“Lava wyrms,” he said. “Ah. No one in sight. Let’s get away from here.”
“My place?” Bird asked.
Mikhail shut his eyes, scanning on the mythic plane. His dragon was also scanning, his reach much farther when Mikhail was in human form.
No watching eyes, his dragon said, disgruntled. We are being watched, but from a distance. I do not like this.
His dragon wanted to hunt. But not until their mate was safe. They both extended their senses to make sure no one would be able to follow them to their mate’s nest and threaten her safety.
Satisfied that no one was about, Mikhail bent to retrieve the hose. They carried it back to the old rest station, coiling it as they walked.
Bird silently retrieved both their bags. As she bent, she sent him a round-eyed look of wonder. “My knee doesn’t hurt! It has arthritis—it always hurts.”
“It shouldn’t anymore,” he said. “I forgot to tell you that one of the benefits of mating with a dragon is that you share in some of my abilities. Not shifting, but you’ll be stronger and heal faster. And live longer. I can’t make you young again, any more than I can myself, but we will have many good years together.”
Her expressive eyes gleamed with tears, sparkling in the morning sun. “I’m still getting used to the idea that you want to be with me. I hadn’t let myself begin to think about how long.”
The warmth he felt deep inside ignited to the heat of desire. It was just as well that he wasn’t a young, reckless dragon anymore. Mikhail had to fight back the nearly overwhelming desire to kiss her into mating right there on the beach.
She is right, his dragon said smugly. We have a lifetime of being with our mate. No more of that twilight years talk. But we must get her to safety, and then we hunt.
Soon.
He checked again. No one’s attention was on them, either in person or in the mythic realm. He wrapped himself in sea water and air, and became a dragon. His beloved Bird gave him a smile bright as dawn, and, moving more easily than she ever had before, swung a leg over his back.
He didn’t hurt, either. The burns were all almost completely healed. He flew them to her cottage, enjoying the wind along his body and the warm touch of Bird’s hands on his back.
At the cottage, Mikhail enjoyed watching Bird as she checked the water in the roses he’d given her. He didn’t know what she’d done to them, but they were blooming even more lavishly than before, as if they, like he, thrived on her gentle touch.
“Shall I make tea?” She took a jug of filtered water from the refrigerator, then stood in the middle of her kitchen, her head tipped a little as she sloshed the water gently back and forth.
“What is troubling you, my mate?” he asked. “You are safe now.”
“Before we go back, I’m going to find out from Doris where the kids get those super soaker things, that look like big plastic guns. They squirt streams of water. I’ll tote one over my shoulder and another at my hip like a gangster.” Her head tipped the other way. “No, I think I’ll get three.”
How was it possible to love someone so much after only three days?
“I’m sorry,” he said, though he really wasn’t. There was no chance he was letting her anywhere near that cave again, now that he suspected its real nature. “Alas, such water toys are not likely to be effective. Whoever sent them won’t use such simple forms as lava wyrms again.”
“Forms?” Bird set down the water jug and turned to open a cupboard. He saw a small number of tea canisters there. From the way she touched them, she hoarded them carefully.
That was something he could give her right away. “Here,” he said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a pretty jar. ?
?Would you like to try this Ti Kuan Yin?”
Bird whirled around, face shining with wonder. “I’ve heard of it. But of course I could never afford it.” She waved her hands. “No, no, put it back. Thank you, but I don’t dare, in case I brew it badly, and it’s far too precious to waste.”
One day soon he would take her to the Tian-Long palace, and treat her to this tea prepared properly according to Gong Fu ritual, using miniature Yixing pots, cups and tea pets. He looked forward to sharing all the tea rituals with her because he knew she would adore them.
But for now...
“The leaves are very forgiving. You can reuse them several times. After our exertions, we deserve something refreshing to join the rest of these pastries, don’t you think?” He retrieved the somewhat wrinkled bag of Linette’s delicious pastries.
“I’ll warm them up for a minute or two in the oven,” Bird said, taking the bag.
Her fingers still trembled. Guilt stabbed him to the heart. He had badly underestimated the danger of the cave. There was no chance he’d risk taking her again.
“Though my oven is almost as old as I am,” she said. “It takes a while to warm up.”