Falling Dragons (#3 Moon Shadows) (11 page)

“I’ve never heard of the Hallstatt people.” Darren got in before Opie could ask.

“They are my ancestors,” Simon supplied. “Hallstatt are the Iron Age people of Germanic regions.”

“The whole of Germany? How can you find one amulet in such a large land mass?”

Darren grinned at her.

“With this.” Slazzamar lifted the stone to his lips and kissed it, before blowing softly. He held it up for all to see. The black stone glowed with blue squiggly symbols.

“Neat trick, but I’m not kissing you until you’ve washed your lips. Who knows where that thing’s been.” Darren admonished his partner.

Simon rolled his eyes and Opie chuckled.

“What are they?” She nodded back to the glowing stone.

Slazz’s smile was sly. “Land coordinates, call it an ancient form of GPS.”

“Those ancients were sneaky buggers.” Darren reached out to touch the stone.

“Hang on.” The thought occurred to her. “Do you think Jones has already translated these?”

“He’s working with Gremlock, so no doubt they have. I only wish I’d killed him when I had the chance. I suggest you two get a move on. You need to get to...” He pulled out a smartphone and fiddled with it before turning the screen towards them. A picture of a little pin marked out a point on a map of Germany. “...this place.”

“Baden–Wurttenberg, Germany.” Simon’s shoulders slumped.

“Sending you the exact coordinates now.” Slazzamar’s grin was triumphant as he pressed a few more buttons on his phone before showing the phone to Darren.

“Proud of you, baby.” Darren smiled with pride.

Simon’s phone beeped.

“Wait, we’re not going?” Darren’s smile fell.

Slazzamar shook his head. “No, baby, we’re not.”

“But I love road trips!”

“We’ve got other things to do, but we’re on standby if needed. I’m sure these two can handle finding an Amulet.”

“Yeah, but dark scary tombs sounds so romantic.” Darren waggled his eyebrows at Slazzamar.

“No, Darren.” Slazzamar’s tone was more firm.

Darren pouted prettily. “Spoil sport.”

Simon offered Opie his arm. “Time to lock and load, sweetheart. You okay to do this?” For a ruthless demon killer, he was also a gentleman.

Opie grinned, threading her arm through his. “Hell, yes, I think I should wear my Lara Croft outfit, too. We are tomb raiding, are we not?”

Simon groaned. “No more in-flight movies for you.”

“No, we’re flying Air Opie. Let’s go get your big guns, big boy.”

“Gee you two, tethered for two whole days and you’re already acting like an old married couple.” Jonah smirked at them.

“Shut up, Jonah. Didn’t I say I’d roast and eat your liver?”

“She’s so cute when she threatens me like that. When you’re done with this loser, come see me darling, I’ll be more than happy to be tethered to you.” Jonah grinned and Simon growled, advancing threateningly on the human.

“Children!” Slazzamar snapped. “Time is a wasting. You two go get the damn amulet before the bad guys do.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “I’m starting to see why Neman palmed this job off on me.”

“Admit it, baby, you love it.” Darren slipped his arm around Slazzamar’s waist, placing a kiss on his cheek.

Opie pouted and Simon saluted. “Right. Air Opie it is. Take us home first, I need to weapon up.”

“I was wrong, this is way better than Tomb Raider.” Opie waved at the men and popped them out.

Had it really been sixteen hundred years since he’d last watched the waters of the Rhine River flow? Despite the new forest growth, he still knew this land. This was his birth place. He closed his eyes, breathing deep as mixed emotions assaulted his senses. The pain of his betrayal and his execution touched the surface of his mind.

Thanks to the internet and current images of the area around where they needed to search for the Akkadin Amulet, Opie could teleport them directly where they needed to be. It sure beat the human methods of transport, and would be hard to give up when...
Don’t think about it.

“Where’re the chocolates?”

Simon bit down on his tongue so he wouldn’t swallow it when he saw Opie’s new outfit. She wore a short, pale green checked skirt, and a white blouse held in place with black laced up lederhosen. The placement of the corset pushed up her breasts and the sexy white stockings made him want to fuck her with them still on. Hells bells, he’d want her even if she wore a potato sack—she was beautiful.

He snorted. “This is Germany, not Switzerland.”

“Oh, sausages and beer then!” She twirled the end of her right pigtail braid.

Simon rolled his eyes. “That was a bit after my time. What happened to the Croft outfit?”

“Well, when in Rome, or in this case Germany.” She twirled, her skirt flaring. He caught a glimpse of a green thong, making his groin area tighten even more. Her grin was bright and flirtatious. “I thought you’d feel more at home with me wearing this.”

A twitch had developed over his right eye. He was sure her outfits were causing some kind of blood pressure problem. Simon felt at home alright, when he was buried balls deep inside her. He swallowed hard at the thought of her ever finding out what he’d done. He’d come close to ripping out Jones’ tongue for almost revealing it.
Why should I care if she knows?
But he did, and the closer he grew to Opie, the more dangerous it became. One dragon princess was too easily chipping away at a thousand years’ worth of hardened wall around his heart. He’d known plenty of bright, sexy, sassy women, but she drew him deeper, where no one else had—not even his first wife.

Staring off into the river, he closed his eyes. She’d had blue eyes, golden hair, and pink lips. The vision morphed into Opie’s green eyes, deeper reddish lips, and he could feel their softness.

He drew in a shuddering breath.

Warmth seeped into his arm. His eyes snapped open to find Opie touching him, concern in her green depths.

“You okay? You look so...sad.”

“Memories, sweetheart, like everything else, are in the past, and I’m not here to reminisce. We’ve got a job to do.”

Her arms slid around him, cuddling into him, giving him the comfort he needed. “They may be in the past, Simon, but they can still hurt.”

He brushed back a stray hair, trailing his fingers along her jawline. How right she was, but the pain of this memory made his chest feel gripped in a tight vice, knowing how it could cause him the worst pain of all if she ever discovered the full truth. She would hate him and it would tear apart the new and fragile relationship he wanted to nurture with her. It had grown beyond just the physical need to possess her. All his past passion and emotions he’d always thought of as love seemed so small and insignificant in the light of the powerful need to always have her with him.

Yeah, so the mighty aloof demon hunter was falling for a small dragon girl, and it scared the hell out of him.

I have a job to do and I don’t have time for this sentimental bullshit right now. Save the world and protect Opie then sort the rest out later.

He pushed her away and took a step back, but not before he caught the flash of hurt in her eyes. Choosing to ignore it, he fished for the GPS in his pocket and studied the readings on the screen.

“We’re not far from the location, only a half a mile up river. I’d advise you to change your shoes.” Keeping his eyes averted from her too alluring footwear was the best line of defence. Fucking Odin’s balls! There was no way he could un-see what he’d already seen, nor could he stop his mind playing positons in which he wanted to take her, with her in those damn stockings and shoes.

“But they are Jimmy Choo’s!”

“That man has a lot to answer for,” he muttered, stalking off along the river bank. “I’m not waiting for you, and you know what happens when you and I get too far apart.”

“Party pooper! Anyone would easily mistake you for a Brit, with a stiff upper lip and rod up your arse.”

He felt the energy pop and he knew she’d changed something.
I’m not going to look. I’m not going to look
. Involuntarily his head turned, and this time he did swallow his tongue. He coughed. Dressed in what should be an illegal green army tank top outlining her full breasts, matching short shorts, and shit kicker army boots.

Nose in the air she marched past him. Now he had to watch her hips sway and the curve of her arse as she walked.

“Gods damn it, Opie. Are you trying to kill me?”

“Mind on the mission, soldier.”

Oh, he had a mission in mind alright. It included one naked Ophelia over his lap as he reddened her arse. She was his woman, damn it! “You can’t keep strutting around half naked!”

“Nothing wrong with my clothes, and haven’t we had this conversation before, like twice? I still don’t get why you care.”

“Because I won’t stand for other men lusting after what’s mine!” She paused and turned. He hated the weariness in her gaze as she studied him.

“Am I yours, Simon? Isn’t this all going to end once you’re free of me?” One hand on her hips she gestured between them. “That’s what men like you do, isn’t it? Fuck them and leave them. And it’s what you’ll do with me.”

Fuck, he didn’t need to have this conversation now, but she wasn’t giving him a choice.

“No, sweetheart, it’s not. I admit at first the thought crossed my mind, but even when this is over, I...I want more of us, together.” Why was slaying demons easier than telling her how he felt?

He grabbed her hand and kept them moving forward. “I can’t stand the thought of someone else touching you, being with you.”

“I...I kinda feel the same way about you, about the touching thing, you know, other women, and you know, more of us, together.” He heard the timid caution in her voice, and glanced back down at her, her gaze on the ground. Nibbling on her plump bottom lip through her teeth, he recognised the sign of guilt and uncertainty. His little dragon princess was hiding something from him. Now was not the time for revealing anymore secrets. He’d already blurted out more than he’d intended.

He tucked the thought into the back of his mind for later and scanned the area for any signs of danger.

“It’s good to know we’re on the same page. So can you please stop tormenting me with those outfits while we’re in public? Wear them all you want, but when we’re alone. Remember, I’m a man and need to focus on one problem at a time. It’s bloody hard to fight and kill demons when all I can think of is ripping off those damn shorts, or fucking you in those shoes and stockings."

The ripple of energy rode up his arm and he glanced down to see her in long blue jeans and a plain green t-shirt.

Her smile brightened and she bounced alongside him, pointing at and asking questions about local wildlife or birds she spotted. She waved merrily at every boat passing them on the Rhine. Apart from the reason why they were here, he enjoyed the evening summer sun on his skin and the company of a beautiful companion.

He followed a well-used path along the riverside. Across the other side of the wide river were grape vines planted in the dark rich soil, adding a different kind of beauty to the forest-covered land he once knew. Not far from here was the cave in which the dragon had dwelt, and the further they walked, the closer they drew to the mountain of the dragon he’d once slain. Up just a little further would have stood the old castle of Anhalt-Dessau.

So caught up in the affairs of his land and people, it wasn’t a wonder no one could have ever known about any hidden amulet or fabled demon army.

He shook his head and glanced at his GPS tracker and he knew it would lead him straight to the ruins of his old home.

More, he wants more of us!
The reptile did a fist pump along with the happy-sappy little jig Opie’s heart danced. Yeah, she was pathetic.

Mate him, mate him!
Opie knew her dragon didn’t have one sensible cell in the reptilian side of her brain.
‘We’ve gotten him to admit he wants more. Don’t push it, or the man will tuck tail and run.’

Her dragon growled back in response,
Want mate!

“Just what do you and your dragon talk about? Is it like having a split personality?” Opie glanced up, startled. Heat flooded her cheeks at being caught out.

“Um, well, it’s kind of like having a bothersome toddler in the back of my mind making demands, but I stay in firm control of her.”

He turned back and grabbed her arm when she almost stumbled, not watching where she was going in the fading evening light. More warmth flooded her body.

“What kind of things does the dragon side of you demand?”

Crap, she couldn’t tell him her dragon had been pretty dormant until she’d met Simon.

“Um, well...uh, she kind of runs on natural instincts. I have to do all the thinking.”

“That’s not what I asked. Your eyes kind of glaze over and you scowl when you’re talking to your dragon side. Tell me what your dragon wants.”

“You,” she admitted.

He cocked a dyed eyebrow at her, moving his hand into hers and gripping it tight as he stepped over some larger stones as they climbed up the side of a hill. “Me? In what way? I’m all for kinky sex, but with you as a dragon...I’m really not sure how it would work.”

She poked her tongue out at him for his light teasing.

“Do dragons mate as dragons?”

“Eww, no, all shifter dragons are in human form when, well, you know.”

“You’re such a mix of innocence and sexy sass. It’s good to know. Through you, I’m learning more about dragons every day.”

“Do you like what you’re learning?”

“Apart from the magic and whole reptile thing, you’re not much different from humans, not that I call myself human anymore.” The GPS, pressed into a yellow, moulded plastic case, beeped. “We’re here.”

She mourned the loss of the warmth and pressure of his hand when it dropped away. He shouldered off the backpack and dumped it on the ground. He rifled through it, pulling out two flashlights, handing one off to her. The light was fading quickly and she tried to focus on the job.