The Dragon Shifter’s Desire by Harmony Raines

Chapter Twenty-Two – Ivan

Ivan’s dragon shook off the last of the rubble that had fallen on him when he bashed down the walls. Thankfully none of the small stones were stuck in his scales because that would have been uncomfortable.

With a glance over his shoulder to check that the others were all following, he ambled down the corridor with his senses on full alert. Hannah’s spell had broken the moment he’d shifted from human to dragon, he hadn’t realized how muted his senses were until he was free of the spell.

The song in his head had changed, it was no longer like a mental torment. Instead, it was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. It called to him as if serenading him.

Hannah’s spell somehow twisted the pull of our treasure,his dragon said. It made it into something akin to pure agony. Instead of pure joy.

Perhaps that’s what other people would hear, Ivan replied. If a non-dragon shifter ever heard the treasure calling to them, they would hear the dismal sound of doom.

His dragon’s heart soared as they drew closer to the treasure. It was here, he could feel it. So close he could almost reach out and touch it.

Do you think we have to tear the palace down some more to find it?His dragon lashed his tail from side to side, ready to dismantle the palace brick by brick if he needed to.

Perhaps. But if we do, we need to be certain no one gets hurt. Ivan desperately wanted to find his treasure but not at the expense of anyone else.

Not if it meant putting our mate at risk.His dragon puffed smoke out of his nostrils and swung his large head around to look back over his shoulder. The others were following him. Not too close, they were giving the dragon all the space he needed.

Or perhaps they were wary of him and the damage he might do.

It’s close. His dragon hurried forward despite the confines of the narrow corridor. As he reached the end, it branched into two and he paused, looking left and right. It’s down there.

Down there,meant entering a tunnel through an open doorway. Beyond the doorway, there was no light to show them what was lurking in the shadows. However, Ivan’s dragon sensed the treasure was close and he intended to find it. They had come too far to give up now.

And whatever was down there, he was willing to face. As long as his friends weren’t in any danger.

Ivan pushed his senses out. There was no one here except for him and the four people following behind him. If there was danger ahead, it would be in the form of a trap. But he doubted his father or Gilliam would want to hurt him.

If we trust Gilliam.His dragon growled, the rumble emanating out from his chest as he took another step forward into the tunnel. If the fae hurt us or our friends, then they will pay. They will start a war. If not with the dragons on dragon isle then with me.

If there is a trap, the only fae who should pay is Gilliam. We have fae friends, remember?Ivan soothed his dragon. The pull of the treasure was so strong, it was hard to control his emotions. He needed to find it. He needed to touch it.

The tunnel descended quickly, leading down steeply over rough rocks that protruded from the ground enough to trip the unwary. He wanted to warn the others since it was too dark for them to see, but the flare of a flame behind him illuminated the tunnel. Gilliam was prepared.

Ivan’s fears subsided.

Gilliam had their back. He was their father’s friend.

The dragon rushed forward, his sides rubbing against the rough stone walls, loosening the dirt which fell to the ground in a rivulet of dust. A whisper of fresh air caressed his face and he looked to his left, where another tunnel ran upwards. His shifter senses of direction told him the tunnel would come out somewhere in the surrounding forest. An escape route.

A weakness,his dragon hissed. Someone could have come down here and stolen the treasure.

I’m sure our father and Gilliam made sure that wasn’t possible,Ivan answered.

We’re here.His dragon stopped as the tunnel opened up into a large cave. The treasure was so close, his scales stood on end as he stared into the gloom.

Drawing in a long breath, his dragon heated the air and then blew it out in a gentle bloom of fire. Before them, the ground glowed gold, while a shimmer of silver reflected the flames.

Amazing.His dragon let the fire die out and then stepped forward. One step, two steps, his feet touched a stream of gold coins and he stopped. Lifting his head, he breathed fire once more, the flame lighting up the hoard of treasure that had waited for him since his father died.

His dragon didn’t move at first, too in awe of the sight before him. Then as the flame dissipated and left them in darkness, he walked forward, climbing onto the pile of treasure. Like a mother bird preparing to sit on her eggs, he settled down, shuffling his belly until he was comfortable. Then he rested his chin on his outstretched legs and absorbed the song his treasure sang, like a lullaby.

The dragon closed his eyes and reveled in his find. It was as if he was whole at last. How lucky could one dragon be to find his treasure and his mate?

“Ivan.” Larisa’s voice called him back as he wallowed in the nearness of his gold and jewels.

His dragon opened one eye and searched the cave for her. She was close. He moved his head to the right and the flickering flame of a torch brought his eyes in focus.

“Ivan, are you all right?” Her concern was evident, but she didn’t come any closer. Was she afraid of him? Afraid of the effect of his treasure.

The dragon rose onto four legs and padded toward her. With his head low, he rubbed against her thigh and smiled his dragon smile.

She let out a long breath and cupped his face with her free hand. “You found it.”

The dragon looked over his shoulder as the torch illuminated the treasure. He had.

But this was not the end of his journey. This was the start.

Ivan’s dragon dug his talons into the pile of treasure and listened to the sound of coins rolling over pieces of jewelry like a stream rolls over rocks on the riverbed. Then he let go of the world. The air shimmered around him. For an instant, there was nothing then his human form appeared before Larisa.

“You’re back.” She looked relieved and her fear slipped away as she came toward him without hesitation. “I was worried about you.”

“I’m fine,” he told her.

“Do you need this?” She held up one of the vials, the contents swirled around like a distant galaxy in the night sky.

If the sky was a crimson red,his dragon said drily.

“No. I’m fine. If Gilliam says it’s safe for me to be here without it, I’d like to be me for a while.” Ivan reached out his hands to her and she went to him, hugging him tightly while holding the torch above her head.

“So this is your treasure.” She peered around him, her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

“This is my treasure.” He sighed as he turned around and looked at it. “I wasn’t bothered about finding it when I first got the tiara. But it’s a part of me.”

“It’s also a link to your family. To your father.” She patted him on the chest. “And it’s yours. You should have it.”

“But what now?” He let go of Larisa and hunkered down to inspect individual pieces of jewelry.

We need to find a ring for our mate,his dragon suggested.

We do. But we should take our time. We need to make sure we choose the right ring. Ivan cupped his hand and scooped the treasure up, letting it fall back to the ground.

“What do you want to do now?” Larisa crouched down by his side as the others entered the cave.

“Wow!” Karros stopped in his tracks, while Zara covered her mouth with her hands.

“It looks just the same as when we carried the treasure here.” Gilliam didn’t move closer to the treasure, he hung back by the cave entrance.

“It’s been here all this time?” Zara asked. “You never came and checked on it?”

“No.” Gilliam pointed toward the other tunnel. “Andor blocked that entrance up with a heavy boulder. Then I sealed up the entrance that led into the palace. There was no way down here.”

“So the tunnels were already here?” Larisa asked. “And the cave?”

Gilliam nodded. “The stories say that they were used to harbor the elves during the war.”

“Oh.” Larisa stood up and wrapped her free arm across her body. “Did they die here?”

Gilliam seemed to shrink as he nodded. “Some. They weren’t killed by my people. Not directly. They died of hunger and sadness. It was their sadness that drove them to leave and never return.”

“Are they the ghosts that are said to haunt the palace?” Larisa asked.

“They are.” He gave a short laugh. “I’ve lived here for decades and never seen a ghost. But I suppose I did encourage it. Stories are a good way to scare people. A good ghost story is the best.”

“Because those ghost stories kept people away.” Ivan’s eyes were drawn to a sapphire ring that seemed to glow in the light of the flame. He leaned forward and picked it up. The blue stone was surrounded by perfectly cut diamonds. White and blue combined into something magical. The ring reminded him of his mate.

Ivan turned to Larisa, the temptation to go down on one knee and ask her to marry him almost too much.

“What happens now?” Larisa stepped away from Ivan and approached Gilliam. “There’s a nice big hole in the wall and anyone could come down here and steal Ivan’s treasure.”

“That’s up to Ivan,” Gilliam replied. “I can repair the wall. I can conceal the treasure. Or you can take it with you.”

“You could buy that restaurant you always wanted,” Karros reminded him.

“I like my life just the way it is,” Ivan replied.

“Thanks.” Larisa turned to face him.

Ivan held up his hand and went to her. “I don’t mean you.” He swept his arm around to encompass the treasure. “But this. What am I supposed to do with this?”

“What do the other dragon shifters do?” Zara asked. “Fiona and her family. What do they do?”

“Harlan built a vault. They store their treasure there.” He glanced at the gold and jewels. “I could ask them to store this for me. Or I could leave it here.”

“Will you keep the secret?” Gilliam asked Karros and Zara.

“Of course. This is Ivan’s decision.” Karros reached for Zara’s hand. “We won’t tell anyone.”

Ivan sighed. “We came here for answers. We came here to help Larisa’s father and to finally find the truth as to who killed my parents and framed Davy. That hasn’t changed.”

“It has changed,” Larisa told him. “We wanted answers for you, too. Answers about your family. We just never expected to find all this.”

“Why don’t we go back? You must need food and some coffee. Ivan’s treasure isn’t going anywhere. This isn’t a decision you should rush into, Ivan.” Gilliam backed away as if he’d rather be anywhere other than here.

“Why don’t you want to stay?” Larisa jogged over to him, the light from her torch dancing above her head.

“There might not be ghosts here, but I still feel the dead.” He turned to face her. “The treasure, as beautiful as it is, holds sad memories for me.”

“Because of Ivan’s father.” Larisa tilted her head to one side.

“Yes. At first, I figured he’d come for it. Then I heard of his death. It ripped the heart out of me. I swore I’d stay here and wait for his child to come and claim his birthright. But there was never any news of him. And although he was the reason I stayed, that reason faded in my mind. Now it’s back.” He tapped his forehead. “It’s like a laser burning my skin.”

“We can go.” Ivan joined his mate. “Thank you for guarding this for my father. For me. You were a good friend, Gilliam.”

Gilliam looked down at the ground. “Your father was a good friend to me, Ivan. He saved me when I was at my lowest.”

Karros and Zara joined them, and they made their way up the tunnel, the treasure no longer tormented him with its song. It was now a low hum at the back of his mind.

He suspected it would always be there and he was all right with that.