The Dragon Legion Collection(37)

Damien knew he wasn’t the only one who was hungry and exhausted. He guessed they were in southern Europe, maybe back in the twenty-first century again. He’d know better when the women appeared, by the style of their clothes.

Drake, their leader, had immediately counted their dwindling company. Damien had noticed that Aeson was gone. They were down to eight survivors: Drake and Damien, Thad and Ty, Peter and Ashe, Orion and Ignatio.

Drake scanned the plaza with unfounded optimism, then his lips tightened. He looked down at the large quartz crystal in his hand, and Damien was relieved that the light within it had dimmed.


For the moment. The darkfire crystal seemed intent on flinging them across the universe. Repeatedly and without warning.

“Aeson,” Ty said, defeat in his tone.

“One more lost,” Peter said with a grim satisfaction. He was always looking for the dark clouds on the horizon. “Besides Alexander, that is.” He glared at Drake. “You shouldn’t have let him go.”

“I have no wish to deny a man his greatest desire,” Drake said, his tone as tired as Damien felt. He held up the dark crystal, then closed his hand over it. “I wish it hadn’t lit so soon. I wish we could have waited for him.” He passed a hand over his forehead, and Damien saw how much this ordeal was costing their usually stalwart leader.

“He chose to look for Katina,” Ashe said to Peter, his tone defensive. “It’s our responsibility to defend our mates after we’ve had a firestorm. Alexander did what was right.”

“He ran to her,” Ty added. “Making sure the crystal left him behind.”

“Well, I hope she was there,” Ashe said, practical as ever. Drake cleared his throat but the younger man glanced up. “Well, I do! It would be terrible if he’d taken that chance only to find her gone.”

“Married,” Iggy added.

“Ancient,” added Peter. “There was no telling how much time had passed for her.”

“Or dead,” Damien felt obliged to add. “Alexander might have ended up alone.”

A shudder rolled through the group of men, as their worst fear was expressed aloud.

“That would suit you,” Iggy said to Damien, obviously trying to lighten the mood of his fellows. “Love them and leave them, that’s our Damien. Mr. Heartbreaker.”

Damien smiled at their teasing.

“Do you even have a heart?” Ty joked. He and Iggy as the youngest of the group were most envious of Damien’s sexual success. They wouldn’t have been envious of Damien’s experience, that was for sure, but he was never going to confide that story in them. “I remember that one in Paris.” Ty whistled through his teeth and Iggy grinned. “She could have had my heart and soul just for the asking, but not Damien.”

“He takes what they offer and leaves them behind,” Iggy concluded.

“And we’ll refrain from commentary on how that serves the good of mankind,” Peter muttered.

“They’re happy for a little bit,” Damien said, refusing to be defensive. “It’s not like I trick them. They know what they’re getting.” He spread his hands, as if he himself were enough of a gift.

Ashe rolled his eyes and Drake pretended not to have heard. Ty and Iggy laughed. Peter snorted with a disgust that had more to do with his lack of success with women than Damien’s luck.

A pair of older women came into the square at the opposite end, unlocking a door and moving inside. Mid to late twentieth-century, Damien guessed, by the cut of their clothing.

Then he smelled the coffee they had started to make. His stomach growled audibly.

“It’s a bakery,” Ashe whispered. “Get ready for temptation when they get that oven going.”

There was an almost-silent groan from the men. “If we’re still here, we’ll go see if we can buy something,” Drake said.

“Or make a deal.” Iggy nudged Damien. “If our money’s no good, maybe Mr. Charm can get us some breakfast.” Damien smiled as Iggy and Ty began to needle him, speculating on how he could obtain breakfast for eight hungry warriors for free.

“By Zeus, maybe that’s the point,” Thad said suddenly, interrupting the conversation. The others turned to look at him. “What if the darkfire crystal isn’t as unpredictable as we think? What if it’s got a plan to fulfill?”

“Such as?” Peter demanded. “What possible reason could be behind this insanity? Every time it flashes, we get picked up and flung down somewhere else. We don’t know where we are...”

“We don’t know when we are,” Ashe interjected.

“I’d say Italy, roughly 1972,” Damien murmured.

Drake peered at a church tower and shrugged. “Rome,” he said flatly.

Peter flicked a look at the pair of them that spoke volumes, then shoved a hand through his silvered hair. “We can’t eat, we can’t sleep, we don’t dare wander away from Drake and the stupid crystal in case it lights when we’re too far away and we get left behind. What kind of plan could there possibly be?”

Thad looked untroubled by the older man’s scathing tone. “Maybe it’s not an accident. Maybe the crystal is returning each of us to the place we belong. Scattering us like salt through the ages.”

“But how would it know?” Peter demanded.