Fire of Stars and Dragons (28 page)

Any doubt I held that she was not what they believed of her has passed. Their deference to her in the way they speak is quite clear. Cait commands the loyalty and service of the most respected brothers of the House of Pendragon, the dragon famed for his protection of countless influential Oracles, and the only dragon Mage. I am not blind or ignorant to the fact Oliver will pledge fealty to her in some short measure of time.

Jai steps toward me, as if on an unspoken instruction from Cait, and I feel compelled to look at him. He stares in a most unnerving way, unblinking, wide, blue eyes intently focused, giving the distinct sense he is reading my soul… or more. “I see no king.” The Mage-dragon assesses me in a hushed voice. Everyone stands still, silent, waiting for what he will tell. “I see child. Unlearned. A pawn. Actions misguided. Words true.” He shakes his head, coming nearer, peering deeper. “Death unjust.”

“What words were true, Smiley?” She questions him with authority, though I find her reference to the dragon odd.

“All he spoke.” Jaiteru turns to her, and I cannot see his face, but what it tells her causes such a strong reaction, she pales, seeming startled. “The boy feels love for you.… Your dragons do.… And Dante.… Cait is loved. Cait is love. Cait is our North Star.”

She nods, appearing rather unsettled by this quiet announcement. “Alright. For now, Dante, would you please take Corrin to the guest room by the office and keep an eye on him? I need to speak with my dragons alone for a minute.”

“Of course, Caitriona.” With a slight bow to her, he turns to approach, but I stand first, not wishing to give him reason to grasp hold of me again. However, he takes me by the arm, not at all careful in his touch. “This way, Corrin.”

The shades of blue on the walls and bedding with the light maple furniture and wide windows bringing in the sunshine gives a rather inviting feel for what is essentially my prison cell as long as they choose to hold me.

Dante does not speak until I notice a photo of Cait with her uncle at the Royal Yule Ball last winter, her dress a fantasy of ice in silvery pale blue. “Have you any idea how many times you must have seen her before this, Corrin? Truly, we all have. Caitriona attended countless functions with Greyson, yet we overlooked her. You overlooked her.”

Picking up the framed picture, I recall meeting her. “Her uncle introduced us this night. He mentioned to me she turned twenty in July.… I knew her to be of age and even thought her quite attractive, but had no desire to marry, and certainly no interest in becoming entangled with a high-society woman.”

“Whores are far simpler.” An air of judgment in his tone, he walks over, taking the photo from me.

“I do not think of them as whores. I want what they are willing to give freely. Never do I lie to them or coerce them.”

Dante grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Despite how very much I wish to deny it, you are my grandson, Corrin. You are above such disrespect and degradation of women, encouraging they sell their bodies for hope and opportunity only to find they do not receive the slightest measure of concern from you, used and tossed aside without a thought for what you have done. Can you even imagine what my mother must think of you, knowing her blood runs in a king who bears such little regard for women? You are a disgrace, holding no honor or reverence for their gender, and an embarrassment to her blood.”

Furious, he releases me, shoving me backward onto the bed, and walks away, keeping his back to me as he stands near the door. “If that is the case, then why did your mother put Cait in my path and allow me this opportunity at all?”

“So you may possibly find yourself for once.… And from what Jaiteru sees in your soul, it seems you have.”

Laying my head back on the plush comforter, I stare up at the ceiling, inspecting the tiniest details and imperfections in the paint. “Cait reveals the regrets I have in my existence, each one that I did not recognize, and enlightens me to the many things I do not deserve. Yet, she creates a desperate want of a life I never before desired, and a wishful hope she shall find it within herself to indulge me so.”

He laughs rather derisively, leaving me to expect some further chastising. “Yes. It seems Caitriona has that effect.”

*Cait*

“Somebody explain what the hell happened out there. How did Corrin get me away from
all
of you without anybody stopping him? How did Theo nearly get killed when the rest of you are perfectly fine? You dragons have some explaining to do. Right. This. Minute.” I glare down all of them, except Jai. His sweet little face turned to a guilty pout the second my voice rose.

“They anticipated our reaction to protect you, and prevented us from doing so by engaging us in drastically unexpected numbers,” answers Claaron. “Dante and Jai were only able to slip away due to their unusual methods of disappearing. Sneaky little buggers.”

I look to my little Jai, unsure what Claaron means. “You disappear?”

A mischievous grin creeps up on his face. “Dragon turn to smoke. Fly on the wind. Gone.” He mimics his explanation with his hands, eyes wide and engaging, and for a moment, I think he’s going to turn into a puff of smoke right in front of me. “Cannot hold what is not there.”

Claaron growls toward Jai. “You know, you’re a damn little chatterbox with her. Said more since landing here than I’ve heard out of your mouth in the past century.”

Moving closer, he pets my arm the way he’s done since meeting me, and the impish grin never disappears. “Cait is our North Star.”

“Care to elaborate on that one, Smiley?” I go ahead and ask, though I expect it might as well be a rhetorical question.

Something I think is meant to be a growl of some variety but sounds more like a purr from Jai precedes a simple, one-word response. “Cannot.”

“Of course. Why would anyone tell me anything?” Maybe I should be the one growling, my frustration increasing at every turn. I sigh, getting back on topic. “But how did all of this lead to Theo getting hurt? The elves attacked. Dante and Jai came after me.… I’m missing something. Fill in this puzzle.”

Liam steps forward and begins drawing an invisible diagram of the events on my kitchen island as he explains. “They arranged for a tactical frontal assault, with hordes of warriors for a ground offensive as well as three sniper crossbow archers located with optimal vantage points atop the Gilroy House and two other buildings in a triangular pattern. The ground forces focused the greatest of their assets on Theo, Oliver, and Claaron, knowing they are the most skilled in large-scale direct battle, wanting to keep them engaged to allow the archers time to land kill shots.”

I gasp at those words,
kill shots
, and Clifford jumps into the explanation. “But Jai would never let that happen. Before he left, he dropped a cloak of mist over us all. Liam and I were able to take down two of the archers without giving them time to react. In the melee of the attack and the mist, the last archer managed to land a single arrow in Theo, though it was a misfire meant for another of us. Given it was not fitted with a lethal dose for its victim, logic dictates he was not the intended target.”

“No. The sniper I took down had a full complement of higher concentrated poison arrows, suggesting he held the assignment of targeting both Theo and Oliver. That final elf may have done the best he could, or perhaps hoped he could hit Theo with more than one arrow, creating the same effect.”

“Either way…” Claaron shakes his head. “I have no doubt they were under strict orders to bring Theo down. More of them attacked him than any of the rest of us. Elves know the connection between dragon and ward is strong, stronger than any other dragon’s loyalty of service to protect a ward not solely their own… under normal circumstances. They would assume killing Theo would leave you more loosely guarded, regardless of who you are. A terribly incorrect assumption on their part.”

With a sigh of impatience, tired of the indirect references to my destiny, which becomes a brick wall if I try leading them toward answers, I shake my head. “Alright, for now, we’re keeping Corrin here, unless anyone has a better suggestion.” A brief scan of their faces assures we’re all in agreement. “I’m also going out on a limb here and saying after today’s events, Theo would want everyone to stay in one apartment. And honestly, I’d like you where I can keep a head count on you dragons. These elves obviously aren’t just after me, but you, too. As much as I prefer my privacy, I’m not nearly the crazy woman you probably think I am. I know there’s safety in numbers, so let’s make the best of this, get cozy and pretend we all like each other.… I’m sure that will be easier for some than others.”

I say this giving significant looks to Jai, Clifford, Claaron, and Oliver. “For now, Clifford, you and Jai take my uncle’s old bedroom. I’m sure you two will have plenty of space and privacy there. Oliver, you are to stay with Corrin. Until I know which side of the fence you’re on, I’m not taking any chances. Maybe Theo will feel differently, but he’s not up and around. I am, and unless you want to square off with me, I suggest you accept this is what it is. I’m quite sure I wouldn’t be wrong to say Snowflake here is itching to tangle with you, and Theo doesn’t encourage Jai to stay glued to my side just to look cute.”

“Milady.” Oliver offers a pleading bow, and despite appearing and behaving as the same venerable, knighted dragon I knew before the elfin attack, I can’t equate him with my uncle.
Sir
Thomas Greyson represented something Oliver’s lost to me. “I do not wish to offend you in any way. Please understand…”

“No. I will
not
understand. Those elves would have killed you too if they had the chance, yet you want to stay loyal to the king they want to keep in power. That’s all I need to understand to
know
I can’t honestly trust you. And to me, that’s the worst thing I can imagine saying to any dragon.”

We stare at each other for an awkward moment before Clifford clears his throat. “I should go check the new security monitors in the office.” I nod, and he beats a hasty retreat from the kitchen.

“I’ll take the first shift guarding Corrin and inform Dante of the decisions made,” offers Liam. I wave him off as well.

Claaron looks amused at the uncomfortable situation Oliver is in, but I don’t find it the least bit funny. “Maybe you should find something to occupy yourself, Snowflake. Take Smiley with you. I need to have a little talk with mister Snobby Dragon here.” Neither is happy to leave me, but they do, heading to the balcony doors to do a quick outer security sweep.

“Is that what you choose to call me, the
nickname
Theo intimated you deemed appropriate for me?” Oliver asks the second everyone is gone. “For distrusting me so entirely, you seem to have no difficulty being alone with me.”

“Would you really call this alone, dragons and Dante in every corner of my home?”

“No. I suppose not.” His eyes drop to the floor. “You truly dislike me. You think me pretentious and of quite an unsavory disposition for your particular taste.”

“If you’re asking me if I hate you, the answer is no.” My answer is softer than maybe he deserves after today, but there’s just something about Oliver. “I told you last night I am willing to forgive… and now it feels terrible to be incapable of trusting the brother in Theo’s house he’s closest to, Oliver.”

The dragon’s eyes meet mine. “He told you that.” His expression is definitely surprised.

“He didn’t need to tell me anything. I can feel it. I don’t know how to explain it, but I can feel a lot of things with all of you. I always sense where Theo is when he’s nearby and can usually tell what he’s feeling to some degree.” I ignore the shocked look on Oliver’s face. “I just know the two of you are close as brothers, the same way I know Liam and Clifford are. It’s not any different from how I sensed something between Jai and Clifford, telling me they were special to each other as soon as they were near one another.… It’s also how I knew you and Claaron don’t get along.”

He huffs in disbelief. “Are you sure Theo told you none of this, and you are not recalling?”

“I’m sure. Do you think I’d lie about it?”

“No. I am accusing you of nothing, milady.… May I?” He gestures toward me. I nod, unsure what I’m agreeing to, but I’m relatively positive he’s not going to hurt me. Stepping closer, he comes much nearer than I think he’s ever been to me when not on his knees, begging me to be compassionately forgiving, like a raving lunatic. Standing so close, his body heat radiates, warming my skin. He leans down, and I can feel his breath on my neck as he inhales deeply.

“Do I smell different?”

“Yes,” he whispers, voice low in my ear before he stands straight again. “You do.” Oliver looks down at me, his eyes tender in their gaze this time. “Any of us would be drawn to you, would desire to protect you, would feel the need to be loyal to you… even to love you in so far as we are capable.”

“Why?” And even though I ask, some small part of me is afraid to know the truth.

“Why do domestic felines enjoy the effects of Nepeta cataria, more commonly known as ‘catnip’?” he asks in return. “It is what you are, who you are. The effect you have on us is not too vastly different, I suppose: somewhat intoxicating. You bring a sense of calm, yet an invigorating rush as well. The others claim the effect maintains its strength with less proximity once they pledged loyalty to you, once they felt some connection to you.” He stands to his full towering height, drawing in a deep breath, eyes closed, a pleasant, soothed smile spreading across his face. “I must be nearer, but I too feel the effect you have. It will only gain intensity as you change.”

I stare at him, narrow-eyed, questioning his sanity as he looks at me again. “You’re trying to tell me I’m some sort of catnip for dragons. Being around me drugs you like Faery salt or something?”

He gives a disapproving
humph
. Snobby Dragon. “Faery salt. Hardly. You make an incredibly beautiful experience sound quite vulgar when you describe it as such, Lady Hayden. There is one other who causes such a reaction within the Dracopraesi, and you have long been foretold to be the only one like her… and yet different. Our North Star.”