A Dragon's Dream of Love (Song of the Sídhí Series #2) (6 page)

The 'big secret' was critical to Dragon
Valley's safety or her mom thought it was important. Leah wasn't too sure.

“When Mort said she was a prisoner, he
wasn’t just being nasty. Was he?” Derek asked quietly, his voice reflected his
serious gaze as she glanced up at him.

“No, she’s actually a prisoner.”

He growled and she smiled at the sound;
his anger, on her behalf, made her feel better. “They have her chained in
silver, but somehow - until about five years ago - she was still able to reach
my mind.”

His next words took her breath away.

“We'll figure a way to get her out,” he
snarled.

“I don’t know how. She’s in the TèVarrn
Prison. It’s a mass of underground cells and passageways that go on for miles.”
Leah took her frustration out on a small pine cone, kicking it off the path,
startling a small pink fluttle bird that chirruped and ran under a thick
cluster of mint plants.

Derek touched her shoulder with a
gentle hand and gazed into her eyes. “We’ll find a way to get her out.”

Leah shook her head; he couldn't give
her what he promised, but she knew he meant every word. Then she remembered
exactly who his sister was.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” he
asked, as they followed the trail curving around a patch of prickly fiskberry
bushes; the unripe fruit had bright red centers visible through the clear flesh
of the knuckle sized berries.

She glanced up, only to find him
watching her with an intensity that belied his playboy image. She gave him a
sad smile. “I know you mean every word, but what you promise is impossible.
You’re related to your valley’s ruler. Attacking TèVarrn would cause a war
between the Dhark Valley and Haven Valley.”

“Anyway, if I had someone to teach me
how to locate and port to a specific destination by relying on a mental voice
as a beacon, I could port in and get her myself.” Leah growled in frustration.
“Since the first day I could port, I’ve cautiously hunted through the tunnels
of that horrid prison. There are underground chasms a mile wide, Sasquatch and
packs of wild werewolves are released into some tunnels, and other tunnels are
booby-trapped. One night I nearly lost my head to a hidden blade.”

At his rumbling growl, she lightly laid
her hand on his arm. “Maybe we should change the subject.”

He continued growling and violently
shook his head. “You definitely won’t be joining the rescue party.”

She chuckled. “Other than me nearly
losing my head, did you hear any of what I just said?”

“You didn’t tell me anything Haven
Valley doesn't already know. I’ve seen reports on how bad TèVarrn is.” His face
grew serious. “It won’t be easy and it may take a while, but I have faith in my
people. We will get her out.”

“I know I shouldn't believe you, but I
can't help but hope you're right.”

“Where did you get the idea you could
use a mental voice as a beacon to port by?” Derek asked.

Leah kicked herself for slipping up –
using a mental voice as a beacon was believed to be a myth, but dragons had the
ability.

Three days later, Derek was dwelling on
Leah's comment about teleporting. Vampires and dragons had the ability to port,
but not by focusing on someone. He was worried about the blind spots in her
training. Her father should be shot for raising her in such ignorance. It was a
wonder she hadn't gotten killed porting blindly into the bowels of TèVarrn.

The thought of losing her made all the
blood rush from his head. Over the past few days they had become friends,
laughing and teasing each other over the simplest of things. Last night, he
introduced her to s'mores. She insisted she didn't want to taste what looked
like - in her words - 'black oil smeared on cardboard with white goo in the
middle.' Her complaints increased after chocolate dripped on her fingers. When
he finally convinced her to taste the dripping mess, she began oohing and
aahing, and licked the dripping chocolate from her fingers as fast as she could.
He laughed at her expressions of delight until his ribs hurt.

She paid him back in spades.

Every night of the hike, they didn't
set-up a tent, but spread their bedrolls out, watching forest sprites as they
darted between the branches of the high trees. Their tiny wings leaving a trail
of sparkling dust mundanes mistakenly called fairy dust.

As they headed toward bed the previous
night, she acted so innocent, he never suspected a thing. She said goodnight
and crawled into her bedroll, which was several feet from his.

He did the same, sliding his bare feet
between the thick layers of material. His warm toes touched cold scales. With a
shout, he scrambled out of the zippered sack.

Peals of laughter erupted as Leah
watched him dance around the campsite as he tried to untangle the snake vine
from his ankle. The harmless purple vine had scales like a snake and grew in
the tops of the tallest trees in a bid to reach the sunlight.

The thought of her climbing that high
sent shivers of fear down his back, but one look at her grinning face and he
couldn't be upset with her, not when he'd played the same trick on his sister
the year before.

They stopped for lunch near a
multi-tiered waterfall. The natural layers of rock and vegetation towered
twenty feet high and had water streaming down moss covered rocks.

Leah silently accepted a cold hot dog.
Not for the first time, he was glad for the fairy sack that kept food ice cold
for months at a time. He briefly wondered how mundanes managed to eat on long
camping expeditions.

“What's it like to change shape?” Leah
asked, her eyes reflected genuine curiosity.

He exhaled a sigh and relief flowed
through him. He had wanted to show her his other shape, but feared it would
freak her out.

“It's the most awesome experience you
could ever imagine. When I shift, I see and hear and smell things I never
notice when I'm in my human form.”

She smiled, encouraging him to
continue.

“In Haven, we don't think anything
about shifting at the drop of a hat since about fifty percent of the population
are shifters,” he said, grinning at her gasp of surprise.

“Does it hurt?” Her lips twisted in a
grimace and he wondered why she looked so fearful.

“No, not even the first time,” he said,
trying to reassure her, but she didn't look convinced. “I can show you.”

Her face brightened with a wide smile.
“I've wondered what type of shifter you are, but some races are so odd about
what they think is rude.”

 “Had you asked anyone else, it would
have been the ultimate rudeness.” He chuckled, rolling his shoulders. “But I
don't mind if you ask me.”

“Okay, so what are you?” Her eyes
sparkled, turning deep purple as she looked up at him.

He didn't answer her; at least not
verbally. He focused inward, centering his mind on shifting his human form into
four feet with fur. Heat flowed through him, warm and welcome. Instantly, the
transformation tingled through every cell in his body as the synth crystal
shifted under his direction.

Her mouth dropped open in shock.

He grinned, revealing a mouthful of
deadly teeth. His tail flicked back and forth as excitement flowed through his
body.

Rushing forward, he butted his head
against her raised knee. OMG! She smelled good enough to eat.

~ ~ ~

When they stopped for lunch in a
beautiful glade, Leah couldn't relax enough to enjoy the beauty of the giant
mound of moss covered rocks. Her birthday loomed and still no dragon in sight.
Last night she wondered if she should turn around and head back to camp, but
she knew it was too late. For better or worse, she was stuck in the middle of a
forest without a dragon anywhere near, and she didn't want to dump her mess in
Derek's lap.

She knew something was happening within
her body. It started yesterday. Every few hours she became flushed, growing hot
and tingling from the inside out. Earlier that morning it grew worse,
tremendously worse as her body ached and her muscles spasmed each time a hot
flash hit her.

She had a really bad feeling the pain
would grow a lot worse before it got better. If her mom's cryptic remark was
anything to go by, she'd be dead.

She sighed, trying to yank her mind
from such a morbid thought, but reality loomed ever bigger and closer. She
needed to warn Derek. She should have disappeared into the forest, but she had
a feeling he would hunt her down if she did.

 Talking to Derek about shifting into
another form was her only other option. She had argued with herself for most of
the night, but arrived at the same answer every time.

Yeah, she also needed to warn him, she
might drop dead any minute. She was sure he'd love hearing that.

The last few days had been the best of
her entire life. Resisting his gentle teasing had become impossible. Every time
she turned around he gave her a flower or told her a funny story. She liked him
more than anyone she'd ever known. The thought of hurting him left an ache in
her chest that wouldn't go away.

They ate lunch, talking about how long
it would take before reaching the 'approved' campsite when she maneuvered the
conversation, bluntly asking about shifting. To her relief he seemed pleased
she asked, but she didn't expect what happened next.

Without warning, his human body
shifted, changing shape without a sound or a flash of light. He shifted too
fast for human eyes to follow. One instant, Derek's muscled body sat across
from her and the next, a huge khatt stood staring at her through Derek's amber
eyes. The khatt was about the size and shape of a mountain lion, except his
face looked more like a lynx. The similarity ended there. His paws didn't look
normal instead they resembled fur covered fingers tipped with retractable
claws. The short fur along his legs was like bitter chocolate, while his body
color was more chocolaty brown streaked with every color of blonde from white
to golden honey. His chest was dappled with odd shaped dots and splotches as
was his face, only much smaller.

He leaped forward and she squeaked in
alarm as his head butted her raised knee. With tentative fingers, she stroked
his head. A loud purr rumbled and she jerked her hand back.

He grunted and she knew he laughed at
her.

Reaching forward, she curled her
fingers in the short, thick fur of his neck. His purr intensified and she
groaned with pleasure at the feel of his silky soft pelt. Like chinchilla fur,
it felt like a cross between silk and velvet.

~ ~ ~

Derek watched Leah return from the pool
of water. They finished lunch nearly an hour earlier, but sat around talking.
He sensed something was wrong, but every time he started digging for
information she shut down.

He schooled his features, hoping she
couldn't see exactly how much he adored her. He didn't doubt she'd run
backward.

She dropped down beside him and grinned
at him.

Without warning, the synth crystal in
his blood bloomed into life, literally shrieking through his body in its eerie
symphony. It weaved through his extremities, pounding in an urgency that
demanded a response.

Leah's mouth dropped open and sharp
color burst through her stormy gray eyes, turning them a vivid purple. She
squeaked in alarm and shoved her body away from him in a burst of arms and
legs. She landed in a bare patch of packed dirt, staring at him with horrified
eyes that quickly filled with tears.

“No, no, no, please, oh God, no. This
can't happen, not now,” she said, mounting fear filled her voice. “

His heart broke at her words.

“Leah,” he said gently, reaching for
her as the music continued its cascade through his mind, knowing it sang
through her mind in a dual harmony.

“No!” She shrieked, jerking away from
his outstretched hand, wrapping her arms around her body. “I can't have you as
a bonded lifeMate. I won't do it!”

As if sensing her rejection, the eerie
sound of the music stopped cold.

He froze; all the blood left his face,
stripping his mind of all thoughts except one. His destined lifeMate refused
him. Leah didn't want him.

“Being a shifter matters that much?” he
said in a snarl of accusation, pain laced his voice.

“No, yes, I mean, it's not that
simple,” she said, waving her hands at him. “If I bond with you, you'll die
when I do.”

“Of course I will,” he said snappishly.

“And if I die today? What then?” she
asked as tears slid down her face.

“That's not funny and it's a stupid
excuse for refusing me. You're my mate, but obviously you can't stand the
thought of bonding with me.”

“It's not stupid. I've been trying to
figure out a way of telling you, but I couldn't find the right way,” she said,
earnestly looking into his face.

“That's it,” he said in a whisper.
“When I overreacted to Jacob's actions, you figured out we're lifeMates and
you've tried forcing yourself to like me even when you can't stand me.”

“No! That's not it at all.” She choked
on a sob. “Later you’ll understand why I’m refusing you. Please remember I
didn't want to refuse you, but I couldn't take you with me.”

He ignored her answer. What good would
it do to listen to her excuses?

The jagged pain of her refusal knifed
through him like a machete. He threw his head back and roared his agony into
the wind as it blew past the huge trees of the forest.

In mid-roar, his human voice changed
into the harsh guttural sound of a khatt.

~ ~ ~

When Leah refused him, her chest felt
like it was going to implode, shredding her to pieces. She didn't think the
pain could get any worse. It did.

When Derek roared, the blaring noise
was filled with such soul-rendering agony it ripped through her chest, smashing
and destroying her from the inside out.

She clenched her arms tightly around
her chest in a vain attempt to keep her body in a single piece. She hated
herself for hurting him, but she refused to be the cause of his death.

She had grown more than a little
attached to Derek. Truthfully, she had slowly fallen in love with him. When the
synth in her blood sang for him, she knew an instant of such intense joy she could
have flown to the moon. Then reality smacked her in the face.

If she bonded with him and she died
during her first shift, he would die as well. She couldn't tell him what might
happen, not now. He would insist on bonding with her. All that would accomplish
would be his death.

She watched as he shifted into the most
beautiful khatt she'd ever seen. Roaring, he flung his lethal form toward the
tree line. He raced past trees and bushes, quickly disappearing into the
surrounding forest.

She sobbed as the pain of her actions
hit home. She would never forgive herself for the pain she had caused him. At
least she wouldn't remember his pain for long, not if her mom's warning rang
true.

She had only been thirteen when her mom
frantically shouted in her head. “They've come for me! Baby, you must go to
Dragon Valley and find a DeLeigh dragon before your eighteenth birthday.
Dragons don't survive their first shift without – her mom shrieked – Oh, God,
the pain!”

Leah shoved the memory away. As soon as
she did, Derek's pain-filled roar thrummed through her head in aching clarity.
She kept hearing his accusations. Now, that she had time to think, she thought
of all the responses she could have said. None of them would have changed the
final outcome, because death seemed inevitable and she wouldn't take him to the
grave with her.

She rubbed her tear streaked face and
glanced up. The area was filled with dark shadows as night approached. She
must've sat in the same position for hours.

She stumbled to her feet and set-up camp
in a trance-like state. She built a fire and rolled out their bedrolls. Her
tears rolled faster than ever as she rubbed her face into the material of
Derek's bedding. His scent was like manna from Heaven. Her shoulders trembled
with a harsh sob.

A twig snapped.

She jerked her head up, hoping and
fearing it was Derek returning. It wasn't.

Her face blanched of all color. Across
the small glen, hidden within the foliage of the trees, a human-like face
stared back at her.

Its lips widened, revealing huge yellow
fangs. The Sasquatch shrieked. Its dual harmony cry shot through her head,
flooding her body with deadly knowledge. She no longer needed to worry about
dying during her first shift, not when eight feet of death lunged toward her.

When the Sasquatch attacked its beady
black eyes focused on Leah. It leaped over the flames of the small fire. Long
brown hair covered its entire body, giving authenticity to the mundane legend
of a big brown monster called Big Foot.

Leah lurched to her feet, snatching her
sleeping bag and throwing it in the monster's face.