Dragon Fall

  “You tell him, girlfriend,” Jim said, falling into place alongside me as we followed Kostya. “Although I kind of get the feeling that Slick isn’t going to fall to his knees with gratitude, if you know what I mean. He seems kinda broken to me.”

  “Broken,” I mused, nodding my head. “That’s a good way of putting it. He does seem broken, and since I’ve been there and glued the bits of me back together—via the help of Dr. Barlind, although, again, I could have done without the electroshock torture—I’m the perfect person to help him piece his life into what it should be.”

  “And still get into his pants,” Jim said with another bobble of his eyebrows.

  “That goes without saying, although really, there’s something almost borderline creepy about hearing a dog say it.”

  “Evidently I’m a student of human nature,” he answered with a shrug.

  “You’re something all right.” I was about to enter the airport office when Kostya emerged, a slip of paper in his hand.

  “We go to Stockholm,” he said, taking my elbow and steering me back the way we came. “There’s a pilot here who will fly us.”

  “Wait, you want to go to Paris right this second? Kostya, I can’t leave Sweden yet.”

  He didn’t stop marching me toward the hangars. “Why not?”

  “Because my house burned down, remember? I have stuff to deal with concerning that, not to mention talking to my sister and brother so we can make some decisions about the house.”

  “Do they live elsewhere?”

  “Yes. Bee has an apartment in Venice, and Rowan’s job is in Malta, so he’s there a lot of the time. But they come home a couple of times a year, so I’m going to have to tell them what happened. Oh gods, they aren’t going to believe me!” I rubbed my forehead. “What if they have me committed again?”

  “I would not allow that.”

  “Yes, well, the fact still remains that I have to deal with the situation of the house.”

  “I’ve told you that it isn’t safe here. The red dragons know you are here—know we are both here—and they won’t stop tracking us both down and attempting to destroy us. If they find out that you have the ring, they would launch an all-out onslaught.” His jaw tightened. “I don’t concern myself much with the mortal world, but I have seen the devastation that a war with Abaddon can wreak upon it, and I would not wish to have that unleashed again.”

  I thought of the looks on the red dragons’ faces when they realized I had the ring, and blanched. Those dragons were dead, but if others found out…

  “Eep,” I said, my skin crawling at the thought. “I can only imagine that would be seriously bad. Wait—does that mean you’re not mortal?”

  “I am a dragon. We can be killed, but we do not die of illnesses or old age, as mortals do.”

  I looked at him with a new awareness, then pointed at Jim. “And demons?”

  “They cannot be killed, although their forms can be destroyed. Do you notice that I am answering your questions even though I have much to do?”

  “Yes, and you will receive a gold star at the end of the day for your willingness to play with others.” I bit my lower lip in thought. “So what about me? Now that I’m your mate—”

  “You are not my mate. I do not have a mate. I did have one, but she abused me horribly, so I disavowed her. I will never claim a mate again.”

  “—does that mean I get to be not-mortal, too? Is immortal the right word? That means ‘can’t be killed,’ though, and you said dragons can be. Okay, now I’m just confused.”

  He stopped and gave me an irritated look. “Did you not hear what I just said?”

  “Yes, but I decided to ignore it, because men who let their past experiences with ex-girlfriends screw up relationships that will be happy and healthy are just too irritating for words, so therefore, I’m ignoring any references you make to your ex. No, I take that back. I’ll say this: I’m sorry that you got burned, Kostya. We all have. I had a boyfriend in high school who was using me so he could pass his classes and stay on the swim team. I know what it’s like to be used, and I also know that it’s possible to get over it. I’m willing to cut you a little slack if it was a recent event—”

  “It was two years ago.” He donned a noble yet martyred expression that made me smile to myself. “I will never forget the shame she brought to me.”

  “—but at the same time, I’m not going to ignore what’s obviously right in front of us.” I leaned forward and kissed him, willing him to share his dragon fire. To my amazement, little balls of fire formed in my hands. I spread them on his chest and stepped back with a smile. “So does that mean I’m a dragon, too? Will I die like a normal human, or will I just go on, like you?”

  He made an annoyed noise, took my hand, and started forward again. “A wyvern’s mate is not mortal, no. I will not discuss the matter any more with you—I have stated that you are not my mate, and that is final.”

  Jim snorted. I had to admit that I agreed with his sentiment. “I’ll let that subject go for now because there is a more important issue, and that’s your demand that I leave Sweden. My house—”

  He sighed. “I will hire someone to take care of that for you. It is not safe for you to remain here. I have explained that numerous times now, and I grow weary of having to repeat that the red dragons will not stop until they find us.”

  I thought about that for a minute. “I suppose that would be all right, so long as I get the okay from Bee and Rowan. The three of us own the house together, and I’m sure they’ll want in on the plans to rebuild. But I doubt if the fire officials and police are going to be happy with me taking off like this.”

  “I do not concern myself with mortal police,” he said dismissively.

  “Lucky you.” I was silent for a moment before asking, “What’s in Paris that’s so important we go there right this minute?”

  “We need help to use the ring, and we can likely find that help in Paris.”

  He released my arm to go talk to a man who emerged from a door, looking around hesitantly. Kostya showed him the paper, and the man nodded and gestured behind us.

  “Ever been to Paris, Jim?” I asked, backing up as the man got into the plane and taxied slowly past all the hangars.

  “No clue,” he answered cheerfully. “But I expect the trip is going to be fun.”

  “Fun?”

  “Yeah. They give you meals when you fly, right?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “Like I said, fun.”

  “Famous last words,” I muttered, and trotted forward when Kostya gestured for us to come.

  The ride to Stockholm took less than an hour, but it was another couple of hours before Kostya could book us a plane to Paris, and then he had to go to the expense of a private jet rather than a commercial one.

  “Isn’t this kind of pricey?” I asked when he fetched Jim and me from the lounge. “It’s nice and all, but I don’t mind taking a normal flight. It’s not like the dragons are going to implode if we don’t get to Paris immediately.”

  “I have no passport, you have only the identity papers that were in your car, and we don’t have time to have documents made that would pass the mortals’ security. Thus, we will take a private plane and bribe the pilots.”

  “Plus that means we get all the in-flight meals,” Jim said as he marched up the short set of stairs that led to the interior of a sleek-looking jet. Judging from the exterior, it must have cost a small fortune to hire. “Can I have the chicken and the fish? Or both of whatever meal choices they offer?”

  “Quiet,” I ordered, catching sight of a flight attendant who hurried from the cockpit to greet us. “No talking around normal people. Hello. Yes, the dog is going to ride up here with us.”

  The woman looked a bit askance at Jim but got us settled quickly enough on some butter-colored leather captain’s chairs. The plane was smaller inside than I imagined, although it had a long couch and four chairs that swiveled around to any position with
small tables that could be popped up and adjusted to sit next to the chairs. I settled in one while Jim hopped up on the couch and proceeded to loll about like he was a pasha.

  It didn’t take long for us to get airborne. I waited until the woman was done pressing food and beverage upon us (Kostya accepted both, and after a moment’s thought, I did as well. It goes without saying that Jim stared at me with huge eyes until I ordered a meal for him, too) before I said what was uppermost on my mind.

  “About the ring—” I said around a mouthful of lemon-herb crusted chicken.

  “Oh man, now I want onion rings,” Jim said, looking up from his spaghetti and meatballs.

  “Jim!” I shot a hasty glance toward the front of the plane, but the attendant was busy chatting with one of the pilots through the open cockpit door. “Hush.”

  “You said I couldn’t talk when someone could hear us. She’s too busy hitting on that pilot dude. Are you going to eat those potatoes?”

  “Yes,” I said, scooting my plate closer to me. “Stop ogling my food and eat your pasta. And, no, you can’t have onion rings.”

  “Meanie-head. I just know my coat is going to lose its glorious luster if you keep me on such a harsh diet.” He returned to his meal with a pouting air.

  I turned back to Kostya. “How’s your steak?”

  “It is food, nothing more,” Kostya said, although I noticed he consumed his steak and mushrooms with an expression that hinted on blissful.

  “Well, my food is excellent. If this is the sort of meal they serve on a private jet, then I’m all for traveling this way. Now, where was I in the important talk? Oh yeah, about the ring—”

  “No,” Kostya said, nodding toward the attendant. “We will not discuss that here.”

  “Oh, come on. We’re in the air, and no one can overhear us. You can’t seriously suspect that those people are baddies, can you?”

  “They are not dragons, no, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t working for them.”

  “Isn’t that a little paranoid?”

  He shrugged. “I would rather be overly protective than be caught unawares again.”

  I don’t know why I felt like I had to argue the point, but I did. “You told me that the red dragons have tried to kill you a number of times, yes?”

  “They have.”

  “And yet you’re still here,” I pointed out. “If you managed to survive this long, I don’t see that there’s any reason you shouldn’t continue.”

  “There’s a very good reason why I cannot relax my guard.”

  “Oh, really? What’s that?”

  “You.” He pushed his empty plate back and stood, nodding toward the back of the plane. “There is a bedroom back there. When you are finished eating, take the demon and sleep. You will have several hours before we get to Paris.”

  “What do you mean me? Wait, a bedroom? Really? Okay, that’s like the most decadent thing ever, and I really have to see it, but don’t even begin to think that I’m not going to pin you down about why you are so adamant that I’m not your mate, and yet you’re doing the he-man protective thing with regards to my safety. Which I appreciate, in case I didn’t say that, although I seriously doubt if it’s necessary. Jim, are you done?”

  Jim nosed aside a bit of parsley garnish. “Yeah. I’m not going to eat this green stuff. It smells funky.”

  “It’s parsley, and it wouldn’t hurt you to eat it. Since Kostya has that look on his face that says he’s getting tired of answering questions—”

  “I am always tired of answering questions.”

  “—then let’s you and I go see how the rich people fly.” I stood up and started for the door Kostya had indicated, but paused and glanced over my shoulder at him. “What are you going to do?”

  “Plan,” was all he said.

  I thought about saying several things to that but decided that none of them were going to be well received and, with Jim at my side, retired to the bedroom.

  It was every bit as decadent as I expected, with its own bathroom en suite (complete with marble counters and a surprisingly large shower) and comfy bed. There was also a second, smaller room leading off the bedroom with another couch, a couple of captain’s chairs, and a flat-screen TV.

  “Oooh, DVDs,” Jim said, nosing through them. “Hot damn, they have the original cast version of Hair. Put it on for me, would you?”

  “All right, but I don’t want you singing along with it,” I warned, slipping the DVD into the player. “No freaking out the normal people, remember.”

  “Gotcha,” the demon dog said, flopping down on the couch, his eyes on the screen. “Hoo baby, naked boobies. I love this movie!”

  “I’d tell you that it is beyond strange for a dog to be ogling women’s breasts, but you go so far beyond strange that it’s not even possible to form that sentence. Besides, I thought you lost your memory—how do you know that you love Hair?”

  “Beats me. I just do. Hubba hubba for boobies,” he said, one paw tapping along with the opening music.

  “I just… there are no words.” I shook my head, dismissing the strangeness that was Jim. “Stay put and stay silent.”

  I closed the door to the room and turned around, wondering if I should take a shower first or climb into bed and catch up on some of the sleep I’d been missing. “Shower,” I decided, and went into the bathroom to eyeball the facilities. There was a basket of sample toiletries and a stack of super-fluffy green-and-white towels, but there was one big issue that I didn’t think the amenities covered. I thought for a moment, then went out to the main part of the plane, where Kostya was sitting with a tablet of paper and a pencil, making notes about something. He looked up as I approached. I eyed the flight attendant, judging that she was far enough away to speak.

  “Can you magic up some new clothes for me?”

  He just stared at me.

  “I take it that’s a no?”

  The martyred look that I was coming to know very well took over his face. “I am a wyvern, Aoife. I have no magical abilities. I can’t create clothing out of nothing.”

  “But you can shape-shift.”

  “That is not magic. That is what dragons are.”

  I let that point go, since I doubted if he’d understand that to everyone else in the world, dragons were magical beings. “I figured it was worth a try. I’m going to take a shower and thought it would be nice to have some clean clothes to change into, but if you can’t do magic stuff like that, then I guess I’ll just cope with what I have.”

  “I will get you new clothing in Paris,” he said, looking back at his pad of paper.

  I thought for a moment, decided that since the rules were different now, I could do things that I might not normally do, and then said, “It’s too bad I’m not your mate, because if I was, I’d invite you to take a shower with me.”

  The pencil snapped in half. “We do not have to be mated to enjoy showers together,” he said, standing, his eyes suddenly so full of heat I swear they started my blood boiling.

  “No, but I’ve never been the sort of girl who’d throw herself at a man she just met. Now, if you were my wyvern, then that could be excused,” I said, and immediately was ashamed of myself. Kostya had taken a step toward me, obviously all eager anticipation, when my words hit him.

  He froze, his face an unreadable mask.

  “Oh, Kostya, I’m sorry. I should never have said that.” I recognized the pain in his eyes: betrayal was in there, as were suspicion and self-doubt. I’d seen those very same emotions in the mirror, and I knew what pain accompanied them. Without considering what I was doing, I wrapped my arms around him, saying into his neck, “That was wrong of me to say. I’m not offering myself to you conditionally, and I’m not saying you can only join me in the shower if you say I’m your mate. I’m afraid the truth is much worse—I’m just shameless enough to want you to join me regardless of that, although I expect that now that I’ve put my foot in my mouth, you won’t want to have anything to do with m
e, and honestly, I couldn’t blame you—aieee!”

  He scooped me up in his arms without regard to the flight attendant puttering around the cabin or the fact that he had a broken collarbone earlier that morning.

  Ten

  “Sweet salty balls, Kostya! You aren’t doing this!”

  “I am,” he said calmly, entering the bedroom and using his foot to close the door behind him. “You desire me. You just stated that you do, and since I have no objection to fulfilling those desires, then yes, I am carrying you into the bedroom. Where is Jim?”

  I wanted to smack him on the shoulder, but just in case his collarbone was still a bit ouchie, I contented myself with pinching his arm. “I never once said I desire you! I simply invited you to take a shower with me. Maybe you stink, and I wanted to get you clean—did you ever think of that?”

  One eyebrow rose a quarter of an inch.

  “Fine,” I told him, annoyed that he’d called my bluff. “You don’t smell, but that God’s-gift-to-the-world attitude really rankles, Kostya. You could take a hit or two from the humility bat, you know that? Oh, all right, put me down. I don’t want you hurting yourself by hauling me all over the place.”

  He set me down onto the bed and, having ignored most of what I said, announced, “We will have sex, and then when you are sated, I will return to making plans.”

  I squinted at him, refusing to allow my body to be distracted when he started to matter-of-factly remove his clothing. “You think so, huh? I sure hope you didn’t talk to your ex-girlfriend in that condescending and arrogant way, because if you did, then I’m going to have to switch sides and sympathize with her.”

  He frowned, just as I knew he would. “Cyrene seldom let me speak, and she always lusted after my body.”

  I thought about it for a moment, decided I had asked for it by introducing the subject of his ex, and made a decision. “Right,” I said, sliding off the bed. “New rules: one, no mention of ex-lovers immediately before, after, or during lovemaking. Yes, I realize that I brought her up, and I won’t make that mistake again. Two: you may think that domineering attitude is going to fly, but it won’t. I don’t like pushy men, and I really don’t like pushy lovers. Three: I’m going to take a shower. You can join me or not—at this point, I don’t give a flying squirrel’s butt.”