The Dragon Shifter’s Desire by Harmony Raines

Chapter Twenty-One – Larisa

“That’s what’s kept it safe all these years.” Gilliam was back and standing in the doorway with his arms folded across his body.

“If Ivan shifts, the spell Hannah cast will be broken.” Larisa cupped Ivan’s face in her hands. “You’ll be exposed.”

“Exposed for who I really am.” He curled a strand of her hair around his finger. “That’s how this works.”

“Is he right?” Larisa jerked her head around to face Gilliam.

The fae nodded slowly. “That’s how it works. Your father used very specific magic to make sure only he or his heir could ever gain access to the treasure. If you are his son then the way will be clear.”

“And if he’s not?” Larisa whispered.

“If he’s not then the wall will still be a wall.” Gilliam cocked his head on one side. “Nothing sinister is going to happen. I promise you.”

“And Ivan is supposed to believe you?” Larisa asked. “Dragons and fae don’t get along. What if you’re trying to hurt Ivan?”

Gilliam chuckled and pushed himself away from the doorway. “Our people, the fae and the dragon shifters, are bound by a prophecy.”

“A prophecy?” Ivan asked.

“What prophecy?” Karros rounded on Gilliam.

“One that says a fae will spark a war between dragons and fae.” Gilliam approached the wall and placed his hands on the hard stone.

“I’ve never heard that prophecy,” Karros said bluntly.

“It’s so old most of our people have forgotten it or recount it as a fairy tale told to children as they go to sleep.” Gilliam stared at the wall.

“You mean the Dragon and the Fawn?” Karros asked. “That’s a prophecy?”

“Yes. One a young fae once set out to enact.” He turned and faced them. “But your father stopped me from doing something stupid.”

“You met my father because you went to start a war with the dragons?” Ivan asked incredulously.

Gilliam’s mouth twitched at the corners. “He was a good man. This is why I have dedicated my life to looking after his treasure. Now. Shall we see if you truly are his son?”

Ivan nodded. “I think it’s time.”

“Wait!” Larisa put her hand up to stop Ivan as the air shimmered around him and he prepared to shift.

“It’ll be fine,” Ivan assured her.

“Will it?” She put her hands on her hips as she turned to face Gilliam. “Or does this fae still want to spark a war between the fae and dragons?”

Gilliam smiled fondly, which enraged Larisa even more. “I’m too old for all that. Even if my views on the prophecy are the same as when I was a young foolish man.”

“And we’re supposed to take your word for that?” Larisa’s temper flared. Damn, there was something about this guy that really got to her.

“I went to the dragon isle to prove that the prophecy was a pile of dragon poop. I figured that if I went there and killed one of them... Well, you can imagine the rest.” His humor vanished. “I can’t bear to think of the stupidity, the complete arrogance of the man I was. Willing to kill a dragon shifter to prove my father wrong.”

“You were going to kill a dragon shifter?” Ivan’s horror was palpable.

“Yes.” Gilliam nodded and didn’t flinch from Ivan’s revulsion. “You need to understand that my father raised me to believe that all shifters were inferior to the fae, they were not men, they were beasts. And dragon shifters were the worst of these beasts. My father told me a dragon’s bloodlust knew no bounds. They hunted and killed for sport and that anyone unlucky enough to cross their path would be eaten alive or burned to a crisp.”

“Your father hated dragon shifters?” Ivan asked. “Why?”

“Because it was in his blood. He was every bad thing he told me a dragon shifter was. Vengeful and cruel.” Gilliam turned away and paced the room. “After I went to the dragon isle and met your father, it was as if he’d shone a light on my life. I’d been raised in seclusion by a malicious father who was half-crazed with grief.”

“Grief?” Larisa’s blood chilled. If a man had such hatred for another person there must be a reason. A good reason. “You were raised by your father. What happened to your mother?”

Gilliam stood with his head bowed, looking at the floor beneath his feet. He didn’t speak for a long while, it was as if he’d slipped into a deep sleep where he stood. Then he sniffed as if he’d been suddenly awakened and lifted his head. “My mother was killed by a dragon.”

“A dragon?” Ivan whispered.

“Yes.” Gilliam nodded but still didn’t look at them. “It was so long ago and yet the pain in my heart is still as sharp and as acute as the day it happened.”

“I’m sorry.” Ivan went to the fae and reached out to touch him, but he hesitated, perhaps unsure if he might make things worse. However, Gilliam glanced over his shoulder and smiled at Ivan. “Your father said the same thing. He said he was sorry for what happened to my mother but that killing another would never make up for my loss. All it would do was make the hole inside of me darker and deeper. I believed him. I could feel this darkness inside of me, like a dark seed planted by my father. It grew bigger with each poisonous thought.”

“And Andor changed you. He showed you there was another way.” Karros looked pale, his features were drawn as he watched Gilliam.

“He did. The man who I thought was my enemy taught me more about myself in the few short minutes when we first met than my father had in all the years he’d raised me.” Gilliam raked a hand through his silver hair. “My father had filled me with conceit and hatred. Your father filled me with hope and optimism. I saw the world through his eyes for a moment. It was like being reborn.”

“I wish I’d met him,” Ivan said. “I mean I wish I had been old enough to remember him.”

“I’m sorry you never had the chance to spend time with him. To talk to him.” Gilliam smiled, his expression unreadable. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks, Gilliam.” Ivan turned to face the wall. “So, let’s do this. The treasure that’s hidden here is the closest I’ll ever get to my father. It’s the only thing I’ll ever touch that was a part of him.”

“Are you ready?” Gilliam asked.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Larisa argued. “Hannah said that if you shift, the spell will break and everyone will see you as you are.”

“There’s no one else here,” Gilliam assured her. “Really, you are safe. I have taken precautions to protect this place and what your father entrusted me for safekeeping.”

“I have to do this,” Ivan told her. “It’s the only way.”

Larisa glanced at Karros who nodded. She had to believe in Gilliam too even though trusting a fae seemed so unnatural to her.

“You should let go of your prejudices, too,” Gilliam told her.

“I don’t have any prejudices,” Larisa replied.

“Don’t you?” Gilliam asked. “Since you arrived, whenever you look at me, it’s with dislike, yet we don’t know each other.”

She lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry.” She shook her head but couldn’t shake off the feeling that she shouldn’t trust him. “I don’t know why.”

“It’s part of who you are.” He looked up at the walls around them. “And part of where you are.”

“What do you mean?” Larisa asked.

“We’re standing in the last stronghold of the ancient elves. It’s one of the many reasons fae don’t come here. It makes their skin crawl. They feel as if they are being watched. Being judged.” He chuckled. “It’s suited me well.”

“Why would that affect me?” Larisa asked. “I have never been here before. I come from the world beyond.”

“Some things are in our blood, and I believe that coming here triggered something inside of you.” He tapped the side of his head. “Like an old forgotten memory.”

“An innate memory.” Zara moved closer to Larisa and took her hand. “It’s okay. Let Ivan do this. I’ll stay with you.”

“Thanks, Zara.” She looked at Ivan who smiled briefly before moving away from them.

“I still don’t like it,” she whispered to Zara.

“I know and if anything goes wrong, I’ll shift into a bear and deal with Gilliam.” She squeezed Larisa’s hand. “Ivan might not have brought his brothers with him, but he still has family by his side.”

Larisa leaned on Zara’s shoulder. “Sisters need to stick together.”

“They do.” Zara held her breath as the air surrounding Ivan popped and fizzed. Then the man disappeared from view.

For a moment they were alone, and the sense of loss hit Larisa profoundly. She wanted to reach out and drag Ivan back from wherever it was he’d gone. Then, the large shape of a dragon loomed before her. Zara’s breath caught in her throat, and she shook as the dragon took form, growing bigger, its features clearer with each passing second.

Larisa glanced at Gilliam. She needed to keep a close eye on him in case the fae decided Ivan was the dragon he could kill to start a war between the fae and the dragon shifters. However, the fae stood with a look of wonder on his face and tears in his eyes. As Ivan’s dragon finally appeared in his full glory, Gilliam dropped to his knees as if he were praying to his god.

“I never thought I’d see a dragon again. Sometimes I’d wake up in the night and swear the whole thing was a figment of my imagination. That I’d spent my whole life shut away here for nothing.” He inhaled deeply but kept his head bent as the dragon stepped closer to him and sniffed his head.

“Why don’t you get up, Gilliam?” Larisa let go of Zara’s hand and hooked her hand under his elbow. “Ivan needs his treasure, and he needs you to help him find it.”

“He doesn’t need me.” Gilliam rose unsteadily to his feet. “If he’s the son of Andor, he’ll know exactly how to find his treasure.”

“Ivan.” Larisa placed her hand on his massive head. “Do you know where it is? Do you know how to find the treasure?”

The dragon stared at Gilliam, his eyes unblinking. Then he nudged Larisa back, pushing her away from the wall where they’d searched for a way through. Larisa reached for Zara, and they all moved backward, including Gilliam. Did Ivan know what to do?

Ivan’s dragon kept one eye on them, while he approached the wall and sniffed it. Larisa watched, barely breathing as he searched for...what? What could the dragon see, or sense, that they couldn’t find?

Was there a secret door there? One only Ivan could see?

The dragon swished his tail from side to side, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as if building up momentum. Suddenly he stepped sideways toward the wall and smashed his thick serpent-like tail into the stonework.

Larisa ducked and covered her head as the wall crumbled but Ivan’s dragon positioned his body to prevent any of the rocks and stones from hitting his friends. As she straightened up, Ivan’s dragon stepped forward and turned to face the hole he’d made in the wall. Only it wasn’t exactly a hole.

“What happened?” Karros had moved to shield his mate from the debris even though it hadn’t been necessary.

“Ivan has found the way to his treasure,” Gilliam replied.

“Does this mean you believe he is Andor’s son?” Larisa asked.

“I believed it the moment I saw him. He looks uncannily like his father.” Gilliam glanced at Larisa. “You might not approve of my methods but after guarding the treasure for so long, I had to make sure. I had to let Ivan find the way for himself.”

“And now what?” Zara hung back as bits of plaster continued to fall from the gaping archway.

“Now we follow Ivan to his treasure.” Gilliam stepped forward. “I haven’t laid eye on it since I helped Andor carry it in here. We were in such a rush, I never had time to appreciate its beauty.” Gilliam hung back as if unsure of himself.

“Did you block the archway up?” Larisa asked.

“Yes. Andor had been banished from the dragon isle. I got the spell of concealment from Hannah, and he worked tirelessly to bring his treasure here from the dragon isle. It was dangerous but he wanted it to be kept safe. He knew the chances were that no dragon would think of looking for it here.”

“They didn’t know about your friendship?” Karros asked.

“No. Andor was a good friend and kept my secret. No one knew I ever visited the dragons.” Gilliam’s faraway expression filled with sadness. “This was the last thing I ever did for my good friend.”

“Gilliam.” Larisa placed her hand on his arm. “What you did, you repaid Andor many times over. No one could have expected more from you.” Her mouth turned down at the corners. “I’m sorry for not believing you had Ivan’s best interest at heart.”

“Don’t apologize, Larisa. I am glad that you questioned me. To know that Ivan has a mate like you watching his back gives me hope,” Gilliam said.

“Hope for what?” Larisa glanced toward the archway, wanting to follow Ivan but also needing to know what Gilliam expected of her.

“That Ivan can reclaim his birthright and become the dragon his father would have wanted him to be.” Gilliam watched Ivan as he headed down the hallway beyond the arch.

“And what kind of dragon is that?” Larisa asked. If Ivan’s father had been banished, did this mean he had done something bad on the dragon isle? Everyone they’d met who knew Andor had said he was a good man. Her father adored him.

But had he become a good man from the ashes of bad life choices?

Perhaps Andor wasn’t such an innocent person after all. Perhaps the dragon who had killed him had done so to protect others.

Would Andor break Ivan’s heart from beyond the grave?