Page 61 of Dragon Eternal (Dragon Kings 4)
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
Shaw wasn’t fooled by Nia ceasing her arguments. There had been too much determination in her words and voice. It didn’t matter what she decided. He wouldn’t allow her to sacrifice herself. There was always another way.
And he was going to prove that.
After Merrill had departed, Shaw gathered his few items, and the two of them set out to Nia’s. This time, a horse and cart were waiting for them. Shaw eyed the conveyance suspiciously. It looked like only one person would fit inside.
“It’ll hold us,” Nia said with a smile in her voice.
Shaw wasn’t so sure, but he helped her inside before squeezing himself into the tight confines. The cart creaked ominously with his added weight, and Shaw thought it might break right then. Curtains hung to prevent others from seeing inside, but that was their only privacy.
“I like Merrill,” Nia said.
Shaw glanced at his hands as he chuckled. “Everyone likes Merrill. He has a way about him that puts people at ease.”
“And you don’t?”
He quirked a brow and gave her a flat look. “Merrill has always had a gift for knowing what to say to lift others up. I’m no’ a talker.”
“You talk to me.”
That he did. And he still wasn’t sure why. Shaw shrugged since he had no answer.
Nia grinned and shifted so that her knee brushed his. “You have your own qualities.”
“Oh?” He shouldn’t want to know, but damn if he didn’t.
“When you look at someone, you’re focused solely on them. I know when you’re looking at me, that you hear what I say. Then there’s how you hold my hand. It isn’t done in a possessive manner. Instead, you hold me gently and protectively. Everything about you speaks of a guardian. I know why the magic of your realm chose you as a Dragon King.”
He was taken aback by her words. “You think of me like that?”
“Oh, yes. I like your qualities. Quite a lot.”
His hands itched to pull her to him. The only reason he didn’t was that he wasn’t sure the cart could take it.
“Does my carriage make you uneasy?”
He didn’t comment on how her lips twitched when she spoke. “This isna a carriage. This is a buggy, at best.”
“I assure you that it’ll take our weight.”
Shaw shifted, and the vehicle moaned again. “Really?”
Her laughter drifted around him as they came to a halt. Shaw wasted no time in getting out. He helped Nia out and slung his pack over his shoulder as they faced her estate.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
He turned his head to her. “I was about to ask you that.”
“The knowledge you’ve shared has changed everything. I’m just one person. Wait until everyone knows.”
“Things will no’ go as you expect. Especially those who are fanatics. They willna appreciate their faith being called into question.”
She squared her shoulders. “That’s the only way change comes about.”
Shaw wished that everyone thought as she did. He squeezed her hand.
“I’m prepared for this,” she said. “I know you don’t think so, but I am.”
He smiled, unwilling and unable to tell her that nothing could prepare someone for what was coming. Nia was strong. She would survive in the end. “Doona trust anyone.”
“I never have,” she said with a wink.
They walked beneath the rose entrance and down the path to the villa. Sadie was there to greet them when they walked through the door.
“Ma’am,” the servant said with a smile. Then her gaze slid to him. “Sir.”
Nia greeted Sadie with a smile. “Shaw is our guest now. Please make sure there is enough food for him at every meal.”
“Of course,” Sadie said before bowing her head and walking away.
Nia tugged Shaw after her toward the steps. He didn’t see any other servants as they went up to her chambers. She sighed once inside and rushed to the windows to open them. He walked slower into the room and glanced around. He didn’t look for anything in particular, just followed his instinct. He set his bag near the bed and inhaled the scent of roses that drifted through the windows.
“We’re very fortunate to have such temperate weather during the summer,” she said as she turned to him.
“How is autumn?”
She shrugged indifferently. “Lots of bright, sunny days with the temperature dipping. We have our first snowfall then. Winters can be harsh with the wind and snow.”
“Do you get a lot of snow?”
“The upper levels get much more than the lower.”
“What about ice?”
