15. Glimmer

Chapter 15

Glimmer

I 'd been planning on getting away with it but I didn't like the way the elder cast her suspicious eyes over my clan. My dragon growled inside me when those eyes slid to my mate, and I realised that, if she didn't know who had tried to breach her armoury protections, she'd suspect all of us.

All my innocent clan.

I couldn't have that.

I needed to protect them. Even if it meant fessing up and taking the punishment.

When I confessed, Edith's eyes shot to me and there was something in them that made my insides twist. Fear? Awe? Whatever it was, I knew it was a reaction to seeing the dragon in the eyes of such an old, old elder .

I had been able to look the old Lord Somerville in the eyes, though I'd learned not to. I couldn't look Alfie in the eyes, not when he was angry or when his dragon took over. Now I saw a hint of Edith's dragon and realised for the first time that maybe her instincts weren't so deep and settled after all.

"I'm sorry, Lady Hoskins. I wanted to see your armoury. Nobody knew I was going to do it, not even my mate. He would have told me not to."

She studied me, and I focused on her face, not her eyes. She was thinking. Was I about to be executed? That would be bad for clan relations.

"You knew it was out of bounds."

"Yes."

"Yet you wanted to see it."

"I didn't think I'd be caught but someone has put some really neat little alarm spells around it. I didn't see them all."

"You saw some?"

"Yes, and I, uh, disabled them. I'll put them back up for you."

"Why were you so determined to see inside the Hoskins armoury?"

She made it sound as though it wasn't important, but it was! I looked up, meeting her eyes and feeling a sick jolt inside me as I did it, but I ignored the feeling.

"Because I need to know what you have to protect my clan. I wasn't going to touch anything. I just needed to know they'd be safe."

While we'd been talking, nobody had moved. Everyone felt the tension in the air and the potential for battle. Kingsley had been working magic the whole time in a constant stream, which I could feel pressing against my own magic and wrapping around it, giving me extra protections. He hadn't moved his body but he was preparing to fight.

I wondered if the Hoskins elder realised just how deadly Kingsley could be. He might be human, but he'd take out more than one dragon before he lost the fight.

Okay, I really shouldn't have let my thoughts slip down that path. The mere possibility that my mate was going to be killed made my dragon rise up inside me with a roar. Nope, I needed to never think about that again unless I wanted to ruith . And I did not. I absolutely did not want that. Any dragon in ruith was dangerous but someone like me, who was able to fight anyway? I'd be deadly several times over.

The pause stretched out and I forced my mind away from my mate and back onto Lady Hoskins. Waiting to know what she'd do.

Fingers crossed she'd just throw us out rather than start a fight. Although my dragon wasn't happy about leaving my treasures here without my protection, so that was going to be a problem later.

At last, she said, "The armoury is the heart of our territory."

"I know, Lady Hoskins."

Kingsley was starting to move towards me now, turning his body towards Edith and moving through the crowd. I was torn between hating that he was moving into potential danger and feeling relieved that I finally had my mate by my side again. When he reached me, his arm pressed against mine for just a moment before he moved away a few inches to give us both room to move and react.

"I cannot allow you all in at once."

That- that wasn't what I'd been expecting her to say.

Kingsley asked, "What will you do to Glimmer for attempting to get inside? "

Yeah, my mate wasn't great at subtle. He was a straight-forward kind of person, in his way.

I wasn't complaining.

Lady Hoskins turned her eyes on Kingsley and my chest clenched, but she merely looked for a second and then said, "I understand his desire to see it. He has not done any harm. I will ask that you do not try to enter again without my permission."

I really, really should have said yes. That was all I needed to do.

But I wanted to make sure first.

"Enter again? Am I allowed to see it first?"

It might have been my imagination but I thought I saw her lips twitch into what might – just might – have been the faintest smile.

"Yes, Glimmer, I give you permission to enter the Hoskins armoury."

I couldn't believe it.

The old Lord Somerville hadn't allowed anyone inside our armoury and I'd only been granted access once I'd actually become the Guardian, meaning I hadn't known until that point what items I'd have to help me keep my family safe.

Yet here was Lady Hoskins, granting me access to her armoury like I was, what, one of the family ?

I was too overwhelmed to answer. All I could do was bow my head deeply, showing her the respect she deserved and the gratitude I felt. I took my eyes off her, making myself vulnerable and showing her that I trusted her in return. She must trust me and my family a great deal to do this.

Her voice wasn't sharp but it wasn't soft, either. She was demonstrating trust but she wasn't completely relaxed about it.

"Lew, Darren, you will supervise the Somervilles as they enter our armoury. No more than two at a time." She levelled her gaze on me again and added, "Please do not touch anything without permission."

I shook my head. I only wanted to see. I needed to know they had enough weapons that they could fight and defend the castle if they needed to.

"I will defend your clan with my life, Lady Hoskins."

From where he was standing beside her, I could see Dimpy blinking at me as though I'd said something strange, but Lady Hoskins nodded. I reckon she understood me. It had been an answer to her implied question .

She turned to leave, and her mate followed closely behind her.

Anthony – standing close beside Dimpy – asked, "Nana's not going to stay?

I shook my head. "She won't like seeing it. She wants to be away from the temptation to stop us seeing a place inside her territory that might make it vulnerable."

"But she's letting you see it," said Anthony. "That means she trusts you."

Kingsley butted in. "We're honoured by her trust. We shall not betray it. Her clan will ensure the armoury is protected while we are inside it."

I could almost see Anthony's interest spark. "Is that something dragons worry about? Are you connected to the armoury?"

Dimpy took his mate's arm and began steering him down the corridor. "I'll tell you all about it in the library."

Matty put his hands on his hips and summoned his mate like a pet dog. "Dum, come here. Stay with me."

"But I want to stay here and watch the Somervilles in our armoury. "

"You don't, you want to stay and annoy Kingsley."

"I thought he might want to spar with me for a while in the training room."

Kingsley wasn't given time to answer. Matty said, "No, he doesn't."

Dee slithered over to them and joined in the pleas. "It'll be good for clan relations, Matty. The family that fights together stays together."

"No." Matty sounded very commanding as he said it, and Dee and Dum pouted. It was weird to see their almost-identical faces with the same expression. Matty looked to Darren. "If you see either of them within fifty metres of the armoury for the rest of the day, let me know and I'll make the rest of their week very unpleasant."

Darren nodded.

Dum muttered, "Traitor."

Matty pointed along the corridor, the way Lady Hoskins had left. "Get."

Both Hoskins dragons walked sulkily along.

Matty pointed at my mate next. "You're not to fight either of them, understand."

Kingsley said, "I have no interest in fighting them. "

"Good. Because if you win, they're going to be twice as reckless about proving themselves next time."

Arram moved past me, following their mate. "Yes, and if they win they will be insufferably smug about it."

I smirked. No way would two little dragons win in a fight against my mate. He was such a badass and I wanted to scream about how lucky I was to have a mate so strong.

I moved towards the door to the armoury but Darren was blocking it. Now that I had permission to be there, I wanted to see it quickly. Before anyone could change their minds.

"How did you see my spells?" he asked.

"I'll tell you after I've seen inside." He didn't look happy, and I was worried he'd delay me further, so I added a little sweetener. "I'll show you how I disabled them when I put them back up for you. And I can add a different kind, too, if you want." At the alarm on his face, I added, "I'll show you how to work them and you can put them up yourself. "

It seemed only fair. Lady Hoskins was trusting me inside her territory, the armoury no less, so the least I could do was to help protect it.

Darren relented. "Okay, we'll do that. Now, Prince, do you want to wait for me in the library?"

Prince let out a breath of relief. "Yes! I don't think it's wise to let me loose in the armoury. I'll stay away from the sharp things, thank you very much."

Darren grabbed him round the waist and pulled him close. I inched forward, wondering if I could get past him if I used my power to shimmer into the edges of the world and slip past.

"Prince, you've just been in the kitchen with all the sharp knives and nothing bad happened. You can come into the armoury if you want."

"No, thank you. I might go in later. You know, one day."

I felt a warm touch on my arm and Kingsley's scent beside me told me it was him. He was warning me not to try and sneak past. Dammit. Why were these two being so lovey-dovey while they were meant to be letting me past?

Darren kissed his mate soundly and then sent him off to the library and I was about to vibrate out of my skin with anticipation.

As I finally stepped through the door, I felt the press of all those weapons against me. Some of them were filled with magic, whereas others were simply sharp and deadly. Lady Hoskins had a bit of everything here.

The first thing I did was take in an overview, trying to establish a pattern so I could see everything. It wasn't arranged logically, not to me. Kingsley had followed me straight in. No way would he wait outside while I was in here. Everyone else could wait their turn if they wanted to get a look.

Darren watched me silently, standing out of the way and looking on, typical gargoyle, but Lew cleared his throat and said, "Would you like to know anything about the weapons?"

Maybe he was being sincere, or maybe he was being sarcastic, I couldn't tell. I hadn't decided whether to ask for anything, in case it stopped me seeing all the weapons, but my mate was a straight-forward kind of person and he took that as a genuine offer.

"Yes, I'd like to know where that came from. "

He pointed at the wall opposite me and I had to move around the centre display case to see what he was looking at.

It was a dagger, and it looked very ordinary.

Lew said, "That's a biorach blade."

"I know," said Kingsley. His voice was as sharp as the edges of the steel. "It was made by ridire ."

"Was it?" Lew sounded interested. "I don't know where it came from but Dimpy will have our records of it. He can tell you where and when it came into our possession, even if he can't tell you where or when it was forged."

Kingsley nodded. "I'll ask him."

Darren interrupted. "Don't ask in front of his mate. Anthony doesn't like weapons."

Kingsley and I must have shot him identical looks of disbelief, but my mate nodded and said, "Very well."

He kept walking slowly around the room and I followed, scanning everything.

I could smell the metallic tang in the air from all the blades that were kept there, and I could smell the stone-scent of the gargoyle. Kingsley had a mixture of awe and fear in his scent, and I knew that being in a dragon's armoury was making his instincts squirm. He'd spent so long believing that dragons were a threat to him – and while he'd been a ridire , he'd been right – that seeing all the ways we could fight was making him feel threatened.

I moved closer to him, making sure he would feel my presence. My mate shouldn't be afraid while I was near because there was nothing I wouldn't do to keep him safe.

We walked around the whole room, taking in every item and asking questions about some of them.

"Is that a beheader?" I pointed at a huge weapon that looked far too unwieldly to actually use. Morgan and Alfie had had a nanny once who'd taken great delight in telling tales of a little uasal prince who'd wandered into a curaidh 's territory and been beheaded, and it had frightened both little boys. Possibly that had been the point.

Lew nodded. "Yep. Useless thing."

Kingsley moved on before I did. I wanted to look at the beheader for a moment longer. It was large enough to take off a dragon's head in dragon form, easily. If someone could lift it. I eyed Lew up. He would be strong enough, probably .

I spun around at the sound of a low whistle coming from my mate.

"Phew, that's a nice piece of craftsmanship."

I was over there in a second, pressing up to Kingsley and peering round his broad shoulders.

He was looking at a sword in a harness. I could feel the magic radiating out from it but the magic was so different from mine that I couldn't pinpoint what it did.

"What does it do?"

Lew actually stroked the sword, which was sheathed in a scabbard that was attached to a harness. He looked like he was petting it.

"This is my sword. The harness is magic."

"Yes, what does it do though?"

"Oh, right. Well, the harness adapts to my form. It changes shape when I shift so I can wear it in my dragon form as well as my human form. That way, I can fly in somewhere with my sword on my back and when I shift to human form, I still have my weapon. It's really handy. I can't tell you the number of times a dragon flew into battle with their weapon clutched in their claws and dropped it. This makes it easier to draw, too. I can shift and draw in the same movement, since the sword stays on my back. No fumbling with it as I land."

He mimed how he'd draw it, and I admit, I was impressed. The Hoskins clan had some cool stuff.

Inside me, my dragon was satisfied. We'd seen what we needed to see. The Hoskins clan had enough weapons to choose from that I didn't need to take weapons from the Somerville armoury to stock up their stores.

Darren had good protective magic. Lew obviously knew how to fight, and I'd be interested to train with him some time. Maybe I'd mention it to Dane.

And I knew Dane could fight. I knew he'd protect Seren with his life, and that soothed my dragon.

My clan were safe, while they were here.

Once I was satisfied, I didn't need to stay in the armoury. I was basically going to leave and let them show the rest of my clan round if they wanted to see it.

Then I scented my mate. A sudden burst of nerves bloomed in his scent, and it made me want to press close to him, protect him from whatever he was afraid of.

He gestured at the sword. "The harness is magic but the sword is just steel."

Lew sounded defensive as he said, "It's a good sword. It's never let me down."

Kingsley swallowed and I followed the bob of his Adam's apple with my eyes, sending out protections to wrap around him. He didn't need any more protections, not right then, but I wanted him to feel safe.

My support may or may not have been what made him decide to offer, but I was glad I'd done it anyway. Kingsley was so brave, he might have done the same thing whether I was there or not. Nobody had courage equal to my mate.

"If you like, I can add some spells to the sword to make it stronger. It'll be less likely to break and won't need to be sharpened nearly as often. If you give me a few weeks, I can—"

Kingsley broke off and swallowed again. He radiated fear and nerves, but his posture never gave that away.

"I can make it a biorach blade. The strongest sword."

Lew actually gaped at Kingsley for several seconds. His mouth hung open until he shut it with a slapping sound, as though suddenly remembering how to breathe properly.

"You could do that?"

Kingsley nodded.

"And you'd do that for me? For the Hoskins clan?"

Kingsley nodded again. "If Glimmer approves. He's the Guardian."

I pushed against his strong body and whispered, "We're both Guardians, Kingsley. I didn't know you could make a biorach blade."

He hesitated. "It's difficult but I can do it. The blade will be unbreakable."

Something about the way he said it made me nervous. "Will it hurt you to make it?"

"It's difficult," he repeated.

"That's not what I asked."

"Yes, it will hurt. But I'll heal."

"You're not doing it." I absolutely wasn't going to allow my mate to hurt himself just to give Lew a nicer sword.

He gave me a wobbly smile, which made my heart clench painfully inside my chest. Damn, he was everything .

"Having a biorach sword will make Lew a more deadly warrior and better able to protect your treasures, Glimmer."

I drew back and folded my arms. "Don't try and manipulate me by promising to protect my family."

"Why not?"

"Because it's working, that's why not. I want them to be protected. But I don't want you hurt, either." I cocked my head to the side. "How much will it hurt?"

The sudden fear in Kingsley's scent was the answer I needed, even though outwardly he didn't seem bothered at all. He shrugged. "A bit. I'll heal, though."

Lew ended our argument.

"Kingsley, thank you for the offer but I don't need my sword to be a biorach blade. It's a good sword and the harness means I can transport and draw it easily. The sword doesn't make the warrior."

At that, Kingsley relented. "Yeah, I know. But it helps. I miss my sword."

His own ridire sword had been a bit… crushed by rocks. He hadn't found one he liked as much yet. They weren't balanced in the same way so no matter what spells he added to them to make them stronger, they didn't feel right in his hands.

Darren stepped forward and I nearly jumped. I'd forgotten he was there, he'd been so still and quiet.

"Would making the sword stronger also hurt?"

"No. Those are spells I'm familiar with. It will only take an hour or so to put them on, though I'll need a few things."

For all that Lew claimed it was the warrior wielding it and not the weapon that won the fight, his dragon must have had the same instinct mine did. Protect his clan. Gain every advantage that could save them.

He said, "Perhaps you could put those spells on it?"

Kingsley looked at me. "Are you happy with that?"

I smiled at my mate. "Will it mean my treasures are better protected?"

He chuffed out a laugh and began to organise the space. "Lew, can you take it to somewhere I have enough space to walk around it? I'll need some chalk and some water. I'm assuming Matty will have chalk to draw a pentagram, right?"

I watched him work and took a moment to enjoy the sensations inside me. My dragon was content and energised, watching my mate in his element, looking so strong and protective, and I was satisfied that Seren and Morgan would be safe while they stayed here. I'd ask Edith if I could lay a few protections down around the borders. I felt sure she would agree. She'd let me into her clan's armoury, which meant she trusted us. And we were showing her trust in return, strengthening her weapons.

This alliance might just work, after all.