Chapter Twenty-eight

OLLIE

Archer was off doing his monthly surgery, Mia was at her lessons, Tim had gone back to uni, and I was at a loose end. For the last few weeks, I'd had no problem occupying myself every day while Archer was in his forge, but this felt different. Probably because he'd said I couldn't go with him. I got it, I did. People might be coming to him with sensitive issues and the last thing they'd want would be a strange dragon around, unsettling the atmosphere.

That didn't stop me feeling like a spare part once he'd gone. Looking for a distraction, I messaged Jack.

My God, you remember I exist? Don't tell me—Mr Rochester's busy.

Crap. Had I been that bad at keeping in touch with my supposed best friend? Sorry. Been busy meeting different Talbots. How's Lisa? Must be getting close now .

That led, as I expected, into a barrage of baby-related information. I didn't mind—I hadn't been a great friend these last few weeks so I was happy listening to his worries that they hadn't flame-proofed everything well enough in case the baby shifted.

I thought dragonets couldn't breathe fire at that age.

Just because no one has, doesn't mean they can't. We need to be prepared.

Young Ollie is lucky to have you as parents.

She's going to be Sarah, after Lisa's gran.

Gotta go—someone's at the door. But have you thought of Sarah Ollie? Could hyphenate it.

Go answer your door, you freak.

It was the first time in the weeks I'd been living here that a visitor had called. I opened the door to find June, wearing a summer dress and hat, neither of which would have looked out of place at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party. "Hi," I said. "I'm afraid Archer and the others are out."

"Oh no, it's you I've come to see. It's a shame that Archer lives out here because it makes it more difficult to drop in on you for tea, but we must make more of an effort. That's why you're visiting, after all. I was thinking, perhaps you'd like to come to a supper party next week? Nothing too large, just twelve of us."

Food and company? "Count us in."

Her face froze, and I realised my presumption.

"Oh, sorry. I assumed you meant Archer as well."

"I mean, yes, of course, he'd be welcome, but that place might be more fruitfully filled by someone you haven't yet spent much time with, don't you think?"

"I suppose so." It made sense, annoyingly.

I expected her to say goodbye and leave. Instead, she stood there in what became a slightly awkward silence, and I remembered she'd announced her arrival as inviting herself for a cup of tea. June was Archer's family—if I were to be rude to her, it would reflect badly on him now that we were together. And it wasn't as if I could close the door in her face after she'd driven all the way out here. I just hoped Archer or Mia would be back soon and rescue me from June's relentless befriending attempts.

I stood back to let her in. "Thank you," she said, following me through the hall and along the stone-flagged corridor to the kitchen.

"The other reason it might be a little difficult to invite Archer is that he and Chris don't really see eye to eye," she said, as I filled the kettle.

"I'd noticed." I so wanted to ask what that was about, but there was no way I was going to gossip about Archer behind his back.

June had no such compunction. "Chris was only trying to help when Archer's father died, but Archer—well, you know what young men are like, I'm sure. I don't need to tell you about pride and bullheadedness. But it's been ten years now, and Archer's matured, so I've been hoping they can make up. What do you think?"

I tried to head her gossip off at the pass. "I don't know what either of them think about that, so I wouldn't like to venture an opinion. Biscuits with your tea?"

"Archer hasn't mentioned anything to you about Chris? No hint of what he thinks about him these days?"

He hadn't, but I didn't like to say even that much. She was definitely trying to get information out of me, and I didn't know why. Best to keep to neutral subjects. "We've got some chocolate tea cakes somewhere, if only I can find them. Unless Tim's friends gave them to the ducks. They liked dive bombing biscuits out of the windows onto them."

"I see."

My deflection had evidently been too obvious because her tone changed from confidante to pissed-off adult talking to a recalcitrant toddler. I'd do well to remember that, for all her congenial exterior, June Talbot was a dragon.

"I'll just pop along to the lavatory and powder my nose."

"Do you know where—"

"Thank you, yes. I spent a lot of time here after the children's mother left."

Archer's mother had left, not died? I stared at June's retreating back, wanting to ask about it and knowing that would be the worst thing I could do. If Archer wanted me to know, he'd tell me.

I found the remaining teacake along with some custard creams and poured the tea once it had brewed. June had made her tea in a teapot rather than sticking a teabag in a mug, so I'd made the extra effort. But she still wasn't back. How much powdering did she have to do?

After another five minutes of kicking my heels and nibbling biscuits, I went looking. The loo door was open, and there was no sign of her in the hall, dining room, or either sitting room. She had to be in the library because she'd never have gone upstairs uninvited. Would she?

She was in the library, working her way along a row of books, head tilted on one side to read the spines.

" There you are," I said, sounding like my mum. The alternative would be asking her what the hell she thought she was doing, and I didn't think that would be conducive to forming good relationships with Archer's family.

She spun around, evidently not having heard me. Weird, given how keen our senses are. She must have been concentrating on the books. "Oh, Ollie," she said. "I saw the door was open and I couldn't resist coming in here and reacquainting myself with such a beautiful room. And all these books. Have you had a chance to look through them?"

"Not really." I'd kind of forgotten about the library in my concentration on the gardens and Archer. Now, though, I wanted to take an old, leather-bound book at random, sit on the sofa positioned so invitingly in front of the window, and lose myself in a different world for an afternoon.

"You should," she said absently, as she moved to inspect the next shelf. "It's such a shame that no one reads these anymore."

That sounded like a criticism of Archer. And Tim and Mia. I quieted my dragon, who was uncharacteristically bristling. "I'm sure—"

I broke off as the front door slammed. No one had slammed it since Tim and Archer had started speaking to one another again, so I went to the library door and peered out to find out who it was and what was wrong.

Archer was striding towards the sitting room. When he saw me, he changed tack, his bootheels striking the stone flags so hard I was surprised they didn't cause sparks.

"Where is she?" he snarled, his fists clenched, his eyes blazing with such fury that my dragon shrank back. I'd never seen him like this before, never heard such raw power in his voice. For the first time in weeks, I remembered he was the head of a family, with all the might and authority that came with that.

"June's in here?" I said, unsure if that was who he meant but knowing there wasn't anyone else in the house.

I scrambled to get out of his way as he barrelled through the door.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he growled.

"Archer." Putting back the book she'd pulled out, June smiled winningly, pearly pink lips revealing perfect white teeth. "What a lovely surprise. I dropped in to spend some time with Ollie. We're—"

"You know you're banned from setting foot on Court grounds." He cut across her, his dragon's furious bass vibration sounding through his voice. "Get out."

God only knew how she stood her ground in front of six feet plus of broad-shouldered, solid, raging dragon. "Don't you think it's time we put all this—"

"If you think I'm going to forget what you did, you're delusional. Out, before I wring your treacherous neck."

She headed for the door, her face white and drawn with fear. I didn't blame her—that hadn't sounded like an idle threat.

I nodded awkwardly at her as she passed me, but my eyes were drawn to Archer. His back was to me, his shoulders rising and falling rapidly, his fists clenching spasmodically.

After an instant's hesitation, I followed June to the front door, unsure if I was more intent on seeing her out of the house or giving Archer space. I wasn't running away, exactly, but he looked so tense I was sure that, if anyone touched him, he'd explode.

June slid into her little silver sports car without another word to me. I watched as she turned it around before disappearing down the drive in a cloud of dust.

I stood at the open front door, unsure what to do. Archer still hadn't come out of the library. He hadn't needed to check she'd left— no dragon could have disobeyed his command. I didn't know if I should go to him. For the first time since we'd been together, I wasn't sure I'd be welcome. And deep down, my survival instinct warned me he was dangerous.

Finally realising I had to do something, I closed the front door quietly and padded in socked feet to the library. Archer must have heard me long before I reached the open doorway, because he had turned to face me.

I stopped dead at the look on his face. He reminded me of the Archer I'd first met, with stern lines carved into his face that made him look about ten years older, but a new grimness was in his expression. It scared me.

"How long have you been plotting with June and Chris?" His voice was so harsh, I flinched.

His words finally registered. "What? Plotting? She came for tea."

"What made you think you could invite her to my house? My territory. " He snarled the word with his fearsome dragon blazing through his eyes.

My heart started thumping so fast I could scarcely breathe. "I didn't. I—"

Before I could explain, he threw his head back and roared in fury, veins in his neck standing out as his dragon bled into his human voice.

My knees were shaking, but I couldn't let him think this was something it wasn't. "Archer, she just called round. I had no idea she was coming, honest. If I'd known she wasn't allowed, I'd never have let her in, but I thought I should because she's your family and if I'd sent her away, they'd have blamed you for my bad manners." And because a small, misguided part of me had thought that I could start to act as a bridge between June and Chris and Archer, making right whatever the problem was between them.

His eyes narrowed on me before he strode over and stared down into my face. It was all I could do to stand there and return his gaze, but I had to. He had to believe me.

His hard gaze roamed over my face, and kept coming back to my eyes, as if he were trying to see deep inside me. I poured all of the love I felt for him into my gaze and willed him to believe me.

He sagged suddenly, as if a wire somewhere had been cut. Turning away from me, he groped for the back of a chair to support himself.

"Archer?" I still didn't dare touch him. Before, I'd thought he would explode. Now, I thought he might break.

"Sorry," he said, his voice dead and defeated. "I'm sorry, Ollie."

"Er, that's okay?" I wasn't sure exactly what he was apologising for. "I did make her tea, and I was even going to give her the last chocolate tea cake, but that was because she'd driven all the way out here. It seemed too rude to send her away without tea, and I didn't know she shouldn't be here." I left those last words hanging because what could cause the head of a family to ban one of his family from his home?

His shoulders hunched. I had no idea what was going on, but I couldn't bear to see him in pain. Though a part of me still warned that touching him was dangerous, I placed my hand on his arm, a silent reminder that I was there. He turned his head away but remained rooted in place, so I stroked his arm in long, slow, repetitive movements, hoping it was helping.

With something that sounded remarkably like a sob, he turned to me and pulled me into his arms, burying his face against my shoulder. I held him close, stroking his back while he clung to me.

"It's okay," I said meaninglessly, wanting to provide comfort though I had no idea what was going on. "It's okay."