Then her scalp erupted with pain as she was lifted up. With one hand gripping her hair, blood covering his forehead and left cheek, Bullface’s glowered—the full force of his malevolent stare hitting her.
“You slut! You’re getting back into that room right now.”
Without pausing to think, Cara planted the dagger in his stomach. Bullface’s features distorted, his eyes showed disbelief. His lungs seemed to deflate before he fell face down on the landing. After that he didn’t move.
She had killed a man. Too panicked to think about it the first time she had struck him, Cara now had the opportunity to reflect on her action. Breaths coming out of her mouth in short rasps, she waited for horror to take over. Instead, a gratifying sensation filled her, as if she had righted a wrong.
She looked past the Amazons to fix on the spot where Morgan and the king battled. They had disappeared. She could hear shouts and metal clashing on metal coming from the courtyard and figured they had taken the fight outside. Stooping to avoid being spotted by soldiers, Cara hurried down the stairs.
To her left, more men poured in from the courtyard and the combat raged anew. As much as she’d have liked to help the Amazons, she wasn’t a warrior. All she might achieve would be to get herself killed. Besides, she needed to see Morgan. She pushed through the closed door on her right and barged into an open gallery. Although the place appeared empty, hostilities now sounded much closer. With a patio in its centre, the gallery must run around the inside of the castle and give access to the main entrance of the fortress.
The south end of the gallery opened onto the inner courtyard where Bullface had dragged her along a while ago. The same gory scene she had witnessed inside was taking place here—with a single difference. Past the main gate, his bulky shape standing on the outer paved ground separating the fortress from the countryside, the dragon waited.
Cara knew what she had to do. Eyes on the bloody battle, she hurried along the wall towards the gate. Intent on staying alive, fighters from both sides kept on slaughtering each other and archers tried to aim at their opponents without killing their own. Nobody noticed her except Morgan.
Their eyes met briefly as he brought his sword down on the king. A single glance and they both knew she was running to the dragon for safety. Morgan seemed to redouble his efforts now that he’d seen her, a new strength evident as he forced his enemy to pull back towards the castle.
Trumpets blew. As far as Cara could tell, the instruments called for retreat. She had nearly reached the gate when she perceived a change in the violent conflict. Soldiers and archers withdrew to the fortress while Amazons carried on fighting in an attempt to drive them inside. Through windows on the ground floor, women warriors got out while protecting each other from the enemy inside.
At the main door, the king of Agravar backed behind two of his men to create a shield from Morgan’s fury. Cara held her breath as her warrior found himself fighting two opponents while the king vanished inside the castle. Then a mass of red hair seemed to jump out of a window and the Amazon queen rushed to assist Morgan.
They parried side by side, equally skilled, powerful and beautiful, and together they drove back the two men. A pang of jealousy pierced Cara’s mind at the sight of the warrior woman. She belonged to his world in a way Cara never would. Allied, the Amazon queen and Morgan fought for their territories and their people. They were cut from the same cloth. And it hurt.
With a heavy heart Cara wrenched her gaze away from the disturbing image and passed under the main gate. Yellow eyes fixed on her, the dragon remained motionless. Yards away, a herd of horses bearing dark red saddles also waited. As Cara turned her back on the castle, she felt like she was giving up on Morgan. Who could win him over such a strong woman as the Amazon queen?
A spasm ran through Cara. Only when she fell down on her hands and knees did she realise the vicious stinging had nothing to do with her heartache. The back of her shoulder hurt like hell. Unable to move her head, she managed to raise a hand towards the pain. Something long and hard stuck out of her shoulder—an arrow.
Forgetting all thoughts of Morgan and the queen, Cara inhaled long breaths in spite of the fire in her lungs. Teeth gritted, she crawled to Haedron. Although short, the distance between them seemed to lengthen with each laboured move. When she got within a few feet, the dragon lifted up his scales. Grunting, Cara grabbed them and used the last of her strength to topple over his back.
Shoulder burning, unbruised cheek resting on one of his spinal bones, she tried to look at the castle. Like a heavy curtain her hair had fallen over her face. Too weak to push it back, Cara still managed to catch glimpses between two locks of hair.
The battle was over. Amazons helped their wounded, drawing them out of the courtyard and away from the archers’ range. Carrying or supporting injured women towards their horses, some Amazons glanced at her, but none dared approach the dragon. Besides, with the arrow planted in her shoulder and her hair hanging down she must have looked like another casualty.
Outside the secured main door, Morgan and the Amazon queen clasped forearms. From Cara’s agonising spot, the deferential gesture set them apart. Like they belonged to a private club. Like they were destined for each other.
Then Morgan glanced sideways, straight at the dragon. His features turning into a mask of worry, he rushed towards her. Before Cara could muster enough strength to at least straighten up he was climbing up the scales and sitting behind her. He slid his hand over her back and she cried out at the contact.
“Don’t touch me! It hurts too much.”
Without a word, but with the utmost care, he strapped her to the dragon. From the corner of her eye, Cara saw him check the courtyard, probably to make sure all the Amazons had got out. He spoke to Haedron in that strange language of his and the dragon took off. But he didn’t fly towards the countryside.
Heaving his wings up and down, Haedron circled back. As he picked up speed, he bolted for the fortress. Cara heard a roar swell from the inside of his belly then belt along his neck. The deafening noise seemed to shatter the territories as the dragon discharged fire on the stone walls. With the king of Agravar and his men barricaded inside, the Castle of the Seven Ravens went up in flames.
Chapter Eighteen
A blurred landscape flowed beneath her. Colours blended, shapes loomed and ebbed. Wind blew her hair back, yet Cara never moved during the whole trip. Fingers balled into fists in an attempt to bear the pain piercing her body, she focused on the firm feel of his hands around her waist. It helped until the dragon landed. The touchdown jarred her limbs and extracted a cry from her.
“Hang on. It’s almost over.”
His gentle tone brought tears to her eyes. Morgan unstrapped them before sliding his arms under her chest. Amazingly, he made sure not to crush her breasts. He didn’t even grunt when he lifted her off and climbed down the protruding scales. As he carried her, she saw grass growing in tufts, gravel forming a narrow path and the bottom part of an open door.
“Put her down here.”
The masculine voice sounded kind and worried. Morgan laid her face down on a bed of soft hay and she shifted her head to rest on her unbruised cheek. The feet of a stool rasped against floorboards before she glimpsed blue fabric.
“Don’t be scared, I won’t hurt you.”
A hand settled on her brow, another pressed on the middle of her back. Wincing in anticipation of agony, Cara held her breath. But no pain came. A soothing warmth spread all over her body, tingles loosened her clenched muscles and an impression of well-being infiltrated every pore of her flesh.
Giving herself up to the wonderful feeling, she moaned. It was like floating on a feathery sleeve of satisfaction, a velvety sheath of pleasure. After all the pain she had endured the sensation felt almost orgasmic. All too quickly the hands were removed from her body and the kind voice spoke close to her.
“You can move now. You need to rest for a while, but you’re healed.”
&nb
sp; Really? How? Disbelieving despite her newfound haven of no-suffering, Cara tried her luck slowly at first. Stirring one muscle after the other without arousing any pain, she had to admit the healer knew his trade. She rolled to her side. The blue fabric proved to be a long robe worn by a white-haired man currently sitting on the stool and holding a bloodied arrow in his hand.
Standing beside him, Morgan sighed with relief. For all eternity, she wanted to lose herself in his green eyes. Then she saw the blood leaking through the fingers he had pressed tight against his side. He had been wounded. He hadn’t said a word, but he had been injured and, oh God, he had carried her to this place. As she realised the measure of his self-sacrifice, Cara’s heart swelled with love.
Morgan sat down at her feet and the older man dropped the arrow to apply his hands to him. Although nothing could be seen or heard, she felt some kind of warm power penetrate Morgan’s body. He blinked, colour returning to his cheeks. When the white-haired stranger removed his hands, Cara looked at him.
“How do you do that? Are you a magician?”
“Forgive my manners. In the urgency of your arrival, I haven’t had time to introduce myself. I am Caius, advisor and wizard of His Majesty King Droman of Palance.”
At last she had met him. Although his lengthy introduction might be perceived as official, she sensed the old man was far from formal. She smiled when he confirmed her suspicion by winking at her.
“My name is Cara. I come from another universe and I have no idea who I am.”
“In that case, I’ll do my best to remedy your delicate situation.”
“Can you?”
“Who knows what the future may bring.”
Oh, he was a wizard all right—wearing a funny robe, speaking in riddles and healing people with a magical touch of his fingers. Now that the pain had departed her body, this world appealed to her again, especially when Morgan looked at her as if she held his future in her hands. But the wizard interrupted her musing by addressing him.
“You’ve lost blood, you need to rest too.”
“I’m fine. And we have to talk.”
Still floating on her bubble of happiness, Cara sat up on what looked like the wizard’s bed and finally got a chance to look around. Made of wood, the place resembled a workshop more than a house.
From one wall to the other, dusty books, dragon figurines and jumble cluttered long worktables. On shelves, multi-coloured bottles, suspended blobs in different-size jars and distillation units suggested alchemy—or sorcery. Beside her, Caius nodded and gestured to Morgan.
“We do, but I must first tend to the lady’s needs.”
His robe following the movements of his body, Caius stood up to draw open a wide curtain behind his bed and indicate a closed door.
“You can rest in the spare bedroom, Cara. And this is for you.”
As he stepped to the side she discovered a tub similar to the one she had used at Heather’s. Delighted at the thought of a hot bath, she jumped off the bed to join him. He passed his hand over the empty tub twice and steamy, bubbly water filled the receptacle. She grinned.
“You’re amazing, thank you so much.”
“Hold on, I’m not done yet.”
He wriggled his fingers above a shelf and Cara’s eyes widened. Two folded white cloths had appeared on a shelf above the tub, along with exact replicas of her dark green outfit and Morgan’s clothes. She clapped her hands, then on impulse, threw her arms around the wizard’s neck.
“Thanks. I really appreciate this.”
“Take all the time you need and enjoy.”
Smiling, he pulled the curtain closed. In a matter of seconds Cara took off her cloak and stained clothes. She slipped into the wonderful water. Although enjoying her bath, she had no intention of cutting herself off from the two men on the other side of the curtain. Water reaching up to her neck, she listened to them.
“What happened?”
“They kidnapped Cara. I figured they’d take her to the Castle of the Seven Ravens so I flew to the nearest Amazon stronghold. It’s only a dozen leagues away from the fortress and I knew they’d help me.”
“Good reasoning. Those girls are always eager to start a fight.”
“We had the element of surprise. We attacked and granted them no quarter. I hoped I had him this time.”
Cara recognised anger in his voice, followed by the smacking sound of a fist hitting an open palm. Her heart going out to him, she listened to the rest of his story.
“I fought my way into the castle. I didn’t know where he held Cara prisoner, but as it happens she had already managed to escape.”
This time, she definitely heard pride in Morgan’s tone. Her pussy contracted and she shivered from pleasure.
“I’d have bet on it.” Caius giggled.
“Why do you say that?”
Yes, why did he say that? Because his magic powers allowed him to know things?
“She seems like a resilient girl. Don’t you think so?”
Morgan cleared his throat. “Anyway, they barricaded themselves inside and Haedron torched the castle.”
“What about Devlyn?”
“I can’t tell for sure. But knowing him, I have to assume he got away.”
“Well if he did, he must have ridden to his palace in Agravar. That’s the safest place for him after such a defeat.”
She hoped the king of Agravar had died. What she had suffered at his hands came back to her in a rush and she realised she’d have to tell Morgan and Caius that she had spilled the beans. While she reflected on the matter, she heard the feet of the stool scrape the floorboards as if Caius had got up.
“If you’ll lend me Haedron, I’m going to heal the Amazons now. They must be in dire need of my care. You two rest, I’ll be back for supper.”
“Tell Siobhan I’ll send messengers soon.”
Siobhan. The Amazon queen. The image of the red-haired warrior hadn’t left Cara—nor had her mixed feelings of admiration and jealousy. Was Morgan in love with the queen?
Behind the curtain, the stamp of boots moved towards the entrance. They must have both gone to the dragon because an abrupt silence enveloped the house. Alone, Cara yawned. Although the wizard had healed her injuries, she felt mentally tired. She cleaned up then draped one of the white cloths around her body. Drawing the curtain back, she looked at the empty room.
The front door stood open, but she couldn’t hear anything. They must be exchanging last advices or warnings. Hugging the towel to her, she went to the back room and sat down on the bed. Water from her wet hair ran down her shoulders and she touched the spot the arrow had pierced. Flawless skin met her fingers and she smiled. He was one hell of a wizard!
Unrolling the cloth from her body, she then used it to dry off her hair. Another yawn caught up with her. Feeling drained, she decided to jump into bed and was just pulling the bedcovers up to her chin when the front door banged. Morgan was back.
She pricked her ears. He went straight to the hot tub where boots got kicked off, clothes rustled and a spatter informed her he was about to clean up. Pretty soon the splashing ceased to give way to a rubbing, swishing sound. Then he appeared at the doorway, and her heart beat faster in anticipation.
With straight, damp hair framing his face, eyes glittering with untamed lust, gloriously naked, he stood with his hard-on pointed directly at her.
“If you tell me you want to sleep, I’ll be sorry.”
Chapter Nineteen
With her nipples puckered, her pussy calling for his stiff shaft and her folds wet with desire, Cara stared at the man she hankered for.
“I did. I don’t anymore.”
His eyes became a darker shade of green. As she gaped at his lean but iron body, his virile beauty constricted her throat. And the thought that he was about to touch her with his strong hands sent her pulse flying to paradise.
His muscles swelled as he approached the bed and pulled the cover back. When he took a deep breath at the sight of he
r bare body, tremors of excitement prickled her thighs. He sat down next to her.
“You’re even more beautiful in daylight.”
He circled her knee with his fingers, and slowly grazed her thigh all the way up to her growth of hair. Her belly knotted in a thousand particles of pleasure, she kept still, willing him to lay his hand on her cunt. She sighed when he inserted his fingers into the curls of her bush and pulled a little.
Her body expectant, she scrunched the linen. He moved his hand down to cup her throbbing folds. The simple contact elicited a new, hot rush of moistness. As she lifted her body under the soft pressure, she took a sharp intake of breath.
“I want you, Morgan.”
“I know.”
His overbearing attitude hadn’t changed but she didn’t mind now. On the contrary, she welcomed it because it set her blood on fire. This man had her in his clutches, now and from the very first moment they had met. He pressed against her clitoris and she spread her legs wide, shivering at the touch of his hand. He looked at her.
“Do you like that?”
“Yes.”
Her modest answer clearly pleased him. Mouth stretching into a self-satisfied smile, he parted her wet folds with a single swipe of his finger before settling on her nub again. Her thighs quivered. Unable to take her eyes away from the smug look that excited her as much as his rigid cock, she moaned.
“Do it again.”
“As you wish.”
He rubbed her clit with his fingertip. Pure joy flared up. Slow and easy, he worked his way in while staring at her erect nipples. The skin over her knuckles stretched as she tightened her grip on the linen and drew her knees up. She was losing her mind. Heat glowed in the pit of her stomach and she wondered how he could turn her inside out with so little.
“Are you in love with me, Cara?”
Oh, God, why the question now? But as her mind stilled she reacted to his unexpected demand. With his calloused palm pressed against it, her clitoris began to throb. When he pulled his finger out her belly fluttered. No, no, no, she wouldn’t be betrayed by her own body.