Dragon's Curse (Harlequin Nocturne) (20 page)

“Where am I supposed to put a stretcher?” If Renalde wasn’t in
the van, surely that meant it would be all right for Bennett to drive onto the
property. There was one way to find out. “Why don’t you just follow me up to the
Lair.”

Unintelligible curses rained down on her, but the thug slammed
the back doors closed, climbed into his van and waved her forward.

Luckily her assumption had been right—no one rushed out of the
Lair as they approached the entrance doors. No one except Harold.

He opened her door, asking, “He with you?”

“Yes, he is.” Regretfully, she pulled the dragon pendant from
the mirror. “Could you give me a hand?”

Harold followed her to the back of the van. His bushy eyebrows
rose at the sight of Carl, but he didn’t say a word. Instead, he helped Bennett
pull the stretcher out of the van, hiked down the wheels and then nodded toward
Ariel. “You lead, I’ll follow.”

She handed the pendant to Bennett, who pocketed the jewelry
without a glance, jumped back into the van and left.

It wasn’t until she stepped into the maintenance hall off the
side of the lobby before she realized that she probably should have called
Cameron. She’d rather he hear about the new
visitor
from her instead of Harold.

Once in the elevator, Harold hit the button for the family
floor, asking, “Which apartment?”

Ariel paused. She didn’t want to impose on Cam any more than
she already had. Even if moving into his apartment hadn’t been her idea, she
hadn’t done much about moving out.

“Mine.” Her cheeks burned at Harold’s questioning look. She
hastily added, “My old apartment.”

Thankfully, he only nodded in response.

Once they had Carl tucked between the sheets in the guest
bedroom, Ariel walked with Harold to the door. “I haven’t talked to Cam yet.
Could you…” She wasn’t sure how to ask him to withhold information from his
employer. “I mean, would you let me…”

“It’s not my place.” Harold let her off the hook. “I don’t know
a thing, Ms. Johnson. I’m just a lowly handyman.”

Yeah, he was just a handyman who’d lived a few hundred years or
so. “I don’t agree with you on that, but thank you.”

When he left, she pulled out her cell phone as she walked back
to check on Carl. After trying Cam’s number for the third time, without leaving
a message, she gave up. Sooner or later, he’d come barging into her apartment
demanding an explanation. She could talk to him then.

For now, however, she was content to sit next to her brother
and watch him sleep.

She pushed his overlong bangs from his face, her fingers
brushing against his oddly cold flesh. Ariel frowned. Was that normal? She knew
nothing about comas, other than what she’d seen on television or the big screen.
She’d assumed it would be as if he slept.

She laid the back of her hand against his cheek, checking for a
fever. He was so cold, yet not one shiver raced the length of his body.

Ariel pulled the down-filled comforter from the quilt stand and
draped it over him, tucking the edges around him. She needed to call a doctor.
If nothing else, she wanted reassurance that what seemed odd to her was in fact
normal for someone in his condition.

* * *

Another shiver of unknown dread raced down his spine.
Cam paused, the papers in his hands momentarily forgotten. Something was
wrong.

He could sense it in the air—something evil, vile and extremely
dangerous lurked inside the Lair. Even his restless beast sensed the danger at
hand.

Cam pushed back from his desk and turned to stare out the
windows. His careful study of the area turned up nothing that should unsettle
him, or the dragon, in this manner.

His computer screen flickered off just as the door to his
office slammed against the wall. “What has she done?”

He faced his aunt, realizing that fear and worry added to the
shriek to her voice. Seeking to distract her, he shuffled the papers on his
desk, and casually asked, “Who?”

“That—that woman you’re sleeping with.”

Cam raised one eyebrow in silent warning. He wasn’t about to
listen to any more tirades about Ariel.

Danielle flung herself into one of the chairs. “Something has
broken through security.”

“I know.”

“You know?” She leaned forward, her cheeks flushed, eyes
blazing. “Yet you just sit here doing nothing?”

“You might think it wise to race off half-cocked after God
knows what, but I don’t. I’d rather wait and discover exactly what danger we
face first.”

Sean strolled into his office. “You’ll have to do it without
the systems.”

Danielle gasped. “They took over the computer?”

There were times when Cam wanted nothing more than to bang his
head on his desk—this was quickly turning into one of them.

But before he could say anything, Sean laughed. “They? You mean
your hocus-pocus friends?” He folded his lean form into the other chair.
“No.”

He turned to Cam. “Your freak meter went nuts right before the
security warnings on the system flashed. Since a breach threatened, I shut the
whole system down.”

When he and Braeden had designed what Sean called the freak
meter, they’d all discussed what to do with the system during a breach. Since he
and Braeden didn’t need the cameras to sense an intruder, it was more logical to
shut the system down. If nothing else, it would at least save the data from
destruction.

“Did either of you invite anyone here?”

Sean rolled his eyes. “Don’t look at me.”

Danielle tensed her jaw and glared at him. “You know we didn’t.
It was her.”

“She’s not family. You know how this works. Nobody with any
powers could have come onto our property even with her invitation.”

Unless she was either pregnant by, or
soul-mated to, one of us.

His dragon rumbled, surprise resonated in the beast’s soft
roar. Cam instantly slammed a steel wall between his mind and his aunt.

“What are you hiding?” Danielle leaned forward. “You know
something.”

He knew something all right, but he wasn’t about to share it
with his aunt. Cam rose. “Go to your apartments, lock the door and stay there.
Don’t let anyone in until I let you know it’s safe.” Anxious to find Ariel, he
spared them both little more than a glance before racing from his office.

Chapter 19

A
elthed shook from the effort it took to
levitate his cloaked puzzle cube through the Drake woman’s door before she
slammed it closed behind her and threw the locks in place.

He rested the cube atop a small table in the entryway, then
stumbled to the hard floor of his prison gasping for breath. While his powers
had been getting stronger, it required more energy to remain invisible than
anything else.

And it didn’t seem to matter how strong his powers became, he
was still unable to free himself from this cube that was his cell.

Thankfully, what he was about to do didn’t require a great deal
of energy. He made himself comfortable in a corner and cleared his mind before
bringing a mental vision of the apartment, and the woman, into view.

He paused at the sight before him. For some reason he hadn’t
expected her to be so enticing. She pulled a clasp from her hair, letting her
long raven tresses cascade freely down her back.

It was a shame she kept her hair bound in such a severe manner.
Did she not realize how a man would long to run his hands through such silken
beauty?

He was taken aback by her youth. She couldn’t possibly be more
than sixty years old. From her serious nature, her constant concern for her
family, he’d expected her to be older—much more ancient than the woman he
watched go about mundane chores.

She paused while washing a mug and turned to stare directly at
him. Aelthed let his cloak fall away. He wanted her to see his cube. To touch
it.

“Come to me, woman. Come chat a while.”

Danielle—he hated that name, it was far too masculine for such
a feminine creature—tipped her head and gazed around the empty apartment. “Who’s
there?”

“I, Aelthed, High Lord of Mirabilus.”

“My nephew is the High Lord.”

Aelthed cursed silently. He’d momentarily forgotten that little
fact. “He is now. But once, long ago, I was the High Lord.”

“Where are you?”

He felt the warmth of her thoughts as she searched the
apartment for him. She was strong and could prove a worthy adversary. But he had
no interests in becoming her foe, he wanted to offer support, in whatever manner
might be most helpful to her and the Drake family.

After not reaching out for centuries, Aelthed found the idea
daunting. He took a deep breath, then gently rocked the puzzle cube atop the
table.

Danielle’s curiosity drew her toward him. She stared down at
the still-rocking box, asking, “Is this some kind of joke?”

Aelthed steadied his cube and stroked his beard. Joke? She
thought this nothing more than an attempt at humor?

“Woman, I am no joke.”

She picked the puzzle box up and Aelthed groaned from the
heated promise of her touch. Yes, this woman could help him, just as he could
help her.

“Is someone in here?” She shook the box, flinging the wizard to
the floor.

“Egads, woman, stop it before you kill me yet again.” Certain
she would still be able to hear him, he transformed back into the misty form of
his essence.

“Sorry.” Danielle held the cube steady, stroking the smoothness
of the ancient wood. “Who cursed you in such a manner?”

“My nephew, Nathan the Learned.”

“It must have been long ago, because now it’s rumored that he
sucks the souls from the dying into his own body.”

“It was long ago. And yes, the rumors of his recent atrocities
are true.”

Danielle crossed the room and stood before the blazing
fireplace. “Did you teach him that trick?”

“No.” Aelthed wondered idly if the cube would burn, and if it
did, would the fire set him free?

“Is that what you want? To be free?”

He’d been right, she was strong. “Isn’t that what we all
want?”

“Right now I’d settle for being free of Nathan.”

Marshaling every iota of power he could muster, Aelthed sent a
caress to press against the woman’s cheek. “Then let me help you, Danielle
Drake. Let me help you to help me.”

* * *

Ariel paced the floor alongside her brother’s bed. The
receptionist had finally found a doctor who would come to the Lair, but due to
an emergency, he couldn’t make it until tomorrow morning.

After a rather long, sketchy conversation over the phone, he
had tried to assure her that as long as Carl was breathing normally, he would be
fine. She need not worry overmuch.

Easier said than done since his breathing was hard to
detect.

“When had you planned on telling me?”

She jumped at Cam’s question and stopped pacing to stand
protectively over Carl. “He’s my brother, what else was I going to do?”

Cam moved away from the door, coming to a stop behind her.
“There wasn’t any other choice you could make, but that’s not what I meant.”

His breath raced warm against her neck. “I thought it best to
move him here rather than your apartment.”

“You thought wrong, but we can discuss that later, but that’s
not what I meant, either.”

The low, raspy tone of his voice captured her complete
attention. His face was expressionless, making it impossible to gauge his mood.
She couldn’t tell if he was tired, angry and holding back his temper, or if lust
was deepening his tone.

But right now, she didn’t care. To her astonishment, just his
presence was enough. She turned to rest her cheek against his chest. “Then what
are you asking?”

His hands covered her shoulders. “When were you planning to
tell me that your beast had chosen mine as a mate?”

Time seemed to come to a screeching halt. Ariel blinked, trying
to convince herself that he hadn’t spoken in some strange language she couldn’t
understand.

Finally, she asked, “That I what?”

He leaned back to look down at her. “Don’t tell me you didn’t
know.”

To her surprise, when she pushed away he let her go. “No, I
didn’t. And since I have no clue what you’re talking about, how can you be so
certain anyone chose you?”

The last thing she needed right now was a mate. Ariel glanced
at Carl. She already had one male to care for, how would she manage another?

Cam clenched his jaw. Obviously she wasn’t yet as in tune with
her inner beast as she should be. He studied the body on the bed and silently
groaned. Regardless of what she knew, or didn’t know, that’s how the intruder
had tricked her into inviting him inside the Lair.

If the news that she’d unwittingly chosen a mate wasn’t well
received, how would she react when he told her that the form on the bed wasn’t
her brother?

“Sit down.”

To his amazement, she did. Although, he would have been less
concerned had she not sat on the bed.

He didn’t like the idea of her being so close to the
threatening danger. But he realized that making an issue of it would get him
nowhere, not until he convinced her of the truth. Without alerting her to his
actions, he threw an invisible shield between her and the body.

Again, she asked, “What makes you think I’ve somehow chosen
you?”

“Since we’re most likely the only two in existence, surely you
had to have wondered if it was a possibility.”

“No, actually it hadn’t crossed my mind.”

Her darting glance landed everywhere except on him. “You may be
able to lie to anyone else, but not to me, Ariel. Never to me.” Cam paused
before continuing, “Do you remember when I explained about the added security
here at the Lair?”

“The one you use to keep out other wizards?”

“The only way someone with abilities who isn’t related to us
can physically gain entrance onto the property is if a Drake invites them.”

She nodded. “Right, I remember you telling me that before.”

Cam motioned toward the body on her bed. “You invited that in,
didn’t you?”

“That?”
She visibly bristled.
“
That
is my brother.”

“Answer my question.”

“Yes, I invited him in. Where else was I going to put him?”

The answer at the tip of his tongue was crude and uncalled for
in this situation. She’d be putting Carl’s body in a grave soon enough.

Cam held out his hand. “Come here.”

She looked up at him, then turned her face away again and
crossed her arms against her chest.

He’d known this wasn’t going to be easy. He’d known she would
fight his explanation every step of the way. She believed that body on the bed
to be her brother. A sibling she loved more than she did herself at times. A
loved one she would do anything to protect.

It would hurt her terribly when she learned and accepted the
truth. But she had to know, had to face what would most likely be the worst pain
in her life.

Dragon’s Lair was his family’s home. Knowingly or not, she’d
brought evil here. Not only was his brother and aunt in grave danger, so was his
mate.

And nothing on this earth—mortal or otherwise—was going to stop
him from protecting what was his.

Cam gave up any attempt at reining in his anger and shouted,
“Get up and come here.”

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t move.

So, once again he took matters into his own hands. The look she
shot him as he magically forced her body to him was thunderous. She was beyond
angry and he didn’t care.

“Let me go.” She swatted a hand at him when she was within his
reach.

He pulled her into his arms. “You really don’t think that’s
going to stop me, do you?”

“From what?” She pushed uselessly against his chest. “Stop you
from doing what?”

“From keeping my mate out of danger.”

“Cameron Drake, you’ve lost your mind. Get your hands off
me.”

He turned her around so she faced the bed. With one arm snuggly
wrapped around her waist, he held her imprisoned tightly against his chest, then
grasped her chin with his other hand. “You’re going to listen to me.”

“You’re hurting me, let me go.”

He laughed at her bald-faced lie. “Nobody is hurting you.”

Yet. Nobody is hurting you yet.
Cameron kept the thought to himself. He was going to hurt her in a moment in a
way that she might never forgive.

But his feelings didn’t matter, neither did his desire for any
sliver of forgiveness. The only thing that really mattered was that she know the
truth. He had no choice but to force her to clearly see what was before her and
then be there for her when despair threatened to swallow her whole.

Ariel tried to tug her head free of his hold. “Cameron, I
swear—”

“If you want to swear at anyone, it should be at that thing on
the bed.”

“Thing?” She kicked back at him. “That’s my brother.”

“No, Ariel.” He easily dodged her foot. “I’m sorry, but it
isn’t. Your brother is gone.”

He held her close enough to feel the tensing of disbelief flow
through her. But he knew from the shudder of her indrawn breath that she’d yet
to accept the truth.

“No. He’s right there. Don’t you think I’d know my own
brother?”

“You’re right, that is his body.” In an attempt to lessen the
blow, he tipped his head, and with his lips against her ear whispered softly,
“Ariel, I’m so sorry, but his soul isn’t there. What you see is nothing more
than his flesh and bones.”

With a strength he didn’t know she possessed, she tore free of
his hold, shouting, “No! You’re wrong.” Her voice rose along with her hysteria.
“He’s just in a coma.”

“Ariel, stop.” Cam reached out to grab her before she returned
to the body, but she quickly dodged his grasp.

Why was Cameron doing this to her? Ariel knelt on the floor
beside the bed. This
was
her brother. She watched
the shallow rise and fall of his chest. “See? He’s still breathing.”

Cam was wrong. He had to be. She couldn’t lose her brother. He
was her life. He was the reason she got up in the mornings and went to work, the
reason she forced herself to keep going after their parents died. She had so
much to make up for. They still had things they needed to do together.

He was
not
dead.

Cam silently shook his head and slowly approached the bed.

Ariel reached out to touch Carl’s cheek.

“No!” Cam lunged toward her. “Don’t.”

Before she could reach her brother’s face, her hand hit an
invisible barrier that prevented her from touching him. She glared at Cam. “What
did you do?”

She tried to touch Carl again, and was just as unsuccessful as
before. But this time, when her fingers made contact with the unseen shield, her
stomach lurched enough to draw a gasp from her lips.

Cam studied her closely. “What’s wrong?”

Ariel shrugged off her sudden bout of twisting unease as
nothing more than overwrought nerves. “Nothing, I’m fine.”

“No, you aren’t. You’re pale and shaking.” He grasped her arm,
forcing her to her feet. “I want you out of here. Now.”

“I’m not leaving my brother’s side.”

“And I’m not giving you the choice.” He waved a hand toward
her.

Ariel closed her eyes, knowing that he was yet again going to
physically, magically, propel her from the room. Her heart raced as her stomach
once again lurched. But this time, instead of making her ill, the movement fed
warmth and strength into her veins.

In her mind’s eye, she saw the dragon inside her stretch and
unfurl its wings as it came to life on its own.

She opened her eyes, surprised to find herself still standing
next to Carl’s bed. Ariel smiled before saying, “I guess you were right all
along. It is more than just a dream. I do have a beast of my own.”

“More obviously, the beast is as stubbornly foolish as it is
human.”

“Foolish?” He had no idea of the emotions coursing through her.
No inkling of the instinctive need to protect the only family she had left. Nor
could he know the strength of her resolve.

Instead of answering her, he caught her off guard and snaked
one arm around her waist to draw her close. Ignoring her squirming, Cam pulled
her tightly into his embrace.