Chapter 5

Lexi spent the next week working on her lair, this morning she was going through the library with a touch of a fingertip to a book she was sending copies to her a room in her lair, with a wicked grin she sent copies of the erotic books she and Con had grown up peeking at to join the rest, she was on the last row in no time, with a satisfied look she left the library. Since her mother was sleeping late, Lexi told Riley she was going to her lair, to call her if she was needed.

With a giggle Lexi danced around “yes! it had worked” she went over and looked in the beach room again a grin on her face, it now looked like a lost lagoon, filled with exotic flowers, rock walls with waterfalls spilling down into a pool a few water lilies floating about, there were steps going down into the water, along the sides here and there were area’s carved out of the rock under the water where a person could lay down and out of the way little secluded area’s, the water went from shallow to very deep, a person could dive from the top of a waterfall into the water and never reach bottom. Vines covered with flowers hung down from the stone walls, she could change the temperature of the water and could add a fine mist that would come up into the air from where the water came cascading down into the pool, the sunlight or moonlight seemed to filter down through flowers, vines and unseen tree’s, there were area’s of soft green grass back away from the fine sand that kissed the edge of the water, small streams meandering through where a person or dragoness could lay down in the warm sunlight, have a picnic or sleep in the moonlight a feeling of being cradled by the lagoon It was lush, tropical, exotic without being overpowering, instead it lent a feeling of soothing calm, the sounds of the waterfalls instead of being loud and roaring were a gentle hush of falling water like the gentle lapping of ocean waves on a quiet starlit night. With a laugh she thought twenty dragons could fit inside the pool and not touch sides.

Lexi giggling picked several orchids and put them in her hair, she let out a little startled shriek then laughed “ohh hi Grandfather” Alex who had been wandering through the lair looking for Lexi stepped into the lagoon room a look of awe on his face “has Nedra been visiting?” Lexi laughed “no, I made it all by myself” Alex grinned widely “you wouldn’t happen to be interested in making one for your old Granddad would you? Lexi giggled at the grin on his face “sure I can if you want” Alex picked a flower “we’ll surprise your Grandmother” he laughed sticking the stem of the flower between his teeth, Lexi laughed and laughed “your so silly” Alex winked, Lexi still giggling asked him where he wanted it, they finally decided to put it right next to the beach room, sitting and splashing her bare feet in the water she concentrated for a minute then grinned “you better get home before she finds the new door, ohhh Grandfather be sure and take the flower out from behind your ear, it would be a dead give away you were up to something” Alex blinked “it’s done?” Lexi nodded smiling at his look of surprise, Alex jumped up and pulled on his socks and boots gave Lexi a quick hug and left with a wide grin and a glint in his eye.

Laurel frowned keeping her eye’s closed “if I have a ship in my ocean I’m not going to be happy” Alex grinned holding her hand and leading her to the door of the lagoon “not a ship in sight, I promise” Alex opened the door and took Laurel inside “ok, you can look now” her eye’s wide she breathed out “ohhhhhhhhhh Alex” Alex grinned “care to go skinny dipping, urchin” putting a flower in her hair, Laurel grinned all ready shedding her clothes, the two laughed, giggled and made love in their lagoon that seemed to shut out the outside world.

Lexi carried her sketches outside and sat eating some lunch while she imagined the way she wanted the outside to look, glancing up at the building storm clouds Lexi frowned, quickly finishing her lunch she got to work on the house that would front her lair, Lexi planned on spending most of her time in the house and just mainly using the lair for privacy, peace and quiet. The lower portion of the house butted up against the mountain, with a special unseen door from the back hallway leading to the entrance of her lair, the roof was made from slat the same color as the mountain, the front lower porch had columns that looked like small oak tree’s, the front door way was an arch with the door matching the columns. The bottom floor held the kitchen, servants quarters since Lexi knew that Riley would more then likely get his way about that, a breakfast room, a small music room, on the other side of the foyer was the library, it was two stories from floor to ceiling with a balcony around the second story wide enough for large chairs or sofa’s with a small curved staircase, the wall facing the front of the house had almost floor to ceiling arched windows, the upper half of the windows were stained glass with only a portion of the lower part being able to open. There was a massive fireplace with an oak beam mantel to match the paneling and the wood floors. The foyer had white and dark green checkered marble flooring with an over head sky light of light colored stained glass with leaves, branches and vines twining through it, along one wall a staircase curved elegantly up the wall to the second story. There were only two large bedrooms, she had put at one end of the hall a small solarium with double glass doors leading out to a porch the went around the sides and front of the house, the posts blended with the oak columns along the porch downstairs in the front of the house. A doorway along the hall led to the pool room instead of having a bathing pool and an oil pool which she had put in her lair, Lexi made the bathing pool more like a giant oval bathtub with a large ledge around it, the lower portion around the tub was done in the same checkered marble as the floor of the foyer, with several wide steps leading up to it, there was a large window just above the tub made of diamond paned glass, a fireplace finished off the room. With a start of surprise Lexi realized it was getting dark and starting to rain, quickly putting her sketches away she headed home.

Lexi quickly washed up and changed for dinner, she walked into the dining room just as Riley was carrying out the platters of food. She smiled to see Tommy all ready sitting at the table, she said hi to everyone and took her seat.

“You’ve been gone all day, the next time you do that at least check now and then on your mother” Connor said with a frown on his face, Lexi looked at her mother in concern “are you all right?” Allora smiled “I’m just fine, your father is just fussing” still frowning Connor glanced back at Lexi “fussing or not, I expect you to report in from time to time” Lexi started to frown “report in? Mother and Riley both knew where I was.” Her hand shook with the first clap of thunder, “whether they know where you are or not is missing the point, you can check in and let them know you’re all right” Connor told her, Lexi frowned “Con doesn’t have to do that and he is here, there and everywhere all the time” Con held up his hand “hey leave me out of it, I’m a guy I don’t have to check in and I’m not here, there and everywhere, I’m usually at Morpaw’s or Bartolow’s.”

Grimacing at the thunder and lightening Lexi tried to eat her dinner while concentrating on purring inside trying to deal with the storm, being tired both mentally and physically wasn’t helping, when the purring didn’t work she muted all the sound around her.

“The three of you are going to a captains meeting? when?” Lexi said trying to keep track of the conversation, Connor sighed “if you had been listening, I said we had to be at this meeting in an hour and it will more then likely last most of the night, I don’t want you going anywhere and leaving your Mother alone” Lexi took a deep breath and stared straight at her father “just because you’re worried about Mother and are annoyed at all these meetings where everyone just talks and nothing gets accomplished, doesn’t mean you have to take it out on me, that’s not fair at all.”

Connor frowned “fair or not, I expect you to do as you’re told” Lexi frowned back “ever since I went to visit the book you’ve been watching me like I’ve got two head or something, everyone has, I don’t know what’s going on but it’s not right and annoys the hell out of me, certainly I will do as I’m told father, I’ve always been there or tried to be when Mother has needed me.”

Allora banged her fork on the table “that’s enough both of you! I’m not going to listen to the two of you snapping at each other like this, Lexi go take a few deep breaths and get your temper under control, Breeton finish your dinner maybe with a full stomach you will stop frowning and being overprotective.” Lexi jumped up from the table and went storming out of the room almost screaming as another clap of thunder shrieked through her body, Tommy and Con glanced at each other and silently finished their dinner, Connor rubbed his forehead with a tired sigh.

“Whoooo one angry dragoness on the horizon” Tommy said with a grin, Lexi sighed “I’m sorry Tommy, I warned you I had a temper, it’s just that the whole thing with father was so uncalled for” Tommy smiled “it may have been but you have to look at it from your fathers point of view, I think he is scared witless about your mother having hatchlings and something going wrong, on top of that he has a daughter that The Book of Cairin, possibly the most powerful book of magic ever known, reaches out and draws her inside it, wanting the knowledge she possesses, I think he’s afraid the book will do it again and not let you out and then he would have lost you like he lost your mother.”

Lexi nodded with a sigh, she started to say something about the hatchlings when Con came in saying to Tommy that it was time to go. Tommy waited until Con had left then gave Lexi a quick kiss goodbye, Connor waiting in the foyer listened to the storm and turned to Riley “keep an eye on things, this sounds like it’s going to be a bad one, you know how to get ahold of me if you need too” Connor kissed Allora and ran his hand over her stomach “I’ll be back as soon as I can” Allora chuckled “then you better go so you can get back Breeton, standing around talking isn’t going to get you there any sooner” Connor smiled and left with Con and Tommy. Finally getting the level of sounds under control Lexi helped Riley shut the shudders as the storm intensified which also helped to muffle the sound of the storm slightly. Lexi went and checked on her mother who was blissfully painting away in the solarium, with a smile she went upstairs to her mother’s room, she put a large stack of towels on a table, added a second wash basin, made sure there was plenty of wood stacked by the fireplace, moved the cradle over by the fireplace and covered it with a blanket to keep it warm.

DeClan sat watching Tabby and Mal closely, the two seemed very hyper and he didn’t think it was just the storm, Mal pacing back and forth across the back of the sofa looked at his papa “need go see Tee o.”

Zara smiled “I’m sure Tee is just fine, sweetie, she is probably all snuggled warm in her bed by now” Mal his eye’s fierce roared “need go see Tee o.”

Tabby looked at her papa “please papa” she whispered her eye’s wide and worried, Zara picked up Tabby snuggling her close “what’s wrong? sweetie” Tabby patted her mama’s cheek with a little paw “don’t know yet, better Mal go stay Tee” DeClan frowned and said silently to Zara “for some reason Tabby want’s Mal with Tee, I’ll talk to Virlane then I think you should take both of them to The Keep.” Zara jumped hearing a loud banging on the front door, with a frown DeClan went and pulled open the door, Bailey fell in the door, gasping and crying, blood on her shirt, a cut on her cheek and chin. DeClan turned to Zara “take the children to The Keep now and stay there until I say it’s safe” Tabby making little moaning whimpering sounds started to cry, Mal hissing and snarling flew over and nuzzled Tabby, with one last look at Bailey, Zara left with Tabby and Mal. DeClan picked Bailey up and carried her into the parlor setting her down on the couch he asked her where Alana was, Bailey sobbing panted “she’s in the gardeners cottage, you’ve got to help Zachary, Finbar is killing him, please, please go help Zachary” DeClan quickly put dry clothes on Bailey while he sent for Bitsy “where are they?” Bailey holding onto his sleeve cried “out on the road half way between here and The Keep, I tried to stop him but he has a knife and was stabbing Zachary, Zachary told me to run and get back on Salvation land and to keep Alana safe.”

Bitsy with a gasp flew over to Bailey “take care of her, get Alana in the house and keep them together” DeClan told Bitsy then was gone.