by Katya Moore
I felt a flicker of guilt as he was stripped of his armor and handed off to the guards at the front door. He cast a desperate look at me as they dragged him away, silently begging me to save him. Conflicting feelings gnawed at my gut. He’d told state secrets. That was treason, clear as day.
But they’d needed telling.
Sacrifices must be made. The thought tasted bitter.
Schulte straightened her blazer and turned to me with a humbled expression. "It would seem that I owe you an apology," she said stiffly.
"So it would seem," I agreed.
Her lips tightened in a sour expression. She gave a curt bow, then took her seat at one of the tables.
I bit back a bitter laugh. Guess that was the apology.
"There’s still the matter of the Witch Queen." Long rose from her seat and adjusted her glasses. "Her body has not been recovered by the search teams." My stomach tightened. "I fear we have to assume the worst."
"They could have just dealt with her body in their own way," I offered.
Long looked down her nose at me. "For the greatest of evils, death is merely an inconvenience. If they have her body, the threat remains." She sighed softly. "This isn’t over."
I sat down heavily on the edge of a table. "So, what do we do?" I asked dully.
Schulte steepled her fingers in front of her mouth and looked grim. "We wait. And we lose more dragons."
I am the Queen of the Dragons, and I have failed.
I stepped out of the back room into the pub to thunderous applause.
My first impulse was to dive back into the safety of the room I’d just left. My pulse screamed at a pace I’d never felt. My breath escaped me. I flattened my back against the door and stared in wide-eyed terror at the crowd before me.
A sea of faces gazed back at me. Some were streaked with tears. Some wore beatific expressions, as though gazing upon some holy being. Some looked apprehensive, some downright skeptical. All were on their feet, clapping as though their lives depended on it.
A hand rested on my shoulder. I jumped half out of my skin. "Easy, yer maj," Aric said with a wry grin. "You’re gonna have to get used to this."
I took a deep breath, then another. Calm. Regal. Seriously, what the fuck?
"Who? What?" was the best I could manage.
Aric pointed to a figure standing on a chair by the front door. I saw Nix standing there, stroking his salt and pepper moustache and grinning broadly.
"All hail the Queen!" he shouted, fist raised in salute.
The crowd roared. "ALL HAIL THE QUEEN,"
Nix gave a wave, then jumped down from his chair and vanished into the crowd by the door.
"Should we stop him?" Chase asked, cracking his knuckles. "I could run around the back..."
"No." I smiled. Someone had to keep telling what needed to be told. "Let him go."
"We need to get you out of here. The Elders are going to flip their shit in about half a second." Chase looked around. "Back alley?"
I nodded.
Aric gave me a nudge. "At least give them a little something. They’ve been waiting a long time for you."
I nodded and steeled myself. Aric took my hand. I grabbed Chase’s hand on the other side. Then, I released them both, as though pushing myself off a ledge.
"Thank you, everyone. I..." My voice faltered as the roar of the crowd died down. My head spun. I cleared my throat and continued. "Thank you. For being here. For waiting for me. I want to be the leader you deserve. And you deserve the best. I…"
"GUARDS, FORMATION!" I heard Schulte’s roar from within the room behind me.
"Umm, everyone may want to clear out. The Elder Guard are coming, and they sound pissed," I added less-than-regally. The crowd reacted instantly, turning and charging for the door as though I’d just shouted "Fire!"
"Nice one," Aric snarked as he leaned against the wall and watched the panicked stampede. Kitty and Missi dove behind the bar and sheltered in place. Tyrone pinned himself against the wall, clearing the doorway.
"Fuck you, dear," I snapped at Aric, then bolted for the back door. The boys followed.
We scampered down the alleyway, past the guards and down to the second dumpster. I heard a muffled groan behind it and raised my hand to halt everyone. I dove into a shadow and rounded the corner.
No Chosen. No mobsters. No throngs of dragons searching for their queen.
Just Billy Carter, up against a wall, fiercely making out with Moira Espenshade.
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Relief, joy, adrenaline, all came pouring out as I wheezed against the wall, revealing myself in the process. Billy’s head whipped around.
"Sorry...I...so happy for you both...don’t mind me...long-ass day," I gasped, bent over and clutching my knees.
Billy rubbed the back of his neck and glanced back at Moira. Moira tugged her black t-shirt back down over her breasts and winked at me. I laughed harder.
"It’s not funny," Billy frowned. "Moira’s a great girl."
"I know." I wiped tears of mirth from my eyes and straightened up. "I like her. A lot. And it seems like you do too." I clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Just be good to her, okay?"
A small smile tugged at the corner of Billy’s mouth.
"Or she’ll probably light your ass on fire," I added.
Billy blinked.
Moira laughed. "No ‘probably’ about it," she teased. "Now what brings you all running out the back?"
"Bit of chaos on the pub. Chanting crowd trying to escape the Elder Guard. You two might want to get on that," Aric said dryly.
"Aw shit." Billy bolted for the back door, followed closely by Moira. "Dammit, Sia, stop wrecking the bar!" he called over his shoulder.
I watched them go. Chase put his arm around my shoulders. "He’s not wrong," I sighed.
Chase hugged me close. "They’ll be fine."
"I know. But we may owe Kitty some new furniture."
"On it." A familiar voice made my head turn.
"Dario? What are you doing back here?" Aric sniffed. "Back alleys aren’t usually your thing."
"I do leave them to you, I’ll admit." Dario flashed me one of his trademark charming smiles. His platinum hair draped artfully over his left eye. The resemblance between him and Aric always unsettled me a little.
"Seriously though. What’s up, Dario?" I gave him a wary look.
Dario pulled a package out from under his arm. "Ameera Veta said the Council wanted Cassidy to take a look at this. Said that it was in his mentor’s collection, and that he’d be the best one to decode it."
Cass looked at the proffered package as though it was covered in bees. "And they didn’t burn it? Or declare it heresy and lock it away?" He frowned at Dario. "What are you playing at?"
Dario lowered the package and fixed Cass with an annoyed glare. "Apparently, they think it’s important enough to pull out of mothballs and have you look at it. Instead of Quinn, who’d probably get better results." He jabbed the package at Cass. "It’s a fucking olive branch, Higgins. They’re telling you they trust you to be competent. Take it."
Cass took the package and hefted it in his hands. "Thanks, Dario. Let them know..." He paused and looked at the package with a look he usually saved for me. I remembered the look of worship in his eyes when he talked about his mentor. The comparison might not be that far off. "Thank you."
"Whatever. I’m going to go clean up after your stampede. Go be royal someplace I don’t have to fix." Dario turned and sauntered off.
"Well, I know what you’re doing for the rest of the night." I nudged Cass with a grin. He smiled back, cradling the book in both arms.
"Let the nerd go nerd. I’ve got some better ideas," Aric smirked, nibbling on my ear.
I leaned into the nibble, then yawned broadly. "As long as those ideas involve a big fluffy bed and a full eight hours, I’m down."
Aric mused. "Bed, yes. Full eight hours... shit, I’m a stallion and all but damn, woman..."
Chase wrap
ped his arms around my waist. "I think we can spot ya," he said with a wicked grin. Galen roared with raucous laughter.
I sighed happily. Sleep could wait.
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About the Author
Katya spent her childhood moving from place to place, seeing the country one new school at a time. She found her closest friends in books, favoring fantasy, mythology, and science fiction from an early age. She discovered romance novels on trips to Maine with her father’s family, and found a whole new kind of fantasy world to write about.
Influenced strongly by Lovecraftian horror, Charles de Lint, Robin McKinley, and Anais Nïn, Katya started out writing paranormal romance and steamy fanfiction. Someone told her about reverse harem, and her ears perked up. After devouring a whole bunch of Tate James and Eva Chase (amongst others,) Katya found her new home.
Katya can be found typing away on her iPad at coffee shops, sipping craft cocktails in hipster bars that Kitty would abhor, and fighting off her inherent couch potato nature at the local parkour gym. She has an awesomely supportive and very sexy husband (just the one) and a lovable hellion of a five-year-old.
Also by Katya Moore
Shadow on the Wing
Sweet, protective Galen, quiet, studious Cassidy.
Rugged Chase, the leader, and swaggering Aric, the pain in my ass.
These four smoldering dragons hold the key to my past.
And the secret to my own true dragon nature.
The first book in the Arysia Bellmont series.
Shadow on the Water
Dragon Elders. The Chosen of Apep. The Irish Mob.
As though I don’t have enough on my mind.
Now four new dragons want me as their mate.
Can the Elders’ chosen suitors tear me away from my boys?
The second book in the Arysia Bellmont series.
Shadow in the Ether
Cassidy was my first. My sweet genius. My love.
Now, he's lost to me, trapped in his own mind by dark magic.
It's up to me and the rest of my boys to bring him back to us.
What will I do to bring him back?
Who will I kill?
The fourth book in the Arysia Bellmont series.
COMING IN MARCH 2019
Revolution is brewing.
We’re saving the Great Serpent from herself, with potentially apocalyptic consequences.
My mates and I hold the key to bringing dragons back into the world.
Will our love bring about the end of the world, or the beginning?
The final book in the Arysia Bellmont series.