“What did he say?” Kathryn asked.
Mica smiled broadly as he considered the girl. Mischief glinted in his eye. “He used to help the queen when she tended the hatcheries. I hear tell he was pretty good with eggs. The young maidens at court were always after him to sit on their clutches.”
So the man knew more than he’d claimed! Patrick thumped his tail angrily on the ground. “Mica! I will eat you,” he growled.
It was true, his status as orphan had left him free game to the dragon maidens of the court, and being the adopted son of the king had made him a prime subject for pretend father to many clutches of eggs. At least, until he realized he could tell them no and they couldn’t do more than cry. But by that time, he had spent hours with rocks under his wings, pretending they were eggs.
Mica chuckled at the threat in the lord’s words. “Let me see your wing.” The mage stepped closer to inspect the injured joint.
Patrick hissed as the man applied pressure on the wound. Damn that hurt!
“Well, it doesn’t appear broken.” The man stepped back from the heat. “Looks like you might have dislocated it. Resetting it will have to wait until you’re off those eggs.”
Tell me something I don’t know! Patrick nodded. “Then get someone in here to sit on these.”
Daniel rumbled with laughter. “I’ll see what I can do about finding a volunteer.” Lifting himself from the sand, he turned back to the edge of the water, amused.
“Don’t tell them what they’re volunteering for.” Patrick raised his head and yelled at his second. “If they know it’s to sit on eggs, they’ll run.” They may be willing to take on a rogue dragon, but eggs scared most men.
Daniel rumbled again as he slipped into the water.
Patrick laid his head back down and rolled it so he could see Kathryn next to him. Contentment washed through him again. Mine! She looked okay, but the other girls had been here longer. Hopefully they were okay, too. Patrick turned his attention back to the mage. “Check out the maidens,” he called to Mica.
Mica nodded. “Are you hurt, My Lady?” he asked Kathryn.
Kathryn looked at the dragon, then up to the nude man. She turned her face away from him, blushing her embarrassment. “I’m fine.”
Patrick snorted out a soft laugh. Obviously, with all the excitement, she had forgotten the men were naked.
Mica bowed to them both and turned to check on the other ladies.
Patrick was glad when Daniel finally returned with two of the smaller dragons in the flight. He was starting to cramp up from lying still for too long.
Turning, Daniel looked at each of the new dragons. “Go lay next to Lord Mylan—one on each side—and be careful of the eggs.”
The two dragons looked at each other. “Eggs?” one asked. “I thought you said we would be on guard duty.” He looked over towards the two black dragons curled together.
“You are.” Daniel grinned at them—a terrifying gesture on the face of a dragon. “You get to guard the eggs. Now, make sure they are safe and warm.”
Patrick snickered at Daniel’s deviousness. Trickery would be the only way to get the warriors to sit on eggs.
Reluctantly, the pair of volunteers came over and snuggled up next to the clutch.
Kathryn backed away as Patrick wiggled out from under the wings of his replacements. Turning around, he gave them a pointed glare. “Don’t let them get cold,” he warned. The queen would tan all of their hides if they let something happen to those babies. Now free from the eggs, Patrick held his wing out for Mica’s healing hands.
With a quick jerk, the mage had Patrick’s wing reset. “You may want to stay off that for a few days,” he warned the lord.
That went without saying. Patrick nodded and looked around. Now that things had settled down, it was time for him to get out and send a message to the prince. They were going to need someone from the royal hatcheries to come help with the eggs. Once the pair sitting on the eggs got out and warned the others, they were going be hard pressed to find volunteers for anything.
Turning his mind away from the egg-sitting issue, Patrick considered the cave and its watery entrance. “Is there another way out?” he called to the men now milling around. It would be nice if they didn’t have to swim out. The dragons could do it easily, but the women would have to be carried.
Mica turned and asked the question of the maidens.
“Not that we have found,” the youngest of them answered.
“Then we will have to take them out by water,” Patrick confirmed. Not a choice he really wanted to make, but they would manage it. He looked over at Mica. “Explain it to them,” he growled.
It took a little while to convince the girls of the plan, but soon they were all matched up with a dragon that would carry them through the water and out of the cavern. All except one.
“But I want to go with you,” Kathryn complained to Patrick as Mica tried to get her to pair up with him. There was no way she was going to make that trip again unless it was with Patrick.
“He can’t take you,” Mica insisted. “He has a hurt wing and cannot fly when he gets out of here.”
“I don’t care.” Kathryn pressed herself into Patrick’s side. “I’ve lost him once today, and I don’t intend to let him go again.” She wrapped her arm around his neck near his shoulder.
The purr Patrick let out rumbled up her side. Bending his neck around, he caught the edge of her skirt in his teeth. Kathryn followed as he pulled her around and rubbed his head into her middle. He chirped and squeaked something that she didn’t understand. Warm air washed through her clothing as he drew in her scent.
Kathryn wrapped her arms around his head. “I’m not leaving you.” She leaned forwards and placed a kiss on his head. No matter what he said, she would not allow someone else to take her out.
A snicker slipped out of him, and he nudged her with his nose.
Releasing her love, Kathryn backed up to look at him.
He chirped at her again, but she still didn’t understand him. He turned and chirped at the waiting mage.
Mica nodded and looked up at Kathryn. “He says he will not leave you, but he can’t carry you out of here.”
“I will not go with anyone else,” Kathryn said. Crossing her arms over her chest, she turned around, ignoring the men. She thought she had lost Patrick once already. She would not leave without him.
Patrick chirped again and rustled his wings.
“My Lord?”
The concern in Mica’s voice caused Kathryn’s ears to perk up. She listened as Patrick shifted in the sand and chirped again.
“But that will leave a hole in your armor,” Mica warned.
The one side of the conversation Kathryn could understand disturbed her. She turned around to watch the men.
Patrick chirped again and shut his eyes.
Mica shrugged and ran his hand over Patrick hide. Horror raced through Kathryn as the man found a loose scale and slipped his nail under it. He was going to tear a piece out of Patrick’s hide! “What are you doing?” Kathryn asked as saw Mica wiggling the scales back and forth. “Stop that!” She came over and tried to stop the mage, but he had already gotten the scale loose.
Patrick groaned as Mica ripped the scale off.
Kathryn gasped at the trickle of blood that ran out of the wound. Shoving the mage out of the way, she pressed the end of her skirt against the hole, trying to stop the bleeding. Why would Patrick let the mage do such a thing to his beautiful hide?