Dragon Soul(20)

"Dragon leader," he mumbled, and wiggled his shoulders to get more  comfortable against the seat, his head turning toward the window.

I fought the urge to brush back a strand of hair that had fallen down  over his eyebrow and told myself that despite our assignation the night  before, he was not my man to fuss over. We had just gotten together to  scratch a couple of mutual itches. Despite my propensity for falling for  men without waiting to know them well, I couldn't count on him feeling  the same way about me as I felt about him. Men just didn't dive into  emotions like that.

Besides, there was the Jian factor to be thought of. What if I was  cursed? What if Rowan risked his life to be with me? Four days was all  it had taken before Jian and I marched down the steps of city hall, and  already I'd known Rowan for two days. What if he left tomorrow to go  back to his Amazonian rain forest, leaving me to return to L.A. alone?

A familiar sense of loneliness swept over me, one that had beset me ever since Jian was killed.

To stop myself from dwelling on the many ways my life was messed up, I  turned to Gabriel and May, and with a quick check of Akbar (now telling  Mrs. P about how he was happy to escort her through a Cairo museum to  better understand the exhibits), I asked quietly, "So you're both  dragons?"

An odd look crossed May's face. "Gabriel is, of course, although to be  strictly accurate, I wasn't born a dragon. First I was his mate, and  then due to an interaction with the First Dragon, I became …  more."         

     



 

"The who now?" I asked.

"The First Dragon is the progenitor of all dragonkin," Gabriel answered.  "All dragons who ever were and ever will be are descended from him."

"And he made you one, too?" I asked May, feeling a whole lot less  special, which was stupid because I was a dragon's mate, too. I was  almost a mythical being, and how many people could say that?

"I guess he did," she said after a few seconds of significant looks  exchanged with Gabriel. "Although I never thought about it in that  light. It's not like he just bopped me on the head and made me that way,  though. I'm not sure he can do that, to be honest."

"He can do anything he desires," Gabriel said drily.

"Including damning innocent men for acts beyond their control," Rowan  said, his voice muffled since his chin was wedged into his shoulder.

Gabriel was silent for the count of five. "I don't know about that, but I  do know that we owe our existence to the First Dragon. And he was good  to May, which I will be thankful for to the end of my time."

"He can't be that good of a dad to you guys if he has children like Mr.  Kim running around," I said, remembering the glint of the knife Mr. Kim  had used to threaten us.

"Ah, but that is not the First Dragon's fault. That is the doing of Bael."

"Sure it is," I agreed, wondering if I should go to the trouble of  nudging Rowan and asking him who Bael was or if I should just let it go.

Just get Mrs. P to the hotel, I told myself. Then you can hand her over  to the cruise people and go home, where life is normal, and there are no  dragons and demons and people trying to steal other people's  possessions, and no heartbreakingly handsome men with gray-green eyes to  lust after, and worry about, and wonder if he'll last longer than four  days.

A tiny little voice told me how sad it would be to live a normal life without Rowan to spice it up, but I ignored it.

I fell silent at that point, paying little attention to the discussion  that May and Gabriel held about whether or not more demonic dragons  would show up in Cairo or if they'd give up the attempt now that they  knew the dragons were protecting Mrs. P.

The Hotel Cleopatra wasn't at all what I was expecting, but then, what  had been on this trip? "Well, that's …  interesting," I said as we got out  of the car. A giant bust of Cleopatra loomed over the entrance, much  like a figurehead sat on the prow of a ship. On each side of her were  twin half-naked Nubian slaves, each with a palm in hand that jutted out  over the entrance, providing shade from the merciless Egyptian sun. "It  kind of reminds me of Disney."

Rowan glanced up at Cleopatra, his eyes widening when he took in her  impressive bust barely encased by what surely was a teenage boy's idea  of historic costume appropriate to Cleopatra's era.

"Unusual, to be sure," Rowan said before taking his rucksack from Akbar.

"Especially in a mostly Muslim country. Oh well, we won't see her from  inside," I said, grabbing Mrs. P as she started after Akbar. "Come on,  let's get checked in for the few hours it'll be before we have to get  you to your cruise."

"You are checking into the hotel just for a few hours?" May asked.

"Mrs. P will be here just for a few hours, yes. I figured we can do a  little sightseeing if she's up to it, and if she's not, she can rest.  Then she'll go on to the cruise and I'll spend the night here and leave  in the morning." A little pang of sadness hit me at my words.

"Bye bye, sweet cheeks," Mrs. P told Akbar, blowing him a kiss. "I'll  tell my beau how knowledgeable about his life you are. He will be  appreciative to know his time is remembered so well."

"We're going to see him in a couple of hours if you're up to the tour of  the pyramids, so you needn't make a dramatic farewell scene yet. And  what on earth was all that about?" I asked her as we entered the hotel.  "All I heard Akbar talking about was Egyptian myths and what life was  like back then and stuff like that."

"He is a nice lad. As polite as your man, but not so stuffy. Probably  has more stamina in bed, though. Stamina is such a waste on the young. I  want some tea."

"All righty. Let me just get us checked in, and I'll get us a late  lunch, okay? Hello. I'm Sophea Long, and this is Mrs. Papadopolous. We  have reservations."

We finished checking in and I scooted to the side while Rowan acquired a  room of his own (he didn't book ahead) before asking him, "We're going  to have some lunch in a short bit. Did you want to join us? It'll be our  treat for you sitting up all night making sure we were safe."         

     



 

He looked like he was going to say no, but just then his stomach growled  audibly, and he gave an apologetic little laugh. "I believe that is  answer enough."

May and Gabriel were now at the reception desk, obviously getting a  room. I knew I should extend the offer of lunch to them, since they  clearly had some role in keeping the demon dragons at bay, but a wave of  selfishness had me steering Mrs. P toward the elevator with one hand  while grasping Rowan's arm with the other. "Tell you what, I'll order  room service so you won't have to face sitting in a restaurant  surrounded by tourists. Then you can go have a nap."

He turned when we reached the elevator and nodded toward May and Gabriel. "What about them?"

"They can find their own lunch, I'm sure." I immediately felt guilty at  the flash of surprise in his eyes. "I'm sorry. That's catty of me. If  you would like them to join us, I'll ask them."

A little frown pulled his eyebrows together. "I get the feeling that you don't care for Gabriel and May."

"I don't. Rather, I don't trust them."

"Why not? They are your own kind, after all."

"They don't look like dragons," I said, glancing past him at the people in question.

"Neither do you."

"No, but I clearly am dragonish," I said with a complacence that I  realized was fully at odds with the fact that less than a day before, I  refused to accept the fact that there even were such things as dragons  in human form, let alone that Jian was one of them. "Did you see the way  I kicked Elton out of the window? That was a serious dragon move going  on there."

He gave a little chuckle and escorted us into the empty elevator when  the doors opened. "It was indeed, but I believe you're judging Gabriel  unfairly because he wasn't there to help us fight the demons. I have no  doubt he's capable of equally impressive dragon moves, as you call  them."

I kept the door from closing and nodded toward the reception desk. "Maybe. Do you want me to invite them or not?"

Rowan shrugged. "I'm sure you're right and they can find their own  lunch. I just thought you'd like someone relatable that you could talk  to."

"Another time, perhaps," I said, knowing full well that I'd be on a plane heading back home the following day.

By myself.

Without Rowan.

And worse, without the likelihood of ever seeing him again.

I grew morose at that thought, a feeling that stayed with me while I  bustled Mrs. P into the room we would share for a few hours until she  went off to her cruise and made her a cup of tea while trying to keep  her from confiscating everything she could see.

Finally, I got her to relax on the bed with her feet up for a little  bit. "I told Rowan to meet us here in half an hour, which gives me to  time to call the tour company in Cairo and make sure everything is  copacetic for your trip. No, you can't take that. The Gideon people put  it there for others to use …  oh, what the hell. Knock yourself out. You  might want to read up on the bit about thou shalt not steal, though."