by Donna Grant
Anson closed his eyes. “You felt magic was your connection to your father.”
“A man who didn’t want me.”
“He probably saw that you were better off with his brother and decided to leave you.”
Devon sighed loudly. “I’ll never know, will I? But that doesn’t justify my anger.”
“We can no’ help how we feel.”
“My cousin died that night.” She sniffed loudly. “I thought I was going to have to tell my aunt and uncle, but I was taken to the hospital instead. They’d both gotten so sick, they had been admitted a half-hour earlier with lung infections. It was so bad that we held off the funeral for as long as we could until they were well enough to attend.”
He could only imagine how her aunt and uncle had felt about losing their daughter, and he prayed they didn’t take it out on Devon.
Devon picked dirt from her ruined skirt. “At the funeral, it was all I could do to stand there while others patted my arm and told me that sometimes awful things happened. No one knew that if I’d been driving slower, if I hadn’t been yelling, and if I’d kept my eyes on the road, my cousin wouldn’t have died.”
Anson kissed the top of her head. “You can no’ know that for sure.”
“I had to tell my aunt and uncle the truth. They were so distraught over the loss of their only child, and I couldn’t look at them every day and keep that secret to myself. You should’ve seen their faces when I confessed what had happened. Whatever love they’d held for me vanished.”
He shook his head. “Surely no’.”
“They told me that accidents happen, but that they still loved me. I believed them. I was so relieved. Days later when I brought them home, I saw the truth. They stopped looking at me and rarely spoke to me. I thought they needed time, but things never changed. Nothing I did, no amount of apologies helped. We endured that way until I turned eighteen. When I woke up that morning, there was a note taped to my door.”
“What did it say?” he asked when she grew silent.
“Just six words. Please be moved out by dinner.”
He searched for something to say that would help take away her heartache, but there was nothing. “I’m sorry.”
“I went to university, where I partied my way through the first three years. I’d been lost since my cousin’s death, and it was only getting worse. But I didn’t care. Nothing made sense to me, and I didn’t want to figure any of it out. I was content to let my life slowly crumble. I thought I deserved it.”
“You didna,” he said.
She shot him a small smile. “It was the summer before my senior year that I received a letter from an attorney, telling me that my aunt and uncle had died in a car accident. Part of me was relieved. I hated myself for that, but I mourned them. They were my only family.”
“And the other part?”
Tucking her hair behind her ear, she said, “It was like a wake-up call.”
“Then you buckled down and looked to the future, aye?” he guessed.
There was a smile in her voice when she replied, “Yes.”
“That’s why you doona believe in magic.”
She lifted her head, her blue eyes meeting his. “With my cousin’s death, I realized that I was fixated on something that wasn’t only bogus but didn’t matter because my father was gone. It cost me my family.”
“You’re no’ alone now. I’m here. Kinsey, Esther, and Henry are out there looking for us. And then there are the other Dragon Kings.”
Her forehead puckered. “Henry?”
“Esther’s brother. He’s also an MI5 agent. He’s the one who drove me to the warehouse to find you.”
“Did they follow us?”
“I doona need them. I can contact the Kings anytime I want.”
She turned her head slightly and gave him an odd look. “Why haven’t you?”
“I need to know what Upton wants. I’ll no’ bring more Kings here if I can get us out on my own.”
“Did Stanley say anything to you about what he wants?”
“No’ yet.” And that was one of the things that worried Anson. “Men like Upton enjoy telling everyone what they intend. He’s no’ said a word.”
Devon wrinkled her nose. “That doesn’t bode well for us. What do we do?”
“Pretend that you hate me.”
“Why?” she asked.
He ran a thumb over her bottom lip. “Because if he thinks you care even the tiniest bit, they’ll use it. He saw your reaction when I shifted. He knows you had no idea before today who I am—what I am. Let him believe you’re terrified of me.”
“I don’t—”
Anson jerked when he heard approaching footsteps. He gave her a quick kiss and quickly stood, melding back into the shadows. “Stand up and pace. When they enter, don’t look my way. Ever. Remember that.”
She sat there for a second before rising to her feet and beginning to pace. He slowly dropped his magic so everything appeared as it should be.
His gaze was on the door when it opened, and Upton walked in alone. Anson briefly thought about attacking him, but that would be too easy. It’s what they expected him to do—and what he longed to do.
Did they wish to find out if the Dragon Kings were more beast than man? If so, they were going to be disappointed. Because the Kings were all dragon.
Upton strolled into the room with the door closing behind him as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He walked straight to the cage in the middle of the area and smiled at Devon.
She stopped in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest. Then she raised her chin and demanded, “Let me out.”
“I’m sorry, dear. That isn’t going to happen.”
“Why?”
Upton’s gaze scanned the darkness. “We need you.”
Devon dropped her arms and took a step back. “Is he in here? With me? Now?” she asked in a voice filled with terror.
It was so convincing that Anson believed it himself for a moment.
“Yes, he is,” Stanley said.
Her eyes grew round. “How are you standing there so nonchalantly?”
“Because he can’t touch me.”
Anson wanted to give a loud snort. Ever since Upton had walked into the room, he’d been scanning the area with his dragon magic.
The Druid was impressive with her work. She’d layered spells in such a way that it would take other Druids weeks to crack through it. But he wasn’t a Druid.
With one thought, he used just enough magic to put the tiniest crack in the Druid’s spells. He didn’t want the enchantment removed now because then they would be alerted to his plan. But if the Druid checked, she’d never notice the fracture in the spells.
Yet it was all that he needed for when he decided to take down Upton. Whether Anson liked it or not, this was where he and Devon needed to be.
The mortals wouldn’t lay a finger on her as long as Anson did as they asked. And the longer he was with them, the more he could find out what their ultimate goal was—and be able to put a stop to all of it.
“How is that possible?” Devon asked Upton.
Stanley’s smile widened. “My little secret, dear.”
“Please don’t leave me in here with that … thing.”
“Dragon King,” Upton corrected her.
Devon waved away his words. “I don’t care what he calls himself. He’s not human.”
“I did try to tell you that in my office. You really should’ve paid attention.” Stanley turned his head toward Anson. “There’s no need to hide in the shadows. Not any longer.”
Anson remained silent.
Devon took a step closer to the bars. “Mr. Upton, I’m begging you. I didn’t know who … I mean, what he was. You can’t seriously be thinking of leaving me with him.”
“I’m not thinking it. I’m doing it.”
“He’ll eat me!” she protested loudly.
Stanley laughed and put his hands in his pockets. “No, I don’t think
so. You see, Devon, for some reason, the Dragon Kings want to protect us mortals. That means we can do whatever we want to them and they won’t retaliate. Ever.”
“How do you know this?” she asked.
Upton grinned arrogantly. “A man who knows all about the Dragon Kings told me.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Devon’s stomach clenched at Upton’s statement. She wanted to look at Anson to see his reaction, but she kept her gaze on Stanley. She wanted to wipe the cocky smile from the insufferable baboon’s face.
The fear that gripped her wasn’t faked. It was all too real. But it wasn’t directed at Anson. No, it was solely because of the worm that called himself a human—Stanley Upton.
By the way Upton continued to smile, his blue eyes shining, Devon realized that Stanley wanted her to ask for more information. So, she gave him exactly what he wanted.
“Who is this man?”
Upton inhaled deeply. “Only a Dragon King himself.”
“And you trust him?”
The smile slipped as displeasure colored his face. “Why wouldn’t I? He came to us.”
“And you believe him?” Once more, she didn’t have to fake her shock. It was very real.
Stanley shrugged. “Not at first, but he’s convincing. He’s the one who’s been supplying all of our information.”
“Yes, but … he’s not human either,” she said, goading Upton.
“My eyes were opened when the King came to me. He gave us all the names of the Dragon Kings on Dreagan.”
“Did you look into him, as well?”
Stanley let his aggravation be known by the look he threw her. “He’s an ally.”
“He’s a dragon.”
“What’s your problem?” Upton snapped.
Devon wrapped her arms around her middle. “I won’t easily accept them. Ever. How could I? Nor will I ever trust one. The fact that you can put all of us in danger on the word of a-a-a dragon is preposterous. You’ve no idea if he’s lying or not.”
“He’s not,” came the terse reply.
“Then what does he want? If he’s a Dragon King, why does he need our help?”
Stanley’s crossed his arms over his chest and glared. “I’d never slap the hand of our queen away. I certainly won’t do it with a Dragon King.”
“Yes, but the queen is human. That … thing,” she said, waving her hand about, “isn’t.”
“This man wants the humans to show the Dragon Kings that we don’t need them. I plan to do just that.”
It was worse than she’d expected. Devon swallowed past the lump in her throat. “How?”
Preening, Upton dropped his arms, a smug grin in place. “Anson will do whatever I want because not only will he refrain from harming me, but he’ll do anything to ensure that nothing happens to you.”
“That’s absurd. He barely knows me.”
“My friend said the Kings tend to be very compassionate when it comes to females, especially those they’re attracted to.”
Devon tucked her hair behind her ear. “This could all be a trap.”
“No,” Stanley said with a shake of his head. “He brought me a Druid. How do you think I’m holding the Dragon King here?”
“A Druid?” she repeated, lacing her words with skepticism.
Upton gave her a bored look. “You saw a man change into a dragon, and you have an issue believing there are Druids? Wait until I tell you about the Fae.”
“Why are you telling me all of this?”
His smile was slow and cold as the Arctic. “Once you see my allies and the power I wield through them, you’ll come to see how right I am.”
“Why do you care if I agree with you?” Something was very wrong, and she didn’t like the growing apprehension that was consuming her. It was too easy to fool Upton, but more than that, he was confident—very confident.
“You’ll find out soon enough.” Stanley turned on his heel and began to walk away. As he reached the door, he said over his shoulder, “You might want to make nice with Anson.”
Devon didn’t move long after Upton was gone. His words chilled her in ways that Anson’s story never could. She felt as if everyone had lost his or her mind.
No. That wasn’t quite right. There was Anson. He’d been kind, gentle, and caring. He’d told her his story, even though he knew she didn’t believe it.
Instead of becoming angry over that, he’d simply accepted it. He didn’t try to change her mind or argue.
Sometime in the sharing of their stories and while she’d told him her darkest secret, she’d subconsciously realized that. Perhaps that’s when she began to slowly acknowledge that his words were … true.
She put her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. Magic was real. Not the imitation kind, but the real, genuine—and tangible—type.
Her eyes snapped open. Why hadn’t Anson said anything since Stanley left? She turned and let her gaze move through the darkness. Where was he?
She wanted to call out to him, to feel his hands on her once more. With him near, she knew she could survive this. Because there was one thing Upton had gotten right—Anson would shield her.
The weight of all she’d learned pressed upon her heavily. She walked to the cot and sat. If only she could help, but what could she do? She wasn’t immortal, nor did she have any magic. She would only be in the way. How she hated being a liability instead of an asset.
“I’m here,” Anson’s voice came from behind her.
He wasn’t close, but his whispered words did much to comfort her. She released a breath. “You know I didn’t mean anything I said, right?”
“You were verra convincing.”
She winced, wishing she could see him. “I did as you asked.”
“I know. You did good.”
“Is it Ulrik helping Upton?”
“I’m no’ sure.”
She stopped herself from turning around and gawking at him just in time. Dropping her chin to her chest to hide her face from any cameras, she asked, “What do you mean?”
“I know Ulrik. His hatred for mortals runs deep. He might use humans to some extent, but no’ like this.”
“It’s been a long time since Ulrik has been the King you knew.”
“That’s verra true, but there are some things that doona change.”
“Is there another Dragon King who could be doing this?”
Anson sighed loudly. “Nay.”
“Then it’s Ulrik.”
“Perhaps.”
She couldn’t imagine how this news must affect Anson. “What do I do?”
“Nothing. I need to alert Con and Ryder.”
She parted her lips to ask how but never got the chance.
“Our minds are linked, remember,” he said, a smile in his voice.
She rolled her eyes. “Convenient.”
The more she thought about it, the more she wished she had that ability. No more lugging around a mobile phone or trying to find where she’d put it during the numerous times throughout the day that she set it down and forget where. No more paying for the use of the cellular service or for the device itself.
It made her wish she had that bit of magic.
As soon as the thought went through her mind, she once again felt sadness at the loss of her parents, cousin, aunt, and uncle. All of them, in some form or another, were connected to magic.
Now the real thing was all around her, and it was changing her life. Much like the false kind had. The irony wasn’t lost on her.
Was it Fate? Destiny? Or merely coincidence?
The longer she was around Anson, the more she came to realize that nothing was just happenstance or luck. The universe had a plan for everyone.
What was her part? Would she simply play a minor role? Or would she be more of a lead character? Because she really wanted the lead.
She lay back on the cot and threw an arm over her eyes. There was much she wanted to talk to Anson about, and doing it while trying not to make her lips
move was difficult. Plus, there were the audio recorders.
Then she realized she was silly to worry. Anson had already made sure they couldn’t see her lips or hear her words. It seemed that magic was more than handy.
That made her smile.
“Ryder is stopping Kinsey, Esther, and Henry from coming to us,” Anson said.
“Good. Kyvor has done enough to them.”
“I agree. I’ve also told Con that I have things under control here.”
“Did he buy that?” she asked.
A sound much like a grunt came from Anson. “Of course, no’, but he knows additional Kings in London will only cause more harm than good. I’ll get us out of this.”
“I know.” And she did. Because that was the type of man—dragon—Anson was.
He didn’t say something unless he meant it, and he certainly wouldn’t make such a vow unless he intended to keep it.
“Do whatever Upton wants of you,” Anson told her. “Get him to believe that he’s your savior.”
She looked at the bars above her. “What if I encounter the Druid? Or the Dark?”
“The Dark he’ll save for me. The Druid, well, I’m no’ sure about her. I doona know what she looks like so she could be anyone.”
“Harriett?”
“Nay. I didna feel any magic coming from her.”
Now that shocked Devon. “You can feel another’s magic?”
“Aye.”
She drew in a fortifying breath. “Then I’ll assume any other woman Upton brings around me could be the Druid.”
“If he has the Druid here, she’ll make herself known soon.”
“What do you mean if?”
There was a slight pause. “The Druid is helping Upton, but she doesna work for them. That means she decides when and where she goes.”
“Unless she’s working with Ulrik.”
“I’m assuming she is. He’s already proven that he knows how to find Druids and can use them to his advantage.”
Devon crossed her ankles. “How long are we going to have to wait to see what Upton is really up to?”