She slipped away from Maddugh when one of his sons spoke to him again. Kailigh now recognized the undercurrents of something going on under her nose—Maddugh was distracted, having assigned his sons to escort her most of the evening. For a man who claimed to be intent on courting, there was only one reason for that—he had other business going on simultaneously. It might have to do with her, and it might not.

But the royal dragons were involved in something. There was too much deliberate movement and too many serious conversations held in quiet corners, as if they were coordinating information.

Kailigh wanted to do some scouting of her own and was irritated when Gaston stepped in her path.

“Why are you skulking about, Mistress Kai?” he asked.

The foreman was dressed as he usually was, a dark, overly expensive coat for his station, his hair carefully styled and shoes shined. As if he were a rich city dweller and not a working man in an Outland coal mine, no matter how lofty his job title.

“Gaston.” Her voice was flat. “You have an amazing propensity towards questions that are none of your business.”

White teeth gleamed. Shark teeth. “Well. As it happens, I have business with yourself.”

Kailigh stared. “What possible business do you have with me?”

“Shall we walk?”

She wanted to say hell, no. But… this had been a strange day, and an even stranger evening, and she didn’t feel in a position to just ignore Gaston behaving oddly. His usual flirtatious mien was dampened, as if he was putting on an effort to be charming.

“All right,” she said, and he blinked.

“Thank you. Refreshment?” he asked as they passed a vendor.

“Get on with it,” she said. “I’m busy.”

“Of course, of course. I was in the tent with Lord Maddugh made his announcement.”

Kailigh blinked. “I’m at a loss—what business of yours is my personal life?”

“As you know, I am Lord Maddugh’s foreman. If you and he wed, you will be his wife. Lady here, and my employer. ‘Rule at my side’ I believe were his words?”

Kailigh grimaced.

Gaston smiled, bland. “Even so. I feel you are in a position—having lived with us townspeople—to understand certain nuances of life down the mountain that perhaps the Lord is unaware of.”

She didn’t like where the discussion was going, but remained silent. Let him talk himself into a noose.

“I recently presented him with information regarding a business opportunity which would be lucrative for himself and for the community—you know how desperately we need a continuous influx of capital.”

“If you’re asking me to intervene in matters that have nothing to do with me, you’re wasting your time.”

“I understand you may not understand these things—women aren’t required to, of course.”

Kailigh gritted her teeth, keeping words from tumbling past her lips. She should set a good example for her daughters, and conduct herself with dignity. If possible.

“But I have confidence in your intelligence and discretion. I’ve drawn up a proposal on behalf of an interested third party to expand production at the mine and transport the excess to Denver—you’re aware a new Dome is being developed? Yes, well, if you would read the proposal, and if you feel it in the best interests of your husband and family, of course… I would be grateful. And the third party.”

Gaston paused, turned to face her. “Our gratitude would extend to ensuring some small nest egg in your name and the names of your daughters is set aside, to secure their futures. You never know how marriages might turn out these days. Men have so many distractions.”

She didn’t like Gaston. And even though his words sounded innocent enough, if self-serving, she didn’t want anything to do with him. In fact, she was searching for teeth hidden in velvet. His kind always had a trap waiting for the unwary.

“I won’t do business with you, Gaston. You can just clear that idea out of your head. Good evening.”

She began to walk past him when he grabbed her arm. “Don’t be so hasty, Mistress Kailigh.”

“Get your hand off me.”

He lowered his head, a smile on his face, whispering words as if they were two lovers, paused for a bit of flirting. “There are those who feel Lord Maddugh has power and wealth he shouldn’t—wealth and power that should belong to humans. There may be trouble coming, and I wouldn’t want to see you and your daughters caught up in it. Do the right thing, Kailigh. The smart thing.”

“Or else?” She heard the ‘or else’ in his voice, read it in his eyes.

Gaston stepped back, releasing her. “Don’t be silly. I’m not threatening you—simply offering an advantageous business proposition.”

“I don’t like you, Gaston. I think you’re amoral, and likely a cheat as well.”

He laughed. “For a woman who is happy to fuck a beast, you have a high opinion of your morals, Kai—too amusing. I’ll be in touch.”

And with a gentle smile, he bowed and slipped away into the crowd.

* * *

She told Maddugh about the conversation the following morning. It had taken her overnight to decide what, if anything, to tell him. But in the end, it seemed prudent, so at least she could never be charged with withholding information.

“That’s what you get for opening your big mouth in public,” Kai said.

Maddugh and Amnan exchanged an impassive look. “I’ll have another look around in the morning,” the son said. “Too many of the human eyes were more alert than a faire warrants.”

“You think Gaston had men scouting the town?” Kailigh asked. “What for?”

“What would you do if you were a little man with ambition and you thought your Lord held too much power?” Maddugh asked, voice soft.

“But…” she stared at him, uneasy. “The miners wouldn’t rebel. They need to feed their families.”

“We’ll see.”

Amnan excused himself from the breakfast table. Maddugh turned to Kai once his son was gone. “I thought we might enjoy the morning air—last night was eventful.”

Her brow rose. “A turn around the garden?” Really.

The Lord smiled, bland. “I was thinking something a bit more private. A walk in the forest, perhaps.”

He made it sound so innocent. Kailigh knew better. But… what was she protesting about? A rich, single, handsome male showing interest? He didn’t want her homestead, he wasn’t covertly eyeing her daughters and thinking wedding her would be a feast. So, what was her real problem?

Maddugh just wouldn’t be a manageable kind of husband.

“What are you thinking, Mistress Kailigh?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Never mind. When do we leave?”

“I have some work this morning… at lunch time? We’ll pack a basket.”

How sweet. “You do know I’m not twenty anymore?”

Maddugh rose, approached her. Leaned down and placed a soft, fleeting kiss on her lips. “That doesn’t mean you’re not a woman. And how many times must I tell you? To the Dwyrkin, you are barely even old enough to consent.”

Kailigh snorted, swiping at him as he danced out of the way with a grin. “There will be no need for consenting, Maddugh,” she called as he strode out of the breakfast room.

He poked his head back through the door. “Is that a challenge? I accept.”

* * *

Amnan swooped into the large, dusty clearing and shifted, not bothering with stealth this time, and waded directly into the fight. A few of the smarter two-leggeds scattered, recognizing him instantly.

“Get Gaston!” someone yelled.

Yes. Get Gaston.

Grabbing one of the brawling men by the neck, Amnan lifted and threw him backwards into a cluster of clucking onlookers—who should have been working. The human he’d pulled the now-dazed man from staggered to his feet, swiping at the blood streaming down his nose.

“What’s the problem here?” Amnan growled. “You have quotas to meet.”

“Get out of my way,” another man snapped and Amnan turned to see a thick-chested man shove his way through the crowd. “Your Lordness. I’m the supervisor on duty—Booker’s the name. Gaston’s got some folks he’s touring around the mine.”

Did no human know the proper forms of address? Kailigh butchered it each time it came out of her mouth—though he’d begun to suspect that was on purpose. “I didn’t authorize any tours.”

The supervisor shrugged. “That so? Seems like we should have a talk then.”

“You should keep your mouth shut,” a bystander yelled.

The man whirled around, his face hard. “Who shouted? You want to come meet me face to face?” Scanning the crowd, he scowled. “Who was it?”

Amnan touched Booker’s shoulder. “Is there trouble here I need to be aware of?”

Booker shrugged again. “Let’s talk while we find Gaston.” He raised his voice. “And the rest of you—day break is OVER!”

Amnan waited until the men dispersed. “What is day break?”

“Something new,” Booker replied. “Come on, let’s get you a hardhat—unless you don’t need one being—” the man wiggled his fingers ”—you know.”

Amnan stared. “A dragon? Our heads, while harder than most, still are vulnerable in human form to things like cave ins.”

“Might not want to bandy that info around too loud.”

Booker led him to a shed, unlocked it, and rifled through the content to withdraw a hat. Amnan took it with a grimace—it didn’t smell healthy—and put it on. “Day break?”

“Morale booster,” Booker said as they walked towards the mine entrance. “Give the boys a bit of sunlight during their shift, helps with production. Used to do lunch right there in the shafts, but they were getting antsy.”

“Seems like there’s a lot of this antsy going around.”

Booker jerked a shoulder. They entered the mine, a world of flickering gas lamps and the clang of metal against stone. Primitive. But effective.

And the stench… Amnan hated the mines.

“Someone’s been stirring the workers up. Talking a lot about how profits should be shared, and maybe if we had new ownership… I know it’s bullshit. Exchanging one master for another never did anything but disrupt the process.”

“Hmm. If there are complaints, why aren’t they presented to my father?”

Booker stopped. “Gaston said he did.”

“Gaston is a liar. He presented profit and loss projections.”

“Yeah. I kinda figured that after the faire. A Lord doesn’t throw that kind of shindig if he’s a skinflint—or invite the men he’s screwing to wander around his home at will. So.”

So, indeed.

* * *

Maddugh found her wandering the grounds a little before noon. She’d glimpsed the kitchen gardens from her room the other day and had meant to take a closer look, but the rosebushes on the way there had distracted her.

“Kailigh?”

She glanced at him and rose from her couch, wiping hands on her thighs. She’d indulged her vanity and chosen to don a dark green skirt with a matching short-waisted jacket. Tiny black buttons and embroidery on the cuffs accentuated the design, and the cut and stitching allowed her to forgo a corset. She’d started to draw on dark denim pants, but had changed her mind at the last second. Denim was for working days—not for a picnic with a Lord.

Maddugh watched her curiously. “You enjoy gardening?”

“I enjoy eating.” Her lips curved. “But yes, I grow flowers for pleasure as well. Though the roses make an elixir we’ve sold in the past.”

“It seems a gentle pastime.” He inclined his head and held out a hand. “Are you ready?”

Kailigh took the hand readily enough and he drew her along. The trek this time led them the opposite way from her home and the town. Instead, they dived into the forest and with the sunlight streaming through the trees and the song of birds fluttering in the canopy, it was almost as if they entered another time.

Or maybe it was just the dragon at her side who made it seem new.

He seemed content not to speak, glancing at her occasionally, his thumb caressing the back of her hand. And slowly, Kailigh relaxed. Her daughters were more or less safe, everyone was fed, and she had at her side the baddest beast for miles around. If there was any time she could relax her guard and simply enjoy the day, it was now.

They emerged from the forest on the edge of a crystalline blue lake, small enough for a leisurely swim across, the sun bursting overhead and sparkling on the still surface. Baby mountains rose in the back and for a moment, she feared to travel to the other side, climb those mountains and see what was beyond. But she knew what was beyond. Seattle, the only Dome in the Pacific Northwest, and the Outlands. Maddugh’s mountains, the surrounding forest, was an oasis. It was why, despite its issues, she’d never left.

“You’re smiling,” he murmured. “Share your thoughts?”

“I never knew this was here,” she said, stepping forward. “How could I have not known this was here?”

“I’m glad it pleases you. I come here when I can—usually not as a man, though.”

Kailigh turned. “Are you?”

“Pardon?”

“A man. Are you even a man? I don’t know much about your people, only that they came through the worlds when the War ripped the veil between the dimensions.”

She held his eyes, not wanting to miss even the flick of a lash. Maddugh moved forward, grace and confidence. He took her hand and lifted it to his chest. Her palm flattened against his hard pec, the thrumming of his heart met her fingers.

“My heart beats,” he said. “My blood is red.” He smiled. “My passion hot.”

“Do you know what you’re doing?” she asked in a whisper as his head lowered, his eyes trained on hers.

His lips hovered over hers. “Courting a woman worth a dragon’s weight in gold.”

Kailigh’s lids drifted shut and her senses became hyperaware of the scents of the forest, the warm beam of sun on her cheek, the rapid beating of the organ under her hand. Her heart sped up to match his own. He suckled her bottom lip, sweeping his tongue into her mouth and pulling her flush against his body, trapping both of her arms against him.

Kailigh didn’t struggle, didn’t pull away. She sank into him, wanting to know if her body would truly wake for this man—if his would truly wake for her. And she had her answer soon enough with the stiffness pressing against her belly. She inhaled, not quite ready for things to progress beyond a kiss. Not quite.

Maddugh stepped back without relinquishing her hand. “Come.”