A Dragon Speaks Her Name: A Nocturne Falls Universe story Page 8

  Nick and Zareh clapped shoulders in familiar greeting. “Yeah. I stopped by to find out what happened with that woman from Howler’s. Overheard Sheriff Merrow talking to his sister earlier when I stopped by to get dinner for Willa. Mentioned that you intervened.”

  “She’s well. New to town and all.” Better to keep Kaylae under the radar if at all possible. “Willa home?”

  “She’s working late on a commissioned piece for a tourist.”

  “Wanna drink? I think we have a few beers in the fridge.”

  Nick held up a hand in refusal and shook his head. “I’ll definitely take a rain check, though. Have a good one.”

  Zareh twisted enough to watch the gargoyle cross the wide patch of landscaped yard between their homes. “Hey, Nick. I might need to talk to you later about something.”

  Nick paused and looked back at him. “What’s going on?”

  “I think there might be some danger following the woman. Perhaps you can keep an eye out for anything suspicious when you’re at the fountain. I don’t know what type of danger. Just a gut feeling.”

  “You and your gut.” Nick snickered. “If you find out anything else, let me know.”

  “Appreciated.” Zareh jogged up the steps to the front door, where Alazar waited with arms crossed and brows raised. “What?”

  “What?” His friend snorted, giving the clock on the wall a pointed look. “You’ve been gone all day. Heard you were hanging with the mystery woman.”

  “And if I was?”

  “She tickling your fancy?”

  Zareh growled, shedding his jacket. Alazar laughed.

  “Seriously, Zar. You never hang with a female that long. Not even when you do the bump-and-grind. I have all the reason in the world to be curious.”

  Zareh eyed his friend for a long moment. Alazar’s humor dimmed.

  “You’re giving me the dragon eye. Why am I earning your dragon’s attention?” He threw up his hands. “I swear I didn’t lose any more money. And my car is still in the garage.”

  Alazar would find out the truth about Kaylae soon enough. There was no foul in telling him now. It was an unspoken vow that all Firestorm dragons would protect any female Keepers, whether that Keeper was theirs or not.

  “Talius had a daughter.”

  “Okay. He had…” Alazar’s eyes went wide and his jaw went slack. “You’re kidding me. That woman is Talius’s daughter? She’s a friggin’ female Keeper? Does Cade know?”

  Zareh smoothed a hand over his hair. “I doubt he’s aware. She didn’t know until tonight. Talius kept her lineage hidden from everyone, daughter included.”

  “Ohhh crap.”

  “Yeah. Something like that.” He had bigger, badder words for the immensity of the situation. He kept those words to himself.

  “Where is she now? You left her somewhere? What kind of dragon are you?”

  “Calm down, Al. She’s safe. I wouldn’t leave her without being certain of her safety. Until she accepts what is happening around her, I think it’s best that she not reside here.”

  “You mean she’s safest away from you.” Alazar laughed again, punching Zareh in the shoulder. Zareh instinctively bared his teeth, but his friend kindly ignored him. “I can’t believe this! I heard stories about the effect female Keepers have on their dragons. It’s almost impossible to fight the pull.”

  “Those situations were different. The Keeper knew she was a Keeper and understood the chemistry between her and the dragon. I’m running blind on this one, and I can’t press the topic.” Zareh went into the kitchen and helped himself to a beer. He felt almost physically revolted by the fact that he left Kaylae alone, and his dour mood intensified in light of Alazar’s excitement. Couldn’t his friend see he was suffering? “Anyhow, I’ll be spending the day with her tomorrow, so I trust that I won’t find you handing over keys at Howler’s?”

  “Promise.” Alazar rubbed his hands together. “Oooh, I can’t wait to meet this woman.”

  “You met her.”

  “Unconscious doesn’t count.”

  Zareh groaned. “You will. As for now, I’m heading in for some shut-eye.”

  He left his overly excited friend in the kitchen and went to his bedroom. He already knew sleep would be difficult to find. His dragon was too riled and his body felt too alive to find any measure of calm. Even after a cooling shower, thoughts of Kaylae plagued him with the desperate need to be close, to protect. He settled on his bed and nursed his beer, staring at the wall as he fought every instinct to go back to Kaylae and watch over her for the night.

  * * *

  “I, uh, I was wondering if you might be able to fashion this into something I can hide but keep on my person at all times?”

  Zareh jolted awake, not remembering falling asleep. For a bewildering moment, he couldn’t see where he was. Instead, he stared through a red-colored lens.

  An old magic awoke inside him. The pull of his jewel reconnecting with his dragon. A deeper, more primitive magic connecting with him on a basic level. Protect. Cherish. Love.

  A familiar face came into view, distorted by the smooth, rounded edges of the stone.

  Only…it wasn’t the face he was expecting to see.

  “Damn it!”

  * * *

  Kaylae waited in the morning for Zareh to show up. When he didn’t come by ten, she decided to make the trip to Illusions solo. An idea had come to mind during her restless night, one that included Willa and the strange box that remained tucked in her purse. She needed to get her car, too. After obtaining directions from the elf—delighted to discover the store was easily within walking distance—she headed out.

  She was surprised to find the store busy at that early hour and debated coming back later. Willa spotted her and waved her in. Kaylae veered away from the crowd to a section of the store that wasn’t busy. Willa finished up with a customer and came over, tucking a chunk of blond hair behind a pointed ear.

  Kaylae blinked. Pointed. Ear.

  Girl, this is your new norm. Get used to it.

  “Good morning. Nice to see you back,” Willa said cheerfully.

  “Thanks. I was wondering if I could ask you to look at something for me.” Kaylae glanced around the store and frowned. “I was told to keep it guarded, but I’m hoping to fit it into something wearable.”

  Willa nodded and motioned for Kaylae to follow her to a tall table in a sectioned-off area. The woman’s eyes glittered with controlled anticipation as Kaylae removed the box and key from her purse. Willa’s brows came together.

  “It’s not the box, I promise. It’s what’s inside.” Kaylae fiddled with the little glass container until it popped open. She held her breath as she slipped the key into the lock on the box and turned. The lock released with a soft click. Slowly, she lifted the top, excited and anxious to see the contents. She’d been too upset last night to open it. When she beheld the magnificent stone for the first time, hot energy poured into her veins, momentarily stunning her. The stone was unlike anything she’d ever seen, with swirls of blood-red, black and silver. She gave her head a small shake and cleared her throat. “I, uh, I was wondering if you might be able to fashion this into something I can hide but keep on my person at all times?”

  Willa’s eyes widened as she leaned over the box. “Where did you get this?” She looked up at Kaylae, curiosity and skepticism etched into her eyes. “How did you get this?”

  “Family. I was told—”

  “Oh my.”

  Willa extended a single finger toward the stone, but jerked her hand away. Kaylae was briefly surprised by her own urge to snap the box closed and protect the stone. It was a natural instinct, one that woke in the stone’s presence.

  You must protect him.

  Willa shut the box for her. “Who does it belong to?”

  “I’m sorry?” Kaylae’s brows furrowed. “It was my father’s.”

  Willa cast a worried glance toward the bustling crowd. She turned her aqua eyes to Kaylae and l
eaned close, pushing the box against Kaylae’s hands. “Take it back to where you found it.”

  “But I was hoping to—”

  “You do not want that hanging around your neck. Whoever told you to keep it guarded knew the significance of that stone. I’d heed their warning.” Willa sighed. “I don’t mean to be rude, but that is a rare stone. I wouldn’t feel comfortable handling it.”

  “Oh.” Kaylae frowned, glancing down at the closed box. “I was trying to make it easier to protect. Carrying around a box isn’t necessarily stealthy.”

  “Neither is a necklace.” Willa tapped the small table. “It’s too large to hide within a metal casing without it looking suspicious. The box may be the safest place for it.”

  Great. No small purses in my future.

  Kaylae clicked her tongue and nodded, assessing the other woman. She wondered how much of her refusal to create something more manageable was due to her perceived assumption that Kaylae was completely human.

  “The water doesn’t work on me,” Kaylae said, keeping her voice low. Willa stared at her without a change in her expression. “Zareh—”

  “You know Zareh?”

  “Yes. He…helped me yesterday.”

  Realization dawned over the beautiful woman. “You were the one who fainted at Howler’s.”

  Her cheeks warmed. “Huh. Word travels that fast about all tourists? I was dehydrated.”

  “No. Only the tourists who are helped by friends or residents.” Willa tapped the top of the box. “Listen, to work with a stone of that caliber would be a dream for me, but I’m afraid it is also beyond my abilities. It is too priceless and best left as it is.”

  Kaylae twisted the box around on the table. She contemplated the stone and Willa’s adverse reaction to it. Could it be possible that the stone was dangerous to her? There was no denying the power streaming out of the unique object. A power that continued to connect with an unseen force inside her mind. The pull she experienced with Zareh yesterday intensified ten-fold until she found herself battling a desperate urge to run from the store, find him, and curl up in his arms.

  “You jerked away from it like it shocked you.” She lifted her gaze to Willa. “Why?”

  Willa shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t explain my reaction. Sometimes stones and gems have a strange…energy that I react to.”

  So she wasn’t the only one feeling the energy.

  Willa’s gaze lifted over her shoulder. Kaylae began to turn. An arm came around her, large hand covering the box. A wash of heat cocooned her, familiar scents of spice and smoke invading her nostrils.

  “Zareh. Pleasure seeing you here,” Willa greeted.

  Kaylae swallowed a lump that appeared in her throat. Her body went weak, not in a good way. Okay, maybe a little good. She’d hoped to do this without Zareh knowing. In part, she wanted to surprise him by wearing his jewel. Unfortunately, the rather disheveled and fierce-looking Zareh made her wish she had stayed at the dead-and-breakfast until he came with the promised coffee. His eyes hinted at the fire that lay within him, licks of dark red and orange rising through the green.

  Zareh pinned her with that fierce look before a contradicting smile crossed his mouth. He took the box and shoved it in her purse.

  “Morning, Willa. Shop’s busy today.”

  Her face beamed. “It’s been a busy month.” She motioned to Kaylae, who shrank deeper into her own skin. It didn’t help that Zareh’s overpowering presence at her back turned every bone in her body to mush. “I’ve met your friend from Howler’s. We were discussing custom jewelry.”

  “Oh?” If Willa noticed how brittle Zareh’s smile was, she didn’t let on. There was definitely no mistaking the tension that swelled between Kaylae and Zareh, though. Kaylae’s face burned as he asked, “Did you ladies come up with a design?”

  “No,” Kaylae muttered. She snatched up the key and placed it back in the delicate glass box. “Thanks again, Willa. I appreciate your time.”

  Kaylae turned to leave. Zareh placed a firm hand on her waist, stilling her. The look he shot her was a stern warning not to try to escape him. Yeah, problem was she didn’t want to escape, if that was a problem at all.

  “I saw Nick last night,” he said to Willa. “Perhaps you two would like to come by the house when you’re off work? We can have some drinks and toss a few steaks on the grill.”

  Kaylae’s shoulders sagged. Her day was taking a nosedive.

  “He’ll be on fountain duty tonight, but maybe tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow it is. Good day.”

  Zareh’s arm curled around Kaylae’s waist and he led her from the store. He didn’t say a word as he guided her to the SUV haphazardly parked a few yards away. Her car would have to wait. Again. She tried to ignore the stiffness in his hold and the rippling heat that poured off him.

  His gentlemanly behavior didn’t disappear in light of this debacle. Kaylae climbed into the passenger seat after he held open the door and helped her up. She dared to meet his gaze. For a brief moment, she stared into the storm that churned within him, unable to determine what would happen now. She didn’t quite understand what she did wrong, but apparently it was significant.

  Zareh’s gaze cut downward. He closed her door, went around to the driver’s side and hopped in behind the wheel.

  Once they were on the road toward Main Street, he groaned. “You can’t be parading that jewel around, Kaylae. Thankfully, I know Willa and I trust that she will keep this a secret, but I can’t say that about everyone.”

  “I was hoping to make it easier to protect by wearing it. My intentions were good,” Kaylae said. “I’m sorry. I won’t take it out again.”

  “It’s best left in the box.”

  Kaylae’s gut hung on his words, waiting for him to say something else. She sensed there was more to his suggestion than simply keeping the stone hidden. More to the storm raging in his eyes and stirring up the heat pulsing off his skin.

  She glanced at the thermostat set at seventy. It sure felt closer to ninety.

  “How did you know I was at Illusions?” Kaylae noticed how his fingers ringed the steering wheel, knuckles pale. His hair hung over his eyes. The shadow of day-old bristles lined his jaw, adding to the fierce edge that was both intimidating and utterly appealing. He looked like he’d just rolled out of bed, in a very delectable way. “Was it the stone?”

  Zareh nodded.

  “Have I earned the silent treatment from you?”

  Zareh flexed his fingers. “No, Doe. You haven’t.”

  Okay. He still called her by his self-determined endearment, but his stiff posture did little to reassure her. Neither did the trail of deep red scales that coasted down his muscled forearms before disappearing.

  “Listen. I’m sorry. I thought I was doing something to make it easier to hide while keeping it on me at all times. Anyone can snatch my purse. Keeping it inside might be more of a liability than wearing it.”

  “I’m not angry.” Zareh tipped his head one way, then the other, his neck cracking. Kaylae shivered. “Concerned is a better word.”

  “Concerned that your enemies can sense the stone?”

  “The Baroqueth are not my enemies alone. They are your enemies, too. They can’t sense the jewel unless they are in close proximity. However, their location is unknown to me and to the others in my clan. That alone is dangerous. All it takes is one careless move for them to find you.” Zareh let out a short breath, smoke and all. “I cannot let that happen.”

  “Does this need to protect me have more to do with the lifemate possibility than me being a Keeper? Or just being me?”

  She didn’t know what she wanted to hear. Being a potential lifemate to a dragon man like Zareh could be a dream come true. Or it could be a nightmare. She knew nothing about dragons, let alone the significance of being a lifemate to one.

  Zareh veered the SUV to the side of the road, threw it into Park and turned to face her. His gaze pierced straight through to her soul.


  Her heart fluttered in her chest, leaving her dizzy. Her attention dropped to his mouth, remembering his kiss and how delicious he had tasted the night before. She couldn’t explain the sudden rush of tingling heat that consumed her. Heck, she couldn’t explain much about her reactions to Zareh. Her father’s letter helped ease her concern about being played by the hunk of a man. Unfortunately, the reassurance in his written words seemed to give her hormones free reign to run wild.

  “It’s true that you are my lifemate.”

  Zareh didn’t say potential. No, he claimed that she was, in fact, his lifemate. It made her giddy and cautious at the same time. Giddy because, well, who wouldn’t want Zareh Lutherone as a lifemate? Cautious, because lifemate didn’t necessarily equal happiness. Although she was sure she’d find a way to be happy with this dragon.

  “How can you be so certain?” Kaylae needed to understand that it wasn’t solely because she was a female of his Keeper’s lineage, that it was something more. “How do you know?”

  “From the moment I saw you walk into Howler’s, I couldn’t understand the pull I felt. My dragon sensed who you were when I hadn’t the slightest idea. It’s possible that a female may not be a lifemate, but with you?” Zareh dropped a hand to Kaylae’s knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. “There’s no denying the connection. It goes beyond my duty to protect you as my Keeper.”

  “Is the lifemate thing like an arranged marriage?”

  Zareh lifted his hand, touching two fingers to her chest above her racing heart before continuing up to her face. He traced her brow, cheek, tapered over her jaw, then lowered his hand to the console.

  “At one time, it was. There was seldom resistance on either party’s behalf because the lifemate bond was created by the gods between two highly compatible partners. The dragon needed a woman to continue his bloodline. The woman sought the security and protection the dragon provided. Seldom did the match prove loveless. Nowadays, its significance is understood between both parties, but the choice to pursue the lifemate bond is left to each party.”

  The toiling emotions behind his explanation soothed her uncertainty. The idea of finding a destined mate and falling into a mating ritual might be natural for him, but not her. Ultimately, the decision would be hers whether or not she wanted to pursue and fulfill this lifemate position. She wasn’t sure she needed much of a nudge, but she wanted to get to know Zareh a little more before deciding how to proceed. For starters, she was dealing with a dragon who obviously was older than he looked. Much older.