He didn't wait for an answer. He ran up the stairs easily, humming to himself while she stood with mouth agape. I'll make him his damn brandy, she thought angrily as she stalked over to the rolling bar that was stationed behind the massive sofa in the sitting room. While she was there, she made one for herself and downed the fiery liquid in one gulp. It burned its way down her throat and into her belly, but did little to get rid of the chill still running down her spine. She took the rich blue checkered afghan thrown over the chair and wrapped it around her shoulders and sat with her feet curled up under herself to wait. Daisye had no clue what was going on, but she knew she was safer here than outside with those serpent things on the loose. Hawke came down the stairs dressed in a black turtleneck and blue jeans. Even in casual clothes he looked distinguished.
He looked at the snifter full of brandy. "Is that for me then?"
Daisye simply nodded.
He sat across from her and raised an eyebrow. "This is the quietest you've been. I take it your little freak-out has ended, leaving shock and numbness in its place?"
She felt hysterical laughter bubble up into her throat, but swallowed it back down. She'd come to the conclusion that she'd gone over the deep end, but decided to keep that to herself. Instead, she stayed silent and nodded again, waiting for him to start speaking. There were too many questions.
"So where to begin..." He leaned back and sighed. "I guess you figured out I'm not all human."
No shit! Her response was another nod.
"I'm one of the dragon's of the Paladin court. It is a world alternate to yours and we're sent here to your world to protect it from others who prey on humans. The Fen-Lung mutt for instance," Hawke explained.
"Why do you keep calling him a mutt?" Daisye could no longer keep silent.
"His kind is an abomination of the Fen-Lung dragons who are honorable and just. One of them became corrupt with evil and mated with a sea serpent. They are they offspring." Hawke took a sip from his glass. "Creatures like them pillage worlds and leave nothing behind. They use women to breed offspring, and the women usually don't survive the birth. If they have something to do with your father's textile plant and stealing your company, then you have bigger problems than we thought."
"How so?" Daisye questioned. "How does your kind come here?"
"There is a portal between your world and ours that can be accessed by us," Hawke told her. "And somehow they found a wrinkle for their slimy asses to crawl through. Either way, they're here and when we find them its up to us to dispatch the buggers and keep humanity safe."
"What's your world like?" Daisye asked, leaning forward like a child caught in the magic of a fairy tale.
His smile widened and his eyes lit up. "Massive towers reach up to the sky paying homage to the gods that put us on our quest. Streets are filled with people and children, music and laughter, we are comfortable in either human or dragon form there. There's no hunger and there hasn't been a war in hundreds of years. I have brothers in arms here and there. I've traveled to Texas to feast and fly with Kalv or to Seattle to see Orin who just welcomed his first child into the world with his human wife, Valencia."
"Is Kalv married as well?" Daisye asked.
Hawke nodded. "Yes, a feisty female from a small town."
"The serpent things, what will you do about them?" she asked.
"There was a war with our world a long time ago with the Fen-Lung serpents," he explained. "That was when Kalv's first mate was killed. We lost good warriors and true friends, but the corrupt were defeated and they were sent to live on the dark side of our world. Somehow, they found a way here and from the looks of it, they are planning something. More and more are making their presence known. I knew the name who bought your father's company was familiar."
"They stole it," Daisye reminded him.
"Either way, it's the name of their king that died in the war. Matoux has to be a front for something they're planning. I must let my king know and convene the Paladin court."
"Am I supposed to stay here while you go to this world of yours?" she asked.
"One thing about the serpent people, darling: when they have your scent, they will never stop hunting you," Hawke said. "You go wherever I go until we figure out what's going on. I've got a few calls to make, so you might want to get some sleep. We leave for Paladin in the morning."
"Well, I'm hungry, and considering everything I've been through tonight, I think I'll have a bottle of wine too. She threw off the blanket. "It's only seven, so I think I'll make some dinner. Would you like some?"
"I think that sounds delightful," Hawke stood and grinned. "It seems a little fight and you become a whole new person--less vinegar to your tongue."
"I'm still the same person. My skin means a lot to me and I'd like to keep it. If that means being nicer to you, so be it. Besides, who would turn down a chance to see a world beyond this?" Daisye stood up and swayed when she became lightheaded. Hawke was beside her in an instant, holding her in his massive arms.
His eyes searched her face. "This is the second time I've seen you almost faint from hunger. You must not eat enough."
"I eat plenty. I just have a low blood sugar problem," Daisye teased. "I cure it with chocolate and candy I stash away in my room."
He chuckled. "I see, and I thought I was making you dizzy."
"No wonder you can turn into such a huge creature; your ego is not man-sized, it's dragon-proportioned."
"You know, I think I'll have a taste of that sharp vinegar tongue of yours," Hawke said.
With those words and giving her no chance to protest, Hawke took her lips in a kiss that made he senses scream. He used his mouth like an expert craftsman, tasting and plundering. Daisye couldn't help the moan that escaped her. He molded her to his body as his tongue penetrated her mouth once more. When he let her go, she sat down because she didn't think her legs could hold her up after such an onslaught of desire filled her body.
"How about that. I think maybe kissing you surpassed any dinner," he murmured and his voice held a hint of surprise. "Hmmm, I'll go and make those calls now. See you in about an hour for dinner."
)
