When I signed off from Jack, I realised I’d left the window open, letting all the not-completely-frigid air escape. Leaning out to pull it shut, I paused. The beat of dragon wings overhead was unmistakable, but there was too much cloud cover for me to see anything.
I was about to give up searching the sky when the moon emerged from behind a cloud, lighting the landscape brightly. I drew in a sharp breath. In the near-distance stood a tall tower, like something out of a fantasy film. On that tower, a huge black dragon perched.
Even from this distance, I knew it was Archer. His body language was undeniable—he was protecting his lands. Protecting his family. Protectingme.
My cheeks heated, and I yanked the window closed. Of course he wasn’t. I was simply along for the ride, like always. But the thought of him out there, looking after me, kept me warm as I snuggled down into bed again, and it followed me into my dreams.
Chapter Ten
OLLIE
Archer hadn’t been joking about those bloody ducks. They’d woken me at dawn with their quacking, and they hadn’t stopped since. I’d finally managed to get back to sleep by burying my head under the pillow, though I dreamed of a giant black duck sitting on a tower and quacking.
When I woke again, it was almost nine o’clock. Drawing back the curtains, I found it was a sunny day, and I hoped that meant the house would warm up a bit. For the moot, I’d dressed in work clothes—a long-sleeved shirt and chinos—and I’d spent most of yesterday evening getting as close to the fire as I could without being obvious. I neededto go shopping for the woolliest jumper I could find.
First, I’d have to discover how to get to the shops. We’d driven through a small village shortly before reaching this place, and the signposts had said Winchester was four miles away. I was a guest, not a prisoner, I reminded myself, so surely all I needed to do was ask for a lift.
My phone pinged with a message from Jack.You okay?
I settled on the side of the bed to reply. Away from the moot, it seemed he’d forgotten his oh-so-important role and was back to being nothing more than my friend again. I told him about the lack of central heating and my need to go shopping and the damn ducks, though not about the tower a quarter of a mile away, its crenellated top looking like a castle. I wanted to hug to myself the memory of dragon Archer sitting up there in the moonlight.
Wait, you’ve only got the clothes you stood up in? This was a bloody stupid idea anyway but that’s ridiculous. Hang on a mo.
I hung on a mo, which turned into five minutes before Jack messaged again.Dad’s going to send you some money to go shopping. Not much, so don’t do a Julia Roberts.
My vision of sashaying into every high-end boutique in Winchester disappearing in front of my eyes, I was still excited by the offer.Thanks,I sent to Jack.And to your Dad, too. He won’t mind if I spend it all on thermal undies, will he?
I don’t want to know about your undies, Jack replied.
That fact established, I decided I couldn’t hide in my room any longer. I was here to mix with strange dragons, so I might as well start now. Picking up my clothes and the towel that had been laid out on my bed, I headed for the bathroom at the end of the landing. On the side of the house away from the sun, it was absolutely freezing, which kept both my shave and shower brief.
Having cleaned my teeth—something I usually didafterbreakfast, but if I was going to see Archer, I wanted to be perfect—I headed downstairs in search of people and coffee.
ARCHER
I was up by six and set the bread maker going so the others would have breakfast waiting for them. Then I headed for my workshop, needing to get moving on my latest commission.
That damn moot had taken me away from work for two full days, and now I had a guest to look after. I’d have to spend time with him, or this whole thing would backfire because Chris and June would persuade him over to their side. As I set the forge going, my resentment at the time I would be losing wasn’t as strong as I’d expected. Somehow, Ollie was…easy.
I shook my head to dispel the image of Ollie, entirely naked, stretching out on my bed, his eyes laughing as he held out an inviting hand to me. What thehell?He was undemanding company, that was what I’d meant. AndallI’d meant.
As the forge heated, and I laid out the tools I’d need to finish the wings on the eagle, my mind slid into the zone. I forgot everything except the sound of metal on metal, the concentration of the work, and the visceral satisfaction when my hands created what was in my head.
OLLIE
The kitchen was empty, though it smelled of fresh bread. An old envelope was on the table, with strongly formed words in black ink, lines slashing as if they had been written swiftly.
Ollie, help yourself to breakfast and feel free to explore the house and grounds. Lunch is at one. You won’t see Mia for hours.It was signed with a strong, sloping A.
The ominous wording gave me pause, and I hoped it simply meant that Mia liked to sleep in. Having made a coffee, I took advantage of the silent house to root through kitchen cabinets in search of stain remover spray.
The rug was clean, the spray back in the cupboard, and still there was no sign of anyone. I decided to head out into the sunshine. I wanted to see the moat, possibly wring a few ducks’ necks, and I wanted to getwarm.
It sucked so hard that there was no drawbridge, though I supposed having to lower it every time anyone arrived or left would eventually become a pain. I crossed the arched stone bridge and wandered around the house, sparking a panicky migration of ducks when I glared at them. Living in such close proximity to dragons evidently hadn’t inured them to ourpredatory nature, because they took off in a flurry of splashes and quacks. I didn’t understand how animals could detect our dragons when we were human. All I knew was that they could. I’d always wanted a dog growing up, but it could never have worked.
I found out why the water in the moat wasn’t a stagnant, stinking mess when I discovered two sluice gates in opposite corners. One fed fresh water in and the other took it out along a stream that ended in a lake.
When I was younger but old enough to mix with humans, Mum had carted me and Dad around any number of country houses, halls, palaces and castles. Something to do with her thing for Mr Darcy, I thought. Those boring outings meant I was familiar with how formal gardens were laid out, and although most of them here had been left to revert to nature, the bones of what had once been extensive gardens were apparent.
