by Ashlyn Chase
“I won’t. I promise you have nothing to fear from me.”
“Then why do you have to warn me?”
“Because I’m not the dragon who means you harm.”
She froze. “Are you saying there are more who do?”
“Just one. Possibly.”
She jammed her hands on her hips. “How possible is this possibility?”
“It’s a pretty good possibility. Remember the biker chick who kicked my ass?”
“Fuckin’ A!”
“I know…” He started to stroll toward her until she held up one palm to stop him.
“I need a minute, Drake. Maybe a whole lot of minutes. This is a crazy amount of information to process.”
“I understand. Please don’t be afraid. Let me help.”
“Help? What can you do to help? If you’re fireproof, I expect she is too. And you can’t possibly stand guard over me day and night.”
“I know. That’s why I need to come up with another way to protect you.”
“Can you… you know, breathe fire like in the legends?”
“No. My family lost that ability centuries ago, but I don’t know about other clans.”
“There are clans? Is that because you’re Scottish, or… Oh, fuck it. I don’t even know what questions to ask.”
“I’ll answer any questions you have, later. Right now it’s important to come up with a plan to keep you safe. I can’t lose you, Bliss.”
“Especially not to someone like her. I imagine that’s why she wants to get rid of me—so she can drag you off to Hanalei or wherever it is that dragons live happily ever after.”
“I can’t lose you to anyone, Bliss. Not for any reason. I wouldn’t have told you any of this—and you can’t imagine how many rules I’ve broken—but it was important that you truly understand the danger. I’d never forgive myself if I could have warned you but didn’t because of my own cowardice.”
She stroked his cheek. “A coward is one thing you’re not, Drake Cameron.”
* * *
It had taken Drake another hour to calm Bliss down to the point where she could sleep. The one thing he wanted most was for her to be safe. When he suggested she move back with her parents, even temporarily, she about lost her mind.
He couldn’t tell her what to do. He could only make suggestions and hope she’d see the wisdom in listening to him.
She moved in his arms and mumbled something unintelligible, as if having a restless dream. Drake stroked her hair until she calmed down and her breathing returned to the long, slow breaths of deep sleep.
He couldn’t tell her that he was under orders from the Supernatural Council. They had expressly forbidden him from sharing any knowledge of their existence. He had also been told not to reveal his own paranormal identity, but he had promised Bliss he’d be honest with her, need-to-know basis or not. And yes… she needed to know.
However, one promise kept and one broken with each competing part of his life had seemed half as bad before. Now he wasn’t sure he hadn’t blown it with both.
Warning Bliss had been the right thing to do. How could he have explained the danger to her without revealing the existence of dragons? She had to know that Zina could probably breathe fire from twenty feet away. His family lost their fire-breathing abilities when his uncle tried to burn down the City of Chicago. But he didn’t know if Zina’s clan was affected too. He didn’t get the impression that Mother Nature punished all dragons equally.
Bliss also had to know that dragons could fly and that Zina could spot her from the air.
Drake would never forgive himself if anything happened to the woman he loved… especially if he hadn’t told her what she was up against. Knowing Bliss, if Zina confronted her again, Bliss might say something she’d regret. If Zina let her live long enough to regret it.
Just because he hadn’t seen Zina didn’t mean she hadn’t seen him. His skin had tingled several times when he was out on a job, battling blazes large and small. The sensation could have been a reminder that he was mortal now, but it seemed like more than that. Why hadn’t his warning sense kicked in when he was rescuing Bliss’s computer?
Maybe he was still fireproof but could be killed in other ways. Maybe Gaia was lying to him… but why? His uncle and mother had died within weeks of each other. It had made no sense at the time, but now it did. His mother had done nothing wrong, but the link between clans would explain why she became mortal as soon as her brother did. He died of a heart attack, and she had been in a car accident.
Just in case, he’d have to remember to listen to his chief from now on. The other guys relied on the chief to keep them safe, and now he should too. The last thing anyone needed was a firefighter’s funeral to attend. He had to find Zina and stop her. With Vulcan’s help, he might be able to pull it off.
Drake needed to get some sleep, but he couldn’t stop imagining all the possible scenarios. Unfortunately, he couldn’t come up with any in which Bliss would be safe and that the Council would approve. Her survival was completely up to him… and her.
He had to get her to understand. Perhaps in the morning she’d be thinking more clearly and would agree to go somewhere safe. But where? She’d refused to move back in with her parents and nixed the idea of living with one of her brothers’ families—and Claudia wasn’t open to guests. That left his place. But he’d had tingles when he returned to his studio apartment to change his clothes and pick up a fresh uniform, so he had to assume Zina knew where he lived. She had probably been watching him, so his place was out too.
There had to be someone. A maiden aunt who’d enjoy the company, perhaps? He’d explore that idea and others in the morning. If he could make her concentrate on her real business and forget about working at the bar, that might help. She had completed her designs and placed them in a safe-deposit box, hadn’t she?
Wait a minute…
What if he could get her to stay with Sadie? The woman was a psychic. She might be able to warn Bliss ahead of time if someone was coming after her.
Drake felt better. Just having an idea that might work helped.
He curled his arms around Bliss until she was snug, being careful not to wake her. She cuddled into him and sighed. At last his eyelids became heavy and his mind, well, lighter than it had been.
* * *
Drake sat across from Sadie, hoping the psychic would hear him out. He had ordered a White Russian and set the one-drink minimum on the table in front of her. If all else failed, he could simply ask her for a reading. Maybe the cards would provide some insight.
“I’m hoping you can do me a favor, Sadie.”
“You came bearing gifts, so I’ll see what I can do.” She lifted the White Russian in a mock toast and took a sip.
“Bliss is in danger.”
“I know.”
Wow. Either she really is psychic or Bliss had said something to her. He was fairly sure Bliss wouldn’t talk about dragons and such—especially when she had sworn not to. However, she still claimed to be questioning her own sanity.
“How much do you know?”
Sadie set down her drink and began shuffling her tarot cards. “I knew getting mixed up with you was going to bring her stress. I told her as much, but her heart chose you anyway.”
“Her heart?”
“Of course. Don’t tell me you think she’d go through all this for just anyone—or simply to be nice.”
He smiled. No. Bliss wouldn’t put up with anyone’s crap “just to be nice.” She would, on the other hand, tell another guy who’d put her through this to open his Hall-Snark card.
“I appreciate knowing that, but now I need to know how to keep her safe. I was thinking that maybe she could stay with you for a while. Perhaps you could use your psychic ability to give her a heads-up and keep her out of harm’s way.”
Sadie puffed out a breath.
“What’s wrong?” Drake asked.
“I live in a room the size of a closet.”
&nbs
p; “Oh.” Damn it. On to plan B. “Maybe the tarot cards can give us another idea.”
She nodded. “I’m glad I don’t have to convince you of their value… or my abilities. That much is refreshing.”
“I’ve heard your accuracy is pretty amazing.”
She squared up the cards and laid the deck in front of him. “Cut it.”
He picked up about half the pile and set it to the side, then piled the other half on top. The whole time he was thinking of Bliss, so he figured he must be imparting some kind of positive energy into the cards.
Sadie shuffled them again and then fanned the cards out in front of him. “Pick three, but don’t turn them over.”
He did as he was asked, taking cards from different areas.
Sadie flipped them over and muttered something under her breath.
“What?” He didn’t tingle, but he could tell from her expression there was some kind of bad news in the cards.
“They’re all reversed.”
Glancing at the cards, he saw every one of the pictures had landed upside down. “I guess that’s bad?”
“Not always.” She gathered up the remainder of the cards and shuffled the deck again. Sadie set the pile in front of him and he cut it again.
She shuffled and fanned out the rest of the cards. “Pick three more.”
He did the same thing as before. Sadie flipped them over and sighed.
“What? Is someone going to die or something?”
“Not that I see here, but there are a lot of sinister events revolving around you. Bliss is better off where she is.”
“You’re not just saying that because she serves you drinks, are you?”
Sadie reared back, her eyes wide. “How could you even think that?”
“I’m sorry.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I’ve had very little sleep and I’m not myself.”
She relaxed, but the frown remained.
“Can you tell me what the cards indicated? What made you think she was safer here?”
She lowered her voice. “I know more about the paranormal than you might think.”
She knows? “I see. But I don’t understand what that has to do with Bliss.”
“Don’t you realize how much protection she has here that she wouldn’t have anywhere else?”
Drake glanced over at the bar. Two shapeshifters and a wizard were chatting casually while keeping up with a basketball game on the overhead TV.
“Shit. You’re right.”
“Of course I’m right. What better protection could she have from a misguided paranormal being? Here she’s surrounded by a number of super-strong, super-protective supernatural friends. Each one of them believes in the value of their shared safe place. That means no one messes with their status quo.”
Drake felt like an idiot. Why hadn’t he thought of that before?
“You’re too close,” she said, as if she’d heard his internal question. “You feel like you need to be the one to protect her. The thing is, every one of them would be happy to help. All you need to do is ask. Let the others know the scope of the problem, and they’ll give you all the support you need.”
“Is that it? Is that all the cards can tell me?”
“What else do you want to know?”
“Are you telling me to avoid her for her own good?”
“No. Not at all. Just don’t spirit her away from the safest building in the city.”
“But what about at night? I can’t always sleep here.”
Sadie lowered her eyes and smiled, as if she were in on some kind of secret. “Even at night there are protectors here.”
“What kind of protectors? You can’t be talking about the family from the third floor.”
“No, not the Balogs. But there are… others.”
“Others? What others? Does Anthony live in the building?” He had always wondered where the vampire owner lived, but he didn’t think there was an apartment on the fourth floor. He’d only seen two buzzers. One for the second floor and one for the third.
“It isn’t important that you know who they are. They don’t want to be bothered, and if you go poking around, you might not like the consequences.”
“Huh?”
“Leave it alone, Drake. You have enough to worry about.” She began to gather up the cards but stopped when he laid his hand over hers.
“Wait. These sinister events… Is there more than just the increased number of fires? Are there others involved in setting those?”
Sadie replaced and leaned over the cards, studying them for a few moments. “I don’t see a whole lot of different events, and all of them seem to be perpetrated by one individual.” She pointed to the Knight of Swords. “One very dangerous, determined individual.” She gathered up the cards, marking an unmistakable end to the discussion. “Watch your back, Drake.”
He honestly didn’t care about anything other than Bliss at the moment. As long as she was safe, he’d cope with whatever else happened. If only she were a dragon too, I’d know that Bliss could defend herself. Unfortunately, the odds of a mortal surviving a dragon attack were slim.
He suddenly thought about his mother. He was sure she’d had good intentions when she asked him to save their species, but even she wouldn’t have wished Zina on him.
“Thank you, Sadie. You helped tremendously.”
She nodded. “Thanks for the drink. Next time, buy one for yourself. You need it more than I do.”
* * *
Bliss had never felt so isolated in her life. Drake had asked her not to leave the building until he was able to deal with Zina. That meant she had two options. Sit in her apartment and try to work on another card, or sit in the bar and socialize. She had tried watching TV, but there was nothing on she wanted to watch. Angie didn’t have a way to record shows, and Bliss hadn’t planned to live there long enough to care.
She didn’t dare get hooked on a soap opera. Her schedule wouldn’t allow for it, although she’d heard viewers could miss several episodes and still pick up where they’d left off. Sounded like some kind of ripple in the time-space continuum.
She really didn’t feel like socializing. Something as bizarre as learning there were dragons in the world made “Look at this adorable necklace I got at a flea market” seem inane. She didn’t think she could concentrate on designing her cards, and there might not be any books that would hold her attention when her mind inevitably wandered to dragons… Hey, wait. Maybe I can find an ebook on dragons!
It was a long shot. She was fairly sure anything she read would be legend, but as Drake had said, “Legends come from somewhere.” Maybe she could do some digging and find out more than what she knew now… which was next to nothing.
She grinned. Wouldn’t it blow Drake’s mind if I could spout a few dragon facts he hadn’t told me yet?
But what if she blew her own mind? And how would she know fact from legend? She dropped down onto her bed. “Argh! All this stuff is mucking up my mind.”
Damn it. I’m going to talk to the one person who has never deserted me. The smartest, most loyal friend I have… me.
She rifled through her purse and grabbed the little notebook she carried just in case ideas struck while she was on a subway or shopping or anywhere away from her computer. It came with a little pencil she liked because she could erase the stupid words and leave only the good ones when she eventually made it home.
She wrote, Dear damn diary…
“Heh-heh. Good start. Give yourself hell, Bliss. If anyone can take it, you can.”
What was I thinking? Maybe my mother was right. “No, no. Scratch that.”
She flipped the pencil over and scrubbed the ridiculous words off the paper.
A dragon? Seriously? A dragon. I think I’ve finally met a guy who might be worth a shot, and he turns out to be some kind of circus freak.
I’d never have believed him if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. Transform? Yeah, right… Then he di
d it! Ack!
I keep waiting to wake up and find out this is just a crazy nightmare. Nope. I’ve pinched myself and then slapped myself for pinching myself. Still not popping out of any coma.
I’ve even wondered if I was drugged. Drake never slipped me any pills. He didn’t even bring me a beer. Nope. Nothing went into my mouth except, well… him. Heh-heh.
Hey, I wonder if dragon penis can cause hallucinations? Naw. That doesn’t make sense. Because if it does, that means he’s a dragon and I didn’t hallucinate anything but the truth.
“Oh my God.” Bliss slapped the side of her head and stared at the words she had just written. She sighed and mumbled her own reassurance. “It’s okay… no one is going to read this. Just go ahead and let out all the crazy.”
And while we’re at it, no wonder he said he can’t get me pregnant. We’re not even the same species! Oh, man. If we ever got married, my mother would be in seventh heaven until she learned that little fun fact. Then she’d descend to the seventh circle of hell and never be seen again.
Why do I care what my mother thinks? Haven’t I always known she means well, but…
Yeah, there are no words following that “but.” Never have been. Never will be. Some things are better left alone.
So, back to Drake. What am I supposed to do with this information? He seemed relieved after he told me, but now I’m the one who’s all jiggy. I don’t know how I’ll feel next time I look at him… if there is a next time. Didn’t he say that biker chick was probably setting the fires and he had to stop her?
I may not have known him long, but one thing I’m certain of—he won’t hit a girl. I doubt he’d even fight back unless his life depended on it, and it well might. She must be some kind of psycho to beat him up and then set fires all over the place. All because he brought me flowers? I swear, if he lives through this, I’ll ask him never to bring me flowers again.
Bliss set down the paper and pencil. She rose and paced as the gravity of the situation sank in. She’d always coped with unsavory situations using her signature flippancy and irreverence. She wasn’t feeling very flippant at the moment.