1303 The Dragonslayer (The 13th Floor) (6 page)

“Kiral,” Harriet whispered.

“Yes, I know. We’ll take care of him—”

“No.” She squeezed his hand as her eyes fluttered wide open. “You let him be. He didn’t hurt me. He stopped in time. It was … It was wonderful.” Her eyes closed with her dreamy sigh and another smile.

Xan gritted his teeth. The vampire had her fooled. He had violated her, almost killed her. The same fury he felt was mirrored in Marc’s eyes.

Harriet fell into unconsciousness again, and Marc laid her hand on her stomach before standing. Hopefully some rest would be enough to heal her. She was a nurse. She’d know better than he would. Xan’s gaze came back to Marc.

“The vamp fled to his apartment,” Xan told him. Hearing Whittaker’s name on the television, his attention was momentarily distracted. What was the old dragon up to now?

“Stay with her while I go deal with him.” Marc was gone before Xan could say anything more. The lights were flickering in the hall as Xan closed the door behind the older man. He paid it no mind and stepped closer to the television.

The eighteen-year-old daughter of one of Whittaker’s colleagues in the state senate had gone missing. The Governor spoke on behalf of the family, urging people to help in the search, to find Alyssa Forrest and bring her home safely. A photo of the girl came up on the screen. A beautiful woman, young and laughing.

The dragon was taunting Xan, trying to draw him out. His heart pounded and echoed in his ears. Xan couldn’t wait any longer. He had to make his move even though that’s what the Governor wanted.

“Xan.” Harriet whispered his name.

Turning from the television, he crouched down beside the couch. As Marc had been gentle with her, so was Xan. Harriet felt like a little sister and the need to protect her was powerful. “I’m here.”

“Marc. He’s not … killing Kiral?” Her eyes fluttered, but she couldn’t seem to keep them open.

“No, I don’t think so.” Xan didn’t believe Marc would do such a thing, but he’d never seen Marc that angry before either. “Do you need anything? I’m at your service.”

Harriet smiled, eyes still closed. “No, thank you. You’re sweet. I heard you have a woman in your apartment.”

He sighed inwardly. She must’ve talked to Meira. Xan then tensed, heart skipping a beat. Or maybe she hadn’t talked to Meira. “Last night, you in the hall ….”

“Don’t worry.” Harriet’s eyes opened just a bit. “Not you. Not her.”

Xan felt it a little easier to breathe, but it didn’t mean anything. Harriet could have a vision at any time, or not have one at all. “May I ask who?”

Her face scrunched up as if she might cry, but she breathed in and whispered Kiral’s name.

For her, Xan’s heart ached. She was a gentle soul, caring even for the bastard that attacked her. As for Kiral, he couldn’t produce any sympathy for the vampire.

“Rest now. Your tears are more than he deserves.”

Harriet’s lips parted as if she might say something else, but she closed her mouth and eyes, tumbling back unconscious.

He stood in slow motion, gazing down at her. She looked younger than her years and terribly innocent. Like the girl the dragon had taken. Vicious rage bubbled up and his mouth stretched open in a silent scream.

No more. It was the old dragon’s time to die.

CHAPTER 8

“Where were you? Are you okay? I heard some pounding and a pissed off man. Did you have to take someone out?” Lois nearly knocked over the laptop as she stood up when Xan returned to his apartment.

Furrowing his brows, he paused at her question. “No.”

Xan then continued to his bedroom and fetched two cases of weapons. He brought them to the kitchen and laid them on the table, opening the containers to take inventory. Guns, grenades, and plastic explosives. A well-placed bomb could scatter a dragon to bits and kill it just as well as a lance through the heart.

Lois tiptoed over the mess of papers and frowned at what she saw on the table. “I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me what happened, but it doesn’t matter. A news report just came through. Another girl went missing and—”

“The Governor has her.” Xan finished. “I saw him on the news next door pleading with people to find her. Daring me to come find her.”

“And you’re just going to rush right in, hm? Yeah, that’s smart.” Lois rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. Her face then softened. “Look, I know you’re worried about the girl. I am too. But right now, she’s bait. He won’t kill her. Besides, I’ve got it figured out.”

Xan’s hands stilled. His gaze rose to meet hers. He didn’t say anything. Never did he expect her to find any connection other than the girls were maidens. Dragons were territorial, especially the older ones. They didn’t like their meat touched by any other males.

“So, all girls around the same age. Wealthy families. Good girls who did a lot for their communities. He’s looking for good breeding. Modern day princesses, if you will.” Lois sniffed at her own comment. “Anyway, we knew that. Yet with this newest missing girl, they released a lot more information. Two things: she’s on medication for high blood pressure and she has the rarest blood type, AB negative.

“Odd, but I used my super skills as a top notch investigator and found that all the other missing girls had similar conditions. High blood pressure and AB negative blood.” She held her chin up, triumphant.

Though it was a connection, Xan couldn’t see the importance of it. Perhaps the old dragon had a particular taste for not only virgins but the rarest virgins. Also, how exactly did Lois get that sort of information? “What sort of skills? Data like that isn’t readily available to the public.”

“Well, you know, just getting around a few firewalls and encoded sites.” Lois waved her hand. “Really, we need to focus here on the girls.”

“You hacked into protected sites? Using my computer?”

“You can call it that. I didn’t do any harm or steal anything.” She folded her arms and looked down.

Xan sighed. “Did you cover your tracks? If you told me what you were doing, I could’ve let you use the software I have to do that.”

Lois’ mouth fell open, and she promptly shut it. “You’re a hacker? Mr. Save The World From Monsters Even When I’m Shirtless is a hacker.”

“I’m not shirtless.” Xan glanced down, even though he knew he was wearing a shirt.

“Okay, we both know our way around a computer. Let’s focus!” Lois snapped her fingers twice. “Back to the girls. It could just be a matter of taste—if he is indeed a dragon that eats people—or it could be some weird psychosis like his mom had high blood pressure and that blood type and he had some perverted relationship with her. Yet, again, if he is a dragon and everything you’ve told me is true, I say he’s using the girls for a different reason.”

Xan leaned forward an inch, curious as to what she’d theorized. He’d not given much thought as to what Whittaker did with the girls. It was better not to imagine how horrible it was for them, for in the end, he believed the dragon ate them.

“I think he’s looking for high class breeders.”

Xan straightened. “What?”

“He’s mating with them. Those dragonkin. He sent two of them out to check on a reporter. He couldn’t have expected you to be there. If dragonkin are so rare, why would he send them out to do something like that? You said most women don’t survive a pregnancy. Maybe he’s found the key to making the inter-species breeding work.”

His mind froze for about ten seconds. It was the last thing he expected her to say. And it made frightening sense.

Lois put her hands on the table and leaned forward. “He could be creating his own dragonkin army and getting ready to take over the world.”

Xan shifted to mirror her position across the table from him. “I think that’s a bit ridiculous.”

“As ridiculous as believing dragons exist in the first place?” One of her eyebrows quirked up.

“They do exist,” he said.

“So dragons exist. They’re power hungry. Why wouldn’t he want to take over the world?” Lois tapped a finger on the table.

“Power hungry, yes, but he wouldn’t want the world to know dragons exist. The only reason they still exist is because no one believes in them anymore.”

“He could still do it and not let the world know he’s a dragon. He wouldn’t have to say the dragonkin are anything other than government super soldiers. Everyone would believe it.” Her finger picked up speed.

Xan’s hand darted across the table and silenced the tapping. “It doesn’t matter why. It doesn’t matter if you or anyone believes me. It matters that he has that girl and only I can stop him.”

Lois didn’t reply immediately. Her head tilted slightly to the side. She glanced at their hands and slowly turned hers over palm to palm. Her fingers then curled to hook his. She didn’t look up as she spoke. “Okay. Maybe you’re right or maybe I am … And I think I believe you. Dammit, I do.”

He tightened his hold on her hand. His heart suddenly beat too fast. It was only their hands that touched and there was a table between them, but the contact felt incredibly intimate. Xan had held her against him in the cave, but she’d been scared.

She believed him. Even though he had planned to convince her of the truth, he never truly thought she would believe him. Xan hadn’t anyone in his life who knew what he did except an old priest on the East Coast who would bless his weapons for him whenever he needed. His father had died ten years ago, and Xan had told himself that being alone was for the best. His life was a dangerous one after all. He never dreamed of taking a wife and carrying on the Ehrensvard bloodline, passing on the mantle of dragonslayer to a son. His line and the terrible duty they had taken on would end with his death.

Lois’ hand was warm. So much more than his. A beautiful woman knew him for what he was and accepted it. Being alone didn’t seem like the best thing anymore.

She squeezed his hand. “We’ll make a plan. We’ll save that girl.”

He jerked his hand back. “You’re not going. I work alone.”

“I’m not staying cooped up in this apartment while you ride off and slay the dragon. I can help. I will be helping.” Lois marched around the table and glared at him as if daring him to say otherwise.

Xan didn’t budge. “You’re staying here, even if I have to tie you up to make sure of it.”

“When did you develop this kinky streak? You aren’t in charge of me, bub. I can do what I want when I want and there’s nothing— Hey!” Lois screeched when he hoisted her up and threw her over his shoulder. She kicked and pounded on his back. “Put me down!”

He carried her into the bedroom and tossed her onto the bed. Xan stood in the entrance, more rigid and solid than any door. “If you try to take them on, they will eat you and spit out your bones. I will not allow you to foolishly risk your life.”

Lois propped herself up on her hands. “So I should just let you go off and foolishly risk your life?”

The way she looked with her hair mussed and legs sprawled called to life a desire he hadn’t felt since his teen years. No, this was something much more. It burned furious and hot, and it was only for one woman. He was suddenly not so comfortable in his jeans.

“I’ve trained my whole life for this. I am a warrior. You aren’t.” Though he found the voice to respond, it was roughened by his arousal.

But he was wrong.

“I don’t care. I’m not going to sit around when I can do something.” She was a warrior. “I’m going to go with or without you. It’s your decision.”

“I’ll lock you in here.”

“No, you won’t.”

“I will.” Xan took a step back, making room to shut the door.

“No, you won’t.” Lois’ lips thinned with her smile. “You rescue princesses. You don’t lock them up. So stop pretending. You’re not a very good actor.” She slipped off the bed and boldly strolled out of the bedroom by ducking under his arm. A smirk on her face the whole time. “We need to work out a plan, but maybe you ought to have a cold shower first. You’re about to burst out of those pants.”

CHAPTER 9

“We’ve been watching the gates for hours. Why don’t we just drive up? I’ll say I’m with the paper and you’re my photographer. They can check me out. It’ll be true, and they won’t know who you are anyway.” Lois was surrounded by five empty Grande coffee cups, a can of half-eaten Pringles, and a bag of untouched grapes. The fruit was the stake-out snack he’d brought.

“I watched the Governor’s estate for months trying to figure out the best way to get in. Security is tight and they always check everyone coming in thoroughly. No one gets in without an invitation, and since you weren’t invited … .” Xan lifted his night vision binoculars and surveyed the grounds again. Nothing. Not even a squirrel.

“It’s the middle of the night. The guard is probably sleeping in the booth.” Lois sighed, squirming in her seat.

“He’s not sleeping. In four minutes, he’ll come out and check the front gate as he has a cigarette. They run on a rigid schedule.” Xan checked his watch again and nodded once. There was no easy way to do it. He’d have to break in one way or another, and the dragon would know he was coming.

“Well, how about this? The guard comes out for his cigarette and a beautiful woman just happens by. She’s a little tipsy and lost. Someone stole her purse so she doesn’t have her cell. She flashes some leg and asks to use his phone. He opens the gate and POW! You come out of nowhere and you’re in.”