by Vella Day
With a lot of effort, Kenton made it through the rest of his shift. He wanted to believe the world was demon-free, but apparently that wasn’t true. Instead of fuming over having a demon in Edendale, he should be focusing on not making too many mistakes tonight on his date.
One plus to his day had been that he made every coffee without breaking anything. He had to admit he’d picked a good job to have. He thoroughly enjoyed chatting with the customers and was even learning the art of flirtation. Angelique had commented that during his shifts, business had picked up in large part to the increase in females—single ones, naturally.
Tory had seemed pleased with his looks, but he understood that different cultures responded differently.
When his shift finished, Kenton debated teleporting back home, showering, and changing, but Tory seemed to take delight in him wearing a work shirt to the movies. Without debating his options further, he walked to the jewelry store. Fresh air—assuming car fumes mingled with the scents of many people counted as fresh—would help clear his head.
To his delight, Tory was waiting outside for him, and his inner glow filled him with joy as did an extra burst of heat. He tried to keep his gait steady since acting too anxious would not look good.
When he reached her, Kenton leaned over and kissed her cheek. He’d seen many customers do that when they met at the café. Tory stiffened for a moment but then smiled.
“Hey there,” he said trying to act as casual as possible. “What movie are we seeing?”
“The Sidwell Adventures.”
He had no idea what that would be about, but if Tory wanted to see it, he was game. “Are we walking or driving?”
“Driving. It’s at least a mile from here, and the movie starts in a half hour.”
Kenton was rather pleased when she slid into the driver’s side, as it would allow him to study her—his mate and future queen of Feyrion. As soon as he said those words mentally, his heart sank. Tory Sinclair would never want to leave this world—a world where she could be a savior; a world where her family meant everything to her.
Well, damn. That was depressing. When it came time for his parents to step down from their leadership role, he would have to take over their reign. He, too, would have to leave Bevon and his sisters, but since birth, he’d understood his destiny. Why would he think Tory would put him above her family?
Tory was excited to show Kenton something new. She could still remember the thrill when her parents had taken her to her first movie. She had been eight.
“Do you go to the movies often?” he asked as soon as the engine fired up.
“Not often enough.” Mostly because she didn’t have someone to go with. “I realize this is a random question, but do you eat popcorn?”
It was a stupid thing to ask, but she was curious how similar they were—dragon shifter versus Fey. Angelique was from a different realm, and yet she seemed very much like everyone else. Maybe Kenton was too.
“I do.”
Yes! “I love buttered popcorn. I also have to buy a box of candy every time I go.” She rarely indulged in anything so decadent, but the movies were the one place where eating healthy wasn’t an option.
“I look forward to getting some then.”
She arrived at the theater in no time. Because Tory had asked him out, she purchased both tickets. It was a bit surprising that he didn’t question it, but she had no idea what the dating rituals were where he came from.
Before they went into the theater, Kenton ordered a big tub of popcorn for her and a smaller, unbuttered container for himself. While he asked for a bottle of water for himself, she picked out a soda and a box of candy. When she went to pay, he stayed her hand. “This is on me.”
She liked that he was a gentleman. “Thank you.”
Inside, the theater was mostly empty, which wasn’t surprising considering it was a fairly early show. Only because he wouldn’t know which seats were the best, she chose ones in the center.
He looked around. “Where is everyone?”
“Most people take in the later showing.” She explained that the movie played over and over again throughout the day.
They didn’t get a chance to chat much beforehand because the previews came on, and Tory enjoyed them almost as much as the movies themselves. Every time she looked over at Kenton, he too seemed totally entranced with what was going on, and she couldn’t be happier.
For the movie itself, Tory became engrossed in the action and storyline, and it seemed to end almost before it began. The lights came on, and when she looked up at him, she expected Kenton to be grinning. Instead, he looked rather bored—or was it confused? With him it was hard to tell.
“You didn’t like the film?” she asked.
“No, I did. It was just a bit confusing.”
“Confusing? Which part?” She thought the plot was rather straight forward. She stood and motioned they leave since the staff was rushing in to clean up.
“Why didn’t Armand use his magic to get out of his cell? To me, he wasn’t much of a hero.”
Seriously? “What made you believe he possessed magic? Not everyone on Tarradon has any.”
“Interesting. I guess I’ve been a bit sheltered, but everyone in your family has some.”
“True, but we’re…well, you know.”
“Got it. Clearly, I need some educating.” When he smiled, she instantly forgot his comment, though she suspected he wasn’t really confused at all. This might be his way of teasing her.
Tory had promised him dinner. Because Kenton had admitted he hadn’t visited Edendale very often, she wanted to treat him to a nice place.
A few minutes later, Tory found a parking place in front of the Highlanders Steakhouse. While she hadn’t made a reservation, she didn’t think it would be very busy at this hour, and sure enough, the place was only half full.
Kenton whistled. “This is where all the people are.”
“As opposed to the movie theater?”
“Yes.”
He did have a lot to learn. “If we’d arrived two hours later, we would have been lucky to get a table.” She studied him to see if he was teasing her again. “You don’t interact with a lot of people, do you?”
“Back home? Sure. There might be hundreds gathered for a family dinner, but now I’m used to eating alone or with Bevon, though Meena will cook for the lot of us when the mood strikes.”
Tory thought that rather sad. “You need to get out more.”
His brows rose. “If I had someone to show me around, I would.”
She liked the sound of that. “If you’re asking for a tour guide, I’d be happy to show you the ins and outs of Edendale.”
“I’d really like that.”
The server stopped by their table, and to her delight, Kenton ordered a bottle of wine. Considering the way he rattled off the name of a rather obscure wine, the man must not be the hermit he claimed to be. He looked over at her. “What?”
“How did you learn about wine?”
His mouth opened slightly and then closed. “My home—which shall remain nameless while we are here—has more vineyards than your fine land. Do we have the same strains? Some are the same, but most are native to my home.”
She was fascinated. “Is the climate different there? Is that why you have so many vineyards?”
“In large part yes. Where I grew up, the weather is always perfect, and it only rains when the plants need it. Otherwise the sun shines.”
“It’s a magical land then.” Tory was pleased with herself for understanding what he was trying to tell her.
“To me it is. It’s warm and bright. The colors are more intense, and the plants and ground have a richness to them that I’ve yet to find anywhere else.”
“It sounds wonderful.” She wasn’t just saying that either.
He smiled. “It truly is.”
When he looked off to the side for a moment, it was obvious he missed it. “Why stay here then?”
“It�
�s our lot in life to protect Tarradon and my homeland from intruders.”
Now he had her curious. “What kind of intruders?”
Kenton reached across the table and clasped her hand. “Are you sure you want to know?”
His voice had dropped almost an octave. “Yes. It’s my job to be a protector.”
He blew out a breath. “It’s possible that your suicide issue could be a result of a Gromley demon attack.”
She laughed, because she thought he was making that up. When his lips thinned, she realized he was serious. “I’m sorry. I thought you were trying to be funny.”
“I wish. I don’t know much about them other than they come from Cargonia.”
She sucked in a breath. “We only have one portal between our two worlds, but I didn’t think it had been used for years.”
“Apparently, someone has reopened it.”
She would have to tell Declan. “What do these Gromley demons look like?”
He glanced around and then leaned closer. “Like everyone else, and that’s the problem. I usually can sense their evil, but in order to do so, I have to be close to them.”
“How do they leave a chemical inside a person?”
“I’ve never seen them do that, so I couldn’t say, but a long, long time ago, we had a few incidences like it back home. The person always died as a result of their interaction with a Gromley.”
She shivered. “How can we stop them?”
“You don’t—at least I don’t think a dragon shifter would have any effect on them. As I said, my knowledge is limited. My family has some abilities, and they’ve used those abilities to create what I call a magic ball of light.”
She whispered with no sound, a magic ball of light? “I’d ask what it is made of, but I have the feeling you’d tell me it’s composed of light.”
He smiled. “You’re right.”
“What does this ball of light do exactly?”
“If I hit the creature with the ball, it somehow absorbs the demon’s energy and kills him instantly.”
“You don’t think fire or dropping this person from hundreds of feet in the air would do any damage?”
Kenton stared at her for a moment. “I don’t know.” He held up a finger. “What I do know is that you and your family need to let my family deal with him or them.”
Her heart sunk. She shuddered to think these creatures were roaming the realm killing people, and the Guardians had no defense against them. “I will let everyone know, but somehow I have the sense they won’t listen.”
“I hope for your sake, and everyone’s sake, that they do.”
Chapter Nine
Going out to the movies and then having dinner with Tory was like walking on Feyrion where his body renewed itself. After the unpleasant conversation about the Gromley demons was put to rest, they talked about what it was like for her to grow up in Edendale—a town where anything was possible. Kenton would pepper her story with his experiences on Feyrion, leaving out many of the big topics—like how he’d be king someday.
As his tale unfolded, Kenton could sense Tory wasn’t ready for his wonderful world of magic yet. The concept of having demons on Tarradon was enough for one day.
After she insisted on paying for their meal, which required him to swallow his pride, they returned to her car. “I would drop you off back at your house,” she said, “but unless I fly you home, it would take us many, many hours to drive there.”
He smiled. She was so damned cute. “I appreciate the offer, but I have my own mode of transportation. In case you haven’t guessed already, I teleport wherever I want to go.” He held his breath, awaiting her response.
“I figured,” she said with total calm. “I’ve never actually witnessed anyone doing it. What is it like?”
“I can show you.”
She pulled in front of her house and cut the engine. The light from her one-story cottage was enough for him to see her bite down on her lip. “Can we do that later?” she asked.
“Of course.” Though he could have demonstrated by teleporting to the back of her house and returning.
Kenton pushed open his door and slipped out. As he walked over to her side to help her, Tory jumped out.
“Would you like to come in for a drink?” she asked.
Kenton’s pulse soared, and he grinned at the unexpected request. “I’d love to.”
She stopped and then reached out, placing a palm over his heart. “What is that glow under your shirt? I know I can flash a color, but those are my dragon scales acting up. You can’t transform into a dragon, can you?”
He moved closer even though something told him not to. “No, not into a dragon. I am not a shifter, but I have my own kind of light inside me.” He hoped she’d leave it at that.
“From what?”
Drat. “Let’s go inside, and I’ll explain it to you.” That sounded like a pick-up line, but after sitting next to Tory at the theater and studying her across the table at dinner, it was anything but a come-on. Deep inside, Kenton really needed to touch her, kiss her, and love her in some way right now. It didn’t matter that the little voice in his head told him it was too soon. The light he’d put inside her to cure her—his light—had bound them together like nothing ever could, and it was driving him crazy.
Tory stepped past him and opened the front door. “Come in.”
He followed her inside. Nice place! Her home was cozy and yet very different from his. Tory’s was all light, like some of the homes he’d been in on Feyrion. Even the sofa and pillows were done in pastel colors. The walls had a hint of pale yellow, like the morning sun. While small, it suited his tastes just fine.
Okay, he didn’t need to get ahead of himself. If he and Tory mated, they most likely would not live here, and that could be a problem for her.
“I’ll get the glasses if you open the bottle of wine,” she said with a lot of cheer in her voice. Yes!
“By all means.”
It had been eons since he’d been this comfortable around a woman. Once the females on Feyrion understood who he was, they treated him like some prize to be won. He shivered at the remembrance of all the terrible dates he’d had to endure. It took forever to convince his parents that he wanted to wait until he found his one and only true mate.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Surely, she couldn’t have sensed the dismay in him, or could she? “I’m good.”
Tory smiled and then handed him the bottle and the opener. “Use your magic on this.”
Kenton wouldn’t use magic. He’d open it the old-fashioned way. As soon as she placed the glasses on the counter, he popped the cork and poured the wine.
Kenton lifted his glass. “To a great evening, for the movie, the dinner, and for showing me your delightful city. I didn’t realize how closed off I’ve been living in the forest.”
Tory sipped her drink and then stepped closer to him. With her so near, his eyes had to be flashing gold by now. For sure his life light was going crazy—as was hers. He doubted she’d even noticed the light pulsing around her heart though, because a lot of yellow was glowing under her skin.
“Are you a yellow scaled dragon?” he asked, needing to say something other than demanding she kiss him.
Tory glanced down at her arms. “I’m a black dragon with some yellow scales interspersed. I realize that most dragons around here are all black, but the Guardians have an added color. We’ve always been led to believe it was the magic imbued in us.”
“Magic, huh?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Nothing really fancy.”
“What can you do?” He’d show her some of his abilities if she showed him hers.
“We can become invisible while in our dragon form.” Tory lifted her chin. He was thrilled she was proud of her talents.
“Can you do this?” Kenton cloaked himself, and her eyes went wide. Two seconds later, he reappeared.
“Oh, my goddess. Can you do that whenever you want?”
His libido skyrocketed. “Yes.”
“That’s incredible.”
Kenton wouldn’t tell her that was how he knew when to run into her when she was on her way to the hospital to visit her sister. He’d been watching her from across the street from SinCas for a while.
“I have a few other tricks, but if I keep them secret a bit longer, I might be able to convince you to go out with me again.” He could almost see his brother roll his eyes at that line.
“Sounds good to me.” Tory set down her glass. “Now that we have that out of the way, do you want to explain why your chest is glowing?”
Just as he was about to tell her, she unbuttoned a few of his shirt buttons and then peeked under the material. At that moment, he thought his heart would burst. He set down his glass and gently clasped her wrist. “That is dangerous territory, young lady.”
She laughed. “Why is that?”
“My heart glows only when I am with someone very special to me.” Thank goodness, he didn’t tell her the whole truth—that she was his mate.
Tory retracted her hand, but her eyes flashed the most beautiful shade of purple. She shoved up her sleeves to expose delicate yellow translucent scales under her skin that were blinking up a storm. “I do this when I’m with someone I find attractive.”
Blood pounded in his ears, forcing him to control himself. He feared he’d ravish her right on the kitchen counter. “Want to do a little experiment?”
The pulse at the base of his neck throbbed hard.
“What kind of experiment?” she asked in the flirtiest tone he’d ever heard.
“This.”
Kenton pulled her close and kissed her hard, with all of the passion that was flowing through his body. The heat around his heart nearly seared him, but he guessed it was the same for her. They belonged to each other, and he would tell her just as soon as they were truly together.
Tory was overwhelmed with need and desire. She never thought she’d be kissing Kenton Forrester in her kitchen tonight, but the moment they toasted, she was drawn to him like two magnets of opposite polarity. Her scales pulsed to the same tempo as the glow around his heart.