Dragon's Blood (The Dragon's Gift Trilogy #2)

“No, you certainly cannot,” Dareena said. “Although, do you think it’s possible your amulet might protect you? It has worked against the anti-dragon spell so far.”

“The warlock warned me that the amulet might fail if it tries to combat more than one spell at a time,” Lucyan said ruefully. “As much as I would like to try, we would find ourselves in even more dire straits if we accidentally destroyed the amulet in the process. Tariana flew over the border to try to rescue Ryolas before he was brought to the castle, and she nearly died thanks to that blasted warlock magic,” he growled. “Luckily, I came upon her and helped her heal with the amulet, and managed to convince her to go home by promising I would rescue Ryolas if I could.”

“I’m glad you did, because a rescue is no longer necessary,” Dareena said. “Arolas was thrown into the dungeons after what he did to Alistair, and Ryolas was released. He is confined to his quarters, and resting comfortably, from what Princess Basilla has told me.”

“Thank the gods,” Lucyan said, relief sweeping through him. That was one less burden for him to worry about. “It will be far easier to escape if it’s only the three of us. If we can successfully sneak out of here, I can carry you two on my back and fly to Dragonfell. Do you think you might be able to use your magic to make us invisible?” he asked, remembering how Ryolas and his men had done so in the forest.

Dareena shook her head. “Invisibility is beyond the purview of nature-based magic,” she said. “If we had your invisibility cloak I might be able to strengthen it a bit, but I could not fashion such a spell myself.”

“That is unfortunate,” Lucyan said. “And no, I no longer possess the cloak—Shadley managed to lose it while he was fleeing Paxhall. What about offensive spells? Can you use your magic as a weapon?”

“Oh yes,” Dareena said. She sat up and reached for the drawer in the bedside table, and the sheet slid down, exposing her round, lovely breasts. Lucyan’s cock twitched, and he gripped the bedspread to keep from reaching for her again—the conversation at hand was far more important than his sexual desires. “Here is the primer I was telling you about.” She turned back to show him the slim volume in her hand.

“This is written with elven runes,” Lucyan said, flipping through the pages. “You’ve already taught yourself to read this?” He shook his head, amazed at her aptitude, though perhaps he shouldn’t be. She’d learned those dragon runes awfully fast when he’d taught her.

“Well, I sometimes still refer to the alphabet book Basilla gave me,” she admitted, “but yes, I’ve come a long way.” She took the book from him and flipped it open to a passage. “This is a technique that produces a humming noise that is very harsh on the ears. It can be used to stun dogs and wolves, or other creatures with sharp hearing.”

“Like elves,” Lucyan said, nodding. “Or even dragons.”

Dareena smiled, turning to another page. “This one here talks of taking the life energy and forming it into a weapon,” she said. “Some people fashion it into spears, others shoot it from their hands like arrows.”

Lucyan’s eyebrows rose. “That sounds handy,” he said. “Have you tried any of these?”

Dareena shook her head. “I couldn’t risk the guards overhearing,” she said, glancing toward the door. “But now that they’re no longer right outside…”

“You could try it now,” Lucyan finished. “At least the weapon thing. I’d advise against the humming noise—they would definitely hear that.”

Dareena nodded. She rose from the bed and covered her body in a dressing gown, much to Lucyan’s disappointment. Lucyan quickly dressed, then joined her, not wanting to be on the receiving end of whatever she summoned.

“This may not work,” she warned, raising her hand. “I’ve gotten a little better at gathering energy from the air, but this could require more than I can manage.”

“Just do your best,” Lucyan said. He stood back and watched as Dareena focused on her hand, pursing her lips. The air in the room shifted, and sure enough, he could feel the hum of power as it gathered around her. By the gods, he hadn’t doubted her when she told him she could use elven magic, but hearing it was quite different from watching it at work.

“It’s working,” Lucyan said, his voice hushed but excited. Her hand was glowing, sparks crackling in the air around it. “Come on, Dareena, you can do this!”

Dareena sucked in a breath. The light grew brighter, and suddenly, a glowing whip unfurled from her hand. It crackled as it hit the floor, throwing off sparks, and Lucyan’s eyes widened. A few of the sparks left scorch marks on the floor and walls.

“I—I did it!” Dareena exclaimed. As soon as she said the words, the whip flickered out of existence. “Or at least, I did for a moment,” she said, a little put out.

“Damn right you did.” Lucyan gathered her into his arms and kissed her soundly. “Don’t look so disappointed—this is excellent news! With a bit of practice, you’ll be wielding that whip in no time.”

The two of them returned to bed to snuggle for a little while, and they slept until sunrise. Rays of pink and gold peeked through the curtains when Lucyan opened his eyes, and he nuzzled the back of Dareena’s neck. This was the best night of sleep he’d gotten in a long time.

“Time for me to get up,” he said, kissing her neck. “I’ve got to be in Alistair’s room before a servant shows up.”

“Mmm.” Dareena turned in his arms, her eyes half-lidded. “I’ll join you.”

Lucyan dressed quickly, reluctantly putting his disguise back in place while Dareena donned the dressing gown again. They returned to Alistair’s room to find him sleeping peacefully and looking significantly improved from last night.

“Morning,” his brother rumbled, pushing himself upright. His sleepy gaze moved between the two of them, and he smiled knowingly. “The two of you look well-rested.”

“As do you,” Dareena said, smiling. She sat down on the bed next to Alistair and felt his forehead. “No fever,” she said, “and your color looks good. I believe you’re back to normal.” She ran her fingers through his messy blond hair as she kissed him.

“And here I thought I was the doctor,” Lucyan teased as Dareena cuddled Alistair. A pang of jealousy hit him, but it was less about Alistair holding Dareena’s attention and more about the fact that he couldn’t rejoin her in bed. But he was Dr. Harrigan again, and it would raise some very awkward questions if he was found in bed with her by one of the elves.

“You are,” Alistair said, grinning, “and your treatment was quite effective. Though I suppose you’ll be wanting your medicine back,” he added, unfastening the amulet from around his neck.