Dragon Boy? Oh, you will pay for that later my sweet mate.
The best part of this mental link that I share with Drake is getting to hear the sound of his laughter. I find clothes laid out in the chair by the bed. They look like mine but...
You got my things from the tour! How?
I asked for them.
He steps through the door before continuing on, this time out loud, "People find it difficult to say no to me," his eyes burn blue, "especially when I told them some asshole from the tour almost killed my fiancé."
"You did what now?" Did he just call me his fiancé?
"You are my mate, Josie. We are as good as married, but the village will want to celebrate and meet the woman who has captured my heart."
"The village? They know...who you are?"
He chuckles, "No they know me as a very rich man who keeps them from financial ruin and think the castle we are staying in has been handed down through my family for years. Although some, like the Dentons, do understand and keep my secret well guarded so that others don't come and try to hunt me."
My eyes widen at the word hunt. Has his kind been hunted before? Could all the old stories be true? My heart beats faster and worry fills me as I think of my poor mate being the last of his kind.
He chuckles at my thoughts still reading them, "I am not the last of my kind. There are still many of us. Brothers scattered all across the world."
"But...you seem so alone."
"I chose to sleep. We see so many...things that weigh heavy on us - especially when we don't have a mate to relieve the burden - that some of us choose to remain solitary and sleep."
"Are they all like you? From the earth?"
He shakes his head. "Oh no. There are differences among us. I chose the earth to welcome me but I have a friend that sleeps above ground in a...sarcophagus of sorts." He projects the image of a crypt to me and then laughs. "When he doesn't get out and chooses to hibernate he looks like a decimated corpse."
The image he is pushing to me makes my eyes grow wide and has me getting to my knees. "Oh my God, your friend is a vampire?"
This causes him to throw his head back and laugh long and loud. The sound bounces around the room and makes my heart grow warm. "No, but some of the legends of creatures like those probably arose from dragons like my brother. He is a blood dragon and must feed. When he has a mate it doesn't matter because he will feed on her."
"I take it your...brother doesn't have a mate yet."
He shakes his head sadly. "No, and he might have had it harder than any of us. His kind are often used during wars. The people of Romania arranged a special order of men to help his kind - they are known as the keepers - meant to keep him safe and happy but instead, they used him for war and death."
"Oh no!" That is awful.
"He grew tired of fighting and wading through bodies so he slept. When he did, the tides of war changed and the leader lost his head and a legend was born. One a certain Irish writer grew very fond of but of course like any good story creative license was taken."
My mouth hangs open in shock and awe. He is a vampire...sort of. "Where is he now? I mean since you guys can't die."
He laughs again. "We can die, it’s just not very easy to kill us." He sits on the bed with me. "As far as Dorin is concerned...I can only assume he's still asleep - waiting for the day something tasty falls into his lap. Sleeping the world away in Romania."
"Oh my God! Romania!" I scramble for my bag and yank my laptop out. My hands shake as I log in and find out that Lillie has been blowing up my email and probably my phone were it not at the bottom of an underground lake. "My friend, we were supposed to meet in Prague soon. She must be so worried about me. She went to Romania while I came here. She's like...a sister to me. She must be so scared."
I can tell my being worried doesn't set well with my Dragon. "Then we must go to her, so she knows you are alright. We will fly to my brother's castle and from there search for your friend." He takes my hand and helps me from the high bed. "We will take the jet immediately."
Jet? Fly to Romania? I start to ask him if it’s not better just to buy me a new cellphone but a commotion downstairs makes us both pause.
"I said you can't go up there!" I throw clothes on quickly to find out what is happening. We come to the landing and see Minnie trying to hold back Dillon.
As soon as Dillon sees me something snaps in his eyes. Before anyone can stop him he is reaching for the wall where a long spear is hung, for what I hope is decoration. I quickly learn it is not just for decoration as he plunges the blade inside of me. He doesn't even use the really sharp end either, the asshole.
Minnie gasps out a little scream before covering her mouth with her hands. Drake starts to grow with anger and smoke starts to curl out of his mouth and nose. Dillon is so fucked!
"You ruined me. I'm being sued by the tour company. The village is going to press charges against me for throwing you down that stupid Hole. They're going to put me in jail all because of you and your stupid boyfriend. Maybe this time you'll really die, and I won't have to be haunted by you ever again!"