Fire Me Up
Page 14
"Three thieves? The one who stabbed me was the same guy who tried to steal the amulet at the train station."
"Due to the high number of tourists, this area is a target of thieves. No doubt they followed you to the hotel and have been waiting for another chance to rob you," Gabriel said, gesturing toward the amulet. "It might be safer if you wore it beneath your clothing, rather than carrying it."
"Yeah, but how did they know I was here?"
Gabriel shrugged "It wouldn't be difficult for them to follow you if they thought you were worth their effort."
That didn't seem very likely, but then again, how likely was it that someone would randomly pick me out to stab?
"Regardless of why they picked on me, I owe you more than I can say."
"Indeed," he said, with a sudden flash in his bright silver eyes. I wondered at il for a moment but let it go in favor of more important concerns.
"I hope they didn't give you any trouble." I ran my eyes over him quickly, worried that he might have been injured as a result of his chivalrous act. As a dragon, he was more or less immortal, but even a wyvern could be killed. It just wasn't easy.
"Nothing I am unused to," Gabriel said, laughter rich in his voice.
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this," I said, looking at the crystal amulet. "My uncle would kill me it I lost another one."
"You have lost an amulet before?"
He walked with me as I started toward the ruined convent where I had left Jim. "Not an amulet, no. Drake stole an aquamanile that I was transporting last month, A gold aquamanile."
"Gold," he said, an avaricious light glowing in his eyes. I swear he all but licked his lips at the word. He paused, putting his hand on my arm to stop me so I faced him, his chin tilting up as he scented the air. "Ah, I thought so. You are wearing gold."
"Just a tiny bit," I said, pulling away from him. I ilipped the amulet's chain over my head, tucking the crystal down beneath my peasant blouse so it rested next lo the tiny green jade pendant that hung between my breasts. "It's a jade talisman given to me as protection against dragons. It has tiny little itty-bitty gold touches on it. That's all. Drake himself said it wasn't valuable or worth his time."
"I do not necessarily share Drake's opinions," Gabriel said, his hand on my arm again as he halted me.
"Oh, for heaven's sake—here! See? Just a jade dragon. Minuscule amounts of gold. Happy now?"
The dimples that had been hinted at in the slight indentations in his cheeks flared to life as he grinned at me. "I would not take it even if it was made of solid gold, Aisling. It is yours. I am not a thief."
"You wouldn't?" I didn't want to come right out and say I didn't believe him, but I had some experience with dragons. Gold was irresistible to them.
"No. Did I not just return to you a most valuable piece of what looks to be fifteenth-century jewelry? I am not a thief like your current wyvern. I am a healer, first and foremost. I am interested only in benefiting mankind— and womankind."
Healer? Uh-huh. Charmer, that's what he was—full of charm and suave sexuality that I could feel even though I was not man-shopping. Or dragon-shopping, for that matter. Subtlety was obviously not his forte. Like I didn't notice that "current wyvern" he'd thrown in his reference to Drake? "Valuable?" My voice was a bit squeaky. I cleared it, licking my lips nervously. "What makes you think the amulet is valuable?"
He gently pushed me forward, leaving his hand resting on the small of my back. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but I was very aware of his nearness. I couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to put a move on me, or if he was just one of those touchy-feely sorts of people who like to maintain physical contact. Or maybe he felt all manly and protective because there were amulet thieves lurking behind every tree?
Or better yet, maybe my feminine allure was just too much for him, and he was smitten with my many charms. I fluttered my eyelashes as I peeked up at him.
"You are employed to transport an object to a man in a different country. There is much expense involved in such an act. Thus, the object itself must be worth a great deal of money."
Then again, he could just be keeping me within arm's distance so he could snatch the amulet and run.
I felt a little fudging was necessary. I would not lose another antiquity to a dragon. "That would make sense if the only reason I was here was to deliver the amulet, but I'm here to attend the GODTAM conference. I told my uncle I'd bring the amulet so he wouldn't have to go to the expense of shipping it." Not the truth, but not quite a flat-out lie, either, so it didn't really count.
I hoped.
"Ah. I see." We reached the edge of the hotel's property, the side garden that was set aside for dogs' use. Beyond a low bank of rhododendrons, Jim sat chatting to the Swedish Moa. I was grateful the demon hadn't gone off on its own, since I had no idea how I was supposed to retrieve it from the limbo it would find itself in if one of the GODTAM officials found it alone. "I knew you were a Guardian, of course, but I had forgotten about the conference. Yes, you are here for it."
"Yup." I stopped and gave Gabriel what I hoped was a friendly—but not too friendly—smile. "That's why I'm here. Why are you here, if you don't mind my asking? I kind of gathered from Drake that you wyverns don't get along too well, so I'm a bit surprised to see you staying in the same hotel he is at."
The faint smile that lingered on Gabriel's lips faded as he gave me a quizzical look. "I am here for the summit."
"The summit?" As far as I knew, dragons had nothing to do with the GODTAM conference. I'd checked into that before I registered, wanting to avoid the very situation in which I now found myself—in close proximity to Drake. "What summit is that?"
He was silent for a moment before finally saying, "I am surprised Drake has not mentioned it to you. The wyverns of all four septs are meeting here for a peace summit. Drake arranged it. We are attempting to reach an accord so that the conflicts between the septs will cease. Drake and I are not the only two wyverns here—Fiat Blu and Lung Tik Chuan Ren are also here."
"I know Fiat," I said slowly, my glance sliding over to the hotel. A vague suspicion was forming in the back of my beleaguered brain. "But I don't know the fourth wyvern. He must be with the group of Asian people Drake met earlier."
"Due to the high number of tourists, this area is a target of thieves. No doubt they followed you to the hotel and have been waiting for another chance to rob you," Gabriel said, gesturing toward the amulet. "It might be safer if you wore it beneath your clothing, rather than carrying it."
"Yeah, but how did they know I was here?"
Gabriel shrugged "It wouldn't be difficult for them to follow you if they thought you were worth their effort."
That didn't seem very likely, but then again, how likely was it that someone would randomly pick me out to stab?
"Regardless of why they picked on me, I owe you more than I can say."
"Indeed," he said, with a sudden flash in his bright silver eyes. I wondered at il for a moment but let it go in favor of more important concerns.
"I hope they didn't give you any trouble." I ran my eyes over him quickly, worried that he might have been injured as a result of his chivalrous act. As a dragon, he was more or less immortal, but even a wyvern could be killed. It just wasn't easy.
"Nothing I am unused to," Gabriel said, laughter rich in his voice.
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this," I said, looking at the crystal amulet. "My uncle would kill me it I lost another one."
"You have lost an amulet before?"
He walked with me as I started toward the ruined convent where I had left Jim. "Not an amulet, no. Drake stole an aquamanile that I was transporting last month, A gold aquamanile."
"Gold," he said, an avaricious light glowing in his eyes. I swear he all but licked his lips at the word. He paused, putting his hand on my arm to stop me so I faced him, his chin tilting up as he scented the air. "Ah, I thought so. You are wearing gold."
"Just a tiny bit," I said, pulling away from him. I ilipped the amulet's chain over my head, tucking the crystal down beneath my peasant blouse so it rested next lo the tiny green jade pendant that hung between my breasts. "It's a jade talisman given to me as protection against dragons. It has tiny little itty-bitty gold touches on it. That's all. Drake himself said it wasn't valuable or worth his time."
"I do not necessarily share Drake's opinions," Gabriel said, his hand on my arm again as he halted me.
"Oh, for heaven's sake—here! See? Just a jade dragon. Minuscule amounts of gold. Happy now?"
The dimples that had been hinted at in the slight indentations in his cheeks flared to life as he grinned at me. "I would not take it even if it was made of solid gold, Aisling. It is yours. I am not a thief."
"You wouldn't?" I didn't want to come right out and say I didn't believe him, but I had some experience with dragons. Gold was irresistible to them.
"No. Did I not just return to you a most valuable piece of what looks to be fifteenth-century jewelry? I am not a thief like your current wyvern. I am a healer, first and foremost. I am interested only in benefiting mankind— and womankind."
Healer? Uh-huh. Charmer, that's what he was—full of charm and suave sexuality that I could feel even though I was not man-shopping. Or dragon-shopping, for that matter. Subtlety was obviously not his forte. Like I didn't notice that "current wyvern" he'd thrown in his reference to Drake? "Valuable?" My voice was a bit squeaky. I cleared it, licking my lips nervously. "What makes you think the amulet is valuable?"
He gently pushed me forward, leaving his hand resting on the small of my back. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but I was very aware of his nearness. I couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to put a move on me, or if he was just one of those touchy-feely sorts of people who like to maintain physical contact. Or maybe he felt all manly and protective because there were amulet thieves lurking behind every tree?
Or better yet, maybe my feminine allure was just too much for him, and he was smitten with my many charms. I fluttered my eyelashes as I peeked up at him.
"You are employed to transport an object to a man in a different country. There is much expense involved in such an act. Thus, the object itself must be worth a great deal of money."
Then again, he could just be keeping me within arm's distance so he could snatch the amulet and run.
I felt a little fudging was necessary. I would not lose another antiquity to a dragon. "That would make sense if the only reason I was here was to deliver the amulet, but I'm here to attend the GODTAM conference. I told my uncle I'd bring the amulet so he wouldn't have to go to the expense of shipping it." Not the truth, but not quite a flat-out lie, either, so it didn't really count.
I hoped.
"Ah. I see." We reached the edge of the hotel's property, the side garden that was set aside for dogs' use. Beyond a low bank of rhododendrons, Jim sat chatting to the Swedish Moa. I was grateful the demon hadn't gone off on its own, since I had no idea how I was supposed to retrieve it from the limbo it would find itself in if one of the GODTAM officials found it alone. "I knew you were a Guardian, of course, but I had forgotten about the conference. Yes, you are here for it."
"Yup." I stopped and gave Gabriel what I hoped was a friendly—but not too friendly—smile. "That's why I'm here. Why are you here, if you don't mind my asking? I kind of gathered from Drake that you wyverns don't get along too well, so I'm a bit surprised to see you staying in the same hotel he is at."
The faint smile that lingered on Gabriel's lips faded as he gave me a quizzical look. "I am here for the summit."
"The summit?" As far as I knew, dragons had nothing to do with the GODTAM conference. I'd checked into that before I registered, wanting to avoid the very situation in which I now found myself—in close proximity to Drake. "What summit is that?"
He was silent for a moment before finally saying, "I am surprised Drake has not mentioned it to you. The wyverns of all four septs are meeting here for a peace summit. Drake arranged it. We are attempting to reach an accord so that the conflicts between the septs will cease. Drake and I are not the only two wyverns here—Fiat Blu and Lung Tik Chuan Ren are also here."
"I know Fiat," I said slowly, my glance sliding over to the hotel. A vague suspicion was forming in the back of my beleaguered brain. "But I don't know the fourth wyvern. He must be with the group of Asian people Drake met earlier."
