Chapter 10

The guard on the dock grinned widely as he helped Lexi out of the boat, with a little squeal she stumbled and grabbed him, if his grin could of gotten any wider his I’m so clumsy” she said in a soft breathless low voice, the man hauled her up against his chest “ain’t seen you here about’s before me beauty” Lexi pouted “they didn’t like me in Jamaica, those horrid women were just jealous, why do I look like I would bother another woman’s husband” she said with a wink. “Here now don’t be messin with me doxy” grumbled Willy as he climbed out of the boat, followed by Billy and Mac and a dozen invisible dragons.

The guard laughed “your doxy, come on Willy ya couldn’t afford a woman like this in a dozen life times” Lexi ohhhh’d pursing her lips as she leaned closer “but Willy told me you have vicious frightening dragons here and if I went with him I could see them” turning so her breasts brushed against the mans arms she said to Willy “ohhhhhh were you teasing me? Willy, I did so want to see a real live dragon” then she giggled “you know they eat innocent maidens.”

The guard puffed up his chest “that we do, we got real live dragons all rightee, ol Willy there he ain’t got the know how to get to um, but if ya was to come with me, well now I just might be lettin you see um” Lexi looked up at the guard with wide eye’s filled with admiration “could you really? ohhhh I do so want to see a dragon, are they terribly scary?” she said giving a little shiver, the guard grinned at Willy, Mac and Billy had made a few rude comments and headed for the tavern, “why don’t you go have a drink with your buddies Willy, I’ll bring her back later, Willy huffed like he was going to argue, the guard glowered at him, Willy muttering swear words headed off towards the tavern.

Lexi sashayed along beside the guard her arms wrapped around his arm pressing it between her breasts, when they came to a ramshackle building she gasped “ohh my don’t tell me they are in there, aren’t they awfully big, why don’t they just knock it down?” The guard snorted “cuz their packed in there like sardines and they got magic keepin um in” Lexi’s eye’s went wide “magic? ohh are there witch’s here too?” the man laughed “oh ya we got witches but of the bitch variety, nahhh there’s some old sorcerer type got it in for them dragons” Lexi looked around “where are all the guards? is it safe?” she said in a breathless whisper. “we don’t need guards, I’m more then enough to handle a few dragons, I check on um every once in a while and if they act up why I just jerk on that there cord and it makes um behave” Lexi giggled wiggling against the man sliding her hands around his belt, hearing footsteps she pursed her lips at the man, who grinned at her and jerked her against him, kissing her hard.

Lexi almost gagged, she heard some snickering as several drunk men staggered past, “your play acting just like with Mal and Tabby” she told herself as her stomach started to roll.

As the guard pawed at her she got her hands around his keys, holding them so they wouldn’t make any noise she slipped them off the hook on his belt and held her hand out, praying there really was a dragon standing behind the guard. With a giggle Lexi pulled away slightly and grabbed the guards hand “is there a window I can peek in?” pulling him around the building, she saw a window up high above her head “ohhhhhh I can’t reach” she pouted, then let out a squeal as the man picked her up, his hands sliding up her thighs, Lexi put her hands on the windowsill and holding on peered in.

“Ohhhh my there really are dragons in there” she gasped, sticking her hand between the rusty bars she waved “hello in there, yooohooo dragons.”

Lexi winked at Tommy, who was staring at her, his mouth hanging open, “ohhh dear where did they all go? why they all just vanished” Lexi mouthed NOW! with a yelp Lexi dropped to the ground as the guard grabbing at his belt went running around the side of the building to the door that was standing wide open, Lexi was right behind him, she walked in the door “see they all just went poof” with a look of horror the guard went running down the dock, shouting the alarm, Lexi quickly reached down and grabbed the chain holding all the dragons, she concentrated as hard as she could and the chains vanished “now, get out now, the ship is out past the harbor if you can’t make it back to Mercer’s” she yelled as she ran out of the building, Lexi felt the rush of bodies and the spread of wings. Lexi heard a large explosion and grinned as the tavern went up in flames, building after building followed, soon all the ships in the harbor were on fire, she started to run as she turned herself invisible, quickly she took to the sky. From the air she could see Con directing the cannon’s as they fired on the pirate ships, Lexi landed on the deck and roared “give um hell, Con” Con turned and grinned widely, his face black from the gunpowder. Lexi changed to her human and went rushing over to where Mercer and some of the other’s lay, Tommy was holding Mercer “you made it this far damnit, Mercer hang on” Lexi spread her hands over the dragon and a soft warm golden glow covered him “Mal and Tabby would be awfully upset with you Mercer if you died, I thought you were going to teach Mal how to be a dandy” she told him softly. Mercer smiled weakly “I still intend too” Lexi gave him a hug then winked at him “Mal’s taken to wearing a monocle ya know but he needs you to teach him the proper snout angle so he looks superior” Mercer chuckled and closed his eye’s, Tommy frowned leaning over him, Lexi put her hand on his arm “he’s sleeping, hi Tommy, if I told you to get lost would you?” Tommy set Mercer down gently then got up on aching shaky legs, he wrapped his arms around her “not likely” Lexi looked up at him and smiled softly, she brushed her hand over his tired face “good, I was hoping you would say that” as he smiled back Tommy crumpled to the deck. While Con gave the order to cease fire Lexi went from dragon to dragon making sure if they were hurt they got taken care of, she frowned at Mac laying on the deck a bullet in his arm “what did you do? jump left instead of right?” she said as she healed his wound, Mac chuckled “no I jumped up instead of down” Lexi laughed “then you’re lucky it wasn’t lower” Mac laughed then frowne.

“lass ya need to change out of that outfit, Tibitron will be coming aboard soo.”

Lexi instantly changed into breeches, a shirt, vest and jacket “better?” Mac winked “no but safer, besides your ma would kick my arse to Newcastle and back were I to make a lewd comment” Lexi laughed and went to see how the others were doing.

Lexi ran over and hugged her father as he came on board “I was worried about you” Connor grinned and touched his green ribbon then hugged her back “everyone get back safely?” Lexi nodded “good then let’s head home.” Lexi sat on deck Tommy’s head on her lap as he slept, she tucked the blanket closer around him, then touched his face softly “a few good meals and you’ll be back to the old Tommy in no time” she whispered.

“That was a hell of a good time but I don’t think I’d want to do it often” said Con sitting on the deck next to her, his face still green under the black from the gunpowder, Lexi chuckled quietly “I don’t think I’d want to do it often either, I think we’re home bodies Con” he nodded “we have enough of a daily adventure with Holly and Heather around, I wanted to say that I was sorry for what I said to Riley that day in the foyer” Lexi touched his hand “let it be Con, it’s over with” Con nodded “in a way after tonight it is, what I never said to father was, I was angry at myself Lexi, that night at the stables I stood there puking my guts out, when I should of been trying to do something to help you, and there came Mother, like a general calling the charge and breezes into the stable and handles the situation like it was an everyday thing, it made me feel less then a man” Lexi sighed “Con, I saw the looks on everyone’s faces that night, none of them could get past their own feelings of horror, I’m sure they all wanted to start barfing but were just older and more able to take a deep breath and control it, none of them knew what to do, not just you. Sometimes I think men see the violence of a moment, where a woman sees past it to the need of the moment, Mother’s been a fighter all her life, she’s had to make decisions and deal with problems for a long time, I also think she didn’t see a bloody furious dragoness that night, she saw her daughter. I saw you tonight up there giving order, in control of the situation, you didn’t know if there was going to be return fire or if things had turned for the worse and the ship might be boarded but you stood and gave your orders, I saw the pride in father’s eye’s, I saw the pride in the dragons for another dragon who was fighting along side them, don’t ever doubt that your a man Con, you proved it tonight a dozen times over.”

Lexi looked at Billy as he walked over “do you think you could whip up some food? everyone is hungry, even though we can all eat when we get to Mercer’s, it would be nice to have a chicken leg to chew on” Billy said with a big grin, Lexi chuckled “sure thing Billy” Lexi carefully eased Tommy’s head onto a pillow and stood up, she stretched for a minute then started producing giant picnic baskets filled to the brim with food, she hand one to Billy “have a few chicken legs” Billy laughed and went off totting his basket and to let the other’s know there was food.

Tommy sat on a coil of rope, leaning back against the mast his eye’s closed, Mac sat next to him, he opened his eye’s and watched Lexi walk over to the railing and lean her arms against it watching the sun come up, the golden rays of morning bathed Lexi in a warm glow, the salty breeze blew her hair around her face, Tommy saw Tibitron appear next to her, his hand reaching out and taking ahold of a lock of her hair, Mac put his hand on Tommy’s arm and shook his head as Tommy started to get up. They both listened as Tibitron said to Lexi “I can shower you with gold, like the sun does now, I can give you riches beyond your wildest imaginings, I can give you the world and make it your playground. Think of the dynasty we could start, a dynasty of magic that could rule the world of dragons and man” Lexi shook her head “I don’t want the world, I don’t want riches beyond imagining, Tibitron, I am happy with my home on Montcliff land, I’m happy having the hatchlings to play with. A dynasty of magic? I don’t want to control anyone or rule over anyone or anything just my own life.”

Tibitron let the waves of hair slid through his fingers “I knew it would feel like silk, if you are so happy why are your emotions wrapped in ice and your soul crying tears of pain? I can melt the ice and dry your tear’s, I can set the flames beneath the ice on fire, I could fill your life with passion fueled by your flames.” Lexi shook her head again “your kind of passion isn’t mine, your the kind of lover that want’s complete submission, you put your foot on the neck of your women making them beg and not in a good way for that fire and passion, I want a passion that will last an eternity not flare up wildly then burn to embers that end in ashes” Tibitron watched a lock of hair blow over her shoulder “and will you get that passion that lasts an eternity from your Tommy? a man who’s mistress is the oceans of the world, can a woman like you filled with hidden flames be happy sitting waiting for months or years for a man who will return perhaps for a few weeks or days at a time, will you let your passion turn to loneliness and discontent so you turn to lovers to fill the long nights?” Lexi sighed looking out at the ocean waves “that’s the difference between us Tibitron you speak of passion alone, I speak of a passion fueled by love, yes I could sit waiting for months or years, as for loneliness and discontent I can’t see into the future, even if I could I wouldn’t want to, I want each day to be an adventure or at the least a day filled with knowing that I can love someone, as for lovers, I doubt I would find the need for any, I don’t see myself as a woman who is so caught up in her own pleasures that she must have a man in her bed nightly.” Tibitron hissed “what do you want with a man like Tommy? a dragon of mediocre if any magic, a dragon who’s hoard if he has any would fit into a thimble, if you had hatchlings they would be losing out on a magical potential, I could give you hatchlings that would be a power unto themselves with your magic and mine” Lexi started to smile “what do I want with a man and a dragon like Tommy, love, laughter, days filled with joy, I don’t care if he has a hoard or not, I have enough for both of us thanks to my mother and father’s wise investments, as for hatchlings you haven’t met my sisters, they are a power unto themselves and we tremble at what they may do next. I don’t care if my children have one ounce of magic as long as they are filled to the brim with love and happiness.”

Tibitron looked at Lexi intently “should the day ever come when you realize that idealistic love is nothing more then smoke in the wind, a fairy tale for young girls to dream on, you know where to find me” he vanished before she could reply, with a sigh Lexi stared out at the ocean and the waves and whispered “you are a very dangerous mistress.”