Grant’s words made her stand a little taller. “I can do it, but what did Finn say? I’m all for irritating my cousin, but this is rather important.”
“Finn is negotiating with the DDA. I just want to be ready as soon as he gets the green light to question him.”
“Well, Iris is here. If you stay, too, then I could probably slip away without Lachlan noticing for a little while. The only question is if the staff at Inverness Castle will allow me to be alone with him.”
“As long as he’s chained up in his cell, I don’t see why not. I dosed him with our special mixture and he won’t be able to shift for a few days. If worse comes to worst, you can turn into a dragon and easily contain him again.”
For a split second, Faye was stunned at how easily Grant was including her on such an important task. Then she pushed it aside. She didn’t want to give him any reason to change his mind. “Right, then it’s probably best if I slip away now and you take my place. I’m sure you can make up an excuse.”
He nodded. She turned to leave, but Grant grabbed her wrist. She met his gaze again as he said, “Be careful, lass. Not because I don’t think you’re capable, because you are. My father is unpredictable and I don’t know if his brethren will attack Inverness Castle to retrieve him or not.”
“If they do, you’ll be the first to know.”
He smiled. “Aye, then you’d best leave. Don’t be afraid to punch him if my father steps out of line.”
Faye made a fist and raised her free arm as if to clock someone. Grant snorted at her antics and finally released her wrist.
Making her way out of the exhibition center, Faye did her best not to dwell on Grant’s actions and willingness to include her. She needed all the time she could muster to prepare her interrogation questions.
Unfortunately, her dragon didn’t share the same view. Grant is trying too hard.
She sighed. First he wasn’t trying hard enough and now he’s trying too hard. I think you’re just making excuses.
Her beast paused a beat before replying, Let me ask you this—are you ready for the frenzy and all it entails?
Wait, you’re trying to protect me?
Why is that surprising? We are one, and if something happens to you, it happens to me, too.
Putting aside self-preservation, you could just ask me. Just because Grant is earning my respect and proving how much he values us doesn’t mean I’m going to jump into bed with him at the earliest opportunity.
Are you sure? You go crazy at his touch. What would happen if he undressed us and kissed every inch of our skin?
It took everything Faye had not to visualize her dragon’s words. Stop it, dragon.
Just think about it. I’ll let you carry out your interrogation, but this conversation isn’t over.
Her beast fell silent, and Faye fought the urge to bang her head against a wall. She wondered how dragons ever survived finding their true mate, let alone living with them. Her dragon would probably always try to protect her.
Not that it should surprise her. She was the youngest and her entire family was overprotective. Her dragon had probably just followed their example.
Faye picked up her pace. She could debate her future and dealing with her beast later. She needed to reach Inverness Castle quickly. She wasn’t about to fail this assignment. Aye, she wanted to prove to Grant she could handle important clan business. But she also needed to do it for herself. Faye missed being in charge of the Protectors on Lochguard and making delicate decisions. She might never regain her former job, but she was starting to think she could share it with Grant.
That was a future she wouldn’t mind. Grant as both her lover and her work partner.
But she was getting ahead of herself. First things first, she needed to get Michael McFarland to talk.
~~~
A short time later, Faye stood outside Michael McFarland’s cell and stared at the male.
While he looked like an older version of Grant with the same dark hair—albeit a bit gray—and the same brown eyes, all Faye wanted to do was punch the dragonman for abandoning his clan and family.
Faye’s father had been stolen from her, but Michael had chosen to leave. To her, his act was the worst type of betrayal.
Her beast growled. If we hit him once where no one can see, it won’t cause any problems.
As tempting as it is, no. I don’t want to face the DDA’s wrath. Besides, Grant’s counting on us.
Hmph. Grant would approve of my plan.
Before Faye could respond, one of the guards returned from upstairs and said, “You’ve been granted clearance for fifteen minutes. After that, I will escort you out.”
Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, Faye merely nodded. The guard signaled one of the others, and the other man unlocked the cell.
Faye entered the small space and the door clicked closed behind her. As the lock turned over, she checked for anything Michael could use to overpower her. However, the cell contained a single bed, toilet, and sink. Beyond the blanket on the bed and toilet paper on the ground, there were only the chains around Michael’s wrist and ankles.
Satisfied the cell was secure, she asked, “Care to tell me why you left Lochguard?”
A small frown appeared between Michael’s brows. “That’s your first question?”
“Just tell me the reason. I want to know.”
He studied her. “I’m not going to talk, lass. You’re wasting your time.”
She took a step closer. “Is that so? Then maybe I should go and leave your fate to the DDA.” She glanced over her shoulder. “What was it you lads were talking about doing? Oh, that’s right. Keeping his inner dragon drugged silent for the rest of his life.”
“You’re lying. The DDA wouldn’t violate its agreements.”
“Ah, but you’re wrong. The agreements are between the British government and the five dragon clans in the UK. Since you don’t belong to any of the five clans, they have no established agreement with you. They are free to treat you as rogue dragons. I’m sure you know what that means.”
Rogue dragons could be executed on sight, if deemed a threat.
Since Grant’s father had never been a Protector, he didn’t possess the training to keep the concern from showing in his eyes. “I still call your bluff, MacKenzie. Your entire family is good at embellishing. This is no different.”
“What you call ‘embellishment’ I call having fun. But I can assure you, I’m not making this up. In fact, the DDA’s solicitor should be here at any moment to reinforce my claim.”
As they stared at one another, Faye debated her next move. She wasn’t lying about the DDA’s lawyer arriving soon. Still, the more information she could obtain before the official arrived, the better.
She continued. “I’m sure you know about the rogue American dragons and their attack on Lochguard this past winter. I believe they were working with you lot, aye?” Michael remained silent. Grant’s Uncle Roderick, the former Protector, must be training his followers up to a point. “All I have to do is show your picture to the DDA’s prisoners from that little incident. They’ll confirm my suspicions, and you’ll be locked away for the rest of your life. However, if you talk before I do that, you might receive a reduced sentence.”
She hated the offer considering what the man had done to Grant and his family, but keeping Lochguard safe was a higher priority than punishing one male for being a horrible father and mate.
“I still say you’re bluffing,” Michael answered. “Maybe once the solicitor arrives and can offer me a deal, I might talk. Until then, you may as well leave. I’m not going to tell you anything.”
Faye suspected the male was telling the truth. But there was one last thing she needed to find out. She stated, “You broke your ex-mate’s heart when you left. Did you know that?”
For a split second, regret flashed in Michael’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a hard look. “She made her choice to follow your no-good cousin. She has to live
with her decision.”
Her dragon growled. I don’t like him.
She ignored her beast. “One thing I could never figure out was why was Finn such a horrible leader, in your opinion? All he wanted to do was reach out to the humans and work with them.”
“Aye, and soon we would be bowing down to them more than we already do. Dragons were once revered and feared. It should always be that way. Only the clan leaders keep us from claiming the land and resources we deserve. They’re all afraid of the DDA, the cowards.”
Faye raised a brow. “So, eating people somehow makes you fierce and powerful? That sounds a bit crazy to me.”
“It’s not crazy to want to rule what should be ours. Especially if we obtain some of the weapons the dragon hunters are using against dragon-shifters, then no one could defeat us unless they were willing to bomb their own country and risk their precious people.”
Her dragon spoke up. The DDA needs to find him a counselor. He is delusional if he thinks the British government will turn things over to him after killing a few people. If Hitler couldn’t take this country, I doubt one or two dozen dragon-shifters could.
In his way of thinking, it was the dragons’ help and not the Americans that prevented Hitler from ultimately occupying this country.
Her dragon huffed. The Yanks were helpful, but we could’ve held our own. German dragons may be bigger, but they lack endurance.
Not wanting to debate her dragon, Faye ignored her beast to focus back on Michael. “I truly hope you see the light one day. Maybe then you’ll realize that giving up your family for an unrealistic power play was foolish.”
Michael growled and tugged on his chains. Faye had calculated their length and stood at a safe distance. She didn’t so much as flinch. She added, “Your window of opportunity is closing, McFarland. I give you until the end of the day, and then we’ll step back and allow the DDA to do whatever they wish. However, if you change your mind, Finn might be able to pull some strings so that you can fly again before you die.”
With that, she turned and waited for the human guard to open the cell. A younger Protector might’ve been disappointed in the interview, but Faye knew that planting ideas and letting them fester could sometimes do more to persuade a prisoner than punching them.
Given Michael McFarland’s selfishness, he would probably want to protect himself over his compatriots. She’d bet her life’s savings the male would cave.
Her dragon sighed. I detest him. I hope his stubbornness wins out and he withers away inside a jail cell somewhere.
And that would help the clan, how?
I didn’t say it was helpful or logical. I just don’t like him.
Faye snorted. I’ll make sure to tell Grant your feelings. It’s nice to see you’re warming up to him.
Her dragon harrumphed and fell silent.
Faye waited for the DDA’s solicitor in a small room not far from the holding cell. She paced the area, anxious to leave so she could talk with Grant. He would be less than pleased if his father continued to hold out, but her interview hadn’t been a complete bust. The pieces of information she’d gathered thus far could help them formulate a plan.
Chapter Thirteen
Grant watched as Cat, Max, and the others made the final adjustments to their displays. It’d been too many years since he’d had to merely watch over anyone and he was close to climbing the walls.
His dragon said, Maybe you understand the younger Protectors now.
Aye, I do. But I still won’t avoid giving them guard or bodyguard duty. Besides, few of them would be waiting to hear how an interrogation went with their father, aye?
Perhaps. But I trust Faye. You should too.
I trust her. I just want to know what the bloody hell happened.
Lachlan clapped, signaling it was time to depart, and everyone moved toward the far end of the room.
The only question was would Faye arrive before they left. If not, then Grant wouldn’t be able to talk with her until they were safe inside the B&B.
His dragon chimed in. A few minutes won’t kill you.
When they finally exited the room and piled into the vans that would take them back, Grant surveyed the surroundings for anything out of the ordinary. If not for Faye being away, Grant would excuse himself to do proper surveillance from the air.
However, Lachlan was already suspicious. Grant’s excuse about Faye needing to find a chemist for some personal items had been met with doubt. Only because Grant offered to go into the details of a female dragon-shifter’s biology and Max enthusiastically demanding to hear it did Lachlan quickly dismiss the errand.
They wound through the streets of Inverness back to their lodgings. The humans were going about their usual tasks of shopping, working, and meeting with friends. In some respects, they weren’t that different from dragon-shifters. Too bad more humans didn’t understand that fact.
The van finally pulled into the parking spot near the B&B and Grant spotted Faye through the front window of their lodgings. Since she was merely sitting and not pacing, the news couldn’t be that bad.
Signaling to Iris to look after both Cat and Max, Grant exited the van first and made his way into the B&B. He peeked his head into the lounge where Faye sat and ordered, “Upstairs.”
If the situation hadn’t been so important, Faye would’ve probably challenged him. However, she followed him up the stairs without complaint. As soon as he shut his door, he turned to Faye. “Well?”
“It’s fun to see you impatient. Maybe I’ll wait a few seconds more.” He growled, and she put up her hands. “Okay, I don’t want to anger Mr. Grumpy too much. Especially since my news is less than ideal.”
He searched Faye’s eyes. “He didn’t say anything?”
“Michael didn’t say much, but he will if the conditions he made with the solicitor are met.”
“Stop drawing it out and tell me already,” he barked.
She tilted her head. “One of his conditions is that he wants to see you.”
Grant clenched his fingers into a fist. “Why? I have nothing to say to that male.”
Faye shrugged. “I have no idea. Just be glad he agreed to anything at all. At first, he just kept havering on about the superiority of dragon-shifters. If it were up to him, humans would treat us as gods.”
“My father has always hated his lot in life. I suppose his interest in history was a subtle clue about his thoughts on dragons, since in the long run, they ruled the island more years than humans did.”
Faye closed the distance between them. At her nearness, his dragon stopped pacing inside his head. Her voice was gentle as she said, “I know it’s asking a lot for you to meet with him. And if it’s too difficult, I may have a plan about how to draw out the other rogue dragons, although it’s not guaranteed.”
“I would do anything to help the clan. That includes talking to my bastard father. Still, I’m curious to hear your plan.”
The corner of her mouth ticked up. “So, you’re ready to follow my orders again?”
He growled, “Faye, just tell me your idea. I don’t have time for your teasing.”
She touched his cheek, and it took everything Grant had not to cover her hand with his. Because if he did, he might do more than merely touch her. No, he’d pull her close and kiss her to escape reality for a few minutes.
His dragon spoke up. Yes, yes. Kiss her. She will let us.
Just because I can doesn’t mean I should. Think of the clan. They are counting on us.
His beast huffed. We need to work on delegating or we’ll never have time with our mate once we claim her.
She still hasn’t said yes.
She will.
Not wanting to argue further, Grant merely stared at Faye and raised his eyebrows. After a few more beats, she sighed. Shaking her head, she said, “Fine, I’ll try not to tease you for a few minutes. However, one day I’m going to convince you it’s okay to laugh, even in the direst of situations.” He tilted his head in qu
estion and she continued, “Aye, well, Michael and the other dragon-shifters that left Lochguard want dragons to be treated as kings and queens. If we carefully lay the groundwork, we might be able to convince some of our allies to pose as sympathetic to their cause, gain their confidence by ‘attacking’ certain clans, and then infiltrate their ranks. After that, it’s a matter of coordinating with the DDA and putting them in prison.”
“That requires a whole lot of dependence on other clans’ help.”
“So? We can trust Stonefire and they have connections to Snowridge through their head Protector, Kai. I also have a feeling Northcastle might join in, too.”
His dragon growled at the mention of Northcastle, but Grant ignored him. “Since when do you trust the Northern Irish dragons?”
“My dragon trusts Adrian and Kaine, and I trust her.” Her eyes lit up. “And just think of it—if we gain Northcastle’s trust and Stonefire has the confidence of the Irish clan, Glenlough, then we might also be able to heal the rift between the dragons in those two countries.”
“Gee, you don’t have big plans, now do you, lass?” Grant drawled.
She punched his arm. “Don’t pretend you don’t have big ideas, too. Otherwise, you’re not a very good head Protector.”
His dragon chimed in. Her idea to infiltrate their ranks has merit, but I still think we should meet with our father, first.
I was thinking the same thing.
His beast paused a second before adding, Also, tell her she’s brilliant. She deserves it.
Faye’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “What does Mister Dragon have to say now?”
“He wants to get into your pants.”
His beast growled. Yes, but tell her the whole truth.
Faye’s pupils flashed and she laughed. “I wish there was a way for our two dragons to talk directly to each other. Mine would give yours a dressing down.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Now, that I would love to hear.”
The Dragon Warrior (Lochguard Highland Dragons Book 4) Page 11