“Yeah. I got lucky they were in my size. It was the last pair in the place,” I lied. I couldn’t help but wonder what she’d think if I told her the truth that a dragon gave them to me. Nah, there were some things people were better off not knowing.
“That’s too bad. I’d definitely get a pair if any were left.” She held the front doors open for me.
We were making our way down the sidewalk toward the truck when Bomber began growling. Jen gripped her gun tightly and looked around. I let go of the cart and did the same, but neither of us saw anything. Then the sound of running footsteps came from the end of the building. Two grungy-looking men with numerous burn holes in their clothes emerged, screaming and waving their arms. Behind them, a swarm of
petroes
followed.
“What are those?” Jen squealed, eyes widening.
“Insects from the dragon world that can blow fire.” Damn. Mating season must have begun.
“Maybe we should get inside.” Jen started backing toward the doors. Bomber was barking loudly beside her, straining at his leash.
I shouted at Conrad and Miles. “Hide in the truck!”
There was no need to tell Conrad twice after his experience with them. He hopped inside right away and I overheard him tell Miles to roll up the windows. I grabbed the shovel from the cart, brandishing it in front of me. The one good thing about
petroes
was that they were easy to kill, unlike dragons.
“Go in, but be ready to open the door when I tell you to,” I told her.
Concern filled her gaze. “What are you going to do?”
“Try to save these guys if I can. Don’t worry about me—I’ll be fine.” The
petroes
could burn the t-shirt I had over my camrium top, but that was it. Not that she knew that.
“But what about Bomber?”
“Take him with you,” I said.
She went through the door and shut it behind her. Through the glass, I could see her gripping the handle—ready to shove it open when the time came.
“Hey, guys. Run this way,” I screamed at the men still racing around the parking lot.
One of them heard me and glanced over. I beckoned with my hand for him to come. There was no telling if he could hear me over the buzzing of the
petroes
. He grabbed his friend’s arm and started running toward the store. I kept shouting for him, wincing every time they got burned.
As soon as they reached me, I yelled at Jen. “Open the door!”
The men went running through, but the dog escaped and went for the swarm. Dammit. Bomber was going to get the crap burned out of his fur. I started slamming the shovel into the
petroes
, smashing as many as I could. The dog bit and pawed at the insects, twisting and turning to reach the ones who attacked his tail.
I reached down and grabbed his leash, dragging him with me toward the doors. He nipped the lower ones and I smashed the higher ones. We killed at least a dozen of the insects by the time Jen opened up for us. Once we were inside, she slammed it shut. A few
petroes
made it in with us. The dog and I worked together to finish them off. By the time I crushed the last one my shovel was covered in brown
petro
blood and guts.
“I ain’t never seen anything like those,” one of the men said, heaving for breath. “They look like tiny dragons.”
The other guy had collapsed on the floor, laying on his back. Shock filled his features, but a quick check of his body revealed he just had a lot of minor burns. They were similar to how Conrad’s neck looked when Aidan had touched it. The men could have been a lot worse off.
“They’re leaving,” Jen said, staring outside.
I turned my head toward the doors. The swarm was heading across the parking lot to somewhere across the street. No doubt looking for fresh victims. I wondered if bug spray would work on them. We had a lot of it back at the library.
“You two going to be okay?” I asked the men.
The one still standing nodded. “Yeah. Might just stay here for a bit.”
I nodded. Probably not a bad idea. “Check if there’s any bug spray left inside. You might see if that will hold those things off if you run into them again.”
“We’ll do that,” he agreed. “Thanks.”
I checked myself over and found only three holes in my t-shirt. Bomber sat on the floor with singe marks in about half a dozen places. His tongue lolled out of his mouth and his gaze was focused on Jen, full of adoration. Yeah, the dog would be okay.
“Good luck to you guys,” I said, giving them a wave.
Jen and I headed out the door, keeping a close eye on the swarm that had moved across the street. We grabbed the cart and quickly wheeled it down the sidewalk. Conrad and Miles helped us dump everything into the truck bed. When we finished, I let Bomber sit in the backseat with me. The dog had earned it.
Chapter 32
Aidan
Someone pounded on his bedroom door. Aidan cursed, rolling off his bed and getting to his feet. He’d just returned an hour before from his latest training session with Bailey. It had been his hope to get a little rest before he went to Donar’s place to help with more masonry work that needed to be done. Some of the tunnels underneath the castle had caved during a recent earthquake and would need new stone to rebuild them. Donar and Olin were working late into the night to get the first order finished.
He opened the door. A young warrior Aidan had only seen in passing stood outside it. His expression was blank, but there was a nervous tick in his jaw. Whatever this was about, it couldn’t be good.
“What?” Aidan bit out.
“Zoran wants you out in the courtyard.”
He put a hand on the doorframe. “What for?”
“He hasn’t said yet, but it’s not just you he wants out there,” the young warrior replied.
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
Aidan slammed the door. For Zorya’s sake, his oldest brother was up to something. He’d felt it in the way Zoran acted the last time he saw him. Too much restless energy. Aidan knew from experience that always resulted in battles and death. The only questions remaining were the who, what, where, and when.
He went to the basin to wash his face. Aidan wasn’t dirty, but he needed the cool water against his skin to calm his dragon. The beast clawed at his mind, suspecting whatever was going on in the courtyard would send his temper rising—and he’d need to hide the anger as he always did.
Once he felt calm and collected he headed out, passing through the maze of corridors and down the stairs. Just before Aidan reached the great hall, Kayla stopped him. He waved her over to an empty antechamber.
“I’ve been watching Ruari like you asked,” she said.
Aidan nodded. “Has he done anything suspicious?”
Her brows drew together. “Not that I can tell. The only people he’s spoken to have been Zoran and that woman he was with when you pointed him out to me.”
“You mean Ember?”
“Yeah, that’s her,” Kayla agreed.
Ruari’s involvement with that particular shape-shifter woman had been a recent development. She came from one of the lesser respected families—meaning they had few warriors among them or professions useful to the clan. Several of her relatives, including her father, were known to be lazy or to gain their coin by ill-gotten ways. Ember must have kept a low profile since Aidan hadn’t even known her name until he discovered Ruari’s interest in her. That had been enough incentive to find out.
“How often is he with her?” he asked.
“Most of his free time and she spends the mornings with him.”
He stared up at the ceiling, considering Kayla’s report. What would cause a pendragon’s son to sleep with one of the lowest women in the clan? Was there something special about her or was he using her?
“Thank you, Kayla.” Aidan smiled at her. “You’ve been helpful.”
Her brows drew together. “Should I keep watching him?”
“I wouldn’t want you to risk yourself further.”
Her face fell. “But I wouldn’t mind. He doesn’t pay any attention to humans.”
Aidan didn’t like using the young woman. It was dangerous and it felt wrong. Why did she persist in wanting to help him? Did she actually enjoy it?
“If you have the time and do not fear for your safety, then you can continue watching him. The moment he notices you, though, you stop. Do you understand me?” Aidan gave her a stern look.
She bobbed her head. “Absolutely.”
“Good. Now go.”
Kayla gave him a bright smile before rushing off. Aidan shook his head, mystified by the young woman’s behavior. Did humans enjoy spying? Perhaps he should have befriended some of the older ones if they could be this eager to help.
Aidan made his way out to the courtyard and found twenty warriors waiting there, as well as his brother. Zoran stood before them with his hands on his hips, scowling in his usual fashion. His brother spotted him a moment later and his expression hardened.
“Good of you to join us, Aidan. We wouldn’t want the clan hero to miss the biggest battle yet since our return to Earth,” Zoran said, speaking loud enough for half the fortress to hear him.
Inside his head, Aidan’s dragon roared. He tamped the creature down and moved to stand beside the other warriors. He was sick to death of his brother’s taunts about his recent show of prowess. If only he could dissuade him from the idea he’d done anything all that notable.
“I’m here—in whatever way you need me,” he responded, giving a courteous bow of his head. A few of the nearest warriors cast Aidan curious glances. He pretended not to notice.
Zoran folded his arms. “That’s rather generous of you, considering what we are about to do. It is time for us to expand our territory. Today we will take the eastern part of the city the humans call Norman and claim it for ourselves—freeing it of the pure dragons.”
Warriors shifted on their feet, a few coughed, but none cheered. What Zoran proposed would require a good deal more fighters than twenty-two. Even fifty might not be enough.
“Do you have a plan for this?” Falcon asked in a gruff voice.
Aidan was relieved to see the warrior present. They’d need him if they were to have any chance of succeeding in the day’s battle. It was too bad Donar couldn’t join as well, but it was best not to bother him when his father needed his assistance.
“Yes,” Zoran answered, pacing before them. “I’ve sent scouts out over the last few days to locate all the dragon dens. There are only three we must strike to accomplish our goals. If we hit each one hard and swiftly, we can win this.”
“And how will we hold it after we’ve taken it?” an older warrior questioned.
Zoran’s yellow eyes darkened with annoyance. “The same way we’ve always held territory, by patrolling and defending it.”
While their clan was capable of holding a lot more land, they weren’t ready to do so. At least, not until the earth tremors stopped damaging the fortress and the human forces quit attacking them. Or bombing them, as Bailey had explained when he’d asked. Expanding their territory before they were ready was foolish. Aidan couldn’t imagine why the pendragon would authorize it.
“When do we leave?” Falcon asked.
“In half an hour. Everyone should meet outside the fortress gates.” Zoran gave them a few more instructions before dismissing them.
Aidan wished he could stop by Donar’s place and at least let him know where he was going, but he didn’t have time. Instead, he hurried to his father’s chambers. He had to find out for himself if the pendragon knew what his son planned. Throm usually made his presence known before a battle as big as this one, whether he joined it or not.
Going through the great hall, he caught sight of his sister. Aidan grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side. “Do you know what Zoran is up to?”
“You mean his idiotic idea for attacking pure dragon territory?” Her lips thinned. “I just heard.”
“Father can’t have authorized this.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. No one has seen him today.”
That didn’t bode well.
“Do me a favor and let Donar know what is going on. He’s busy helping his father and probably hasn’t heard.” Not to mention they’d be expecting Aidan to come by.
“I can do that,” Phoebe agreed. Then she clasped his arm and gave him a solemn look. “Be careful, brother.”
He clasped her arm as well. “I will.”
Aidan continued his journey through the fortress to his father’s upstairs rooms. When he reached them, he found two guards outside the doors. He frowned. His father rarely bothered to keep guards around him. It was a dragon’s pride to need no help defending himself.
“I need to see the pendragon,” he said, stopping before them.
“He’s taken ill,” one guard informed him.
Aidan’s gut churned. Had Ruari poisoned him without Kayla knowing? The clan healer couldn’t use the stone’s magic on illness, only injuries. He had to rely on herbs and other remedies in the rare times shape-shifters became sick.
“I’ll see him, anyway.” He pushed through, ignoring the guards’ protests. As the son of the pendragon, they couldn’t stop him.
He entered the room and found his father lying on his bed. It was large and made entirely of stone with stuffed camrium cloth for cushioning. Such a setup was not as comfortable as the human versions, but some shape-shifters were known to belch an occasional breath of fire in their sleep. They couldn’t risk lying on burnable materials since not everything could be made fireproof.
“Father, how are you?” Aidan came to the side of the bed.
Throm’s gaze moved toward him. “Just needing a little rest. Not to worry, son, I’m not dying yet.”
The pendragon went into a coughing fit. Aidan waited for him to finish, noting the sound of his breathing was raspy and his face was flushed. His father showed no signs of poison. Rather, he was exhibiting signs of the dragon version of the flu that went around each year. Some of the weight lifted from Aidan’s shoulders. It would take Throm a few days, but he’d recover from the illness.