by Rinelle Grey
And yet, this was the reality she had to face.
She was about to acquiesce when a voice echoed through the tunnel leading to the main room, “Don’t tell me I came all this way for nothing.”
Latrima strode into the room, her white hair streaming down her back. Her blue eyes flashed far darker than their pale colour suggested they could.
She didn’t look happy.
Chapter 41
The question of how he was going to warn Lyrian filled Brad’s mind as the female officer, Senior Constable Lyons the inspector had said, led them back through the corridor to a room somewhere. Brad wasn’t even really paying much attention. He was desperately searching for some way to get a message out, but the best he could come up with was telling a lawyer.
A solution that was vastly unsatisfactory, since it meant letting someone else in on his secret.
The senior constable opened one of the doors, and waved them in, and Brad followed her hand automatically, halting half way into the room when he realised it was already occupied.
His heart skipped a beat. He’d thought the police posed the greatest danger to him today, but that paled into insignificance as he stared at the young man with long blonde hair and glowing silver eyes sitting on a stretcher with his back against the wall. He looked deceptively innocent.
Brad knew he was anything but.
Even if he hadn’t seen his picture on the television earlier, he would have instantly known this man was a dragon. His perfect physique and unrealistically pale blond hair, not to mention the glowing silver eyes, made it clear he was no ordinary human.
He wasn’t even an ordinary dragon. This was Ultrima, head of the Trima clan. The one who had sent dragons to kill Lyrian and her brothers. The one who Brad had been told was the greatest threat to the Rian dragons.
The one who, according to Lisa and Verrian, had let himself be arrested by police.
Brad stopped dead in his tracks, his heart pounding, not continuing forwards despite the officer prodding him roughly.
Did she not get it? “You’re not going to put us in here with him, are you?” he asked, turning to look at the woman. “You can’t.”
She looked amused. “Sorry, we don’t have a lot of spare space right now. Maybe you should have thought about the risks before you went chasing dragons, hey?”
“The risks of chasing dragons outside, where I have a chance of escaping from them, are far different to the risks of being in a room beside them,” Brad said firmly. “Come on, you can’t really be intending to leave us in here alone with him? If anything happens to us, the police will be blamed. My parents would sue,” he added, feeling desperate.
“Don’t worry, you’re all on camera,” the woman said, waving her hand towards the camera on the roof. “We’ll keep an eye on you.”
Somehow, that assurance didn’t make Brad feel any better. “So you’ll be able to see us be incinerated. Comforting.”
The woman gave a short laugh. “Don’t worry, Ultrima won’t incinerate you. He’s a lightning dragon.” She paused for a long moment, her eyes dancing, before adding, “He’ll electrocute you.”
She pushed Brad into the room next to the dragon. Nate followed with less resistance. Well, he was mated to a lightning dragon, one of Ultrima’s former warriors. Maybe he had less to fear from the Trima dragon leader.
“Don’t worry,” Senior Constable Lyons said, “I’m sure he has no intention of doing so.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “Just don’t piss him off.”
Brad stared at her, a little surprised at her cavalier attitude. He’d expected the police officers to be… if not scared… at least a little cautious of the dragon. But she seemed completely unconcerned. What was going on?
There wasn’t time to wonder though. She disappeared back out of the room, closing the door behind her. Brad heard the click of a lock.
Then he and Nate were alone with the dragon.
As his heart pounded loudly in his ears, Brad couldn’t help wondering if this was deliberate. Did the police hope he and Nate would be more likely to talk if the alternative was to be locked up here with a dragon?
It was a reasonable supposition. If he didn’t have such an important reason to keep quiet, Brad could see it working quite well. But even if the Trima dragon did electrocute him, he’d still keep quiet about Lyrian and Anarian. Because keeping them safe was far more important than his own life.
Resolve welled up in his heart, strengthening it ready for anything he had to face.
Then his resolve faltered as he remembered.
If anything happened to him, then Lyrian died too. That’s what the mating bond meant.
For the first time, he had an inkling why Ostrian objected to it so much.
Why had he not held out, just a few hours longer? Then Lyrian wouldn’t be at risk.
When Ostrian had asked him if he was in any danger giving himself up to the humans, Brad hadn’t even considered the possibility of this scenario. Nor had he considered the fact that he might be doing the very thing he’d tried to avoid, putting his mate at risk too.
Did the police understand what they were doing? How much risk they were placing him and Nate in?
Did they care?
Ultrima might have been acting like an ordinary human when he’d allowed himself to be taken by the police, and maybe even since he’d arrived at the police station, but Brad knew better. He’d had lightning thrown at him by a Trima dragon. He’d narrowly missed being hit.
Hell, his car had been hit.
These dragons were dangerous. And this particular one had every reason to hate Brad. Every reason to want him gone. If he knew Brad were mated to one of the Rian princesses he could take this chance to rid himself of them both in one blast. It probably wouldn’t even bother him that the police wouldn’t take kindly to him killing people in their police station. He could bust out of this building any time he wanted to—unlike Brad and Nate.
The thought was sobering.
He edged slightly away from the door, keeping his back against the wall, and staying as far away from Ultrima as he could. Nate did the same.
The Trima leader regarded Brad and Nate steadily, his silver eyes whirling slightly, but he made no move towards them.
For some reason, his inactivity just made Brad even more nervous.
“Do you think I should talk to him?” Nate’s voice sounded a little uncertain in Brad’s mind. “Maybe tell him I’m mated to Kyrian… Kytrima… Perhaps then he’ll consider us friends rather than enemies.”
“Probably not when he finds out Kyrian defected to Rian clan,” Brad pointed out. “That might just make him angry.”
“We don’t have to mention that bit,” Nate said reasonably.
Brad shook his head. “I think we should just stay quiet and hope he… doesn’t notice us.” It sounded stupid, even as he said it. It was hard for the Trima dragon to miss them. Even if their conversation with the police officer hadn’t tipped him off, the fact that they were in the same room as him would give it away.
Nate snorted, and for the first time, the dragon actually looked at them, his expression curious.
Why had Nate’s sound attracted the dragon’s attention? Then it hit him. Nate had just given away that they were talking telepathically.
Before Brad could even consider the implications, the dragon’s powerful, smooth voice filled his head. “Which Rian dragons are you mated to?”
“What are we going to tell him?” Nate demanded, his voice sounding uncertain for the first time.
Brad didn’t even know where to start. Either option was risky. The two combined…
“Anything but the truth,” he told Nate.
To Ultrima he said, “That’s none of your business,” letting his brother hear as well.
Ultrima’s eyebrow shot up. “Do you really think that defiance is going to help?” he demanded. “I could fry you right here in this room. Do you realise that?”
Of that, Brad was
only too aware.
Ultrima had to know that Brad and Nate knew that. He was taunting them. Trying to make them afraid. Trying to manipulate him.
Brad knew exactly how to handle his type. He’d seen them many times before.
Still, he was glad his telepathic voice didn’t shake as he said, “If you were going to fry us, you would have done it already. But I’m guessing you don’t want to antagonise the police any more than we do. Because even if you could escape, if they come after your clan, you’re in just as much trouble as we are.”
Ultrima looked amused. “Touche,” he said lightly. “You are amusing to banter with. But don’t make the mistake of thinking you can outsmart me. I’ve been at this far longer than you.” He paused, and Brad was certain it was for effect. “Do the police know the two of you are mated to Rian dragons? They’ve been very curious about anything I could tell them about your clan.”
Brad’s heart skipped a beat at his words.
Even though he’d already suspected that Ultrima had been the one to tell the police about Rian clan, his words made him nervous. Did everything about Rian clan include their location? Ultrima was well aware that Rian clan had returned to their lair.
Did the police already know where the clan was? Had their questions been testing Brad and Nate?
No, Brad was sure the inspector’s smile when he’d given him a location had been genuine. Meaning Ultrima’s ‘everything’ didn’t include that.
But why? Why was the Trima dragon keeping the Rian clan’s secret? It didn’t make any sense.
Brad stared at him, wishing he could read minds instead of just talking into them. But the Trima dragon’s face didn’t give away anything. He just stared back at Brad, a ghost of a smile on his face.
Brad wouldn’t put it past him to sell them out to the police without compunction if it suited him. Which had to mean it didn’t suit him. Not right now at least. The question was, why?
Of course, the answer was as obvious as why Brad was keeping the secret. He had almost as much to lose as he and his brother did, if anything happened to Rian clan.
He might be their enemy in name, but that was all.
Brad leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms, staring back at Ultrima. “You wouldn’t sell your lover’s clan out to the police, she’d never speak to you again.”
Ultrima’s eyes whirled, and his smile was gone. He leaned forwards, his eyes narrow and hard. “What do you know of that?”
Brad refused to let Ultrima intimidate him. The man might be a dragon, but his actions were as predictable as any human’s. Once you got past the scales and claws, they were far more alike than they were different.
“Only what L… the other dragons told me.” Brad hoped the lightning dragon had missed his near slip up. “You wanted to mate with her, and she refused you, but you haven’t given up.” That was putting a kind of positive spin on the story he’d heard, but then again, he’d also heard that the other side had a different story.
Ultrima leaned forward, staring at him without blinking for long enough for Brad to feel distinctly uncomfortable.
“Did they tell you why she refused me?” he demanded, his dragon voice loud and steely enough that it hurt Brad’s head.
“Uh, no. I…”
“It was not because she didn’t love me, didn’t care equally for me,” Ultrima said, his voice almost purring now. “Her family had decided that as the future queen, it was her job to marry one of our last, surviving life dragons. To create a royal life dragon. We hadn’t had one born in nearly fifty years, you understand, and they felt it was more important than our love for each other.”
Brad wished he could say that he didn’t believe that, but it sounded surprisingly likely. He’d heard the story of how one of the elders had tried to convince Taurian to do something similar.
Was it possible the renegade dragon leader really did have a valid complaint?
Then again, even if that had been the reason, if Lyrian’s sister really had refused him, then that was her right. Trying to force her into changing her mind, force her into the mating bond against her will, nothing justified that.
Not that Brad intended to say that to the Trima dragon. Not when they were locked up alone together in this room.
Instead he said, “Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard or not, but maybe things have changed in Rian clan. It has been three hundred years since then. Maybe you have a shot at love, if we can ever get out of here.”
Ultrima stared at him, his expression considering this time. “Perhaps,” he said. “But right now, I have bigger things at stake. I have a responsibility to keep my clan safe, that must be my priority. Later though, we shall see.”
Brad stared at the lightning dragon, a little less intimidated than he had been a few minutes ago. Maybe that boded well for the truce Lyrian was organising for the two clans. None of that would matter if the police found them though.
If only there was a way to warn them. Brad regarded Ultrima thoughtfully. Was there any chance he had a way of relaying news to his clan? Was there any hope he’d relay a message to Rian clan?
Somehow, Brad wasn’t convinced the possibility was worth the risk. He wouldn’t put it past Ultrima to be trying to manipulating them somehow. He needed to find some other way. Taurian might just have to be prepared to leave the lair after all. If the clan evacuated now, while the police weren’t there, perhaps they could save them.
Trouble was, Brad had no way of relaying that news.
Chapter 42
Lyrian stared as Ultrima’s life dragon, Latrima, strode through the entrance to the main cave. Kelrian, the warrior who’d been sent to bring her, hurried to catch up to her, his forehead furrowed. When he caught up though, all he did was throw the dragons an apologetic look.
“Please tell me you didn’t call me all this way, only to have already solved your problem?” Latrima demanded. “I was told there were police harassing you, but I see no signs of police.”
Lyrian had been so busy focusing on what to do to help Brad, she’d almost forgotten that they’d sent Kelrian to bring her here.
Her presence right now wasn’t a help. It interrupted their plans to wake Sarian. Although… what if the life dragon could help them get Brad back in some way? A flicker of hope flared in her heart, but she blew it out ruthlessly. She would not rely on a Trima dragon to help her, she would rescue Brad on her own.
“I’m sorry if you were inconvenienced,” Taurian said smoothly. “We did manage to solve the problem ourselves.”
Latrima’s frown deepened. “All the more reason why you should not call me for every slight problem. I don’t have time for this, and I certainly didn’t make a truce with you so that I could rush over here and rescue you all the time. I made a truce so we could wake Princess Sarian and prove that she does, indeed, love Ultrima, and put an end to this war once and for all.”
Lyrian winced at the life dragon’s words, even more glad that they’d managed to solve their problems without her help. They didn’t need her.
She was the one who needed them.
“Then it’s perfect timing,” Verrian said smoothly. “We were just discussing the fact that this is a good time to wake our sister, Sarian.”
Lyrian turned to stare at him. “Why are you telling our plans to the Trima dragon?” she demanded into his head.
“Because the deal was that she would be present when we woke Sarian, to be sure we weren’t influencing her answers,” Verrian replied, his dragon voice reasonable.
Lyrian bit her lip. She hadn’t known that bit of information, but she could hardly argue with Verrian. He had been here. She hadn’t, even if it did make the situation slightly more difficult.
Latrima jerked her head in a nod, though she didn’t look particularly happy. “I will overlook your weakness just this once then,” she said, her voice haughty, “but I’m not sure Trima clan really wants to reconcile with Rian clan, if it means we will spend the rest of our lives re
scuing you.”
Lyrian bristled at that. She was about to speak, but Taurian beat her to it. “As you can see, we didn’t need your help. We solved the problem ourselves,” he said smoothly. “I’m sorry for bothering you, it won’t happen again.”
Taurian glared at Latrima, who glared back. Neither of them moved.
Lyrian would have liked to join in, she had every wish to glare at the life dragon herself, but that achieved nothing.
“You are the one who needs our help, at this point,” she said softly.
The life dragon broke off her staring contest to glare at Lyrian. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go wake Princess Sarian.”
Taurian interrupted again. “Though I am in as much of a hurry to wake our sister and find out the truth as the rest of you, there are preparations to be made before we go. And my sister needs to sleep, she has been awake far too long as it is, and has a baby to care for.”
Taurian’s statement earned Lyrian another glare from Latrima. Lyrian was sure she heard her mutter ‘weakling’ under her breath.
“I’m fine,” she said flatly, ignoring the weariness that pervaded her very bones. She refused to let the Trima dragon see her as weak, no matter how tired she was.
Of course, Anarian, who had been asleep in Karla’s arms, choose that moment to wake and begin to cry.
Even the sound made it harder for Lyrian to keep fighting her exhaustion.
“You’re not fine,” Taurian said stubbornly.
Latrima glanced towards the crying baby. Lyrian expected her to frown, but she didn’t. She stared at the baby thoughtfully for a few moments, then nodded her head. “A wait is acceptable,” she said. “That will give me more time to plan too.”
Lyrian didn’t know why she was being agreeable, and it only made her more irritated. “I’ll feed Anarian while the rest of you get ready,” she said roughly. “I couldn’t sleep anyway.”
And it was the truth. As exhausted as she was, there was no way she could relax, no way she could let herself sleep while Brad was missing. Adrenaline still pumped through her veins and worry about Brad clouded her mind.