7
We reached the house and Xander carried me onto the patio. A wood bench stood against the northern wall. He set me down with my legs hanging over and took a seat beside me.
I leaned my back against the stone wall that acted as a railing and ran a hand through my wet hair. My fingers got tangled in the mess. I snorted. “You’d think if I’m going to kill myself I’d not make such a mess of it and myself.” I yanked on the knots in my hair, but the hair wouldn’t unbind.
Xander grabbed my hand and pulled it away before he scooted up to my back. His deft fingers worked away at the tangles, and I felt the strands fall free from one another.
I closed my eyes and enjoyed his soft touch. “You’re really good at this.”
He chuckled. “As a child I was fond of watching my mother brush her hair. It was one of the few times during the day when we were left to ourselves. She would often allow me to brush her hair as I regaled her with my day of training.”
“Whittling training?” I teased him.
He shook his head. “No. The less agreeable schooling and military training.”
I opened my eyes and turned my head to stare at him with one eye. “But I thought you liked fighting. You’re really good at it.”
Xander finished his pulling and took a seat beside me. He gazed out on the calm waters and furrowed his brow. “One is not always good at what they wish to be, and not always terrible at what they dislike.”
I leaned forward to catch his eye. “So you’re good at what you don’t like and good at what you like?”
He looked to me and smiled. “I am not as good at protecting you as I would wish.”
I snorted and looked ahead. “I’m not exactly helping with all these suicide attempts.”
Xander studied my face and frowned. “Why did you wish to drown yourself?”.
I shrugged. “I thought it’d be fun.” The stern look from him killed the humor. My shoulders sagged and I turned my face away. “I thought I could get someone’s attention.”
He furrowed his brow. “You already have my complete attention. Is that not-” I shook my head.
“Not yours.” I raised my head and nodded at the deep water. “The fae that lives down there. The big boy of the sea.”
Xander arched his eyebrow. “You wished to make contact with Valtameri?”
I shrank and my eyes flickered to him. “Was that a bad idea?”
Xnader sighed. “While the Mare Fae, and Valtameri in particular, are considered gods by many, they are not omnipotent. It was not a wise choice to test his attentiveness by throwing yourself into the bay.”
I drew my legs against my chest and set my chin on one knee. “I just wanted to learn who or what I was. How I’m able to do some of the things I do with all that glowing light in my hands.” I sighed and shrugged. “And if that didn’t work out then maybe I’d learn how to swim. Everybody else makes it look so easy I thought I’d be a cinch.”
Xander stretched his arm across my shoulders and drew me against his warm chest. The bright sun and my damp clothes made me a little lightheaded as I listened to the beat of the dragon’s heart. His soft voice sounded far away as he stroked my untangled hair. “Does it bother you not knowing why you are able to perform miracles?”
I tilted my head back and looked up into his pensive expression. “Wouldn’t it bother you?”
He shook his head. “No, at least not enough to risk my life. What is most important is what you do with your skills, not how they came to be.”
I sank against him and pursed my lips. “I’d still like to know. . .”
“Perhaps fate will grant you your answers soon, but for the present we shall work on your swimming,” he suggested.
A commotion out front caught our attention. Xander stood and leaned out over the railing for a look. A smile slipped onto his lips and he glanced over his shoulder at me. “It appears that Cayden and his Maiden have arrived even earlier than I anticipated.”
I turned around and leaned on the wide stone railing. “Stephanie’s with him?”
The commotion moved from the front into the house and down the hall. In a moment Cayden strode onto the patio and behind him came Stephanie with Spiros close behind them.
Stephanie’s face lit up when she saw me and she rushed over to give me a good hug. “Oh, how glad I am to see you!”
I pulled us apart and studied her. She was tanned and wore a becoming white summer dress with a wide-brimmed straw hat. I smiled. “You look like a regular lady and here I am in my old clothes.” I glanced down at my human-world clothes that I still wore.
She took a seat beside me and shook her head. “You look wonderful in them, but you’re soaked. What happened?”
“I went for a swim without my swimming suit,” I told her.
The men greeted each other less joyously. Xander grasped Cayden’s hand in both of his and smiled at him. “I am pleased you could join us so soon. Have the raiders been subdued or do they still steal pork chops in the middle of the night?”
Cayden pursed his lips and shook his head. “I fear this is no laughing matter, Lord Xander. We have arrived early because the raiders were sighted along this part of the coast.”
Xander’s good humor fell from his face and his eyebrows crashed down. “They have not been checked? Surely human raiders are no match for your defenses. What have they that stops your men from burning their ships with their fire?”
A dark shadow settled on the young dragon lord’s face. “They have learned not only how to extinguish our flame, but to relinquish us of our wings and scales.”
My dragon lord arched an eyebrow. “How?”
Cayden closed his eyes and shook his head. “We cannot fathom what magic they use, but whenever the coastal defenders have met them in battle over their ships the humans launch sticky balls from catapults positioned on their decks. Even the slightest touch of the ball reverts a dragon to their human form and they tumble into the waters. It is all my men can do to rescue their own and not be hit themselves, much less defend against the raiders. Many refuse to fight when they see that their companions cannot even spread their wings for a fortnight, leaving the coast woefully undefended.” He turned his face away. “My men are brave, but this magic is too much for their courage. They have taken to calling this dreadful weapon Dragon Bane.”
Xander set his hand on Cayden’s shoulder. “No one who knows your men could doubt their courage, my friend, and against such odds a retreat and new strategy would not be considered cowardly. What remedies have been tried on those afflicted by this magic?”
Cayden pursed his lips and stared hard at the ground. “Everything. The doctors are at their wits end. They have no more herbs and waters to try to lift the curse. The magicians have tried their hands, but they say there is no magic present with which to combat.”
Xander dropped his hand and furrowed his brow. “That points to a natural source for their weapon, but I cannot think of what herbs could create such a concoction. Do you know if it has any effect on humans?”
Cayden shook his head. “There is no effect at all. Several of our human allies ingested the balls, and nothing happened to them.”
“Very perplexing. . .” Xander mused.
“What about Dreail?” I spoke up.
Cayden raised an eyebrow. “Captain Dreail? What does he know of these troubles?”
I shrugged before I looked to Xander. “He might know something. You said he traveled a lot when he was younger. Maybe he knows how to beat these balls, or at least maybe he’s heard about it.”
Xander nodded. “Your idea has merit. Captain Dreail knows of many legends. He may know of this one. We shall see him at once.”