Authors: Bianca D'Arc
“You’re a special lady, Lucy.” His gruff words drifted past her ear. “Thank you, sweetheart.” He surprised her yet again when she felt his lips pause in front of her ear, kissing softly, just once, before he let her go and stepped back. Lucia looked up at him, feeling the tears gather behind her eyes again, much to her dismay. Before she could let them fall, the dragon nudged her with his snout, breaking the spell. Reflexively, she reached out and stroked his scaly head.
“Are you all right now, Rey?”
“I’ve been better,”
he quipped.
“He can’t be moved for now. I don’t want to undo everything I’ve just done.” The queen stood beside Lucia, speaking to the dragon, the knights and—shockingly—Lucia as well. “Can you work around him?”
Lucia scrambled to answer the queen of all Draconia. “He’s been here all week. I know Sir Reynor enjoys the music in the evenings, and many of the customers talk to him, though none can hear him.” She lowered her eyes modestly.
“Except you.” Marcus spoke from her other side.
She nodded. “Except me.” She’d never come out and said she could speak to dragons before, though she knew many in the tavern suspected. 16
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“Then, if it’s all right,” the queen glanced over to the nodding tavern owner who watched from behind the bar, “I’d like Rey to stay here for a few more days. Will you be here to nurse him and bring water and food to him?”
Lucia curtsied. “Yes, my queen. I would be honored.”
“I hope you’ll come to the castle and visit with us after Rey is feeling better. There aren’t many women who can speak with dragons.” The queen sounded tired, but Lucia heard the hint of order in her tone.
She inclined her head politely in acknowledgement. “If you wish, Your Majesty.”
“I do.” Green eyes sparkled with laughter. “And I want you,” the queen turned to Kaden, “to stay with Reynor and work out this guilt between you.” She touched both males on the head, joining them with her small, healing hands. “Neither of you are to blame for this. Work it out. Partners should communicate better than this.”
Both heads bowed and the knight flushed with embarrassment. “Yes, milady.”
The queen sighed and released the males, turning away. She headed for the doorway where the silver dragon waited, pausing only to stroke her hand once over Linea’s pale green scales. A few moments later, the young silver dragon was gone and the queen with him.
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Chapter Three
Kaden moved into the tavern that very afternoon, paying the innkeeper a few days in advance for room and board for himself and his dragon. Marcus and Linea stayed near as well. The two dragons lay quietly together, side by side, their necks entwined. Reynor had to be cautious in his movements, but he seemed to do better with Linea at his side. Lucia went about her business, tending the customers who frequented the tavern. Sir Kaden left on some sort of errand, but Sir Marcus stayed behind with the dragons. Quite a few busybodies came in to see why all the dragons had flown in that day and why, especially, the queen’s easily recognizable Ice Dragon had been to visit. Lucia let the other serving girls gossip, but took no part in it herself. She felt self-conscious enough with Sir Marcus’s penetrating gaze following her about her duties. She didn’t want to make it worse by gossiping about the situation.
Sir Marcus was a handsome devil, but as she learned more about him, he began to remind her painfully of all she’d lost. His courtly manners and polished appearance made her think of things better put away. She could never regain her past. It was better to just forget that, once upon a time, she’d been a noble lady with every expectation of marrying a man much like Sir Marcus.
Oddly though, he didn’t seem to mind her fall in stature. To be sure, he was curious about her. That much was obvious from the way his eyes followed her every movement. But he didn’t seem to be mocking or judgmental. Mostly, he seemed inquisitive. She feared the questions he’d ask given half a chance and did her best to avoid him, but inevitably, he cornered her at the end of the bar during the usual afternoon lull.
“Tavern work is harder than I realized.”
She was polishing glasses when Marcus spoke, surprising her so badly she fumbled the costly glass in her hands and would have dropped it. Marcus caught it before it could shatter, placing it back in her hands with a lingering caress. He didn’t immediately let go, 18
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making her keenly aware of his warmth and the unexpected calluses on his warrior’s hands.
“What?” She’d lost his words to the shock of his appearance. He gazed so deep into her eyes, she thought he might be able to see all the way down into her soul.
“I said you work harder than I thought here in the tavern. I never considered before how much there is to the job.”
She pulled away and put the glass behind the bar with its clean fellows. Her limbs trembled as she lifted the next glass for inspection and polishing.
“I know you’ve been watching me and frankly, Sir Marcus, I don’t enjoy it.”
Marcus stepped back, appearing surprised by her outburst. She’d surprised herself with the bald truth, but she’d never been one to play games.
“I’m sorry if I offended you.”
She tilted her head, considering the glass and avoiding looking at the handsome knight. “Offend is too strong a word, but I accept your apology.”
“Please,” he edged closer once more, the heat of his presence causing tingles of awareness in her body, “isn’t there some way I can make it up to you?” His words sent shivers down her spine, making her think of how his cultured voice would sound in passion. The low, persuasive tone, coupled with his devilishly handsome face should be outlawed. It made a girl think of sex—truly pleasurable, scream-the-house-down sex—all too easily. “I’m already in your debt,” he went on, “for the service you preformed for Rey and Kaden. I’d hate to think I owed you even more for my own inept attempt to make conversation.”
Gathering her courage, she rounded on him. “And why in the world would you—a knight of the realm—want to
make conversation
with me? Sir Marcus, I know just how far apart our stations in life are.” Lucia fought not to let her emotions get the best of her.
“Stations in life?” He seemed genuinely puzzled before realization dawned and he drew closer. “Sweet Lucia, social rank means very little here in Draconia, and to me, personally. It’s the measure of the person that really matters. I don’t know how it was where you come from, but surely you’ve seen how it is here? I may have been born of a wealthy family, but there are no expectations about whom I
make conversation
—or other things—with.” His smile was downright sinful and she knew full well he meant to be provocative. He succeeded too. Her abdomen rippled with awareness.
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“Sir Marcus,” she forced herself to step away from him, “I haven’t been in Draconia long but even so, I know the difference between a knight and a servant.” She raised her chin with a hint of the pride she’d never lost.
Marcus didn’t give her a chance to retreat. Right there, in full view of the few people in the tavern, he stepped up and took her into his arms. Before she could protest, his lips covered hers in the most arousing kiss she’d ever known. He conquered her, plunging his tongue into her mouth. His taste was rich and divine, the feel of his strong body against hers like heaven.
But it couldn’t last. He reminded her too sharply of the past that was gone forever. When he eased up, there were tears in her eyes. Hurt and recrimination entered his gaze when he saw her expression, but she didn’t want him to feel guilty for something that wasn’t his fault.
“I can’t apologize.” The words were torn from his lips as he held her in his arms.
“I don’t want you to, but…”
“What is it, my sweet? Why do you look so sad?”
“It’s not your fault.” She sighed, resting against his hard chest for just a moment out of time. “It’s complicated.”
He nuzzled her hair. “Why don’t you try to explain it to me?”
“I’m not sure if I can.” She pulled away from him and turned so she wouldn’t have to look at his too-handsome face. “It’s just— You remind me of things, Marcus. You represent a part of my life that’s gone forever and it hurts to think of those days, now long over.”
When she looked back at the knight, his stiff posture and the muscle ticking in his jaw indicated he hadn’t taken her explanation well. Still, she thought she knew him well enough not to fear him. Lucia only regretted the hurt in his eyes.
“I apologize, Lucia.” His words were terse. “It was never my intent to bring back your sorrow and I have no idea how to fix it, but know this…” he moved in close, his words for her ears alone, “…I will find a way. I want you, Lucia and I mean to have you.”
Lucia tried not to let his ardent words affect her, but they seemed to go straight to her womb. Luckily her trembling knees were hidden by her skirt, but she fought to control her breathing which had grown betrayingly shallow. One thing was clear though, she had to fight fire with fire. This complex man wouldn’t take anything less. 20
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“Won’t Kaden have something to say about that? Or did I misunderstand the way you knights work your kinky little threesomes?” She kept her voice to a hissing whisper, though there were few people in the tavern and none seemed to be paying much attention to them in the dark corner of the bar.
Her words seemed to set him back on his feet and he regarded her with hooded eyes for some moments before responding. When he did speak, his words offered little comfort.
“You’re right. We both will want you in our bed, if you’re the woman I think you are. Have you given any thought to how you’ll handle that? How it will feel? How good we can make it for you?” With each question, he drew closer until she was almost back in his arms. “I’ve never shared a woman before, but I’ve heard accounts from some of the mated knights in the Lair. The pleasure is said to be beyond measure. Especially when the dragons take to the skies in a mating flight. The backlash on the human part of the family is said to be a pleasure like no other.” Marcus cupped her ass with one big hand and squeezed.
They were next to the bar where no one could see his groping and she found it hard not to jump at the intimate caress. This knight was less a gentleman than she’d believed, and all man. In that moment he didn’t resemble the discrete noblemen of her youth, but more the rough Jinn warriors she’d known since leaving her home all those years ago. He was even more alluring now than he’d been just a few short minutes ago, and altogether much too dangerous.
“One of us will claim your curvy ass, Lucia. Have you ever had a cock up there?”
She gasped as he sucked her earlobe into his warm mouth. He let go and whispered into her ear, “I promise, we will make you crave it like your next breath.” Then his tongue traced the swirls of her ear, making her squirm. “We’ll take turns with you and make sure you never forget how we feel inside you. And when the dragons fly, we’ll take you together to a place you never dreamed of.”
“Marcus!” It was all too much. No man had ever spoken to her this way. She shocked herself at how hot it made her.
“You’ll scream my name in pleasure, Lucia. One day soon. This I promise you.” He backed away slowly, his gaze boring down into hers. “But I’ll give you time. Time to accept the future and come to terms with the past as best you can. You know now I’m like no man you’ve ever known before. I’m a knight—nobly born, I grant you—but when
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it comes to you, I’m a barbarian, Lucia.” He chuckled at his own words and stepped back, shaking his head. “Damn, what you do to me, woman. You should be outlawed!”
Lucia sank back against the bar, afraid her knees wouldn’t support her. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”
He laughed outright at her honest words and she blushed, laughing as well. Things were by no means settled between them, but he seemed to have come to some kind of decision for now. Lucia would steer clear of this all-too-dangerous man, but she feared a reckoning would come in the future, if she stayed in his company for any length of time. That was to be avoided at all costs.
Marcus sauntered away and she turned back to her task, finishing up as quickly as possible. When she’d put the last glass safely on the shelf, she took off for a moment of privacy in her room. At least there, she wouldn’t have to feel the handsome knight’s eyes on her.
As Kaden walked back to Castleton after fetching a change of clothes from the Lair, he mentally kicked himself over and over, unable to understand how he and Rey had reached such a point where dragon and knight couldn’t even talk to each other. That should never happen in a partnership as deep as theirs. That night—his first in the tavern⎯Kaden was so tired from grief and worry, he fell into the bed in the small rented room and slept soundly until well after dawn. Breakfast awaited him in the common room, as did Rey.
They talked little, both unable to articulate the problems between them, but just being near each other helped. Linea had spent the night, though Marcus was nowhere in sight. Kaden spent the afternoon gathering more of his belongings from the Lair and bringing them to the tavern. He needed clothes and some grooming supplies for Rey. Dragon scales could dry out when a dragon was ill and didn’t get enough exercise. Kaden spent the hours before dinner oiling and polishing Rey’s scales in the areas that didn’t pain him too much.
Dinner was a quiet affair. Kaden sat at a table next to the dragons and ate in sullen silence while the tavern filled up around them. Most of the patrons were Jinn, as were the proprietor and the serving maids. They were of the working class, but not rough. Merchants, tradesmen and others mingled as a hearty dinner was served, followed by fine 22
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