by Donna Grant
“She worked for Kyvor. The other one looking into things is Esther. She’s an MI5 agent who was undercover. That’s how Ryder found out they were watching Kinsey and taking photos. They wanted to get to him. The Kings outsmarted them, however.”
Isla shook her head, her breathing quickening. “Something is wrong.”
“What is it?” Laura asked from beside her.
Sweat beaded Isla’s brow as she struggled to breathe. “I … I don’t know.”
“Have Kyvor and the Druid given up?” Aisley asked.
Rhi felt sick to her stomach. “No. Kinsey and Esther convinced the Kings to let them go back to London to procure the names of those involved in all of this. Once they found that out, they planned to wipe away anything to do with Dreagan.”
“Get them out!” Isla shouted.
At her scream, Hayden, followed by Phelan and Fallon, came rushing into the room. Hayden fell to his knees and lifted Isla into his arms, cradling her gently against him as he said her name over and over. But Isla didn’t hear him. She was talking incoherently, her head moving side to side as she squeezed her eyes closed.
“What’s going on?” Fallon demanded.
The Druids stood and circled around Isla with joined hands. Their magic filled the room as they sought to figure out what was wrong. Rhi didn’t attempt to join them. Her magic was different and might not be welcomed by the Ancients.
“Rhi,” Phelan said as he stood in front of her. “What happened?”
As succinctly as possible, she filled the Warriors in on the Druid. Phelan’s face crumpled in anger as he took a step back. Without another word, he turned on his heel and went to stand behind Aisley.
“She’s there!” Isla cried out.
Rhi was about to teleport to Dreagan to see what Con knew, when Larena, the only female Warrior, strolled into the room with a mobile to her ear. She walked directly to her husband and handed Fallon the phone.
Larena waited for Fallon to walk out before she leaned close to Rhi and whispered, “It was Con.” They were silent for a moment as they watched the Druids. “I’ve seen their magic do incredible things. I’ve also seen Druid magic do horrible things.”
“It’s the same with the Fae,” Rhi replied.
“The Druids who used their magic for that wooden dragon can’t possibly still be alive.”
Rhi raised a brow. “Why not? All of the Druids here are.”
“And this new Druid?”
“Who’s to say she’s new. We need to identify her.”
“Quickly,” Larena added.
As Rhi watched the frantic way Hayden talked to his wife, it caused a memory of her and her Dragon King to fill her.
The stars dotted the inky sky, while the moon hid behind clouds. Atop the tallest mountain on Dreagan, he gently undressed her, kissing her skin as it was exposed.
She sank her fingers into his long hair. In all her years she’d never been so happy as she was wrapped in his arms. Their passion ran high and swift, enveloping them in ecstasy.
His breath fanned her neck, his lips skimming her ear. Then his husky voice reached her. “I love you. With all that I am, with all that I’ll ever be. I’ll never let you go, Rhiannon. You’re mine for all eternity.”
She cupped his cheek, her heart exploding with contentment. It wasn’t lost on her that it was as though they were exchanging vows. And since she knew she would love him until the end of time, it made her smile.
“I love you,” she replied softly. “With all that I am, with all that I’ll ever be. I’ll never let you go. You’re mine for all eternity.”
His eyes sparkled in the night before he took her mouth in a sizzling kiss that made her toes curl.
Rhi closed her eyes against the onslaught of love and longing—and heartache. She relaxed her toes as the memory of the kiss faded. She was supposed to be over him. For good. She’d moved on with Balladyn.
“Isla,” Hayden said, his voice breaking.
Rhi opened her eyes to see Isla smiling up at Hayden.
“I’m here, my love,” Isla said. Then her gaze moved past her husband and landed on Rhi. “We have to know who this Druid is.”
Dread filled Rhi. “Why?”
Hayden tenderly set Isla on her feet before she said, “I saw a Dragon King and a woman being held.”
“Held?” That wasn’t possible unless it was the Dark. And Con would’ve told Rhi that.
“Yes. I saw the woman standing in a cell in the middle of a huge, locked room with the King.”
Rhi tapped her foot, her mind running through everything. “Anson went with Kinsey and Esther to watch over them.”
“Why no’ Ryder?” Phelan asked.
“Oh, he wanted to go, but he had to work his magic with his computers,” Rhi said.
Isla smoothed hair out of her face. “So it was Anson I saw. And the woman?”
“Devon Abrams,” Fallon said as he walked into the room. “That was Con. Kinsey, Esther, and Anson convinced Devon to help them uncover information at Kyvor. Since Devon was rather high up in the company, they thought it was a good ruse.”
Hayden’s lips twisted. “Kyvor discovered the plot, I’m guessing.”
“Yes.” Fallon looked at Larena. “Anson was adamant about no other Kings coming to London for Kyvor to find, and Con says that if Devon isn’t rescued soon, Anson might lose control. Though Con didn’t say it, I suspect that would be verra bad.”
Rhi wanted to smile. So Anson had found his mate. Good for him. They would need to celebrate, but first, all of them had to get out of London and back to Dreagan safely.
“The Druid was there,” Isla said.
Rhi’s thoughts halted as she gaped at Isla. “So Anson got a look at her.”
“Not exactly.” Isla licked her lips nervously as if her mind couldn’t grasp what she’d seen. “The Druid was there, but … not really.”
Rhi felt a pain in her temple. “You’re not making any sense. And how did you know where Anson was anyway?”
“The Ancients. They showed me.”
Rhi really wished she could talk to these Ancients since they seemed to know so much. “What happened?”
“The Druid wasn’t in the room with Anson. Not physically. She projected herself there,” Isla announced.
Aisley was the first to talk. “Is that even possible?”
“I’ve never heard of a Druid being able to do that,” Marcail said.
Isla walked to Rhi. “This Druid could have more magic than Deirdre ever had. She didn’t just project herself into the room, she spoke to Anson.”
“Did you hear what she said?” Rhi asked.
“She knows all the Dragon Kings. She also told Anson that she knows he’s been testing her magic. That’s when she ordered him to stop and threatened to alter Devon’s mind if he didn’t.”
“That couldna have gone over well,” Hadyen murmured.
Isla shook her head. “Anson was furious and antagonized her. She didn’t take the bait, however.”
“Not this time,” Rhi said. “I need to know every detail about this Druid.”
For the first time in hours, there was the hint of a smile on Isla’s face. “She’s American. And I can give you specific details about her appearance.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
With her heart in her throat, Devon stared at the spot where the woman had been. A woman who—for all intents and purposes—looked like a freaking ghost. A ghost!
“What was that?” she asked Anson.
“Upton’s Druid.”
Anson said those two simple words as if he were talking about the weather, as if a magical being hadn’t just … well, appeared. Then disappeared.
Devon had never been claustrophobic, but the new fear was settling in nicely with a large freak-out set to occur shortly, making her feel trapped.
Her mind kept stumbling over things like magic, dragons, Fae, and Druids. It seemed her entire world—everyone’s world—involved magic. How had she
missed that?
How did nobody see what was right before them?
She leaned back against the bars, shaking her head. Technology. That’s what did it. Everyone had their faces glued to their tablets, computers, mobile phones, or even the tele. They didn’t see the people around them or even communicate properly. They certainly weren’t going to notice beings not of this world—or even beings that were of this world.
It was so damn complicated. She put her hand to her forehead. She wanted to accept everything she’d learned, and she supposed she was. Just not as easily as others.
“Why?” she asked.
There was movement as Anson came to the bars of her cell. “Why what?”
“Why did she do that?” she asked, lowering her hand to look at him.
His black eyes were calm, holding none of the distress that gripped her. “She wanted to show her power.”
“Well, she certainly did that.”
“Did she?” he asked offhandedly.
Devon raised a brow. “From my perspective, definitely.”
“Hmm.”
She gawked at Anson. Hmm? That was all she was going to get? It was all so very difficult for her to take. Every time she thought she had a handle on things, she got another jolt of reality. And the reality wasn’t kind.
In fact, it was pretty freaking horrible.
She turned her head away from him. Deep, calm breaths. That’s how she would get through it. Deep. Calm. Yes, she could already feel her heartbeat beginning to return to normal.
“What’s your favorite thing to do on a lazy day?”
She was so startled by Anson’s question that she spun around to look at him. “I like to walk. I go a different direction each time, meandering down streets I’ve never been on before. Sometimes, I find a new shop to browse. Other times, I find a new place to eat.”
“Do you walk in the rain?”
“Yes,” she replied with a smile. His questions were taking her mind off the situation. “Few people are out then. It makes me feel as if I have the entire city to myself.”
“Sounds nice.”
She sat on the cot. “It is. And you? Do you even have lazy days?”
He chuckled softly. “I doona have a normal life, but when there were days I could take to myself, I would fly from one end of Dreagan to the other.”
“You make it sound as if you’ve not done that in a while.”
“I haven’t. The release of that video has brought too much attention to Dreagan, so Con has forbidden any of us to fly.”
She couldn’t imagine the anger the Kings must feel at that. And once more, mortals were responsible. Maybe not directly, but it was because of the attention that the order had to be given. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ll fly again soon.”
“Do you like being a dragon?”
His smile was genuine as it lifted the corners of his mouth. “More than anything. How do you feel about knowing a dragon?”
“I’m coming to like it very much.”
She saw the desire in his eyes and wished she could go to him. More than anything, she wanted to feel his arms around her and kiss him. But for now, they had a show to put on for those with Upton.
They fell into silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Minutes stretched to hours. Devon kept reaching for her mobile to check messages or play a game, only to realize she didn’t have it. Boredom did crazy things to a person’s mind.
As she counted the bars—for the millionth time—she thought of her father and her brief interactions with him. She thought of her aunt and uncle. And she thought of her cousin.
When her family had been alive, they were her anchors, the things that kept her grounded and feeling needed. Loved. They’d been a huge part of her life, especially when it came to making decisions.
After her cousin’s death, when her aunt and uncle had kicked her out, Devon had never felt more alone. Her tether had been cut, and she’d needed to navigate waters that were treacherous and deadly all on her own.
It had been terrifying—and exciting.
Every decision she made was hers. If something went wrong, she had only one person to blame. Herself. If something went right, well, the celebration was huge.
All these years, she’d truly liked being on her own. It gave her a certain freedom that was hard to give up. Not that she didn’t miss her family, but she wasn’t the same person as before.
Being alone had been her choice because she hadn’t found anyone worth making room in her life for. That is, until Anson.
Her gaze landed on him as he slowly walked around her prison in a large circle, coming in and out of the light. He was part of a family—one that had suffered more than was imaginable.
They stayed together, their bond stronger for all the mishaps, disasters, and tragedies. What made some families resilient and others fall apart?
His gaze met hers. She wanted to reach out to him, to have his skin against hers. She needed—no, she wanted—another anchor, because the seas were getting rougher than ever before.
He gave her a nod so small that only she saw. It made her smile. She lay back on the cot and closed her eyes. Though she had no idea what time it was, she needed to keep her wits about her, and that meant getting some rest for her exhausted brain.
Anson’s nearness, his promise of protection, allowed her to slowly turn her mind off and rest. She closed her eyes and kept picturing Anson in dragon form.
She smiled, thinking how incredible he was. A Dragon King. It was her last thought.
The bellow that ripped through the room jarred her from sleep. She jerked upright to find an eerie blue light everywhere. Then she spotted the Dark. They had Anson pinned to the ground with one of them standing over him.
Devon stumbled backward to get away from the Fae, but her prison didn’t allow her to get far. No sooner had she backed against the metal, than hands grabbed her.
She screamed and tried to get away, but their hold was like iron. Her eyes landed on Anson, who was struggling to throw off the Dark, but the one standing over him kept throwing magic ball after magic ball into Anson’s chest.
“Oh, you’re a pretty one,” said a man from behind her with an Irish accent.
She turned her head away from him, only to have someone grab a fistful of her hair and hold her still while they ran their tongue along her cheek.
Gritting her teeth, she fought with everything she had against them. But she got nowhere.
There was an angry hiss, then another Irish voice said, “She’s fighting us. She’s been with the fekker.”
“It doesn’t matter,” said another. “We can make her climax.”
At those words, her heart skipped a beat. She tried not to look at Anson, tried to hold back her alarm.
Their gazes clashed. He was trying to give her strength without words, and oddly, it worked. She was a fighter. She would survive whatever they threw her way.
Dreagan
Con tapped his desktop with his fingers. His mind was eased, knowing that Rhi was with the Warriors and Druids, but he suspected that path would lead all of them down a road more perfidious than any other.
On top of that, Asher had returned to Dreagan with Rachel—and a story that boggled Con’s mind.
The fiasco with Dmitri, Faith, and the wooden dragon was only getting started. It was the beginning of a storm that might well settle over Dreagan for an extended time.
The man that Anson and Ryder said looked like Ulrik was another matter that would need to be dealt with quickly.
He ran a hand down his face. At least the Kings now knew of his affair with Usaeil. That was something off his plate, at least partly. There would come a time when he’d have to confront Usaeil. With Rhi.
On a good note, Vaughn had managed to get MI5 to leave Dreagan. And V had returned.
It was some consolation to the fact that humans held Anson. Con didn’t even care that Anson had most likely found his mate in Devon, which was why the King wou
ldn’t leave her.
Nor would Henry, Esther, or Kinsey return to Dreagan, no matter how much he and Ryder talked to them. The mortals wanted to be there to help Anson and Devon.
From the start, Con had wondered if sending the group to London was a mistake. Yet Elena had managed to make such a plan work against PureGems when they had information on Dreagan.
The difference was that Kyvor had a Druid. A powerful one at that.
All of this rolled around in his mind without any resolution, which only added to his frustration.
There was a split second of warning before Fallon appeared in his office. Con stared at the leader of the Warriors with his dark brown hair and deep green eyes. Fallon still wore the golden torc of his ancestors around his neck with the boars’ heads.
“Isla saw the Druid,” Fallon stated.
Con stilled, the potential of promise in those four words making him feel elated. “How? When?”
“The Druid used magic to talk to Anson by projecting herself into the room.”
“I see.” His delight dimmed. The Druid’s show of power had been … extreme.
“What are we dealing with here, Con? Even Ramsey is unsettled by such a display.”
Con rose to his feet. “We’re going to find this Druid, and we’re going to put a stop to her. One way or another.”
“You say ‘we’ meaning the Kings, Warriors, and Druids, aye?”
“Of course,” he replied.
The look of wariness in Fallon’s gaze said he didn’t quite believe him. “Good.”
“We’ll do this together, Fallon. That I vow.”
The Warrior nodded. “I need to know every detail of where Devon and Anson are being held.”
“Follow me,” Con said as he got to his feet and walked from the office.
He took Fallon to the computer room where Ryder already had the specs up for the area where Kyvor held Anson. Fallon walked to one of the monitors and looked at the blueprints Ryder had uncovered.
“This facility is complex,” Fallon said.
Ryder leaned back in his chair, a box of donuts untouched beside him. “More than you know. The security is multifaceted and more intricate than the Kyvor building in London.”
“What are they doing there?” Con asked.