“Only you,” Rainier said coldly. “And given how much you must be suffering, is that really a bad thing?”
“Don’t say that,” Lee snapped angrily. He took a step forward, realizing he’d left his pedestal without meaning to. “Back off of him. We all need to calm down for a minute.”
“Ah yes, the goody-two-shoes,” Rainier said, flicking his hair. “Always trying to make things better for everyone.”
“That’s not a fucking bad thing,” Lee said, exasperated. His dark, blue-black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he couldn’t help noticing it was more convenient for him to fight this way.
Maybe it was time to show these assholes that healing powers weren’t his only ability.
“You first,” Byron said, pointing at Griffin.
“Any day,” Griffin said. “Dragon or human?”
“Dragon,” Byron said. Then he was changing, growing into a large, sparkling gold mythical beast that made everyone gasp.
The oracle stood, but before she could do anything, a red dragon appeared as well from a cloud of dust. It reared back and then roared, sending a giant red flame out in front of it, which was blocked by a gold shield that went up in front of the gold dragon.
“I want in,” Van said, jumping forward and turning into his purple dragon in the blink of an eye.
“These assholes,” Seth said, keeping his arms folded and looking like it was taking all of his effort to stay in place.
There was screaming. Spectators tripped over each other to get out of their seats as Griffin and Byron knocked into the sides of the arena, attacking each other.
Van’s purple dragon let out a scream into the sky and then roared violet flames down on Byron, but a blur of silver blocked his way as Rainier also took the form of his dragon.
Rainier somehow managed to be condescending even in dragon form as he looked down mockingly at Van, who was pacing, his spiked tail swishing ominously. Rainier raised a clawed hand, and a large rock came up through the ground, hovering menacingly before it slammed into Van, knocking him backward.
As Lee looked around the arena, now filled with dragons who had room to fight and were actually doing so, he felt utterly lost as to how to proceed.
All of the dragons were too busy fighting, sending fire in all directions, to notice that Seth was holding his head, crouching on his pedestal, almost completely engulfed in fire.
Hoping not to draw attention, Lee made his way over to Seth, touching him on the shoulder and making him jump.
When Seth looked up at him, his eyes were bright green, swirling with poison.
“I don’t need you,” he said ominously. “I don’t need anyone.” But his face was blank, vacant of everything but pain. He slowly looked out at the arena where Byron was now facing off with Rainier, having been the accidental recipient of one of his projectiles.
“Without me, you’ll die,” Lee said urgently, trying to draw Seth’s attention back to him.
They couldn’t afford for the black dragon to lose it. Not with this many people around.
“No!” Seth shouted, standing abruptly, eyes filled with fury. “I’ve been told that all my life! I don’t need you. I don’t need anything! If I’m going to die, then I should just die! But first, I should take all of these assholes with me.”
Seth turned toward the dragons who were still fighting as shrieking crowds ran out of the bleachers to escape. At the top, the elders were arguing over what to do, and the oracle was watching intently, coming close to the railing to look down.
Lee saw what was about to happen before it happened, saw Seth draw in a huge breath, saw blackness emanate around him. Lee could scent the toxicity of the poison, feel the way it sent fear and dread spiraling through him.
Oh no.
Lee took his dragon form as he lunged forward in front of Seth’s fire, trying to block as much of it as he could with his body.
It burned terribly, but with Lee’s healing power, he was almost immortal. He listened to the sizzle of his flesh and prayed no one else was impacted.
There was silence in the arena, and Lee felt, rather than heard, the other dragons stop fighting, as if even they realized something had just gone terribly wrong.
Lee rose carefully, wincing as his burned and torn skin pulled together again.
It was fine, he thought, looking down at himself. He glanced to the other dragons. No one too badly injured. It was fine. They would just…
Then a shriek rose from the spectators, then another, until the arena was filled with a cacophony of sounds, some of anger, some of grief.
Lee slowly turned to the box with the elders in it and froze at what he saw there.
A black scorch mark. Someone holding a blackened body. The head elder.
All around Lee, the dragons drew back in dismay, in shame, as the humans came forward to check on their leader.
Lee glanced at Seth, who was curled up in a ball on the ground. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to. I couldn’t hold it back anymore.”
Lee wanted to comfort him, but as the other dragons slowly came back to human form, glancing around warily, he knew it was too late.
The oracle was looking down at the arena, shaking her head sadly.
When she walked forward and spoke, her voice could be heard everywhere, as if she were using a microphone, though she was speaking very softly.
“You were supposed to protect humans. Not hurt them.” She gestured to the elder, still motionless and black. “I can save him, but I cannot save dragons who would let this happen. You are hereby exiled to the human world.”
She waved her hands, and giant portals appeared on each side of the arena. Out of each portal, guards appeared, carrying weapons Lee knew the dragons couldn’t fight.
“What do we do?” Byron asked, looking at the others. “Should we fight?”
“No,” Van said. “It’s pointless. Besides, going to the human world is still better than working with shitheads like you.”
“At least we’ll have modern conveniences,” Rainier said. “I tire of our primitive villages.”
But Lee thought this was going more wrong than anyone was comprehending.
“I killed someone,” Seth said. “I killed someone.” He was still holding his head. Lee wanted to go to him, but offering help had only gone wrong before.
As the guards closed in, Lee could only feel frustration. He’d tried to help the stupid dragons in his group, and they’d still brought destruction on all of them.
“One more thing,” the oracle said. “In the human world, you will be put on probation. You have three strikes, and then you will go somewhere worse than you could ever imagine. So be careful.”
As Lee watched the stubborn, stupid dragons who could have teamed with him to save the world get rounded up and shackled, he shook his head.
Deep down, a part of him had known they could never be heroes. That this wouldn’t turn out well for any of them, no matter how many chances they got.
They were all just very bad dragons.
Chapter 2
Present Day
Anna
There are men who are good-looking, and then there are men who are so beautiful you want to cry just watching them.
The man I’m observing right now is the latter.
Dressed casually in jeans and a loose, muscle-skimming blue tee shirt, he practically floats through the library, raising a hand to touch a book here or there.
His short hair is black, and when the light hits it, it glints with hints of royal blue.
With his beautifully tanned skin, tall, muscular body, and refined features, it’s just another part of what makes him look spectacular.
I’ve seen him here a few times before, and I admit it’s why I keep coming to the library.
I swear he sees me sometimes, looking over at me with the barest hint of a smile.
He hasn’t ever spoken to me, but I’m sure his teeth are also perfect.
His nose has just
the slightest hint of a bump in the middle, but it only emphasizes the perfect little upturned tip. His lips are full and soft-looking. He has dimples, I think.
Glorious dimples.
I’m a stalker, clearly.
I grab a book from one of the shelves just to make myself stop following him. Then I pull out a chair to sit at one of the worn wooden tables in this wing of the library.
This is my peaceful place. I come here on my lunch break from my call center because there are never many people here.
Just how I like things.
I pull my sack lunch out of my bag and bite into my apple as I open the random book I pulled off the shelves.
It’s a book on African killer bees, so not the weirdest thing I’ve ever read.
When lunch is finished, I wonder if I should go put the bee book back or if I will end up running into the man again and look even more like a stalker.
Maybe I want to run into him again.
Something about him draws me in, makes my heart start thrumming just looking at him.
I throw away my trash and decide to return the book. What’s the worst that could happen?
I walk purposefully toward the section where I last saw him, but he’s nowhere in sight.
In fact, as I place the book back where I found it, the library is dead silent. Eerily silent. Little sparkling wisps of dust fall in the light streaming from the window, making me catch my breath and watch.
Sometimes the oddest things are beautiful.
I raise my hand to catch a few of the dust specks, but they disappear or they are too small for me to see them.
Just as I’m about to turn back to leave the library, I hear voices from a nearby hallway.
In a darkened part of the library.
Against my better judgement and my knowledge of horror movies, I take a step toward the direction the voices are coming from, then another, creeping on the balls of my feet slowly so they don’t make a sound.
The hallway is dark and leads to a stairway that goes down to some projection rooms or meeting spaces. I’m not sure.
I’ve never been down there.
I creep to the stairs and put one hand on the bannister to slowly lean over and peer down.
I see the source of the voices.
Two men are standing at the foot of the stairs. One is the man I’m used to seeing.
I call him blue hottie because he’s always wearing blue.
I’ll call the other silver hottie because all I can see from above is his long silver hair caught in a ponytail and tossed over one shoulder.
He’s wearing a lab coat and has a similar build to blue hottie.
Tall. Muscular.
Absolutely gorgeous.
He’s wearing glasses and folding his arms as he nods to whatever blue hottie is saying.
I wish I could hear them.
They both stop for a moment, and when I sense they are about to look in my direction, I quickly step back, trying not to make any noise.
I’m holding my breath and listening to my heart race as I wait for them to start talking again.
Then I hear footsteps moving away, down a corridor, and I let out a sigh of relief.
I don’t think they saw me.
I turn to go back the way I came but pause hesitantly.
I should leave. I should thank my lucky stars I didn’t get caught stalking, but curiosity is trying to get the best of me.
I’ve never been able to keep my nose out of things. Especially things that seem to be hidden.
I look both ways and then slowly make my way down the stairs, hoping I’ll still be able to find the men when I get down there.
Without them finding me first.
I shudder when I reach the base of the stairs and look down the hallway.
It’s mostly dark, though a few florescent lights are on, flickering as if this is one of those scenes in a horror movie where a ghost is gonna start disappearing and reappearing closer and closer.
But it’s just a library. Nothing more, nothing less.
I pad down the hallway, using the same light-footed way of moving as before. The voices are quiet, but I can make them out coming from a door near the end of the hallway.
As I get closer, pressing myself against the wall in case they come out, I start to make out bits of their conversation.
“We’re running out of time. We need to put the plan into motion. I have the leverage. I’ve done the research. This will work. I just need you to help me.”
There’s a pause, and the other voice is sardonic. “And what if it doesn’t?”
“It will. I told you I’m certain of it this time.”
“You found someone that—”
“I did. In fact, she’s in the hallway. Right now.”
My whole body goes rigid as I realize they must be talking about me.
I want to run, but footsteps are already coming toward the door and I know I won’t make it away in time.
I straighten, heart pounding because at this point, I might as well face them.
I was eavesdropping, after all.
The door swings open and bangs against the opposite wall, making me jump backward slightly.
It’s silver hottie, and a strand of silver hair falls over his face as he stares at me coldly, appraising me slowly from head to toe.
His eyes are gray and glittering, even in the low light. His eyelashes look like spun silver. His face is sharp, nose slightly arched, chin stubborn. His wide, luminous gray eyes beam with intelligence, even behind his glasses.
His jaw is hard, and a muscle flexes there as he finishes his perusal of me and turns back to blue hottie. “You must be kidding. Her?”
“She’s been following me around,” blue hottie says, gracing me with a gentle smile that melts my knees as I look up at him. “I did some research, and I think she’ll be perfect.”
“Following you?” Silver hottie’s lip curls. “How undignified.”
Blue hottie frowns. “I’m telling you she’s the one we should make the offer to.”
“Offer?” I ask, finally getting my wits about me.
“Yes, an offer,” blue hottie says, turning the full force of his attractiveness on me as he folds muscular arms that bulge against his shirt. “If you’d like to come in, we can discuss it.”
I take a step back, not sure I should accept any offer that involves a closed room in a basement with two strange men.
“She’s scared,” silver hottie says. “I doubt she is what we are looking for.”
“Maybe she’s smart,” blue hottie says. “Could look at it that way.”
“Hold up,” I say, putting up a hand. “If you want to make me an offer, we should do it upstairs. I’m not holing up alone with you.”
Silver hottie rolls his eyes and heads back into the office. “I can’t make a deal with someone who won’t even take such a small chance.”
“Fine then,” I say, crying inwardly for my hormones as I turn away and begin to walk back down the hallway. I just can’t do something that sketchy.
“Wait,” blue hottie says, catching up to me. We are stopped right beneath one of the lights, and there are definitely blue glints in his hair. “Just hear us out. You might be glad you did.”
“You could tell me upstairs.”
He shakes his head. “This isn’t the kind of offer we can make in broad daylight.”
“You’re right,” I retort. “It’s the kind of offer that leads to someone’s dead body being dumped under an abandoned bridge somewhere. I’m out.”
“You might regret it.”
“Nope.” I keep walking. A part of me does want to turn back and at least listen, but I can’t take the risk.
I have people that depend on me.
“This is your last chance,” he says as I’m nearly to the stairs. “I won’t be in this library again. I’m leaving soon. And my friend will be leaving here too. We aren’t rapists or killers or anything dangerous. The people at this libra
ry can vouch for Rainier’s reputation. This place isn’t soundproof. If you scream, someone will come running, especially because it is relatively quiet.”
I’m tempted. I have to admit I’m tempted. One of my problems is that I’m easily bored, which tends to lead me into trouble.
It’s why I’ve been reading random books and stalking blue hottie.
I imagine coming back here with him gone. Going back to lonely days at lunch, eating sandwiches and heading back to work at the call center, trying to scrape together enough money for my next semester of community college while still being able to pay my sister’s medical bills.
It’s really too bad.
“What if I could help your sister? She’s in the hospital, right?”
I freeze in place, and a chill runs down my spine as I turn to face him. “How did you know that?”
“I’m good at reading people,” he says softly, taking another step forward.
“More like stalking people,” I mutter, because there is no way he should know anything about me.
His blue eyes narrow in on my weakness. “What if I could help her? What if that was part of my deal?”
I stop walking at that, unable to even think straight at the thought of such a wonderful possibility.
Then I picture Gayle in silent repose, tubes attached, monitors beeping.
She’s been that way for years.
“No one can help my sister,” I say quietly, turning away from him once again.
“I can,” he said. “I’m magical.”
I raise an eyebrow at that. “That’s a weird thing to say about yourself.”
“I can prove it. Cut yourself,” he says quietly.
“Excuse me?”
“If you want to save your sister, do it,” he urges.
“What the—No, I’m not going to cut myself.”
“Rainier, come out here,” blue hottie says.
Silver hottie, who must be named Rainier, pokes out his head, glaring at me. “No. She’s not taking the deal. Just give up, Lee.”
So Lee must be blue hottie’s name.
“Get out here now. You owe me,” Lee says sharply.
“I won’t once I succeed at my experiments,” Rainier says grumpily. But then he traipses out into the hallway and puts out his open palm.
Kiss of the Dragons: Bad Dragons Reverse Harem book 1 Page 2