The Dragon Legion Collection(48)

Petra did. “Dragons,” she breathed, her fingertips rising to her lips in awe. She could believe that Damien had the ability to change into a fire-breathing dragon. She could believe that he had been chosen by some divinity to be more than just a man.

Maybe to be her partner.

“Not many have even heard of us.”

“I collect stories and songs. It’s my trade. I’ve heard of the Pyr and hoped they were real.”

“As real as can be.” He spread his hands, inviting her admiration. Petra didn’t trouble to hide it. In fact, his confidence made her want to laugh out loud. She’d known so many men with doubts and had had plenty of her own. It was infinitely appealing that he appeared to have none.

“So sure of yourself,” she teased. “Exactly as one would expect a dragon to be.”

“I’ve got to live up to your expectations.” He must have seen her confusion because he leaned closer, dropping his voice to a seductive whisper. “It’s the demand of the firestorm.”

“That you fulfill my expectations?” Petra demanded. She played with the sparks again. “It must mean more than that.”

“Yes and no. It means that you’re the woman who can bear my son.”

Petra blinked, but he held her gaze unflinchingly. “And this happens to you Pyr all the time?”

“It happens only once for each Pyr, so is an opportunity not to be missed.” He caught her hand in his, seeming bemused by the array of sparks that lit at the point of contact. Their golden light made him look vital and powerful, a man who might be more than he seemed to be. “I couldn’t have asked for a more alluring lady to light the flame.” He bent over her hand and kissed her fingertips gently, sweetly. “But I won’t lie to you about what it means.”


Petra’s mouth went dry as she watched his firm lips touch her skin, that dizzying glow burning so bright that it seemed he’d mark her forever with his kiss.

“And afterward?”

“We are warriors. We fight.”

“You’ll leave,” she whispered and he nodded once. He might return, though, and this sensation was one Petra wanted to explore.

Damien glanced up, his gaze knowing. “What other expectations do you have of the Pyr?” he murmured, his breath fanning her skin.

“So you can fulfill them?”

“Of course!”

“Loyalty.” Petra bit her lip when he nodded. “Power. Protection.” He nodded after each and she studied him, wondering. “Immortality?”

“Longevity,” he corrected, which was a relief to her. “We’re said to age more quickly once the firestorm is satisfied.”

“The ability to solve riddles,” Petra added.

He grinned. “I hope to solve yours.”

“It’ll take more than one night.”

He chuckled at that, not so worried about his independence as she’d expected.

“A passionate nature,” Petra whispered.

Damien traced one finger down her cheek, leaving a sizzling path in its wake. “You can verify that yourself.” He cupped her chin in his hand, then bent to kiss her. It was a sweet seductive kiss, one that heated with every passing moment. Petra found herself opening her mouth to him, her need growing in the golden heat of this firestorm. When Damien’s strong fingers slid into her hair, drawing her closer, she caught her breath and stepped back, not quite ready to surrender to him.

“Keen senses?” she asked, her voice husky. She liked that he let her go, but then he had that confidence. He knew she’d surrender to him, and the patience of a dragon meant he’d wait.

A little while. Petra had a hard time catching her breath as he studied her. Could he read her thoughts? Had he already guessed her truth?

“Keener than those of men.” he admitted.

“Prove it.”

He straightened, listening and looking. “The men in the tavern are talking about your beauty and your songs.”

“Of course they are!” Petra scoffed, showing some confidence of her own. “They all talk about me, all the time.”

“Someone named Dmitri is insisting that you’ll be his wife, but another man, one with a deeper voice, is laughing at him, saying you’ve declined him three times.” He arched a brow and Petra couldn’t argue with what he’d heard.

“How long have you been here?”

“We just arrived moments ago.” Damien smiled at her. “Do you think you really could have overlooked me, and this?” He touched her mouth with one fingertip, making the light flare brilliantly between them.

It was a point she couldn’t argue. She turned and kissed his fingertip, then grazed his skin with her teeth. His gaze brightened. “I can’t be persuaded to have a child as easily as that, whether you’re Pyr or not,” she said, folding her arms across her chest to face him down. “You’ll have to seduce me.”

He laughed. “But that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

Petra could believe it. This was a man who had seduced a hundred women, even without those disorienting sparks on his side, and left not a one of them with regrets. “First, show me what you are,” she challenged.

Damien didn’t try to deny her request or pretend he didn’t understand. He smiled and stepped away from her, casting one glance toward the noisy tavern before he looked back at her. “You shouldn’t watch,” he cautioned. “There are stories of people losing their sanity.”