Page 11 of Her Two Dragons

“Still slumming it with the humans, I see. Found anything interesting that King Marcus should know about?”

Khalid would know that voice anywhere. Cedric, one of the king’s most trusted guards.

“If there were something to report, don’t you think we would have reported it, Cedric?” He snarled, letting his dragon just a little closer to the surface, so that his eyes glowed yellow and blue, and his teeth held a little more bite. “Do you really think it wise for a third dragon to be this entrenched with the humans?”

“It’s not up to me. King Marcus fears that his son is drifting off course. He asked that I come set you both straight.” Cedric looked down his nose at Khalid as he brushed invisible dirt off his shoulder. “It would appear his concerns weren’t unfounded. Tending to injured humans? Really? You’re not going soft like all those garnet dragons, are you? Tending to a wounded human …” Cedric shook his head in disgust.

“I believe the king’s orders were to blend in unless someone found proof of dragons at this site. That’s what we’ve been doing. Why do you think the prince is in there right now, letting human medics check him for injury? He couldn’t very well claim to need no care, while simultaneously insisting that the human who fell with him get looked after. You know nothing of these people, or of their commitment to their work. We know what we’re doing, and I would appreciate it if you left us to it. Nothing incriminating has been found, and we fully intend on keeping it that way.” Khalid grabbed Cedric’s arm and shoved him further from the dig site. “You cannot be here.”

“I go where my king orders.”

Darius’s voice filled Khalid’s head, even as he was clearly projecting to Cedric. You will also listen to your prince, or I will have you punished publicly for your insolence. Leave, Cedric. Now.

Khalid raised an eyebrow at the dragon, waiting to see what he would do.

“Don’t think this is the last you’ll see of me. Either of you.” Cedric turned on his heel, striding out into the desert, away from the dig.

Khalid waited until he’d completely disappeared over a ridge before running back to the med tent.

Michelle was walking out just as he got back. Just the sight of her made him want to smile, and his dragon purred contentedly deep within.

“Hey. I, uh…” She bit her lip, letting her blonde hair fall forward a little, hiding part of her face. “I wanted to apologize. I know you were just doing what Dr. Brighton told you to, and dig site safety has to come before curiosity, or we’d never get to discover anything. I just… get stubborn. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.” Her big blue eyes met Khalid’s as she asked, “Want to have lunch together?”

“Really? You’re not just going to run away again the second someone else sits at our table?” Khal smirked. “You really don’t have to apologize. I know how exciting it can be when you find the thing you’ve been searching for.”

“Is that so?” She smiled softly. “Maybe you can tell me what you found over lunch?”

Khalid blinked a couple times, kind of amazed. Was Michelle flirting with him? After she’d just kissed Darius?

Of course, she didn’t know that he knew about the kiss, and he wasn’t about to tell her he knew either. If she wanted to flirt with him, have lunch with him, what would be the harm, right?

“Let’s go.”

Almost immediately, Khalid noticed that Michelle was walking with a slight limp. “You’re hurt.”

“I just twisted it a little. Nothing that a little ice and a night off it won’t fix.” She smiled, but he could see that it was hurting her.

“Why don’t you go sit down, and I can bring lunch over for the both of us?” He pointed at a table. “You shouldn’t be on your feet.”

“It’s really not that bad.” She sighed, looking up at him. She took a moment before he saw the relent in her expression. “Okay, I’ll go sit.”

Khalid watched as she settled at a table before he got a tray full of lunch for them both.

“We need to get down into that structure, Khal. And we need to figure out exactly what’s down there before the humans find anything.” Darius appeared next to him in line. “If Cedric has to come back here, there’s no telling what might happen to the people here. If my father’s enlisted Cedric, we need to do whatever it takes to keep him at bay.”

“I agree. And I don’t think we can leave Michelle alone while he’s lingering about.” Khalid clapped the prince on the shoulder and grinned. “I’ll take the first shift. After all, she did invite me to have lunch with her.”

Darius rolled his eyes. “Maybe she hit her head.”

Khalid smirked. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Please.” He grabbed an apple off the table and took a bite. “She may be dining with you, but she kissed me.”

“What would your father say?”

Darius groaned. “Let’s not think about that, shall we?” His eyes flittered across the tent, to where Michelle sat with her feet up. “Maybe the tourmalines and the garnets aren’t so crazy after all. She’s smart, independent, strong—she would make a fine mate.”

“If she were a dragon, you mean.” Khal studied his prince’s profile carefully, trying to ascertain what exactly Darius was thinking.

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