Chapter Four

She was still asleep when Skard got his brother up for a meal. He’d risen early for a few reasons; one, he loved the sunrise, and for many a year he and his brother only saw the night sky when they were young. Two, Iarl would need food and a lot of it because as he healed his dragon burned up some serious energy, and he would be starving. That, combined with no evening meal, had his own stomach grumbling. Finally, because of the dreams his brother was having that filtered into his own subconscious—images of the two of them, naked and entwined with Dr. Daphne Jordan, in the throes of passion. It was rare for their dreams to merge, but Iarl was weakened and he could not control that aspect of his mind while injured.

Skard took as long as he could before giving up on sleep and going to watch the sunrise. It wasn’t that the thought wasn’t appealing. She was quite remarkable and enticing in her own way, and he could see why his brother found her appealing. But Skard had settled in himself that no woman would accept them both, and in that aspect they may never find a mate or each would have to find their own. Not a thought he relished, but it was a definite possibility. As with the bar wench, when the thought was even implied, they ran in the opposite direction. Skard thought hybrid like Bliss would be more appropriate or a dragon female from Paladin. Since those options were unavailable, there was no other choice but for them to each find a mate.

“Come brother, we must eat,” Skard said when he got Iarl out of bed. He moved stiffly to the kitchen but ate well of the eggs, steaks, bread, and cheese that Skard had placed on the table.

“Is there any news of the night at Daphne’s home?” Iarl asked.

“Yes, Hawke called; he was rather perturbed it was on the news, but they are making some inquiries to smooth things over as Daisye said,” Skard replied. “They wish to speak to all of us when Daphne is awake. The others are in California and will be here later this afternoon or tonight. Raven would like to see what Daphne has.

“Where is she?” Iarl asked before shoveling more food into his mouth.

“Asleep, bedroom at the end of the hall.” Skard hesitated. “Your dreams were filled with her.”

Iarl looked up from his food. “I’m sorry brother, with my injury...”

Skard stopped his apology. “It’s not a bother, but Iarl, she’s human and would scream in horror at mating us... both of us.”

Iarl shook his head. “We won’t know unless we ask. I have her scent in my nostrils, and you do as well.”

“It makes no difference,” Skard said gruffly. “Remember how Mira reacted to our advances, and she is of our world. A human will not have us both.”

“We are not sure of that, Skard,” Iarl said

Skard gave a frustrated sigh at his brother’s optimism. “Then you have her, brother, and be done with it.”

“That is not for us. It will be us together, mated, or not at all,” Iarl said firmly. “We vowed when they tried to part us that our dragons or we will not do without each other. It’s been six hundred and some years since then, and it has not changed. This bond cannot be broken for either of our sakes.”

“You are six hundred years old?” Daphne asked from the doorway of the kitchen.

“It is not wise to eavesdrop on the conversations of dragons,” Skard said gruffly, wondering how much she heard.

She grinned as she padded barefoot into the kitchen and teased. “What are you going to do, eat me? Oooh, eggs and steak, can I have some?”

“Please, take as much as you want,” Iarl encouraged.

We may just eat her the way she is dressed, Skard said to his brother’s mind, and that caused them both to grin. He noted the pajamas showed a large expanse of the chocolate brown skin of her legs down to her toes that were painted a bright pink.

She heaped eggs on her plate and the smallest steak, and that made Skard smile. She had no problem with eating, and she added another second buttered roll to her plate.

“I was watching the news. There is a TV built into the wall in the room I slept in,” she commented and poured a glass of orange juice. “They said my house was part of a gang attack or initiation between two Asian gangs. And the cops are looking for me because they are worried for my safety.

“We have spoken to our warrior brother Hawke and his wife Daisye. They would like to speak with us; after you have eaten would be best,” Skard replied. “They will know best what steps we should take.”

“Okay, sounds good.” Daphne took a sip of her juice. “Where do we go from here?”

“A few others will be here today. Raven is the wife of Raul, she would like to go through what you may have to see why the Shen wants your information,” Skard answered. “She knows your work, she said she applied to be part of one of your digs or expedition, something along those lines, but she was beaten out by an unworthy male.”

Daphne furrowed her brow. “Raven St. Clair, she married one of your kind?”

“Yes, about seven years ago she met Raul in the mountains while she was working on her thesis,” Iarl explained. “They became mated, and she now chronicles the archeological aspects of our home for the archives.”

“She fell off the face of the earth in the scientific community. We just assumed she moved international to continue her education.” Daphne gave a surprised laugh. “International is not the word. Let me ask you, how many of your kind are mated to humans?”

“There are twelve dragons of the Paladin court, nine are married, seven to humans, one to a dragon and another to a chimera, the hybrid of a dragon and the Shen king,” Skard explained.

“Chimera is a myth. You are saying she is an actual person?” Daphne asked, forgetting to eat the bite of food on her fork.

“She is the silver warrior, she is magnificent and can turn the tide in the war against the Shen,” Iarl answered.

“I would love to learn everything about your species and your home,” Daphne admitted truthfully.

Skard leaned forward to look at her. “We took those bones because very few of your world can know of our existence. We have some allies who keep our secrets and fight with us. I feel somehow you want to be vindicated more than be an ally.”

“Can you blame me?” Daphne snapped. “You took everything from me in a matter of hours.”

“I am sorry for what you perceived as your loss, but if we were discovered, we would be hunted, not seen as allies, and we’ve heard stories of how human authorities can work,” Skard pointed out. “We were tasked by the gods to protect this world in secrecy, and so it must be.”

Daphne met his gaze. “I understand that, but you can’t expect me not to be curious even though it’s mums the word about it.”

“Whose mother are you talking about?” Iarl asked in confusion.

“No one,” she sighed. “It means I have to keep my mouth shut. In any case, I am looking forward to seeing Raven again and learning about your kind through her eyes. She speaks my language.”

“English?” Skard asked.

“Science,” she replied with a smile. “So, are you both mated?”

“No, we are not,” Iarl answered quickly before Skard could. “We have found obstacles in that area.”

“We should speak with Hawke and Daisye. There is a time difference in London,” Skard interrupted his brother who gave him a cross look. Now is not the time to discuss such matters.

Iarl finished his meal, and they waited for Daphne to complete her own breakfast before escorting her to the office. Hawke and Orin were more electronically inclined, and because of that, their communication over the years was becoming better. Skard still hated it all, so did his brother. They tried to figure out how to call Hawke but Daphne ended up working the full screen computer. After a few musical beeps Daisye’s face appeared on the screen.

“Hi.” She gave a perky wave, and her smile always made Skard smile in return.

“Um, hi,” Daphne answered hesitantly. “The twins were having difficulty with the call so I called for them.”

Daisye laughed. “I’ve shown them how to work the system repeatedly. You must be Dr. Daphne Jordan.”

“Just Daphne please,” she replied. “Here is Iarl or Skard or both of them, they kinda work as a unit, I guess.”

Daisye nodded. “They do, but you stay. They can pull the chair closer. Hawke, come on, they’re on the video call!”

“Are you from the south?” Daphne asked.

“Georgia peach born and raised,” Daisye confirmed. “Living on Paladin doesn’t take the southern out of this belle.”

“Can you communicate from there to here?” Daphne asked curiously. “I’m sorry I have so many questions but these two are like vaults.”

“Electronics don’t work if they come through the portal. Even my watch and cell phone stopped the first time I went to Paladin,” Daisye answered easily.

“What news do you bring us?” Skard asked feeling the two women would talk forever unless he interrupted.

Hawke sat down next to his wife. “The news is, you two must accompany the doctor to see the police and give a statement.”

“Which means you have to use the suits in the closets,” Daisye said a bit too gleefully for Skard’s liking.

“Why can’t we wear regular clothes, our clothes?” Iarl asked.

“Because the story we spun was that she was out-of-town being courted by two very rich men who happened to be twins,” Daisye replied. “You can’t show up in your buckskins and those shirts looking like a pirate from a romance novel. And please brush your hair, not with your fingers, and pull your hair back, neatly.”

“You sound very motherly, dear,” Hawke said and kissed her temple.

Daisye beamed. “Thank you.”

“Whom are we supposed to speak with at the police station?” Skard asked. The love his brother warrior showed his wife made something inside him yearn for more.

“A detective named Elle Montenegro,” Hawke replied. “She seemed none too pleased when we said we were her lawyers and saw the newscast and thought we should call in on behalf of our client. You have to be there by four. I told her you were in the mountains being...”

“He means kanoodling, romantic,” Daisye jumped in with the right words. “She’s going to ask for your IDs. Use the international passports in the safe please. Your background is already set up and sealed tight.”

“Who the hell are you people?” Daphne asked incredulously. “How many resources do you have to do all this in such a short space of time?”

“We’ve been around for a while,” Hawke answered. “Raven and Raul should be there soon, if not already. Please Doctor, let her see what you have collected on your recent dig. We need to figure out why the Shen would come after you even though the bones are gone.”

“I have a question... what happens to me after the danger is over and all of you go back to your lives?” Daphne frowned. “You’ll be living in the lap of other realm luxury, I’m assuming, you’ll keep fighting these serpent things, and I’ll be left with a ruined house, reputation, and no job in my career field, right? Sorry, poor human, but the world can’t have a clue about our super secret mission, too bad, so sad, huh?”

“We wouldn’t do that,” Daisye said gently. “We would make sure you are compensated so you can live comfortably.”

“I would like to make my own money, thank you, in the career I spent my entire life working for.” Daphne stood. “It was nice meeting you and your dragon husband, but I’ll get dressed now and prepare to lie through my teeth.”

Neither Skard nor his brother tried to stop her. Hawke and Daisye waited until the door of the office closed before they spoke.

“She is pissed.” Daisye expelled a slow breath. “The fallout from losing the bones is really bad for her.”

“There is no way to fix that,” Hawke added. “We cannot tell the world of our existence to save one woman’s career.”

“We understand that,” Skard answered. “Still, she is hurt and confused, caught in a war she didn’t ask for.”

“She lost her livelihood when we came in and made her look like she was dishonest,” Iarl added.

With Skard, Iarl, and Daisye all looking at him, Hawke finally sighed. “We’ll try to figure something out.”

Daisye squealed. “Thank you, darling.”

“How was the doctor’s visit?” Iarl asked.

Daisye smiled. “He said everything looks good. I am to take it easy, but I won’t be going back to Paladin until after the birth. We don’t have any documented information on how the portal affects pregnancy. Even this trip was iffy but the doctor said I’m fine. Still, I don’t want to take any chances, so I chose to have my baby here.”

“I will go back and forth, and when the time comes to meet the Shen I will be there,” Hawke added.

“You must do what’s best for your wife and your unborn,” Iarl said. “We all will help keep watch and protect over our Daisye.”

“After this,” Daisye pointed out. “Make sure that Daphne is safe, and find out what the Shen want from her.”

“We will, even if it means our lives,” Skard promised solemnly.

Skard ended the call and looked at Iarl who sat back with a sigh. “How are you healing?”

“Quickly. The stitches she placed will be able to be removed soon,” Iarl replied. “I guess we should go put on those damnable pieces of clothing that Hawke likes so much.”

“Why they chose jeans over buckskins is beyond me, and those silk suits are made from fragile cloth,” Skard grumbled as he helped Iarl to his feet.

“Let’s get it done.” Iarl sighed. “I would rather be in the sun, though, with my feet pressed in the warm earth.”

“Same here, brother,” Skard said.

There was no sign of Daphne when they went upstairs to shower and change. Skard changed the bandage on Iarl’s side before they got dressed. He didn’t have to wonder about where his brother’s thoughts were. They were on Daphne and if she was a potential mate. Iarl’s attraction was quite clear and mirrored his own, except Skard was more hesitant to put their cards on the table. Another rejection could only cause a dark ripple in their twin bond. Skard honestly doubted if they would ever find a willing woman to mate with them both.

* * * *

Holy shit. When Skard and Iarl came downstairs, Daphne almost swallowed her tongue. They were both dressed in charcoal gray suits with dark blue ties. Both pulled their red hair back leaving one lone braid out. She could tell them apart by the bead on the end of the braid. Skard’s was blue and Iarl’s was green. With their height, broad shoulders, and lean hips, they were a sight to behold. It felt like they had wanted to say something to her at breakfast, and she wondered if it had something to do with the conversation they shared about the wives of their friends. Iarl seemed to want to speak but Skard changed the conversation deftly. They were at odds over something, and Daphne could only assume it was about her.

“You look beautiful, Daphne,” Iarl said and elbowed his brother none too subtly in the side.

Skard cleared his throat. “Yes, quite fetching.”

“Fetching, that’s classic.” Daphne ran her hand down the dusky rose wrap dress she’d found in the closet. Luckily there were strappy sandals to match, and she still had her purse she’d stuffed into the backpack at her house. “You guys may not like suits, but damn, don’t you look good in them.”

Iarl pulled at his tie. “They’re uncomfortable.”

“No one could fight in these things,” Skard added.

“You should watch action movies,” Daphne said with a laugh.

“We don’t know what they are, we’ve only seen cowboy shows,” Iarl said as she walked in front of them. “Now they dressed reasonably well for fighting.”

“I’ll show you one later on TV.” Daphne was amused. It definitely felt wonderful having the attention and protection of two handsome men.

She sat in the backseat of the truck and directed them to the police station using the GPS on her phone. It took over an hour to get back to the city and then another thirty minutes in LA traffic to arrive at their destination. Outside the police station, the twins stepped out before helping her from the back seat. Daphne noticed the appreciative glances of women when they walked by. Even men gave the two tall redheads a second glance. Inside the police station it was no different, and men who were twice her size looked at the two men who escorted her.

Daphne walked up to the front desk. “We have an appointment to speak with Detective Elle Montenegro.”

The older policewoman looked at Iarl and Skard. “All three of you?”

Daphne nodded and smiled. “Yes ma’am, these are my...”

“We are her lovers,” Skard said loudly enough to turn heads and Daphne ducked her head in embarrassment.

“Lucky you,” the policewoman said and picked up the phone to make a call. “She’ll be right down.”

“Thank you,” Daphne answered.

In only a few minutes a tall, statuesque woman came around the corner. Her dark skin was brilliant under the streamline cut and her wide eyes assessed Daphne and her escorts carefully.

“Doctor Jordan?” The detective held out her hand. “Detective Elle Montenegro.”

“Yes, we were told by my lawyers to see you about an incident at my home?” Daphne replied, hoping she was playing the role well enough the detective didn’t sense something was amiss.

“Yes, please follow me.” The detective moved away. “And your friends are?”

“Iarl and Skard Tallinn,” Iarl answered.

Detective Montenegro opened the door and stepped back. “You can have a seat in here.”

They went inside the small room that seemed even smaller with Iarl and Skard inside. The dragon warriors made sure she was settled between them. Detective Montenegro sat across from them and opened a file that was on the table.

“There was an incident at your home, and it seemed like a good ol’ gang fight in your house and back yard,” Detective Elle explained.

“Yes, I saw a bit of the news and then my lawyers contacted me,” Daphne answered. “Downright scary, especially if I had been home, I don’t know what would’ve happened.”

“Lucky for you, you were in the mountains living it up with these guys, huh?” The detective smiled.

“Yes, they have a way about them. You can’t say no,” Daphne replied and found her statement was the truth. She wouldn’t want to say no to the twins.

“I need you to explain to me why one neighbor said she saw you and the twins here in the backyard fighting with swords against some of these alleged gang members?” Detective Montenegro said sweetly. “From the look of these two, they seem to be able to manage a fight. This neighbor said, and I quote, the dudes that are identical were fighting and passing her back and forth so the others guys couldn’t get her.”

Daphne laughed. “Are you kidding me?”

The detective slammed her hand against the “Cut this shit, Doctor. We saw the news, you had some problems in your career. Maybe you decided that a little side business in the drug sector could make up for that. Are these guys the enforcer for whoever you are working for?”

“Seriously?” Daphne straightened her back, offended by the accusation. “Check my bank accounts, give me a urine test, whatever you like. I don’t do drugs.”

“You don’t need to take them to sell them, and a smart woman like you could hide money,” Detective Montenegro countered.

“If you had any proof of that you’d have me in handcuffs,” Daphne snapped.

“Detective Elle Montenegro,” Iarl said in a calm voice. “We were in our mountain home all weekend long, there is no reason to lie about that. I am sure you’ve already looked into our names and seen we are in no way involved with anything illegal.”

“Everything looks good on paper.” The detective leaned forward. “But my gut tells me something is going on, and trust me, I will find out.”

Skard leaned forward. “Good luck to you, then. I tire of this conversation, is there anything else we need to answer?”

Elle eyed him crossly. “I need signed statements from all three of you, and then you can go. But know this: if my gut rings true, I’ll have all of you in jail before you can blink.”

“I doubt it since we have nothing to hide, but good luck with the hunt.” Skard stood. “Those statements can be sent though our lawyers.”

“So you all have the same lawyer. That’s not fishy at all.” Detective Montenegro leaned back.

“No, really, since we’ve seen the witch hunt from our Daphne’s work incident, we look out for her and will continue to do so,” Iarl answered. “Good afternoon, Detective Elle Montenegro.”

With a hand at the crook of her elbows, she felt secure between the two men as they walked down the hall. Daphne could feel the detective’s hard stare at her back.

“I think that went well.” Skard’s tone was conversational.

“Yeah, she seemed pleased.” Daphne’s tone was a mix of sarcasm and amusement. “She’s going to be on our ass now for sure.”

“We’ll tell our people. Gaerar can keep an eye on her,” Iarl said as they walked out of the police station. “If she keeps looking and stumbles on to something, Gaerar will need to be there.”

“Is that the other dragon you were with?” Daphne asked.

Skard answered, “It’s his ancestor’s bones that you unearthed. He searches for his ancestor’s journey in the midst of this tiresome war.”

“I wish I could help him in some way. I unearth bones and use the data to find out how they live, but I can’t do that now,” Daphne said as they helped her into the car.

“Maybe what you have will help. Maybe between you and Raven you can show him the path his ancestors took.” Iarl looked back at her as Skard pulled away from the curb.

The car rolled away, and Daphne looked up the steps to see that the Detective had followed them outside. Their eyes met, and they held each other’s gaze until the car was out of sight. She knew that look. It was a woman who wouldn’t give up. Daphne understood her nature because she shared the same. Her mind turned to what Skard had said so simply, we are her lovers. Was that their nature to share a lover, and why did the thought of her being that woman excite her so much?