And it was working because Brandon believed the best of people.
This was the spellcaster.
One more time, she couldn’t decide whether to deck Brandon or haul him back to her room for another passionate night. She seized his hand. “I have to talk to you,” she said curtly. “Right now and not here!” She tugged him to his feet.
Only when he was following her did she stride back to her car, simmering with anger. How could Brandon not see the danger? How could he have forgotten to mention that she’d get pregnant? Everything was happening so fast, and Liz didn’t want to make choices she’d regret.
There was no sign of Sloane on the street. She pulled the keys from her purse and realized that her hands were shaking. She was tempted to return to the real and sheltered nature of her academic and scientific life without further delay.
Liz waited by the car, though, checking her watch.
A baby!
Something was wrong. Brandon wondered what had happened. Liz had just gone to the washroom, but now she was upset.
He’d thought she wanted to meet Chen and find out more about the powder.
He left Chen, excusing himself for a moment, and went after Liz. He found her standing beside her borrowed car, her forehead in her hand. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” she demanded, her eyes flashing with fire. Once again, the sparks were flying from the tips of her hair, her presence just about crackling with energy. She spoke in a low hiss, which was the only mercy. “You knock me up, forget to mention it, and you wonder what’s wrong when I learn the truth?”
Brandon took a step back, uncertain how to defend himself.
Liz wasn’t experiencing any similar lack of coherence. She was furious. “I’ll guess that the son that results from the firestorm being satisfied will be another Pyr. Don’t you think you could have mentioned that I’m going to have a dragon baby in nine months?”
“I told you that it was the firestorm….”
“But not what that meant!” She looked like she would breathe fire. “I didn’t exactly have time to stop and check for a citation.”
“I thought it didn’t matter,” Brandon started, but quickly saw that his choice of words was all wrong.
“Didn’t matter?” Liz flung out her hands. “How could it not matter?”
“Well, because we’ll be together,” Brandon insisted, hoping that making his intentions clear to her would reassure her. “We could get married—or not, if you don’t want to…. But we’ll be together for the duration. I want you to understand that I’ll do better than my father. I thought the timing of a baby was less important than that we’ve found each other.”
“Unless you decide to kill yourself in order to dominate the dragon.”
He shoved a hand through his hair and spoke with agitation. “I hadn’t thought that would be necessary, not at the time. And even now that’s a last-ditch choice.” He caught at her hand. “Liz, I want to be with you. I’m okay with us having kids. Aren’t you?”
She stared at him, then avoided his question. “You really believe in the firestorm’s promise, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Why? What about your parents? Did they have a firestorm? I thought you said they split up.”
“But it wasn’t because of the firestorm. It wasn’t even that they weren’t right for each other.”
“I don’t understand. You said that your mom didn’t like his truth.”
Brandon folded his arms across his chest and tried to explain. “I think they were good together. I think that if he had told her sooner, maybe they could have worked through it.” He fixed Liz with a look. “I think the main reason they split up was that my dad lied to my mom for so long about his nature. She felt betrayed.”
Liz arched a brow and gave him a hard look. “Explain the difference here to me.”
“I didn’t lie to you!”
“A lie of omission can be just as important.”
“No,” Brandon argued. “No. This isn’t fair. Okay, I made a mistake, but I was going to talk to you. I had every intention of doing the right thing. I intended to try, which my dad never did. He just bailed. But there was an earthquake this morning, let’s remember, and then my dragon took charge. I had to leave to keep you safe. I think I should be able to argue for some slack because of all that!”
“How much slack?”
“A day! One day! I wanted to tell you today!” Brandon spread his hands. “I would have talked to you this morning when you woke up. I never meant to lie to you and I never meant to deceive you.”
“And after you left?”
“I was going to nail that bastard dragon, get him back where he belonged, then come to you again.” He fixed her with a hard look. “I wasn’t leaving you, Liz. You have to believe that.”
He held her gaze and knew she wanted to believe him. He took her hand again. “Last night was just so magical, Liz, like it was meant to be. I wanted to just be in the moment and talk later. I wanted it to be perfect. Didn’t you?”
Liz exhaled and looked across the street. Brandon felt the fight go out of her. He thought she was blinking away tears, but then she looked right at him. “Yes. I did,” she said quietly. “It was special. And this is also my fault because I didn’t insist on any protection, either.”
“It was the firestorm!” Brandon said. “It’s supposed to be wonderful, Liz. It’s once in a lifetime. It’s supposed to be a great memory that you share forever.”
Liz seemed to be fighting a smile. “Were you always such a romantic?”
“I didn’t think so.” Brandon fought his own smile and lost. “Maybe you changed that, too.” He interlaced his fingers with hers, once again feeling his heart match its pace to hers.
She sobered and looked at their hands. “How is your lie different from your dad’s?”
“It was years before he told her,” Brandon said. “And I don’t think he would have told her at all if she hadn’t caught him in his dragon form. I have no idea what he told her about the firestorm when it happened. But when she saw him in dragon form, she freaked out, and they fought.” He swallowed and looked down. “My dad’s not much of a diplomat. And he’s a quitter. He just left and never tried to change her mind. So he was wrong.”
When he met Liz’s gaze, her expression was intense. “So were you,” she said softly, pulling her fingers from his. “This is huge. I don’t want to have kids. Ever.”
Brandon was shocked. “Why not?”
“Because I know what any kid would inherit from me, and I’m never going to pass that on.” She spoke with so much force that he was startled. She would have turned away, but Brandon wasn’t going to let her go.
He caught her shoulders in his hands, compelling her to look at him. “Just tell me what you are. Just tell me, Liz, and we’ll solve it together.”
She shook her head. “My legacy is a curse, and it can kill. I’m not going to let the victim be you.” And she turned away from him, moving to get into the car. “I really hope it isn’t the baby, either.”
“You can’t leave!”
“I have to,” she said and got into the car. “I have to pass this test myself before I promise anything to anyone.”
“But you’ll come back.”
“Not necessarily,” she said, her strained expression making him think they both still wanted the same thing. “I have to go.”
Brandon was dismayed by her attitude. What challenge was before her? “But if you pass the test? What then?”
Liz shook her head. “I’m not sure I can.”
He saw her doubt and it terrified him. “Tell me more! Let me help!”
Liz shook her head. “No. Good-bye, Brandon.” She turned the key in the ignition.
No! This wasn’t how a firestorm was supposed to be!
“Liz! Give me a chance! Give us a chance.” Brandon had his hands on the door and leaned in to appeal to her.
Liz’s resolve melted a little. He w
as irresistible—not just because he was gorgeous. It was his determination to do the right thing, his sense of honor, and his conviction that romantic stories really could come true.
Maybe they could, if he’d had a firestorm with someone who hadn’t been living without her powers for fourteen years and was now faced with the ultimate test.
“Just let me go, Brandon.”
“I won’t. Let me come with you to Kane‘ohe,” he urged. “My dragon is easier to control in your presence, and we can talk about everything. Let me come to the symposium with you.” He smiled. “Like a date.”
“No. It won’t work.”
“Sure it will! The good guys always win in the end.”
“No, Brandon. You don’t know what you’re up against here. Just give that vial to Sloane. You have to trust him.”
“I don’t have to trust anybody,” Brandon said. “You don’t have to think badly of Chen. I just left him at the table there—”
Liz interrupted him, her tone hard. “He’s old enough to survive without you.”
Brandon looked at her with astonishment. “That’s cold for someone you’ve never even met. He’s frail and he’s been my friend.”
Liz pursed her lips, not wanting to reveal how much Sloane had told her. On the other hand, she had to warn Brandon that Chen was a Slayer. “Are you sure about that?”
Brandon frowned. “Yes! He’s the one person who understands the challenge of my dragon.”
“He took your scales.”
“To help me. To weaken the dragon so that I could dominate it.”
“Doesn’t seem to be working now.”
Her skepticism clearly annoyed him. “How can you dislike someone you don’t even know? You’re not being fair. Let’s at least go over there and talk to him. Let’s find out if you’re right or not before we condemn him.” He shrugged. “Maybe he knows something more or has an explanation.”
“Are you sure he’s your friend?” She leaned out the window and whispered. “What if he’s a Slayer? What if he’s the one who cast the binding spell? He is the one who demanded the scales in exchange for the powder.”
Brandon took a step back, his horror clear. “You had a good talk with that Sloane guy, didn’t you? He’s told you stuff that isn’t true.” His voice rose in anger. “You lied to me, and went to talk to him instead. Yet you’re calling me on a lie of omission!”
“I did what had to be done,” Liz insisted. “You need to learn from the other Pyr. It only makes sense to gather information….”
“Sloane’s turning you against me and against my friend, and filling your thoughts with lies. What did he demand that you do for him?” Brandon’s eyes lit in sudden understanding. “He’s the one who told you about the baby!”
Liz looked down. “You didn’t,” she reminded him.
“But I was going to. I would have talked to you about it this morning, if there hadn’t been an earthquake.” Brandon flung out his hands. “He’s making me look like an asshole, Liz. How can you imagine that he’s on our side?”
“Your so-called friend is the problem, not Sloane. I have to get back to Kane‘ohe.”
“Wait for me, Liz!”
“No. I can’t.” Liz had to put distance between them before her test began.
“Will you just tell me what you have to do?”
Liz frowned. She couldn’t see how it was relevant, and Brandon had enough on his plate. “It’s just part of what I am. I’m the only one who can solve it.”
Brandon shook his head. “That’s not good enough.”
“You don’t need to know more. It’s my responsibility.”
“No. We should solve it together.” Brandon leaned in the window to make another appeal, and only her fear that he might pay a price for being in her life made it possible to deny him. “Come and meet Chen; then you’ll see that he’s not some evil magician.”
“Don’t you see, Brandon? He’s cast a spell. Until it’s broken, you’re not going to be able to assess how honest he’s being with you.”
“But you could.”
“No. You need to get the vial and give it to Sloane. I need to deal with this debt and get back to the symposium.”
“We need to work through all of this together. Wait twenty minutes and I’ll come with you.”
“No. I can’t risk it.” Liz looked away, but Brandon caught her chin in his hand. His hand was warm, his grip firm but gentle.
“Talk to me,” he urged.
Liz shook her head and put the car into gear. She felt sick with foreboding but she wouldn’t make promises without being sure she could keep them. “Good-bye,” she said, then drove away, blinking back her tears.
“Liz!” Brandon roared, but she didn’t look back.
She was doing her best and, once more, she feared it wouldn’t be enough.
Why wouldn’t Liz tell him what was going on?
She couldn’t possibly believe that anything could get worse for him. Brandon hated that she’d left him behind. He could already feel his dragon stirring, becoming more powerful even before the taillights of her car had disappeared. He stormed back to his rental, which was just around the corner, and grabbed the vial. He jammed it into his pocket as he returned to the bar, unable to avoid the sense that his firestorm wasn’t proceeding much better than his father’s had.
And that knowledge burned.
It was odd how bright Liz got when she was angry with him, light dancing off her fingertips and the ends of her hair. She had some kind of power—he just knew it. Her abilities were probably why his dragon responded to her presence. He didn’t believe all that stuff about the binding spell, and he was annoyed that the Pyr were trying to meddle in his life.
But Liz—Liz was everything he wanted in a woman. She was smart and strong. She wasn’t afraid of him in either form. She trusted him and she had good instincts. She didn’t give up when the solution wasn’t obvious.
Then why had she left?
What was she afraid of?
One thing was for sure—Brandon was going to find out, and he was going to find out today. He’d talk to Chen, then go to Kane‘ohe and meet Liz there. He’d find out, once and for all, whether her suspicions were right about Chen.
He’d borrow Dylan’s Jeep or Kira’s bug. If he couldn’t borrow either, he’d fly there in dragon form, confident that he’d be able to shift back to human form in her presence. When there was time and quiet, he’d convince her to confide in him.
He smiled in anticipation of Liz’s surprise when she found him at her door—and smiled even more in anticipation of how he’d remind her that they were meant to be together. She was angry with him about the baby, and rightly so. He would have told her already if there hadn’t been so much else going on.
He’d tell her everything.
And she’d listen, because she’d calm down on her drive across the island. She’d feel better once she was back at the Institute and was sure she wasn’t letting anyone down. Brandon respected her sense of responsibility and her loyalty to her friends.
He’d do the one thing she’d asked of him before he went after her. But he’d take the vial to her, not to Sloane. She could test the powder for him.
Brandon strode across the bar toward Chen.
With any luck, he’d be on his way to Kane‘ohe in fifteen minutes.
Chen was still seething.
Someone had invaded his lair this morning.
Worse, someone had invaded his lair and stolen one of the scales he had collected from Brandon. Worse yet, the villain in question had broken one of the scales, proving that he knew their importance. Now, instead of needing a single scale to complete his spell, Chen had need of two more.
It hadn’t been any ordinary intruder. It certainly hadn’t been a human one. The thief had been a Slayer; of that Chen was certain, because there wasn’t a whiff of scent outside his lair. There also had been no disruption of his dragonsmoke barrier, woven so high and thick that it would strike
any dragon intruder to ice on contact.
No. The villain had gone around the dragonsmoke, not through it.
He was Slayer, and his feats proved that he had drunk the Dragon’s Blood Elixir.
There was only one Slayer other than Chen who had drunk the Elixir and survived.
Jorge had come for vengeance.
And the last of the Elixir.
In a way, it would be interesting to see who won this feud. Would Chen replenish his Dragon Bone Powder with Jorge’s corpse, or would Jorge suck the last vestiges of Elixir from Chen’s own marrow?
Chen gripped his glass more tightly than was necessary and knew which Slayer he would bet on. He was quite sure that he had a better plan than Jorge. He also knew he was smarter. He had deceived Jorge more than once in the past.
Jorge was angry and passionate. That could lead a dragon to make mistakes of the most fateful kind. Jorge was also proud—another fatal flaw. Chen sipped his juice and resolved to work with these weaknesses.
Just as he would work with the meddling of the Apothecary. It was laughable that the Pyr had sent only one of their kind to face Chen. Of course, they probably thought they were merely supporting Brandon’s firestorm. They must not have realized that Chen was here.
Which gave him time to spring the trap. He’d be gone before they arrived.
Or he would have been, if it hadn’t been for Jorge.
His anger simmered, and Brandon chose that moment to reappear.
“You okay?” the young Pyr asked as he slid back into his seat. “You look a bit pale, Chen.”
Chen coughed weakly. “It is the sun,” he said. “I have become unaccustomed to it. I walked here without my cane.”
Brandon looked worried. “Look, I’m sorry, but I don’t have any more of that powder you gave me.”
“It was a gift, my friend.” Chen coughed.
“I know it makes you feel better, but my friend wasted it when he was joking around.” Brandon grimaced. “I was going to give it back to you, but it’s gone.”
Chen swallowed a smile. Little did this foolish Pyr know that the Dragon Bone Powder was never wasted. “It was a gift between friends. You owe me no apology.”
Brandon looked around, then leaned over the table. “Look, Chen, I can’t stay long, but I wanted to ask your advice. Do you remember what you used to tell me about the dragon? About control?”
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