IK2 (22 page)

“Last night on the phone,” the dragon said in a pseudo-patient voice, “Stephanie

called the vet to ask her what to feed a…a Gila monster, and asked if there was any news about Sophie. Allison said Sophie had called her.” His lips curled back again. “They

didn‟t think I understood English.”

Michael started the car and slipped back into traffic. “I was planning to keep you

at my place since it‟s already been burglarized, but I think now we‟ll just stop in so I can pack some clothes and we‟ll head to Smith‟s. I‟m going to get to the bottom of this.”

Moments later they pulled into his parking lot. Michael paused at the door. The

wards he‟d reconstructed were still in place, so no one had returned. “We‟re okay,” he

said and opened the door.

Pendragon slipped past him and headed to the kitchen. “Do you have any ice

cream?” he asked.

“No.”

“I
love
ice cream,” the dragon said in a hurtful tone. “Don‟t I deserve a reward for finding Sophie for you?”

Michael shook his head as he headed toward his bedroom. “Mr. Smith‟s kitchens

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 92

probably have all kinds of flavors, if you‟ll let me pull a few things together.”

“Well, hurry then.”

Michael pulled a back-pack out of the closet and threw some toiletries along with

jeans and t-shirts into it. He glanced at the Templar cross lying on his dresser. He

usually left it home because it had tracking qualities that another Immortal could use to find him, but it could also be protective—and Lucas had left it behind for him. Wrapping it in a strip of white silk that he used for rituals, he laid it in the backpack and returned to the living room.

Pendragon was sitting by the door, oddly contemplative. He sat so still, he

seemed to be more statue than alive. Only the raised spikes on his neck bespoke of

trouble.

“What is it?” Michael asked.

“Sigurd.”

“The white dragon?”

Pendragon nodded. “I smelt him before, but he was leagues away and something

was binding him. He‟s much closer now.” He stood, shaking his scales, turning them

into armor. “And he‟s loose.”

* * * *

Sophie paused at the top of the stairs, wondering if her ears were playing tricks on

her. She could have sworn she heard Michael‟s rumbling baritone in the hall below. She had dreamed about him again last night, another erotic dream in which he laved her

nipples, turning them into tight little buds, then nibbled his way down every inch of

exposed skin as he removed her clothes slowly. His clever tongue had swirled into her

core, then teased its way toward the hard, pulsating nub that begged for attention….

She had awakened hot and wet and wanting him.

“I know Sophie‟s here, Benton. She called Allison yesterday.”

Damn! It
was
him! Sophie leaned against the wall. She‟d known better than to

call Alli, but she wanted to check on her horse. If Robert had followed him—

Straightening her shoulders, she reached for the handrail. Michael was here. If he

had been followed, there wasn‟t anything she could do about it now. And she didn‟t want to make the butler or Mr. Smith lie for her any longer.

She made her way carefully down, taking one step at a time, the way the physical

therapist had showed her to do. Reaching the bottom, she extended the four- legged

walking cane and walked slowly toward the foyer.

“I‟m sorry, Sir…”

“It‟s all right, Benton. I‟ll talk to him,” Sophie said and met Michael‟s gaze.

Heat washed over her like a hot flash at the smoldering look in his dark eyes. They

practically burned into her as he contemplated every inch of her, starting with her mouth, lingering on her breasts, moving downward past her waist. She felt dampness gather

between her legs and leaned on the cane for support. Dear God, if he could practically

make her come with just a look…

The dragon smirked, lifting a corner of his mouth to expose a fang. “Glad to see

us?” he asked.

Before she could answer, Mr. Smith came into the hall. “I thought I heard voices

in here.” He looked quickly from Michael to Sophie. “Is everything all right?”

“No, everything is not all right,” Michael replied, “and I‟m not talking about why

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 93

Sophie decided she should hide from me. The white dragon has been turned loose which

means that Balor is probably hot on our trail.”

“Oh, dear. I thought that nasty man was in London,” Mr. Smith said.

“He‟s been spotted in Dallas,” Michael answered and gave Sophie a discerning

look. “Are you well enough to travel?”

“She‟s supposed to have another week of therapy…”

“I‟m fine,” Sophie interposed. “The therapist said yesterday that my leg healed

faster than anyone she‟d seen.” She held up her cane. “If I use this, I shouldn‟t have a ny problems. When do you want to leave?”

“The sooner the better,” Michael replied. “I‟ll call the airlines and see what the

earliest flight to Charleston is.”

“Nonsense,” Mr. Smith said. “I‟ll arrange for my private plane to fly you there.

It will take less than an hour for the pilot to have a flight plan ready.” He turned to

Sophie. “My dear, are you sure you‟re well enough to do this?”

She nodded. “We‟ve delayed long enough. If we can leave this evening, perhaps

no one will follow us.”

“All right then. I‟ll call my pilot. And, take this with you.” Smith opened a glass

cabinet filled with antique guns and removed a long, leather from the bottom. He handed it to Michael. “You can use this for the sword. The inside is steel-lined.” He turned to Benton. “Have the chef prepare a quick meal, would you?”

“Right away,” the butler said and turned to go. Pendragon ambled after him, then

stopped and stared at Michael.

Michael sighed. “Hmmm—would you happen to have any ice cream?”

“Certainly. Several kinds. Would you like some for dessert?”

“Not me.” He pointed to Pendragon. “Gila monsters seem to be very fond of it

though.”

Pendragon glared at Michael and blew a puff of smoke. Mr. Smith‟s eyes

widened at the sight, but Benton merely looked down his nose at the dragon.

“Very well, sir,” he said.

* * * *

Sophie glanced sideways through her lashes at Michael‟s profile as he drove the

rented SUV out of Charleston‟s airport. There hadn‟t been much opportunity to talk

privately with him. Mr. Smith‟s chauffeur had driven them to Love Field where a pilot

and copilot waited so the conversation had been general.

“I hope you understand why I wanted to stay hidden,” Sophie ventured. She‟d

tried briefly to tell him about Robert‟s tenacity and obsession with winning, whether it was a court case or something or someone he wanted.

A muscle twitched in Michael‟s stubbled jaw. “I‟m supposed to be protecting

you, not the other way around.”

“Hey-what am I back here?” Pendragon asked from the folded-down back seat

area. “I‟m supposed to be protecting her too.”

Sophie glanced back at him and smiled. “I‟m sorry I left you.” She turned back

to Michael, but he kept his eyes on the traffic. “I know you‟re upset with me, but we got away, didn‟t we?”

„That‟s not the point,” Michael said and grimaced as his cell phone rang. He

glanced at the Caller-ID and handed it to Sophie. “It‟s Smith. See what he wants.”

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Sophie tapped the “On” button. “Hi, Mr. Smith. We‟re in Charleston. Just

arrived a little bit ago—What?” She listened in silence for several minutes and then

responded with, “We‟ll stay in touch with you then.”

“What is it?” Michael asked when she put the phone down.

“There‟s been another dragon sighting at the clinic. It was all over the morning

news.”

“Sigurd?” Pendragon rumbled, poking his long head through the space between

the front seats. “I knew I smelt him!”

“Who is Sigurd?” she asked in a shaky voice.

Michael took a deep breath. “You remember the story of King Vortigern trying to

build a castle and each night it would collapse? And how the sorcerer, Merlin, told him it was because a red dragon and a white fought in the ground below?”

Sophie frowned, wishing she hadn‟t taken the pain pill earlier. It was making her

thinking foggy. “I think I remember something about that. But what in the world does it have to do with this?”

“That was us!” Pendragon said. “The damn white bastard had help from Balor or

I would never have been defeated.”

Sophie rubbed her temples, feeling the headache already starting, in spite of the

medication. There was another dragon flying around? “So now you‟re telling me this

faerie tale is true…”

“No faeries,” Pendragon interrupted. “Dragons don‟t bother with them. They‟re

too flighty.”

Sophie rubbed her forehead harder. “Of course. I forgot. Faeries are real, too.”

“Look,” Michael said as he eased the car into the motel parking lot and switched

off the ignition, “I know you have a hard time accepting this other world that you didn‟t know existed, but it does. The white dragon was sent by Balor to find us. He doesn‟t

have any clues for finding the sword other than to follow us. And when we do, he‟ll want backup to deal with Pendragon.”

“He‟s not going to win this time,” the dragon said. “Why not let me go back there

now, in my real form, and take care of Sigurd? That will be one less problem.”

“Can‟t. I don‟t give the orders. The Lady of Avalon sent you to protect Sophie,”

Michael said.

“Sigurd will pick up my scent and follow us,” Pendragon answered.

“He‟s already got Sophie‟s scent,” Michael replied. “That‟s why Balor sent him

to the clinic. Hopefully, since you are in small form, your scent won‟t be as evident. ”

“You…you‟re saying that now we have a dragon following us too?” Sophie

asked, trying to think coherently.

“And Balor won‟t be far behind him,” Pendragon said.

Sophie closed her eyes and hugged herself. “All I ever wanted was a nice, normal

life.”

Pendragon snorted small spirals of smoke. “But you‟re not…”

“Enough,” Michael said and eased himself across his seat to pull Sophie toward

him, cradling her with one arm while his other and stroked her brow soothingly.

Even in her dazed state, Michael felt good. It had been weeks since she‟d

touched him and the chemistry was still there, almost as if there were a special current vibrating around them. Sophie nestled against his hard chest, the warmth of his body

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 95

feeling like a snug cocoon. He murmured something, soft and low, that Sophie couldn‟t

understand, but she let herself be lulled into relaxing in his embrace. The last thing she sleepily remembered hearing was Pendragon.

“But she isn‟t human,” he said.

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 96

This time it was Carl Landon who hung semi- suspended from the leather straps

and steel girder in the South Dallas warehouse. Balor watched dispassionately as Lucifer reamed the gagged kid‟s ass. “Don‟t let him pass out, Lucien,” he said, using his

brother‟s modern name. “I want him to feel every minute of pain.”

Lucifer grinned, looking for all the world like some college kid pulling a frat

hazing. “Not to worry.”

Balor shifted his attention to the others in the room. Morgan was licking her lips,

no doubt remembering how Lucifer‟s big, thick cock had felt in her. Alan Caldwell was

pretending disinterest as usual and Toby Clark was clearly terrified. Good. He liked to give his minions reminders of his power. Of course, they had no idea of who “Lucien”

really was.

Balor began to pace in front of them. “Things are not going as well as they

should. The video-cam that Caldwell placed in Sophie Cameron‟s home is worthless if

she‟s not there, as is the wire-tap at the clinic. It‟s most unfortunate that the lady had that car accident.”

“But she was lucky you were following her!” Morgan said quickly.

“Yes, you‟ve mentioned that before,” Balor said and wondered why she was

giving him such a wide-eyed look. Was she hiding something? He filed the thought

away. “Furthermore, the woman seems to have been spirited away while Mr. Landon

says he was watching the front of the house.” Balor ignored the garbled sounds coming

from the kid. “It seems that when she left, she didn‟t bother taking the key ring with her that had the GPS on it.”

Toby Clark blanched even further at that statement and Balor almost smiled. Let

him think that maybe he was next. He glanced back at Lucifer. His brother had lowered

the contraption and Landon was now on his knees in front of him. Lucifer removed the

gag and inserted his bloodied cock into the kid‟s mouth, circling his neck with a grip

powerful enough to snuff him if the kid decided to bite and began to thrust. “Make it

good,” Lucifer whispered to him, “and I may let you go.” Landon squeezed his eyes

shut, tears running down his face as he began to suck. Balor turned back to his minions.

“She‟s probably with McCain,” Alan said.