Sharon Schulze - Heart Of The Dragon

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Nameless, Homeless and Betrayed Lily was determined to discover her true heritage, though little did she realize her search would lure her into the Dragon's lair, where the near-infamous Ian ap Dafydd awaited her with a passion as wild as his warrior name. He was the Dragon , as famed for his fierceness in battle as for his hardness of heart. Yet Ian felt his soul transformed when he met the enigmatic gaze of the mysterious Lily, a woman with a questionable past - and an even more dangerous future.

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There had been a gatekeeper at the abbey years ago, a very old man who’d traveled far and wide. He told her of lands and people different from any she’d ever known. His brief stay at the abbey shone as a rare bright spot in her memory. She’d never forgotten the tales he’d shared with her.

If the Dragon couldn’t help her, perhaps she’d make her way south, to Pembroke or Manorbier. Each castle had its own town, of a size she could scarcely imagine. Strangers from foreign lands came there to trade, bringing with them news of places far beyond her ken.

Though she knew that for many the cloister provided a safe haven, to her it had been a prison. She’d never return, no matter what she had to do to survive.

The sound of the bar thumping against the door startled her. Her heart pounding wildly, she stood and tossed aside the cloak. Had the Dragon returned so soon?

The door flew open beneath the force of two brawny men. Before she could do more than gasp, one entered the cell and grabbed her roughly by the arm, while the other stood guard in the doorway.

He pulled her arms behind her and bound them with a coarse rope. “What are you doing?” she asked. Already her shoulders throbbed with pain, so tight were the bonds. “Did Lord Ian order this?”

“Ye’re to come with us,” the guard said. “Don’t give us trouble, missy, else ye might get hurt.” He wrapped a musty rag around her mouth and tied it behind her head.

He gave her a shove to start her moving. Her feet slipped in the loose straw, and she scrambled for purchase, stumbled and almost fell on her face. Her burly escort saved her from that fate, but her arms felt wrenched from their sockets.

For the first time since the Dragon hauled her up the wall, she felt afraid. Her guards set a hellish pace. She tried to keep up, but they made no accommodation for her shorter legs as they hauled her through a maze of dark, winding corridors. The filthy gag made her cough; the fear in her throat made it almost impossible to breathe.

The ground sloped downward, the hard-packed dirt grew uneven. The distance between torches grew so great that she could scarce make out the walls. For all she knew, this might be the passageway to hell itself.

Her arms numb, Lily struggled to find her way, a task made more difficult when the hallway narrowed. One of the men continued to shove her ahead of him, pushing her into the rough-hewn stones whenever the walls curved.

Suddenly he jerked back on her bonds. Lily bit back a groan; her arms still had feeling, after all. Cruel hands dug at the knot holding her arms, then jerked the gag from her mouth before spinning her about and thrusting her into the shadows.

She landed on her hands and knees. The impact sent unbearable pain through her already aching body. But she found her footing and crawled to her feet “Wait!” she cried. “Where have you brought me?”

Silence was her only reply.

Then metal clanged against metal, and the darkness became complete.

Chapter Three

Lily bit back a whimper. The shadows pressed in on her from all sides as she wavered on her feet, then sank to her knees beneath their weight.

Her arms hung, useless, from her shoulders, yet already they tingled with the return of sensation. She forced her fingers to move despite the fiery pain, hoping to speed up the process. For now, any further motion was impossible.

Only darkness met her frantic gaze. Darkness meant the unknown. Her mind envisioned a thousand formless terrors lurking all around her. She drew a deep breath. Perhaps if she learned the bounds of her new prison, it would cease to frighten her. Since she could not see in the impenetrable gloom, she closed her eyes and concentrated on her other senses. The air tasted dank and moist upon her tongue. A foul stench emanated from somewhere to her left; she’d be careful not to move in that direction.

She had no intention of standing up, lest there be spiders or some other horrid creatures above her.

The faint sound of scurrying she recognized. Rats, loathsome but familiar. So long as they kept their distance, she had no objection to sharing her cell with them. She found their company preferable to that of the men who’d dragged her here.

Why had they brought her here?

She hadn’t been surprised when the Dragon had locked her up. Though she posed no threat to anyone, she could see the need for caution, especially in the prince’s keep. If the guards had been willing to allow a stranger in to see Llywelyn, she wouldn’t have ended up on the wall—or in the Dragon’s custody.

The sudden chill in her heart rivaled the cold air surrounding her. The Dragon had to be responsible for her new accommodations. She thought he understood her dilemma, the need that had driven her to Dolwyddelan.

How could he do this to her? And why?

Lily huddled in a ball on the floor, her arms wrapped tight about her knees for warmth and comfort. His betrayal cut deep. Although she’d confided in him, trusted him with her story, he owed her nothing. And the pull of attraction she felt in his presence simply meant she was ignorant of men, a fool.

Shame and anger jolted her. Self-pity solved nothing. Her journey thus far hadn’t been easy, but she knew her situation could be worse. Battered and bruised, cold and hungry—she’d been all those things before. But she was still whole and healthy, with a spirit to match.

She would survive. And triumph.

A lifetime spent within the imprisoning walls of Saint Winifred’s Abbey had taught her the value of patience. She’d use that patience again. What else could she do but familiarize herself with her surroundings and make her plans? In time she would discover what the Dragon wanted of her, why he’d sent her here.

And he would learn her spirit would not break so easily.

Ian’s interview with Llywelyn haunted him long after he left his overlord’s presence. Something about the meeting disturbed him, though he had yet to figure out why. Llywelyn had listened to his words and agreed to consider permitting Lily to meet with him soon. There was nothing unusual about that, contrary to what he’d led Lily to believe. Llywelyn possessed a deep sense of curiosity and a well-developed mind. Ian admired his ability to look ahead and plan for the future.

It was their shared vision of a united Welsh people that had led Ian to join forces with Llywelyn. Llywelyn could bring that dream to fruition, draw together the independent nobles into a power to be reckoned with, whether dealing with Norman tyrants—or Welsh ones.

In this quest, he’d committed deeds he could never have imagined in his youth, before the destruction of his family. The bastards responsible for his parents’ deaths had paid with their worthless lives long ago, but his desire for justice remained. He knew his sister wondered at the change in him, perhaps even mourned the loss of the man he had once been. When he looked back at that innocent, he did not recognize himself. But what did that matter, in the greater scheme of things?

He would do anything necessary to achieve his goal.

At times, that task seemed nigh impossible. His latest chore promised to tax his patience—and that of his small company from Gwal Draig—to the limit. Dai and several others had joined him in the bailey to watch as ten young men from the hills—future warriors all, he reminded himself with a snort of disbelief—played at mock combat.

“D’ye think any of them has ever seen a weapon close up, milord?” Dai asked, his voice choked with pent-up laughter. “Look at how they’re holding their swords. Were we ever so daft?”

“I hope ‘tis just ignorance, not stupidity. We’ll find out soon enough.” He saw nothing to laugh about in the chaotic scene. Rarely did they find men like these, freemen without an overlord to command their loyalty. With luck, they’d gain some decent fighters, always in short supply. If not, he didn’t doubt he could find some task for them. He’d suggested this exercise to determine what he had to work with.

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