Bramble Burn Read online

  She managed a smile. “You’re taking care of me again. I think I like it.”

  “Good.”

  Two days later, she was still struggling to put the incident behind her. Justin hadn’t been found, and she had stuff to do. She was in Felony Flats, finishing a row of willow women draped in glowing Chinese lanterns and surrounded by glowing water lotus when Verbreaker found her.

  She looked up at the giant shadow, aware her wolf security detail would blast anything that tried to eat her, and recognized the green dragon. She raised her hand in greeting and finished signing her name on the tree. A hundred years from now, she didn’t want some cult deciding her trees were an idol and worshiping them, or any such nonsense.

  He transformed as he landed and tilted his head in a very dragon-like manner. “Hm. I like it.”

  “Thanks. It’s easier, now that I have the main anchor trees positioned.” That, and the “batteries” she’d prepared ahead of time to fuel rapid growth. “What brings you by?”

  He cast a dismissive glance at the crowd of bystanders and considered her detail. “I regret to inform you that I haven’t found your brother. I thought I would see if you have any ideas.”

  She snorted. “Don’t you and Indris talk?” She mounted Twix, letting him walk beside her, the wolves’ Humvee following.

  “Don’t you want him found?”

  She sighed. “Sure, but it’s not like we’re close. I spent a lot of time avoiding him; God willing, I’d prefer to do the same now. However, I get that’s not an option. What do you need, a list of his friends?”

  “I have that. I want to know why he wants to hurt you so badly; something your parents may not be aware of.”

  She sighed. “I don’t know. He’s never seemed to care that much about the power difference; at least, he never worked to improve his. If it bothered him, there are skills he could have learned to even out the playing field. He could have gone military, or to college.”

  “It doesn’t sound as if he’s driven to improve himself.”

  She grimaced, but said nothing.

  “Does he want Bramble Burn?”

  Startled, she considered it. “I don’t…even if he did, he couldn’t hold it. He doesn’t have the power. It’s hard, Breaker. I’ve never worked so hard in my life, but I love it. Unless he wanted it for a status symbol…” She waved that away irritably. “If he did get it, he’d tire of it. What I do, it’s not his thing.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t see it that way. There aren’t many tree mages, and no one else has managed to pin the park. People are talking. He might crave the attention.”

  “Like I said, he doesn’t have the power.”

  “A mixed power signal was found at the park yesterday. I’m told it’s flavored like yours, but there’s an odd element there, too.” His eyes lingered on her belt. “Could your brother have found a battery?”

  “It would have to be a pretty big battery.”

  “Because he not in your league.” He waited until she looked at him, playful challenge in his eyes. “I spoke with your grandfather.”

  She took her time with her answer. He was baiting her, and would pounce if she encouraged him. She had an understanding with Kjetil, and her wolf was the only one allowed to pounce. “Justin is no angel, but you’re suggesting he’s a thief…” she trailed off. He was a thief. Stealing her land was a big step from petty theft, however.

  If he was disappointed, he didn’t show it. “Why? Dragons do it all the time. So do elves and humans.”

  She scowled, because he was right. “I don’t understand what your interest is in this.”

  “He endangered a dragon female, a child. He will answer for that.”

  She chewed on that. “What makes it your hunt?”

  “Indris and I are distantly related, and I am the Skylord’s son.” If the dragon lord took an interest in a dragon, no one argued. He was incredibly scary. “That, and two highly eligible, fertile females are threatened. We would be fools not to secure your line.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not on the market, and Gilly is too young.”

  “Perhaps it’s time your father gave her polish,” he suggested silkily. “He’s kept her secluded, but in a few years she will be deluged with drakes, and even his fierce reputation will not be able to drive them off. She’d better learn how to handle them.” His gaze swept over her diamond vine necklace, lingered on her amber belt and noted the blue diamond ring on her left hand. She was also wearing gold and diamond hoops. “I see your father went shopping.”

  Her eyes sparked with temper. “I’ve had these, nosy! I just didn’t feel they went with jeans and a t-shirt. I work for a living, and it’s hard to get blood and mud out of fancy clothes.”

  “He had a talk with you, then.” His tone was sly and a bit smug. Why did he care what she wore?

  Indris did, intensely. He’d had a long talk with her and Gilly about diamonds, gold and dragon society. A dragon showed he valued his females by draping them in diamonds, which obligingly changed shape as they did. An unadorned female had no status, was not loved. He’d bowed to their mother’s wishes as long as he could, though he’d given them modest jewelry at every birthday and holiday. She’d convinced them that they didn’t want to flash it around the neighborhood, but they’d worn it for him at home.

  This visit, he put his foot down. His daughters weren’t going out in public unless properly dressed, and he wasn’t too old to spank them.

  Gilly and Juniper had discussed it, and decided that it would hurt his feelings if they didn’t comply. She was a grown woman, and she wasn’t wearing diamonds with jeans and a faded t-shirt because she was scared of her daddy.

  “Turns out diamonds wash,” she muttered.

  He threw back his head and roared with laughter. “To think the mighty Indris has been brought low by teenage daughters. If only his friends could see him now.”

  His laughter was infectious, winning a reluctant smile from her. “Tell me about that. I know he’s over three hundred years old, but I don’t know much about his history. He doesn’t talk about himself.”

  Verbreaker gave her a mischievous smile. “You want the story about the naughty youth, the headstrong young man, or the vicious warrior?”

  He wasn’t bad when he showed this side of him. When he poured on the charm, she could almost forget he was a dragon. “All of them,” she said, eager to hear about Indris’s past.

  Kjetil met them at the tree, bemused by Juniper’s hysterical laughter. He could hear it from a distance, and she was wiping tears when she rode closer. It made him smile, even as he sized up his competition. “Hello, sweetheart. You look happy,” he said smoothly, helping her dismount. While she was in his arms, he claimed a hot, possessive kiss. Startled, she slowly thawed, instinctively sliding her hands up his shoulders.

  Satisfied, he purred, “Hello, Verbreaker.”

  Breaker grinned, unfazed by the dominance game. “Subtle, wolf.” He nodded to the wolf escort. “You worried for nothing.”

  “Did I?” He slid an arm around Juniper, who was beginning to frown.

  “Don’t let me keep you,” the dragon said, flexing his shoulders as he prepared to shift. His gaze was smoldering as he looked at her. “I enjoyed sharing stories with you. You have my number if you’d like to hear more. Call anytime.”

  Kjetil watched him fly off.

  Juniper sent him an exasperated look and entered the attached stable in her tree, trailed by Twix. She jerked the saddle off and dumped it on the saddle tree. “He’s not your rival, you know.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He let her finish, following her into the kitchen where she washed her hands. Finally she threw the towel down, turning to him with a frown.

  He pounced, sweeping her up in a kiss. He had the night off and he’d bought Gilly a concert ticket and told her to take her time getting home.

  Gilly had given him an evil grin and told him she planned to catch a movie after the concert, clearly expecting hi
m to make the most of the night. He would, but probably not the way she expected.

  He released Juniper slowly, smiling as she blinked in confusion. “Why don’t you take a shower while I cook dinner? I brought stuff for salmon, asparagus and rice pilaf. I remembered you liked hard apple cider, so I grabbed that and some pear cider instead of wine.”

  She raised her brows. “Perry? I love that stuff.” She hesitated, but headed off to the shower. After his greeting, she’d expected him to impress her with his prowess and attempt to “stake a claim”. If he’d succeeded, she would have been angry when the stars stopped spinning and tossed him out on his ear.

  Instead, he was behaving like a gentleman. Imagine that.

  Of course, the night was young. She was wary when she joined him in the kitchen.

  He smiled at her and handed her a chilled cider. “Perfect timing.” The table was set, and he pulled a chair out for her.

  “This is really good,” she said, impressed. “Did your mom teach you to cook?”

  “Thanks. Yes. Turns out I like to cook, but I hate baking. I brought caramel popcorn with chocolate bits instead.”

  She laughed. “I like baking best. You can use my stove anytime.” She noticed his eyes lingering on her neck. “I took it off.”

  He smirked. “You’re a dragon’s daughter. I get it.”

  “I don’t like it. Jewelry is impractical.”

  “It’s not like it’s a burka.”

  She snorted cider. After the mess was cleaned up, she sputtered, “It might as well be! You know the neighborhood. It’s like asking to be mugged. Which I pointed out to my…to Indris. He said he’d ‘take care of it’.”

  His eyes twinkled over the rim of his cider.

  Understanding dawned. “What did he say to you?”

  He shrugged.

  “You sicced your wolves on me, didn’t you? You have someone shadowing me.”

  “Actually, they take shifts with a firm your father hired.”

  Her jaw dropped. “That’s expensive! How could he do that?”

  He grinned. “It seems he places a high value on his daughters.”

  “Gilly has one, too?”

  “Hm.”

  She glowered.

  “You know who I am, honey. I’m in perfect agreement with your dad. Even my dad and Aran were asking about your security measures. You might as well accept it.

  “By the way, my brother-in-law thinks you’re brilliant. He wants to know when the next dinner is so he can talk business. Mom asked if you can spare some cherry tomatoes. She’s addicted.”

  “What’s your sister think about that?” she asked cautiously.

  He tilted his head. “She heard from a friend about your situation. I think she’s secretly planning your wedding and baby shower.”

  She paled.

  He broke down laughing. “Your face!”

  Finished with her dinner, she grabbed her plate and took it to the sink.

  “Hey,” he said, bringing his own. He waited until she looked at him, his expression gentle. “I know how important Bramble Burn is to you. I’m not going to do anything to get you pregnant.”

  She looked away. “Maybe I don’t trust myself.”

  He made a soothing sound and drew her close. “Trust me, baby. I’ve got you.” They stood there for a moment before she drew away. He kissed her temple and said, “Let me do the dishes. I left my laptop on the coffee table. You can pick which movie you want to watch.”

  Grateful for the distraction, she didn’t argue, but she cleared the table first. The man was scoring major brownie points. Was that his plan?

  Good plan, she admitted silently. She was completely off-center. Question was, was he a master strategist, or was this his real personality? How many men volunteered to cook and do dishes?

  A guy who lived alone, maybe?

  Okay, but did cleanliness equal less manliness?

  She blinked as she realized what she was implying about men. Her grandfather was very tidy, and he cooked for himself. She’d eaten at his place many times, and he was no pushover. He’d totally approve of the wolf telling her to “get over” having a bodyguard. In fact, he’d hire the guard himself if he thought it was warranted.

  “Are you talking to yourself?” Kjetil asked as he brought the popcorn.

  She grimaced. “Bad habit.”

  “Okay. What are we watching?”

  She settled on the couch next him with the popcorn between them and watched giant robots pummel colossal monsters. She loved movies that made it clear who to root for.

  She became aware of Kjetil watching her. “What?”

  “I like to watch your face. You smile at all the right places.”

  She laughed and threw a piece of popcorn at him.

  He popped it in his mouth. “I love this stuff.”

  “Hm.” She looked back at the screen, but she was very aware of his presence. “Your family seems to get along.”

  “We do. We fight occasionally, but as long as you always take my side, you’ll do okay.”

  She made a face. “Yeah, right!”

  “You’re breaking my heart,” he mock-sighed. “I can see you’ll fit in with the ladies just fine.”

  “So no odd things in the family I should know about?”

  “Just the cannibal aunt in the attic, but we don’t talk about her. Ow!” He made a show of rubbing the bicep she’d tapped. “No more violent movies for you.”

  “As long as it’s not a tear jerker. I hate crying. Oh, and no foreign movies. They let the good guys die in the end. I like happy endings.”

  It was nice, talking with him. They hadn’t had much time to get to know each other without others around. The relationship was new and they were on their best behavior, but she had the strong sense he wasn’t putting on a show. He was too confident to pretend to be what he wasn’t.

  “How is it you didn’t end up spoiled?” he asked after the movie ended. “Indris clearly adores you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know he’d like to shower you in diamonds. You must be aware he’s wealthy, but you grew up in a modest house, and you work for a living.”

  She mulled it over. “I guess it was Mom. She had a thing about blending in with the neighbors, the family. She had a cousin who turned into a social climber, and she couldn’t stand her. She said she’d be ashamed if any of her children turned out like that.”

  “He would give you anything you asked.”

  “I like earning it,” she said, voice hardening. Why do you care about Indris’s money?”

  His gaze was even. “He did a background check on me, talked with me about my finances. He’s satisfied I can provide for you.”

  She sat back, stunned. On some level, she must have realized that’s exactly what a dragon would do, and his idea of “provision” would be generous. Very generous. But… “Your job…”

  “I have a share in the family investments.”

  She didn’t know what to say.

  “My point is that I’m wondering how hard you’ll make it to give you things. I enjoy giving gifts, and you make Indris work to give you any.”

  Now she squirmed. “I don’t need much.”

  He looked around. “You don’t do knickknacks. I can do practical.”

  She opened her mouth, closed it. “How did we get on this subject?”

  “Okay. What do you like to do for people you care about?”

  She thought about it. “I don’t know. Spend time with them? I like to give things out of my garden, and sometimes I bake. Consumables are good.”

  “I like cookies,” he suggested, wiggling his brows. “Chocolate chip and peanut butter.”

  She relaxed. “I can work with that.” She looked at his mouth, glanced away. She kept doing that.

  He noticed. “Pick another movie. You can sit in my lap this time.”

  “I don’t think so.” There was no way she could handle that. She got up to riffle through the movie
s and was tugged into his lap as she sat back. “Hey!”

  He winced and settled her more comfortably. “I’m not going to maul you, woman; try to return the favor.”

  She stiffened at the reference to his equipment. “I don’t…”

  “If I hurt you, you can hit me,” he said seriously. “I want to hold you.”

  At first it was awkward, but she relaxed when he did nothing more than feed her caramel corn.

  She had to admit, this was nice. Turned out she liked being held.

  The day had been long, and the warmth and peace caught up to her. The next thing she knew she was snuggled on the couch, his big body a wall of heat at her back. He’d tugged a throw over her.

  Kjetil kissed her temple and slid out from under the blanket.

  “I’m disappointed in you,” Gilly said from the kitchen. The Chinese lanterns shed a gentle glow, and her voice was hushed. “I’d expected the place to smell like a bordello, but all I smell is popcorn.”

  “How would you know what a bordello smells like?” Kjetil murmured, amused.

  “Barnyard in the springtime, I assume.” The fridge opened. “I thought I smelled fish. Yum.”

  “There’s caramel corn left, too.”

  “Nice! So you staying or going? If you’re staying, I’ll take blueberry pancakes for breakfast.”

  Juniper closed her eyes. All was well in the Iron Oak tonight.

  Chapter 12

  Her eyes snapped open. “Something’s rising.”

  Kjetil had moved to the floor, probably because it was crowded on the couch. He was awake instantly and throwing on his boots. “Animal or vegetable?”

  “I don’t know,” she ran to the bedroom and grabbed footgear, her amber belt and a jacket to throw over her tank, because one didn’t run barefoot into a fight. She snagged her gun and shoulder harness on the way out and ran to the balcony.

  Kjetil was on his cell phone, talking to the sentries. “There’s something on the lawn. It’s round, the size of basketballs.”

  She stood behind the balcony glass, securing the shoulder harness as she scanned the yard. “It’s too dark. Let me raise the lights.” She directed the glowing plants to illuminate the yard so she could get a better look, showing a lawn filled with slowly inflating bladders. They wobbled ominously as they grew, but her senses couldn’t pick up signs of life. “I don’t know what that is. My magic can’t see it.”