by Erin R Flynn
“But you have too many threats. The Underground. Other councils. Now the two dragon Alpha families who are underhanded and our elders who do nothing but watch to see how the dominoes land and decide then who the fuck’s ass to kiss. They did nothing. Even if they were the worst rulers ever, those people slaughtered the whole royal bloodlines.
“They slaughtered the whole bloodlines of those protecting the royals.” Her voice cracked and she quickly wiped under her eyes. “There’s no honor in that even if you truly are taking out a horrid leader. Whole clans like the Rothchilds just gone. And their mates. And they did nothing.”
“Her brother was mated into the clan that protected the Australian royals,” Geiger explained, reaching over and patting Claudia’s hand.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” I muttered, swallowing loudly.
Claudia shot me a sad smile. “I know, and I do my best to keep my personal life out of my professional advice for you, I do. I’m telling you this so you understand the lengths they’ll go to. You have powerful enemies that are starting to circle you and gather. You are powerful and they are in for a fight they can’t imagine, but it’s time to start layering your protection as well so we don’t get to the fight always.”
“Yeah, but protection normally comes with strings, a cost, Claudia,” I reminded her.
Mrs. Diaz snorted. “Oh please, take on all the corrupt elders you want, darling.”
“Yes, do us the favor we cannot,” her mate agreed with a smirk. “And we will protect you while you do it. It would look so bad if we were to get directly involved, but a dragon’s promise is stronger than our mountains. We could never go back on our protection even if you were to keep ‘misbehaving’ in such a way.”
“Such a shame,” Mr. Courtenay chuckled darkly. “Maybe we were rash to make an alliance with one so young? Oh well, what’s done is done.”
The Guis said several similar things and I just sat there completely stumped. Well, hot damn. That was a turn I didn’t see coming.
Cool.
“Now that we’ve settled the matter of security help for security help no matter how much trouble you plan to start, there is one more issue before we get down to payment and logistics,” Mr. Courtenay said as he waved someone over. The guard or aide set down an open box of crystals. “Forgive us, but we need to see exactly what we were told happened at the Vogels’ party.”
“Which you weren’t at,” I muttered, glancing between them.
“We find it ill advised to gather together so publicly,” Mrs. Gui muttered as she tapped her nails on her wineglass, drinks the only thing having been served so far. She did it so hard I was surprised the glass didn’t break.
Which meant that was probably how the other two royal families were taken out.
“We did have members of our family in attendance, but seeing is believing and no matter our desperation, we’re no fools,” Mr. Gui added. “And given we’re willing to pay handsomely to not only protect our castles and mountains but others of our peoples—”
“Which are not only for the wealthy but sanctuaries for any dragons in the area,” Mrs. Gui informed me. “Forgive me if you already know this, but that’s an important fact in this. They aren’t simply our homes but where all dragons can go and be safe to fly or run if needed.”
“I didn’t know that, thank you,” I admitted. I glanced at the box and flinched, looking away.
“This cannot be too many? We were told there were hundreds on your dress at the party. These are from Katrina Calloway, her provider you purchase from,” Mr. Courtenay promised. “Going forward we should discuss other options but—”
“Forgive me, but you’re triggering her, Your Majesty,” Tanesha muttered, reaching over and closing the lid of the box before sliding it to White, who sat on the other side of Mel. “Tamsin has an aversion to guns and the way the crystals are lined up like bullets.”
I glanced at Mel, where Tanesha got that from. “‘Triggering’ might be a bit much. It just makes me flinch. I was more worried about… I just don’t know enough about crystals. There’s a lot of darkness in this world too. Can another provider mess with them? Poison the pool or something? Suck the energy back out? We know Calloway’s lady wouldn’t dare risk her wrath or now Craftsman threatened her—”
“How did you…” He trailed off, realizing what he was admitting.
“Zack was amused at whatever you did when you came with more crystals to experiment with,” I drawled. “Which meant someone made it clear if she tried anything with me or sucked power from me you all were going to shred her. I appreciate it.”
“Shred her soul actually,” Zack chuckled. “He was going to shred her soul and leave her alive with some ancient rune. He was lying, but she didn’t know that and fully believed him. It was a great threat and she absolutely will not mess with you. She just wants the business, not get involved, stay protected, put her kids through school, and have a nice nest egg since her mate died.”
“We should make sure we keep it that way,” I muttered, tapping my fingers on my arm again. “And a few other people. Craftsman’s mum. White’s family? Edelman, you got anyone not nuts in your family you like?”
“A conversation for later, Ms. Vale,” he sighed. “Back to the test. There are a few problems with asking her to do it on demand.”
“Like it’s friggin’ nerve-wracking and dance monkey dance?” I drawled.
“We thought one box wouldn’t give that impression,” Mrs. Gui admitted. “However, we do have the three parts Hudson said was needed.”
I shot Hudson a hurt look and he begged me with his eyes to understand.
“Hudson didn’t snitch on you, I did,” Mrs. Vogel clarified. “He told his mother something private about his friend after you went too far with your power. I—also as your friend, albeit an older and experienced one—made the decision to push for this to protect you better. I told the others the three parts.”
“We think there are,” I clarified. I gestured with both hands along my body. “There’s no instruction manual that came with this. We sort of wing it.”
Darby snorted. “That we do, agra, that we do.” He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips in a comforting gesture I appreciated.
“Oh, that’s quite the list of possible suitors for her, Your Majesty,” Tanesha chuckled as she focused on Mrs. Diaz.
The dragon queen simply shrugged with a smirk. “She’s a powerful and talented young woman. She should absolutely sample everything, as many men as she wants included. A rare gem is meant to shine, never be hidden in some vault, so let her if she wants.”
I gave Tanesha a confused look and she bit back a smirk. “We’re at the part where you wanted Darby for.”
“Ahh,” I sighed, getting that. “Okay, so we’re testing me and a plan? All I caught was dates and a lot of escorts.”
That seemed to amuse most of them but in a good way at least.
“The ‘escorts’ we mean as guides,” Mrs. Courtenay explained before making a gesture to back up the conversation. “Tonight, we’re going to have a bit of fun. We’ve got a wide array of dragon cuisine and culture to share with you. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it and we’ll see firsthand how the crystals tiered up. When it works—as we have no doubt it will—our plan is fairly simple.
“We would like to set up two dates a month where we show you something fun and exciting you have yet to experience. If you could arrange it in your schedule, tomorrow would be the first and we would like to give you an escorted tour of La Boqueria Market in Barcelona. You could eat your fill and that would give you the three parts for your magic to work.”
“A fun outing if you will,” Mrs. Gui offered. “Juan has said you enjoy them and even eating challenges with Darby, showing us some of the pictures. We know the areas and could bridge the language gaps, provide security so you are safe, and show you more than most tourists could think to look for.”
“But yes, we were intent on having some of our own j
oin you as well, get to know you,” Mr. Courtenay cut in before glancing at Darby. “With all due respect to your relationship, it is a new one and a young one in college. There is more to the world and many men who could give you more. I’m not sure what a vampire from no mentionable family brings to a woman like you.”
Darby raised an eyebrow at the king of the European dragons, not flinching or looking impressed or intimidated in the slightest. “I’m sorry you’re under a misguided impression here, Your Majesty—and I use that term out of respect of where we are, and politeness given Tamsin’s invitation and not an acknowledgment of dominion over me.
“But I don’t need to, nor feel obligated to explain myself, my merits, or Tamsin’s decision to date me with you or the gods themselves. So I say this with all the respect I can muster towards a man who sticks his nose into the relationship of a young woman he barely knows with the goal of aligning her closer to him, but I suggest you not interfere in our relationship if you want her help as it would irk her.”
I chuckled darkly, leaning in and kissing his cheek as everyone else sat in stunned silence. “And I didn’t even bring a mic for you to drop, my prickly pear.” I smirked at Mr. Courtenay. “That’s just part of what he brings. He cares less about clout, politics, and all that fanfare than I do. He won’t sell me out for all the silver pieces or his family standing and just wants me and what we have.”
“Well said, agra,” he murmured, giving me a quick, chaste kiss. “You are spreading yourself pretty thin though, so as much as I like the idea of you having more fun, this is more on your shoulders. You keep taking more and more on you and you’re going to break. I didn’t know any of this with Ainsworth and another fight.”
I shot him a concerned look. “Are you worried about your family?”
He rolled his eyes. “Fighting our blowhard elders might be the first thing I would ever do right in their rebellious, pigheaded Irish eyes, but no, we’re not even on the food chain to try and use.”
“Which actually makes him perfect to stand at her side,” Mrs. Diaz muttered. “People couldn’t use his family against him. On his other worry, we are in agreement and the last thing we want to do is break you as well, darling. So we wish to help and would with guidance as to how we can. We thought this could help with your food tours?”
“They were just eating out a lot all over break to not cook, I thought,” Juan muttered, shooting Hudson a confused look.
“No, it was more than that,” Mrs. Vogel chuckled. “And they were a bit cagey on it, which meant they were up to something good, always whispering about some amazing place they’d been or were going with Isabella Kincaid.”
I blew a raspberry and glanced at Claudia as if saying it was her call, not wanting to drag Craftsman and Darby into this.
“Explain what’s going on this minute,” Mr. Rothchild demanded of Mel.
“Hey, Vinegar, no one’s talking to you,” I snapped. “Stop being such a fucking asshole to her.” I met his pissed off gaze but didn’t back down even when people coughed or gasped. “She will always be your child but she’s almost thirty and you undermine her every time you pull something like that.
“Right now she sits at my side as my second so yeah, I stand by what I said and I’m pissed. You want to take this outside? Because seriously, we’re at that level with this one. The dragon royals set this all out to woo me into helping and are asking and you just ordered us like naughty fucking kids. Don’t do it again because I’m out of patience with you.”
“Agreed,” Mr. Vogel said at the same time as Mrs. Vogel and Hudson, which shocked the shit out of the Rothchilds.
Mr. Rothchild especially from the way he couldn’t seem to get his mouth to work. He looked at Melody for several moments and for once the mask of hard ass broke. “We lost you and all those years with you. I still see you slipping away again, and I cannot—I just want you to come home, Melody.” He stood and shoved his chair back so hard that it fell over before he stormed out of the room.
“I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Rothchild rasped. “I apologize profusely for my mate and our clan.” She met my gaze. “I’m so sorry, Tamsin, and it truly is not you. We were so focused on making sure our clan and royals stayed alive we forgot to make sure our family had lives worth living and Trigger cannot seem to forgive himself. Excuse me.”
“Dammit,” I whispered when she was gone, my eyes blurring. “Mel, I’m—”
“No, it’s not—thank you, Tams,” she murmured, leaning in so our heads touched. “I told you. They took on a lot of hardness so the Vogels never did and are the rulers our people always needed. They won’t ever regret that but… Nothing’s ever easy.”
“No, it isn’t,” I sighed. “I was going to tell him. Stubborn jackass.”
“I actually think he likes you because you won’t,” Mr. Vogel admitted. “You confound him in a way few do.”
“That should be my tagline,” I drawled, amusing most at the table. Oh well, amused was better than nothing. At least some days.
22
“Excuse me,” I muttered, standing and fibbing about needing to use the bathroom.
Mel just sighed and gave me a look that I needed to leave it alone.
But I couldn’t. I couldn’t keep feeling like it was all my fault. I found Mr. and Mrs. Rothchild down the hallway with the bathrooms but further down by the windows of the outer wall.
“Tamsin, forgive me, but now isn’t—” Mrs. Rothchild sighed as Mr. Rothchild paced and looked seconds from losing his shit.
I threw up the barrier to keep everyone else out and cut her off. “Put Mel first this one time and I will fill in the piece you can’t fit together that makes this still hurt for you. This isn’t you versus me. This isn’t her choosing me over your clan. Please understand that.”
“It is though,” he whispered, his voice full of hurt. “She could teach at Artemis and still be with us. She lives with you. Loves you. We are no longer her clan. You are and—”
“Put her first,” I demanded, touching the essence charm. “Swear to me you will never tell a soul. Not anyone in your clan. Not the Vogels; even if Mrs. Vogel knows, Mr. Vogel doesn’t, and she has promised me it stays only with her.” That wasn’t true since Tanesha knew but I wasn’t adding that.
“Is that what he’s missing?” Mrs. Rothchild asked, nodding when I did. “Yes, yes, then, fine, I swear it. Why is this such a big fucking deal?” she growled at her mate. “Trigger, swear it. I cannot lose Melody again and you are about to lose your mind over this!”
“I swear it,” Mr. Rothchild agreed. “You have our most sacred vow we will never tell a soul.”
“I hope you have good mental shields because people will come for this information,” I grumbled as I took off the charm. I let out a slow breath and touched Mrs. Rothchild.
“My gods above and below,” she breathed. “You’re the last—”
“Yes,” I cut in, not wanting her to say the word within the walls even with the barrier. “I hope not, but so far.”
Mr. Rothchild blinked between us and then touched me with a shaky hand. He sucked in a harsh breath when he understood. “It all makes sense now.”
“Does it?” I practically begged. “She loves you both and her family so much. Please, please stop hurting her. Please.”
He nodded, swallowing loudly as he took my hand in his and squeezed it gently. “I’m honored my daughter is your shield, young one. I pray you can give us the answers and hope we all desperately need as I’m not sure how much longer we can all hold on without your kind returning.”
“Yeah, no pressure, dude,” I chuckled darkly. “I’m doing the best I can.” I gave them both a serious look. “I can’t do it without Mel though. I can’t. Please don’t take her from me. I wouldn’t have survived without her. Many times over. She has saved me and not just my life—I’ve honestly lost count. I need her and she needs you so please, heal this and your clan.”
“I will—we will,” Mr. Rothchild rasped. �
��She was just gone, and I missed so much that I… I don’t know how or what to do for the first time in my life.”
“Welcome to what the rest of us deal with all the fucking time, mate.” I wasn’t trying to be dismissive, but it was the truth. “If you need help with your mental shields, contact Katrina Calloway. She knows and sold me the charms for the guards at school that know and wear the blockers now.”
“We might need them, thank you,” Mrs. Rothchild accepted.
I nodded and pulled down the barrier, turning to leave since I didn’t think there was anything else to say… Only to find Mel standing there with tears running down her cheeks.
“What did you do, kid?” she choked out.
“I couldn’t take it anymore,” I confessed. “Angry is one thing, but all the hurt and pain—we’ve got enough of it, Mel. I can’t be the reason. I can’t. I love you too much.”
“Your heart is too fucking big,” she chastised as she hurried over and pulled me into a massive hug.
“Talk to them, for real this time, Mel,” I pushed. “Take them home if you need to or whatever. No more. They’re your parents and they love you. Spank them like they deserve but it’s stupid we’re going to be on the team of the dragon royals and not your damn clan if we’re going to do this. I’ve got the meeting. I’ll catch you up later.”
“You’re sure?”
“All good in the hood. White’s here and I’ll eat all your portions too.”
“Of course you will,” she chuckled, kissing my hair. “Thanks, kid. I’ll text Tanesha.”
I gave a wave to the Rothchilds and let them figure it all out before actually using the bathroom quickly and then heading to the meeting. I quickly told Mrs. Vogel in her head what was going on and shut back off my telepathy. I sighed and glanced at Claudia. “Right, so I think that’s finally going to be fixed. What—where were we?”