The Dragon in the Stone (9 page)

“
Thank
you for keeping me out of the stone.”

Rhonda swallowed past the lump in her throat, and
her eyes fluttered shut when Drorgan rested his forehead on hers. Their breaths
mingled, and she whispered her reply.

“
Is
the spell broken then?” she asked.

“
I’m
still here, as is the castle, so something happened.”

“
Good,
it’s the least I could do, after all the times you rescued me.”

Drorgan laughed, dropped a kiss on her nose, and
withdrew.

“
If
we’re keeping score you owe me at least another three recues I believe.” He
grinned when she slapped his rock hard abs, and promptly winced.

“
Careful,
you’ll just hurt yourself, little dragon. You couldn’t hit me hard enough if
you tried. Not with your fists anyway.” The wistful note in his voice made her
look up to study him, but his mask was firmly back in place, and he shook his
head at her when she opened her mouth to question him further. Her heart ached
anew for him, and a shiver went through her when she recalled Cheryladna’s
gruesome end. Not that she didn’t deserve it, but it left little Geva all alone
in the world, and this man needing to build a relationship with a daughter he
didn’t know he had. How did you even start to deal with all of that?

“
It’s
getting late. We should get you back to the castle. You’ll get cold out here.”
Without waiting for her answer he stood up with her still in his arms and she
gasped when clothes appeared on his body in the blink of an eye. Sadly, the
action robbed her off the protection of his dragon’s wings, and she shivered in
the cool wind, as he slowly slid her down his front. Temperatures were dropping
sharply, and stark naked as she was, she felt the cold on her exposed skin when
he stepped away from her and kicked at something on the ground. Her clothes
were a burnt mass under his boot, apart from the thin shift, which had wrapped
itself around a protruding rock formation. Drorgan stalked toward it with all
the intensity of a predator stalking his prey, and managed to grab it before a
renewed gust of wind threatened to take it over the cliff’s edge.

“
Here,
this will have to do. I wish my magic would extend to clothing you, too, but
alas, it doesn’t.” Heat scorched her skin when she pulled the shift over her
head and smoothed it over her body, and despite the coldness of the night her
blood heated under his intense scrutiny. The slow appraisal he gave her body
left her shivery and achy for his touch, and a wicked smile kicked up his lips,
as he held out his hand to her.

“
No,
that’s a lie. I rather appreciate seeing you naked, but not out here.” He
laughed when she pulled a face at him, and wrapped her arms around herself as
her teeth started to chatter. She hadn’t been this cold since the night they’d
first met. Coming to think of it she had been wearing similar attire then. Talk
about history repeating itself.

Drorgan must have come to the conclusion because
his amusement fled.

“
On
second thoughts, we’ll be quicker if I fly. Ready to climb on my dragon’s
back?”

Rhonda’s heart leapt in her throat, and amusement
shimmered in Drorgan’s eyes when she bounced in her excitement.

“
God,
yes, please. I’ve been dying to hitch a ride on your dragon. I was too out of
it to appreciate it last time.”

“
You
should have said.” At her snort in answer he took a step back and fire flashed
in his eyes. Unperturbed by his reaction she carried on.

“
And
when should I have done that, exactly? You haven’t exactly been approachable,
now, have you?”

Drorgan looked stunned at her reaction for a
second, before he shrugged his shoulders, staring at the burnt patch of grass,
clearly visible in the moonlight now. A heavy silence fell between them, as
she, too, stared at the carnage left behind. Her skin tingled, and dread
crawled up her spine as her mind meandered down the “what if” routes. A
pointless exercise, because she was still very much here. Not only that, but
her pussy
spasmed
in remembered pleasure, and she
clenched her thighs together to relieve that ache. It was unreal, this need she
still felt for the man, whose nostrils flared as though he could smell her
need. No doubt he could, which should embarrass her greatly, but after all the
events leading up to this moment, it just felt right to accept this.

“
I
had my reasons,” he finally said. He wrenched his attention from that burn mark
to her face, and Rhonda staggered under the full force of his intense regard.
“I could have killed you. I never lose control like that.” Running an unsteady
hand through his hair he turned his back on her. Every line of his body
screamed his tension. The air shimmered around him, and not caring how wise
that move was Rhonda ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist while
burying her head in-between his shoulder blades.

A curse rumbled through him, the shimmering
stopped, and turning around in her arms, Drorgan grasped her by the shoulders
and shook her again. Waves of fury came off him, and it was only when her head
snapped back and she gasped that he let her go with another muttered curse.
Seemingly unable to keep his hands off of her, he ran them up her arms, and
blew out a hot breath when she smiled at him.

“
Damn
it, woman, do
not
do that. If I hadn’t been able to stop the shift, I’d
have killed you. Where is your sense of self-preservation?”

“
Completely
lacking where you’re concerned, it seems.” She had to laugh, when he stepped
away from her, threw a stream of fire into the air, and then proceeded to glare
at her. “That won’t work either. I told you before, the big bad dragon act
doesn’t scare me. Besides, I know you’d never hurt me.”

Arms crossed over his chest he pointedly looked to
the ground. Rhonda willed away that sliver of apprehension crawling up her
spine, and told the rational side of her brain to take a fucking hike.

“
Not
intentionally anyway, and before you say it, and add another reason to erect a
wall between us, that was fucking hot. The flames and you losing control like
that, though, I should imagine it will be mighty hard on my clothes and the
furniture, and bed linen for that matter, if you incinerate everything in sight
every time we have sex.” She’d stepped closer to him during her little speech, and
getting on tiptoes wrapped her arms around his neck, willing him to let her in.

After a moment of hesitation, which seemed to last
a lifetime, he uncrossed his arms and wrapping them around her, instead,
lifting her up to kiss her. He growled low in his throat, when she opened up to
the demanding sweeps of his tongue and kissing him back put all of her emotions
into the kiss. Feeling him shudder against her, before he took charge of the
kiss, claiming her mouth in such a way that she was half expecting them to
catch fire again, soothed the leftover niggles in her heart. This, here, right
now, felt right. By the time Drorgan released her, they were both breathing
heavily, and Rhonda was all but ready to climb her dragon and ride that huge
erection digging into her belly.

Drorgan shook his head and pulled away with a short
laugh.

“
Minx,
stop that. Next time I claim you it will be in the comfort of my bedchamber,
and I promise I won’t incinerate anything. Magda would have my hide for
starters.”

He grinned at her giggle in answer and tapped her
ass. The action stung, and Rhonda made a big show of rubbing her behind while
she mock pouted at him, earning herself a quirk of one haughty eyebrow.

“
You
behave yourself now or that swat will be a caress compared to the hiding your
luscious ass will get, if you don’t stop putting yourself at risk.”

Rhonda lifted her nose up in the air, and tried for
her haughtiest look, or as haughty and elegant as a woman could manage to look
on a windswept cliff top, with her hair whipping across her face and her thin
shift trying its best to fly up Marilyn Monroe style. Not that Drorgan would
know what that meant, but judging by the flames swirling in his eyes, he
appreciated the involuntary peep show she was giving him.

Her teeth started to chatter again, as the cold
wind blew across her exposed bits and bobs, and it spoiled the whole effect
somewhat.

“
I-I’m,
je-e-e-z,
it’s
c-o-o-l-d.”

Drorgan held a hand up bidding her to stay, and in
the next instant the air shimmered around him, and Rhonda looked into the green
eyes of his dragon. His black scales shimmered in the moonlight as his tail
swished sideways, and he flapped his massive wings once before he hunkered down
to the ground in a silent invite for her to climb on board.

Would she ever get used to the sight of him in his
dragon form? From the sharp claws to the smooth scales, which she knew from
experience to be warm and giving under her hands, to the spikes lining his
tail, and the razor sharp set of teeth he
bared
at
her in a dragon grin, he was majestic, deadly, beautiful, and all hers.
 
Her brave, honorable dragon.

Drorgan flexed underneath her and shook his massive
head, as she settled herself on his back, and her bare pussy made contact with
his scales. His heat branded her, and she gasped when his presence in her mind
registered.

You wouldn’t think me honorable if you knew what
I want to do to you right now, little dragon.

Chapter Nine

Rhonda gasped above him, as though she’d heard the
lascivious thoughts, which invaded his brain the minute he felt the heat of her
wet pussy settle on his scales.

I wish you would.

Her whispered thought registered in his
consciousness, and they both froze.

You heard that, didn’t you? How is that
possible?

Rhonda’s astonished whisper in his head mirrored
his own feelings so precisely, he swung his head round to look at her. Eyes
wide, with the biggest smile ever on her face she looked happy and ravishingly
beautiful, so much so that it hurt to look at her. Drorgan had no answer for
her, at least not one he was willing to share, because if she really was who
his dragon was screaming at him, then he would never be able to let her go. And
let her go, he must, eventually. It wasn’t fair to keep her confined with him
here in this sphere. She had done so much for him already, he couldn’t ask any
more of her, wouldn’t let her make that sacrifice, even if she would be willing
to do so. Knowing her as well as he did now, he kept those thoughts to himself,
and flapping his wings concentrated on getting them off the cliff safely
instead.

Her inherent wonder and squeal of delight once they
were airborne made him grin. It also made him wish he had time to prolong their
flight, but he needed to get them back to the castle. With one part of the
spell seemingly broken, he had to ensure that his people were all right, and
then there was little Geva. His daughter.

I have a
daughter.

He transmitted the thought before he could stop
himself, and Rhonda leaned in closer and stroked one hand up and down his neck.

You have and she will love you.

Drorgan blew a stream of fire across the sea in
a
nswer
and shook his head, as he
banked left to fly up to the castle.

I maimed her, and I killed her mother. She has
every reason to hate me.

Despite the situation Rhonda’s reaction made him
grin. The feminine growl in his head was the sexiest sound ever, while the way
she balled her hands into fists and pummeled his neck, tickled.

Stop that, little dragon, or I will be forced to
put you over my knee when I get you back to the castle. You will hurt yourself,
and you’ll need to hold on so that I can land safely in the courtyard. I don’t
want you to fall off and hurt yourself.

Rhonda whacked him once more, before she grabbed
hold of his spikes and hung on.

Stop talking nonsense then.

Strictly speaking I wasn’t talking, but
thinking, little dragon.

Another feminine growl trembled through his being,
and he could imagine the expression on her face all too well.

Poppycock, do not split hairs, or scales, or
whatever. Both were accidents, as you well know. And quite frankly, after what
that woman said and did, I would have been sorely tempted to throw her off the
cliff myself, had she not fallen off. I can’t believe she kept your daughter
from you all these years.

Drorgan’s chest tightened with a flood of tender
feelings that were entirely alien to him, but Rhonda’s vehement defense of him,
as misguided as it was, warmed his dark soul. It also gave him hope that maybe
he could build a relationship of sorts with Geva. He shook his head at his own stupidity
of having taken Cheryladna’s word for it. He should have followed his first
instinct and his dragon’s insistent niggle and seen the child when she was
born. However, she had not been expected to survive, and being the arrogant and
selfish bastard he had been then, he hadn’t seen the point in paying a visit to
the nursery. Had he done so, his daughter would not have been there that
fateful night. No, he would have claimed his kin, and she’d have been safe
under Magda’s care, taking her rightful place as his heir.

You can’t change the past, only the future.
Don’t dwell on it,

Rhonda’s voice in his head shook him out of those
morose thoughts, and taking care to not dislodge his precious cargo, he landed
in the courtyard. Their mental connection severed the minute he shifted back to
his human form. He’d barely managed to clothe himself, before the doors flung
open and a harassed and worried looking Eugene appeared, wringing his hands.

“
Oh,
thank the heavens, you’re back, my lord, my lady.” He offered Rhonda the shawl
he’d been carrying slung over one arm, and his girl accepted it with a grateful
sigh. “The whole castle is in uproar, my lord, and little Geva…”

“
What
about Geva?” Rhonda interrupted Eugene, while throwing Drorgan a worried look,
which mirrored the sudden churning in his gut. His sensitive nose picked up the
scent of fear and despair in the air, mixed in with the inconsolable bouts of a
child’s crying.

Not waiting for Eugene’s rushed explanation, he
raced up the big stairs and along the corridors until he reached the solar and
the bedchambers. He stopped outside the heavy door guarding Rhonda’s room, when
he heard Magda’s voice trying her best to console the crying child. Allowing
his dragon senses to reach out he concentrated, opened his mind, and the wild
emotions battering his soul almost brought him to his knees.

His dragon keened his distress, puffs of smoke
escaping his nostrils, as the truth hit him square in the chest. With his
barriers down, and his mind wide open, he could read his daughter’s thoughts as
clearly as though they were his own.

Grief, despair, desperation. Like so often happened
in the very young, her mother’s death seemed to have opened the floodgates to
her inner dragon magic. It meant she knew the truth. That Drorgan was her
father, that her mother was dead. The spell, everything—and it was tearing his
little girl in half. She was too young, too inexperienced, to deal with the
forces battling her soul right now, and while Magda was trying her best to calm
her thoughts, it wasn’t enough.

Rhonda’s scent mixed with her rapid exhalations
behind him warned him of her approach, seconds before she wrapped her hands
around his middle and hugged him close. The action grounded his agitated
dragon, as did the whispered words against his back.

“
Eugene
filled me in. You need to go in there and help her. Your daughter needs you.”

Drorgan shook his head and closed his eyes.

“
She
hates me.”

“
Don’t
be an idiot. She never hated you, despite Cheryladna’s best attempts to poison
her mind. You frighten her a little, that’s all. I should know, we had enough
discussions over you, and before you ask, she doesn’t remember the incident
with the flames. Only what Cheryladna told her, and knowing that bitch, I dread
to think how she distorted the truth.” A whack to his back later, as though she
had just punched him, Rhonda stepped away and pushed down the handle of the
door. It sprang open, and Geva’s cries got louder. With one long last look at
him, Rhonda stepped through.

“
Hey,
little lady, you have everyone worried.”

He felt Magda’s relief in his mind at the
appearance of Rhonda, and his daughter jumped and all but threw herself at
Rhonda. Stumbling under the sudden onslaught, Rhonda sank to the floor in front
of the fire, and simply held Geva.

Finally you’re here. What took you so long?
Though looking at Rhonda I can guess. Geva claims you killed her mother. Did
you?

Magda questions in his head held no censure, just a
quiet curiosity and the same stunned wonder that still held him in its
clutches. He shook his head, and Magda smiled.

Good. Lord knows that woman deserved to die, not
least for keeping your daughter from you, but it will be easier for Geva
knowing that her father didn’t kill her mother. Go to them. They both need you.

Drorgan wasn’t at all sure of that. Geva had
stopped crying at last, but her fingers were flying, making it difficult to
keep up with what she was feverishly communicating to Rhonda. All he caught of
that blur of digits was
Mama dead,
and
he killed her.

Rhonda shook her head repeatedly and from the looks
of it was trying her best to tell Geva what had happened in as gentle terms as
she could manage, but Geva was getting agitated again.

“
Little
one, listen to me. You need to calm down and listen.”

Rhonda gasped when Geva shook her head, screeched,
and pushed off her lap with a speed giving away her heritage as clearly as the
slowly burning flecks of flame in her eyes. She had his mother’s eyes, Drorgan
realized with a start, and wondered how he’d never noticed it before. With her
dragon half awakened and itching to burst from under her skin, the family
resemblance was unmistakable.

Beautiful, isn’t she? The magic is very strong
in her, Drorgan.

Drorgan had to agree with Magda’s quiet assessment
in his head, and he winced when Rhonda reached out to Geva, only to have her
hands repelled by the sheer force of Geva’s will.

Channeling all his power he reached out to his
daughter, melding his mind with hers, and the little girl froze.

Stop this, little bird. You will hurt her, and I
cannot let you do that.

Green eyes the color of the deepest jewel connected
with his, and a fresh blast of her magic hit him straight in the face. The
force of it made him take a step back, and he shook his head at her, even as
his dragon secretly rejoiced at his strong offspring.

I said, stop it. You will hurt yourself and
those around you. That is not the way to use our magic, daughter.

Her screech of outrage filled his head, but the
desperation behind it tore at his soul, and crossing the distance between them,
he picked her up. She fought him at first, but eventually her struggles ceased
and she started crying again. He hoped they were healing tears.

****

Seeing Drorgan interact with Geva brought tears to
Rhonda’s eyes. Her hands stung from where the little girl had used her magic
against her. She hadn’t recognized her at that moment, only seen the fury of a
young dragon out of control. Not that she could blame her.

The sudden knowledge that she was half dragon must
have been a huge shock to her. It had certainly been an immense, if not to say
devastating realization for Drorgan, and he had centuries on his side, not a
mere seven years in Geva’s case.

Magda’s hand on her shoulder roused Rhonda, and she
startled as the older woman held out her hand.

“
Let’s
go and give them some time.” Magda whispered the words in her ear, so as not to
disturb father and daughter locked in an embrace, and their own little world,
it seemed. “He’s melded his mind with hers to help her heal. There’s nothing
you can do here, and those will need tending.”

Magda tugged her up and off the floor by her
wrists, and clucked her tongue when she turned Rhonda’s wrists over. She was
surprised to see the burn marks on her palms. How was that even possible?
Drorgan had engulfed her in fire, yet hadn’t left a mark on her, and this
little slip of a girl had burned her without even touching her.

Doubts assailed her out of nowhere, and she meekly
followed Magda out of the room and into Drorgan’s chamber at the opposite end
of the solar. She bit back tears when she entered because his familiar musk was
everywhere.

How could she feel so close to him one minute, yet
so far removed from understanding what was really going on here the next?

Magda pulled on the long bell pull to signal the
servants and steered her to the chair in front of the fire.

“
Now,
don’t go jumping to conclusions, my dear. You promised me you wouldn’t.”

Rhonda sat down with a thump and promptly winced as
her sore nether regions protested.

Magda clucked her tongue again, and lifted her chin
up to make Rhonda look at her. The compassion in her dark gaze made Rhonda want
to cry in earnest, but she swallowed that lump of emotion down.

“
I’m
not, it’s just…”

“
You’ve
realized you love him and, yet, you don’t know him at all?” Magda asked with a
small smile on her withered face, and Rhonda shook her head at the older woman.

“
I
don’t love him. What we have is just a healthy dose of lust.”

Magda snorted as though she didn’t believe a word
of what Rhonda had just said. In truth, Rhonda wasn’t entirely sure herself.
Surely, that was all it was, all it could ever be, because it would leave her
open to untold heartache if she’d actually been foolish enough to allow herself
to fall in love with him.

“
If
you say so, my dear.” Magda turned her attention back to Rhonda’s hands. “I’ve
got a salve that will help with that, until Drorgan gets back and can heal you
himself.”

She looked up when the door opened and nodded.

“
There
you are, girl. Your lady needs a hot bath, fresh clothes, and pampering. See to
it girl, now.”

“
Yes,
Mistress Magda, straight away.”

The door shut again, and Rhonda wrenched her hands
out of Magda’s.

“
I’m
not
in love with him, and how on earth is he supposed to heal me when—”

Magda put one gnarled finger over her mouth,
effectively stopping her denial.

“
The
way all dragon mates heal each other, through sex, of course.” Magda smiled at
Rhonda’s sharp intake of breath. “I would have to have been blind to miss that
fire display on the cliffs. I might be old, but I recognize a mating fire when
I see it.”

Magda’s grin deepened when Rhonda’s mouth fell open
in surprise.

“
A
what? But it can’t be. He would have said, surely. He just made it sound as
though he lost control, and…” She jumped when Magda tapped her injured and
stinging palms.