A Kind of Magic

Twenty

The question caught Peregrine off guard-- he wasn't expecting that a woman who had grown up in the non magical world of humans would believe in them this easily-- and he found himself replying before he could check himself. He had never told anyone in this world what he was; he was sure that the people here would either think that he was crazy, or crazy and dangerous. But it was too late to consider what Fiona's reaction might be as his mouth told her the truth without his brain's consent.

"I'm a dragon shifter."

He watched her eyes grow wide even as his words penetrated her mind and he could almost see himself reflected in them as she imagined him shifting into his dragon form, his shiny charcoal scales and vast bat-like wings looking midnight blue in the light of her blue orbs. 

Her fearless acceptance of the truth took his breath away, and for the first time since he met her, he allowed himself to inhale deeply, risking never to be able to forget her scent. Under the veil of hospital odours and rain, she smelled of his favourite things-- wildflowers dancing in the wind, and spring water, and freshly baked bread... and something else, something familiar, a scent he couldn't name.

Fiona registered the sound of wine being poured into their glasses in the ensuing silence, never taking her eyes off of the dark Peregrine sitting so close at her side that she could feel his heat penetrating under her skin through her clothes, his eyes devouring her as he explained. Did he really say he was a dragon shifter? And why did it not surprise her at all? It was so easy and perfectly natural to believe everything he told her... Was she... naive? Desperate for this man's approval and attention so much that she was happy to believe anything he said...? No. She wanted to believe him because he was telling the truth, full stop.

She turned away from him, breaking their eye contact, feeling cold as soon as her eyes left his. Botheration! Meeting this man who would be gone again tomorrow to never return was nothing she needed... She had been doing so well... She did feel alone sometimes, felt her life slipping by as the years passed, but she had Freddie and after his father had disappeared she grew to being his mother and father and everything else he needed and it took all of her time and energy... Why did it not feel enough any longer? Why did she suddenly wish for... more?

With a deep sigh, she looked thankfully at Gilderoy, who claimed her attention, scattering her wayward thoughts as he offered more information.

"He's not a simple dragon shifter. He's a Highlander, something of a... royalty among dragons."

Peregrine's eyes that hadn't left her face discerned her following question forming behind her forehead wrinkled with confused thoughts before she could open her mouth, and he spoke to the dwarf before she could. 

"Don't," Peregrine muttered, and the tone of his voice turned the simple word into an effective warning. He had already told her enough about himself for tonight, he was lucky that she wasn't running for the hills yet. She would, if she knew what being a Highlander meant. "He is a dwarf," he said instead, pointing one long finger at the smiling Gilderoy, "and he's an elf," he added, turning towards Leodhais. 

Fiona brought her glass to her lips and took a sip of the wine Gilderoy had poured out before she quipped, "I gathered as much." 

She took another sip, then set the glass down. It was high time to leave. It was late, and she had already spent too much time with the three otherworldly strangers. She needed to get back to her reality. 

"Thank you very much for this evening, it was... different," she said, standing up, pulling her cardigan on. She took her ring off the table and stuffed it in her pocket, then leaned above Peregrine-- inappropriately close, but she couldn't deny herself this last touch-- to retrieve her handbag. 

"I must go; it's too late," she said, putting the bag on her shoulder and rummaging inside it for her wallet.

"We will pay," Peregrine said as he stood too, his sword hitting the chair with a soft thud. 

He towered over her, making her feel all sorts of things, making it difficult for her to say the next words but she pushed on nonetheless. 

"Thanks, then. And goodbye, we won't see each other again... " She hated to hear the tremor in her voice as she said it, looking up into the dragon shifter's grey eyes, but she didn't allow her crazy feelings to stop her from saying the rest. "It was nice to meet you, Gilderoy. And you, Leodhais, are freed from the imposed courtship." She couldn't help but giggle as she said it. "I'm flattered, but I'm not interested. Please give my regards to my father but... my home is here. I'm not leaving with you."

Peregrine shot a warning look to both his companions as they started to protest before he looked at her again, and as she couldn't avoid meeting his eyes one more time, he took her cool hand and brought it to his lips.

The touch of his lips on her skin made her feel weak in the knees, and she hated that he knew it... Botheration! She had to leave. Now.

"Goodbye. Have a safe journey home," she repeated, pulling her hand from his and wrapping the cardigan closer around her body as she left the table, dashed across the now deserted pub and walked out the door into the night, without pausing to say good night to Helen, without casting a backward glance at the three unworldly men. 

"Botheration," she muttered as she crossed the road towards the building where her flat was. Just why did it feel wrong that they let her leave so easily?

"Are you out of your mind?" Leodhais attacked Peregrine the moment Fiona was out of sight and earshot. "Why did you let her go?! We must bring her to her father, we promised..."

"And we will. Be patient, elf, we are not leaving without her," Peregrine whispered even as Helen approached their table.

"Where is Fiona?" the woman asked, looking from one man to another. 

"She's gone home. We are leaving too, excuse us for having stayed so long, lady," Peregrine said, looking around the empty pub even as he put several banknotes on the table for her to choose what they owed.

"That's not a problem," she said distractedly. 

Her eyes traveled up the dark building standing across the road through the rain speckled window, then paused on the spot which Peregrine had noticed Fiona looking at before even as lights came on in one of the windows on the highest floor. Fiona's flat. He grinned, the tracker in him awaking, eager to accept the challenge Alaric's daughter had proposed by her refusal to be taken to her father without making a fuss. 

"Thank you, and good night, guys," Helen said as Peregrine forced her to accept one bank note more than what she had taken from the table. Her eyes lingered longingly on Leodhais, who avoided meeting her look before she gave up with a sigh and a shrug and left.

"We know where she lives," Peregrine said, nodding towards the window before he walked towards door, his two companions in tow. "We'll stay around until she agrees to come with us, however long it might take. We're not leaving without her."