The Red Dragon by Tianna Xander Read Free Book Online

Just get the men together and meet me at my place.”
     
    Two hours later, Emily stared at a group of legendary men. Never before had she ever thought she would be in the presence of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, but here she was, staring at the lot of them. Each of the men arrived within minutes of each other. She could only guess that they had flown there as their dragons. How could history have missed something so huge? How could the legends? Was the fact that they were all dragons purposely left out of the tales, and if so, why?
    Apparently, Lancelot was never in love with Guinevere. It was a story told to explain why he and Arthur parted ways. Almost none of the stories were based in the whole truth.
    Under the cover of darkness, the men shifted to their dragons and headed out to Declan’s lair. It was only after they left that Emily realized they should have stayed. The sorcerer had been after something in the cave, only it was no longer there.
    Now that she knew Drake’s secrets, she also knew that what Declan told her about the stone around her neck must be true. Reaching up, she held the pendant for a moment before tucking it beneath her shirt.
    “We need to talk, ladies,” Emily said as she walked into the kitchen. She knew the others would be here having tea—it was four o’clock, after all.
    “What about?” April asked as she set the tray on the table and indicated that Emily take a seat.
    “This,” Emily replied as she pulled the pendant from under her blouse. “I have a story to tell you. As fantastic as it sounds, it all rings too true in the light of certain facts that have just been brought to light.”
    Emily pulled a cup of tea from the tray, added a cube of sugar and a dollop of milk before taking a sip. “You might want to sit down. The telling of this tale might take a while.”
     

Chapter Twelve
     
     
    Declan led the others to his lair. He didn’t like it, but he didn’t have much of a choice. He needed to protect his mate from whatever evil would try to harm her.
    “There’s nothing here.” Lancelot declared as they wandered through the rubble. “It’s as though you never even had a lair here. There are gems and treasure, but there is nothing to indicate that you spent any time here at all.”
    “I didn’t. I spent my time at my manor. I assumed if anyone came looking for the map, they would search the manor first. Not here.”
    “The map. I’d forgotten that you were in charge of keeping it safe.” Drake moved up to his right side. “I take it that it wasn’t here?”
    “Oh, it was here, but so was I. You know the legend. Only the mate can keep the map safe from—shit!” It felt as though his heart leapt to his throat. “Emily! We have to get back. She’s wearing it. She has no protection and we aren’t bound. I’d intended to bind her to me. I gave her the stone. I’d forgotten about it, with everything that’s happened since. We must return to her. Now!”
    “We cannot. It’s almost daylight and someone would see us.” Drake was always the practical one.
    “Not if we fly through the ether.” It wasn’t done. They could accidentally fly into a plane and kill the passengers.
    “We’d have to be very careful,” Drake said thoughtfully. “Each of us will have to be on guard, watching the corporeal world to make sure we don’t hit anything.”
    “We could fly low. If we fly lower than any plane, we wouldn’t have much to worry about.”
    “I don’t give a damn what you all do. I’m going.” Declan spun around, facing Drake. “Do not order me to do something I cannot and will not do. I do not wish to disobey you, My King, but God help me, I will.”
     
    The flight back to Drake’s manor seemed to take forever. In reality, it took less time for them to get back than it had to reach his lair. Declan knew that, but he couldn’t help counting each minute that passed with his mate unprotected.
    Why hadn’t he bound her to him the