Page 6 of Knight of the Sword

“I think that’s enough questions for now.”

Sophie spun around and almost groaned. Michael McCain was elbowing his way through the growing crowd. Bad enough that her nosy neighbor tried to seek fifteen seconds of fame by exaggerating her menagerie of assorted animals, and the police officer probably thought her nuts, but now Michael was here. And Michael definitely made her feel confused. She didn’t like the feeling one bit. She was always in control of her emotions. It was easier that way.

“Who are you?” the officer asked, his pen poised above the small notepad he carried.

“Michael McCain.” He offered his driver’s license.

The cop looked at it and handed it back. “Why are you here?”

Michael moved closer to Sophie and put his arm around her shoulder. “I heard the report about Cameron Veterinary Clinic on the scanner. Sophie’s my girl.”

She made a choking sound. His girl? Where did that come from? She started to move away from him, but his fingers tightened their hold gently. She tugged, but his hand was firm as a steel band. Who did he think he was? Some knight in shining armor coming to her rescue? She could hold her own. Sophie started to elbow him, but, as if he anticipated the move, he simply pulled her closer to him, trapping her arm against the side of his hard chest. And damn, if her traitorous body did not respond to that closeness. Heat radiated straight to her belly and her knees felt weak. And almost as though he knew the effect he was having, he grinned at her. She wanted to tell him she wasn’t about to fall for his male magnetism, but the officer was watching her.

Plastering a smile on her own face, she nodded. “I really do have to check on my animals.”

“Of course,” the officer said and closed his notepad, slipping it into his shirt pocket. He glanced up at the now-empty sky. “Let’s break it up, folks. That’s all for tonight.”

Michael kept her tucked up against him until the small crowd dissipated. When the last one had gone, he released her and she turned on him.

“Just what was that all about? The last thing I want to do is deal with an arrogant, sexy man who thinks he’s God’s gift to women!”

His mouth quirked up. “You think I’m sexy? That’s a good start.”

She glared at him, hands on her hips. “No! You think you are. Men like you flatter and flirt until you get what you want and then the woman is left picking up the pieces and putting her life back together.”

His expression sobered. “You’ve been hurt.”

“Never mind that. What are you doing here anyway? I’m about to have a nervous breakdown and I need time to think about what really happened tonight.”

Michael started to reach for her and then let his arm drop. “There is no need for you to have a nervous breakdown,” he said. “What you saw was real and I know who—or what—the dragon is. Let’s go inside and talk.”

****

Michael, waiting while Sophie checked on the animals, spent the time pondering just how much he should tell her. Or, more precisely, how much she could take.

She looked exhausted when she finally came back to the waiting room. Her face was pale and she had dark circles under her eyes. Michael wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and soothe her with his magic, but his warlock sense told him she would only interpret that as a sexual advance. And, as voluptuous as her body was, she had suppressed any inclination to flirt. Someone had hurt her really badly.

Maybe, in time, he could find out who the jerk was. But if they were going to work together, she had to trust him. He sighed. That meant putting all his lustful thoughts of her soft, naked body aside. At least, for now.

Sophie sank into one of the leather armchairs placed about the room. “I really saw a dragon?”

“You really saw a dragon.”

Sophie closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Michael’s fingers itched to touch her. He could relieve the tension easily enough—a simple mind-spell would do it, but even as he thought it, she opened her eyes.

“How is it possible?” she asked in a shaky voice. “Dinosaurs, which people probably mistook for dragons, became extinct long ago.”

“Two entirely different species,” Michael answered. “Dragons are magical creatures.”

She stared at him. “Magical? Like unicorns? Don’t tell me they exist too!”

They did, but Michael saw no reason to bring that up right now. Sophie already looked a little wild-eyed. He probed her aura gently, but she had astral shields in place. Pushing at those would cause her more distress.

“Thousands of years ago, dragons roamed quite freely on Earth. When humans came, the dragons tried to help, but the mortals were afraid of the sacred fire they breathed. Instead of trying to understand the dragons, the humans hunted them. The dragons withdrew into the mists.” Michael paused, giving her time to absorb what he knew probably sounded like science fiction. “The reason people think dragons don’t exist is because, over the passage of time, people have stopped thinking of them.” He paused again and tried to mind-link, but her defense shields were firmly in place. Should he continue? “The same thing happened with the old Greek and Roman gods. The new religion replaced them, just like it did the goddess of Avalon.” Michael stopped when Sophie held up her hand.

“Please don’t tell me there is some mystical Lady of the Lake floating around somewhere too!”

Michael tried not to wince, reminding himself that Sophie was practical and logical. She had, after all, gone to medical school for years and thought like a scientist, not like the witches he was used to working with. She would need time to accept Truth.