Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Merrill pressed his back against the building and stared at where Katla had danced in the rain. He couldn’t get the sight of her jubilant expression out of his mind. The way she had spun with such abandon and joy had him transfixed. She had been a sight to behold: the rain upon her upturned face, her hair fanning out around her, and her saturated top molding to curves he couldn’t look away from.
She had let go of everything for a fleeting instant and relished the moment. He thought about her description of the vine forest, where she had resided for the past millennium and a half. Somehow , she still found happiness.
It was something he hadn’t been able to do in so very long—longer than he realized. He had put on a brave face for Varek and the others for a considerable length of time and was so good he had even fooled himself. Merrill would probably still be that person if he hadn’t come to Zora .
He wasn’t sure if it was better to have kept his emotions locked away while smiling and going on as if he wasn’t slowly drowning in them or have it all out in the open, where he might lose control and harm others.
Since he had given in to his rage, he had teetered on whether to be glad it’d happened or wishing things could return to the way they were. Even he had to admit that he hadn’t been happy before. Not really. He had been in a rut on Earth , doing what was needed and expected. Not what he wanted. Though that was his fault. He owned that. Had he decided on something, Con never would have held him back. Every King had strengths and used them to secure Dreagan and themselves.
All he had been useful for was motivating others. Merrill had always been attuned to his brethren. He had felt their pain and anger and could take it away. Just as they would have for him had he asked. Orange dragons were known empaths, but he had always believed his empathic abilities were stronger than others in his clan. How could he be upset about that when it had helped the Kings get to where they were today?
That wasn’t what fueled his rage. That was reserved for the mortals. For the war. For the dragons being sent away. And for taking away his home and everything he loved. The humans weren’t truly at fault. He knew that now. They were just doing what their species did. But that didn’t diminish his suffering.
His wrath had intensified when the dragons on Zora rejected the Kings . He and his brethren had given up everything for their freedom, and the dragons despised the Kings . It was only now that he could admit that he was more hurt than angry by their response.
No , the true culprit was Villette . Merrill lay the blame for it all at her feet. Her actions and interference had destroyed countless lives, all in the pursuit of revenge. Her treachery stretched across multiple realms and was far-reaching. And he had bedded her. It sickened him to think that he had shared his body with her.
Granted , he hadn’t known who she was. Nor had there been any romantic feelings. She had simply been someone to ease his needs. There came a time when he knew something wasn’t quite right about her, but he had chosen not to look any deeper. Once he learned her identity, he refused her advances. But he should’ve recognized her duplicity sooner. He should have known. He was an empath, after all.
He never should’ve remained at Stonemore . That was where he had wronged not just the Kings but also every dragon throughout time. He had slept with the enemy, the mastermind of their ruination. Merrill would never be able to wash away that sin, not even if he assassinated Villette every day for a million years. It was a mark on his soul. And just one more thing he needed to atone for before he could return to the others.
Merrill became dark and broody whenever he thought about Villette and the part he’d unwillingly played, and he was never good company when he was like that. He had chosen to be Katla’s companion. The least he could do was make sure he was somewhat agreeable. He closed his eyes and pushed Villette out of his mind, replacing her with thoughts of Katla . The tightness around his chest lessened, and his entire body released its tension as frustration and irritation melted away.
He focused his hearing to pick up sounds within the structure. The drone of the rain faded as he caught the pop of the fire. Water swished as Katla moved in the tub. He picked up the sound of a droplet as it cascaded down her arm before dropping back into the water.
But it was her sigh—a sound that was more a sensual moan than anything—that made his balls tighten with longing. He pictured her reclined in the tub, wet hair clinging to the side of her face while the rest hung over the back and dripped onto the floor. He imagined one knee bent and breaking the surface as her arms rested along the rim. The swells of her breasts would be visible, a hint of nipple showing.
He fought not to go inside and join her in the bath. The tub was big enough. He hadn’t needed to make it that big, but he had. Because in the back of his mind, he pictured them there together, naked bodies slipping and sliding against each other as their limbs tangled. His cock grew so hard he had to palm it to adjust.
Katla had no idea of her beauty or allure. She could have him on his knees in a heartbeat if she wanted. He’d crawl through Hell just for a taste of her lips. He’d follow her to the ends of the universe for a smile. He would bestow untold pleasures upon her from now through eternity if given the chance.
But that wasn’t what she needed from him—not that she required anything. He was here more for himself. Her nearness diminished his rage and soothed the violence. Though she had let it be known that she wished for his company. He imagined he’d feel the same if he had been alone for so long.
Water splashed within. He bit back a moan and adjusted himself again. He could ease his discomfort, but it would only give him a moment’s relief. His craving for Katla ran deep—deeper than he had ever experienced before.
He opened his eyes and tried to drown out the sounds from inside, but it was too late. He was attuned to every noise that wrought carnal images, sending desire straight to his cock. He shoved away from the building with his teeth bared and stepped into the rain, hoping it would cool his body. It did nothing but make him think of Katla .
Something moved out of the corner of Merrill’s eye. He spun around, staring through the sheet of rain, but saw nothing. He opened all his senses, reaching out to see what might be there. Could it be Villette ? Merrill turned his head and looked through the window, seeing Katla in the tub. He pulled his gaze away and prowled the area. The rain washed away any tracks, but something had been there. He was sure of it.
Merrill supposed it could have been an animal, but without any tracks, he scratched that off the list. That left only two options. It was either a Star Person or the invisible entity. Their unseen foe targeted dragons. It’d killed fifty not long after the Kings arrived on Zora . It had nearly taken out Con and Rhi’s twins, Brandr and Eurwen . Just a few days prior, it had attacked Derek and Hector . Had it come for him now?
If it was the entity, he would never be able to see it. There would only be a slight movement in his peripheral. And a smell. Alasdair had said there was a peculiar smell but couldn’t name it. Merrill stalked around the ruins, searching every space for the enemy. The longer he remained in the storm, the more certain he was that something was out there. Why , then, didn’t it attack?
He stood in the middle of the village street and waited for it. He had never been one to put things off. If something had come for him, then he wanted to face it now. But nothing happened. He blinked the rain from his lashes and turned in another slow circle. The entity always struck. There was no reason for it to wait. Unless it wasn’t the invisible foe.
Merrill started back toward the structure but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was out there. He stepped under the overhang just as Katla opened the door. Her hair was wet, her skin flushed from the bath. She took in his soaked clothes.
“ Just patrolling,” he explained.
Her gaze narrowed slightly. “ Is something out there?”
“ I thought there might be, but I didna find anything.”
Her gaze moved past him to look outside. “ No tracks?”
“ No ’ a single one. Though the rain could be washing them away.”
Gray eyes met his. “ Star People don’t have to leave tracks.”
“ I’m aware.”
“ You don’t think it was them?”
Merrill hesitated. “ It could be.”
She motioned him inside. Then she faced him. “ What do you think it was?”
“ The dragons have an enemy we can no’ see. It’s concealed to us.”
“ Invisible ?”
He sighed and nodded. “ Aye .”
“ To just your kind? Or everyone?”
He raked a hand through his wet hair to get it out of his face. “ Humans and elves can no’ see it either. However , Star People can.”
“ Could it be something Villette created?”
“ Doubtful since it went after her no’ so long ago. Alasdair , Varek , and their mates, Lotti and Jeyra , tangled with Villette . While they were battling, the entity struck, attacking all of them. Lotti described it as a floating knot of angry, swirling, dark energy with wisps trailing behind it like arms waving. It moved swiftly and fluidly, making it challenging to track. There is no face or body, just a sense that it took pleasure in causing confusion and pain. It’s gone after dragons, elves, and Star People .”
Katla’s brow furrowed as she listened. She absently finger-combed her damp hair. Merrill produced an actual comb, which he handed to her. She took it with a brief smile of thanks before sliding it through her hair. “ This entity could be outside?”
“ If it was, I think it would’ve attacked. It doesna like dragons.”
“ It doesn’t seem to like anyone.”
Merrill changed into dry clothes with merely a thought. “ It isna an animal, or it would eat what it kills. The warrior dragons it initially took down were large, and it left them. As if it only wanted their deaths.”
“ Maybe it did. I didn’t know dragons could shift as you can. I didn’t know about Star People or Druids . I’ve recently learned about the Fae , and you speak of elves. Who knows what might be roaming the realm?”
“ The elves live on the eastern side of the dragon border. They’re fairly easy to identify by their pointed ears.”
Surprise flickered on Katla’s face. “ I saw such a woman when I attacked Villette .”
“ That would be Esha . She and several other mates were there that day with the Kings .” He sighed softly. “ Maybe what I saw was a bird. I searched the ruins. There was nothing. If it was the entity, it would’ve come straight for me.”
“ To kill you.”
Merrill nodded. “ Aye .”
“ Surely , you can best it.”
“ If I could see it, maybe. But even Lotti and Villette’s Star power didna stop it.”
Katla’s face creased as she winced. “ That isn’t good news.”
“ The Kings have no’ been here long enough to explore this world. Brandr and Eurwen chose to stay within the dragon land borders instead of learning the rest of Zora . Which means we’re heading into territory no one I know has traveled.”
“ In other words, we won’t know what we might encounter.”
“ Precisely . I doona want to worry you, but you need to be informed. Just in case.”
She finished combing her hair. “ I’m glad you told me.”
“ And if the entity comes, you need to run.”
“ To do what? Leave you behind to possibly die?” she asked crossly.
He thought about her dancing in the rain. She should have many more years of that. “ If it comes to it.”
“ But I might be able to see it. I could help.”
The stubborn lift of her chin told him she wouldn’t change her mind. Her words warmed his heart, but he had been in enough battles to know when they were unwinnable. Tangling with the entity was one of them.