by Rinelle Grey
Luckily for him, the barkeep seemed to have a soft spot for him. Or he felt sorry that not only had Nate lost his brother, he’d lost his girlfriend too. He didn’t tell the man the whole story of course, but the fact that she wasn’t there kind of said it all, didn’t it?
Nate sat in the room, patting Lily absently, wondering what on earth he was going to do. He held out a vague hope that his brother might return to the pub that night. It had been twenty-four hours since Kytrima had scared them off. Maybe Brad would think they’d be gone by now.
It was the best lead he had, and Nate was out of other ideas.
He should get some sleep, but that seemed pointless too. What did he need his energy for? Driving around town all day again? That achieved nothing.
He wasn’t sure how long he’d sat there staring off into space, but eventually, something seeped in past his stupor. Maybe it was Lily, nosing her way under his hand and demanding a pat.
Or maybe it was his phone, blinking with a message.
How long had it been doing that? It had been in and out of range of the tower all day. Nate had given up even trying to use the maps. He hadn’t even thought to check for a message.
He grabbed it quickly, and read through it, his hands shaking.
Brad. Brad had contacted him.
His brother was back at his uncle’s house now.
Nate’s heart was thumping. And it twisted when he realised he was glad Brad had called now, and not earlier, while Kytrima was still around. He didn’t have to have the slightest doubt about calling his brother immediately.
For a moment, how close he had come to exposing Brad to Kytrima’s hunt took his breath away.
But it was safe now. He could call his brother, catch up with him, and then he’d admit the truth.
And maybe he’d be able to help him.
His hands shook as he dialled his uncle’s number.
It rang for several long moments, and just when Nate was beginning to wonder if his brother had lied to him, or was asleep, he heard his voice. “Yes?”
For a minute, it was hard to speak around the lump in his throat, and Nate realised that until that moment, he’d had a fear that something had happened to him. That he’d never talk to Brad again.
He swallowed, and forced the words out around the lump, hoping they sounded vaguely normal. “Hey, bro, what’s up?”
Brad didn’t seem to hear anything amiss in his voice. “Everything. But first, where are you, and why haven’t you been answering your phone?”
Nate didn’t even know where to start with that one. Blurting out everything that had happened, the mistakes he’d made, seemed like a thing for a face to face meeting, not over the phone.
Not when there was every possibility Brad would disappear again as soon as he heard them.
“I’m the one who should be asking that,” Nate said. “What the hell happened?”
“I did try to call you back, but you weren’t answering,” Brad said, his voice defensive. He paused for a moment, then said. “You know when you asked if I needed help? Well, I do. Can you come up here?”
That was just what he wanted to do. “I’m already here, bro,” Nate said quickly. “I’m at the pub in Mungaloo. I came up straight after that call. But you weren’t at the house, and I couldn’t find you. I’ve been looking everywhere.”
He broke off, wondering how he was ever going to explain.
“I’m sorry, things have been a little… crazy,” Brad said, and his voice sounded strange. Hesitant.
Nate winced. He needed to get to Brad, before he and the princess disappeared again. “Yeah, so I gathered. Do you want me to come out now? I can be there in fifteen minutes.”
Brad hesitated again. “There’s no rush. The morning is fine. It feels better just knowing you’re here.”
Nate wanted to push him. To jump in the car right now and go out there.
He was half afraid if he waited, that Brad would disappear again. But if he pushed him, he just increased the chances of Brad guessing something was up. “Sure thing, bro,” he said. “See you first thing in the morning.”
Chapter 17
When Kytrima saw Nate walk out to the car with the two dogs the next morning, it was with purpose. As though something had changed. As though he had a plan.
Her heart skipped a beat. Had he found them somehow?
What was she going to do? He’d never agree to take her with him, and it wasn’t like she could keep up with his car.
Nate drove off, and Kytrima hesitated.
It was still early. Very few people were up, even in this part of town.
It was a risk, but she could see no other choice. Kytrima ran away from the pub, to the edge of the park where she and Nate had eaten lunch together. Here there was no one to see her transform, leaving her clothes in a heap on the ground.
She launched into the air, gaining altitude as fast as she could, hoping to be a speck that could easily be mistaken for a bird before anyone even noticed her.
It was hard to see from up this high. The roads looked like dark ribbons, threading through the town. The tiny cars looked like ants.
But she could see them. Nate’s dark roof was easy to pick out.
Kytrima watched for a few minutes, quickly picking up his direction. By the time he left the town, she already knew where he was going.
Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. This was it. She knew exactly where the princess was, and it was away from the town, where there was no one to see her dragon form.
If this had happened a few days ago, she would have been ecstatic. She couldn’t have asked for a better situation to capture or kill the princess.
Now she hesitated.
Her goals had changed, and this wasn’t the best situation to prove that to Nate.
She hovered there for a moment, wondering if she could make this work. He was heading to his uncle’s, she was sure of it. And she was convinced it must be because Brad was there.
There was no way she could beat him there. His vehicle was as fast as she was, and he had a head start.
If she followed him, how was she ever going to convince him that she didn’t intend any harm to the princess or his brother? He’d think the worst as soon as he saw her.
He’d be expecting her to attack. He’d probably tell his brother she would, and he might try to shoot her again.
That thought made her heart skip a beat. It had been dark last time, and his aim had been off. If he was more prepared, it could cost her dearly.
She glanced the other way, to where she could see a shadow of the Trima mountain in the distance. The sensible thing to do would be to go home and forget that she’d ever met Nate.
But she couldn’t convince herself to do it.
Better to take the risk, to try one last time, then if she failed, she’d at least know she’d given it all she had.
*****
Nate couldn’t help feeling nervous as he drove towards Henry’s. How was he ever going to explain this to his brother? He didn’t even know where to start.
He couldn’t exactly ask Brad if he thought Lyrian was using him, that was only going to upset him. And as if he’d know. Nate hadn’t known.
His stomach twisted at the thought.
Really, was there any need to? Kytrima had admitted to many lies, chances are that one was a lie too.
He’d just have to see. Hopefully he’d be able to tell from watching them together.
He had plenty of opportunity for that. When he pulled into the driveway, they were both standing on the veranda waiting for him. His brother looked happy and relaxed, but the dragon princess, not so much.
She watched him with narrowed eyes, clutching the baby to her chest as though she thought she had to protect her from him.
Nate tried to size her up. She didn’t exactly look threatening, with her sky blue curls and almost translucent skin. But she was, very obviously, not human. How had Brad not realised it earlier?
Or maybe h
e had. He’d never exactly said much about her. He’d closed up every time Nate tried to ask about her.
He climbed out of the car and gave them both a smile.
Lyrian just glared at him.
Brad though, jumped down the stairs and enveloped his brother in a bear hug. “It’s good to see you, bro.”
“You too,” Nate said, slapping him on the back. Then he looked towards the stairs. “So this is the mysterious Lyrian.”
She was still glaring. Was she just distrusting of him? If he were a dragon trying to hide from his enemies, he’d feel concerned at anyone new too. But was that all it was?
“Yes, this is Lyrian.” Brad’s voice was a little short too. Leaving Nate wondering if his brother was suspicious too.
Why did this have to be so hard? Why could he not just tell the whole story to his brother, and they could work together?
Because he still wasn’t sure if he could trust this princess. If she really was just using Brad, and Nate exposed her, who knew what she would do.
He stepped up and looked at the baby. “And this is Anarian?”
It was clear she was Lyrian’s baby from the shock of blue hair. Nate wasn’t convinced he could see any of Brad in her though. He looked over at his brother, trying to figure it out. It wasn’t like he’d ever been good at seeing how babies looked like their parents. They all just looked like babies to him.
“You don’t think she’s Brad’s baby,” Lyrian accused.
That wasn’t exactly what he was thinking, but it was close enough that Nate felt his face heat. “No, that’s not it at all…” He trailed off.
His brother looked equally unimpressed. “Why on earth would you doubt that?” he demanded. He put an arm around Lyrian’s shoulders, making it clear who’s side he was on.
Nate needed to be careful. “It’s not…” There was so much to explain, he wasn’t even sure where to start. “How about we go inside, and I’ll explain.”
Lyrian was still staring at him with distrust. Nate hoped he’d be able to explain enough to change her opinion of him.
He was about to follow them inside when he remembered. “Oh, wait. The dogs. I’d better let them out of the car.”
Nate jumped back down the stairs towards the car. He let Luna out of the back first.
“You had Luna!” Lyrian’s voice sounded almost happy.
Nate grabbed Lily out of the back seat and walked back up the stairs.
The dragon princess’s reaction to his uncle’s dog relieved him a little. If she was so happy about finding Luna, she couldn’t be just using Brad, could she? No one who cared about dogs could be all bad, could they?
That thought just reminded him that Kytrima had seemed to like Luna and Lily too, and that hadn’t made any difference.
He bit back a sigh, and focused on Brad and Lyrian.
“Yes, I arrived here yesterday morning, and found her all alone. I couldn’t leave her here. I figured you guys must have left in quite a hurry to forget her,” Nate explained.
Lyrian looked guilty.
That hadn’t been Nate’s intention, but it could work in his favour.
He put Lily on the ground and she stared around at Brad and Lyrian. She sniffed Brad’s feet, then Lyrian’s, then wandered back to Nate.
Lyrian stared at him suspiciously.
Nate remembered how loudly the little pup had barked when she’d first seen Kytrima. She’d obviously been able to smell that there was something different about her. But now that smell was almost normal to her.
Which obviously wasn’t the reaction Lyrian was expecting.
“Let’s go inside and have that chat,” Brad said pointedly.
Nate followed his brother and Lyrian inside, noting that the dragon princess sat as far from him as she could. She didn’t trust him.
Well, he could hardly blame him. He wasn’t sure he’d trust himself at this point, after the mistakes he’d made in trusting Kytrima.
“So what’s going on?” Brad asked, raising an eyebrow.
Nate wasn’t even sure where to start, so he turned the conversation around on Brad. “How about you tell me what’s going on? What happened that night?”
Brad stared at him for a moment, before saying softly, “We were attacked.”
That didn’t help Nate. Was his brother avoiding telling him the truth? Had the princess sworn him to secrecy?
If she had, did that hold more weight than being his brother did?
“By what?” Nate asked.
Brad opened his mouth to answer, but before he could Lyrian leaned forwards across the table, her eyes transforming, the pupil elongating into a slit. “I don’t care that you’re Brad’s brother, if you lead her to us, I’ll…”
Nate instinctively jerked back, his heart pounding. This was what he’d been afraid of. Upsetting a dragon could be deadly.
“Woah,” Brad said, putting a hand on her arm. “How about you let him explain before you jump to conclusions, Lyrian.”
She did pause then, and though Nate’s heart was still beating fast, he felt a little better that she was at least prepared to listen to his brother.
He’d seen how dangerous lies were, so he had only one option. To tell them the truth, and hope they believed him.
“No, she’s right,” he admitted quietly. “I almost did lead her to both of you. I had no idea…”
There was no expression of surprise on Brad’s face. Lyrian had obviously told him the truth about who she was.
Nate was the only one who had been fooled in all of this.
Kytrima had certainly used him, far more than it appeared Lyrian had used his brother.
Everything was crashing in around him, so it almost wasn’t a surprise when the dogs suddenly started barking, and Nate heard the flapping of wings.
Kytrima.
She was here.
His heart skipped a beat.
This wasn’t good.
He wasn’t sure what he was more afraid of, that she would kill the princess, or that the princess would kill her.
Chapter 18
Kytrima flew down towards the house, her heart singing.
She’d finally found them.
The blackened ute sitting outside the house proclaimed their presence almost as much as the angry princess transforming from a human into a sky blue dragon as she came down the stairs.
Kytrima held her breath.
This was it, this was her moment.
Adrenaline coursed through her, urging her to fight.
It took all her willpower not to.
The princess launched into the air almost as soon as she was clear of the door, obviously expecting a fight. A battle in the air was far more manageable for a dragon. Their bodies were heavy and awkward on the ground.
Which was why Kytrima needed to land. She swooped around Lyrian and landed on the ground in front of the house with a thud. She folded her wings, trying to indicate that she didn’t intend to fight.
Lyrian didn’t get the message.
“If that’s the way you want to do it,” the princess snarled into Kytrima’s mind as she flew down and landed in front of her. “It will give you no advantage over me, if that’s what you’re hoping for.”
“I don’t want to fight you, Princess,” Kytrima replied, hoping Lyrian would listen.
The princess landed in front of Kytrima. She must have heard her words, for while Kytrima could sense the other dragon’s magic, it appeared to be defensive, not offensive.
“Why are you here then?” Lyrian demanded roughly.
Kytrima hesitated. Lyrian wasn’t going to just believe her any more than Nate had.
And this whole show was pointless anyway, if he wasn’t here to see it.
Was he here as well? His car was, but she saw no sign of him.
“Where is the human?” she demanded.
Lyrian stared at her, eyes wide.
It didn’t matter that the other dragon didn’t answer her question, because at that momen
t, Nate came running out of the house.
Was he here to see her? Was he as happy to see her again as she was to see him?
Perhaps not.
Nate didn’t run towards her, though he did glance in her direction, his face white as a sheet, as he ran and stood in front of Lyrian. “If you want her, you’re going to have to go through me.” His words were a challenge, even if his voice shook a little.
His betrayal twisted her gut, but it didn’t surprise her. Nor could she, in all fairness, find fault in it. The woman was his brother’s mate, and he was loyal to his brother. He’d never hidden that from her.
No, what stung was the fact that he didn’t trust her not to hurt the princess.
In all fairness, she’d given him no reason to.
Well, that was what she was here for now.
But apparently the humans weren’t going to make showing that easy. Before she could make any move at all, Nate’s brother raced out of the house to stand beside him.
And he held a shotgun.
That was what Kytrima had been afraid of. The biggest risk of coming here.
The memory of the damage the weapon had done to her only a few days ago was fresh in her mind. The healed wounds on her wings twinged.
It was all well and good to not fight a dragon, but to do nothing against a shotgun…
But she could heal from it. Nate would help her if he realised she wasn’t going to fight, wouldn’t he?
The trouble was, if she did nothing now Nate might assume it was because she was afraid of the shotgun, not that she’d changed her mind. She needed to get this back to just her and the princess.
Without hurting the humans.
“Stand aside, humans,” she said, projecting her voice into all the minds around her. “This is between the princess and me. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“No, I won’t let you hurt her,” Nate’s brother said, and he raised the gun to point it directly at Kytrima.
Her heart thudded in her chest and blood rushed in her ears.
This was it. How far was she prepared to go to prove to Nate that she cared more about him than about taking the princess?
Was she prepared to die for it?
She already knew the answer to that one. She’d considered it before she even came here.