Page 47 of Dragon Unbound (Dragon Kings 3)
Cullen glanced around them to see if anyone was listening. He moved closer to Tamlyn, pressing her against the wall and lowering his voice. “We need to come up with a plan. I need to know that you can get out of here if you have to.”
“They’ll be waiting for me in the forest even if I do. Besides, I’m not leaving without you.”
“It’s a precaution. It’s better to be safe and think of all options beforehand.”
She nodded in understanding. “We should probably return to the tavern to do that.”
They made their way back to the third level and the tavern and took the same table in the back that they’d used that morning. The pub was filling up fast as the sun began its descent. Cullen kept his back to a corner so he could see the door and the stairs leading up to the rooms. Most tables were full, with people laughing and talking. Only one or two individuals sat alone, content to lose themselves in their alcohol.
“Is there someplace you can go other than the woods?” he asked in a low voice.
Tamlyn shrugged and shot him a dark look. “We shouldn’t talk about this here.”
“We aren’t. It was just a question.”
“What’s going on? Something changed.”
He would have to tell her eventually. Might as well be now. “Nothing specific. Just a gut feeling.”
“As long as you’ve been around? I trust your gut.”
Cullen’s lips softened into a smile. “I hope I’m wrong.”
“Like you said, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
He wanted to be wrong. He wished he was, but he wasn’t. Between the things he’d seen out of the corner of his eye and the feeling of being watched, he knew he wasn’t. He leaned over the table and took her hand in his. “If you can no’ get back to Jenefer and Sian, you need to get to my friends.”
“Are you insane?” she asked in a choked whisper.
“They know about you. Tell them who you are. Tell them what we were about.”
She shook her head of black curls. “You can do that. You can get away.”
“I can and I will. This is in case you can no’. Remember my vow?”
“Yes,” she said with a heavy sigh.
He raised his brows and nodded. “That’s what I’m thinking about. If you can no’ get to your friends, go to mine. They will protect you until I can get to you.”
“I don’t like the idea of going without you.”
Cullen’s heart clenched at her words. “Me, either.”
“Then let’s not. We can leave now. We don’t have to stay.”
But they did—and she knew it.
He rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. “Remember who you are.”
“I do.”
He left it at that. Now wasn’t the time to explain it to her. Cullen sat back in his chair, but he didn’t release her hand. He’d felt a deep connection to Tamlyn since the first time he saw her. Now, that link was stronger. It was, in fact, unbreakable.
The thing Cullen had run from his entire life sat across from him now. His mate. He’d suspected from the beginning, but he hadn’t wanted to contemplate it, much less admit it. Now that he had, he didn’t know where that left him. They were in a viper’s nest. He’d vowed to protect her. Cullen hoped he could do that and keep his promise to his friends, too.
They remained in the tavern for another hour. He listened to many conversations, but he heard nothing that could give them an advantage. Finally, he’d had enough. He needed to be alone with her. He caught Tamlyn’s gaze and glanced at the stairs. She nodded, and they rose together. On the way up, he saw a few people who looked their way. Though none would meet his gaze when he looked at them.
In their chamber with the door locked, he pulled Tamlyn into his arms and simply held her. She said nothing as she wrapped her arms around him. The darker the night became, the more apprehensive he was. That meant it was time to talk to Con.
“I need to speak to my friends,” he told her.
Tamlyn leaned back to look at him. “Should I leave?”
“Stay. I willna be long.”
He waited until she was on the bed before he walked to the window and opened the link. “Con. Brandr. Eurwen. Vaughn.”
One by one, they answered him, creating an open link between all five of them.
“I was getting concerned,” Con said.
Cullen braced his hands on either side of the window. “I’m in Stonemore. Things have progressed rapidly.”
“Tell us,” Eurwen urged.
Cullen filled everyone in on things from the moment he left dragon land until that day, though he left out certain details about his time with Tamlyn.
“Bloody hell,” Vaughn murmured.
Brandr said, “If you think our adversary is there, then we need to come to you.”
“No,” Cullen said. “The army was waiting for Tamlyn last night. They’ll set another trap for her. That’s why we’re in the city. I willna leave her alone.”
Con made an indistinct sound. “You doona know what to expect from these priests or the soldiers.”
“They sacrifice children. That tells me everything,” Eurwen snapped.
Cullen agreed with her. “Eurwen, you said the thing that attacked you was invisible. I’ve seen things out of the corner of my eye, but when I look, nothing is there.”
“That’s exactly what I saw,” she said.
Brandr huffed in outrage. “So many things could go sideways while you and Tamlyn are there.”
“He’s a Dragon King,” Con replied.
That was his way of reminding Cullen of his duties and his vow. They came first before anyone or anything else.
“Con, you might be asking a lot of him,” Vaughn said.
Cullen took a deep breath. “I have it under control. If there’s a hiccup, I’m sending Tamlyn to our side. Just take care of her and help get her to the canyon until I can get there.”
“We will,” Eurwen promised.
