Page 50 of To Spark a Dragon's Love
“I’m going fast enough.”
Despite my brother’s bitching, we did, in fact, make it to the lodge before nightfall. After a long day of driving, I wanted nothing more than to stretch my wings, but I needed to make sure everything was done.
I’d called last night to discover that Betty, the old staff manager, had passed away some years ago. Her granddaughter still ran the family cleaning business, though. Amanda had taken my monetary bribe in exchange for dusting out the place on such short notice. Suffice to say, I’d let things slip over the years.
I hurried ahead of our party, leaving them to walk around the yard while Lucan checked on the old wards. The entry doors were cleaned and unchained. That was a good sign. As I pushed them open, the polished hardwood floors of the foray gleamed in the overhead antler chandelier light.
Memories washed over me.
The gleaming floor, so shiny I could see my reflection in it. The siren in red who’d laughed at my jokes while the feast in the next room raged late into the night. The shake and call from Earth.
The crippling pain as I crawled back through these same doors to see my house destroyed. The remaining guests drunk and passed out in the various rooms as I crawled to my cold bed alone.
“Are you okay?”
I blinked, coming back to the present as I looked down at the little girl gripping my pant leg and staring up at me with those big, bright green eyes.
“Fine,” I whispered hoarsely.
“This is amazing.” Willow leaned against the doorframe, taking in the reception rooms of the lodge. Her gaze swept overthe carved ceiling beams, the two-story stone fireplace, and the grandfather clock, all meticulously dusted and returned to their former glories.
She nodded approvingly and my chest filled with a quiet sort of pride. It’d been years since I was fit to impress anyone.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Oh, I love it,” Harper said as she grabbed my hand, not caring who I was talking to and making me admire the girl’s outspoken confidence. “Let’s go see which room is mine.”
∞
“You can’t keep them here indefinitely.” Kieran paced the length of the parlor while I sat by the roaring fire, nursing my glass of scotch.
“And why not?” The ice cubes in my glass clinked. I hadn’t gone as slow as I intended. But the burn of the liquor was just enough to take the edge off my awakened dragon’s new rampage.
The others will come. You’ll fail them all.
Goddess, do you ever shut up?
I fumbled for the bottle and poured another glass.
“For starters,” Kieran was still talking. “This isn’t the home she chose for herself.”
“My mate belongs in my territory, does she not?” I glanced at Lucan.
My brother shrugged in return. “They have this weird thing about being kidnapped.”
“No one kidnapped anyone. She came willingly.” I waved him off, sure that in this case, I was correct. I’d reached through the bond earlier to assure myself of it. Willow was wise beyondher years, more so than any human I’d ever met, and she knew her best chance of safety was with me.
And when you fail…
I took another sip.
It pained me to have to use the bond to find out what she was really thinking under that pleasant smile she adopted so easily. Admittedly, I might’ve been too hasty in trying to deaden that link between us. I’d have to find another way to keep her from feeling what I felt. It’d be a tragedy to males everywhere to lose the magical connection that allowed me to read her true desires.
Speaking of… I looked at the ceiling, wondering if she still felt the carnal pull she’d experienced yesterday and if I’d be a complete asshole to feed those flames.
You’ll ruin her.
I swallowed another drink.
