Page 6 of Fire Dragon
Her cheeks grew hot. “I’d rather not, Sir.”
“Do as you’re ordered,” he snapped. Again, very much unlike Santos. What was going on?
She averted her gaze and untied the cape. She didn’t take it off completely but let him see the malfunction.
Liam had moved away from the window overlooking the landing area. Apparently, he wanted to know what had happened as well.
Emma didn’t meet his gaze.
For a long moment, she waited.
Liam said nothing but turned back to look out the window once more. In the distance, she heard the muffled sound of the lake churners starting up. During dust and sandstorms, they kept the particles from collecting on the surface of the water. When the layer of dust grew thick enough, it prevented oxygen from getting through and the fish died.
Santos slammed his hand down on the desk. “Do we actually need another seminar on sexual harassment around here? The last thing I need is for Davathorpe to send in a team so we can get properly educated. Again.”
Davathorpe was the capital of the entire continent of Arranfar and where the ruling Council performed its functions. Field Marshall Santos answered to his superiors in the large, northern city.
Emma spoke quickly. “You don’t need to do that. I know the source and I’ll deal with him later. It’s a stupid hazing, nothing more. But I think I should keep the cape on at least to the hangar.”
“You’ll get blasted for this in the ranks.”
She didn’t know how to communicate just how little she cared for gossip among her equals. But she couldn’t help but crack a small smile. She felt that inner part of her harden and grow stronger. “And I’ll deal with that as well.” She paused, then added, “Sir.”
At that, Santos met her gaze dead on then grew very still, dragon still. It was that place that all dragons had where they were close to disappearing from sight. It was even said that some could vanish and reappear at will. Maybe Santos was one of those. “You’ll do. Keep the cape, Rider.”
She tied it up quickly to cover her exposed cleavage. She also registered a warm sensation in the center of her heart. Santos had told she would do. It didn’t get better than that.
He gestured to Liam. “You know Commander Holden.”
She turned in his direction with a formal shift of her booted feet. “Of course. I look forward to working with you, Commander.”
He dipped his chin. His eyes were blood red from coming in from a long flight. He looked exhausted. “Dragon-rider Brier.”
He smelled…wonderful. Smoke, fire, man. A shiver went through her which she chose to ignore. She straightened her shoulders a little more.
Santos addressed her again. “The reason I called you in here before your flight is because I want you working directly with Liam for the next several weeks.”
“What?” Emma was stunned.
Okay, horrified.
Liam finally entered the conversation as he addressed Santos. Apparently, this was news to him as well. “What the hell, Miguel. This isn’t right. This isn’t the way it’s done. You taught us that. It’s part of your core teaching. Constant rotations to keep everyone on their toes.”
Santos rounded his desk and crossed the room on a relatively slow tread to close the doors. The alarm still clanged softly in the distance.
When he headed back, he directed Liam to join Emma. She in turn met Liam’s hostile gaze as he moved in her direction. She didn’t take it personally. The man was beyond tired and she was no doubt the last thing he wanted to deal with: A woman he’d bedded and dumped a year ago.
She had trouble not smiling. She thought somehow it was a fitting punishment for the man since he hadn’t even had the courtesy to speak to her again. His manner of ignoring her after the fact, of often pointedly leaving a room she entered, had made her life hell. Didn’t he realize his behavior shouted that she’d made a nuisance of herself when she hadn’t? Gossip was rampant that she’d been stalking him.
Well, it all fell under the category of things she couldn’t control and now here was a new lovely wrench in the wheel of their non-relationship. But how the hell was she supposed to work with a man who barely acknowledged her existence?
~ ~ ~
Liam felt as though a series of rockets kept landing in Santos’s office and exploding one after the other.
First,it was Emmaon her virgin run. How the hell had it happened that he’d be her first mount?
Then Santos had insisted she remove the cape. He wasn’t sure he’d ever forget the sight that followed.
