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surprise. Golden strands lay against the high cast of his
cheeks. Seren reached up and glided a finger tip across his
bottom lip. His smooth, almost silky lips parted. She lowered
her hand, returning her gaze to the window.
She struggled to keep her desire under control. Need
pounded between her legs. When she spoke, she kept her
tone even. “I don’t like the way you make me feel.”
“In what manner do you speak?”
“Heat, lust…passion.”
“Is that so terrible?” His voice had deepened.
She sighed. “For me, yes. I don’t want to feel those
emotions. I wanted the vision to end. Desiring you doesn’t fit
into the picture.”
“Desire is not bad.” He brushed the back of his hand over
her cheek.
She studied him for a moment. All she had to do was
agree, wrap her arms around his neck and pull him to her.
He wanted her. Probably in the same intense fashion as she
did him. She closed her eyes, savoring the gentle touch. “No,
but I promised myself I wouldn’t ever leave my heart open to
anyone again. That includes casual affairs. I won’t take a
chance of having another baby. I wasn’t able to see the
danger to Mandy. Even with my special sight, I couldn’t save
her.”
There, she’d said the words out loud. The very ones which
ran through her mind every day like a constant cyclone,
ripping and tearing her apart. Did he understand how she
felt with the loss of his child? Had he held his baby against
his breast while listening to each quiet breath? She had
carried and given birth to Mandy, had watched her grow into
a vibrant little girl. In the end, she’d buried her, leaving her
with nothing but sorrow filled memories
“Will your ability save our child?” He slid his hand away
from her cheek to place his palm over her flat belly. She felt a
slight flutter in her abdomen.
She inhaled his scent. Powerful, intoxicating, she wanted
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to roll over and face him. It’d be so easy to reach up and
cover his beautiful lips with hers. She bit the inside of her
cheek, fighting the desire threatening to overcome her.
Once she had her need for this man shut behind a mental
lock, she faced him. Her voice stayed strong as she said the
words she dreaded speaking to him. “I don’t want your
child.”
His eyes widened. The only sign of his reaction. He
nodded once. “It is for the best. You are human, I am not.
The dragon blood in my veins will overpower yours and you
may die.”
Seren held her gaze steady with his. “What do you
mean?”
“Dragon and human blood must be magically fused so the
combination of the two will not overpower one or the other.”
“Sounds like oil and vinegar before you shake it.”
He shrugged. “Once the blood is fused, the risks of the
child destroying you are lessened.”
“That’s good to know. I don’t want to die, especially not
here.”
A smile flittered across his lips. “Try not to worry. I swore
I would keep you safe. Did I not tell you this when I found
you?”
She wanted to kiss him, to feel the warmth of his mouth
on hers and the slick length of his tongue while he thrust
inside her body, sending her over the edge. Steeling her
mind, she responded in a cool tone, wanting to drive him
away so she could gather her resolve alone. “I don’t need you
to protect me, just find a way for me to go home.”
He eased back. With each passing second, the chasm
between them widened. He took a deep breath, his chest
expanding under the gray cloth. “Very well, I will find a way
to fulfill your desire.”
They were strangers to each other, yet he’d saved her.
Even now, he seemed to want to help her escape from this
world. “What happens if this child you claim I carry
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threatens my life? What will you do? Will you chose me or
He didn’t hesitate with his answer. “I will bring you to the
mystic healer myself to take my child from your body before
I allow you to die.”
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Chapter Five
Surprised, Seren studied him. She hadn’t expected him to
choose her. He stood and walked to the door. He glanced at
her with his hand on the knob before he left. She stared at
the door for a long time, unable to form a solid thought with
him gone.
With a sigh, she faced the window. A drac flew nearer to
the ship. This close, she saw the difference between it and
the herons. Feathers hadn’t reflected the light. No, it was the
pearl colored scales covering the beast. Instead of an
elongated yellow or black beak, its narrow snout ended in a
point. Long incisors overlapped its lips.
For a moment, the young dragon appeared to look at her
with its slit-pupil, amber eyes. She sat up, unable to turn
away while the beast, its wings moving up and down in a
hypnotic rhythm, drew next to the window. Warmth
increased in her abdomen. The fluttering she felt while
Paladin was with her increased. The drac’s wing brushed
against the pane, it opened its mouth and emitted a low
mewl.
Intense warmth erupted in her womb. She froze, unsure
of what was happening to her. But pain soon raced through
her body, eliciting a cry from her. She fell off the window
seat, trying to draw in a breath. Confused, unsure what was
happening, she fought against the rise of panic. She forced
movement to her lethargic limbs to escape from the area
around the window. The heat increased inside her body, so
strong it seemed like it was going to engulf her. The drac
cried out once more and her torment overcame her. She
writhed in agony on the wooden floor.
* * * *
Paladin stood on the bow of the ship. Blue water, capped
with white tips, churned below him. He closed his eyes,
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inhaling the salty air. Four more days would see them in
Dene. If the weather held. If Seren lived.
Her skin seemed paler to him and her body more fragile.
This strange woman suffered because of him. He had planted
his seed in her, now the effects of the pregnancy were
occurring too fast.
A flock of dracs appeared in the left side of his line of
vision, distracting him. He counted six.
Calis’ heavy step approached from behind. His first
mate’s words confirmed what he suspected. “They’re
gathering. Too many sighted too close together. What do ye
make of it?”
Paladin watched several more dracs cross the ship’s path.
“That you are correct. Have you heard any rumors coming
from Xelerdin? Has Rylen caused more havoc to the
neighboring realms?”
O
ne young dragon glided up from the side of the ship,
hawked at him, and then swung to meet the others. The
drac’s word, not a true language, but understood by all who
carried dragon’s blood in their veins slapped him in the face.
Sire.
He started to step forward, but stopped. His younger
brother, Rylen, was King. Bask, the guardian wizard to the
great white dragon, Lior, swore he had informed all of their
blood the news of Paladin’s abdication. Did the drac not
know? Had he never received the news? Or had it refused his
brother’s right to the throne? If so, was it alone or were there
others like this one?
“Ye should never have denied yer rightful place.” Calis
pointed toward another large flock following the same path
of the first. “They gather for certain. Looks like war is
coming, and I don’t see anyone but ye able to stop it.”
Paladin angled a look at his friend. “What has my brother
done?”
Calis shifted from one foot to the other for a moment
before he blurted, “He’s widened his borders. A great deal
59
from the word I received in Gilliesport. Didn’t want to tell ye,
what with yer recent loss and all.”
Paladin closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. Why did Rylen
desire more than what he already possessed? What was his
purpose in expanding the White Dragon realm? Was it
domination over the weak or annihilation of the lesser
rulers? Paladin tried to understand, but no answer came to
him.
Battling to control the anger growing inside, he pivoted
toward the door leading below. He must do something, but
what? How should he stop his brother? The timing was off.
He had sworn to help Seren. He fully intended to keep his
word.
When he neared the door, it slammed open. Seren fell
onto the deck in a tangle of blanket and slender limbs.
Shocked, fear overpowered all else, he leapt forward. He
wrapped his arms around her. Her skin burned like she was
on fire from the inside out. The rancid smell of illness rose
from her skin. Underneath the odor, the sharp scent of
dragon increased. Grabbing her against his chest, he
whispered spells to protect her internal organs, veins, and
brain, hoping to block his child’s dragon fire which raged
within her. He hurried to his room. Calis’ footstep rang out
behind him.
Without looking at the other man, Paladin ordered,
“Bring freeze water. Buckets of it. Now, before we lose her!”
Boots thudded on the wooden floor behind him while
Calis shouted orders. Paladin ignored the distraction as he
laid Seren on the bed. The blanket dampened. It soaked up
the body fluids escaping from her pores. He tugged the
covers from around her waist and placed his palms against
her abdomen. He concentrated, drawing the growing heat
through his hands. Her stomach muscles contracted. He
hoped the child would pass. Only then would Seren have a
better chance of survival.
A fluttering started under his palms. His eyes widened.
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The babe, his son, shifted and worked to cool his own blood.
Paladin, amazed at the strength coming from the babe,
worked harder to help.
Calis settled his large hand on Paladin’s shoulder.
“Ready, Captain. I’ve got all we have here on board ready.
Talen also works using an icy spell to make more. Switched
course too. We’re heading for the nearest town to restock,
just in case.”
Paladin stood and lifted Seren then swung around to his
bathing tub. Calis passed him to grab the first bucket filled
with more icy water. Chunks of ice floated in the slush.
Paladin lowered Seren, still wrapped in the blanket, into the
tub.
He took the bucket’s handle from Calis, and poured the
thick liquid onto Seren’s abdomen. She screamed, jerking,
fighting in her semiconscious state. Her cries tore at him. He
caused her pain, her tears.
As the minutes flew by, the crew refilled the empty
buckets until a constant stream raced between his quarters
and storage area. Vaguely, the thud of running boots
registered as he worked over Seren. He drained the tub and
started all over again. He helped her swallow cold water
while Calis kept the tub filled. Each time Paladin touched her
abdomen, he hoped it had cooled, but the heat remained. She
twisted under his palm, trying to escape his touch.
The day turned to darkness. Tremors trailed up and down
his spine. He’d experienced worry in his lifetime, but nothing
like this. The only outcome he saw was her death. Nothing he
did worked. He couldn’t see how she would pull through this.
The freeze water melted on the first touch to the skin over
her abdomen. Her body rejected the cold. What else could he
do? Paladin rubbed a hand over his face. He’d never been so
helpless before. The cool liquids she took in passed from her
pores. It just wasn’t working.
Stubborn, he refused to give up. Long into the rising, his
mind and body exhausted, he worked nonstop on her,
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hoping, yet at the same time, he waited for her death. He
continued to pull the heat from her through his touch while
Calis poured the frozen liquid over her.
On the second rising, the ship docked. At the thud of the
gangplank connecting to a dock, he glanced at Calis. His first
mate’s haggard gaze met his. Paladin, his back aching,
nodded and said, “Send word to find a local mage.”
Calis looked at the suffering woman. He nodded and
departed. Paladin knelt next to the tub, leaning over the
brim. His hands, blue from the cold liquid, touched Seren
once more. His skin turned pink under the heat. A hopeless
sob escaped as he removed his hand. She was going to die
because of him. His selfish need to have her put her in this
situation. He’d never forgive himself for this. He lifted her
from the water and carried her to the bed. With efficient
strokes, he dried her before he pulled a light sheet over her.
Tears burned his eyes. In the middle of the night, his son
had stopped fighting. He sensed no movement, no life force
from him at all, yet the heat continued within Seren. After
effects? Had the babe given up or had his strength ebbed?
He studied the agony etched on Seren’s pale face. He
eased onto the bed beside her, pulling her into his arms. For
the first time since she’d fallen onto the deck, her restless
battle against the heat ceased. He tensed, waiting for her
next breath. He counted each one, hoping she would survive.
The door swung open and his first mate approached the
bed, alone. Paladin realized before his friend spoke what he
would say.
“They have no mage here, Sire. The nearest one is a day’s
flight to the north. I’ve ordered our immediate depart
ure.”
Paladin curved tighter to Seren, holding her closer. She
would not make it to another morning. Her body might live,
but her mind would not.
“Very well,” he muttered. His gut felt like he’d swallowed
a hundred dragon stones. The heaviness wouldn’t abate. The
weight of this night sat on his shoulders and it became
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heavier as the guilt loomed closer. He could not escape it and
did not try. Seren’s condition was his responsibility alone. He
was the one who’d brought her here. He should have had
better control. What kind of monster was he to do this to
her?
His damnable wish. He desired a son, but not at the cost
of murdering the child’s mother. He groaned. If he had not
drunk so much, had not made his wish, the door would never
have appeared. But he had, and now he must pay penance
for his carelessness.
He laid his palm against her lower abdomen. A faint
stirring came to him. He waited. There—a slight movement.
He tilted his head toward Calis. “Leave us.”
The older man tripped over his feet in his hurry. Once the
door shut, Paladin turned his attention to his son. He
narrowed his eyes, his vision becoming all-seeing and
magical, a gift born of his dragon flesh. Focusing on the spot,
he saw past Seren’s skin and muscles to where the babe lay
attached to her womb. His son’s diminutive form resembled
more the namesake of his clan than anything human.
Paladin studied the fast beat of his tiny heart. The babe’s
head turned toward him. A pulse of supplication surged to
Paladin. In one beat of his tiny heart, Paladin understood
what the unborn child tried so desperately to do.
Without considering, Paladin centered his power to his
small son. He sent him the strength he needed to erect a
barrier between his dragonfire and Seren. The barrier
thickened and became wider. The babe swirled in the vortex
of magical dragon flames, but the fire remained contained
within the shell of his birth sack.
After several minutes, Paladin sensed the babe dozing.
The heat, which had flared nonstop in Seren, ebbed to
normal. He allowed one sob to escape before he shifted to his
human sight.
Exhausted, he rolled from the bed and called for Calis.
When his friend arrived, they set about cleaning the room.
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Once Calis departed with the tub, Paladin washed the sweat