Lusio, however, was brimming with glee as he turned to the house and practically pranced into the front hall. Tegan and I stood on the first-floor balcony overlooking his happiness. “Miles! Miles!”

  The butler made a prompt appearance from the direction of the terrace. “Yes, sir?”

  “Will the second trial be ready by tomorrow evening?” he wondered.

  “She assured me the magic would be ready by then,” Miles replied.

  Lusio’s exuberance was dampened by the lackluster answer and he frowned. “That is poor comfort to me, Miles. When did you last speak with her?”

  “This morning, sir.”

  “Then speak with her again tomorrow morning and make sure she gives a guarantee,” Lusio demanded.

  Miles bowed his head. “As you wish, sir.”

  “Now return to your duties,” Lusio commanded him as he waved his hand at the servant.

  Miles slipped away, leaving our host alone in the hall. Lusio grasped his hands together behind his back and frowned before he strode down the hall toward the rear of the house.

  “We had better follow him,” Tegan suggested as he took my hand.

  We hurried down the winding stairs and peeked down the hall. Lusio stepped out onto the terrace as the sun set behind the far horizon. Miles and a few other servants scooted past him and into the house with their hands filled with full platters.

  Our host strode over to the low wall that abutted the beach and stared out at the view. Tegan and I slipped closer until we reached the open doors. A cool breeze wafted over the patio and disturbed the remnants of programs given to the audience. The papers scattered across the stones and knocked against the back of Lusio’s ankles. He looked disapprovingly down at the trash as the last rays of sun settled below the horizon.

  Tegan stiffened before he darted out across the terrace. He wrapped his arms around Lusio and tackled the man to the ground. I saw something shoot across the terrace and embed itself into one of the umbrellas that shaded a table.

  “What are you doing?” Lusio shouted as he thrashed in Tegan’s hold.

  “Kate!” Tegan shouted.

  I got the hint and swept my eyes over the area, but the night was still. “I don’t see anyone!”

  “Get off me!” Lusio demanded as he broke free of Tegan’s hold and stumbled to his feet. He turned to face Tegan as the dragon did the same. “Have you lost your mind?”

  Tegan hardly paid the man any mind as his glowing eyes studied the bushes to the right of the terrace. “No, but you may have almost lost your life.”

  “From what?” Lusio snapped.

  “From this,” I replied as I strode across the terrace and plucked the tiny object out of the wooden umbrella pole. I moved over to the men and Tegan took the item from me.

  He lifted it to his eyes and frowned. “A dart and I would guess there’s poison on it.”

  Lusio’s face paled but he puffed out his chest a little. “Y-you must be joking. It’s no doubt a splinter or some such thing.”

  Tegan grabbed Lusio’s bent arm and tugged him toward the door. “Why don’t we go inside and argue about it somewhere safe?”

  “I tell you I am safe!” Lusio protested but he couldn’t fight Tegan’s hold this time.

  I scooted along after them but as I reached the doorway a noise caught my attention. I paused and peered into the bushes that surrounded the right side of the terrace. Nothing stirred but I swear I noticed a silent shadow slip away in the direction of the dunes.

  I stepped back and shut the door behind me before I joined the chaos that had erupted inside the house. Miles and the other servants had watched Tegan practically drag their master down the hall and to the illuminated front room.

  “What do you think you are doing?” Miles demanded to know as he trailed along behind the pair.

  “I’m carrying your ungrateful employer,” Tegan replied with a grin.

  “Unhand me!” Lusio demanded as they reached the door to the decorative parlor.

  “My pleasure,” Tegan quipped as he tossed the man into the room.

  I joined Tegan at his side and was in time to watch Lusio stumble backward a few steps before he found his footing. His face was as red as the velvet-covered chairs situated around the huge glowing hearth. He balled one hand into a fist as he stabbed a finger at Tegan. “You! You will leave immediately!”

  Tegan held up the small object he’d fetched from the umbrella. “This won’t be the last attempt on your life.”

  Lusio glared at him. “There has been no first attempt on my life!”

  “Then catch,” Tegan commanded before he tossed the item.

  Lusio yelped and scrambled back, and the object clattered to the rug.

  Miles leapt into action and grabbed one of Tegan’s arms. The servant tried to wrench it behind him but Tegan twisted around with his limb and turned the tables by grabbing Miles’ arm and twisting him around. Miles winced as Tegan yanked his arm a little.

  “There’s no need to throw a fit if your master thinks that was just a splinter I tossed at him,” Tegan commented as he looked over his shoulder at Lusio. “Or do you believe me?”

  Lusio lifted his chin but I could see his lips quiver. “I believe that you are a fool.”

  Tegan gritted his teeth and pushed Miles forward. The servant stumbled before he caught himself at my side and spun around. Tegan snatched the item from the floor and practically shoved it up Lusio’s nose. “If you won’t believe me then believe your own eyes.”

  Lusio jerked back but his eyes crossed as he stared at the item. They widened after a moment and his jaw dropped open. “My God.” His bulging eyes flitted up to Tegan’s face. “But why? And who?”

  Tegan lowered the object and shook his head. “If we knew that I wouldn’t be wasting my time trying to show you the obvious.”

  “Shall I throw them out, sir?” Miles spoke up.

  I scooted away from him and over to Tegan as Lusio returned his gaze to the item in Tegan’s hand. He swallowed a big lump in his throat and shook his head. “N-no. No, let them stay.”

  The corners of Miles’ lips tightened but he bowed low at the waist. “Very good, sir. Will you be needing anything else?”

  “Yes,” Lusio replied as he nodded at the item. “Get her here to take a look at this. I want to know if there really is poison on this thing.”

  His master’s shaky demeanor was infectious and the servant caught it. “You wish for me to go out at this hour, sir?”

  Lusio whipped his head about and glared at him. “You miserable coward! Take some of the others if you want, but get her here now!”

  The color drained from Miles’ face but he bowed and scurried away. Lusio stumbled over to one of the high-backed chairs in front of the crackling fire and slumped onto the cushion. He cupped his forehead in one hand and closed his eyes.

  “Who is your servant fetching?” Tegan questioned our host.

  Lusio didn’t have time to respond before footsteps pattered down the winding steps. Cordelia and the others made their appearance in the doorway with even Morrigan at the rear along with her entourage.

  “What’s all this yelling about?” Cordelia demanded to know as she sauntered into the room. “A woman can’t get her beauty sleep with such raised voices.”

  Lusio gathered himself and dropped his limb onto the arm of the chair. He straightened and smiled up at the group. “My sincerest apologies. We were having a lively discussion and I forgot myself.”

  Morrigan lifted an eyebrow at Tegan and me. “A discussion about what?”

  Lusio stood and shook his head. “Nothing important. Were any of you in need of more food? I believe the fires are still lit in the kitchen if you require anything there.”

  Cordelia cast a curious look at us as she sashayed away. “No. I’ll help myself later.”

  She sauntered through the others who reluctantly followed her. Morrigan was the last and she gave us a nasty parting look before she followed the others upstairs.

  The moment the house fell silent, Lusiou whipped his head about and gave us a sharp look. “Speak nothing of this to the others. Do you understand? I don’t want any of them leaving before the end of the trials.”

  Tegan nodded. “Very well, but do we now have your permission to act as your guards?”

  Lusio slumped back into the chair and grasped the front of the arms. “We’ll see after she comes.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Lusio’s lips were so tight that Tegan gave me a look that told me not to bother the tense man with questions. I took up the other high-backed seat on the opposite side of the hearth while Tegan positioned himself at the fire. He draped his arm over the mantel and an uneasy silence fell over us.

  The minutes ticked by in such tense quiet until a faint noise came from somewhere deep in the house. All of us tensed and Tegan pushed off from the mantel. I heard footsteps on the carpet of the main hall and twisted around to face the doorway.

  Miles made his appearance and at his side was the most shriveled woman I had ever beheld. She was below five feet in height and her being hunched didn’t help her altitude. By my guess, the woman appeared to be well past ninety with such a mess of wrinkles on her face that she could have been much older. Her shocking silver hair trailed down her back in a long simple braid that wrapped around her waist like a belt. The woman’s gnarled hands grasped a stick even gnarlier than them and she wore a long black dress with a shawl draped over her thin frame. I dared not breathe hard for fear of blowing her away.

  Miles kept as polite a distance as he could manage from her as he bowed at the waist to his master. “Sir, I have brought her.”

  “Shut the door behind her,” Lusio commanded him as he stood.

  The old woman shuffled into the room with ample use of her cane and Miles gladly obeyed the order to shut us in. The stranger’s dark eyes darted over each of us and lingered longest on Tegan.

  Lusio strode up to her with his arms open. “Good evening, Clara. Won’t you sit down?”

  She scowled at him. “I will sit down when it pleases me, Lusio, so shut your yap unless you intend to tell me why I’ve been dragged here at this hour.”

  Lusio stiffened and pursed his lips but managed to keep his voice even. “I believe someone made an attempt on my life but I would like to know the weapon.”

  She looked him up and down and a crooked toothless smile slipped onto her lips. “Have you tried searching yourself? That would have been faster than having your servant fetch me.”

  “He wants you to take a look at this,” Tegan spoke up as he strolled over to her.

  Clara looked him up and down. “A handsome dragon man. I haven’t seen your kind for quite a while.”

  Tegan stopped before the strange woman and smiled at her. “I’d be interested to hear more about the others you’ve met but there’s the matter of saving Lusio’s life.”

  She cast a wary glance at him and scoffed. “Why should anyone worry about that?”

  His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in horror. “I should worry about that! It’s my life that’s being threatened!”

  “With what?” she wondered.

  Tegan drew out the dart and strode over to the pair. “This.”

  Clara narrowed her eyes and gingerly took the dart from him. She turned it over in front of her face before she drew the sharp tip to her nose. The woman took a deep whiff before she drew back and wrinkled her nose.

  “Well?” Lusio choked out in a high-pitched voice.

  Clara nodded. “Most definitely poison and of the most horrible kind.”

  The color drained from Lusio’s face. “W-what do you mean?”

  “Had you been pierced with this you would have suffered for many days before the poison took your life, and perhaps your soul.”

  Lusio’s whole body quivered but he managed to slap a shaky smile on his lips. “M-my soul? Surely you jest.”

  Clara eyed him with a sharp look. “I never joke about magic, Lusio. You of all people should know that.”

  Our host looked about to collapse but he steeled himself against the scene Clara had produced in his mind. “Do you know who could have made it?”

  “Anyone with a sharp eye for poison,” Clara mused as she set the dart on the end table. “It could be any of your guests.”

  Lusio whipped his head around and narrowed his eyes at Tegan. “How did you come to save me from that?”

  Tegan folded his arms over his chest and smiled at our host though I could see a glimmer of anger in the depths of his eyes. “I heard a noise in the bushes and suspected foul play, as we warned you when we arrived.”

  “Yes, you did say something of the sort,” Lusio mused as he eyed both of us with that suspicious glint. “And Domini warned me as well, but how can I tell that you’re actually in his employ and not the assassins yourself-”

  Tegan’s hand shot out and wrapped around Lusio’s throat. The man made a squeaking noise and latched onto Tegan’s arm. Lusio tried to pull himself free but Tegan merely lifted him off the floor. Our host thrashed in Tegan’s hold but couldn’t even budge a finger.

  Tegan yanked Lusio toward himself so their faces nearly touched and his eyes were ablaze. “Because I wouldn’t need poison to do away with you.”

  Tegan opened his hand and Lusio slumped to the floor in a puddle of his own terror. The scent of ammonia filled the air and Lusio filled his pants. Our host scrambled to his feet and shot out of the room leaving behind his dignity and a wet spot on the carpet.

  A low chuckle came from our haggish companion. Clara was all smiles as she grasped the top of her cane in both hands and tapped the bottom against the floor. “A wonderful scene that warms my heart. It was about time somebody told him what’s what.”

  Tegan didn’t look as pleased as her as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I doubt that will convince him that we mean him no harm.”

  I stood from my chair and tiptoed around the wet spot to join the two close to the door. “I think saving his skin again is the only thing that will convince him of that.”

  Clara stroked her chin as she studied us. “What makes you two protect such a lowlife as him?”

  “And what makes you be in his employ and craft such interesting trials?” Tegan countered.

  Clara dropped her hand back to her cane and chuckled. “I suppose I was begging for that one. To answer your question, I do it because he would have gotten somebody else, so I’d rather it be me than any other.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t you want anyone else to do that job? It’s not hard, is it?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Of course not, but what he demands for his trials is dangerous to the magic wielders who come here seeking fame. I do it to save them from incompetent hands.”

  “The money doesn’t interest you?” Tegan wondered.

  A bemused smile slipped onto her lips as she gestured down at herself with one hand. “I would need all the wealth Lusio holds to fetch a man willing to look at this every morning. Besides-” She looked off into the distance and pursed her lips, “-I doubt I have much time left here. Money would be wasted on me. Now then-” She tapped the bottom of her cane against the floor. “What are you two doing here? I smell a wreaking scent on both of you.”

  Tegan gave her a crooked smile. “Merely trying to repay a debt we owe.”

  She eyed us with a curious look before she half-turned away. “Mind you don’t let that debt dig any deeper into your souls.”

  Miles appeared in the doorway and bowed to Clara. “Miss Vesper, My Master requests that you place a protection spell around his room this evening.”

  She rolled her eyes and pushed past the servant. “Such a damned coward.”

  The pair disappeared upstairs and Tegan turned to me. “I doubt the assassin will try again tonight with Clara’s magic at the watch, so what do you say to watching the vampires dive?”

  I looked up at Tegan. “Do you think it’s safe for us to go out there? The assassin might not be happy about you interrupting his work.”

  Tegan grinned as he offered me his arm. “Then they’ll have to get in the line to attack me.”

  I snorted and accepted his arm. “Morrigan and her entourage are at the head?”

  “Undoubtedly, and we’ll have to be sure to keep them that distance from us,” he mused as he led me to our little vacation away from the protection racket.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The crisp night air tickled my nose as we ventured out the front door and onto the main road that abutted the villa. Stars twinkled overhead and dark distorted shadows stretched out from everything as though reaching for us. The area was even quieter than earlier and I unconsciously pressed against Tegan’s arm.

  “You don’t have to worry about anything,” he assured me.

  “What about what Conrad told us?” I reminded him.

  He chuckled. “Vampires can overtake a human but I’m not quite that.”

  His words made me look him over. “That’s right, you’re just half dragon, aren’t you?”

  “On my father’s side,” he teased.

  “So can any dragon mate with any human?” I wondered.

  His glowing eyes twinkled in the faint starlight. “Were you wondering on behalf of yourself?”

  I shrugged. “Let’s just say I’m asking for a friend. So?”

  Tegan stared ahead with that mischievous smile. “Dragons have never had any trouble mating with normal humans.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Normal humans? What are the exceptions?”

  “Vampires and werewolves.”

  I furrowed my brow as I thought over his reply. “I can see the problem with vampires, but werewolves?”

  He shrugged. “The species have never reproduced. Perhaps they’re too far apart or maybe there’s some magic that keeps them from being unable to have kids.”

  I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. “This world is as complicated as mine.”

 

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