Eve Langlais (16 page)

“The Dragon wanted an heir, so he created one. Now who knows what he plans. The last time he got loose, he caused great havoc. More than likely, he will start again.”

“Why didn’t you guys stop him?” Yeah, like before he’d ruined Suzie’s life.

“We did catch up to him three years ago and had him placed in a very special prison. Unfortunately, he escaped.”

“This is your fault then—you and all this Realm place, that my son is gone! If this Dragon was so dangerous why the hell didn’t you kill him? Or do you not believe in the death penalty?” Suzie asked, her temper simmering.

“Usually, someone with his crimes would have been put to death, but because of his uniqueness, the fact he was one of a kind, and the closest anyone has ever been able to get to a dragon, even a partial one, he was kept alive for study.”

“That’s great. So your bloody science experiment escapes, and now my children and I get to pay the price. Tell me, what the hell are you going to do to find my son? I want him back,” said Suzie, close to tears.

“Like I said before, Hunter is preparing to hunt him down and bring your son back. It’s too late today for him to leave. We’re still waiting on some field reports to try and help us track what direction the Dragon is going in. But he leaves at first light, and I promise you, he will find them. Hunter always catches his prey,” Beverly said, the pride in her son clear in her voice.

“I want to go with him. Jared will need me when he’s found.”

“Sorry, dear, but you would only slow Hunter down. And besides, your daughter needs you. Don’t worry, when Hunter finds them, he’ll keep Jared safe and bring him back to you.”

60

“I still don’t understand or like this,” said Suzie. “I want Jessica. I need to see her.”

“Of course you do. Think about what I’ve told you. If you have any questions, I’m available to you.

I’ll have your daughter sent up right away.”

Beverly left the room, and Suzie paced, overwhelmed with all the fantastical info she’d had thrown at her.

Real magic. Could it be possible? Look around me. I am definitely not in Kansas anymore, but still. . .

“Mommy!” squealed Jessica as she hurled herself across the room into her mother’s arms.

Suzie caught her in a tight hug, burying her face in her little girl’s soft hair. To think her baby had almost died. Hell, Suzie had almost died. But Hunter had saved them. Would he be able to save Jared too?

“Mommy, we in a castle. And I eat cookies, and saw a fairy,” Jessica babbled.

“Are you okay, baby? You’re not hurt anymore?”

“No, Hunta’s mommy fix me. She fix you, too. She nice. And Hunta say we can stay. He gonna find Jar-Jar. He pwomise me.”

“Indeed, I did,” said Hunter, coming into the room and dragging in with him a vibrant energy that she could almost reach out and touch. Suzie caught her breath looking at him. He seemed different somehow. Larger, more alive, and with that look in his eyes, definitely more dangerous. Suzie felt a shiver, and it pissed her off that her body could be so easily be aroused at a time like this. With her baby boy still missing, now was not the time for naughty thoughts.

“What the hell is going on, Hunter?” Suzie snapped. Jessica whimpered at her sharp tone and burrowed her face in Suzie’s chest.
Great, now I’ve scared Jessica. Nice mother.

“How about we talk after Jessica goes to bed? It’s been a long day, and I think she could use a good sleep.”

Dammit! Where did he get off acting like Jessica’s daddy? Never mind that he was right about Jessica being tired. Suzie hadn’t carried the twins for nine months to have someone usurp her spot. She’d earned the right to be the one who got to make those decisions, not him.

“I think it’s bedtime, sweetie. Why don’t I tuck you into this big, pink princess bed? Mommy’s going to talk to Hunter, and then I’ll be right back and I’ll sleep with you. Like a sleep over, okay?”

“Okay,” mumbled Jessica, stifling a yawn.

Suzie tucked Jessica and her dolly under the heavy pink covers and kissed her.

“Wuv you, Mommy.”

“I love you too, baby.”

“Hunta, I wanna kiss,” Jessica said, puckering her lips.

Hunter leaned over the bed and gave her a resounding smack on the lips that had Jessica giggling.

Then, he kissed dolly too.

“’Night, precious angel,” he murmured.

“’Night, Mommy. ‘Night, Hunta.”

Suzie followed Hunter out into the hall, leaving the door open a crack. A man dressed medievally in a tunic and leggings with a sword across his knees—yes, a sword—sat in a chair outside the door.

“Suzie and I are going up to the parapet for a few minutes. Guard this door with your life.”

“Yessir,” said the grim-faced man.

Suzie held her tongue. Why did Hunter feel the need to put a guard on their door? Were they still in danger? Hunter tugged at her hand, trying to lead her up the hall, but Suzie hesitated. Should she leave Jessica alone?

“She’ll be safe,” said Hunter, reading her mind. “Kyle is there as an extra precaution. I’m not taking any chances with either of you, ever again.”

God, that macho routine never grew old. Even traumatized emotionally, she couldn’t help but feel a warmth at his protectiveness.

61

Suzie let him lead her down the hall—a really long hall—and up some winding stairs till they emerged on a real—kid you not—castle parapet. Suzie wandered over to the edge of the waist high stone wall and looked out.

Oh my God
. Jessica hadn’t been kidding when she said they were in a real life castle. Suzie looked around her in astonishment. The huge castle, surrounded by a stone wall, encased a bailey—
is that the
right term?
The land outside the wall stretched in all directions, irregular shaped plots of green and yellow crops bisected by dirt paths. She could see thatched huts and wooden buildings scattered around. A cobbled road leading from the front of the castle went through the buildings and fields, stretching off into the distance before entering a large forest. It resembled a scene out of a fairy tale. So, did that make Hunter her prince? But it also reminded her of why she found herself here.

Suzie whirled around, suddenly incensed. “What the hell is going on, Hunter? Your mother told me some really messed up story about how the world was split with magic on one side and no magic on the other. And how Damian is really some kind of dragon creature that impregnated me so he could have an heir. Now I’m in an honest to God castle, in a place that should only exist in history books, and apparently magic healed Jessica and me. None of this makes any sense. I want things back the way they were. I want Jared back!” she hollered, the tears finally falling.

Hunter said not a word during her tirade, just folded her into his arms, his solid chest, a hard yet comforting pillow, for her to sob on. Suzie cried for several minutes while Hunter held her, his hands rubbing circles on her back, not saying a word, letting her pour out her pain. And she had a lot of pain to drain.

When she finally stopped crying and pushed him away, he handed her a handkerchief.

“Feel better?” he asked, his eyes watching her with concern.

“No,” she sniffled. “I want Jared back.”

“You’ll get him back. I promise.”

“How can you promise that?” Suzie yelled. “You don’t even know where he is. He’s probably so scared right now. We’ve never been apart before. And that pig, that fucking bastard who used me, stole him. What if he hurts him? He hurt Jessica so bad. Almost killed her, and she’s just a baby still, a little girl. What’s to stop him from hurting Jared too?” she whispered, her eyes haunted still by the vision of her daughter flying through the air and hitting the wall. And Jared, terrified, screaming in that monster’s clutches.

“The Dragon won’t hurt Jared. He’s waited too long for a son. And as for finding him, that’s what I do. I’m a hunter in more than just name. I’ve been trained since birth to track and hunt down those that need to be caught. The Dragon can run as much as he likes. I will find him. And when I do, I promise, he will never hurt you, Jared, or Jessica again.”

“You swear?” Suzie asked, looking up at him with watery eyes. She wanted to believe him. Wanted to trust he’d bring her baby boy back.

“I swear. He crossed the line when he hurt you and the twins. This time, I won’t be trying to capture him. As soon as I’ve rescued Jared, he’s a walking dead man.”

Suzie knew that she should be shocked at this violent side of Hunter, but instead, she felt a deep satisfaction knowing that Damian, that evil scum of the earth, would pay for what he’d done to her babies. Bloodthirsty? Fucking right! He’d hurt her babies and for that he needed to pay! Screw mercy.

He hadn’t shown her any, and she was tired of running. Tired of living in fear. If Hunter wanted to end this nightmare for her, then she was more than willing to let him.

“Can I come?” She didn’t care what his mother had told her. She wanted to be there when he rescued Jared.

“No, I’ll move faster on my own. And besides, you’d be much too distracting,” he said with a cocky grin that warmed Suzie to the tips of her toes. He found her distracting?
Ditto.

“Don’t worry. As soon as I’ve got him, I’ll take him to the nearest village for teleport back here.”

62

“How long will you be gone?” How soon till she could hold her little boy again?

“Depends. The last scout report has them traveling toward the mountains. He’s probably hoping to hole up in a cave up there while he plans his next move. I’ve got a teleport scheduled for dawn tomorrow. It’ll drop me at the last village before the mountain range. I should be able to pick up his trail within the day. Then, depending on how fast he’s traveling, a couple of days for me to catch up to him and take Jared back.”

“I don’t want Jared to see you killing him.” He was too little to see something that violent. God only knew the help he’d need in dealing with the trauma from his kidnapping. He didn’t need extra nightmares.

“He won’t see a thing. I told you, I’ll make sure Jared is safe before anything else. Once Jared is back, safe with you, then I’ll take care of the Dragon,” he said, his eyes cold. Suzie shivered, glad she wasn’t Hunter’s prey. He looked so dangerous.

“Aren’t you afraid?” she asked, her stomach clenched tight in fear. What if Hunter got killed instead?

“I don’t fear a coward like the Dragon. Besides,” Hunter said, flexing a muscle, “I’ve taken on much nastier things than him in my time.”

And when this was all over, Suzie would have to remember to ask him about his life. Somewhere in the last hour she’d decided to go along with his mother’s kooky story about magic and boundaries. It’s like they said, when everything else seems impossible, then perhaps the impossible is the truth, or something to that effect.

“When were you planning to tell me about your double life? Over cocktails or dessert on our first date?”

“I wasn’t sure if I’d ever tell you. For security reasons, the Realm and its secrets are closely guarded.

There are many on the council, the wizards who run the Realm, and others like my father, who want to keep the Realm a secret forever.”

“What about you?” she asked curiously. Just a hunch, but she thought he might feel differently.

“Me?” He laughed. “I think the world has evolved enough. People have finally stopped burning witches, and since
Harry Potter
, I think the world would welcome a real taste of magic. So while the Realm and its denizens would be a shock at first, I think, for the most part, it would be accepted if the truth ever came out. Which might be the case soon whether the council likes it or not.”

“Why?”

“The boundary separating the world is failing. There are more and more weak spots showing up every day. My job in your side of the world was to send back those who were crossing those weak spots.

But the crossovers are becoming more frequent. I think it’s just a matter of time before the boundary fails altogether,” he said.

“What will happen then?” Like, would this be the end of days, the final Armageddon?

“No one knows for sure. Obviously, the hidden parts of the Realm will become visible to all again, and magic will abound everywhere. People who before led mundane lives may suddenly discover magical abilities. Creatures that were thought to be legend will be free to roam the land, skies, and seas again.”

“Oh God, can’t you just see the headlines now?” Suzie said with a ghost of a smile. “The media would have a hey day. For once the tabloids might end up being right.”

“Actually, the tabloids have been right on more occasions than you think. It’s only because of myself and some select others in the world that these anomalies are hushed up.”

“This is all so fucked up. Pardon my language. One day I’m a single mom hiding from an abusive ex.

The next I’m in a fairytale land with my son kidnapped by a dragon. I guess my life will never be the same after this.”

“When this is all over, you’ll be free to go back to your life with the added bonus you won’t have to worry about the twins’ father anymore.”

63

No, Hunter was wrong. Nothing would ever be the same. “What about you?” she asked.

“What about me?” he replied, looking down at her.

“Will you be coming back too?” And it pissed her off that she felt her heart stop while she waited for his answer. She didn’t need him in her life, so why did it feel like the world would lose a lot of its flavor if he disappeared from it?

“Would you miss me if I didn’t?” he questioned, his eyes watching her intently.

Would she? Yes! Suzie moved closer to Hunter, her body almost touching his, his animal magnetism so much stronger now in his part of the world. His very being called out to her and made her feel weak in the knees.

“I think I’d miss you a little bit if you didn’t come back. And I know I’d regret not doing this.” Suzie leaned up, amazed at her brazenness, and he, smart man, leaned down. Their lips brushed. Softly. His lips sweetly touched hers.

He let out a groan and his arms came around her, crushing her to him. He lifted her up, his lips devouring hers, an urgency in his kiss that set her instantly aflame.