Dragon Eternal, page 8
“Did the dragon attack anyone?”
Tomar’s brows snapped together. “That’s the odd thing. He didn’t. He just roared a lot and flew back and forth over the city several times before flying away.”
“Sounds like a terrifying night.”
“That wasn’t the only thing that happened, and some are beginning to think there’s a connection.”
Merrill pushed his ale to the soldier. “What’s that?”
“I shouldn’t be talking about this,” Tomar said in a low voice as he stared at the tankard. Then he lifted it to his mouth and drank deeply. He set it down and leaned forward, his voice low. “As I said, we have no tolerance for magic. Sometimes, the children who are taken from other cities end up having some. The parents inform the priests—just as they’re supposed to.”
Merrill’s stomach tightened. He knew what came next, but he asked anyway. “What do the priests do?”
“They take the children to the temple where they’re…they…” Tomar cleared his throat, his face tightening in disgust. “The priests sacrifice those kids.”
Merrill closed his eyes. He had heard it from Cullen and the others, but hearing it again was even worse. “They’re helpless children.”
“It’s our way.”
“It’s wrong,” Merrill whispered. The fury he kept buried deep rose to the surface.
Tomar sat back, his eyes downcast.
For all his talk about Stonemore being the greatest city, Merrill could tell that the soldier didn’t agree with many of the Divine’s policies. And if one person felt that way, then there were others, too.
Chapter Eleven
Nia drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. Her entire body felt weighted, relaxed. It was such a delicious feeling that she savored every second. Her body was utterly sated. Her mind was calm. Even her soul felt happy.
The magic Shaw was using on her could become addictive. The peace was so soothing, she never wanted it to end.
But it had to.
She had no other choice—despite the enjoyment she felt spending time in Shaw’s arms. The dragon knew how to pleasure a woman. There wasn’t a single space on her body that he hadn’t caressed and licked.
She turned her head to find his eyes closed. His breathing was deep and even. Now would be the perfect time to leave. She could clear her head of his magic, but she would only return. So, what was the point? Besides, she didn’t want to leave. She would have to be careful of how much his magic changed her. She couldn’t lose sight of her goals or objective.
Nia rose and walked naked to the window. She looked down upon the world she had been born into. Her gaze took in the dirty children with their sunken eyes and cheeks, their skin stretched tight over their bones. She had been that dirty and hungry once. If the Divine hadn’t seen her and pulled her from the streets, how long would she have survived? Not long, she wagered.
How long would the children she watched now live?
Only a few months of summer remained. Fall was generally mild, but their winters were severe. She wanted to help them. But how? What could she do? It wasn’t as if she were a fine lady with riches to spare. She had no money. The Divine granted her everything she had in exchange for her skills.
Nia pulled her hair over one shoulder and began finger-combing it. Her face and body had gotten her the position, but her determination and intellect had allowed her to climb to her current station. Eventually, her beauty would fade. There would be no need for a courtesan with wrinkles and gray hair. If she didn’t earn her freedom now, the best she could hope for was to escape before the Divine tossed her out like garbage.
She had dined with rulers of other cities.
She had seduced those the Divine felt threatened by.
She had pulled so many secrets from her targets that she’d passed on to the Divine.
It was those that frightened her. They meant nothing to her, but would anyone else believe that? Once she had her freedom, would the ones she had taken to her bed seek her out to mete out punishment? If she were in their shoes, she would. Would the Divine allow her to leave with everything she knew? That was something she hadn’t considered. She had been so intent on the prospect of the offer of her freedom that she hadn’t looked at all the angles.
Some of the secrets she had gathered had destroyed lives, careers, and even families. It wasn’t as if it gave her pleasure to do such things. But she had a job. If she hadn’t done it, someone else would have. Nia had learned to lock away her feelings during each assignment. It was the only way she could successfully do her job. She couldn’t feel. Couldn’t concern herself with the lies she told.
Because she never failed. No matter what, she found a way.
Awareness stole over her. She looked over her shoulder to find Shaw on his side, his head propped up in his hand as he watched her with a smile that made her insides turn to mush.
“Lass, do you have any idea how stunning you are?”
Instead of answering him, she returned her gaze to the residents out the window. “What do you think of Stonemore?”
“I’ve told you. It’s overcrowded, smelly, and noisy.” The bed creaked as he got to his feet and came up behind her.
The feel of his heat suffusing her as he wrapped his arms around her was bliss. She stopped combing her hair and laid her hands on his arms. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Ah.” He sighed and rested his chin atop her head. “I doona know much about the city, but the fact that those in charge doona help the ones in need says a lot.”
“I know.”
“Does no one help?”
She thought of the few times she had managed to steal some coins from her assignments to pass them on to children. She felt a sharp pain of regret for not doing more. “The priests teach that we’re on whatever path the gods have deemed we must walk. We are meant to walk it ourselves without the aid of others.”
“That’s shite.”
Nia agreed, but she had learned a long time ago to keep her thoughts to herself. The only way to survive was to follow the rules—but to think for yourself, and plot to get away. She leaned her head against his chest. He was so tall, she didn’t even reach his shoulders. If he had wanted to hurt her—anyone, really—he could have. Not that she ever forgot for a second what he really was. “Stonemore didn’t always look like this.”
“What changed?”
“The city has taken in residents from other villages that Stonemore attacked. With each conquest, the soldiers brought the survivors and integrated them into society.”
Shaw tightened his arms around her. “Except there wasna jobs for these people.”
She nodded slowly. “With every city we conquered, our army grew, and our streets swelled with people who had lost their homes and their ways of life. We didn’t help them find it again. Instead, the army looked to the next target and how to destroy it.”
“Were the other cities threatening Stonemore?”
She shrugged, wishing she had some answers. “I have no idea. It didn’t happen all at once. Over the last decade, the army has wiped out city after city.”
“When someone conquers others in such a way, it’s because they want to dominate everyone and everything. Is that what the Divine is doing?”
“I couldn’t begin to guess. I just know what I see.”
It felt odd to be looking out at the people as she was. She might walk the streets, but that was different than feeling as if she once more lived on the lower levels. She had left that world behind when they brought her to the citadel.
And she didn’t like being reminded that she could be forced back into such conditions again.
“Let’s go to my villa.”
He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “If that is your wish.”
“I could show you the upper levels so you can see the difference.”
“Does being down here make you uncomfortable?”
More than he could know. Each time she came, she still searched the sea of faces in case she spotted her mother. Nia turned in his arms to face him. “You found me down here, remember?”
“That isna what I asked.”
His eyes held hers, forcing her to acknowledge the question. “I don’t like to see anyone hungry.”
“Then do something about it.”
“I do. When I can.”
His black brows briefly drew together. “What does that mean?”
“It means that I can’t hand out coins at will.”
“Do you no’ live on the upper levels?”
She glanced away. “Yes.”
“Then explain to me what I’m missing.”
How could she, though? The only way she could, would be to tell him exactly who and what she was. And that wouldn’t exactly go over well. He would be furious—and have every right to be. But then she would lose her only shot at freedom.
So, she told the only truth she could.
“I live comfortably, but the money is held by another.”
Shaw face relaxed. “Ah. Until you reach a certain age, I gather?”
“Yes.” How she hated lying to him. Odd, since it had never bothered her before.
He lowered his head and gently kissed her. “I shouldna have pried. I’m sorry.”
Tears stung her eyes at his apology. She pulled out of his arms and walked to her clothes to hide her distress. “I’ve already forgotten about it.”
“You’ve no’ asked about my life,” he said as he went to his clothes.
Nia occupied herself with dressing. “We’ve been otherwise engaged.”
His deep chuckle filled the room. “Aye. How could I forget? The only reason we’re no’ still in that bed is that I’m giving your body time to rest.”
She laughed and met his gaze. It was so easy to be with him. To talk, listen. Enjoy. Why did he have to be a Dragon King? Why did he have to be the one the Divine wanted? It wasn’t as if she could go after the other King now. She had chosen Shaw, which meant she had to make do with the path she had selected.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asked in a soft voice.
Nia realized she had been staring at him. She decided on the truth this time. “I’m thinking about you.”
“Good thoughts, I hope.”
“Only the best.”
He winked at her and sat on the bench before the bed to tug on his boots.
Nia fastened her skirt and slid her feet into her sandals. Then she quickly braided her hair and let it hang over one shoulder. When she looked up, she saw that Shaw was watching her again. “What are you thinking?”
“That I think it’s verra fortuitous that I saw you last night.”
“Verra,” she said, mimicking his accent.
He laughed and stood, lifting her into his arms as he did. She was at eye level with him when he kissed her before setting her back on her feet. “The accent sounds good on you.”
“I like it better on you. It’s sexy.”
Shaw quirked a brow and shot her a crooked grin. “You think so, aye? Then you should know that I think your hair is unbelievably sexy.”
Now that surprised her. Others had told her it was her smile, her eyes, her face, or some part of her body. No one had ever said her hair. She kept it long because she liked it. The unexpected compliment made her belly tremble with some unnamed emotion. “Thank you.”
She took his hand, and they left his room. Nia remembered the rip she’d heard when he had undressed, but she couldn’t see anything wrong with his clothing. Maybe she had only thought she’d heard it. Perhaps he had used magic to fix it. That was the most likely explanation. She had no idea how magic worked. Did he have to say something? Wave his hands? There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but she couldn’t.
He kept hold of her hand as they left the pub behind and walked through the people along the street. Shaw wasn’t in a hurry anymore, but he still made sure that no one ran into her. He was never rude or angry about it. He simply used his body or his arm to shield her from others.
She had a smile on her face—a true smile. Was this what it felt like to be happy? At the very least, content. It was a new experience. She wanted to talk to someone about it, but she didn’t have anyone she could confide in. The worst part was that she wanted to tell Shaw. How silly was that? She barely knew him, but she wanted to share something private with him.
That had to be his magic.
She wanted to hate it, but she couldn’t. The more time she spent with him, the more she wondered why everyone feared the Dragon Kings so much. They hadn’t attacked any cities in…well, she couldn’t recall a time when they had. Which begged the question of where had the fear of the Kings come from?
Shaw drew her to a halt and stepped in front of her when two men came barreling out of a pub, fighting. One of the men’s fists struck Shaw’s shoulder. Instead of getting angry and throwing a punch, he drew the two men apart and simply stared at them. Both seemed to come to their senses. They glared at each other but walked away without anyone coming to harm.
“How did you do that?” she asked.
Shaw shrugged and took her hand once more.
She shook her head at him. As they walked, a tall man with dark blue eyes and chestnut blond hair snagged her attention. He didn’t look their way, but something about him reminded her of Shaw. Her stomach dropped to her feet, causing her to stumble. Had she just seen the other Dragon King?
Nia’s head snapped to Shaw, but he was staring at her. When she swung her head back to the man, he had disappeared behind some others.
“Are you all right?” Shaw asked as he steadied her.
She forced a smile. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
Before long, they passed through the gate to the fifth level. Nia couldn’t help but look back over her shoulder, but she didn’t see the other man.
Shaw was quiet as they walked to the seventh level. His eyes didn’t miss anything, from the soldiers, to the homes that steadily got bigger and bigger, nor the cleanliness. When they reached her villa, he paused at the gated entrance. He gazed up at the arch of pink roses that ran along a trellis before smiling at her.
She walked through the gate first and waited for him to follow. He stopped once more and took in her home. It was made of the same red sandstone as the rest of Stonemore, but she had softened the harshness of it with the gardens.
“This suits you,” he said.
Nia’s heart swelled. The villa wasn’t hers, and she knew it was foolish to think otherwise, but she couldn’t help it.
Chapter Twelve
After the basic structures Shaw had seen on the first four levels of Stonemore, he was unprepared for the detail of the architecture of the elite homes. Though he shouldn’t have been. Whereas the buildings had sat on either side of the winding street on levels one through four, things were far different the moment he stepped foot onto the fifth tier.
The homes were only on the side against the mountain, giving the illusion of more space. While the structures were multi-level, a decent amount of space existed between each estate. They were all made of red sandstone, but they set themselves apart with unique entrances.
Shaw’s gaze was drawn to the pink roses long before he knew it was Nia’s home. A few other estates had large pots of greenery, but no one had anything quite like the climbing roses. At least, not on the fifth or sixth level.
The flowers’ scent was heady, as was their size. He had never seen roses as large as his thigh before. He didn’t get to look at them long before following Nia through the short wooden gate.
Grass might not cover the ground, but he didn’t even realize it because his gaze moved from the different-sized raised planters to the various pots. The path separated, forcing each of them to go around a pedestal where a shallow bowl sat. It was easily six feet wide and housed a plant similar to an aloe vera, though the stalks were a pale, silvery blue. Off to the right were more of the large roses, these in a deep purple shade. On the left were roses of the most beautiful turquoise hue he had ever seen.
As he continued after Nia, they approached the house. Two tall, round, red sandstone pots that came about even with his waist flanked the steps to the portico. In each was a variety of plants. Tall, ornamental grass rested in the center with other plants with different-colored flowers that trailed down the planters’ sides surrounding it.
He looked up at her home and nodded at the magnificent arches that made up the porch. The same curve had been used for the paneled wooden door. Despite the size, it moved easily and quietly when Nia opened it.
The smell of roses followed him inside. There were vases of different-colored blooms set about the house. Some arrangements were a single color, while others had been mixed, creating a beautiful design. Then he caught sight of the floor. The builders had smoothed and leveled the mountain to create it. It would have been pretty on its own, but the crafters had carved designs into certain sections, like at the entrance.
The walls were made of sandstone carved and cut into rectangles. The simplicity of it worked because of the extra attention to detail around the windows and doorways. They weren’t plain windows. Each had a design similar to those on the floor. In addition, the same dark wood as the front door had been used to outline each window with more artwork carved into the surfaces.
Shaw’s gaze clashed with Nia’s as she stood, watching him. “Well?” she asked.
Was it his imagination, or did she seem anxious about what he thought? Shaw grinned at her. “I love what I’ve seen so far.”
“There are two more floors above us, but let me take you to one of my favorite spots first,” she said excitedly.
Without a doubt, she loved her home. Nia’s estate wasn’t the largest, but it wasn’t tiny, either. Still, it ran on the narrow side, using the floors above to allow more room. He was curious to explore each. He followed her through the back of the house, noting that all the doorways were arches.
