name is Drake Sperwell. I have been looking for you for a long, long time.” He waited.

She shot to her feet, knocking the wooden chair down as she backed away from him. She should have run when she’d had the chance. Now he’d rested, and she hadn’t. “Why? Why have you been hunting me? I’ve never done anything to you.”

Drake held his hands up. “You don’t understand. I do not hunt you. I have been searching for you. There’s a huge distinction.”

“I think you’d better leave.”

“Rhiannon, please think about this. I could have hurt you by now if it was my intention. In fact, I healed the wounds.”

“I’m not going to ask you again. Leave. Now.” Rhia gathered energy close to her.

“That, I cannot do. Ask anything else of me, and I’ll gladly comply, but I cannot leave you.” He turned from her and returned to the couch, propping his arms onto the back of the sofa on either side of him. The position left him vulnerable to her attack.

“Your brothers would kill me if I left you here without protection.” He kept his voice calm and steady.

“I don’t have any brothers. I’m an only child.” Rhia protested. Who did he think he was? First, he barged into her home uninvited, then he proceeded to tell her she had siblings she undoubtedly didn’t have? Before her anger even surfaced, doubt flickered in her mind. She’d been so certain as a child that she did in fact have brothers, she’d driven her mother crazy with questions about them.

“You do have brothers, Rhiannon, four of them. Evan, my commander, is your oldest brother.” His eyes never wavered as he spoke. “I will not go back to him and tell him I’ve failed to get you home to safety.”

Not taking her eyes off him, she inched toward the door. He was bigger, but she was quick. If she could get close enough, she could bolt and get away.

“I only wish to talk. You’re in no danger. Please don’t try to flee.”

She stopped edging towards the door.

“Once I’ve told you what you need to know, if you still don’t want to come with me, I’ll respect your wishes.”

Her gaze didn’t waver as she considered what he’d said. What if she did have brothers, a family, a place she belonged? Sadness, fear, uncertainty, and fleeting hope flashed through her in rapid succession. She was so damned tired of being alone.

Memories came rushing back. She’d used to dream of four boys, all older than she, playing with her in a beautiful field of bright flowers of every color imaginable. They were always so happy to see her and kept her safe while they played. The recurrent dream of her childhood had always ended the same way, with a dark shadow encroaching on the meadow, and the four boys sending her away.

Her mother had gotten so upset when Rhia had told her about her dreams. She’d cried and begged for forgiveness as she’d placed her hands upon her daughter’s small head. The pain had been excruciating, and she’d been sick for days afterwards, but from then on, Rhia hadn’t dreamt of the boys. It wasn’t until her mother died that she started dreaming of them again, only they were grown men and not boys. “How do I know you’re not just some nut job coming after me?” Her chin lifted.

“I can’t say whether or not I am since I don’t know what a nut job is, but I assure you, I’m not here to harm you.” His smile brightened his face.

If she’d thought he was attractive when he was scowling, he was drop dead, melt-your-clothes-off gorgeous when he smiled.

“Okay, then tell me who, or rather, what you are.”

“I am Avalorian, and I have reason to believe you are as well.” He paused and picked up the framed picture from the box she used as a coffee table. “I once knew the woman in the picture, or rather, I knew of her. I was young when she disappeared but I do remember her.”

Her eyes darted to his. “What do you know of her?”

She needed answers and if he was willing to give them to her, she’d listen. His energy didn’t have a negative vibe like he was being deceitful or misleading. If what he was saying was not the truth, it was what he believed to be true.

“I know her name was Mariella. Mariella Acton, I believe. She was our Queen’s First Lady of Council as well as her closest friend.” His eyes met hers as she stopped to look at him again.

“Atkinson.” Her voice sounded strangled.

“Pardon me?”

“Atkinson, my mom’s name was Atkinson, not Acton.”

“That’s right, Atkinson.” Drake nodded. “You look very happy in these pictures.”

“I was. We were very close.” Pain sliced through her before she shoved it aside.

“Were?” His eyes came back to hers.

“She passed away four years ago. She was all the family I’ve ever had.” She took a deep breath, not wanting to remember the pain of losing her.

“You have family, Rhiannon. Your brothers are anxious to meet you. Your father has been unwell for some time, but he’ll soon be better.” He placed the frame back onto the box.

“My father? No, it’s impossible. He died in a car wreck when I was a baby. I have some of his things and his death certificate to prove it.” Anger roiled to the surface.

“I don’t know whose certificate of passing you have, Rhiannon, but I assure you, it is not his.”

She couldn’t hold his gaze. Hurt and confusion stabbed at her. “If he is alive, then my mother lied to me my entire life. I would have known if she was lying.” Her words lacked conviction, even to her own ears. “I’ve only just met you, yet you want me to take your word over my own mother’s?”

She would have known, wouldn’t she? She’d trusted her mother with everything she had. Drake however, she didn’t trust, but try as she might, she didn’t detect any deceit in him. The bitter betrayal cut to her very core. Her head hung low, as she fought back the urge to cry.

“I don’t know why Mariella did what she did, but I’d like to think she had a good reason.”

“Tell me about them. My brothers, where are they? Have they always known about me?” She almost succeeded in hiding the hurt and bitterness in her voice.

What she needed were answers. All she had ever wanted was to belong, to surround herself with people like her and not feel like a freak of nature. After all these years, he popped up out of thin air and told her she had family who’d been looking for her? She couldn’t believe it, yet Drake hadn’t lied.

“I’ve already mentioned Evan, he’s the oldest. Like I said before, he’s my commander and has led the search to find you. Your other brothers are Aiken, Markus and-”

“Ricky.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

The boys in her dreams, their names had been Evan, Aiken, Markus, and Ricky. She swallowed around the lump in her throat. She’d been dreaming of her brothers all those years ago.

He studied her, a small smile playing upon his lips. “He’s called Richard by most now, but yes, we used to call him Ricky. Your father’s name is William.” His shoulders tensed and his head snapped toward the door. “As for where they are, they’re in Avalore. Though I imagine at least Evan is on his way to meet us by now.”

The hair on the back of her neck began to prickle just as the acrid scent of the beast assaulted her nose. “I hate to cut this conversation short, but we have to get out of here. Now.”

He bolted from the sofa with amazing speed for a man of his size, standing in front of her, placing his body between her and the door. “Rhiannon, I can’t fight the Erritrol with you here. We have to get out. I’m going to talk to you in your mind, try to listen for my voice. Listen for it in your head and zero in on it.”

Her eyes shot up to his when she heard the faint buzzing in her mind. He brought his finger up to his lips, shushing her. It was an odd sensation, but once she pinpointed its source, she was able to latch onto it.

“Don’t speak out loud, it will track you. There isn’t time to teach you to cloak yourself, so keep one hand on me at all times and don’t let go unless I say so. My cloak will cover us both.”
His deep, velvety voice slid into her mind.

How did one talk to someone using only their minds? This was something out of a sci-fi movie. Her heart pounded as the connection between them forged deeper. She rested her hand on his arm as he’d instructed and his warmth encompassed her instantly.

“If you need to speak to me, just concentrate on me with your mind. It can be my voice, my face, anything, and follow the mental link back to me. Whatever you think will be translated into words only I will hear.”
His hands came up to her shoulders as he turned her towards the small window on the other side of the room. Dodging his hands, she bolted over and grabbed the backpack, shoving her arms through and securing it before rushing toward the window.

She took a deep breath and hesitated.
“So, if I say I think you’re a hottie in my mind, you’ll hear me?”
Her face heated. Why on earth had she said that? She wasn’t the forward or flirty type. Taking a chance, she snuck a peek at him, turning away again when he grinned.

He didn’t stop moving her towards the tiny window. “
Yes, I will, and you’re a quick study. Come, let’s get out of here before the beast gets too close.”

The window had seen much better days and creaked when he shoved it open. They’d barely made it through the opening when the door to Rhia’s apartment bulged and blew apart, leaving one nasty Erritrol warrior standing in the broken frame.

“Climb up. I’ll buffer the sound as we go. Use both hands to climb. I’ll maintain the contact to keep you covered.”

She grabbed the bottom rung of the old rusty fire escape and pulled down, nearly jumping out of her skin as it clanged into place.

The Erritrol snorted and snarled as it rampaged through her tiny apartment, howling its rage when he found it empty.

She forced herself to climb, even though the sound of the beast tearing apart what few personal belongings she had left drifted out the open window. She couldn’t stop the small sob from slipping past her lips. Drake’s body pressed into her back as she climbed. His larger hands used the sides of the ladder while she held the rungs. The moment they reached the roof, he turned and pulled her body flush against his, wrapping his arms around her. Thoughts became hazy as her body began to sag against his.

He caught her head and pulled it against his chest as it fell back. “
Forgive me, my Queen, I only do what is necessary.”

The sounds of roaring and metal bending and breaking under the weight of the creature sounded far away. She could barely make out its form as it leapt onto the roof only feet from where they stood. It’s mouth opened on a roar, but all she heard was her own heartbeat as the world disintegrated around her and she succumbed to sleep.