Heart Of The Dragon (Her Dragon's Bane 3) (12 page)

Tears of anguish and frustration traced their salty paths down her cheeks. She had survived the Minotaur's labyrinth, and now she was about to lose Connor to the sea.

Why didn’t he come to her? Of course, she knew. Another creature who belonged to myth and legend held him fast. She was powerless against them.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked.

“Because you need to learn that there is no such thing as true love.”

“That’s not true. He loves me. We are mated forever. It’s only your spell that makes him forget me.”

“But surely true love conquers all?” One of the mermaids rose up, pushing herself further out of the water. Serena could see her beauty, in the tone of her skin and the colour of her hair. She sparkled like sunlight on the rippling sea. But it didn’t explain the hold they had over Connor.

“What have you done to him?” Serena asked.

“We only sang to him. Now we are going to take him home with us. He will be the father of our children.”

“No. He already has a child. I will not allow you to take him. Our son needs his father. I am only a mortal; Connor will live forever, and teach our son how to be a dragon.”

“But he has betrayed you. See how he comes to us, how he longs to swim with us in the sea.”

She was right, Connor, her Connor, was lost to these creatures of the sea. He stroked their hair, fascinated. While one of them held his head in her arms and sang her song of sweet subjugation.

She could do nothing. If they would not willingly release him, Connor would be lost.

“Why would you do this? You can take any man. Why take one that belongs to another?”

“Because we can.” And they laughed, and the seas sparkled in their eyes.

“But you can free him.” Another said.

“How?” Serena asked.

“You want someone to look after your son through all is long years. And you want to free this poor weak willed man.”

“Yes.”

She lifted her hand out of the water and offered Serena a knife. “Cut out his heart. Take the stone and you will gain his immortality.”

“No!” Serena said, stumbling back as though they had hit her in the heart.

“Do it. His sacrifice will be your gain. Isn’t that what you want? To be an immortal.”

“No. Not at the expense of Connor’s life. No.”

“Come now. He is lost to you anyway. We do not release those we have enslaved. But this thing we will grant you. You are a woman; you know the weakness of men. Don’t suffer because of it.”

“No.” She shook her head, tears spilling down her face.

“You would rather lose him to us, than sacrifice him for immortality?”

Serena stood, unable to comprehend how they had got here. Why had she been so foolish? Dòmhnall never had any intention of giving the secret away. He had planned this all along. But she couldn’t sacrifice Connor. Rather that he lived a long life with these women, than died by her hand.

“Yes.”

The water swirled as the mermaids disappeared. Taking Connor, her true love, her soul mate, with them.

She stood and watched. Behind her, the Minotaur took a step forward and rested his hand on her shoulder. Feeling the shuddering sobs as they erupted from her. He didn’t move. Offering her no further comfort, only his presence. As if through her, he was experiencing emotion for the first time.

He watched over her as she crumpled to the floor, before turning to look down the beach. “Dragons,” he said, and bent to pick her up. “Come with me, I will keep you safe.”

Serena shook her head. “No. Thank you. There is something I have to do. Something I should have done before we came here. This is all my fault.”

“Come with me. You are not safe here.”

She placed her hand on his. “Thank you.”

He looked at her once more, and then he disappeared back into the dark depths of the labyrinth. The only sign he had ever been there, that such a creature was real, were the giant footprints in the white sand. She sat staring at them, tears flowing freely as the dragons drew closer.

When Dòmhnall bent down and picked her up, she didn’t resist. Nothing mattered. Wherever they took her, whatever they did to her, she didn’t care. She was broken inside. Not even the thought of their unborn child could raise her from this state of living death.

***

The night air was chill. They brought her from the villa where they had spent the rest of the day. Food had been offered, and refused. Only water passed her lips, and then only because she knew the baby needed it.

She was severely dehydrated. Her head throbbed as she lay on the white cotton sheets. The fan overhead whirring constantly, cooling her heated fever. Despite her exhaustion, she could not sleep. Afraid that if she did she would forget him.

Strong arms wordlessly lifted her onto a dragon’s back. She didn’t care who it was, she simply wrapped her hands around a thick spine and held on. He leapt into the air and flew, under the cover of darkness, back to Spellholm. The hours didn’t drag this time, because time had stopped for Serena. Her soul was still standing on the beach, waiting for Connor to return. Although she knew, he never would.

The sun was already peeking its head up over the horizon when they left the ocean behind. Despite their long flight, the dragons picked up speed to reach Spellholm before the day broke. Leaning over the dragon’s back, she watched as the forests of Spellholm passing by. Feeling some small relief that the spell didn’t hit her this time. If it had, she might have given up right then and let go, to fall to her death.

“You have his child,” she told herself. Someday that might be enough to fill the hole in her heart, but not yet.

The castle stronghold came into view, its tall turrets rising up out of the trees. She would no doubt be a prisoner there until the birth of the baby. Then what? Would they kill her?

The dragon flew lower. She prepared for the jarring bump that would come when his feet hit the ground. There it was, she lurched forward, and almost immediately slipped from his back. Into a heap on the floor.

Beside her Dòmhnall changed into his human form. Once more, he gathered her up in his great strong arms and carried her inside.

“Wait,” she said. “There's something I need to do.”

“You need to rest. You will harm the child if you don’t.”

His words confirmed her fears. They would take the baby from her when it was born. Once more Dòmhnall had exiled a dragon who wanted to know the secret of the heart stone. Only this time his actions were so cruel, she questioned what she was about to do.

He reached out to grab her, but she ran from him. Heading out to the place they had left from only two days ago. It was where she had dropped his heart stone, behind an old rowan tree. Dòmhnall followed, shouting at her to stop. She knew she had to do this now, because once the sadness took her she would hate him forever.

Maybe she was doing this for him, or perhaps for Tara. She didn’t know anything anymore. All she knew was that this cycle of pain had to end. Reaching down she searched amongst the old leaf litter until she found what she was looking for. It now seems so ridiculous that she had dropped something so precious in such an open exposed place.

“What are you doing?” he bellowed. “You will go to your room. Kier. Take her.”

“Wait,” she said. “I have something I should have given you before. It wasn’t mine to keep. I see that now.”

He bore down on her. “You have nothing I need or desire. Except for the child you carry in your belly. Once you give birth you will leave here and never return.”

“Dòmhnall. Here.” She reached for his hand, and slipped the heart stone into it.

For a moment, she thought he would faint. The great big man, so fierce and strong, staggered forward as if under a tremendous weight. He looked down at his hand. “What have you done?”

“Returned what is yours.”

Opening his hand, which shook so hard she worried he might drop the stone. He looked in astonishment at the small stone that now glowed red, bright and pulsing. Where it touched his skin, it marked him, as though filled with fire. Dòmhnall never flinched, the pain a rapture.

“Where?” he asked.

“It’s a long story. One that involves Tara.”

“The witch?”

“Yes,” she said, knowing it was important now not to play down the role of Tara in the recovery of the stone. That she was his mate remained something for him to discover himself. “And Connor’s father. He never let it rest, even when his mate died. He searched for this. In the hope it would persuade you to relent. He didn't want you to keep the secret of the heart stone to yourself.”

He looked at it again, from different angles, a look of fascination on his face. “I can feel it. It beats in time with my own heart.”

“Isn’t it part of your heart?”

“Yes.”

“Can you take it back?”

“I don’t know. It’s enough that it is here.”

“It has come to life.” Serena smiled despite her sadness.

“Yes. As have I.” He looked regretfully at Serena. “Thank you.”

He walked away, and the momentary feeling of joy left her. The loss hit her squarely in the chest. She supposed this was only a small measure of how Dòmhnall had felt for so many years. His heart shrivelled and cold.

Kier took her to her room, and she collapsed on the bed, and let oblivion take her.

The sea was warm, the song so sweet. They swam, ducking down under the water, and then flipping out of it. Like dolphins chasing the bow of a boat. His dragon slept, a deep slumber, he was a man now, with only hands and feet, no wings.

Their voices took his mind, erasing all thought, all memories of his life before. They swam until his muscles ached, and then they took it in turns to drag him through the water. More than once, he was completely submerged and he erupted coughing and spluttering. In these moments, the sound of the mermaids’ song did not reach his ears. In these moments, he remembered all that he had lost.

He would cry out in anger and pain, only for the song to rob him once more of his senses. Each time he remembered, his thoughts rapidly went through how he could escape. But those moments were never long enough for him to take action.

The mermaids laughed, enjoying his pain and anguish. They were so beautiful, and so cruel, like the sea itself.

A land mass appeared ahead of them. He came up from beneath the waves, half-drowned and full of memories. Full of the realisation that once he was on the shore he would be lost to them forever. In one tremendous last attempt, he ducked down under the water. He yanked away, pulling himself free from the mermaid who held him. Exhausted he took too much time to gather his wits and call his dragon. The water all around him made it next to impossible to change, but he had to. As the breath left his body, he felt the mermaid’s hands on him. Her fingers digging into his flesh. Talons gripping him cruelly and dragging him to his doom.

Releasing his final breath, the water imploded around him. The burst of energy launched him into the air. He took his first gulp of free air, his wings unfurling. The water droplets shimmering in the sun had never looked as beautiful as he soared high in the air, battling his fatigue.

Down below him they sang, all four mermaids joining together to lure him back to them. He beat his wings hard. Holding the thought of Serena in his mind as he flew upwards higher and higher. Risking being seen in the daylight to escape his impending doom.

He was free.

His excitement was short lived. It was daylight. He was exposed. And he was too tired to fly far. Scanning the horizon, he saw several small islands, mere lumps of rock in the sea. They would have to do. It was a risk; the mermaids may see where he went. Nevertheless, he had to rest. Spiralling down, too fast, he reached the safety of the hard stone. As he closed his eyes, the dragon left him. Alone and exposed, he slept.

“Wake up, Serena.” A hand shook her, but she didn't want to go back to the lonely world that awaited her, not yet. “You have to eat.”

“Go away Tara.”

“No. As much as I don’t particularly care if you live or die, Dòmhnall has decided he wants to speak to you.”

“And you do his bidding now?” she asked, covering her head up with the pillow, still wet from her tears.

“It seems that the heart stone you gave him has made him a changed man.”

Serena pulled the pillow off her head. “I’m sorry I gave it to him, and not you.”

Tara smiled knowingly. “It would have been too easy if you had given it to me. I guess this way I have to earn it.”

“Does he know?”

“That I’m his mate?” Tara dragged the covers from Serena’s body and made her sit up to eat. “No. I’m sure he’ll work it out. Eventually.”

“I never took you to be a patient woman.”

“Are you joking? Do you know how many years I’ve spent trying to get here?”

Serena shook her head. “No. You’ve always been economical with the details of your past.”

“Oh well, it doesn’t matter now. The past is the past.”

“Yes,” Serena repeated sadly, “The past is the past.”

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

“What do you care?” Serena said, lying back down.

“I have been waiting for this day for a long time. Now get yourself out of that bed and get cleaned up. Or I will ask Raal to fetch a bucket of cold water and I’ll simply throw it over you.”

“Go away, Tara.”

“No. Either you can get up, or I’ll tell Dòmhnall he’ll have to come and see you in bed. I'll tell him you’re too lazy to get up.”

“If I go and see him will you then leave me in peace? Please.”

“Deal,” Tara agreed.

Reluctantly, Serena placed her feet on the cold stone and padded across the floor. Tara had placed a bowl of warm water on the wooden table by the window. Dipping her hands in it, Serena began to wash. While she dried her face, she glanced out of the window at the beautiful day.

“How long have I been back?”