The Queen's Dance (Emerging Queens) (13 page)

“Good,” Margery said. “While I’m in Quebec, you can research who’s been using your boat without your knowledge.”

Remy blinked. “Wait. You’re not going to Quebec. You’re building up your defenses in Vermont.”

Margery shook her head. “Casimiro is flying me to Quebec tonight, and Arianna is flying you home.”

She took a step back from the rage in his eyes. “You’re dismissing me?” he ground out.

“Just for tonight.” This wasn’t going as planned.

“As my Queen commands.” He swigged down the contents of his drink and tossed the bottle into the trash can, where it shattered loudly.

The other three dragons stared at them in avid fascination.

“Walk with me.” Margery didn’t give him a choice and dragged him over to the pool area. She grazed the buffet table, taking a plate of cocktail franks wrapped in puff pastry. After handing him one, she made herself another. She needed the protein to keep up her energy. “It’s just for tonight. I’m going to need you tomorrow. Especially if things do get out of hand.”

“I know when I’m out of my league and depth.” He rubbed the back of his neck, and she noticed how tired he looked. His skin was dried and flaky, and she would bet money he needed to be back in the water sooner rather than later. She contemplated trying to toss him in the pool, but the chlorinated water probably wasn’t the same as being in his lake. He scarfed down the hors d’oeuvres and chucked the plate off the building.

“I don’t know why we can’t all go back to Vermont and tackle this together. Tomorrow. Or next month.” He hit his fist on the railing, cracking it. “I hate feeling weak.”

“You’re not weak,” she said. “We have a ticking clock. By checking out these two avenues separately, it saves us time in the long run. I can’t wait until the castle is built. Don’t you see that?”

He touched her cheek. “You are the first Queen that’s ever even deigned to speak with me. I almost lost you once. I don’t want to risk you again.”

“I believe in you,” she said.

“Why? No one else does.”

Margery put down her empty plate. “You’ve never given them the chance to. You’ve just hidden up in your lodge and pretended to be a human.”

Remy laughed without humor. “I might as well be. No arms or wings in dragon form.”

“But utterly lethal in the water and on the ground. You saved me from a bomb. At the risk of your own life. Don’t think I can’t see how wounded you still are from protecting me from the blast.”

“It’s my job.” Remy shrugged, but some of the tension eased out of his shoulders.

“Is it that I’m going with Casimiro? You suggested him,” Margery pointed out.

“I don’t like Casimiro.” Remy’s hands balled up into fists. “But you need him to get out of here. The bad guys—whoever they are—know how to get to you.” He sighed. “I can’t take you away from them fast enough. But he can.” Remy gestured to Casimiro with his chin. “He can do everything that I can’t.”

Margery touched his arm. “It’s
you
that I want.”

“I can’t fly. I can’t make love to you without you collapsing unconscious on me. What if that’s what you need to be able to shift again?”

“Do you want me to sky dance with Casimiro?” she asked.

“No,” he growled, pulling her into his arms. “I mean, I should. But no. I don’t want him touching you.”

“I wish I’d met you when I was human,” Margery whispered.

“
Chérie
, you’d still be in my bed if you had.”

She laid her head on his chest. “I want to kiss you. Maybe we just have to ease into sex? Go farther each time?”

“I’m not risking you fainting again. Not in front of them, anyway.”

She reached up and brought his head down to hers. The kiss started out light but grew in intensity. When the blackness started to tinge her consciousness, Margery pushed him away. They were both breathing heavily.

“I’m getting the hang of this,” she said. It was worth the light-headedness to feel those delicious tingles.

“You make my head spin.” He cupped the back of her head and brushed his lips over hers briefly.

“The feeling is mutual.” Margery backed away before she threw him in the pool to do wild things to his body.

He smiled, and she swooned at the desire in his eyes. It was as if he was still stroking her back and kissing her senseless. “If Arianna touches you inappropriately, I’ll rip her hair out,” she warned.

“I will remain true to you. Even if it means my death.”

Margery flinched at the stab in her heart that his promise caused. “Don’t die.”

“I’m not planning on it. In fact, I’ll see you in a few hours. If you need me, go toward the waterfront. Stay with that idiot. Let him take a bullet for you. And if you need to escape, go into the water. I will find you before you drown.”

“You’ll be hundreds of miles away.”

“Trust me.”

“I do.” She blew him a kiss. “I’m ready now,” she called back, and Casimiro shifted.

“I still don’t like this,” Remy said.

“I’m a reporter. I report on bad things and save people’s lives. That’s what I am. Being a Queen won’t change that. This is my chance to break out of the pack and have people read my articles. My pen is mightier than my claw—get it?”

Remy shook his head. “If it’s fame you want, you have it. You’re a dragon Queen. If you want to have your stories on the front page of a newspaper, we’ll buy you one.”

Margery shook her head. “You can’t buy all of them.”

“We can try.”

“The world needs to know about dragons. I’m going to be their go-between.”

“You’re going to be dead.”

“Not a chance.” She gave him a brief kiss. “I’ve got you protecting me.”

Remy snorted and ran his hand over his face.

“After this story, there will be another and another. I’m not going to stop reporting the news. Do you have a problem with that?” She raised her chin at him.

“Hell, yes,” he said. “But I’ll figure out a way to keep you safe.”

“I might be more trouble than I’m worth.” Margery sighed. That’s what her stepfather had said. Maybe he was right, but Remy was already shaking his head.

“You are a Queen.
My
Queen. Just remember, go to water if you’re in trouble.”

“I will.” She squeezed his hand and returned to Casimiro.

“If you were stronger, I’d have you on my back,” Casimiro said as his long body unwound. He was a big snakelike creature, a deep emerald green. “But I’m afraid if we’re chased, you would fall.”

“You’re really going to carry me in your mouth?” She touched a sharp tooth and raised her eyebrow.

“It’s not like I have hands in this form. I promise you will not be damaged. I can’t promise that if I go into a dive and you slide off.” Casimiro opened his mouth wide.

“This is so weird,” she said and stepped into the jaws of a Chinese dragon. “Don’t swallow.”

“Said no man ever,” Carolyn said, coming over to wave good-bye.

“Keep her safe,” Remy ordered, winking at her as she tried to get comfortable sitting on Casimiro’s tongue, looking through his teeth like they were prison bars.

She had to grab on to them when Casimiro shot into the air, but she was able to keep an eye on Remy until he was just a speck.

Chapter Thirteen

Remy was still expecting a double cross, but at least Margery was safe with Casimiro. He didn’t like the smarmy bastard, but the Chinese dragon would protect her with his life.

“Are you ready?” Arianna purred.

He wasn’t. “No time like the present.”

Arianna shifted into an emerald Celtic dragon. Just as beautiful in this form, she was as deadly as Reed. Remy forced himself not to flinch from the gigantic clawed hand that clutched him.

“It’ll be a short trip,” she said.

He resisted the urge to whoop in joy as they sailed over the trees and mountains. Remy never felt slighted that he couldn’t fly. He had the water, which was just as vast as the sky, but it was a treat to glide over the land. How would it feel to have sex in the air?

Probably a hell of a lot nicer if he had wings. Remy wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep it up as he plummeted a thousand feet toward the earth, though. But maybe with the right dragon… His mind wandered to Margery and that damned reverse cowgirl position of hers. He much preferred the other way, with her facing him—he could look into her beautiful eyes and play with her nipples while she bounced on his cock.

He let out a breath and thought about his baseball team’s season to calm his raging hormones. He didn’t want to give Arianna ideas.

Speaking of ideas, Remy wondered if Casimiro was going to behave himself. Unlike him, Casimiro had wings and would be able fly along with Margery once she recovered. Remy closed his eyes to banish the image. Well, at least that got rid of his hard-on.

He didn’t like that Casimiro had been her lover. He especially didn’t like that the singer had treated her like shit because she was human. Margery deserved someone who loved her for her beautiful self. Not just because she was a Queen.

But what if after spending tonight with Casimiro, she realized what Remy was lacking? Well, he’d go back to his lake. Where he belonged. It was a small comfort that she would make her home near his. Hopefully, Casimiro would be on tour most of the time, so he wouldn’t feel the need to smash that arrogant look off his face.

Maybe Margery would even allow him consort privileges when Casimiro was gone. Remy would like to think he was too proud to be second best, but he wanted Margery too much to care. After all, no Queen in over a millennium had been allowed a monogamous relationship. Still, Remy was pretty sure that Margery was still human enough to want one. He held on to hope that in the end, she would choose him over Casimiro, even with all of his faults.

True to Arianna’s word, they were in Vermont before his morbid thoughts could go any farther.

“Just fly low enough that I don’t break my back when I hit the water, and you can let go of me over the lake,” he called up to Arianna.

She skimmed the water and released him. Blowing him a kiss, she winged back up into the air and took off with her squadron of goons behind her. It was bliss to relax into his true form as his coils unraveled and soaked up the lake’s healing water. Remy hadn’t wanted to bring attention to the fact that he had been severely dehydrated. The last thing he needed was to give Reed an edge or Casimiro something else to needle him about.

Remy’s eyes drifted closed. He needed a break to recharge. Being in the presence of four Queens at the same time had almost broken him. Thankfully, all of them were too new to administer discipline for failing to abide by protocols, otherwise, he would have had his ass beaten five ways to Sunday. It was going to take a lot of getting used to, having all these Queens in the world. Dragon life would change. He worried what the three elder Queens would do because they were outnumbered and rapidly losing power. It could get deadly before things settled. Remy blew out a breath. Hopefully his mother would continue to stay out of the politics until the new Queens were in power. He just wished he knew if she was all right.

It had shocked him to learn Esmeralda had taken Carolyn prisoner to do her breeding work for her. What if his mother was similarly imprisoned? Fury blinded him, and he roared her name, which would rattle around the waterways and echo into the earth. She hadn’t responded before, but maybe now she would. He waited, but as always, he didn’t get a response.

He hoped his father was with her. Two lake dragons who’d gotten tired of the humans and didn’t want to be found, even by their son.

With that depressing thought, he pushed himself out of the water. It was too soon, but he needed to check on the mercenaries he’d hired to guard his home. When Margery came back to Vermont after the investigation, he was going to make damned sure what happened at Reed’s complex would not happen here. Grim determination settled into him. He’d handle it. He was a protector and a consort, like his father had been.

He couldn’t help but worry about Margery, though. Casimiro wasn’t known for his martial skills—what was he going to do against a pack of drakes? Sing them to sleep? Remy snorted. He wished he could call her, but he didn’t want to distract her if she was in the middle of something important. Like fighting off assassins. Or dodging bullets.

This isn’t helping.

Remy’s stomach gurgled from the acid bite of worry. What if one of the elder Queens decided to kidnap her? Casimiro didn’t have the resources to battle a Queen. He rubbed his face and tried to banish these thoughts. There was nothing he could do about it now. But if a situation arose, he would react to it with lethal force. He blew out a sigh. That was all he could do.

The mercenaries knew their stuff. After answering a few questions and giving some instructions, Remy spent a few hours sleeping in the lake to rejuvenate. He dreamed of Margery and him sky dancing over the lochs of Scotland. He came just as they plummeted into the water. Then she was on his turf. All the thrashing he did in his sleep probably caused wakes that upset the boaters on the lake’s surface.

Waking up rejuvenated and oddly satisfied, Remy swam to where he docked his boat. He turned back into human to visit the dock master. But old Ben wasn’t around. Remy felt comfortable enough to break the lock on the office door and let himself inside. He flicked on the lights; he wanted to attract attention. But even though it was close to midnight, no one came to investigate.

Remy checked the logs and saw that his boat had been taken out three times while he was in Scotland. Old Ben put down that the captain was “a friend of Champ’s.”

“Great.” Remy sighed. Like that didn’t make him look guilty. Remy called old Ben’s cell phone, but it immediately went to voicemail.

Time to try out the local bars. With any luck, he’d be able to get a description of his “good friend” who used his boat to smuggle drugs.

He found Ben at the local dive bar, Brews and Cues. Both the beer and the pool tables had seen better days. Still, he was greeted like an old friend, and when he bought the bar a round, he became their hero, at least for the next hour or so.

Sitting down across from old Ben, Remy realized he was going to have to talk fast, because Ben was on his way to either falling asleep or passing out at the table.

“Champ! Good to see yer,” old Ben said, shaking his hand.

“Had a question about who’s been using my boat.”

Old Ben squinted at him. “Your dragon friend? That bastard’s been dipping his wick into every female willing to spread her legs for him.”

Remy’s eyes widened. That didn’t sound good. “Really? I haven’t seen him around lately, and I was wondering if he said when he’d be back?”

Ben scratched the whiskers on his chin. “Haven’t seen him in a few months or so.”

“Where does he stay when he’s in town?”

Ben shrugged. “Pretty much any damn place he wants to. Women throwing themselves at him. Grown women, too. I can excuse the younger ones. They ain’t got any sense. But widow Frieda was practically sitting on his lap.” He shook his head and blew out a sigh. “How’s a man supposed to compete with the likes of you studs?”

“Widow Frieda?” Remy racked his brain but came up with a generic older woman, midforties, handsome rather than pretty. Her husband had died a few years ago of cancer. She kept mostly to herself, but Remy had run into her at ball games and dock parties. She wasn’t a dragon stud’s usual prey. “Did he take her out on the boat?”

“He took her, all right,” Ben said, darkly.

“Where does she live?”

“Why?” Ben shoved away from the table, swaying. “This time of night? You think she’ll let you in her bed because she’s dragonstruck?”

“Uh.” Remy got up, too, and tried to pacify the old man. “No. I’m looking for my friend. That’s all. Settle down. I don’t want any trouble.”

Or all the attention he was suddenly getting.

“I remember that friend of yours,” Zeke, who owned the coffee shop next to the dock, said. He paused in his game of pool, rubbing chalk on the tip thoughtfully. “Dark-skinned dude, right? From India?”

India?
That’s Choyo’s territory.

“Yeah, that’s him,” Remy said. Not that it narrowed it down any.

“He propositioned my daughter Lisa.” Zeke blew on the tip of the pool cue. Blue dust floated to the ground.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry, hell. Now she’s pregnant.” Zeke swung the pool cue.

Damn it.
Remy let it hit his arm. The cue shattered. “I think I should talk to your daughter.”

“Even if I knew where she was,” Zeke said, “I wouldn’t tell you. He broke her heart.”

Nidhogg save me from stupid humans.
Remy spoke slow and calm, as if he was soothing a wild animal. “If she’s carrying a dragon’s egg, she’s in terrible danger. Biologically, our species aren’t compatible, right?” Remy held out his hand in a gesture of peace. “She needs a doctor or she could die.”

“You son of a bitch.” Zeke swung wildly. Remy sidestepped, and Zeke, off balance and more than a little drunk, fell to the floor. That’s when all hell broke loose. Ben hit him with a chair from behind. Someone threw a bottle at him. Two fishermen tried to tackle him to the ground. He pried them off as gently as he could.

Saddened that his village had turned against him over the actions of one bad dragon, he lamented that he hadn’t visited them sooner. But just as soon as he got back from Scotland, he’d had his hands full with Margery. Maybe he could have stopped this pressure-cooker situation before it reached this point.

Remy left the bar as peacefully as he could. They couldn’t hurt him, even if they pulled out their shotguns, but he wanted to be long gone before that possibility even occurred to anyone. He’d never forgive himself if someone got caught in the crossfire. The bar fight raged around without him, making him wonder if maybe they just needed to blow off steam.

He wandered off down the roads, wondering what the hell he was going to do now. He had to talk to the widow Frieda and find Zeke’s daughter Lisa, but he had no idea where to find either at this time of night. Two Burlington police cars flew down the road, their lights flashing but their sirens off. No sense waking the locals for a bar fight. A third squad car slowed and pulled off to the side.

A big, burly man with a gray beard down to his chest uncoiled from the car and walked over to him. It was the chief of police. “I heard you were tearing up Brews?”

“It would be splinters if I was, Dan.”

Dan shook his head. “It ain’t the same since your friend came to town.”

“What if I tell you he isn’t my friend?”

“All you dragon studs stick together.”

“No.” Remy ground his teeth. “This is my territory, and he hurt my people. I’d appreciate it if you can help me out here. I think widow Frieda and Zeke Jordan’s daughter Lisa are in trouble.”

“What can I do?”

“Can you take me to widow Frieda’s house?”

“Champ, it’s after midnight.”

“It might be life and death.”

This time, they traveled with the lights and sirens on. Dan had called ahead, and Frieda was out on the porch wrapped in a black chenille bathrobe and looking annoyed.

“This better be good, Chief. I need my beauty sleep.” She straightened up when Remy got out of the car and smoothed her hand over her hair. “Shit, Dan. You could have warned me.”

“I’m sorry for bothering you,” Remy said. “But I need to ask you a few questions about the dragon that was telling everyone he was my friend.”

“Sure,” she nodded. “Let’s go inside and get warm.” They followed her into a pretty cabin and sat down in her living room. “Can I get you guys something to drink? I’ve got some beer.”

“I’m on duty,” Dan said, making himself as comfortable as he could on the prissy couch. He fiddled with the doilies on top that kept dropping into his lap.

“No, thanks.” Remy perched on the arm of the chair, but at her disapproving look, he sat in the seat instead. “What was the name he gave you? I’m not even sure I know who this stud is.”

“Really?” Frieda blew out a sigh. “I can’t imagine why Rathin would lie about knowing you.”

“Rathin?” Panic flared up in him. That was the name of the guard Carolyn had suggested for Viola, the one who had survived the explosion. “Do you have a picture of him?” He had to make sure it was the same guy.

She bit her lip. “I know your kind doesn’t like to have their picture taken. I don’t want to get in trouble. I never would sell it or anything.”

“I just want to confirm it’s the same stud.”

“I thought you said you didn’t know him,” Dan grunted, giving up on keeping the doilies on the top of the couch. He tossed them to the coffee table in disgust.

“I just met him. If he’s the same one.”

Frieda dug her phone out of her purse and flipped through it until she came across the picture she was looking for. She showed it to Remy.

Son of a bitch.
Remy exploded off the couch. Frieda squawked and pinwheeled back; he had to force himself to calm down. “That dragon just tried to kill one of the new Queens. I have to warn the embassy about him.”

“Kill a Queen?” Frieda clutched the opening of her robe in shock. “Why? I thought he wanted babies.” Her hand went to her stomach.

Remy tracked the motion. “Did he give you any pills? Any medicine to take to make you…” He cleared his throat. This was embarrassing. “You know, fertile.”