Blood of Dragons (5 page)

So many emotions wash over Isla’s face that I can’t keep up.  I’m pretty sure that’s anger, and that purple shade she’s turning now is embarrassment.  Haughty definitely makes an appearance as well as insulted.  But her eyes are sad.  That’s the most important one, I think.

“Look, obviously you and this guy have some sort of history that you don’t want to talk about.  But personal feelings aside, we need his help.  If you don’t feel comfortable asking him, I will.”

Isla stands up and runs her palms down her skirt to get the wrinkles out.  She turns towards the door and walks to it.  Without looking back, she says, “He will help.”

I knew it.

Chapter 4

“So, about this Garren guy…” I say as a lead-in expecting a forthcoming explanation.  Once again, silence is the only one who answers me.  Which annoys the crap out of me.  “Do you really expect me to go into this without knowing who all the players are?”  Wow, I sound like a cheesy spy movie.

“It is complicated,” Kallen says. 

“What hasn’t been complicated since I learned I have magic?”  Nothing.

Dagda stands up.  “I have some things to attend to.  I will leave you two alone to discuss the details.”

My eyes are narrowed to slits.  “Now I do think you’re a coward.”  He chuckles and walks out the door.

That leaves an uncomfortable Kallen trying to find a hole in the floor that will swallow him up.  “Grandmother should…”

No way am I going through the whole so and so should tell me the story crap.  But maybe some privacy will make him more comfortable while he tells me.  Without warning him, I teleport us back to our room at Isla’s.

Kallen stumbles a little and gives me a sour look.  “A little warning next time would be appreciated.”

I can’t help a grin.  “What fun would that be?”

His brows rise.  “You want fun?”

Before I can respond either way, he swoops me up into his arms, strides to the bed and drops me so his fingers can find every ticklish spot I have.  “This isn’t fun,” I gasp between laughs.

He shrugs.  “It is for me.”

After a few more seconds, he finally stops.  I’m lying here gasping for breath while he hovers over me.  His face is suddenly sober.  “You will be my wife tomorrow.”  He says it in a way that makes me feel so loved that I can’t help getting tears welled up in my eyes.  “I am the luckiest Fairy in all creation.”

I shake my head.  “I hold that crown.”

He brings his lips to mine slowly, building the anticipation so that when ours meet, there is an explosion of passion.  His lips are demanding and sensuous and I open for him so that his tongue can excite me beyond reason. 

Our hands are touching everywhere as our kiss deepens.  My nails are scratching a fine line down his back which elicits a deep groan from low in his throat.  His hand has found my breast and as soon as it does, my skin is bare.  I arch my back, offering myself to his touch.  His lips kiss a trail down my neck and over my collarbone.  When I feel their heat on my bare breast, my hand moves on its own to grab his hair so he doesn’t move away.  I needn’t worry.  The only place his lips go is to my other breast.  I didn’t think my back could arch this much.

I need more.  Now.  With a thought, his clothes are gone.  I moan softly when I feel his skin pressed to mine.  Wrapping my legs around him, I nestle him between my legs and his breath catches.

Tearing his lips from my breast, he leaves a trail of fire on my skin as he comes back to my lips.  After a long, deep kiss, he whispers, “It is not fair that I am the only one completely naked.”

“Fix that.” Instantly my clothes are gone.  This time my breath catches because as soon as the barrier of clothes is gone, he is pressed against my center.  I want him desperately, but he resists when I try to pull him to me.  Instead, he teases me with his kisses and his hands, always just millimeters away from being where I want him to be.  I sink my teeth lightly into his shoulder as he continues to drive me crazy.

“Kallen,” I gasp, “I need you.  Please.”

And then I have him.  All of him.  Our bodies are one as the laws of nature help us find a rhythm that brings us both to magical places.  Over and over again.  Kallen and I make love for a gloriously long time until we are both sated and exhausted. 

I’m now lying with my head on his chest while he makes lazy circles with his fingers on my back.  “Can we just stay here forever and not let the outside world in?”

He chuckles.  “You certainly have my vote for that.”

“I hope after we rescue Tabitha that we can have a little time before the next catastrophe hits.  Maybe we could even have a honeymoon.”

“I would love to take you somewhere that does not require either of us wearing clothes.”

I smile.  “Okay.”

But the outside world isn’t done with us yet.  I know this because it knocks on the door.  I groan loudly as Kallen quickly dresses us both.  I groan even louder when he makes us both sit up.  “Come in,” he says to whoever is out there.

The door opens and Kegan strides in.  His eyes sweep over us with complete understanding of what has been going on in our room.  “Nice snarls,” he says to me. 

I run a hand through my long black hair and my fingers get stuck.  My hair is a mess.  Even more proof of what we were doing.

“Did you come to comment on my bride’s hair, or do you have something of relevance to tell us?” Kallen snipes.

Kegan’s brows rise to his hairline.  He looks so much like Kallen when he does that.  “You run off to have sex while everyone else is working either on your wedding plans or on rescuing Tabitha and you have the nerve to grouse at my interruption?”

Oh god, he does have a point.  This was so inappropriate.  I know I’m turning a million shades of red.  Maybe even two million.  A quick peek in Kallen’s direction shows me that he’s feeling properly chastised as well.  There is even some red on his cheeks.

He is not going to acknowledge it, though.  “What did you learn from Garren?” he asks.  Oh yeah, that’s why we came here.  So I could get the story of Garren from him.

“He is willing to help but he has demands.  Grandmother is currently considering how willing she is to comply.” 

What?  “What does he want from Isla?”

Kegan chuckles.  “There are a great many things he wants from Grandmother.”

Does that mean he wants sex or power?  Or both?  “What are his demands?”

“I am not allowed to tell you,” Kegan says and I see him hiding a smile.  I believe he was told that, but I also believe he is enjoying the fact that my curiosity will drive me crazy until I’m told what’s going on. 

With a sour look in his direction, I slip my hand into Kallen’s pull him towards Kegan.  As soon as I am touching them both, I teleport us all back to Dagda’s office.  Since Kegan was even less prepared than Kallen had been, he stumbles and winds up stubbing his toes on a chair.  I can’t hide my smile.

“Nice of you to deign us with your presence,” Dagda drawls from where he’s standing by the window.  His arms are crossed over his chest and his knuckles are white.  We’re in trouble.

“Sorry…” I say but he’s not buying it.  That’s okay.  It may have been really bad timing, but I’m not sorry that Kallen and I made love.  We could be Dragon food tomorrow.

His hands drop to his sides and he walks to his desk.  “There is much to be done.  Have a seat.”  He waves one hand towards the chairs in front of his desk while his other rifles through some papers.  “I assume you filled her in on the Garren situation?” he says to Kallen.

“No, not yet.”  Kallen’s cheeks are turning red and Kegan is trying hard not to snicker.

Dagda glances up from his papers and gives us a long, assessing look.  I expect him to say something snarky, but he doesn’t.  Instead, he sits down at his desk and says, “Then I will. Garren was tricked out of marrying Isla by Kallen and Kegan’s grandfather.”

That wasn’t what I expected to hear.  “Really?  How?”

“It was very simple.  Both Fairies were vying for her affection and the competition between them was fierce.  They both showered her with gifts and attention.  Though she came to love them both, Garren was the one she chose.”

I’m confused.  “Then why did she marry the other guy?”

“Because Garren took himself out of the competition,” Dagda explains. 

That didn’t really clear up the mystery for me.  “Why?”

“Because my grandfather lied to Garren,” Kegan says.  “He told him…” 

He suddenly looks uncomfortable and he doesn’t finish.  A glance at Kallen shows me that he’s keeping his lips firmly in a tight line.  So, I look back at Dagda.  “What did he tell him?”

Dagda sighs.  I don’t think he’s much more comfortable talking about it than Kegan and Kallen.  But, he explains.  “Garren was told that Isla had given herself to their grandfather.”

“Given herself?”  Oh, I get it.  “So he was told she wasn’t a virgin?”  Now I’m getting angry.  “He didn’t want her anymore because he couldn’t have her virginity?”  Scumbag.  My mind is already thinking of several ways I can get back at him for Isla.

“It was more than that,” Dagda hurries up to explain.  I think it’s because he can actually see my murderous thoughts in my eyes.  “He was also told that Isla was with child.”

My mouth drops open.  I look over at Kallen and say, “Your grandfather was a bastard.”

He frowns at me.  “He was a man in love.  Sometimes love makes you do stupid things.”

“So it’s okay since he was in love with Isla.  Nice.  Would you be marrying me if someone told you that I wasn’t a virgin when you met me and that I was pregnant?” 

Now Kallen’s temper is starting to rise.  “Would you still be marrying me if I had made love to other Fairies before meeting you?”

“Yes.”

He looks taken aback.  “You would?”

I shrug.  “Yes.  I wouldn’t like it but I’d just have to live with it.  Since you’re marrying me, I would assume that you weren’t still interested in them.  You didn’t answer my question, though.  Would you still marry me?”

A slow smile creeps onto his lips.  “I would marry you if you had made love to every Fairy you ever met.”