Flight of Dragons(77)
When the ghost didn’t return with an answer by the next evening, Taite had taken to the skies many times each day to watch for his return, positive Eadlin’s answer must have been yes.
Early on the seventh day, he caught sight of a pony pulling a small cart. Walter was driving and there was a woman next to him. Her head was covered, but tendrils of flame-red hair had escaped and danced in the wind.
She was beautiful. He felt drawn to her with an intensity he never felt with Freya. His cock stirred. That was new.
He’d thought his lack of interest had been due to Freya no longer being a virgin. Now he wasn’t so sure. He forced himself to turn back home. He needed to prepare for Eadlin’s arrival.
She was still almost half a day away, but he wanted everything to be perfect. He didn’t want her to see him in his dragon form at all, which meant he’d have to remain in his room.
He probably should have told Freya what was happening, but he never saw her in his human form and it was best for the dragon to interact with her as little as possible. It was all Taite could do to keep him under control and he didn’t want to take any risk of something going wrong. Truth be told, he didn’t like being responsible for Freya and the child and lately he’d thought more and more about how he could free them with no consequence to himself.
The ghost appeared to be the answer to all his problems. He’d let Walter handle Freya.
***
After so many days of kindness from the beast, Freya no longer retreated to the corner with Daisy when the door opened. She only continued to watch him when he entered because she was curious to see what he brought. She’d failed miserably at not getting used to his change in behaviour.
She’d been braiding Daisy’s hair and was just tying it off when the door opened.
She’d not quite finished when Daisy whispered, “The man is back.”
She looked up sharply and pulled her daughter with her as she scrambled away into the corner.
“Freya, please don’t be afraid. My name is Walter Hampton, and I’m here to take you back to Graeme.”
“What trickery is this?”
“Good grief. Not you as well. This is no trickery, I promise. We have a long way to travel and the sooner we get going, the sooner you will be with Graeme.”
Freya wanted to believe this Walter character with all he heart. After all, she’d been dreaming of this moment for years. “How can I be certain you speak the truth?”
“He has a small painting of you and a lock of your hair.”
She’d almost forgotten the painting he’d had commissioned. And she’d given him the lock of her hair the day he’d asked her to marry him. He’d given her a beautiful ring and when she’d expressed dismay over having nothing to give him in return, he’d asked for one of her curls.
While this was unlikely common knowledge, she wasn’t quite ready to trust this man with the safety of her baby. “How did you find me?”
“I had a conversation with a certain sellsword who’d had an unfortunate encounter with a dragon a number of years ago. Once I have you and the wee one safely in the care of Lord Greymoor, I’m sure he will want a chat of his own with the miserable whoreson.”
Freya eyed the open door weighing her chances of success if she just grabbed Daisy and ran.
The man held out a key and winked. “I think you’ll be needing this if you expect run with any speed.” He bent down and slid it across the floor towards her. “I’ll leave you to do the honours.”
Her fingers shook as she picked up the small piece of iron. She lost count of how many times it took before she was able to hold her hand steady enough to fit the key into the lock. Finally, the lock sprang open and the first shackle fell free. She looked at her ankle. It was all calloused from years of metal rubbing at it. More scars.
If it hadn’t been for Daisy, she might have replaced it and stayed where she was. She was no longer soft and pretty and she was worried Graeme would reject her. Well, she could live with being rejected as long as he claimed their child.
She was quicker with the second shackle and when it fell off, she reached around and gave Daisy a big squeeze. “Let’s go on an adventure.”
***
When Eadlin walked through the door, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven. Standing before her was the most handsome man she’d ever seen. And if the prophesy held true, he would be hers for eternity.
Her stomach flip-flopped as Taite approached her. “Welcome, Eadlin.”
His deep voice sent her heart racing and she felt oddly damp between her legs. He slowly lifted his hand and gently stroked the back of his fingers down her cheek.