Free Read Novels Online Home

The Mountain King: Dragon Shifter Urban Fantasy Romance (Dragon, Stone & Steam Book 1) by Emma Alisyn (14)

Chapter Fourteen

Kailigh snuck out of the castle long before the sun rose. She dressed in trousers and a shirt, lacing up her leather vest and checking the pockets to ensure all her little… tools were where they were supposed to be. She threw her sturdy poncho cape on to hide the flintlock, and left the rooms.

She made her way to the town gate and was stopped, predictably. She had expected that—she hadn’t expected the squinty-eyed questioning.

“Do you have the Lord’s permission to leave the safety of the town, mistress?” the guard asked.

She stared at him. “And since when do I require permission? I am no subject of his.”

The man’s elegant Dwyrkin face tightened. “I must detain you until I can—”

“If you put a hand on me, boy, I’ll chop it off at the wrist.”

They stared at each other. “Not much you can do about this without risking a limb, is there?” she asked. “I’m positive the Lord would be unhappy with that outcome, since he would be short a guard. I’m certain that as soon as you step aside and I leave, you can scurry off to your master and tell tales.”

He stepped aside, to Kailigh’s surprise, and bowed. She’d expected to have to put up more of a fight, but maybe he’d just been trying her. She shrugged and broke into a swift jog, wanting to reach her house before the sun rose, to scout the perimeter. They’d been gone long enough of less savory individuals—and those with limited intellect—to begin snooping around. She’d have to ask around and see if any of the Dwyrkin specialized in magical barriers, and how much they’d charge.

She circled the perimeter of the house twice, squatting in the bushes for several long minutes to listen for the sounds of anyone moving around inside. When she was reasonably confident the house was clear, she approached, blade in her hand, and slipped in the back door. After a quick check of each room, she was satisfied.

The place hadn’t been ransacked, which was the second surprise of the morning, and nothing appeared to be missing. Hmm. She wondered if Maddugh had sent out word to the town. She wouldn’t put that high-handed kind of thing past him.

Kailigh spent a happy hour talking to her vegetables, doing a bit of weeding and checking the leaves of her greens for pests. A few were ready for picking—she had to decide if she should sell to one of the inns in town, or stay home long enough to can the produce. It seemed as if the wind blew in the direction of taking up permanent residence with Maddugh. Her own lack of pushback surprised even her, but hadn’t she just complained to herself days ago, about how tired she was? Not physically tired—but mentally. The constant burden of doing it alone, even though the girls were mostly adults now. There were other problems to deal with concerning adult daughters. Like kidnappers, and unexpected grandbabies.

She stared at the ground, the reality of the situation slamming down on her. Her daughters would have to marry. And soon. None of their lives would ever be the same. And, oddly enough, she was okay with that. There would, for once, be plenty of other people around to help her. Maddugh, his sons. Eventually her sons-in-law. Kailigh exhaled, and smiled at a carrot

“Mother!”

Kailigh jerked, surging to her feet as Serephone and Persia burst from the forest.

“Where is Cinvarra?” she asked. “You left your sister alone in the castle?”

She’d strangle them. Not that she didn’t trust the dragons, she did. But Cin was still a young, beautiful, courtable female with her mother and elder sisters conveniently gone… it would be the perfect time for a bit of foolishness. And Kai knew damn well it was likely to be Cin who initiated said foolishness.

“The funny blonde prince is with her,” Persia said. “Just listen. My friend at Sally’s telegraphed. Two of Ruthus’ men got off the train.”

Her instincts perked. Sometimes men were sent ahead of an airbus to scout before the main crew arrived. All they needed was one flapping mouth to give them a clue when Ruthus would be back. Then Kai could be waiting. “Let’s go then. Wait—get the guns under the floorboards. And all the ammo.”

* * *

They were halfway to town when a dragon swooped down from the sky. She was becoming suspicious he had a tracking device planted somewhere.

The women skidded to a halt, Kailigh squinting up into the dimming sunlight with a sigh. The dragon was black, scales glimmering with a rainbow of color in the early sunlight—and he didn’t look friendly. A long neck swung towards her as wings temporarily blocked the sun, the jaw on the end of that neck snapping.

“The round in my shotgun will go through even your tough hide, I’ll bet,” Kailigh said. “You’d best not snap at me again.” Especially if they would wed. Best to train him now.

The dragon constricted, the shift a disturbing backwards morph of muscles and scale and skin. Kailigh stared, her expression stony as an angry, naked male strode towards her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Maddugh snapped. “There are still traffickers in town. Probably waiting for you to show your foolish head to finish what they started.”

“Telegram,” Persia said. “We’re going after the varmint who shot Cin.”

Maddugh rolled his eyes, crossing magnificent arms across his wide chest. “You aren’t going anywhere—”

“Now wait just one damn minute!” Kai exclaimed.

“—without me.”

Even worse. “If you think I will have the dragon Lord underfoot, you’ve got another thing coming. I have enough to do keeping my girls out of trouble without keeping an eye on you as well.”

She kept her eyes trained ruthlessly on his face. She wouldn’t look down. Not even a peek.

“Need clothes for town,” Sere said.

His brow rose and he shrugged, then trotted off the path and into the forest. “Stay put!” he yelled over his shoulder. “I dropped my pack a few feet from here.”

Kailigh snorted, fully intending to ignore his order.

“We could use the extra muscle, Ma,” Persia said.

“Nice muscle,” Sere murmured.

Kai glared at both her daughters, but waited. A man with them—as much as it galled her to admit it—might tip the scales in their favor at least in terms of numbers.

The Dwyrkin Lord gave her a look as he emerged from the forest. “I’m absolutely amazed you didn’t run off. I would have enjoyed the chase.”

Kailigh eyed him up and down. “You’re dressed like a Domer.” A man who didn’t work for a living, the kind with inherited money who dabbled in ‘trade.’

Maddugh tugged at his finely woven vest. “It’s a disguise. No one could possibly take me seriously in this frippery.”

That was God’s truth. While he always dressed as befit his station in life, his regular style was decidedly understated, even severe. This outfit… the quality of the cloth, polished gold buttons, and shined shoes complemented his lean frame, but was nearly dandified with profusion of gold on brown brocade. He’d pulled his hair back and tied it with something so it wasn’t its usual wild mass. All he needed was a topcoat and a cane.

Kailigh snorted and set off again, her daughters at her side. Maddugh fell in at her side.

“So, what is the plan, Kai?” he asked. “You did have a plan?”

“Working on it,” Sere said.

The plan mostly consisted of nosing through town, finding the slug who’d shot her daughter, and inviting him for a little chat at high noon in the town square. At least in her mind. She’d likely stake him out and wait until dark, quietly shoot him in the head, and then hope to make it back to the castle in time for dinner. She hated cold food, though cold chicken was all right.

“Split up?” Sere asked.

“No,” Maddugh said.

“Good idea,” Kailigh said simultaneously, then glared at him. “Look, Your Royal Majesty, this is my show. I make the calls.”

His head tilted as he studied her like some particularly curious form of bug. With wings for him to snatch off. “Mistress, you’ve forgotten you owe me the fulfillment of our deal.” He smiled, the pleasant expression rising the hairs on the back of her neck. “I must protect my investment, after all.”

They spent a few hours scouting—skulking, rather—before Kailigh called a halt. She rounded up her daughters. “Look, go back to the castle, I’ll scout for a few more hours. Cin won’t like being by herself for long.”

They protested, but Maddugh intervened. “Your youngest sister is your first duty, and she should be properly attended by other women of her household,” he said, voice firm. “Obey your mother.”

They gaped at him, but Kailigh just grinned, smug. It felt nice to have someone on her side for a change. The three girls always argued with her. If they’d had a real father growing up, maybe they wouldn’t be so wild. Going around drinking, carousing, getting shot. They left, though, Serephone with a dark glare and Persia with a knowing little smirk. Kailigh ignored them both.

“This time of night, the traffickers and their ilk will be in one of the establishments that offer adult entertainment,” Kailigh told Maddugh.

He looked interested. “Adult entertainment? Would that be why you really wanted the girls gone?”

“Don’t enjoy yourself too much,” she replied, voice a little sour.

Maddugh reached out a hand, pushing her cheek with his knuckles. “I only have eyes for one lady. And am thoroughly enjoying her stubbornness.” He paused. “Mostly.”

What could she say to that? Not much, especially since she wasn’t accustomed to the flirting. She jerked and shrugged and led the way to the first strip joint.

It wasn’t officially licensed as a strip joint, but there was music, and half-clad women on tables who happened to be dancing to the music. It also wasn’t officially licensed as a whorehouse, but there were rooms, and there were appropriately unattired women in those rooms.

“My,” Maddugh said, glancing around. “What… character?”

Kai glanced at him. His expression was pleasantly bored, eyes sharp as he located and sized up every male in the room. He didn’t look at the women-and Kai watched to see where his gaze would fall.

“The girls are dangerous, too, you know,” she said, vaguely offended on behalf of the female gender that he would dismiss all the women as ‘safe.’

He glanced at her. “Yes. But they aren’t traffickers. Although that one—” he nodded to a woman on a far table, hips swinging to the beat of the music “—moves like an agent. Watch her. She’s probably here to spy.”

Kailigh controlled the urge to gape, and made a mental note. “Then why not arrest them?”

“Management,” he said, clinically. “There are too many traffickers, and they change tactics too often. It’s easier to manage them than to try to stamp them out.”

Kailigh stared at him. He shrugged. “When you one day rule, you’ll understand.”

She snorted. “I rule my house, and my garden, and my girls—and they are almost fully their own women, so not even them soon.”

He glanced at her, but said nothing, following her into the dark, slightly musty room. It was stuffed with bodies, likely a quarter of the adult male population of the mining camps. More than usual, which brought a frown to Kai’s face, recalling the conversation between Maddugh and Amnan. She’d have to spend more of her time in town, keeping an eye on things. She was still human, despite the evidence of Dwyrkin blood, and she could skulk, ear to the ground, without no one batting a lash. So, if there would be trouble, she could warn Maddugh ahead of time.

“I will talk to some of the girls,” she said, leaning close to his ear. “They trade in information sometimes as well as other things.”

His hand wrapped around her wrist, hard, forestalling her. He lowered his head so his lips pressed to her ear. “And what is the plan, Kai? What do you do when you find one of his men?”

“Find out when he’ll be back so we can have a trap waiting.”

“And then just let the man go?”

The skepticism in his voice irritated her. “Of course not. We’ll turn them over to the constable to hold until things are settled.”

Maddugh sighed. “How cute. The constable.” He released her wrist and patted her bottom. “Go play. I’ll have a drink and keep an eye on things.”

“Whatever.”