Chapter Three

Kendrick should’ve been prepared for the disbelief reflected in Esha’s golden-amber eyes, but he was still shocked by it. He’d been worried about telling her who he was, debated with himself about lying. But if he were going to convince her that they should hunt their mutual foe together, he decided that honesty was best. Now, he wondered if he’d made a mistake.

He thought about showing her, but then he remembered not being able to shift after his skirmish. He was still shaken by that encounter and everything he’d experienced. He’d had time to think about it as they traveled toward the plateau, and he was no closer to saying what he’d fought. Their travels had also given his body time to deal with the remaining residual magic. Yet his three unsuccessful attempts to shift left him concerned that the entity might have changed him permanently.

Their long trek had given him something else, as well—time to study the intriguing and beautiful warrior who had dared to put her blade against his throat. Kendrick was well acquainted with the human portrayal of elves on Earth in every form of entertainment there was, but he had never encountered one before. He’d thought them pure fiction. Until he stood before not just one but nearly a dozen.

He had so many questions, and it was difficult to keep from asking them. He doubted Esha would share much until she knew she could trust him. The elves around him had different coloring, and though he tried not to stare, he couldn’t help his curiosity.

Worse, he couldn’t stop ogling Esha. From the moment his gaze landed on her, he had been utterly transfixed. She was on the taller side of average, and the way she moved with such fluid motions when she fought suggested that she was far from new to battle. Her brown skin had a golden glow in the sun that almost made it appear as if she were sprinkled with gold dust. He longed to sink his fingers into the wavy length of her tawny hair that reminded him of a lion’s coat with two thick braids on either side of her head that were then gathered into one braid that fell with the rest of her locks past her shoulders. Pointed ears protruded from her hair. Her right ear had a piercing near the tip with a chain attached to a tiny cuff lower down.

His gaze moved to her oval face. Her delicate features consisted of a small nose, plump lips with the lower more pronounced, and captivating, golden-amber, almond-shaped eyes. Those eyes watched him curiously now.

The markings on her face intrigued him. Small white dots followed the curve of each brow. In the middle of her forehead was a circle of white about the size of a dime with eight lines protruding from it. A thin white line started at her cheek and faded near her temple.

She wore a simple cream shirt that was both functional and somehow sexy. A leather corset with four buckles molded her body from just under her breasts to her hips. Leather vambraces with a beautiful golden design protected her forearms. Trousers of deep brown covered her legs, hugging them like a second skin and allowing her to move easily. Plain leather boots covered her feet up to her knees. A leather strap hung at her hips, where she had a dagger tied to her right thigh. Another harness lay across her body, her sword resting at her back in its scabbard.

Esha quirked a brow at his perusal before going to speak to the other elves. A couple had her coloring. Kendrick couldn’t wait to learn everything about them. His brethren would be excited about receiving information on the elves. That thought made him flinch, a reminder that he hadn’t told anyone where he was. It would be wise to contact Con immediately. With Merrill missing, he didn’t want anyone worried about him.

But if he told Con where he was now, their King would likely order him back to his section to patrol—not that he would blame Con. But this was a prime opportunity to learn about others on Zora—those he was sure Eurwen and Brandr knew nothing about. Not to mention gathering whatever knowledge they had on the thing he’d fought. He would give himself a little more time before checking in with Con and the others. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t get away from the Rangers anytime he wanted.

Kendrick made himself look away from the elves. He turned to the sheer face of the plateau. How many times had he looked at it from across the border? His eyesight allowed him to see farther than most beings, but it had been too far away for him to pick up the carvings in the rockface.

He leaned his head back. The faces were so distinct, he could make out the individual features of each one. After the water fell from their open mouths, the carvings faded, almost as if whoever had created them was more concerned with the heads than anything else. Regardless, it was a remarkable, eye-catching structure. Esha had called them the Sentinels. Yes, he could see that. They appeared to watch over the western side of the land. Were there other such faces around the plateau? He was dying to find out.

Kendrick followed the long fall of water to the pool that it crashed into. Mist shrouded the lower part of the plateau as the water churned white from the dramatic fall before rippling out to showcase a stunning cobalt pool.

The roar of the waterfalls was loud though strangely calming. He didn’t lower his guard because only a fool would do that, but he paused and took stock of his body, something he hadn’t done since the skirmish. He was sore, but he had healed any damage. The fact that remnants of pain lingered was worrying.

He had dismissed his friends’ warnings about tangling with the unknown adversary to his detriment. Kendrick wasn’t entirely certain that he would’ve come out of it unscathed if Esha and the Rangers hadn’t appeared. On Earth, they knew that only a Dragon King could kill a Dragon King. That gave all Kings the confidence to face all foes without fear of death. But Zora wasn’t Earth, and Kendrick had been reckless in not remembering that.

They had no idea what this thing they were after was or what it could do. It had killed multiple dragons, and it’d taken down several Kings. Yet Kendrick had thoughtlessly shoved that knowledge aside and raced after it. All because he’d been in an irksome mood and wanted to take it out on someone.

Merrill’s disappearance frightened him, and if something happened to him , Kendrick would cause his brethren the same worry and pain. That wasn’t the dragon he was. He needed to get his shite together. Quick.

“You look deep in thought.”

His head swiveled to the side at the sound of Esha’s voice. She spoke English with a slight accent that he couldn’t quite place. The language she had spoken before was lilting and flowed easily, reminding him of Finnish. Once he caught a sound similar to that language, he was able to understand it easily—though Esha hadn’t seemed thrilled by that. She stuck with English now.

“Aye,” he said.

She released a breath. “I took a chance bringing you here. Outsiders aren’t welcome.”

“Then why did you bring me?”

“Because you survived the attack. I’ve seen what that thing can do to my Rangers. Yet you’re not only standing but appear unharmed.”

Kendrick thought about the soreness that plagued him, something that would never have remained before. “I wouldna say I am no’ injured.”

“You seem hale and hearty.”

He chuckled and glanced at the water. “I’ll admit, I’ve never fought anything like that before. It was more than no’ being able to see it. It was as if…”

“It knew what you were going to do?”

“Aye.” He nodded, holding her gaze. “How many times have you tangled with it?”

Her lips flattened for a heartbeat. “This was my second time. It isn’t easy to track, and we’re experts.”

“We’ve found the same thing.”

That got her attention. “How many times have you fought it?”

“This was my first time personally. My friends have encountered it four other times.”

“Did you lose anyone?”

Kendrick thought about the dragons and the moving burial. “We did.”

“Where are your friends now? Across the border?”

He heard the mockery in her voice and fought his smile. “Is it so impossible for you to believe I’m a dragon?”

“Do you know how many dragons I’ve seen in my lifetime?”

“I doona know. Maybe a dozen? Two dozen?”

“None,” she stated flatly.

Kendrick searched her amber gaze and saw the truth of her words. “I gather you doona spend time near the border.”

“Not because I fear it. We’re needed elsewhere around Shecrish. There has been talk among my people for generations that the dragons are gone. ”

That was concerning. Kendrick knew the dragons didn’t go near their borders because they didn’t want to see humans, but maybe it was time they did just that. Not to mention, he had been patrolling for several weeks. Surely, someone saw him. “What keeps you from crossing the border?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Fear.”

He hoped that would be enough to keep her people out. If it wasn’t, there was a good chance a second war would be on the dragons’ doorstep. Bloody hell.

“Obviously, if you’ve come from Idrias, then the dragons are gone.”

“Idrias?”

“It’s what we call the land of the dragons.”

Kendrick held her gaze and looked intently at her as he said, “I’m no’ lying, Esha. I am a dragon.”

“You look very human to me.”

“Because I want to appear that way.”

Her brows shot up. “So, you claim to be a shapeshifter now? How many forms can you take?”

“Just two.”

She snorted. “Shapeshifters aren’t real. They’re a myth created to scare children into doing as their parents say.”

Her words floored Kendrick. All this time, he’d thought elves were a myth. She believed he was. A part of him wanted to shift right then and see what she did. However, he wasn’t entirely certain she and the other Rangers wouldn’t attack. He had no idea if the elves could hurt him or what type of damage remained from his earlier battle. He would show her his true self, but not yet.

Esha took a step toward him. “My advice is to speak only the truth when Savita arrives. She’ll be able to discern if you aren’t.”

“I’ve spoken only the truth with you.”

Her face darkened with ire. “Do you have any idea what will happen if Savita decides you can’t be of help? I could be forced to kill you.”

“You brought me because you saw the potential of us working together against a common enemy.”

Esha shook her head and rested her hand on the hilt of her dagger. “I’m questioning myself now.”

“Because it’s too impossible to believe I’m what I say I am? What if I told you, until today, I didna think elves existed? ”

She shrugged. “We go to great pains to bring other elves here. They wouldn’t fit in elsewhere.”

“How do you know that? Have you seen other places on this realm?”

“No.”

He shrugged. “My point exactly. Who has?”

“We don’t go to get our people.”

Kendrick considered her words for a moment. “That means you send someone else to do it. Or…you use magic.”

Esha smiled at his last words. “Our magic is extensive. I’d suggest you keep that in mind.”

“Oh, I will, lass.”

She frowned at him. “What is a lass ?”

“Just a word that means a woman.”

Esha turned when someone called her name. Kendrick followed the sound and saw that Zentha had returned with another female whose gaze was locked on him. The woman had the same golden-brown skin as Esha. Her straight, tawny hair was parted down the middle and hung to her hips.

There was a large gold sun painted in the middle of the woman’s forehead. Her lower lashes had a band of gold running from the outer corners of her eyes outward to her temple. Five gold dots followed the line of each collarbone.

She wore a long, flowing, sleeveless gown of white, tied with a golden belt at her waist. A gold-colored stole draped over each arm, the length of the ends nearly touching the ground. She walked with purposeful steps as she made her way to him. She looked like a holy woman, and everyone clearly revered her.

He watched as Esha greeted the woman, speaking softly. He suspected the new arrival was Savita. The two shared a few words before the woman’s gaze returned to him. So, this was who would determine if he was lying—and decide his fate.

He bowed his head in greeting, waiting patiently for the inevitable barrage of questions. He’d already decided how he would answer one in particular. He just hoped they were ready for his response.