Tempting the Dragon (6 page)

“Oh, thank you.” Amber gave a wan smile over the rim of her coffee cup. “Let me call Em. She’ll be so relieved.”

Jade slipped out of the room as her mother turned away to make the call. What was Diamond up to? While of course Jade hoped her cousin was all right, if this disappearance was some sort of prank, Jade would let the younger girl have a stern lecture. The time had come for that girl to grow up and start thinking of others besides herself.

At least they had Libby. Either way, she knew Libby would be able to help.

Pushing away the bad mood that now threatened to ruin her day, Jade took deep breaths and willed herself to return to the calm, serene happiness she’d felt earlier while having her first cup of coffee. She had to get the doggy day care up and running for the day and no one could be out of sorts around dogs. The thought made her smile. It seemed the pups could always sense emotional distress and would work extra hard with wiggles, wagging tails and doggy kisses to cajole a smile or a laugh.

As a shape-shifter, sometimes she thought the dogs sensed the inner wolf inside her. Other times, she guessed they didn’t even have a clue.

Arriving at DOL, she hurried inside and unlocked the door. Inside, she went from room to room, flipping on lights as she passed through. She checked to make sure both the indoor and outdoor play areas were clean and ready. After she’d made sure the gates were closed and the toys put up, she was ready. Dusting her hands off on her jeans, she smiled as she heard the sound of a car pulling up. The day had just begun.

Some days, her morning crew barely beat the first of the dogs. People liked to drop off Fido or Lucy before work and pick them up after. After a day of play with the other dogs, by the time the client returned to collect their pet, the animal was exhausted in a happy way. People loved it, the dogs had a great time and everyone won. Jade laughed out loud sometimes when she realized what a terrific job she had.

By the time the sun shone in the cloudless blue sky, Jade had a packed house. Her employees were already outside in the play yards, which were segregated due to dog size. Happiness colored the air, making the place practically sparkle with joy—on the faces of both dogs and people.

She didn’t want to leave. How many people could say that about their jobs? Still, duty called.

“I’ve got to go run an errand,” she told Sue, her most long-term employee. “Keep an eye on things until I get back, okay?”

Sue nodded, her short gray pixie cut swinging. “Are you going to...the lake?” Her hushed, almost reverent tone made Jade smile. Everyone acted as if visiting Libby was some sort of sacred duty. Which in a way, it was, she supposed. Though not like the others appeared to think. She didn’t bring offerings of food, though occasionally she’d take out a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses for the two of them to share. There were no rituals involved, no magic. Nothing but a little conversation. If Libby happened to be swimming as her beast, she’d emerge from the lake and shift into her human form, heading into the small cabin she occupied year-round. There, she’d put on one of the numerous dresses she owned, some of them reminiscent of years gone by. She’d brew a pot of tea, and she and Jade would hang out.

Hanging out with the lake creature. Who knew what people would think if they realized? She supposed the shape-shifters in town wouldn’t be surprised, but the humans would be simply flabbergasted. As far as they were concerned, the lake creature was a myth, like bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster. Long ago, the local shifters had made it law to keep Libby’s existence a secret from the rest of the world. This, they reasoned, was the only way to protect her.

Until Rance had shown up, this law had worked for decades.

Today Jade would take the proper precautions to make sure she wasn’t followed—Rance Sleighter immediately came to mind—and drive out to the lake to have a chat with Libby. She hated to have to ask the other woman to access her prophetic abilities, but she would. She had to ask about Diamond vanishing.

Until she knew more, Jade decided not to say anything about her cousin’s disappearance to anyone outside of the family. News—aka gossip—traveled fast in a town this size.

“Yes, I am going to the lake.” Her grin widened at Sue’s gasp. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

* * *

Though showing up again at Burnett House unannounced would have Jade Burnett considering him a major pain in the ass, Rance hadn’t gotten to be an excellent photojournalist by worrying about annoying people. Plus, if he were completely honest with himself, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Jade and her exotic green eyes. He’d actually caught himself viewing the photos he’d taken of her again and again. Even if he hadn’t been chasing a story, he knew he had to see her again.

Checking his watch, he debated whether or not to knock on the door. While he figured everyone would be up by now, he wasn’t entirely sure of their schedules. He knew Jade often had a cup of coffee on the porch swing in the morning, so he decided to wait for her there. He internally winced, aware this could be considered a total lack of manners, but he hadn’t gotten where he was by being a Southern gentleman, so he stayed put.

A few minutes after he’d sat down, the front door opened, making his heart speed up.

Instead of Jade, one of her sisters wandered out on the front porch, taking a seat near him on another chair. Her flowing bell-bottom pants and tie-dyed shirt made her look like a poster child for Woodstock.

“Hi. I’m Sapphire,” she said, grinning. “Jade’s baby sister. Or one of them.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Jade almost got engaged once, you know.” The teen’s expression went somber. “She really loved him, too.”

Engaged? That had come out of nowhere. Still, he found it intriguing. Though he knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t keep from asking. “What happened?”

Jade’s sister looked away. “He turned out to be different than she thought.”

And that’s all she would say. No amount of questioning or cajoling would entice her to say any more. Rance figured he now knew where all the rumors about Jade’s supposed sexual prowess had originated. If he ever got his hands on that guy...

The other twin appeared. Unlike her colorful sister, she wore all black, with matching fingernails and lipstick. “Sapphire? What are you two doing?” she asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

Sapphire grinned again, her moods as mercurial as any teenager. “This is Pearl,” she explained before turning back to her sister. “I’m trying to talk to Jade’s boyfriend.”

“Ewww. He’s too old,” Pearl responded. And then, just when Rance was trying to decide if he should be flattered to be referred to as Jade’s boyfriend or annoyed because these teenagers thought him too old for her, Pearl spoke again. “Don’t hurt her,” she ordered. “If you do, we’ll come after you.”

Since he had no idea how to respond to that, he nodded. “Your sister tells me Jade was once engaged?”

“Almost,” Sapphire corrected. “Almost engaged.”

Pearl shot Sapphire a dirty look. “You told him
that
?”

Sapphire shrugged. “Not in any detail.”

“Girls?” Amber appeared, her expression stern. “Did you two get your rooms clean? You know I asked you to do that before you went anywhere.”

The identical guilt flashing across both their young faces gave her their answer.

“Go.” She pointed. “I’ll sit out here and keep this nice man company.”

Once the twins had disappeared back inside, Amber took a seat next to him. “Looking for Jade?” she asked.

He nodded. “Would you mind letting her know I’m here?”

Instead of agreeing, she tilted her head and eyed him. “First, why don’t you tell me why you’re really here?”

Surprised, he cocked his head. “Ma’am? I believe I already did.”

“No. I mean why you’re in Forestwood.” Waving his answer away, she leaned close. “I looked you up on the internet. Plus one of the twins’ friends is apparently a big fan of yours. Like he said, a photojournalist of your caliber doesn’t waste time on a fluff piece about a fictional lake monster. So why don’t you tell me why you’re really in town?”

He nodded. She was right. However, she didn’t know about the promise he’d made to a dying child. “I haven’t lied about my purpose,” he said. Then, picturing Jade’s beautiful face, he sighed. “I may have more than one reason for staying in town these days, but I promise you, my main focus is on Libby.”

Her loud gasp told him his mistake. “Jade gave you her name?”

Though her shock appeared palpable, he didn’t know what else he could do but nod. “She didn’t mean to, if that helps any.”

“Let me explain something to you.” Anger simmered in Amber’s green eyes, so like her daughter’s. “If you hurt my Jade, you’ll answer to me.”

“The twins just told me the same thing,” he mused. “Why does everyone find it necessary to warn me of this? Do I look like the kind of man who goes around hurting women?”

“Not because you want to, but looking the way you do, with that Southern drawl of yours, I think more women are hurt than you realize.”

He didn’t want to dignify her response with words, so he said nothing.

“Whatever you might have heard...” Amber continued.

“Stop.” Interrupting, he touched the back of her hand. “I know about the nonsense they repeat in town. I don’t care. I’m attracted to Jade—what red-blooded man wouldn’t be?—but I’m not in the market for anything serious. I’m pretty sure she’s not, either.”

“But you’re not positive. I don’t want you toying with her emotions.”

“I can promise you, ma’am. I never toy with any woman.”

His words coaxed a reluctant grin. “And there’s that accent again. No wonder my daughter has trouble resisting you.”

“Does she?” He grinned right back. “Because if that’s truly the case, then I’m the last to know.”

She laughed. “You know what? I like you. Despite my first impression, I think you’re all right.” She cocked her head, her grin slightly coquettish as she looked him up and down. “Just go easy on her, all right?”

“You have my word. Now would you mind letting her know I’d like to talk to her?”

“I would if I could, but she’s already left for work. As I’m about to, as well. We own a store on Main Street,” she pointed out. “We sell spices, essential oils, candles, things like that. We open in half an hour, or as soon as I get there. You should stop by.”

A bit confused, but guessing that was her roundabout way of telling him where to find her daughter, he thanked her and got back into his car. With thirty minutes to kill until this store opened, he took the road up to the lower part of the lake, below the wooded forest and cliffs where he’d changed the night before. The experience had been surreal, one of the best in his entire life.

He’d changed in the deep part of the woods, and then walked to the edge of the cliff in his Drakkor form. His heart pounded. He’d let himself fall over and drop into the water, aware an outright dive might not be safe until he knew the actual depth of the water.

The shock of the cold water had made him grin. As a dragon, he enjoyed chillier temperatures, especially since his internal body thermometer could keep him overly warm.

Slicing through the clear, cool lake, he’d been surprised at how deep it actually was. At least sixty or seventy feet, maybe more. The farther down he’d gone, the colder the water temperature. As his huge beast’s body had adjusted, he’d marveled at the abundance of healthy plant life and fish. He’d caught a large striped bass and swallowed it whole, musing over the fact that such a fish might be considered a trophy catch if caught by a human angler. For him in his dragon form, it was only a small snack, nothing more. Well fed, he’d surfaced a few times to take in air. Beautiful.

Though he’d kept his eye out for the lake beast, he saw no signs of her. Libby, he remembered. The name seemed so ordinary and out of place for a creature that magnificent. He wished he could have gotten a better look at her the single time he’d caught a glimpse.

Ah, well. Maybe he’d be given another opportunity.

Sitting in his rental car, he ached to experience it all again. But he didn’t have time, not right now.

Blinking, he glanced at his watch, noting only fifteen minutes had passed while he sat in his car and relived the night before. Still, by the time he drove back to town, he should be able to catch Jade before she began her day.

Starting the car, he turned around and headed back toward Forestwood.

Chapter 6

A
s soon as Rance reached the outskirts of the downtown area, he slowed his speed. Once again the picturesque, storybook feel of the place enchanted him. He located the Jewels and Essence shop without difficulty, found an open parking spot right in front and, after snapping a few quick shots, went inside.

The instant he entered, the strong scent of competing perfumes assaulted him. His eyes watering, he covered his cough with his hand, wondering if he’d be able to breathe. How had the smell gotten this bad if they’d just opened? And how did anyone work in here? Maybe the Burnetts weren’t wolves, as there was no way any creature who operated primarily with smell, could stand the scent.

Understandably, the place appeared empty. He saw no sign of Jade or her mother or any of her family.

“Jade?” he called out. Unfortunately, this required him to inhale, which brought on another fit of coughing. Wiping his eyes, he pushed through the haze of smoke, locating one of the culprits—a fat stick of incense—which he promptly extinguished. Next he blew out two strong-smelling candles, and finally unplugged a small Crock-Pot of simmering potpourri. Presumptuous, maybe, but he knew if he didn’t, he’d have to wait outside. That done, he went back to the front door and opened it, swinging it back and forth so as much of the tainted air as possible would flow out.

As he did, an elderly woman with faded red hair emerged from the back. He remembered her from the Mother Earth’s Café. Opal Burnett. Jade’s grandmother. He couldn’t resist taking a couple of photos of her, too.

“Can I help you?” she asked, her voice sharp. Then, as she studied him, her frown deepened. “You’re the one who was bugging my granddaughter at lunch the other day.”

“I was,” he answered cheerfully. “And I’m here to bug her some more.”

“Here?”

“Yes. I went to the house and her mother told me to come here.”

“Amber did?” She frowned. “She came and made sure I’d opened the place up and went out to get us doughnuts. But why would she tell you to come here?”

He sighed. “I’m not sure.”

Glancing around the shop, she finally noticed his handiwork. “Why did you remove all my lovely scents?”

Figuring if no one had told her, maybe the time had come that someone did, so he lied and said he had allergies and truthfully mentioned all the competing odors were overpowering. “Maybe you should highlight just one scent at a time,” he suggested.

Though she narrowed her eyes, she gave a slow nod. “I’ll consider it,” she told him. “Now why have you come here looking for my granddaughter?”

“Well, like I said, I went to the house and her mother told me I’d find her here.” He looked around. “In fact, when do you expect Amber back?”

Opal chuckled. “When she has the doughnuts.” Tilting her head, she peered at him. “You still haven’t answered my question. What do you want with Jade?”

Briefly, he considered how to answer. In the end, he went with the truth. “Because I need to talk to her about what I realized when I saw the lake creature, Libby.”

The candleholder she’d been holding fell from her grasp, shattering on the wooden floor. Instead of moving to pick up the pieces, Opal stared at him. “You saw... Libby? And how do you know her name?”

“Because Jade told me.” Spying a broom in the back room, he retrieved that and a dustbin and then swept up the pieces. Once he felt satisfied he’d gotten them all and deposited them in the trash, he turned to face her. She still stared at him as if he’d suddenly shape-shifted in front of her, or something equally unusual.

“But...” she began.

“Please just let me talk to Jade.”

She gave a wordless nod. “Despite what Amber told you, Jade was only going to do us a favor this morning. She doesn’t actually work here. She owns a doggy day care up on Pinetree Road. You can find her there.”

A doggy day care? He grinned. Perfect.

“Thank you.” And once again, Rance took off. Briefly it crossed his mind that not only were the people in the Burnett family closed off and secretive, but he couldn’t shake the feeling they found sending him scurrying around like a rat in a maze highly amusing.

He located Dogs Off Leash without any problems. After pulling up in front of the brightly painted wooden building, he parked and stared. Though he hadn’t actually thought about it until now, if he’d pictured beautiful Jade doing any kind of job, he would have imagined her dressed to the nines working in some sort of professional capability—like an attorney or a doctor. Learning she ran a dog day care made him realize how little he actually knew about her.

Right then and there he decided to learn as much about her as he could.

The instant he stepped from the car, a cacophony of barking made him grin. He liked dogs—a lot, in fact—and the only thing keeping him from having one was the fact that he had no roots. Someday, if he ever settled down, he planned to have his own minipack of rescue dogs.

Again he brought his camera up. Snapping photos of everything had become second nature to him. At the end of every day, he’d go over the pictures and discard the ones he didn’t want to keep.

Inside, it would take a few minutes to get the attention of one of the employees, so he watched them interacting with their charges. Outside in the back, he saw several play yards, apparently arranged by dog size, staffed by two or three employees. The animals ran and jumped and played. Their caregivers played with them, pure joy shining on their faces.

Fascinated, he watched until his fingers itched for his camera and he lifted it to his face. As usual, he took a few more pictures. It wasn’t often that he—or anyone else for that matter—witnessed this kind of communication between animals and people.

Of course, most of the workers, as evidenced by their auras, were shape-shifters. Maybe their wolf side enabled them to understand better the dogs’ canine nature.

Finally, a woman with short gray hair and a broad, pleasant face came into the reception area. “I’m Sue. How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Jade.” He smiled, curious to see if Sue acted as defensively as everyone else he’d met.

“She’s not here.”

Though he waited, she didn’t elaborate.

He decided to take a lucky guess. “She’s at the lake, isn’t she?”

Sue started. “Um...”

But he’d seen the flash of truth in her eyes.

“It’s okay,” he told her as he turned to go. “I was going out there, anyway.”

Walking away, he found himself smiling as he got into his rental car. Still smiling, he headed back to the same place he’d seen the lake monster leaping into the sky. He had a feeling he’d find Jade there, too.

* * *

Jade couldn’t get rid of the nervous, unsettled feeling. The winding drive out to Libby’s house made her think of Rance. The picturesque cottage where the shape-shifter lived when she wasn’t swimming in the lake was their normal meeting spot. Of course, to be honest, Jade found Rance on her mind a lot these days. She didn’t really want to analyze why. Maybe because Libby had actually shown herself to him—Jade made a mental note to ask about that. Whatever the reason, she kept an eye out for his red Mustang, worried that he might be watching her.

Even though she saw no sign of him or his rental car, instead of pulling up in Libby’s driveway, she parked in a different spot, near some hiking trails that headed up the mountain instead of down toward the lake. Hopefully, if he “happened” upon her car, he’d assumed that’s where she went.

Otherwise, Jade would just have to rely on Libby’s stellar instincts to protect them. After all, in her beast form, Libby could tell when an interloper was anywhere near the lake. When she was human, none of that mattered. All anyone would see was two women chatting.

Humming under her breath as she approached the cabin, Jade felt her mood improve. Despite her unwillingness to ask Libby any sort of favor, she looked forward to seeing her. They enjoyed each other’s company, especially when they talked about nothing and everything, the two of them sharing a simple appreciation for life’s many nuances.

She scanned the water as she went but saw no sign of the gigantic scaled animal Libby became. Which meant most likely the other woman was in her human form and at home.

Since she usually arrived by car and parked right in front of the house, Jade inhaled the pine scented air and took the time to appreciate the hike down. The narrow stone path wound near water and through clusters of trees. Occasionally the undergrowth had grown over the stones, and Jade stopped and took the time to trim them back with a sharp knife she kept sheathed on her belt. This she usually always wore, though sometimes she wore a leg sheath, when she truly needed to keep her weapon undetected. The knives had been passed down from caregiver to caregiver and were rumored to be gifts from one of Libby’s ancestors, though none of them was as old as the necklace.

Once the plants had been cut back, Jade continued on. Rounding the last grove of trees, she stopped, admiring the sturdy cottage. Giant trees appeared to cradle and protect the wooden A-framed structure, and with the ancient stone trim, the place seemed timeless, as old as the lake itself. The scene could have been in any holiday card or movie about faeries or elves. This last made Jade grin. Though the Fae most certainly existed, Jade had never met one and wouldn’t know how to act if she did.

Movement caught her eye. There. Libby. With her silver-white hair bound in a long braid, she worked bent over, weeding her vegetable garden. Her movements were graceful and unhurried, projecting the same sense of peaceful serenity Jade got when talking with her.

For all her mystery, the woman truly was a marvel. She’d always seemed an old soul.

Jade watched her for a moment, wondering as she always did, exactly how many years Libby had lived. Jade’s grandmother’s mother had taken care of her, and if there were others before her, Jade wouldn’t be surprised. Yet despite this, Libby’s pale skin bore few wrinkles. Her bright purple eyes remained clear and unclouded. And she moved with the grace of a woman Jade’s age.

“Greetings,” Libby called, waving. “Come see my crop of tomatoes! I’ll be having a lot this year.”

Smiling, Jade strolled over toward her friend. Libby appeared as radiant as ever. And the same sorrow lurked in the depths of her gaze. Jade figured being the last of your kind would do this to one.

They chatted about vegetables and the weather while Jade tried to figure out how to broach asking Libby why she’d revealed herself to Rance Sleighter. On top of that she still had to ask about her missing cousin Diamond. Just thinking about that made her stomach hurt. She’d seen what it cost Libby in terms of energy to use her psychic powers. Still, a missing cousin certainly warranted a request.

“You seem troubled.” Libby placed a slender hand on Jade’s arm. “Come inside. I’ll make some tea, and you can tell me what’s bothering you.”

Inside the cabin felt cool. The fragrance of lilac drifted in through the open windows.

Libby hummed while she filled the teakettle and put it on the stove. “Tell me about your visitor,” she asked, her tone casual. Since she had her back to Jade, she didn’t see Jade start.

“So you did know he was there,” Jade commented.

“Of course. I always do.”

Again the unhurried serenity. Jade wondered if this ability had to do with the years Libby had spent on this earth.

The kettle whistled and Libby poured two cups, using tea bags like she always did, something Jade found interesting. She’d figured Libby would use loose leaf tea, but the other woman had chuckled and said she liked to take advantage of modern conveniences.

Once they were both seated with their steaming cups of tea, Libby smiled. “Now tell me what’s bothering you.”

Instead of answering right away, Jade dunked the tea bag a few more times. One thing Libby had taught her was the value of taking the time to speak carefully. “Yesterday, I was at the lake with a man from out of town, the one you asked about, and...”

“He saw me.”

Jade nodded. Rather than sounding worried, Libby’s voice had been...pleased.

“I intended him to,” Libby assured her, leaning forward and patting Jade’s knee. “I am actually thinking about asking to meet him. Something about him calls to me.”

Shocked, Jade couldn’t find words. She took a hurried sip of tea, nearly burning her mouth. The pain stung. When she could finally speak again, she raised her head to find Libby watching her.

“Are you saying you...have a romantic interest in him?” she asked, surprised at how much the notion pained her, as if Libby had reached inside and twisted Jade’s stomach.

Libby laughed. Until today, the pure joy in the sound had always brought an answering smile to Jade’s face. This time, she could only eye the other woman, thoroughly perplexed.

“No, honey,” Libby assured her. “He’s much too young for me. The important question is... Do you like him?”

Immediately, Jade felt her entire body blush. “No,” she answered, much too quickly. “I don’t. But, Libby, he’s dangerous. He wants to write a story about you. With pictures,” she added. “I know you understand how awful that would be for you and for this town. Promise me you won’t let him see you again in your other form. Please.”

Libby’s clear gaze studied Jade’s face. “I promise I won’t let your man see me as my beast,” she finally said, each word concise. “At least, not until you ask me to.”

Relieved, Jade took another sip of her tea. “Thank you.”

A peaceful silence fell while they enjoyed their drink and Jade tried to figure out the best way to ask Libby to use her psychic abilities.

“Is there more?” Libby finally asked. “My promise should have dispelled your worry, but I still sense it wrapped around you in a shroud.”

The vivid imagery made Jade shudder. “I promised my mother I’d ask you about my cousin Diamond. She seems to have disappeared and now everyone’s worried.”

“Except you,” Libby observed. “You’re more anxious about asking me to use my abilities than about your cousin. Why is this?”

“Because Di is a bit of a wild child. Among her friends, it seems like one is always vanishing for a few days. Right when everyone is getting all wound up, the missing girl reappears, acting like she’d never even been away.” Jade shrugged. “I’m guessing Di felt like it was her turn.”