Read Online Taming the Dragon by Kendra Leigh Castle - Free Book Online
Authors: Kendra Leigh Castle
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stranger...and for the first time
in her life, she felt whole.
She never felt him slip away in the darkness before morning.
But something in her sensed it when he took the dragyn-ka from her neck, and she shivered alone in her dreams.
ELEVEN
The little silver bell above the door rang into the
dark and quiet little shop.
It was here. Tess had to swallow back a sob of relief as she
stepped inside. She’d been so sure it wouldn’t be, just like yesterday, but she
hadn’t known where else to start looking.
Kaden was gone, along with his necklace. He must have been able
to take it off the whole time, she knew. But why now? It was whatever change
she’d sensed in him last night. Whatever had made their lovemaking so intense
she’d felt like she might shatter.
He’d bitten her. And he’d left.
And now, a scant two days after meeting him, Tess felt like her
world would never be right again unless she could get him back.
“Hello?” Tess walked slowly through the shop, this time very
conscious of the magic in this place. Her eyes moved over all the odd pieces
Morgan had displayed. Were they all things like her necklace, attached to
dragons and wizards and who knew what else? Morgan had hinted at that, she
thought. Saying that she dealt in the...what was it? Magical, maligned and
misunderstood?
Kaden certainly fit that description.
“Tess,” said a warm voice. She turned, and Morgan was emerging
from behind a curtain, as outrageously beautiful as ever. Witch, Tess thought. The word actually gave her some hope. Morgan’s
small, catlike smile quickly turned to concern when she got a good look at
Tess’s face.
“Damn. What’s he done?”
“He’s gone,” Tess said. “He’s a dragon, and he took his
necklace, and he’s gone.”
Morgan cursed, a word that seemed utterly out of place coming
from a woman like her.
“Stubborn fool. I am cursed, truly. These men never do what
they’re supposed to! Bloody magic mirrors, angry gargoyles, obstinate
dragons...” She stalked over to the ugly stone gargoyle and gave it a kick. Tess
could have sworn she heard a faint yelp.
“Why did you send me to him, Morgan? Did you make the dragyn-ka attach itself to me?”
Morgan shook her head furiously, hair moving like flame. “The
dragons did me a good turn once, long ago. In return I promised to get Kaden
back to them, but what I found was not the warrior they’d described. The dragon
I discovered curled in a cave had given up all hope and refused to listen to
reason.”
“You couldn’t just send him back? He thinks he’s the only one
left. That his entire family is dead.”
Morgan looked annoyed. “Many were lost on the day he was driven
here. Many also lived, despite what he has convinced himself of, and not all of
his family is gone, even now. Time passes fare more quickly here, and dragons
live a long life when they are let be. As to sending Kaden back, my ways are not
the dragons’ ways. I am capable of all manner of enchantments, but getting him
home is a process that would require a fire he no longer possesses. Or rather,
he refuses to use. And I do not beg. I take
opportunity when I see it, and I wait. His dragyn-ka was the key. And when you walked in the other day, I simply...knew.”
Tess felt ill. “So you did make it attach to me.”
Morgan made an irritated noise and crossed her hands over her
chest to glare. “You and Kaden have much in common. Neither of you hears
anything but what you wish to. I am not going to explain my magic to you, Tess
McGarry. The necklace was meant for you. You were meant to waken him. I am
simply an underpaid and unappreciated facilitator.”
Morgan looked so disgruntled that Tess was compelled to
apologize.
“Sorry.”
Morgan waved a hand. “No. I’m simply...frustrated. Kaden St.
George was once a leader among dragons, a fierce warrior, an inspiration to his
kind. When he was driven here, those he left behind fought all the harder
against the dragon hunters to
in her life, she felt whole.
She never felt him slip away in the darkness before morning.
But something in her sensed it when he took the dragyn-ka from her neck, and she shivered alone in her dreams.
ELEVEN
The little silver bell above the door rang into the
dark and quiet little shop.
It was here. Tess had to swallow back a sob of relief as she
stepped inside. She’d been so sure it wouldn’t be, just like yesterday, but she
hadn’t known where else to start looking.
Kaden was gone, along with his necklace. He must have been able
to take it off the whole time, she knew. But why now? It was whatever change
she’d sensed in him last night. Whatever had made their lovemaking so intense
she’d felt like she might shatter.
He’d bitten her. And he’d left.
And now, a scant two days after meeting him, Tess felt like her
world would never be right again unless she could get him back.
“Hello?” Tess walked slowly through the shop, this time very
conscious of the magic in this place. Her eyes moved over all the odd pieces
Morgan had displayed. Were they all things like her necklace, attached to
dragons and wizards and who knew what else? Morgan had hinted at that, she
thought. Saying that she dealt in the...what was it? Magical, maligned and
misunderstood?
Kaden certainly fit that description.
“Tess,” said a warm voice. She turned, and Morgan was emerging
from behind a curtain, as outrageously beautiful as ever. Witch, Tess thought. The word actually gave her some hope. Morgan’s
small, catlike smile quickly turned to concern when she got a good look at
Tess’s face.
“Damn. What’s he done?”
“He’s gone,” Tess said. “He’s a dragon, and he took his
necklace, and he’s gone.”
Morgan cursed, a word that seemed utterly out of place coming
from a woman like her.
“Stubborn fool. I am cursed, truly. These men never do what
they’re supposed to! Bloody magic mirrors, angry gargoyles, obstinate
dragons...” She stalked over to the ugly stone gargoyle and gave it a kick. Tess
could have sworn she heard a faint yelp.
“Why did you send me to him, Morgan? Did you make the dragyn-ka attach itself to me?”
Morgan shook her head furiously, hair moving like flame. “The
dragons did me a good turn once, long ago. In return I promised to get Kaden
back to them, but what I found was not the warrior they’d described. The dragon
I discovered curled in a cave had given up all hope and refused to listen to
reason.”
“You couldn’t just send him back? He thinks he’s the only one
left. That his entire family is dead.”
Morgan looked annoyed. “Many were lost on the day he was driven
here. Many also lived, despite what he has convinced himself of, and not all of
his family is gone, even now. Time passes fare more quickly here, and dragons
live a long life when they are let be. As to sending Kaden back, my ways are not
the dragons’ ways. I am capable of all manner of enchantments, but getting him
home is a process that would require a fire he no longer possesses. Or rather,
he refuses to use. And I do not beg. I take
opportunity when I see it, and I wait. His dragyn-ka was the key. And when you walked in the other day, I simply...knew.”
Tess felt ill. “So you did make it attach to me.”
Morgan made an irritated noise and crossed her hands over her
chest to glare. “You and Kaden have much in common. Neither of you hears
anything but what you wish to. I am not going to explain my magic to you, Tess
McGarry. The necklace was meant for you. You were meant to waken him. I am
simply an underpaid and unappreciated facilitator.”
Morgan looked so disgruntled that Tess was compelled to
apologize.
“Sorry.”
Morgan waved a hand. “No. I’m simply...frustrated. Kaden St.
George was once a leader among dragons, a fierce warrior, an inspiration to his
kind. When he was driven here, those he left behind fought all the harder
against the dragon hunters to
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