Beautiful Torture *Book Two of the Beautiful series*

29) Old friend?

Lucy did not bother looking back as they traveled away from the mountain.

After having climbed down it in the cover of night, the sun had just begun rising. They had set off in secret, grabbing the prepared bag of Flames that was meant to go with them. Hugged safely in Lucy's arms as she followed Hunter down the road. Alexander close behind with a hand on her lower back meant to help comfort her.

Despite the chill in the air, the bag in her arms was warm, chasing away the cold that threatened to over take her tired bones. She had not fully recovered from their creation, but their safety was more important. Which is why she was conflicted with leaving them with people she didn't know.

Anyone could be working for the queen, or Endon himself, if they got their hands on the sacred items, they would destroy them. Because was that not what Endon wanted? To get rid of the Dragons, the only race strong enough to fight against him.

And she had just done something big to stop that.

Daughter or not, she was sure he would not forgive her for something so treacherous to his plan.

"Where are we headed to now?" Hunter asked over his shoulder, intentionally pulling her from her thoughts.

Her dragon king sighed heavily, "Well, with this new leverage, we will likely visit some of the possibles again. The ones who were on the offensive or were in need of more convincing. They are sure to join the cause now," leaning down without breaking stride, he placed a kiss to the side of her head.

Implying that the Flames were now items to be bargained for the alliance of others. Something that set her on edge, hugging the bag closer, back to the fact she was not about to hand them off to someone she did not trust greatly.

Not only was she protecting the rightful heir to the throne inside of her, but in her hands she was responsible for eleven dragon souls. Not something she was about to take lightly.

She remembered Alexander's words, from what felt like a lifetime ago, before she knew who he really was. 'Trust no one.' Yet she had come to trust him with her life. The conflict made her head ache, trying not to think about it anymore as they walked.

The sun was almost directly above them when they tracked into the town of Cleverton, a small fishing town in the domain of Greynar, one of the lords who had refused to have an audience with Alexander the first time they had passed through. Clearly her dragon king held out hope that he might change his mind with this new development.

But until he was sure that Greynar would see them again, he did not want Lucy bringing the Flames within his reach. There was no sense in putting them within reach of someone who was not willing to work with them against a common enemy.

So instead he led them to what appeared to be the local watering hole, where the scent of food wafted.

"Stay here and get something to eat," Alexander kissed the crown of her head, a hand laying flat to her stomach in a loving gesture. To Hunter, with less compassion, "Keep her here and do not draw attention to yourselves." With one more kiss, he was off, rounding a corner and disappearing from sight.

The two of them stepped inside, immediately taking the abandoned booth in the corner closest to the door in case they needed to make a quick get away.

Although he wanted to keep the Flames hidden, she was not entirely sure the tavern was the best place either. Not that anyone would know she was carrying more than one kind of precious cargo. Aside from bump pressing out against the shirt she wore; which was now seeming to grow at an increasing rate.

She was not unfamiliar with pregnancy, as some of the girls at Grayson house had conceived on more than one occasion. Not something that was always shunned in an establishment like that, as the babes would be sold for the madam to make an extra coin. During those times, the girls had not shown as much as Lucy, not in the time she'd been with Alexander. She now appeared to be many months along instead of a couple.