Dragon's Blood (The Dragon's Gift Trilogy #2)

“What is this place?” Dareena asked as Drystan unlocked the heavy wooden door.

“The royal suite.” He opened the door to reveal a tastefully decorated salon in shades of red, gold, and white—the house colors. There was a seating area in front of the fireplace, a fully stocked bar, and a large dining table. Several other rooms branched off from this one, though with the doors closed, Dareena couldn’t tell what they were. “Father lived here, of course, but we’ve had it redone to suit our collective tastes. We’ll be living here together.”

“Together?” Dareena asked as Alistair led her across the room. Lucyan opened one of the doors, and she gasped—there was a giant bed, big enough to sleep six people comfortably, and the room was done in shades of green, her favorite color.

“Yes, together,” Lucyan said, a smile in his voice as he nudged her toward the bed.

“We’ve converted two of the other rooms into bedrooms for nights we may not all want to sleep together,” Drystan added, “and the third into a nursery.”

“A nursery?” Dareena gasped, her hand flying to her belly. She hadn’t even thought that far ahead. “I can’t believe you had time to do this!” She threw her arms around Drystan and hugged him fiercely. I am the luckiest woman in the world, she thought as she buried her face in his chest, inhaling his sexy, masculine scent.

“I didn’t, but that’s what servants are for,” Drystan said, laughing. He scooped her up and carried her to the bed. Dareena’s blood heated as he stripped off her clothes, and she reached for the brothers as they climbed into bed with her in nothing but their underclothes. She stroked Drystan’s chest, then ran her hand down Alistair’s arm, but the feel of the soft bed beneath her made her sleepy…

“Don’t worry,” Lucyan said, pulling her back against his chest. His hard cock pressed against her rear, but he merely draped a hand over her belly while Drystan stroked her face, lying on his side so he was facing her. “There will be plenty of time for love play later. For now, we’ll rest.”

Dareena smiled, then put her arm around Drystan. Alistair, who was on Drystan’s other side, laced his fingers in hers, and together, they slipped off into a deep, dreamless sleep.





35





The next morning, Dareena and her mates rose with the sun, then gathered around the dining table in the royal suite to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. The four of them had slept soundly last night. As Dareena feasted on poached eggs, bacon, fried tomatoes, and buttered toast, she had a hard time remembering the last time she felt this well-rested and content.

Home truly is where the heart is, she thought. A smile tugged at her lips as she watched her mates tease and joke with each other. The four of them fit so perfectly together, like a real family, something she hadn’t had in so long. Dareena couldn’t wait until she finally brought their babe into the world. She had a feeling it would bring them even closer together, and if the dragon god was correct, finally break the curse.

“Now that we have some food in our bellies,” Drystan said, “we really ought to talk about our warlock problem.”

“Do you mean the warlocks in our dungeon?” Lucyan asked. “Or the warlocks in general?”

Drystan raised his eyebrows. “It can’t be both?”

“We must do something about their surveillance magic,” Alistair growled, his eyes sparking with annoyance. “I don’t like that they can spy on us at any time, especially since there is no way of knowing when they are listening.”

“Perhaps either the count or the imposter can fashion a spell to block them out,” Lucyan said thoughtfully. “I assume they value their lives, though I’m happy to start with their toenails first.” He mimed pulling them out with a pair of pliers.

Dareena shuddered at the mental image that conveyed. “I think relying on the warlocks is very risky,” she said. “There is no way to test whether or not whatever magic they do works, and they could just as easily try to sabotage us.”

“Dareena is right,” Drystan said grimly. “We cannot trust any of the warlocks not to betray us, even the trader you do business with at the market.”

“Well, well.” Lucyan raised his eyebrows. “Spying, are we, brother?”

Drystan smirked. “You aren’t the only observant one around here.”

A knock came at the door, and Tariana entered, Ryolas close behind her. “I figured the four of you were already up and eating,” Tariana declared as she took a seat next to Alistair. She and Ryolas looked very relaxed, Dareena noted with some amusement. “Are you discussing anything useful?”

“We’re trying to figure out how to get the warlocks off our backs,” Drystan said. “Now that they have proven themselves to be the true enemy, we must confront them.”

“I’ve heard that Arolas has been released from the dungeons,” Ryolas said darkly. “Count Kianor’s influence may have lessened when he left Elvenhame, but it clearly has not diminished completely. We need to remind my father of the elven goddess’s decree and have him return control of the armies to me.”

“The elven goddess’s decree?” Lucyan asked.

“The day Arolas cut Alistair’s arm off, the elven goddess took control of Basilla and spoke through her,” Dareena said. Chills still ran through her whenever she recalled that day. “She said that Arolas had brought dishonor upon his house and forsworn his family against the dragons. She also made it very clear that the king should choose either Basilla or Ryolas to be his heir, and that Arolas should be punished.”

“That must be what the dragon god was talking about,” Lucyan muttered, a speculative look in his eyes. “Were there any witnesses other than you and the royal family?”

“Count Kianor and Duchess Valenhall,” Dareena said. “The former is unreliable, but the latter might be willing to testify. And, of course, there is Princess Basilla herself.”

“Where is Basilla?” Alistair asked, looking around the table. “Was she not hungry this morning?”

“I knocked on her door, but she was still asleep,” Ryolas said. “I must admit I found that a little unusual, but we did have a hard ride yesterday. I assume she’s exhausted.”

“That’s only natural,” Drystan said, and the others returned to their food. But something niggled at the back of Dareena’s mind, and she was not hungry anymore.

“I’m going to go check on Basilla,” she said, standing up.

The brothers immediately rose from the table. “We’ll come with you,” Drystan said.

“There is no need,” Dareena protested. “I know you’re all still hungry, and Tariana and Ryolas just sat down. Please, enjoy yourselves. I’m only going down the hall—it’s perfectly safe for you to let me walk about on my own.”

“Not when you’re carrying our child,” Drystan said firmly. He pushed his chair in, motioning for his brothers to sit back down. “At least allow me to accompany you.”