Page 2 of Dragon Fire

“But it will be too late, because all the stones will be in the hands of the craftsmen under lock and key,” Gowan put in helpfully. “And a knight from the Lair will be stationed with the craftsmen all day and all night, until the task is complete. We have a vested interest in making sure not one of those blades survives intact. They arethatdangerous to dragonkind.”

Rosie had come back at some point during Gowan’s debriefing and laid out a place setting for the captain. All four of them were eating breakfast now, and the mood had gone from tense to something a bit less emphatic. The captain still wasn’t happy to find his daughter entertaining two men at her breakfast table, but he was willing to listen to the extraordinary story of yesterday’s events.

Captain O’Dare gazed from Livia to Gowan and back again before speaking.

“I respect the need for Lair presence down at the craft shop once the diamonds are moved there. That makes sense. And I can possibly understand why you two—” he glared at both men, “—saw the need to stay in my house last night. But I am here now, gentlemen, and there will be no further incursion into the sanctity of my home. Is that understood.”

Gowan nodded once, as did Seth. Neither seemed to feel the need to speak, which Livia understood all too well. When Captain O’Dare gave orders, everyone hopped to it. He wasn’t known as one of the most cunning captains on the high seas for nothing.

“I must say, Livia, your being able to speak with dragons is an unexpected thing. And I understand why there will, no doubt, now be a parade of young knights seeking your favor, but I will not have you cavorting with not just one, buttwomen, under my roof, without the benefit of marriage!”

His voice was thunderous by the end. Yes, the captain had not lost one bit of the fury that had claimed him when he walked into his home after a long voyage to find two men at breakfast with his only daughter.

“Father…” Livia tried to say something, but her father glared her into silence.

“Don’t say another word, young lady. I have made my feelings on the matter perfectly clear. I am your father, and you will do as I say. You may have become used to doing as you like while I am away, but I’m here now, and by the stars, you will obey me in my own home.”

She remembered this mood. He wouldn’t hear a single word she said if she tried to argue now. He’d only grow colder and colder. She didn’t relish that, so she wisely stopped talking except to give him a meek, “Yes, Father.”

“Now, if you gentlemen have no further business here, you should both go.”

Everyone stood except Livia. Gowan looked coldly formal, as if he understood the captain’s mood and knew he would get nowhere by arguing. Gowan was a man of strategy. Livia figured he knew when it was wise to retreat and live to fight another day. That thought almost made her smile, but she held it back.

Seth, on the other hand, looked as if he wanted to argue. She caught his eye and shook her head as vigorously as she could without drawing her father’s attention. Seth, thankfully, caught on and said nothing further, though she knew he wanted to defend her…or himself…she wasn’t sure which, but neither would gain any traction with her father in this mood.

Gowan paused by her chair and bowed respectfully to her.

“Thank you for your courage and bravery, Miss Livia. And thank you for putting us all up last night.”

She was about to reply that it had been her pleasure, but that was skirting a little too close to the truth, and her father would probably blow up. She merely smiled and nodded at her lover. Her knight.

Gowan walked out without further comment to the captain, which was probably wise.

Seth, too, stopped by her chair. “Thank you, Livia. I’m sorry,” was all he said, which made her want to cry, but she stopped herself.

Seth walked out, and she could hear them both leaving through the front door, Rosie closing it after them. That left her father to deal with. Livia didn’t know how much more she could take without breaking down and sobbing. Her heart was fracturing. Her soul had just walked out the door, along with her two lovers.

Captain O’Dare paused by her chair, not looking at her, his voice frigid with anger.

“You are grounded, of course. You will limit your movements to the house, the office, and I will allow you one visit per day to the craft shops to oversee the disposal of the diamonds. Other than that, you are not to spend any time in town, or anywhere else, until I say otherwise. Is that quite clear?”

“Yes, Father.” She dared to ask a single question. “May I still go fishing? I fear Sir Hrardorr will miss me otherwise. He has few friends.”

“I will not begrudge a blind dragon his fishing companion. Your soft heart does you credit, Livia, but it can also get you into trouble. You may fish with the dragon, but you are to have no further contact with those two young men. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Father.” She was subdued, but already in her mind, she was thinking of ways around his edict.

She had always longed to have her father home when he went on his endless voyages, but for once, she wished he’d just leave. Go off on one of his adventures and leave her be. Couldn’t he see he was breaking her heart?

At least she could still see Hrardorr. She loved that dragon almost as much as she loved her men.

Impossible as it all was…

Fishing was the only peace Hrardorr had since the battle in the harbor. The other dragons in the Lair treated him differently now. Where before they’d pitied him—which he couldn’t stand—now they tried to curry favor with him, which was just as bad. They still didn’t know how to act around a blind dragon, so awkward moments were more the norm than the exception when he managed to get caught talking to one of his winged brethren.

He preferred to avoid them, if at all possible, spending many hours at sea. Only there, would the majority of dragons leave him alone. Genlitha had found a fondness for paddling about on the surface of the water, and when she had free time, she often sought him out.

Genlitha was the only one he could talk to without difficulties. But she was also hard to converse with for a whole other reason.

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