by Donna Grant
She stopped and swallowed, her gaze lowering to the floor. “But every time I think of finding the dragon, I have no answer. I chose Fair because there were so many archeological digs on the island. There wasn’t anything in particular I was looking for when I chose it, which was odd. I had a map of the isle, and looked at all the different cliffs and places where the caves were.
“I went for a walk on the beach and looked up. Right at the cave. I told my assistant we needed to look in that one. It was my ‘gut feeling,’ and in truth, it scared me. Right up until we went inside and I found the skeleton.”
Faith raised her gaze to find everyone looking at her. It was disconcerting, but they wanted answers. She could only hope she could tell them enough that it would help.
She knew she wasn’t one of Ulrik’s pawns, but she had no proof to show. Dmitri’s blood-soaked shirt was confirmation that she hadn’t been in control of herself.
Surely Tamir would’ve told her if something like that had happened before. So if the first occurrence was at Dreagan, then what did that mean?
If only her head would stop hurting, she might be able to think clearly. She rubbed her temples, wishing for some aspirin.
“What is it?” Dmitri asked.
She gave a shake of her head. “It’s this headache. It won’t stop.”
“My head begins to pound right before the anger sets in,” he said to the others.
Kiril’s lips compressed. “As does mine.”
“Make that three of us,” Con said.
Faith jerked when Con moved to sit beside her. “Sorry,” she mumbled. Con had never hurt her, but the reaction had been involuntary.
“It’s fine.” His smile, though kind, didn’t reach his black eyes.
She had the absurd notion to ask him if he’d ever truly been happy. Then she realized the answer to that was probably yes, before the dragons had to be sent away. So she kept her mouth shut.
“I can help,” Con told her and held out his hand.
She looked at it for a second before placing her hand in his. Almost instantly, the pounding in her head subsided. The relief was so great that she closed her eyes and sighed.
“Thank you.”
Con patted her hand and returned it to her lap before he rose. “My pleasure.”
Now that she no longer felt pain, Faith was able to look at the situation with a clear head. She opened her eyes, focusing on the wooden dragon.
“You’ve ruled out Ulrik in accomplishing this feat, correct?” she asked.
Dmitri made a sound at the back of his throat. “It looks that way.”
“You said it wasna Ulrik in the woods,” Roman said.
Rhi’s eyes widened. “That’s right. She did.”
Faith really hated that she didn’t recall any of what they claimed. “Then if it isn’t Ulrik, who else could it be?”
“The Dark?” Kiril asked.
Shara shook her head. “That means they would have to work with a Druid.”
“They would if that Druid were a drough,” Rhi pointed out. “Evil always helps evil. The problem with that scenario is that I sensed both Light and Dark magic, as well as Druid magic from both a mie and a drough.”
Dmitri let out a soft whistle. “Four sects of magic. The good and bad of two races. This wasna done lightly.”
“It was intentional. And directed at Con,” Rhi said.
Faith’s eyes moved to Con, and she took a closer look. The King of Kings wasn’t anything like she’d expected. He was gorgeous, yes, just like Rhys, Kiril, and Roman, but there was something else about him.
Con dressed immaculately in custom-made suits. He was tall and well formed with his golden blond hair. He kept cool and calm under strain. And while his black eyes were as emotionless as his face, it was the power within that drew others to him.
“The group wasna verra smart if they were coming after me,” Con said. “Half of them are dead.”
Dmitri’s frown was deep as he said, “A new enemy? Now?”
“Is there a perfect time to learn we have another adversary?” Roman asked.
Kiril looked at Roman, nodding. “Good point.”
“I get that,” Shara said. “But Fae and Druids combining magic? I’ve never heard of it before.”
Rhi turned her head to Shara. “Are you sure? Think back. Your family is one of the most powerful of the Dark. Can you remember hearing anything?”
“Need I remind you that I was locked away for a huge portion of time,” Shara stated.
Faith almost asked what had happened, but by the way Kiril kissed his wife’s forehead to soothe her, she decided it wasn’t a good time. So Shara had been Dark but turned Light. How fascinating.
“We can talk to Darcy,” Roman said.
Dmitri perked up at that. “She’s part of the Skye Druids. They’ll know.”
“Why?” Faith asked.
Con said, “There have been Druids on the Isle of Skye from the verra first time a mortal found magic. As Dreagan houses magic, so does Skye. The Druids there may have answers for us.”
“They’re going to want to see this,” Rhi said and motioned to the orb.
Faith looked at the dragon. “I could take samples of the wood to carbon date it.”
“No one is touching it,” Con said in a voice as chilly as the north.
“I think we need to be sure that object is what is causing all this hoopla,” Faith pointed out.
Roman snorted. “I saw the blade come out of it when you raised it over your head.”
“All right,” she admitted with a nod. “What if that isn’t the only thing that was imbued with magic?”
Dmitri raised a brow. “You mean the skeleton?”
Faith looked into his azure eyes. “Yes.”
“As strong as a Druid or Fae—or even a combination—is, they are no’ more powerful than dragon magic,” Dmitri said.
She considered his words and then asked, “Even a dragon that was dying?”
“She’s got a point,” Con said.
“I’ll check out the bones.” Roman turned and walked out.
Kiril said, “I’ll help him.”
“We doona need another enemy,” Dmitri stated.
Con withdrew something from his pocket. Faith saw a flash of gold in his hand as he turned it over and over with his fingers. She finally glimpsed the cufflinks—dragon heads.
“We doona have a choice,” Con said.
Rhi tapped her toe on the wooden floor, her silver eyes narrowed on the globe. “None of this is coincidence.”
“You think whoever did this is still alive?” Faith asked in surprise.
Rhi raised a black brow and looked at her. “I’ve seen stranger things.”
“But humans aren’t immortal,” she contended.
Dmitri and Con exchanged a look before Muscles said, “They are if they’re mated to a Dragon King.”
“Right.” That wasn’t something Faith was likely to forget. “But you told me they die if their King is killed. So that rules out any mates.”
Rhi winced. “Um. Actually, there was another way. The Druids of MacLeod Castle. Isla put a shield around the castle hiding it from view and protecting everyone inside. As long as they stayed within the wards, they were immortal.”
“Until I gave them rings filled with dragon magic that allowed them to be immortal regardless if they were inside the shield or no’,” Con said.
Faith looked at each of them. “You mean Ronnie? She would never do anything like this.”
“None of those at MacLeod Castle would,” Rhi said. “But there are other Druids.”
Faith wrapped her arms around herself. It seemed that the Dragon Kings couldn’t win no matter what they did. And where exactly did that leave her?
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Dmitri felt a new kind of anger within him. He glanced at Faith, his gut twisting in fear and rage. “Are you saying that someone intentionally put Faith in danger?”
“We’re s
peculating,” Con said.
Rhi snorted. “Speak for yourself.”
“There’s no proof,” Con argued.
But Dmitri knew that the confirmation was in the magic. “If you hadna put that wooden dragon within a force field, there’s no telling what we would’ve done to each other or someone else.”
“Dragon, human, or Fae,” Faith said, her gaze on the floor as her face was filled with remorse.
“Nothing said or done was what any of you truly believe, correct?” Shara asked.
Dmitri nodded. “Correct.”
“Someone wanted to force another war,” Con said tightly.
Faith raised her gaze. “Who would benefit from another dragon and human war?”
“Fae,” Rhi and Con said in unison.
Rhi then shrugged. “But only if the mortals won.”
“That wouldna happen,” Dmitri replied.
Con crossed his arms over his chest. “Nay, it wouldna. Which means this once again turns back to Ulrik.”
“But you ruled him out as being a part of this,” Faith said.
Dmitri ran a hand down his face. “We’re going in circles with no answer. We know Ulrik wasna part of setting this up. The timeline doesna work.”
“And we know that Fae and Druid magic are interwoven,” Shara said.
Con turned his gaze to Rhi and frowned. “What is it? What do you see?”
Dmitri looked to the Light Fae to find her staring at the orb that hovered before her. Her silver eyes were startlingly bright as she put her hands on either side of the sphere just short of actually touching it.
The globe began to crackle before tiny bolts zigzagged from within it to her hands. She didn’t seem fazed by it. Then she began to glow.
“Rhi,” Dmitri called.
If she heard him, she didn’t respond. The glowing increased, as did the bolts running back and forth between her hands and the sphere until it was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began.
Shara reached over and tried to grab Rhi, only to be zapped in the process. Shara gasped, jerking her hand back and moving away.
It was Con who lowered his voice and said, “Rhi.”
She blinked and looked at Con. The glowing faded, as did the electrical currents.
“What the hell were you doing?” he demanded.
Rhi tilted her head, studying him. Her gaze then slid to Faith. “This was a beacon. One designed specifically for you.”
Dmitri clenched his jaw. No. This couldn’t be happening. Not to Faith. “You must be wrong.”
“I’m not.” Rhi turned her eyes to him. “I felt it. I saw it. It wasn’t just digging up the skeleton that activated the carving. It was her touch.”
Faith’s eyes grew round. “How? I don’t understand.”
“The how is the easy part,” Con said. “Your ancestors.”
Dmitri shook his head. “Stop.”
“No,” Faith said. “I want to know. I want to get to the bottom of this.”
“I doona. I’m a fighter. I’ve battled many things in my life, and I know I’ll clash with many more.”
“You can’t fight my battles,” she said.
“Why no’?” he demanded. He shot a hateful glare at the wooden dragon. “That … thing … didna just affect you. It touched others here.”
“But I started it,” she maintained.
Con returned his hand to his pocket. “You didna have a choice. It called you to it. You didna know it at the time, which puts everything you did after out of your control.”
“She’s a descendant,” Rhi said. “That means something.”
“Every fucking mortal on this planet is a descendant of the first humans!” Dmitri bellowed. Then he clutched his hands into fists to control his anger.
Faith swallowed hard, breaking the silence. She watched Rhi and Con exchange a look before she looked at Dmitri. He shook his head and glared at the hated orb.
“It’s been a long day,” Con said.
Rhi gave the sphere a cutting look. “With a lot of wacky stuff going on.”
“Exactly,” Con said with a nod. “Let’s take a few hours to mull all of this over and attack it with clearer heads later.”
Dmitri turned away to look into the fire as the others filed out of the room. He was disgusted with everything, including his inability to protect Faith. The one thing he’d always been good at was protecting others, and he was useless now.
As soon as he felt her arms come around him from behind, the tension in his muscles began to lessen. Then she rested her head against his back.
“Stop blaming yourself,” she said.
He braced his arms against the mantel and hung his head. “We’ve another enemy. As if we doona have enough to contend with. But that I can deal with. It’s you unwittingly being brought into this that has me tied in knots.”
“I know I’m only human with no magical ability, but I’m not weak, Muscles. I can handle this.”
He smiled despite everything. Then he dropped his arms and turned to face her. His hands cupped her face, and he looked into her sherry eyes. “Aye. I know you can.”
“So stop worrying about me,” she told him. “Rhi has that thing contained. Let’s get to the bottom of why I was involved.”
“And who put it all together,” he finished.
Her smile was bright. “Exactly. Turn that vengeful fire inside you to those who deserve it. Not on yourself.”
The truth of everything became clear in that moment. Perhaps he’d known before, but he hadn’t been ready to accept it … to feel it. Until then.
“What?” she asked, a frown puckering her brow.
“I made a point of only taking Fae as lovers. I believed that becoming entangled with a mortal would only complicate things.”
Her eyes dimmed. “Oh.”
“I tell you that so you’ll understand how profoundly you’ve touched my life. I can no’ imagine it without you. You didna just open my eyes, but my soul, as well. I think I stayed away from humans because I was waiting for you.” He smiled as he caressed her cheek. “Because I love you.”
As the seconds ticked by without a response, he wanted to bellow his fury. Instead, he remained beside her, touching her.
It was the first time he’d ever told a woman such words, and though he hadn’t planned it out, he had hoped for a reply in some fashion.
Maybe that was the problem. He hadn’t planned it. If he had, he could’ve given her the flowery words women needed. He could’ve come up with a better way to tell her of his love and let her know how deeply she was embedded in his heart.
But her message was loud and clear. He lowered his arms, intending to leave her alone. As he turned away, she grabbed his hand. His head jerked to her, hope springing anew.
“So you drop something like that on me and then leave?” she asked.
He swallowed, wondering what the correct response was. “I … I.” he paused and swallowed again. “I had to tell you of my feelings.”
“Then let me tell you of mine.”
By the way she wouldn’t meet his gaze, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to hear them. But he was a Dragon King. He would stand before her and listen to all she said, no matter how it might tear at his heart.
Because he loved her.
She released his hand and clasped hers together. Her shoulders rose as she took a deep breath before slowly releasing it. “I never wanted relationships. I saw that some worked, but most didn’t. I was too young to see the heartache my mother went through when my father left. But him walking out left a scar upon her heart that never healed.
“She didn’t turn her back on love, despite what he’d done. She looked for it, hoped for it. Yet time and again, I witnessed how love let her down. My mother deserved to find happiness more than anyone I knew. She searched for it, and I actively ran from it.”
Dmitri dropped his gaze to the floor. He didn’t need to hear more. He knew exactly where this was going.
She
said, “I was happy. Everything in my life was just where I wanted it. Then I went to Fair Isle and found the dragon. There was a feeling swirling in my gut that told me things were about to change.
“I’m a woman of science, so I disregarded it. I ignored Tamir’s feelings, and didn’t heed Ronnie’s words of warning. Then you arrived.”
He looked up to find her eyes on him. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking or feeling, and he hated it.
“You protected me. You watched over me. Then you saved my life. I saw you. The real you. And I wanted you.”
He searched her face, trying to determine if that was good or bad.
“In your arms, I found pleasure and ecstasy. I found myself. With that, I was able to look at this new world you showed me with fresh eyes. And I wanted you.”
He fought to keep from reaching for her, dragging her against him and claiming her mouth.
“I killed a Dark. I watched you shift into a dragon. And I wanted you.”
Their eyes locked, heat and desire coiled between them.
“You brought me to Dreagan. You showed me the Silvers. And I wanted you.”
He moved closer, unable to stay away.
“I was affected by magic, and you saved me again. And I ached for you.”
He could barely breathe as he watched her.
“I learned that I was somehow involved with this new enemy. I saw you try to protect me once more. Then I heard your words. And I ached for you.
“I tell you all of this, so you’ll understand when I say I love you, it comes from the depths of my soul.”
Dmitri yanked her against him and plundered her lips savagely, the hunger consuming them both. Her nails clawed at his back through his shirt while he ground his arousal against her.
The pleasure and joy were so dazzling and deep that they engulfed him. She loved him.
She loved him!
“Say it again,” she said between kisses.
He moaned. “I love you.”
“And I love you.”
Lifting her, he carried her to the bed. With a knee upon the mattress, he slowly lowered her. Her answering moan made his balls tighten.
He lifted his head to look down at her. “I want you as my mate. I know it might be too much right now—”