God‟s sake.
His mouth turned up at one corner in a smile, but his eyes smoldered a different
message, which she tried to ignore as she made her weak-kneed way to the door.
The problem of a centuries-old dragon showing up on her doorstep was easier to
handle than the problem of Michael. Way easier.
SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 29
Chapter Four
Michael watched as Sophie clipped the stitches with a steady hand, pulling gently
to remove them from the little terrier. It was quite a contrast from the emotional state she had been in last night when he arrived at her clinic.
Of course, there had been a big, red dragon breathing fire at the silly fools who
thought a twenty-gauge shotgun shell would pierce his armor.
Michael hadn‟t meant to kiss her either. Centuries spent as a male—to say
nothing of enhanced warlock abilities—told him this woman had been hurt and not likely
to succumb to any intimate gestures without a solid relationship. He had meant to
comfort her, ease the despair he felt in her, but the desperation he‟d seen in her eyes at the arrival of the police had triggered that kiss. And, by the Goddess, her lips had been soft and warm and moist just like he imagined the wonderful juncture between her legs
would be— His reverie ended as Mr. Smith entered the study, carrying a folder.
Sophie looked up. “Is that the manuscript?”
“It is indeed,” he replied and sat down at his desk. Princess bounded to him, her
three puppies tumbling over each other as they wobbled after her.
Michael laughed and scooped the pups up in his hands as he took one of the two
chairs opposite Mr. Smith. “Your mom needs a rest,” he said to them as Mr. Smith slid
the folder toward him.
Sophie approached more slowly and sat in the other chair. “Shouldn‟t something
this old be kept in an environmentally-controlled compartment or something?”
“Oh, this is just a copy,” Mr. Smith said. “The original is in my vault. I have
very good security. Go ahead. Read it.”
Michael let one of the puppies nibble on his finger while they waited for Sophie
to finish. Princess watched him anxiously and he finally set the pups down and gave her a pat on her head. “There you go, Mama,” he said as she sniffed her offspring.
Sophie put the manuscript down and shook her head. “I can believe the Templars
found some ancient religious relics. Anyone who is interested in history knows the
original nine spent their time digging around Solomon‟s Temple rather than “protecting”
Christian pilgrims on Crusade. Stories of the vast Templar treasure are legendary. I can even believe that they managed to smuggle it out of France and to Scotland before that
dreaded round-up on Friday the 13th. But magical? How can an inanimate object wield
power?”
“I don‟t blame you for being skeptical,” Michael replied. “You‟ve been trained to
deal with facts and proof. For the sake of argument, let‟s assume the Templars did get
the treasure—whatever it was—to Scotland and under the protection of the St. Clair‟s,
who opposed the French king and his somewhat dubious alliance with England. Studying
history, it‟s pretty safe to bet that it was the Templars who were the “warrior force” that gave Robert the Bruce his victory at Bannockburn. Are you okay with that?”
Sophie shrugged. “I suppose. But what does a lesson in Scottish history have to
do with Celtic relics supposedly handed down by some mythical gods?”
SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 30
Mr. Smith pursed his lips at that. “My dear Sophie. Your name means
“wisdom”, did you know?”
She frowned at him. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Tsk. Tsk,” Mr. Smith replied. “A wise woman would be willing to accept new
ideas and concepts, wouldn‟t she?”
“Concepts, yes, but…”
“Just keep an open mind, my dear.”
Sophie grunted and turned back to Michael. “Go on,
His mouth turned up at one corner in a smile, but his eyes smoldered a different
message, which she tried to ignore as she made her weak-kneed way to the door.
The problem of a centuries-old dragon showing up on her doorstep was easier to
handle than the problem of Michael. Way easier.
SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 29
Chapter Four
Michael watched as Sophie clipped the stitches with a steady hand, pulling gently
to remove them from the little terrier. It was quite a contrast from the emotional state she had been in last night when he arrived at her clinic.
Of course, there had been a big, red dragon breathing fire at the silly fools who
thought a twenty-gauge shotgun shell would pierce his armor.
Michael hadn‟t meant to kiss her either. Centuries spent as a male—to say
nothing of enhanced warlock abilities—told him this woman had been hurt and not likely
to succumb to any intimate gestures without a solid relationship. He had meant to
comfort her, ease the despair he felt in her, but the desperation he‟d seen in her eyes at the arrival of the police had triggered that kiss. And, by the Goddess, her lips had been soft and warm and moist just like he imagined the wonderful juncture between her legs
would be— His reverie ended as Mr. Smith entered the study, carrying a folder.
Sophie looked up. “Is that the manuscript?”
“It is indeed,” he replied and sat down at his desk. Princess bounded to him, her
three puppies tumbling over each other as they wobbled after her.
Michael laughed and scooped the pups up in his hands as he took one of the two
chairs opposite Mr. Smith. “Your mom needs a rest,” he said to them as Mr. Smith slid
the folder toward him.
Sophie approached more slowly and sat in the other chair. “Shouldn‟t something
this old be kept in an environmentally-controlled compartment or something?”
“Oh, this is just a copy,” Mr. Smith said. “The original is in my vault. I have
very good security. Go ahead. Read it.”
Michael let one of the puppies nibble on his finger while they waited for Sophie
to finish. Princess watched him anxiously and he finally set the pups down and gave her a pat on her head. “There you go, Mama,” he said as she sniffed her offspring.
Sophie put the manuscript down and shook her head. “I can believe the Templars
found some ancient religious relics. Anyone who is interested in history knows the
original nine spent their time digging around Solomon‟s Temple rather than “protecting”
Christian pilgrims on Crusade. Stories of the vast Templar treasure are legendary. I can even believe that they managed to smuggle it out of France and to Scotland before that
dreaded round-up on Friday the 13th. But magical? How can an inanimate object wield
power?”
“I don‟t blame you for being skeptical,” Michael replied. “You‟ve been trained to
deal with facts and proof. For the sake of argument, let‟s assume the Templars did get
the treasure—whatever it was—to Scotland and under the protection of the St. Clair‟s,
who opposed the French king and his somewhat dubious alliance with England. Studying
history, it‟s pretty safe to bet that it was the Templars who were the “warrior force” that gave Robert the Bruce his victory at Bannockburn. Are you okay with that?”
Sophie shrugged. “I suppose. But what does a lesson in Scottish history have to
do with Celtic relics supposedly handed down by some mythical gods?”
SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 30
Mr. Smith pursed his lips at that. “My dear Sophie. Your name means
“wisdom”, did you know?”
She frowned at him. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Tsk. Tsk,” Mr. Smith replied. “A wise woman would be willing to accept new
ideas and concepts, wouldn‟t she?”
“Concepts, yes, but…”
“Just keep an open mind, my dear.”
Sophie grunted and turned back to Michael. “Go on,
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