Page 39 of Guardian's Dilemma

What I actually meant was I didn’t know how Lord Somerville was going to react. I really wasn’t looking forward to this.

My mate nodded. “Can I help myself to the food in the kitchen?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

It wasn’t the most romantic of goodbyes but, for where we were, it was probably the best I could have hoped for. Kingsley would eat, settle, heal and recover, and I would get this over with and then come back to check on him.

Inside me, my dragon rumbled and I tried to reassure it. Everything would work out just fine.

Chapter 16: Glimmer

I’d left my phone at the boundary, which was what I always did. Just in case someone managed to trace it. It was only Lord Somerville who would think to do it, but it was a precaution I always took. I didn’t want them to discover that I left the territory and I really didn’t want them to discover my secret little cottage.

As soon as I got back in, I sent a message out to everyone, telling them to stand down and return to the castle.

With that, I hurried back to the vault, feeling weird that I was retracing my steps from earlier, except above ground. Below me, the tunnel would be filled with rubble and completely impassable.

Once I was at the vault, I took a quick look at it. The entrance was intact but the doors were jammed and I knew that it would take time to excavate everything. At least most of our actual valuables were locked in large safes, deep below ground, and the collapsing roof would have blocked them off but shouldn’t have damaged them. Only the display stuff would be chipped or broken, and I could live with that. As long as ourrealtreasure was safe, and I knew that none of the family had been hurt.

My dragon was satisfied.

I shifted and flew to the castle, dressed and slipped inside. I went round the back, as usual, since I didn’t want anyone to stop me and ask questions until I’d talked to Lord Somerville.

“Enter,” he called, just as normal.

I went in and stood before his desk, waiting for him to give me permission to speak. We all knew that Lord Somerville didn’t like us to look him in the eyes. He considered it a challenge to his authority and I’d always written it off as something that dragon elders felt that nobody else did. That didn’t mean I kept my head bowed like some of the others, though.

I stood tall and kept my back straight, and looked straight ahead. My eyes focused on the space just below Lord Somerville’s eyes. It was respectful but not a challenge, and my dragon was happy with the compromise. It hated to look weak, even in front of someone we knew was much more powerful than we were.

“What happened?”

I explained, filling in as much detail about theridireas possible in the hopes that my story would appear not to have any holes in it. As far as I was concerned right then, Kingsley didn’t exist. I’d been alerted to aridirewho’d found the territory. No, I didn’t know how he had found us. He’d called his coven for back-up and they’d broken in using dragon’s blood to enhance their power. I’d fought them, led them deep into the bowels of the vault and blown it up, crushing them. I resisted adding, “You’re welcome,” to the end of my explanation.

Actually, I was feeling pretty pleased with myself. I’d managed to tell the truth in such a way that I’d edited Kingsley out completely and I had managed to protect our territory fromridire. That was my job, and I’d done it. Something primal inside me was always pleased to feel that my family was safe because of me.

It meant that Lord Somerville’s next words were like a slap to the face.

“I’m disappointed in you.”

“What?”

“It is your duty to protect the treasure.”

“Theridiredidn’t get anywhere near the castle,” I insisted.

That was a mistake. And I knew better.

“You letridireinto our territory! Perhaps you’re not as strong as you claim to be. Perhaps you’re not the best person to be the Guardian.”

My dragon pushed up inside me. It didn’t like that idea. For a whole load of reasons. I felt it push against my skin, my scales shimmered over my forearms and down my back, and I reigned it in.

“I am strong,” I said. “My duty is to guard our clan.”

“I will need a full report on how you allowedridireto breach our borders so I can decide whether you are capable of maintaining them.”

For a long moment, I simply stared at my elder, half of me trying to convince the other half – the rational half – that Lord Somerville was joking. He wasn’t. I knew that. Lord Somerville didn’t have a sense of humour.

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