Desired by Shadow (A Shadow Walkers Novel) (31 page)

Robert led them to the first set of stairs and on down to the door carved with apples.

“It looks exactly like you described it. Can I look for the leaf with the book carved into it?” Maggie’s eyes shone with excitement, like a kid at Christmas. He sobered, wondering if she’d ever had a proper holiday or an adventure. Today she’d get an adventure and he’d make sure she got a holiday in the future.

Working her way through, branch by branch, she started with the leaves carved into the left side of the tree. Not wanting to hurry her, he stood back watching. What would she do if they came face to face with the beast said to guard the Templar’s treasure? Would she and Angus stand or would they run? Dragons were supposed to be extinct so he’d only heard stories. But the tales. The fire and scales hard as diamond. Colin said the beast was huge. That it had made its lair here since the Templar’s entrusted their treasure to it for safekeeping. Supposedly dragons loved treasure. Colin told him the beast left to hunt, taking a few sheep, horses, pigs, or cattle here and there. Not enough to be discovered but plenty to eat well. Of course, Colin could be getting one off on him…he’d find out soon enough.

“I found it!” A click had the door swinging open. Warm air greeted them.

“That’s odd. Last year the air was really cold. I could see my breath.” Robert inhaled, taking the humid air into his nose and lungs, tasting it. Was his foe in residence? The matches were where he’d left them last year. Still snug and dry in the glass bottle. He struck one on the bottom of the ridged bottle and lit the wick. As before, the pathway before them was illuminated. Descending down the steps, the air grew warmer. Maggie bumped into Angus who stood stock-still, mouth agape.

“I’ve never seen such a thing in all me days.” The lights had flared to life, displaying the treasure in the immense cavern.

“It smells strange down here. Like a mix of dust, old books and…the ocean. But we’re nowhere near the ocean. I don’t get it.” Maggie shook her head.

Robert could smell it too. Never wished he had his powers back as he did now. Was the beast lying in wait or had it gone out hunting? The warm air gave away the fact it was there or had recently been there. “We should hurry. The dragon, animal or whatever beast it is will most undoubtedly be back soon.”

Leading the way, he handed each of them two duffel bags.

Angus looked at him. “Are ye daft, Cap’n? We need ships to haul away this much booty. Two scanty bags won’t hold much.” Even Maggie looked perplexed.

“The two of you look like it’s Christmas and Santa didn’t come. Never worry. We take what we can carry and once we ascertain there is no beast, then I bring in the crew to take the full booty away. Work for you two pirates?” He chuckled. They had wide-eyed looks like lads seeing their first haul. It took him back to his first catch when his share had been a handful of precious gems and a gold statue. Riches danced in front of his eyes, the future laid out in front of him full of wondrous possibilities.

“Maggie? Angus?” Questioning eyes turned towards him. “Be watchful. And what you fit in the bags is yours to keep, aye?” Smiles broke out on both faces and Angus went first, like a magpie drawn to bright shiny things. Maggie hung back a moment.

“You’re going after the Grail.”

“I am. Though make no mistake, I’ll fill my bags. Will be good to show the crew what they’ll have a taste of. Be off now, find whatever makes you smile.” For the first time since they’d met, Maggie looked light-hearted. Seems adventure agreed with his Maggie.

Cocking his head, Robert listened. Yes. He heard it again. The low level song met his ears, soft and the memories flew behind his eyes. Where was it coming from? If he could find the source, the Grail would be his.

Keeping an eye on Maggie and Angus, he followed the music. Along the way, picking up jewels, gold and other treasures as they caught his eye.

“Robert? Can you come over here?” Maggie was hidden by a stack of gold statues. All he could see was her hand waving above her head. He made his way to her and sucked in a breath.

“Wow. That’s a lot of paper.”

A glazed look on her face, she hugged him. “I know. Can you believe all the books?”

“Wait a moment, milady. Robert reverently picked up a small, leather bound book. The pages seemed to be made out of something other than paper. They were strong and the ink still dark after all this time. Carefully, he opened it. “Bloody hell, do you know what you have here?”

She shook her head. “Old books and I’m taking as many as I can.”

“These are so much more than ‘old books,’ some of these may be from the lost library of Atlantis if I remember correctly. In a port in Greece, I met an old man who told me a legend passed down through the generations of his family. A long time ago, they were guardians of knowledge and one of them failed and lost the key they’d been entrusted with. He said I’d know any of the books if I ever came across them by the pages. The ink would shimmer and never fade. These are priceless. Well done.” Bending her backwards, he kissed her deeply.

Peering into one of her satchels, he smiled. It was full of books. “You can take gold and jewels as well, milady.” A teasing noted filled his voice.

“I know. I’ll take a few things to sell for the school but the books—those I want to keep.”

He gave her a slight bow. “As milady, wishes.”

A tinkling sound and smell of the ocean drifted into the cavern, carried on the breeze. The scent filled him from within…wait a minute, why was he feeling air movement?

“Angus?” There was no answer other than a soft chuffing sound. Keeping his voice low, he warned Maggie. “We have company. Hide here in-between the stacks of books until I come for you.” She nodded, her eyes wide and darting around the immense space. “Stay quiet.” With a finger to his lips, he moved like a shadow, wishing again for his powers. Damn rules.

Robert moved towards the sound, stopping every few feet to listen. Moving past solid gold statues, he saw Angus crouched down, bags bulging. The old man pointed to the wall. Lamplight reflected off something shiny and he could see glittering, like gold coins tumbling in the surf, caressed by sunlight. Scales. The chuffing sound was followed by a puff of smoke. The thing was enormous, much larger than Fury and that guy was the size of a bloody bus. The dragon had two black horns, gold eyes and blue skin. The scales were iridescent in the soft light. Reflecting the colors of the rainbow on the walls, floor and treasure around them. Great claws protruded from each foot, black like the horns. Muscle rippled as wings unfurled. The wings easily spanned a large jet. They too were black and looked like worn leather.

Watching, he made himself still and silent as a great beast of a dragon, climbed the walls, the spiked tail lashing as it disappeared into darkness.

Letting out breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, Robert picked up his booty, quickly filling the remaining bag. Circling back to Angus on his way to Maggie, he hoped they’d escape before they were nothing more than a tasty barbequed treat for the dragon.

Tapping Angus on the shoulder, the man jumped, clapping his hand over his mouth. “You scared ten years off me life, Cap’n.”

“Let’s find Maggie and abscond with our bounty. We’ll come back another day with the crew. No sense taking too many chances today.”

Angus agreed and they slowly made their way back to Maggie. Taking a longer, more shadowy route back, Robert spied something. ‘Twas jewelry simply laying across a gold plate but—.

There were earrings, a necklace, and ring. His insides knotted, the hair all over his body standing at attention. The exact match to the bracelet he’d given Emily to wear at her wedding. Fate.

A long time ago, he’d had a sister. The gentleman took her when his wife wanted a child and couldn’t have one. The wife wouldn’t ask where the baby came from or how her husband came by the child. The lord paid his mother well for Susanna with the promise they would never seek her out.

Robert went by the house many times to peer between the iron fence at the large home trying to catch a glimpse of her. They looked so much alike. She had the same midnight black hair and indigo eyes except she was tiny, so petite.

A letter reached him with sad tidings. At sixteen she’d been thrown from her horse, contracted pneumonia and died. Somehow she’d found out about him and had entrusted her lady’s maid to get a message to him. Inside the letter was the bracelet. It was her favorite and she wished him to give it to the lady he would wed. Funny, he’d saved it all this time until giving up, he gave it to Emily.

Emily’s words came back to him.
Oh, Robert, it’s stunning. I would be honored to wear it, to borrow it, but I must give it back, you’ll want to give it to the woman you marry.

A shadow crossed his face, leaning down so only she could hear, No, lass. Tis unheard of for one of us to break our curse, I don’t expect to see it happen again. I gave up on love a long, long, time ago.

It looked beautiful on her. Afterwards, she returned it, telling him again she knew in her heart he’d find his other half. At the time he didn’t believe her. Now…Maggie.

The bracelet was stunning. Fashioned into flowers and vines. The vines were tiny emeralds, the flowers alternated between sapphires, rubies, and diamonds. He’d never thought there was anything else like it and here in front of him was the rest of the set. Was it a sign from Terya?

Taking the jewelry, he and Angus walked down a corridor filled with chests of jewels and coins, turning the corner of the first stack of books to where Maggie had been hiding.

There was no sign of her. A few tumbled books on the floor the only indicator she’d been there. The footsteps in the dust stopped abruptly and vanished. His gut clenched.

“Angus, head to the left and we’ll meet up at the golden doors.” He pointed ahead of them. “If you see anything, call out.” Angus nodded and moved down a narrow pathway.

Robert started to the right of the footsteps. She had to be here. Maybe she’d wandered off looking at her blasted books. The alternative was something he refused to think on. Time seemed to pass slowly and the feeling of wrongness intensified. He’d made it to the far wall when he heard a whisper. Who the hell was she talking to?

A rush of wings made him lean back as warm air skimmed his face. “Robert. The most amazing thing—.”

He crushed her to him. “Where have you been? I thought… Are you unharmed?” Holding her at arm’s length, he looked her over for any signs of injury.

The chit had the nerve to giggle. “I was trying to tell you. Draken showed me around and let me fly on his back. It was amazing.” She was giddy, breathless.

“Maggie,
who
is Draken? Gods, tell me you didn’t encounter the guardian?”

Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him, kissing him, her hair was tousled, and her eyes sparkled. A carefree look filled her face.

“Robert. He’s marvelous. The knights left him here with orders to guard the treasure and then they never came back. Can you believe they just left him here? All that time? Poor guy. I think he’s lonely.”

Barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes, really, a lonely dragon? What was coming next? Bringing it home to Gwrych like an abandoned puppy? He caught her sheepish look.

No. Hell no.

“I, uh, told him, he’s welcome at Gwrych. We have tons of room. All this time, with no one to talk to, please can he come home with us?”

“Maggie, dragons aren’t to be trusted.”

She snorted at him. “How do you know? Do you know any dragons?” Well, she had him there. Running the calculations in his head, he’d need to increase the cows, sheep, pigs and horses on his estate in order to feed the beast. Bloody hell, was he seriously considering bringing a dragon home? In a matter of days, she’d turned his household upside down.

Maggie batted her eyelashes at him in an over-dramatic way. “Draken said you can have the treasure,
all
the treasure, if he can come live with us. He’d rather have company. Ask him yourself.”

Looking around he spread his hands to show he was unarmed. Was he really doing this? Colin said he’d do insane things for the woman he loved. Guess he was about to find out. “Sir Draken. May I have a word?” What an idiot he was, talking to the air.

Warm air ruffled his hair, the flap of great leathery wings, signaling the arrival of the beast.

“Black Bart. Even down here, I’ve heard tale of you. Have you come to steal from me?” A puff of flame mere inches from his face before the dragon dropped his invisibility.

“Please, call me Robert. Black Bart was another life.” Bowing, he told the massive creature, “Aye, I’m still a pirate of sorts, here to steal the treasure though I never meant to offend the guardian. My apologies.”

Draken’s laugh was a deep rumble, shaking the floor, coins spilling down the tall piles, plates and statuary rattling. “You’re not the least bit sorry, but as Maggie is rather charming and promised to read to me every day, I’ll let it go.” What, the dragon could talk but not read? Seriously, did he just say ‘talking dragon’? Was he losing his mind? Draken continued. “I can read but it’s challenging to turn the pages without tearing them.” He sounded indignant.

Ancient eyes regarded him. “So Shadow Walker. The earth is in trouble, and from what I hear, you could use some help.”

“I thought you didn’t get many visitors here?”

“None. Though I listen when I fly out to eat and sometimes I hear people walking around above talking.”

Robert cleared his throat, not believing what he was about to offer. “Draken. Maggie and I would be honored if you would consider living at Gwrych Castle with us. And yes, we can always use help against Dayne and his Day Walkers. What say you, do we have an accord?”

The dragon bent his massive head down nuzzling Maggie before he looked Robert in the eye and answered, his voice deep and solid like the stone around them. “We have an accord. Can I eat as many Day Walkers as I want?”

“Aye, you can. Not to mention the nasty human minions who help him. I’ll also add more sheep, horses, pigs, and cows to my estate. The entire North and East wings are unoccupied. Maggie is going to use one for a school, the other is yours. Will that suit?”