Page 58 of Dragon Fire

It wasn’t the massive hearth of the great hall, but it would do. Livia and Seth sat with Hrardorr for an hour or more, just talking about the day’s events and speculating on what might happen next. She needed that time with them both. Safe time to just be. Away from danger and people they didn’t know and might not be able to trust.

She yearned for simpler times, but knew she had to find a way to play the hand she’d been dealt. Tomorrow. Tonight, she would lean against her dragon friend and hold hands with one of her lovers, basking in their warmth of spirit, friendship…and love.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The following morning, Sir Gowan found himself in heady company. Not only was he arriving back at the Southern Lair in the company of two of the greatest knights in the land, but they were escorting Prince Nicolas and his wife, Princess Arikia. Gowan had only met them in passing when he first became a knight. To be traveling with them was something else, indeed.

For both Nico and Riki, as they called each other, were royal black dragons. They didn’t ride dragons, theyweredragons. They could shapeshift in the twinkle of an eye between human and dragon form. Both of them fairly crackled with magic.

As did the two knights who accompanied Gowan and the royal pair on the return journey to the South. Sir Mace and Sir Drake. Two of the most revered knights of the current age, they were both said to have magical abilities far beyond that of normal men.

Sir Mace was a steady man. A fierce fighter. He was serious and somewhat forbidding, though when he spoke with Drake, he was much more carefree. And when he was with Krysta—their shared mate—he was downright jovial. Surprisingly, Krysta had come along with them on this journey.

Gowan knew the look of her when he met her. She was a fighter too. A warrior woman with grace and style. Gowan had heard about her, of course. She was rumored to have been a guardswoman before meeting her mates, and she still wore a sword that looked more than comfortable across her back.

Sir Drake was something else altogether. A fighter, sure, but also a charmer. Lair rumor had it that he had spent many years roaming the lands as a spy for the kingdom. Having met the man and conversed with him now, Gowan was inclined to believe it. Drake was usually smiling, spinning tales and talking non-stop, in general.

Such verbosity would have quickly gotten on Gowan’s nerves if he’d been partnered with the knight, but Sir Mace seemed to take it all in stride. Drake had surprised Gowan during their travel by asking very pointed questions about Gryphon Isle and the people there. Apparently, the two knights had been to the island before, though information on the place and the wizard who lived there wasn’t freely disseminated in the kingdom. All anyone knew was that the island had reappeared after centuries of hiding behind a magical veil, and it was best to stay clear of the place, unless specifically invited by the wizard.

Gryffid, to Gowan’s knowledge, had issued no invitations.

Gowan had expected some sort of rebuke for taking things into his own hands and all but invading Gryphon Isle without invitation, but the king was surprisingly forthright. He’d thanked Gowan and Genlitha for doing the right thing and reserved his anger for the rest of the Southern Lair.

With the continued hostilities in the North and on the border with Skithdron, King Roland himself could not leave the capital, but Prince Nico had volunteered to check things out. A few hours later, they’d been on their way back, with Drake, Mace and Krysta riding on the backs of Lady Jenet and Sir Nellin. Krysta was riding double with Mace and the two royal black dragons were flying between Jenet and Nellin. Genlitha and Gowan were acting as rear guard.

They flew through the night to arrive on the outskirts of the Lair’s watch at dawn. Genlitha scouted ahead, her natural camouflage in the light of day allowing her to make certain the way was clear for the rest of their party. With all the strange goings on in the Lair of late, they couldn’t be too cautious with members of the royal family’s safety. Dragon shifters were too precious to both races, for they bound the dragons to the men and vice versa. The shapeshifters were the only ones who were deemed worthy to rule over both dragons and knights.

When Genlitha gave theall clearsignal, it was only after a meticulous inspection on her part. They also didn’t announce themselves. The posted sentries would see them soon enough, and when they did, the dragons would trumpet a welcome to the royal blacks in their midst. All dragons revered the royal family, as did their knights.

Lady Jenet was also famous among her brethren for her amazing coloring. Pale peach and gold, she was a stunner among dragons and as recognizable as the golden-haired man on her back. Drake and Jenet together just…sparkled. All that golden beauty in one place was a little overwhelming, even to Gowan’s jaded senses.

By contrast, Sir Nellin’s bronze wasn’t nearly as flashy, but he was a fierce dragon just the same. As was Sir Mace. They were as well matched as their counterparts. They were around the same age as Gowan, but their dragons were of a younger generation than Genlitha. Both Sir Nellin and Lady Jenet had only ever partnered with one knight—their current partners. Apparently, Jenet and Drake had been raised together, more or less as siblings, since Jenet’s parents were partnered with Drake’s fathers.

Gowan could see from the way they worked together that theirs was a long-standing relationship. They seemed to anticipate each other’s moves and would, no doubt, be wicked in battle.

When the Lair’s sentries spotted their group, it was as Gowan had imagined. One by one, every dragon in the Lair began to trumpet a welcome. A cacophony of sound greeted them in the early morning light as the group made for the landing platform, high atop the Lair.

Mace and Nellin, along with Drake and Jenet landed first, followed by the two royal dragons, with Gowan and Genlitha bringing up the rear. Gowan appreciated the placement. He feared he’d bepersona non gratain the Lair after disobeying orders and going to Gryphon Isle’s defense. This way, the presence of the royal dragons took the spotlight off him a bit.

Still, the knights just stared at him as they made their way down into the hall. The leadership would be at breakfast at this time of day, and Prince Nico and Princess Riki were bound and determined to catch them off guard.

The two black dragons shifted into their human forms as they strode through the halls, flanked by Drake, Krysta and Mace, with Jenet and Nellin right behind. Gowan was in front this time, with Genlitha, leading the way.

When they entered the dining hall, which was almost as large as Gryffid’s great hall, though it was contained inside a mountain, several knights jumped to their feet. Apparently, there were standing orders to stop Gowan on sight, which he’d expected.

But what the knights in the dining hall hadn’t counted on was the presence of the royals or the famous knights from Castleton. The moment they caught sight of Riki and Nico, they were forced to step back and bow to the prince and princess in their midst. The few dragons in the hall did the same until the entire place was so quiet Gowan could hear only the slight click of dragon claws on the stone floors as their party moved forward toward the high table.

Sir Jiffrey and Sir Benrik were seated there, with their dragon partners, Sir Tiluk and Lady Anira behind them.

“This place reeks of magic,” Riki said to Nico in a quiet whisper that Gowan could hear. “It stinks of Loralie.”

A shiver went down Gowan’s spine at that name. He’d heard it before in Castleton. Rumor had it she was a witch who had done nefarious deeds on behalf of the former ruler of the Northlands. She was the one, it was said, who had caused the queen’s Ice Dragon ward, Sir Tor, to be orphaned. The woman was evil and had the ability to command dark magic.

Gowan moved aside to make room for Nico and Riki to see the leaders of this Lair face to face. He went to Nico’s side with Sir Mace, while Lady Krysta and Sir Drake stayed on Riki’s side. The dragons flanked them, with Genlitha moving around to the rear of the head table to cover the leaders’ dragon partners. Gowan saw Nico nod to his wife in agreement before he spoke to Sirs Jiffrey and Benrik.

“Greetings of the day to you all,” Prince Nico began in a pleasant tone that rang through the quiet hall. “I have come from Castleton to find out why you refused to help allies of our kingdom who were in distress. I’ll hear your explanations now.”

All eyes turned to the head table and the sputtering leadership. Benrik got red in the face, but said nothing, while Jiffrey began to mumble excuses. Their dragon partners rose up on their hind legs, and things took on the slow motion quality of fast action, happening in a blur.

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