Tarnished Knight — Brenda Gable

Laurel is an aberration. She is an Assassin who doesn't want to kill. She thinks she knows where mythical gold was hidden when Morgan Le Fey released her wrath upon Arthur and Merlin 800 years ago. Laurel has bonded with a baby dragon and hopes to use Maeve to sniff out the treasure. Traveling across terrain rife with raiding, Laurel opts to hire a surly knight for protection so she won't have to kill anyone. Sir Donovan of Baltimore is between commissions and hasn't two silvers to rub together. When the young Assassin approaches him, his first response is to say no to her request. He's dealt with Assassins before. They're not to be trusted. However, she is so young, so innocent looking. Because she's carrying a baby in an osier basket, his conscious and dismal finances goad him to accept her proposal. An encounter with a male water nymph reveals Laurel's real age. She's not a child, but a delectable female perfect for lovemaking. And that's no human baby in the basket. It's a dragon! When Danu's spark of attraction hits her and Donovan, they resist the overwhelming desire that washes over them for neither likes the other. However, they have more in common than they realize. As their dangerous trek progresses, the attraction grows irresistible. Two waifs with surprising talents and a fey mongrel dog are rescued and join them on their westward march through dangerous territory to the top of Mount Carrauntoohill. It will take all of them -- human, fey, and beast -- posing as a family to survive this quest for lost treasure.