“Be that as it may, Zoe, you need to rest,” Peter said. “And if I send you by yourself, you’re going to be mobbed like the little celebrity you are by everyone you come across. Grayson can act as a bodyguard and buffer, and get you back to your room with minimal delays.
Zoe started to protest again, and Grayson felt his own skin prickle with annoyance at being tasked with playing bodyguard to a Falcon Cross celebrity. But then he realized that all he really wanted at that moment was to get out of the training room and away from Peter and Knox. At least, if he took Zoe, he’d be making an escape. And with that realization, his mind was made up.
“Come on, Zoe,” he said, grabbing her firmly by the upper arm and leading her toward the door of the training room. All around him, the smoke was clearing and he could see various wizard medics, assistants, and master wizard trainers scurrying about, cleaning and checking and discussing. Further into the room, he saw that the entire Wizard High Council was present. They were all huddling in a small circle, and glancing over at Zoe now and then. Grayson felt his stomach turn. He definitely had to get out of here.
“I can walk myself,” Zoe said, trying to pull her arm away from Grayson.
“I’m sure you can,” Grayson said in a voice that brooked no argument. “But I’ve been commanded to walk with you, so let’s go.”
Zoe pouted up at him for a moment, but after looking back at Peter and Knox, she relaxed her arm and stopped trying to pull away. Grayson got that feeling that she was just as eager as he was to get out of that training room. And so, together, they made their way quickly to the door. Grayson planned to get Zoe to her quarters as quickly as he could, and then get back to his office and shut the door behind him, not coming out for the rest of the day.
If he’d had any idea how much meeting Zoe was going to change his life, he might not have been in such a hurry to get away from her.
Chapter Three
Zoe kept a frown on her face as she and Grayson exited the training room, but, truth be told, she was rather grateful for an arm to hang on to. She had been too nervous to eat much before going in for the demonstration this morning, and now she could feel her blood sugar dipping dangerously low. The hallway seemed to move in unnatural ways as Grayson led her toward the elevators, where she would be whisked up to the seventh floor of the military headquarters building. That’s where rooms were located for soldiers who wanted to live in military housing. Almost no one lived there, so the rooms were mostly empty. People preferred to have their own apartments or houses, and, until recently, Zoe had as well. But these days, with everyone always swarming around her like she was some goddamn Oscar winning actress, Zoe preferred places that were mostly empty.
Frowning at the thought of being chased around like a celebrity, Zoe forgot to concentrate on walking, and stumbled forward. Grayson’s strong arm kept her upright, and he gave her a suspicious sideways glance.
“You sure you’re alright?”
“I’m fine,” Zoe said, shrugging and then trying to pass off the stumble with a bit of self-deprecation. “I just tripped over my own two feet. I’m such a klutz.”
Grayson raised an eyebrow. “From what I hear, you’re the exact opposite of a klutz. No one can stop talking about how agile you are.”
Zoe looked away. It wouldn’t do any good to argue. Her agility and magical skills had been discussed ad nauseam by pretty much every citizen of Falcon Cross. Better to just let the matter drop and hope Grayson would do the same.
Grayson, it turned out, would not do the same. In fact, he seemed angry about something, like he almost welcomed an excuse to argue.
“Do you deny it then?” he asked. His voice had a sharp edge to it that made Zoe cringe a bit. “Do you deny that you’re basically a goddess of a soldier and the self-proclaimed savior and secret weapon of Falcon Cross?”
Zoe looked back at him, stiffening slightly. “I don’t deny that I’m a talented soldier. But I’m not the self-proclaimed anything of Falcon Cross. I hate the spotlight, and I’ve wished every day since I first did that cursed Crepitus spell and caught Peter’s eye that I hadn’t done it. It was an accident. I didn’t know I had the abilities I have, and I wish every day that I didn’t have them.”
Grayson looked at her like she’d suddenly sprouted a third eye in the middle of her head. For a moment, he looked like he was trying to decide whether to chew her out or not. Zoe braced herself. She’d heard enough lectures already, from friends and military superiors, about how she had a duty to use her abilities to the fullest extent possible for the good of her people. Zoe had grown weary of being lectured. She was doing everything that was asked of her. She was going to all the special training the masters had arranged for her, and she would go on a mission for the dragon ruby, if that’s what Peter wanted. But that didn’t mean she had to be happy about having her calm, quiet life disrupted by sudden celebrity-dom.
Grayson must have decided not to lecture her in the end, though, because he snapped his mouth shut and just shook his head at her, an expression of deep disapproval on his face. He held her arm a bit more roughly than before, and started walking down the hallway at a brisker pace. Zoe was hit by the sudden realization that she wasn’t sure which was the worse option—a lecture from Grayson, or his cold, disapproving silence.
Zoe’s heart felt heavy as she let Grayson lead her down the last stretch of hallway toward the elevators. She had the uncomfortable thought that she actually cared about what Grayson thought of her. But why? She glanced over at him, trying to look at him without making it obvious that she was doing so. He had the same dark, reddish-brown hair that all the other Redwood Dragons had, as well as the same, piercing green eyes. Like most dragon shifters, his ears also had a slight, elfish curve to them, an indication of the fact that his breed of shifters had once possessed magical powers. Those magical powers had long ago faded out of the dragon shifter bloodline. The last of the great dragon kings had stored their powers in the dragon stones in an effort to preserve them, but other than the dragon stones there weren’t many traces of dragon magic left on earth. Still, Zoe thought the elfish ears were adorable, especially on Grayson.
Although he looked somewhat similar to his clanmates, he wasn’t an exact clone. There was something different about him. It wasn’t just that he was tall or muscular—they all were. Or that he had a perfectly chiseled jawbone. Again, the other dragon shifters could boast of that feature as well. Zoe decided, as she looked over at Grayson’s undeniably desirable body, that it was more than just his physical appearance that appealed to her. He had a certain expression in his eyes that marked him as different. It was as if she could see his very soul in those deep green eyes, and what a beautiful soul it was. Despite his hard exterior, there was something special about Grayson.
Zoe was so caught up in admiring Grayson’s looks and soulful expression that she didn’t notice the group of women running toward her until it was nearly too late. Luckily, Grayson had been paying slightly better attention.
“Shit,” he said. “Stay close to me.”
Zoe didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, because in the next moment Grayson had wrapped his right arm tightly around her shoulders, pressing her whole side firmly against his. He held his left arm in front of them, forming something of a barrier between her and the women, who were now trying to dodge around Grayson’s arm to touch Zoe. They all wore the uniforms that the administrative staff at military headquarters wore. They must have been employed as secretaries, or by the records department.
“Zoe! Zoe, oh my god I can’t believe it’s you!” one of the woman shrieked.
“We’ve been hoping to catch a glimpse of you,” another one said. “I heard a rumor that the Masters were going to ask you to perform the Crepitus spell this morning. Is it true? Did you cast a Crepitus spell?”
Zoe ducked her head against Grayson’s chest, squeezing her eyes shut and letting Grayson lead her blindly. This constant fangirling over her was ridiculous. She’
d done nothing to deserve anyone’s praise. She’d been born with a gift, and she was happy to use that gift to help her clan, but damn it all if she couldn’t walk down the freaking hallway without grown woman shrieking at her like teenage girls at a boy band concert.
“Zoe’s had a long morning, ladies,” Grayson said. “Please back off and let us through so she can go get some rest.”
His voice sounded deep and authoritative, and Zoe could feel the echoes of it against her face, which was now pressed up against his chest as hard as possible. Grayson smelled like a mixture of woodsy pines and fresh soap, and Zoe found herself breathing in a little more deeply as he continued to command the women to get out of his way. They giggled and argued with him, and Zoe felt an occasional hand brush against her arm. But Grayson did a good job of moving her through the gaggle, certainly much better than she could have managed on her own. Zoe kept her eyes shut and tried to pretend that she was somewhere else, anywhere but here.
With her eyes closed, she became hyperaware of the way Grayson’s arm felt around her. He was strong, which wasn’t at all surprising. What did surprise her was the way that having that strong arm around her sent a thrill of pleasure up and down her spine. She felt safe and protected. She hadn’t felt that way in a long time. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt safe in someone’s arms. Zoe drank the feeling in, forgetting for a brief moment even to worry about the women who were trying to fight against Grayson’s outstretched hand. Zoe even forgot to listen to what Grayson was saying to the women, but whatever it was must have been effective, because a few moments later she heard a beep as the elevator arrived, and Grayson pulled her into the elevator with him. The door shut behind them, and suddenly everything was quiet. Zoe still didn’t open her eyes, wanting to hold on to the beauty of being in Grayson’s arms for just a moment longer.
“Floor seven, right?” Grayson asked, his voice once again echoing deeply in his chest.
“Yes, floor seven.”
Zoe heard a beep a moment later, and then the elevator started rising. She had to open her eyes and pull away now. She’d pushed it as long as she could, but there was no longer any excuse for her to be in Grayson’s arms. Holding back a sigh, she stepped back from Grayson and looked up at him.
“Thanks,” she said, feeling a bit embarrassed. She could tell that he didn’t like all the attention she got, but what could she do? It wasn’t her fault that she got it. She hadn’t asked for it. He only gave her a humph in response, then turned his eyes up to look at the digital numbers that indicated which floor the elevator was on. Right now, they were on four. Then five, six, seven.
When the elevator dinged and the door opened, Zoe realized that she hadn’t been the one to push the button to get to the seventh floor. She looked over at Grayson with mild surprise.
“The seventh floor is fingerprint secured,” she said. “You have access? Why? Did you live up here when you first arrived in Falcon Cross or something?”
Grayson looked down at her in silence. For a long moment, Zoe thought he wasn’t going to answer her. There was something so strange about him. He was angry, but why? Surely it was more than just the fact that he didn’t think she properly appreciated her exceptional magical powers. Something else was bothering him, something deeper. And for reasons Zoe couldn’t quite put her finger on, she cared about his feelings. She wanted to say or do something to make him feel better, but that was hard to do when she didn’t know what the actual problem was.
“I have access to every door in Falcon Cross,” he finally said, eyeing her carefully. “All of the Redwood Dragons do. Peter made sure of it when we first arrived in Falcon Cross.”
Zoe’s surprise must have registered on her face, because Grayson laughed.
“What? Did you think you were the only special one in Falcon Cross?” he asked. His voice sounded kind now, almost jolly. Zoe had no idea what to make of him.
“Of course I don’t think that,” Zoe said. “I’ve just never heard of anyone having full access to the city except the high council members themselves. That’s pretty cool. I’d say you’re the special one here.”
Grayson rolled his eyes. “I’m not special. I’m one of ten dragon shifters. There’s nothing special about being one of ten.”
Zoe tilted her head at him. “If it makes you feel any better, I’d gladly trade places with you. I don’t want to be the special one. I don’t want to be noticed, and I don’t want to go on the dragon ruby mission. I just want to be a normal soldier working hard and going home at the end of the day without any special recognition. And without being mobbed by fangirls.”
Grayson’s face darkened once again. “I can’t believe how unfair this place is. I work so hard, and no one even notices me. You don’t do any extra work, but you’re lucky enough to have a rare talent, so you automatically get to go on the dragon ruby mission. But you don’t even want to go. You don’t want the adventure or excitement, or the glory. You just want to do the bare minimum and be left alone. And I, who would gladly go out and give my all—give my life, if necessary, for our cause, am stuck here behind a desk. I bleed for the side of good in whatever way I can, but I wish I was bleeding in battle instead of just getting bloody fingers from typing all damn day.”
Zoe blinked a few times, trying to process the rush of angry emotions that filled her as Grayson spoke. She narrowed her eyes at him, losing patience.
“I never said I wanted to do the bare minimum. I do work hard. I just said I want to blend in with the rest of the soldiers, and be normal. I don’t want or need special recognition. I love being part of this team, and I bleed for the side of good, too. I don’t want to go on the dragon ruby mission because it’s only going to add to the ‘Zoe-mania’ that seems to be sweeping this town. If I could go on an exciting mission and do good for our soldiers without it turning into a circus, I’d be happy to do that. But when people start pinning all their hopes on one individual, and when one individual gets caught up in chasing after recognition, things start to fall apart. War is a team sport, Grayson. Not a chance for individual soldiers to get their fame and glory fix.”
Zoe had her hands on her hips, and her voice had raised several notches. She could feel bubbles of rage simmering just below the surface of her emotions, and she was desperately trying to keep calm. Grayson had no right to imply that she wasn’t a hard worker, or that she wasn’t giving her all for her clan. Just because she didn’t want stardom didn’t mean she didn’t care about doing everything she could to help in the fight against Saul. But Grayson seemed unimpressed by her speech. He walked back toward the elevator and pushed the button to call it back. The elevator had gone off to some other floor by now, and as Grayson waited, he turned to glare at Zoe.
“It’s easy for you to say you don’t want fame or recognition, because you already have it. But me? I’m one of ten, and apparently the least noticeable of those ten. I don’t ever get to go on any good missions. I work my ass off, and still I sit behind a desk. That’s not what dragons were meant to do. If someone would just give me a chance, just one chance, on mission, then I could show them how much I’m really capable of. And once I had everyone’s attention, I’d be able to go on more missions, and do more good. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle. But no one wants to give me a chance, no matter how hard I work, to prove that I deserve a chance. Then you waltz in, and get all the chances in the world simply by dumb luck. And you have the audacity to sit there and complain about fame and recognition.”
The elevator dinged then, and Zoe was saved the trouble of figuring out how to reply. Grayson stepped inside and out of her view as the door quickly closed behind him. Zoe stood in front of that elevator for a long time, her heart a mixture of strange, conflicting emotions. Grayson’s words made her somewhat angry, and yet, she supposed he had a point. She had been given a lot, and he had been given nothing. She’d seen Noah around a lot, working closely with Knox. And she remembered Vance, Myles, Finn, and Owen being recognized
by the high council for their work in finding the dragon amethyst. Then, of course, Weston and Holden had destroyed Saul’s bat cloning operation. But Grayson? Grayson had been in the shadows, blending in this whole time. She’d seen his face before, when the dragons all gathered together for high council meetings. But he was right. He was always one of ten. And he hadn’t, as far as she knew, been given a chance to go on any missions or do any special work. He worked hard and kept his head down, but no one had noticed.
Zoe had noticed something, though. There was a fire in his eyes that was different from the other dragon shifters. Grayson was passionate and hungry unlike anyone she’d ever met. Perhaps his passion was slightly misplaced—Zoe didn’t see any need for fame, but Grayson seemed to crave it. Still, he was eager to give his all to their cause. He had a lot of pent-up energy, and no one had given him a chance to use it. Perhaps, like Zoe, he was a secret weapon, too, just waiting to be discovered. Zoe brushed a stray strand of hair back from her face and frowned slightly as she looked at the shiny, gold-toned elevator door that had closed behind Grayson.
“Fine,” she said, crossing her arms and looking at the door, as though Grayson were still standing right there. “If it’s a chance you want, I’ll give you a chance. Don’t make me regret this.”
Chapter Four
Grayson had barely left his office for three days. He arrived at work early and went straight there, bringing his own lunch with him in a paper sack so that he wouldn’t have to leave again until he went home, which was usually long after most others in military headquarters had gone home. He threw himself into his work more than ever, working to finesse his latest discoveries on the dragon ruby’s location. He managed, in three days, to write a rather extensive report. By four-thirty p.m. on the third day, the report was finished and edited, and Grayson sat back in his chair to let himself stare blankly at the ceiling. His brain was swirling, and needed a rest.
Courage and the Dragon (Redwood Dragons Book 9) Page 3