Keeper of the Flame (34 page)

The lacings were of leather through metal grommets along the sides of the over-dress and the matching leggings. They formed what she thought was a very attractive X pattern all the way up her thighs and could be adjusted at top to put them on and on bottom to accommodate various kinds of footwear. She chose matching dark brown leather boots with a low heel made for walking.

Hugh’s eyes leapt with fire when he saw the outfit on the hanger. She couldn’t wait to see what he thought of her in it. Feeling devilish, she placed her palm in the center of his chest and pushed him gently out of the closet, closing the door on his smiling face.

Quickly, she donned the garment. It was even more comfortable than she remembered and she wondered idly why she put up with the scratchy, stiff court garb. Maybe she should wear soft leather all the time, like Hugh did. It certainly looked good on him, and he was royalty. Why couldn’t she be comfortable too?

She laced up the sides with little difficulty and put on the boots. As a last touch, she braided her hair simply, in one long tail down her back. She looked in the mirror at the back of the small room, next to a slit of a window that let in the light. She looked like a hunter.

Well, then. She would
be
a hunter. And her prey was Sendra and whoever else had tried to kill her. Lera was through running away and hiding. Now was the time to go on the offensive. Now was the time to become the hunter instead of the hunted.

With Hugh’s loving help and support. With him at her side, she could do anything.

She opened the door and found him waiting for her. His gaze roamed up and down her body, like a warm caress.

“Will this do?” She stood before him, feeling fierce in her toughest bad-girl outfit. It wasn’t much by comparison to the light leather armor Krysta sported, but it was certainly different than anything Hugh had seen her in before.

He had to clear his throat before he could speak, and that made her smile. She’d gotten to him. He couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from her body.

“It’s perfect.”

He walked closer and touched the thin, supple leather. It was warming as she moved, taking heat from her body and recirculating it back to her skin. The clothing would be more protective than simple cloth and would help keep her warm.

He frowned a little when he slid a layer of the soft leather between his fingers.

“It’s thin. Not much protection. Makes me want to throw you down on the bed and have my wicked way with you, though.”

“There is that.” She answered his wicked smile with one of her own. That throwing her down on the bed thing sounded really good to her, but they both knew they didn’t have time for fun and games. “There’s also this…” She trailed off as she reached for the hidden weapons in her costume.

Quick as a flash, blades slid down her arms. He stepped back with a bloodthirsty grin when he saw the glint of steel throwing daggers in both of her hands.

“Now that is hot.” His words purred with approval. “And I’ve seen your skill with a dagger. I’ll worry less knowing you’re armed. Are there more where those two came from?”

“A few more secreted in other parts of the outfit. Almost all my gear has daggers hidden somewhere in the seams or bodice. I haven’t had to use them often, but I drill with them all the time to keep myself sharp.”

“Very sharp.” He lifted one of her hands in his, kissing her knuckles as he admired the sharp, flashing steel blade. “It comforts me to know you take your personal security seriously. We’ll work on that more once this crisis is over.”

“You’re going to teach me self-defense?” The thought tickled her mind. “Are we going to wrestle?” she teased, liking the way he responded. The ability to laugh and flirt with a lover as an equal was something new and very tantalizing. And to think—she’d have this for always. The Lady had indeed blessed her with the perfect mate. The more she was with him, the more compatible she learned they were.

“Wrestle? Perhaps.” He delivered a scorching kiss to her lips before stepping back and becoming more serious. “However, there are some techniques I think Krysta could teach you that would come in handy in court. Have you ever seen fighting fans?”

“Fans? Like ladies’ fans?”

“Exactly like, but Krysta’s fans have sharp steel blades. She is quite an expert with them, and it’s the kind of weapon that can be easily concealed and carried everywhere by a lady. It’s perfect for you, if you can learn the technique. Daggers are good for throwing, but you need something unexpected for close-in fighting. The fans could really work for you if you have a talent for it.”

“Sounds intriguing. When this is over, maybe we can convince her and her mates to stick around for a bit so she can teach me.” Lera tucked the blades back into their hiding places as she spoke.

Hugh surprised her by coming up from behind and wrapping his arms around her waist, tugging her back against his front. His embrace made her feel protected, wanted and loved. It was such a new feeling. She wanted to bask in it, but they didn’t have much time. At any moment, the twins would reach Portu’s estate and be reporting back.

“I think Drake has been chafing a bit, being stuck in Draconia,” Hugh admitted. “He’s used to the traveling life and likes it. Plus, he has to deal with his family when he’s home and even though his blood father has mellowed in recent years, they still don’t get along all that well. Krysta is Jinn and likes to travel too. Poor Mace and the dragons have never been far outside the borders of Draconia. I think they’d enjoy extending their visit. I can ask Roland to assign them here for a bit. I don’t think he’ll mind having one of Draconia’s best spy teams in your court. As long as you don’t mind that they’ll be reporting back to Roland from time to time.”

“I suppose Drake was doing that all along anyway, so I can’t very well begin to object now. He was a favorite in my court for a very long time when he was still just a simple bard, and I did always suspect he was a spy. I sent him to your brother with a message when I heard about King Lucan’s desire to kidnap one of your brothers, after all. I figured Drake was always a little more than he seemed, but what he’s become…well, it’s quite a change. A good change. He looks happier than I’ve ever seen him. I’d be glad if he and his new family could stay for a while.”

“I’ll arrange it. But for now…” Hugh tuned out for a moment, then came back. “My brothers are at Portu’s. So is Sendra and the two gryphons.”

There it was. The confrontation was imminent. Now that they were at the moment, Lera found she felt calmer than she would have expected. Having Hugh and his people there—people she could count on because she trusted Hugh beyond the shadow of a doubt—made her feel much more secure than if she’d been facing this alone.

“I guess we’d better get moving, then.”

Hugh gave her a puzzled look as she moved toward the door.

“Are you all right?” He joined her near the door and put one arm around her shoulders.

“I’m fine.” She smiled up at him, trying to find the words to explain what she was feeling. And what she wasn’t feeling. “I’m not scared. I think I’m relieved more than anything. I know the coming hours won’t be easy, but at least we have a chance at ending this thing.”

Hugh squeezed her once before letting go. “All right. Let’s do this, and after all is settled, I’m locking this door for a week and not letting you out of bed.”

“That’s a promise I will hold you to, my prince.”

The flight to Portu’s was uneventful and thankfully short. Hyadror had shown up on the palace balcony when they were ready to leave, along with the four temple-tested gryphons newly partnered with warrior priests. Hugh had observed them in flight and knew they still had a lot of work to do to cement each partnership, but for now, it was good to have them along on this mission.

The emissary had come as well, leaving Miss with the other cat-faced gryphons and Brother Hubert. He was teaching the younger ones their letters, as he often did. She would be safe with the old priest.

Hugh and Lera flew in the midst of a large formation, a knight and dragon on either side. The emissary had agreed to carry Krysta, which had at first surprised Hugh, but then he realized the gryphon understood the dragons and knights would be more effective as two-being teams. Having Krysta ride with either of her mates might cause an imbalance that would hamper that dragon and knight’s fighting abilities.

Hyadror was out front, the only gryphon with no rider. Hugh and Lera were behind him, with dragons on either side. Jalinar and Krysta were behind them, followed by the four gryphon-priest pairs.

They’d talked about how they were going to do this on the way. One major advantage the dragons and knights had over their newly paired gryphon and priest counterparts was that they could communicate silently, mind-to-mind. The twins kept up a steady stream of information as they observed and reported back on the movements within and around Portu’s estate. Their black hides kept them well hidden in the darkness.

Hugh estimated they had another hour or so until dawn. They would be able to use the darkness to make their approach and surround Portu’s estate. He hoped this would all be over by first light.

But that all depended on the players who had yet to realize they were part of this drama, hiding out at Portu’s. How the gryphons, Sendra and those loyal to them reacted would play a role in how this night’s work unfolded.

Hugh and his party approached cautiously. The twins had laid the groundwork and were guiding the flyers in one by one to advantageous landing sites all around the property. This was where the constant training and drilling Hugh and his brothers had undergone with their knights came in handy. They worked as a cohesive unit and knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

They didn’t know as much about the gryphons, so Hugh conferred with his brothers and they decided together on the best supporting positions for the gryphons and priests. They would be helpful in securing the perimeter, to help ensure no guilty party escaped this night’s business.

So the attack consisted of two rings—an outer ring of gryphons and priests who would contain anything that might escape the inner ring of dragons, knights, Hugh, his brothers, Krysta, the emissary and Lera herself. Hyadror would coordinate and lead the paired gryphons. The emissary and dragons would work to contain the two gryphons who were hiding at Portu’s.

Everyone on two legs would work together to find, neutralize and arrest Sendra and her allies. Sendra herself was Hugh’s top priority. Without their leader, Hugh believed the fight would be taken out of her followers. And Sendra, after all, was the biggest threat to Lera. If Sendra’s bid for power was halted by her arrest, the assassination attempts would cease as well. Or so Hugh believed.

When all the others had landed and were in position, Hugh waited above for the right moment to pounce. His brothers would work in tandem to flush out their prey from the small manor house and stables, then the battle would be engaged.

Hugh watched as two frighteningly fast, matched black dragons swooped out of the sky. Flame leapt from their mouths, lighting the scene when they ignited small objects around the inner courtyard, away from the danger of setting the whole place on fire. They had chosen their targets well. Little dots of fire illuminated the targets that began running around inside the manor’s walls.

Seconds later, screeches of outrage sounded as two gryphons rushed out of the stable. They tried to take to the air, but were brought down by four dragons, lashing with their tails and raking with their claws. The battle was fierce but Hugh had to trust his brothers to take care of the gryphons. Hugh had other quarry to hunt.

Patiently, he waited, looking for his opportunity. Lera clung to his back as he circled, a black shadow against an even blacker sky. Dawn approached, but for the moment, he was cloaked in his element—darkness.

“I see her.” Lera’s voice came to him from where she straddled his shoulders. “Sendra. She’s coming out of the manor house wearing a red robe. Do you see her?”

Hugh zeroed in on his target.
“I see her. Hang on.”

He made a swooping dive as he passed on the information and his intentions to his brothers, the dragons and the knights. They would watch his back and help ensure the confrontation with Sendra was uninterrupted.

Hugh timed his dive, mindful of Lera on his back and the speed with which Sendra was moving. At the last moment, he backwinged, dropping into a fast, graceful landing that cut Sendra off, the backwash of his wing beats blowing debris into her face and whipping up the nearby flames.

Lera jumped off his back and Hugh changed swiftly from dragon to man. Lera, thankfully, stayed just behind him as he advanced on her cousin.

“Halt, Sendra, in the name of the Doge.”

“Dragons and their filthy riders have no authority here,” Sendra shouted, clearly angry. She was blinking rapidly and her eyes were tearing. Perhaps she hadn’t seen him shift shape with all the dust he’d kicked up.

“Things have changed, cousin!” Lera shouted to be heard above the screeching of the gryphons, who still battled for freedom against the dragons holding them down, flat on the ground. “These dragons are my allies and I finally know that you are my enemy.”

“You dare come after me, Valeria? I didn’t think you had the guts,” Sendra sneered.

“I came in person because, even after everything you’ve done, I’m still willing to hear you out and give you a chance at reconciliation. You are family, after all.”