Page 5 of Hot for the Dragon (Saltwater Grove #3)

5

DAPHNE

T he bell above the Cauldron & Cup's front door tinkled as Daphne led Archer to a secluded booth in the back corner. The familiar scent of coffee and magic wrapped around her like a warm blanket, but today it did little to settle her nerves. Archer's imposing presence filled the small space as he slid into the seat across from her, his broad shoulders nearly touching both sides of the tiny booth.

The floating menu board shifted above them, the chalk letters dancing and rearranging themselves. A "Dragon's Breath Hot Chocolate" flashed briefly, and Daphne caught herself wondering if that would be too on-the-nose to order for her companion.

Archer's coal-black eyes scanned the café with military precision, his jaw set in a permanent scowl. His fingers tapped against the wooden table, creating a rhythm that matched the anxious beating of her heart.

What was she thinking by volunteering to watch over him? Her fingers traced the grain of the wooden table as doubt crept in. She was a florist, for heaven's sake. Her biggest accomplishment this week had been growing a particularly stubborn batch of orchids. And now here she sat, across from one of the most feared dragon shifters around, pretending she could somehow help him prevent a war.

But then the image of her shop engulfed in flames flashed through her mind. The screams of people running from Carmen's wing. The destruction that had rippled through her beloved town like a tidal wave.

"You're having second thoughts." Archer's deep voice cut through her reverie. It wasn't a question.

Daphne straightened her spine, meeting his intense gaze. "No, I'm having first thoughts. There's a difference."

His eyebrow arched slightly at her response, and was that the ghost of a smirk tugging at his lips? The warm glow from the hanging lanterns caught the golden highlights in his auburn hair, softening his harsh features for just a moment.

Daphne planted her hands firmly on the table. She might not be a fierce dragon shifter, but she had her own kind of strength. The kind that made flowers break through concrete and vines crack stone walls. The kind that rebuilt rather than destroyed.

"So, what would you like to drink?" Daphne asked, pulling out her wallet.

Archer's coal-black eyes narrowed. "Black coffee."

"Just black coffee? In a magical café?" She gestured to the floating menu. "They have Dragon's Breath Hot Chocolate that actually breathes fire."

"Black. Coffee." His jaw tightened, as if ordering anything fancier might damage his carefully cultivated image of brooding dragon shifter.

"Suit yourself." Daphne made her way to the counter, feeling his intense stare on her back.

The whispers started before she'd taken three steps.

"That's Archer Hawke," a witch in purple robes hissed to her companion. "I heard he once took down an entire wing of dragons single-handedly."

"My cousin said he burned down an entire village just because someone looked at him wrong," another added.

"Did you see how he just commanded that poor girl around? Probably thinks he owns the place."

Daphne's fingernails tapped against the counter as she waited for Nina to finish with another customer. The rumors painted Archer as some sort of monster, but all she'd seen so far was a grumpy man who apparently had boring taste in coffee. Sure, he had that whole dangerous-alpha-male vibe going on, but that didn't automatically make him evil.

"One black coffee," she told Nina when it was her turn, "and I'll have the Moonbeam Macchiato." She paused, then added, "And two slices of that lemon cake."

"Brave of you," Nina whispered, glancing at Archer. "Sitting with him."

"He's helping the town," Daphne said firmly. "That counts for something, doesn't it?"

Nina's hands danced through the air as she prepared their drinks, her constellation-speckled apron twinkling under the warm lighting.

"Well, it's good to see someone giving him a chance," she said, her voice low enough that only Daphne could hear. "The town needs all the help it can get right now." She paused, looking down. "I was lucky enough that the dragons didn't get this far down Main Street."

Purple sparks then crackled between Nina's fingers as she added a splash of something that smelled like moonlight to Daphne's macchiato. "Besides, anyone willing to face Carmen Kane can't be all bad."

Daphne balanced the drinks and plates of lemon cake on a tray, the sweet citrus scent mixing with the magical coffee aroma. She'd barely taken two steps when Mrs. Peterson, her regular customer, grabbed her elbow.

"Dear, are you alright?" Mrs. Peterson's eyes darted toward Archer. "That man has quite the reputation."

The whispers around them grew louder, and Daphne felt a familiar determination surge through her. The same feeling she got when coaxing a particularly stubborn seed to sprout.

"Actually," she said, raising her voice just enough to carry across the café, "I think we should be careful about judging people based on rumors. After all, he's here to help protect our town."

The café fell silent. From her peripheral vision, Daphne caught Archer watching her, one eyebrow raised in that infuriatingly aristocratic way of his. His expression remained neutral, but something in those coal-black eyes had shifted.

She made her way back to their booth, setting down his plain black coffee and sliding a piece of cake in front of him.

"I didn't order cake," he said, his deep voice carrying a note of warning.

"I know." Daphne settled into her seat, fighting back a smile as she watched him eye the dessert like it might attack him. "Consider it a thank you for helping the town."

The whispers had finally died down, and the other patrons returned to their own conversations. Archer's fingers wrapped around his coffee cup, and Daphne couldn't help but notice how his massive hand practically engulfed it. He took a sip, his expression giving away nothing, but she noticed he didn't push the cake away.

Daphne took a sip of her Moonbeam Macchiato, fighting the urge to giggle as her feet lifted slightly off the floor. She planted them firmly back down and cleared her throat. "So, tell me about yourself, Archer."

His eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her wonder if he was trying to intimidate her or if that was just his default expression. "I'm a dragon shifter who likes my privacy."

The silence stretched between them. Daphne watched as he methodically broke off a piece of lemon cake with his fork, his movements precise and controlled. Even eating cake, he managed to look dangerous.

Well, that was about as forthcoming as a brick wall, she thought. Daphne smoothed her napkin across her lap, reminding herself that not everyone was as naturally open as she was.

"Well, I'm happy we're working together," she said, deciding to change tactics. "What's our plan for dealing with Carmen?"

Something flickered in Archer's expression – surprise, maybe? He set down his fork with deliberate care. "I know where she is. We're going to confront her directly."

"Just like that?" Daphne's eyebrows shot up. The floating menu board above them shifted to display "Courage in a Cup (Contains actual lion's mane)," and she wondered if she should order one.

"Just like that." His voice carried an edge of finality. "She won't change her mind, but we might learn something useful about her operation."

Daphne wrapped her hands around her coffee cup, absorbing its warmth. The casual way he discussed confronting one of the most dangerous dragon shifters in the area made her stomach do a little flip. Then again, this was the legendary Archer Hawke. Maybe for him, this was just another Tuesday.

Daphne watched as Archer took another precise bite of his lemon cake. After a few seconds, he continued in a low voice that only she could hear, "Dragon wings aren't like other shifter groups. Loyalty isn't earned - it's taken."

"What do you mean?" Daphne's Moonbeam Macchiato made her feel slightly buoyant in her seat, and she had to grip the edge of the table to stay grounded.

"Carmen challenged each wing leader to combat. Won their territories through brute force." His eyes locked onto her in a way that made her breath catch. "Unlike wolf packs, where the alpha needs pack support, dragon wings only require strength."

The glow of the hanging lanterns caught the tension in his jaw. "Some of those wing members might not be as devoted to her cause as she thinks."

A spark of hope fluttered in Daphne's chest, like the first shoot of a seedling breaking through soil. "Then maybe we should focus on changing their minds instead of Carmen's?" She leaned forward, nearly knocking over her floating coffee cup in her enthusiasm. "If we could show them a better way-"

Archer's laugh was sharp and without humor. "Dragons aren't like your flowers, witch. You can't just nurture them into blooming differently."

"Everyone can change," Daphne insisted, watching as Nina's enchanted cleaning cloth chased after a spill across the counter. "Even grumpy dragon shifters who won't try magical coffee drinks."

The corner of Archer's mouth twitched, but he quickly masked it with a scowl. "This isn't a fairy tale where everyone learns a valuable lesson about friendship."

"No," Daphne agreed, absently creating a small vine that curled around her coffee cup. "It's a story about a town that needs protecting, and sometimes that means trying every possible solution."

Archer's eyes tracked the movement of her vine, his expression unreadable. "Your optimism is going to get you killed."

"Maybe," she shrugged, making the vine sprout a tiny purple flower. "But at least I'll die trying to make things better instead of hiding in a mansion carving wooden models."

His eyes snapped to hers, dangerous and dark, but Daphne met his gaze steadily. The whispers around them had started up again, but she ignored them, focused entirely on the brooding dragon shifter across from her who seemed surprised that anyone would dare challenge him.