Dragon Soul(30)

     



 

Another fire broke out at my feet. I stubbed it out with the toe of my sandals before Rowan could see it.

"It's one of the reasons I was in Brazil-if the dragons had known where I  was, they would have demanded much of me. The danegeld bound to me  meant I couldn't refuse a legitimate request if it was made of me, so I  made sure they wouldn't find me."

"How much do you have to pay the dragon guy?" I asked, thinking of the two thousand dollars I'd received from Mrs. P's nephew.

I hated to lose my seed money, but Rowan clearly had a greater need than me.

His eyes closed for a minute. "I took four lives from the dragonkin.  Technically, the danegeld is to replace those lives, but how I'm  supposed to do that, I have no idea."

He looked so sad, my heart gave a little squeeze.

"I don't think you're to blame at all for the deaths," I said in an  attempt to make him feel better. "And since I'm kind of a dragon, I'd be  happy to talk to this guy if you want. Would you like me to comfort you  some more, or do you want to be left alone?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. "I'd have to be dead to say I didn't  want more of your particular brand of comforting, but that isn't why I  wanted to talk to you."

"You wanted to tell me that those dragon people think you're a murderer.  But I'm not them, Rowan. I'm a pretty good judge of people, and I can  tell you're not the sort of man who would let people be hurt if you  could prevent it."

"We're a pair, aren't we?" he said with another quirk of his mouth.  "Here's me trying to save the world, and you trying to keep one old lady  safe. Oh, what the hell. I'm due a little comforting."

He slid an arm around my waist and pulled me close, his head tipping  down toward mine. Instantly, my body demanded that I press every part of  it against every part of him, but just as I was tipping back my head to  accept the kiss that he was surely going to press upon me, his words  sunk in.

I slid my hand up to stop him, and ended up with his mouth pressed  against my palm. "What do you mean you're trying to save the world? Save  it from what? Surely not Mrs. P-she might be a bit odd, but she's no  threat to anyone except men who she fancies, and even then, she's not  violent."

He gently bit the tip of one of my fingers. "Remember that ring I  mentioned yesterday? It's an important object. Very important. It  belongs to a demon lord, who quite badly wants it back. The dragons want  it as well, but only so they can destroy it-or rather, have me break  its magic."

"A ring?" I frowned in thought. "But Mrs. P doesn't have one. At least, not one she wears."

"No she isn't wearing it, and I assume by her comments that she didn't  keep it in her luggage, which means she must have it on her person.  Probably on a chain around her neck."

"I don't think so," I said slowly, mentally going over the scene in the  ship's shop. Mrs. P had removed her clothing in front of me without  batting a single eyelash. "I've seen her in her underwear, and she  didn't have on a necklace of any sort."

"Well, she has to have it somewhere upon her person, because she intends to use it as some sort of offering to Osiris."

I leaned back so I could get a better look at him. "She what?"

He nodded. "I take it she's been waiting a long time to return to him.  There's more of a story there than she's telling, but the important  point is that she has the ring, and we need it."

"We?" I asked pointedly. "I don't see where the we comes into it."

"If the demon lord gets the ring, he will use it to unleash boundless  evils upon the world, both immortal and mortal. That's one of the  reasons why the dragonkin want the magic in the ring broken."

I stood up, the fire inside of me dying down to nothing. "I think you'd better leave."

He looked confused. "I thought we were going to indulge in nipple exploration, among other things?"

"I'm sorry about what you went through in the past," I said after  sorting through my emotions. "But I have a feeling you told this to me  in order to get me on your side, so I'll help you take Mrs. P's ring.  No." I held up a hand when he protested. "I know you said you weren't  going to take it from her without permission, and I appreciate that. But  now you're trying to get me on your side so I'll help you browbeat her  into handing it over, and I'm not going to do that."         

     



 

"There's no side to be taken," Rowan said, slowly getting to his feet.  His eyes were filled with sadness. "It's a matter of simply weighing the  need of one person against those of the rest of the world."

I went to the door and opened it, waiting silently for him to leave. He  did with a sigh, his shoulders slumped as if the weight of world was  upon him. And it sounded like much of it was, if the dragons really had  cornered him at last and forced him into this scenario.

That didn't make my heart any less pained. It mourned the loss of Rowan with a sadness I didn't think I could overcome.





Eleven




Ten minutes passed while I paced the main room of the suite, alternating  between wanting to go find Rowan, tell him I was sorry, then seduce him  like he'd never been seduced before, or standing guard at Mrs. P's door  to make sure that no one tried to get to her. Not that I thought that  the priestesses would let anyone in, but I felt obligated to do what I  could to protect her.

Just as I was at the end of my wits with the thoughts that kept  squirreling around and around, there was a tap at the cabin door.

"Rowan," I said hopefully, my heart singing a happy little song about nipples and manly chests and other masculine parts.

"Hi! It's us, Ken and Barbie," Ken said, now dressed in a mauve linen  pantsuit. Barbie stood behind her, holding a small overnight bag. "We  heard all about what happened at your hotel. I can't believe someone  shredded all your clothes! That was just spiteful, if you ask me."

"Spiteful," Barbie agreed, shoving the overnight bag at me. "We brought you and your employer some clothing."

"We just couldn't live with ourselves knowing that you and your boss  were here without anything to wear but those ghastly costumes." Ken  smiled sympathetically at me. I eyed first her rotund shape, then  Barbie's slim, tall form, and decided not to point out that neither Mrs.  P nor I had body types similar to theirs.

"Thank you, that's very thoughtful of you. Um. How is it you found out about the attack on our things?"

"The captain, of course. He was most interested in your experience,"  Barbie said, trying to nonchalantly peer over my shoulder into the  cabin.

I could hear faint noises of chatter coming from Mrs. P's room, but  figured it was better to let go the explanation of why there were seven  women stuffed into a single bedroom. I had a horrible feeling the  captain wouldn't allow it. I shifted slightly to the side to block the  view of Mrs. P's door, and said in a carefully neutral tone, "That's  awfully sweet of you to think of us."

"Sweet is what we do best," Ken said, beaming at me. "Isn't it, Barbs? It comes with the territory."

Barbie looked less than thrilled, but summoned up a weak smile.

"Territory?"

"Yes, you know." Ken waved a hand in a vague gesture.

"No, I'm afraid I don't know," I said, more confused than ever.

Her eyes opened wide in surprise. "Oh, didn't we tell you? Barbs, can  you believe it? We didn't tell Sophea who we are when we met her  earlier."

"Who are you?" I asked, suddenly worried.

"We're cherubs. From the Court of Divine Blood, you know? And so of  course we're here to help you and your employer. We know all about her  and what you're both doing here."

If I hadn't been startled by the news that the two older women standing  before me were cherubs, I was by what Ken was hinting. "The court of  what, now?"

Ken giggled while Barbie tsked, and said, "The Court is what mortals  think of as heaven. It's not, of course, but it's what they based the  idea on centuries ago."

"And you're the little winged fat babies who float around ceiling  decorations in cathedrals and rococo buildings?" I asked, my skepticism  obviously showing, because Ken laughed.

"No, of course not. That's the mortal conception of us. We are as we appear, of course," Barbie said gruffly.

I had the feeling I'd insulted her, but I was still trying to cope with  the idea that these ladies thought they were cherubs. "I'm …  to be  honest, I'm not quite sure what to say to that. I guess I'll just go  with thank you for your concern. I'll show Mrs. P what you brought us,  and if there's anything we can't use, we'll send it back." I edged the  door closed a few inches.

"If you need any help, any help at all, feel free to call on us," Ken  said with a glance over my shoulder. "We will be happy to do whatever  you need. Isn't that right, Barbie?"