Chapter 11
Upon Waking
Annora’s mind was muddled as she woke. The smell of meat cooking was strange because the ground under her was clearly not that of a tavern. And her body ached in ways she had never experienced before.
Then the most recent events flooded into her consciousness.
She sat bolt upright, her eyes wide and wild. There was a fire and she could see the meat cooking, but Elian was nowhere to be found.
Quickly she stood and threw her clothes on, unable to look back at where she had slept out of shame. The dragon hunter reached the mouth of the cave when something to the right caught her eye. Turning, she saw a large black dragon flying toward the cave. Instinctively, she moved back into the cave. It was all she could do to fight the instinct to draw her weapons. The dragon was soaring toward the mouth of the cave, and just before its front claws touched, the image in front of her blurred, and then Elian strolled into the cave.
Annora’s hand covered her heart as she watched him enter. It took only a few seconds for his vision to acclimate to the cave, and then he turned to where she had been sleeping. When he saw that she wasn’t there, his head turned toward the food. She stood close by it, looking at him with what appeared to be fear.
Holding up his hands, Elian stepped toward her. “I’m not going to hurt you. Look, breakfast.” His hands were up in a nonthreatening stance and he gestured toward the food.
The dragon hunter’s eyes looked down and then back at him, her heart still racing, her eyes still wild. She said nothing.
Keeping his distance, Elian moved to the fire and removed the meat. “Sorry for being gone when you woke. I returned Lilou to the clan and told them I still had some unfinished business. I tried to make it sound official, but I think Leonides is onto me.” He felt the food, the put his fingers in his mouth. “It’s done. Would you like some?”
Annora swallowed and her eyes darted toward the mouth of the cave. All she wanted to do was get out of the cave and away from the shame and disgust she felt toward herself.
Elian put the food down and stood up. “Are you alright? Here, let me fix your-”
She wanted to run, to get away, but she found it impossible to disobey him as he sat her down near the medicine and he adjusted some of her bandages. It was then that she realized he had already treated the ones she had neglected after the fight.
Looking at the top of his head while he checked her ankle, she asked, “Why?”
He had been chatting, about what, she was not sure. His eyes looked up at her, and her heart sped up. “I don’t understand the question.”
The pain on his face was there, although he was trying to hide it. Annora tried to choose her words carefully, but she always found it difficult to express emotions. Primarily she was both scared and confused.
“Why are you still helping me?”
His hand reached up and felt her forehead. “Are you fevered?” A frown crossed his face. Apparently Elian was not satisfied with the results, so he moved up and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. Both of his hands held her face as he pulled back. “You don’t feel like you are fevered.” He wanted to say something else, but only his eyes hinted at what it was.
Annora looked at him. “Why are you still here?”
The question clearly pained him. Standing up, he looked down at her. “Do you want me to leave?”
Shaking her head, the dragon hunter tried to figure out what she was trying to say. Bree was the one who had experience with this, an area of life that Annora had been desperate to avoid for over a decade. “I just thought… Don’t men usually leave afterward?”
Elian blinked at her a couple of times, then laughed. Annora’s face flushed as she looked up at him, her eyes threatening. He lowered himself and took her hands in his own. “Good. I thought we came to something of an understanding earlier.”
Annora’s face radiated confusion.
Searching her eyes, the shifter continued, “I thought you were willing to… give up hunting.”
Annora’s eyebrows drew together. “So you stayed to keep me from killing more of your kind? Wouldn’t it have been easier to just kill me?” Her voice had a chill to it.
The pained expression immediately made her feel guilty.
Shaking her head, Annora tried to fix what she had said. “Wasn’t what happened just a way for you to get leverage? I thought that this sort of thing…” She lost her voice as the young woman had not the ability to bring up what had happened. Her face was bright red as her voice trailed off.
Elian stared at her for a few moments before saying, “I don’t know if you are really that innocent or that repulsed.”
Annora pulled her hands out of his and ran them through her hair. “This is Bree’s area, not mine. I’ve always believed this kind of thing was just an exchange. A way of negotiating. Why else would people do it?”
Elian’s expression was priceless as he looked at her. For her part, Annora could not look at him directly any more. His voice was low and warm as he asked, “And what were you trying to negotiate this morning?”
“I don’t know!” Her breath started to quicken and she felt like her head was going to explode. “I thought you were going to die. Once it was obvious that you weren’t, I was so….” Her voice faltered. Turning her eyes toward Elian, they were pleading with him.
He reached a hand out and touched her face. “You were so pleased that you didn’t care what happened?”
She nodded, her mind distracted by the fact that Elian was being so kind. The feel of his hand against her skin made her heart race, and Annora tried to fight down the excitement it inspired.
Elian moved towards her, and the dragon hunter did not pull away as he gently kissed her. She did not resist as his hand rubbed her neck and down her back. Placing his forehead against hers, the shifter closed his eyes. “This is not a negotiation. More like a confession.”
Annora put a hand on the large hand cradling her face. His fingers wrapped around hers and she squeezed back. She murmured, “What kind of confession? That even I can act like a stupid woman?”
His head gently bumped against hers as he laughed. With a single motion he stood and pulled her up. Without a word, he carried her over to the fire. “You need to eat or you will never properly heal.”
“I’m glad to see you are so amused,” she mumbled, trying to cover her own disappointment as Elian moved away from her. They ate in silence, the dragon hunter keeping her attention trained on the food and cave entrance, the dragon shifter’s attention on her.
As soon as the food was gone, Elian quickly put out the fire and removed the remains that could not be eaten. Annora had not moved from her spot as she tried to sort out her feelings. It had always been so easy because she preferred to avoid emotions. They tended to make her careless.
Elian sat down beside her, his hands in front of him as he talked. “You seem to be having a really hard time with this. If you are not comfortable, you are free to go. I will report back that the problem has been resolved as they had expected without talking about The Fiend.” He paused. “If that is what you want.”
Annora looked at her own hands. Her head shook back and forth. “I don’t know what I want anymore.”
With a deep sigh, she talked about the memories she had spent most of her life avoiding. “Both of my parents were killed in dragon attacks. Not at the same time. First my father, then my mother a few years later. I was an orphan by the time I was 12 years old, and had lost three homes, so I had always thought that my fate was obvious.” She felt Elian’s tension as she proceeded to relay the worst of her memories. “Someday I would be killed by a dragon. It just seemed like the only possible outcome. Dragon attacks are pretty rare, and yet, I had been in the wrong place at the wrong time on three different occasions, and it had cost me everything. Not long after that, I met Bree. She thought I was a boy for nearly three years. I kept my hair short, wore boy’s clothes, and always carried weapons. I suppose it was the daily training that really made her feel safe around me despite the fact that I wasn’t that much older than her.
“It was only when we encountered Naya and Nyle that she learned I was always a girl. I never cared about my gender, so when it came time to wash, I went with Nyle. He was quite shy, so despite being older than Naya, he usually let her do all of the talking. I was trying to get him to talk to me as we got ready to clean up. We stripped down, I got into the little pond, and started splashing around. When I turned to talk to him, Nyle was just standing there, half-dressed, staring at me like I was crazy. ‘You’re a girl!’ were the first words he ever said to me.” She laughed. “I think he was about 13 years old at the time. Maybe older. I’m not good with that sort of thing.” Her hands were in front of her, and she was peeling at the piece of wood that had held her meat.
“It was the first time it ever occurred to me that it could be an issue, but I didn’t want to show how embarrassed I felt because of it. ‘So is Naya. Now get in here and clean up or I will tell her that you are neglecting yourself.’ Well, it was obvious that he was torn. The poor boy didn’t want to be naked in front of a girl, but he also didn’t want to get in trouble with his sister. She could be so fierce when it came to properly taking care of themselves. Finally, he removed everything except his inner pants, and that boy ran like he was on fire into the water. When I tried to approach him to wash up, Nyle quickly swam away, saying he could take care of himself just fine. He also asked me to leave. ‘But you have no undergarments now because you wore them into the water. What is wrong with you?’ He glared at me like I was making fun of him. ‘You’re a girl. You shouldn’t be here.’ At no point did he blame me for his actions; Nyle was never one to accuse others for the decisions he made. I got out and found him a new pair of inner pants. Since he clearly didn’t want me in the area while he washed, I ran into the clearing, threw them down, and ran back out.
“I was chatting with Bree and Naya when he finally emerged, his eyes looking from me to them. Naya saw his expression. ‘What is wrong with you, Nyle? Are you hungry?’ He shook his head. She pestered him for a bit, but he didn’t say anything. Nyle’s eyes kept shifting to me as if asking why.
“When it was bed time, Naya put her arm through Bree’s and said the girls were going to head off to bed in a little space I had secured just inside the wall of one of the towns. Can’t remember where now. Nyle looked at me, then at them, then without warning, he shoved me toward them. Immediately his sister started to tell him he shouldn’t be so rough, that she and Bree would be fine, and on and on. When she finally stopped talking, his gentle voice spoke up, ‘You said the girls will go to bed. Are you really going to leave her behind?’ The look on their faces was priceless. Bree burst out laughing as Naya began to lay into him about how rude he was being. As she menaced in front of him, I put a hand on her shoulder. ‘Why are you so offended? He’s right.’ I think that Bree nearly died of a heart attack at that moment, because she had been under the wrong impression for so long. Naya’s face turned to look at her. ‘But you said…’ I walked off, hoping they would follow. ‘I don’t see what the big deal is. I would rather be mistaken for a boy than be treated like a girl. Come on. We will all sleep in the same place.’ And that took care of it. Saskia joined us later that year, and she was quite the handful. So full of questions about why a girl would dress as a boy. I suppose by then my figure made it easier to tell that I wasn’t a boy because the first thing she ever said to me was, ‘Why do you dress like a boy? You would be so pretty in a dress like mine!’
“It wasn’t long after that when I learned about Nyle’s prophetic dreams. It happened several times a year, and they were always terrifying. Saskia still had her father, so she stayed with him most of the time. Naya and Bree always slept through his panic because he was quiet, but I was a light sleeper. Whenever he would wake up shaking, I knew why and I would immediately hold him until he stopped.
“He got better at hiding it as he got older, and Nyle stopped telling me about what happened because one time I nearly got killed trying to keep one of them from happening. I was successful, but I was on death’s door for several days. He was already making a life for himself as a merchant, but he put all of that on hold to take care of me. At that time, I had already killed two dragons, and he wanted me to quit. Nyle proposed to me, saying that he would rather keep me safe than see me get killed in such a dangerous profession. I thought his proposal was out of pity, so as soon as I could walk, I left the town. It took more than a year for them to track me down. The three of them were living comfortably in a place above his shop. Bree was already working in her current profession by then, and Naya was helping her brother. Saskia was Saskia, doing whatever ideas came to her mind, unable to do anything for too long. It was Naya who finally tracked me down. The only way to get her to leave me alone was to go back with her to see everyone again. That’s when Nyle said he was going to become a dragon hunter, too. He was terrible at it; his weapon skills were pretty bad.” She smiled faintly at the memory.
“It was only the following year that I learned why he had suddenly made that decision. He had never asked Naya to bring me back, and been willing to leave me to my travels, but as soon as he saw me, Nyle didn’t hesitate. Naya was furious and said that she would shut down the business if he did that to her. Of course she didn’t do it, and by then she and Saskia had plans for expansion (Saskia’s idea, but Naya saw that it was a market that would attract a lot of attention and potential buyers). I tried to refuse Nyle at first, but when it became obvious that he was doing it with or without my help, I started to train him. While he was never great, I found him to be very skilled at learning. His executions were always a little… forced, but his ability to remember a lot was pretty staggering.
“We were in a small village when the dragon attacked. He died saving me. Nyle knew it was coming and that was why he changed his profession. I could have saved him several times. He loved me, but I turned him down because I didn’t realize…” Her voice faltered.
Suddenly an arm went around her shoulders. She lay her head on Elian’s shoulder and cried. He stroked her hair saying nothing as she tried to pull herself together.
Annora wiped the tears from her face as she sat up. “I’m so sorry. This has nothing to do with anything.”
Elian’s hand gently turned her to face him. “No, it explains a lot. Don’t apologize.” He ran his hand along her face. “I’m sorry for everything you have been through.”
He sighed and looked away. “Most shifters prefer to just stay in the mountains because life is so much simpler, easier. But there are always those who want to destroy and prove that we are better than humans. Others go insane. It’s pretty common for shifters. We try to monitor for the cruel and the insane, but we can’t always catch them before they do something destructive.”
Annora looked up at him. “Are all dragons shifters?”
Elian shook his head. “No. Most dragons are just dragons. They keep to themselves and humans will almost never see a pure-blooded dragon. It’s always a shifter who attacks, though. As the head of my clan, I am responsible for keeping everyone in line. Lilou was the first to attack from our clan since I took over.”
Annora patted his hand, not sure what to say.
“Humans don’t usually bother us, but when they do, they really make a mess of things. Our young are more likely to become violent and vicious towards them. I am one of the few who spends more time in human form because I spend much of my time monitoring people who are likely to cause us problems. Leonides spends nearly as much time as a human because he refuses to leave the full burden up to me. He’s a good man. I think he was originally afraid that I was going to lose it after Lilou disappeared and Phelan was exiled. I wasn’t the leader back them. Leonides has kept an eye on me ever since. It’s funny since I am considerably older than him, but it does help me stay grounded.”
Annora looked up at him. With so many questions going through her head, she wasn’t sure what she could ask.
Elian looked down at her. A hand went to her face and he caressed her cheek with his thumb. “I suppose he was trying to keep me away from you as well. Leonides has me figured out so well, he knows what I am feeling before I realize it. Well, he was right, and now I’m not quite sure what to do.”
Annora looked away. “You have responsibilities. You have to take care of them first.”
The man laughed. “Yes, that is a nearly perfect imitation of something he would say.”
“He’s not wrong.” She looked up at him.
“No, that certainly isn’t wrong, but my responsibility goes well beyond just my clan now. He knew by the way I treated you that I had made my choice, and he will also tell you that can’t be ignored either.”
Annora frowned. “I don’t know what you mean. Responsibility is always first.”
“Yes, and I took responsibility for you that night. Nothing you say or do now is going to change that. It will just change how I act to fulfill that responsibility.”
“I don’t even know what to say to that.”
Elian leaned in, his mouth close to her ear. “Say that you will allow me to fulfill the responsibility by your side. It will make things so much easier.”
Annora pushed him away. “Easier for who? Certainly not easier for me. I do not want to be locked up and guarded for the rest of my life.”
“Nor do I want to lock you up. Often,” he grinned down at her. “If The Fiend were to join my clan, do you have any idea just what that will do?”
“Make a lot of your people hate you?”
He laughed, “No. You have a reputation as being ruthless, but never without cause. Your name is invoked to keep our young in line.”
“So I’m a boogey man to your people?” Annora wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or insulted with this revelation.
He smiled at her. “Not to me.” His hand stroked the back of her head. “If you were to join me, we would rest better knowing that we had our own protector.”
“That makes no sense,” she tried to find his lie in his eyes, but they were sincere.
“No one was even sure if you were human, they certainly have no idea that you are a female human. Your species does not have a great… track record for the way women are treated. A sword-wielding woman is pretty much unheard of, which kind of baffles shifters. Most of our best warriors are women, especially the mothers. I feel humans are really missing something to sideline women.” His hand gestured toward Annora. “Case in point right here.”
Annora ran a hand through her hair at the compliment. “I never saw what gender had to do with anything. I wanted revenge. I wanted to never lose anyone I loved ever again. There was only one choice for me to make.”
“Yes. And now you can change the course of your life.”
She looked up at him, her mind trying to take in what he was saying. “But I don’t even know how that would work.”
“Simple. You stay with me, help me deal with humans, and when something happens to one of our own, you help me hunt to bring them back. It’s really not that much different than what you do now. Except you will always have a guaranteed home, no need to find someone willing to pay you.”
Annora’s eyebrows went up. That would make her life considerably easier. It was so difficult to get people to take her seriously, which meant getting hired was particularly annoying. She looked into his reddish eyes and a smile spread across her face. “Of course, I will still have a high price for clothing. Modified clothing is not cheap.”
Elian laughed and ran a hand down her arm. “It is very well done. Where did you get it so quickly?”
“I can introduce you to him later. I should probably thank you for choosing Kildeer; it would have been impossible to find something better than those hideous clothes anywhere else.”
He flinched. “Hideous? I thought they looked charming on you.”
“It is impossible to fight with that much fabric flying everywhere. The only benefit was the fact that men are so easily distracted that mobility is only a minor problem.”
Elian laughed again. “Well, I can’t say that I blame them. You are a very beautiful woman, despite how you try to hide it.”
Annora tilted her head to the side. “Hide it? I simply don’t care.”
Elian pulled her toward him, his hand smoothing down her hair as he looked at her face. “I wish I could say I don’t care either, but right now that would be a lie.”
Slowly he leaned down toward her. Annora closed her eyes as his eyes asked. She sighed as his lips pressed against hers. His hands were skillfully working her shirt off as hers clumsily slipped under his shirt and began pulling up.
He began to push against her, lowering her to the ground. Annora placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away. Elian’s face was shocked as he looked at her. Annora swung her leg over his. Placing both of her hands on his shoulders, she roughly pushed him to the ground. He laughed before grabbing her hips and rolling over on top of her. Before she could protest, his mouth covered hers while his hands unfastened her belt.
As the sun rose the next morning, Elian and Annora pulled closer together.
“Too bright,” she muttered as the light shone on their faces.
He pulled her head into his chest. “I’ll protect you.”
She gave him a gentle push. “I don’t need protection, I just want more sleep.”
“But you seem so awake.” He looked down at her tired face. “I can help with that.”
Her laugh was stifled as his mouth began kissing her neck and his hand explored her body.
Once they were finished, the pair dressed and looked around the empty cavern. Hand in hand, they stepped out into the late morning light.
The End
Bree’s Dragon
By: Lisa Daniels
Chapter 1
Unexpected News
“Gods! Is it morning already?” A rather sleepy voice was muffled through several blankets. Throwing them off displayed the incredibly vibrant curly red hair of an unbelievably attractive woman. Despite having just woken, everything about her looked like she had just stepped out of the halls of the gods. Sparkling green eyes reflected an intelligence that seemed in dissidence with the pretty features. Her nose was petite, but not small. Her cheeks bones were obvious, but they did not look sharp. A well-defined jaw rested under glimmering pink lips that looked almost heart-shaped.
The beautiful mouth widened to reveal a perfect set of teeth and a very pink tongue. The young woman’s yawn was far more an exaggeration than a necessity. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, the woman made her way to a small chest with an energy that did not seem to belong to the morning. With a quick gesture, she flicked the chest open and began flipping through all of her available dresses. Given the size of the chest, it was nearly impossible to believe just how much clothing the redhead was able to cram into it.
Suddenly, her face brightened, “Well hello, old friend! It has been quite a while since we last got together.” With a melodic laugh, a shiny green dress was drawn from a small space behind most of the other clothing.
The woman’s steps were light as she danced with her dress across the floor and into a small bathroom. Pulling off her glittering golden nightdress, the woman tossed it to the floor and picked up her underclothing. She gave them a skeptical look and tossed them on top of her night dress. “I think not today.” Parading around the bathroom without any clothing, the woman washed her faced, brushed and styled her hair, looked in the mirror with a gentle frown, and admired the view from her current location. In the building opposite was a rather young looking man whose eyes were clearly watching the young woman. His hands were held up to his mouth as if he was taking an imaginary drink of tea, a look that hinted at the cup that had been there until he had looked out of the window at the inn. The young woman gave him a huge smile and an energetic wave before moving back into the bedroom area, the dress back in her hands.
Pulling open a small drawer in the chest, the young woman decided on a simple set of underclothing that would be more comfortable for traveling. Pulling the dress on over her head, the red head moved toward the door without a backward look at the mess she had made that morning.
She missed the little head shake her neighbor gave before leaning over to see if she was still moving about naked. Soon after he called in a servant to clean up the broken cup and get him a change of clothes as his current outfit was covered in tea.
Not entirely unaware of what she had done, the young woman bounced down three flights of stairs, her arms swinging and a beautiful melody resonating from her chest as she hummed. Her long fingers curled, and her arm stretched to rap on the door marked 204. She continued to hum as she turned the handle and barged into the room.
Her body stopped as the sight that met her eyes was not the childhood friend that she expected but a young couple clearly intent on something that did not require her presence. The sound of the door closing behind her did not register as the woman’s eyes moved between the two figures on the bed. Instead of turning and leaving, the young woman put her hands on her slim hips, “And just what do you two think you are doing here? And I don’t mean the obvious.”
The man immediately got off of a very dainty looking woman. Hurriedly pulling the sheet over himself and the blanket over his companion, he rose from the bed. Extending a hand, the scantily clad man introduced himself, “I am Phelan, and my charming companion is Taja. You must be the friend that we were told would stop by to visit.”
An eyebrow rose as a smirk spread across the red head’s mouth, “Oh, I see. She did a runner last night. Good gods, but that woman…” With a shake of her brilliantly lively hair, the woman looked between the couple. The woman’s face was very striking, and she looked far less composed than the man. Holding out her hand, the red head took the proffered hand as she sized up the male. He was just slightly taller than her, though his build was clearly a lot more muscular. Despite his apparent composure, his cheeks were nearly as red as her hair. “It is very nice to meet you Phelan. I’m Bree, Annora’s friend, as you already know.” There was a slight gasp from him as she gave his hand a very firm shake. Letting it go, the young woman turned to a chair. “I do hope you don’t mind a bit of interrogation. It is rather unfortunate, but I am somewhat busy and need to head out soon, and since I did not hear that my friend was going to depart, I need a few details to make sure she hasn’t done anything stupid. You will be allowed to return to your previous activities shortly.”
Phelan looked back at the woman on the bed. Taja smiled as she looked at the red-haired woman, “Well, Ms. Bounty Hunter did say that we should expect a bubbly woman in the morning. Since she was kind enough to give us her room, we may as well consider this payment for such luxurious accommodations.”
Phelan moved to sit on the bed as Bree clicked her tongue. Taja moved next to her companion and put her arm through his, almost like she couldn’t stand to be without physical contact. Bree noticed, but her mind was a bit too preoccupied with their words to make fun of the woman for her clinginess. “So, Annora said that she was a bounty hunter and she told you that she acquired the rooms, huh?” Her eyebrows were raised.
The couple looked at each other, their nervousness clear. Phelan responded, “Well, no. We assumed from the fact that she was…um, running out at night into a dangerous forest dressed as a man – we figured she must be a bounty hunter. And she never said otherwise.”
Bree raised an eyebrow.
The petite woman responded, her nearly platinum blond hair tumbling around her doll-like face, “Actually, she kind of did, didn’t she?”
“I don’t remember her saying anything against it.” The way the pair talked made Bree wonder if they forgot she was there.
“No, remember when we said something about her coming after you, she said, ‘I'm not going to track any creature that has aided me.’ She never said she was hunting people.”
The man laughed and kissed the woman’s forehead, “I wish I had your memory. Of course, you are right. We didn’t pick up on it at the time, did we?”
The doll-like woman’s head shook, causing her hair to sway against her face. It was a cute style that really suited her little features.
As interesting as it was to watch these two, Bree was in a hurry. Clearing her throat, she reminded them that she was there before saying, “That does sound like Annora. Before moving on to the second lie, what exactly are you not telling me about her appearance when you bumped into her?”
Both pairs of eyes immediately moved to the clothes on the floor before shifting around the room. It was obvious that they were going to lie.
“Never mind. I'm sure I’ll find out soon enough, so don’t bother lying. I’ll bet it was something stupid like a broken bone or bloody injury.” The pair exchanged a look, and Bree said triumphantly, “So obviously she was bloodied. Well, I hope she didn’t leave too much on your clothes as I do not plan to have them cleaned on her behalf.”
Bree’s hand slapped the arm of the chair causing the couple to jump. They both pulled their sheets and blanks to cover themselves as Bree stood. “As for the second lie, she didn’t procure this room. I did that. You’ll probably say that she simply told you to use this room or some such nonsense to defend her. But honestly, someone could have told me something.”
“Actually ma’am,” Taja looked concerned as she appeared to be getting angry at her friend, “She left you a letter. I had tried to slip it under your door, but there were….was a problem.”
The way he reworded his sentence made Bree laugh. “Ah yes, there was no way for you to get up to the floor to leave it. So where is the letter?” As the young man rose, Bree waved him off, “Oh please, just point to it. I would hate for your clothing to fall off while I am in the room.” The way she looked at him suggested Bree would not be at all upset, but that just made Phelan blush harder. Taja leaned over him and pointed at something on the desk. Bree’s eyes followed the direction and there on the table was a familiar handwriting that could only be Annora’s.
Shaking her head, Bree moved over and picked up the letter, “Do you have any idea how difficult it was to get her to learn her letters. I am at least glad she has kept up with it.” Her eyes flitted over the note before creasing it and slipping it into an unseen pocket in her dress. “Well, I would love to go after her to reprimand her for this, but by now she’s gods know where facing down a monster. And I have quite enough work of my own.”
Taja tilted her head to the side, “So she hunts beasts for a living.”
Bree took in a deep breath and gave the pair a knowing look, “Yes, she does, but as she said, there would have to be a good reason for her to go after either of you.”
Both heads swiveled to look at each other, a look of concern painting their lovely features. Phelan bit his lip and turned to say something to her, his embarrassment from earlier clearly worn off. There was a gentle smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes as he looked at the authoritative woman who had interrupted their love making, “She is more than human isn’t she?”
Bree gave him an incredulous look before answering, “She’s 100% human, unlike the three of us.”
Again, they exchanged a look that they were ill at ease the longer Bree was in the room, a reaction that the woman was rather accustomed to. Then the man began to laugh, “Ah well, I suppose I should have known that people up here are a little bit more knowledgeable about humanoids than the people in cities. I was certain last night that there was something about your friend that suggested she wasn’t human, but it was late and we were-”
“Tired.” Taja cut in trying to keep him from saying what had actually happened once they had arrived.
Bree shook her head, “You didn’t look tired to me, and I know that second generation pixie’s have enough stamina to best a griffin.
And-”
Phelan couldn’t help but cut in, “Second generation?” His eyes went back to his companion. “I thought you were third generation.”
Taja shrugged, “I didn’t know I was any Pixie amount of pixie before you, so don’t look at me.”
A sad smile spread across Bree’s face as she watched them. It was hardly the first time she had encountered something like this, but at least the pair had found each other. With any luck they would be enough. Interrupting their dialogue, Bree tried to wrap up their discussion so that she could move on to her own work. “She is definitely second generation, which means that her grandmother on her father’s side was full pixie. That should be enough if you are looking to locate her family.”
Taja shook her head and hugged Phelan’s arm tighter, “I have all the family I need right here.”
Bree could guess the girl’s story. Humans always loved the humanoids until the pressure from other humans turned the love to hate. With a knowing sigh, the young woman gave them a strange look, “Well, I have no doubt you will be singing a different tune the next time I see you.”
They both frowned at her not understanding what Bree was hinting at. Brushing the stomach of her dress, Bree continued, “As I was saying, I have known enough shifters to know that it is nearly impossible to tire one.” Her eyes caught and held Phelan’s eyes.
The color drained from his face.
Bree gave them one of her winning smiles and a wink, “Do you really think that I’m in a position to say anything?” She laughed, “Of course, I am, but I'm not going to. Clearly you’re not one of the dangerous ones, otherwise you wouldn’t be traveling with a Pixie.” Her eyes travelled his body taking in the way it was built, “Your stature is a bit small, but from the musculature, I’m going to say something big.” A huge smile spread across her face, “Don’t tell me you are a griffin! That would be-”
Phelan was shaking his head, his lips pressed together for a moment, “Definitely not.”
“Hmm, then….maybe a … bear?” Bree moved closer, her mind totally taken with the challenge in front of her. Her eyes flicked to the dragon on the man’s upper arm. “I’ve never heard of any dragon shifters. You wouldn’t make it that obvious any way. I don’t think that it would even be possible to make shift without destroying the human form.” Her eyes were so intent on the puzzle that she missed the flash in the man’s eyes.
He merely smiled, “You seem to be enjoying it too much for me to tell you.”
Bree wrinkled her nose at him, “You wouldn’t tell me even if I begged. You shifters are so secretive.”
Taja frowned as Phelan shook his head again, “Not all of us. It really depends on what our people think of humans.”
“Oh please,” she rolled her eyes, “I’ve never known a shifter who actually liked humans. And I dare say you are no exception. I’m not about to force you to tell me and I really must be going.” The young woman abruptly turned to leave, her curiosity nearly forgotten. If the young man did not have such an attractive female companion, things probably would have turned out differently. Bree had certainly found the man very attractive, but it was clear from the way the pair interacted that there would be no point in trying to toy with him.
Her hand was on the door when Taja called out, “Ms. Bree?”
The young woman spun around. Her eyes the size of saucers at the way the young woman addressed her. “I am not a Ms. anybody,” she responded regaining her cheerful disposition.
Taja cast her eyes down shyly, “I’m sorry. I just have one question.”
“It’s quite alright since I know you didn’t mean any offense by it.”
“You said you aren’t human either.”
Bree moved her head a little to the side waiting for Taja to finish. She knew exactly what the girl was going to ask, and she wasn’t about to make it any easier.
When Taja realized that Bree didn’t know the question, she stumbled over her words, “May I ask, um, exactly what – I mean not that it matters, but…um…” Her voice faltered. Phelan looked worried as his eyes turned to Bree wondering how she would respond.
Bree simply laughed. “I am one of a kind. However, I can say that I am pleased that it is difficult to tell that I am not human. Bree looked at Phelan’s eyes as they looked at her a little differently. “And what do you see Mr. Shifter?”
If it had come from anyone else, Phelan may have taken offense, but the way Bree said it was clear there was no malice or accusation behind it – just a statement of who they were. It was a sign of respect within the humanoid world to be recognized as part of your people. He bit his lip and furrowed his brow, “I am not entirely certain. There’s definitely a magic aura, but it is not at all similar to a witch or wizard. It’s too strong to be any of the most common humanoids, and judging by the way you talk about shifters, I dare say you aren’t one.” Finally, his eyes met Bree, “I have to say that I cannot honestly tell. You do hide it well.” There was a sincere smile on his lips as he gave her his assessment.
Bree gave them a deep curtsey, “I thank you both for the morning entertainment and kind words. As a parting gift, I will tell you that whatever you are seeking, you should stop now.”
Taja looked at Phelan as he looked out of a window, “I cannot. I am acquiring things that are important to my people.”
“There is no treasure more important than what you have and fail to see.” Bree’s face was more serious than they had yet seen as she offered her warning.
Phelan turned to face her, “Taja supports me, and I will not let her come to harm. But I must do this. Those things that were lost are too important to remain gone. The power in them is too dangerous to remain up for anyone to find or for humans to use.” There was bitterness in his words.
Bree gave him a gentle smile, “I fully understand the sentiment, but you have more pressing matters. And I have no doubt that if you were to stop and consider your situation, you would agree. There are others to do what you should not.”
“How can I give up now? Even if I cannot…” he looked out the window again, a troubled expression creasing his handsome face.
His head snapped to Bree as she let out a loud laugh, “Oh, the how is easy.” She leaned forward and in a mock whisper she informed them, “Mr. Shifter, you’ve knocked your companion up.”
The look on the pair of faces was priceless. Giving her head a small satisfied nod, Bree turned, “Have a lovely few days. You are welcome to stay here for the next year. I will make sure it is all taken care of before I go. But do find a place of your own before the baby starts to call this home.” Bree gave them a wink as she left the room.
Her steps were light as she returned to her rooms to finish packing.
Within 10 minutes she had everything packed up and ready to go. With a sigh, Bree left the inn as she pulled out the letter her friend had left and her eyes scanned the contents again.
Suddenly, Bree tripped, pitching forward. A strong pair of arms stopped her from hitting the ground. The letter floated to the ground as Bree looked up into a pair of reddish eyes. Her breath caught as she took in the chiseled face of someone who was obviously another shifter, but all her mind saw was a breathtaking man with luxurious brown hair that framed an impossibly handsome face.
“Ye gods, I didn’t think that your type was possible,” she muttered, her heart fluttering in a way that was unnerving. For the first time in forever, she felt like a young girl developing her first crush.
The man’s face went from a wary expression to one that would strike fear into the hearts of anyone less courageous than Bree. “With that sentiment, I would be forgiven for dropping you, you fouled mouthed-”
Bree covered his mouth with a finger and pressed her body against his. There was a look of fright on his face for a moment, but he recovered so quickly it would have been impossible to notice had she not been in his arms. “I didn’t mean that in an offensive way. I merely meant that you look like a perfect statue come to life or an angel returned from extinction. You are….” Bree’s checks flushed pink as she caught herself from saying any more. It was such a ridiculous mistake to make with someone she didn’t know. With a laugh and a wave of her hand, she tried to brush off what she had been saying, “Like the hero of a story rushing in to save a foolish woman from herself. You seem too good to be true.”
The man raised an eyebrow at her before realizing he was still holding on to her. “You are welcome,” was all he said before turning and walking away from her. Several men followed him, all of them looking back at her as they left. All except the one who had caught her. Bree could hear them talking about her as they entered the Palace Paradise.
Bree closed her eyes and put her hand on her chest, “That was truly terrifying. I’m supposed to be beyond that.” A shiver ran down her spine as her eyes immediately went back to the door where she had last seen the man. “Oh, I have a bad feeling about this.” Her heart was still beating a little too fast as the young woman finally turned and tried to put her mind back on her current task.
Wishing she had time to check up on Annora, Bree took a deep breath and told herself that Annora was both smart and strong enough to be able to handle herself. Any more delays and Bree would be putting a whole lot of lives in danger. “Life really is unfair,” she muttered as the images of her friend and an impossible handsome man floated before her eyes. Tilting her head back, Bree forced a smile on her lips. Feeling more like herself, the young woman began to make her way to the gates of Defiance.
Removing a small badge from her bag, Bree fashioned the medical indicator on her arm. The woman channeled her focus on what was really important as she stepped onto the road. While it would have guaranteed her safety if Bree displayed what she actually was, she preferred not to advertise. It meant she got to be very selective about which jobs she chose, as well as ensuring that she was far more effective in her passion – spying. Having people think that she was a medic was the next best thing. Apart for people like her, there was no group as well travelled and respected as medics. If anyone messed with medics, the perpetrators soon found themselves doomed to natural. Medics were kind hearted and giving, but they were anything but forgiving. Anyone who harmed a medic would never receive medical help again. Bree knew just enough about human medicines and medicines to be able to fool most people. It also added to her appeal as men tended to love the woman who nursed them back to health. Loose lips made her real job that much easier.