Flight of Dragons(42)

“Sir?” Thorsson’s eyes widened in surprise.

Balthazar stared at Eva. “I want her to meet my parents.”





Chapter 3



They walked through the gardens at the back of the house. The sun had yet not appeared on the horizon. Wildflowers lined the stone path in a riotous array of color, and Eva inhaled their heady perfume. Stone benches sat randomly through the garden, offering uninterrupted views of the distant landscape with its rolling green hills and grey boulders. The stark beauty of Iceland always delighted her.

Balthazar walked beside her, his gaze fixed on the volcano a couple of miles away. She knew Lysuhóll Volcano had been silent for about three hundred years, but the possibility of an eruption was always imminent. The country was riddled with the massive lava cones. Lancelot and Thorsson brought up the rear, carrying the heat-resistant suits.

“Have you and your father explored past the battleground?”

She was startled out of her thoughts. “We’ve covered about half of Iceland, but haven’t explored north of the peninsula. I’m hoping Papa will be agreeable to an extensive project up here.”

“There’s a Viking community located about two miles north of the volcano.” He pointed. “Beyond the hill. Father’s sword was made there.”

“Really? I didn’t know there were communities in this area.”

“There aren’t. That old village must be buried under, oh, about twenty feet of volcanic ash.”

“Buried? How did you find it?”

“I didn’t.” He glanced at her. “I was with Dad when he had the sword commissioned.”

“Wait a minute. You’re talking—” She quickly added up the approximate years and stopped in her tracks. “Four hundred years?”

Balthazar kept walking but he nodded. “Sounds about right.”

He was seriously delusional, and she couldn’t go on like this. She looked at the security guard. “Mr. Thorsson, I need to know if you believe your boss.”

The big man glanced at Balthazar, who had finally stopped. “Go ahead and answer her, Thorsson,” he said. “She’s only heard the story from me. Eva needs a little more assurance until we get to the grave site.”

Mr. Thorsson looked uncomfortable. It wasn’t so much his facial expression as his body language. He glanced down at his feet, then rocked on his heels, obviously worried. “Mr. Andal speaks the truth,” he finally said.

“Are you sure?” she asked. “Because you seem a little uncertain.”

“Not at all. It’s just that I’ve never had to explain to anyone about Mr. Andal’s idiosyncrasies.”

Spoken like a loyal employee. Eva looked at Lancelot, who watched her. “There’s no use asking you, is there?”

He offered a smile and shook his head. “You’ll get an eyeful when we arrive.”

“Great.” All of them believed in the mystical legend. Two of them actually thought they were dragons. She couldn’t get away from here fast enough. Which was too bad, actually, she thought as they continued their walk. Balthazar was a guy who really caught her attention. But how could she flirt with him when every other sentence out of his mouth was about him being a dragon?

They walked for another fifteen minutes before the collapsed dome of Lysuhóll appeared when they crested a small hill. “We’re going inside?” Eva asked.

“No, just to the base.” He pointed at the volcano. “My parents are buried just north of that spot.”

“They’re not in a cemetery?”

Balthazar looked at her. “We’re dragons, Eva. We bury our remains beneath our respective volcanoes.”

She guessed that for him, it made perfect sense. “Of course.”

He cocked a dark eyebrow, and Eva worried that he may have heard the disbelief in her voice.

The next leg of their journey grew tough as they scrambled over small boulders and treacherous footing. The land was pocketed with hidden gaps, and Eva cried out as she stumbled over a hidden rock. Balthazar caught her before she fell and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her breasts were crushed against hard muscle, and her mouth was so close to his that she felt his breath on her cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered, as she found her balance. “I don’t know how I didn’t see that.”

He didn’t let go. “Much of it is grown over. Thorsson and I know this area like the back of our hands.”

His scent teased her, and she wanted to stand within his embrace. Reluctantly, she released her hold on him. “I’ll be more careful.”

He stepped away and held out his hand.