Fever--A Dark Kings Novel

by Donna Grant

  “Are you going to get out sometime soon? Or am I going to have to make you come out?”

  Bernadette’s head snapped up at the sound of Usaeil’s voice. She looked through the steam and out the glass to see the queen standing in the middle of the bathroom. “Can I have some privacy?”

  “I don’t like to be kept waiting, and you’re not doing anything but standing there.”

  “I’ll be out in just a second,” Bernadette said and turned her back on Usaeil.

  There was a loud sigh and then nothing. Bernadette glanced out the glass to find the room vacant. She turned off the water, wrung out her hair, and then reached for the towel. She dried off and stepped out of the shower to get dressed in a pair of thin, baggy sweats and a tee shirt.

  Bernadette raked her hands through her hair and winced at the sight of the dark circles under her eyes. She quickly put on some eye and face cream before walking out of the bathroom. There, she found Usaeil sitting in her office chair, one long leg crossed over the other.

  The queen smiled a knowing smile at her. “How are you today?”

  “Not good, actually.”

  Usaeil laughed and turned the chair from side to side. Then she looked directly at the pen and the dried blood on it. “Want to know what I did?”

  “I’d like to know why you did anything at all.”

  The smile vanished as Usaeil uncrossed her legs and sat up straight. “You left without telling me.”

  “I didn’t know I had to tell you my every move.”

  The queen narrowed her silver eyes at Bernadette. “Where did you go?”

  “Driving. I tried to go hiking since that clears my head, but everywhere I went there were too many people. So, I drove,” Bernadette said, proud of herself for saying the lie without stuttering.

  And she hadn’t even thought about any of this beforehand.

  Usaeil quirked a black brow. “And where did you drive?”

  “North. I got on a road and just drove.”

  “Is that right?” Usaeil slowly sat back, staring at Bernadette with uncertainty in her gaze. “Why did you need to think at all? I gave you an assignment.”

  “That’s just it. You’ve let me follow my own timeline of things this past year. It … bothered me that you put such pressure on me.”

  Usaeil barked with laughter. “So, you ran away?”

  “I went to think things through. I couldn’t do it here because I kept looking at the laptop. I needed to get out.” Now came the time for Bernadette to test just how close an eye Usaeil had been keeping on her. “Surely, you knew exactly where I was and what I was doing.”

  “Of course, I did.”

  “Then why did you do that?” Bernadette asked and pointed to the pen and blood.

  Usaeil glanced at the writing instrument and shrugged. “To remind you that I can bring you home anytime I want.”

  “What did you do to me?”

  The queen’s lips curved into a wide smile. “I made sure that for every hour you were away from your home, your organs would break down.”

  Bernadette’s knees nearly gave out. She walked to her desk and grabbed hold of it to keep on her feet. “Why would you do that? You could’ve just come and got me and told me to return.”

  “What would be the fun in that?” Usaeil asked in puzzlement.

  “You’re the Queen of the Light. You don’t hurt people.”

  Usaeil shrugged and got to her feet. “You’re right. I am the queen. You need to remember that. The next time I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it.”

  Bernadette slowly nodded. There was a light in the queen’s eyes that frightened her. The kind of light that warned others that someone was about to come unhinged.

  “Now, then. You need to pick up your desk. There is someone from Dreagan in town.”

  Bernadette’s heart leapt at the news. She prayed it was Keltan. Then, in the next breath, she hoped it wasn’t. If Usaeil knew that there was a King in Glasgow, then the queen would want to stay behind and spy on them.

  It took a moment for Bernadette to realize that Usaeil was staring at her, waiting for her to comment. Bernadette quickly let surprise contort her features. “Someone from Dreagan? Are they here for me?”

  “Who knows?” Usaeil said with a shrug. “I’m betting they are. After all, I know one was at your lecture the other night.”

  Bernadette really needed to sit down if she was going to continue having this conversation because at the rate things were going, her legs were going to give out from beneath her. Usaeil hadn’t said anything before about knowing that a King had been at the lecture. “Are you sure?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  All Bernadette could think about was if Usaeil knew that Keltan had approached her during dinner. This would be twice now that she hadn’t said anything to the queen about it, but Bernadette figured it was better to keep with the lie than to try to talk her way out of something she might not even need to do.

  Because while Usaeil was powerful, she wasn’t all-knowing. The fact that she hadn’t known it was Keltan at the lecture or that Bernadette had been at Dreagan spoke volumes. She would never have known that had she not tested things.

  Bernadette didn’t know how far she was willing to push things, but she would do whatever she had to in order to win back the life that had been taken from her. And she hadn’t even known it had been taken until Keltan told her. What a fool she must seem to those at Dreagan.

  Now was her time to make up for it and ensure that Usaeil didn’t ruin anyone else’s life.

  Usaeil rolled her eyes dramatically. “Do you have nothing to say?”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Did anyone talk to you after the lecture?”

  Bernadette laughed. “Just about everyone.”

  “Did anyone seem…” Usaeil waved her hand, searching for the right word. “Different?”

  Bernadette shot her a dry look. “I spoke about dragons and magic. Everyone there was a bit different, including me.”

  Usaeil moved closer, her silver gaze staring intently. “Are you sure you’re telling me everything?”

  “I wouldn’t dare lie to you,” Bernadette said in a convincing voice. “You have magic. Look what you did to bring me home!”

  The queen relaxed and smiled. “Never forget that.”

  Even though Bernadette had lied to Usaeil and had gotten away with it, she was all too aware of how close to death she’d come, simply because she had left the house without telling the queen. The only way Bernadette would ever be free would be if the Dragon Kings killed Usaeil.

  “Are you going to clean up this mess?” Usaeil asked as she motioned to the contents of Bernadette’s desk that were scattered on the floor.

  She almost told Usaeil that she could clean it up in seconds with magic since she was the one who’d destroyed it, but Bernadette somehow kept her mouth closed.

  Bernadette walked to the scattered papers and other items and began gathering them. She could feel Usaeil’s gaze on her the entire time, and Bernadette knew that it pleased the queen that she was on her knees doing exactly as Usaeil had ordered.

  When she finished, Bernadette put the items back on her desk. That’s when she realized that her car and her belongings were still at Dreagan. How would she explain that to Usaeil?

  Then she realized that the queen had driven there, so she couldn’t know that Bernadette’s car wasn’t in the drive. The laptop, however, was another matter entirely.

  “For someone who wanted to get away from the laptop, why did you take it with you?” Usaeil asked.

  Bernadette’s heart jumped into her throat. She jerked her head up to the queen and then followed Usaeil’s gaze to the tote she used for her laptop. One of the Dragon Kings must have brought it with them. Bernadette would have to thank them whenever she saw them again.

  She shrugged at Usaeil and grabbed the pen before she went to the kitchen to rinse off the blood. Bernadette then cleane
d the blood off the desk and replaced her laptop in the middle.

  No sooner had she finished than there was a knock at the door.

  Usaeil smiled and waggled her eyebrows. “Your visitor from Dreagan is here.”

  “What do I say to them?”

  The queen gave her a look of disinterest. “Whatever you need to in order to keep them from stopping you. Remember, this is a free country. You can say and write whatever you want.”

  “Right,” Bernadette said, inwardly rolling her eyes.

  Suddenly, Usaeil stood right before her, fury in her silver depths. In a heartbeat, the orbs flashed red before returning to silver. “The most important thing is to not fall for them. The men from Dreagan like to use their charms on women. You won’t succumb. Are we clear?”

  “Crystal,” Bernadette replied, thinking about how her hands had stroked Keltan’s amazing body.

  “Then answer the door.”

  Bernadette raised her brows. “Are you staying?”

  “Oh, I’ll be close,” the queen said before teleporting away.

  Bernadette blew out a breath and made her way to the door. She looked through the peephole, her heart jumping to her throat when she saw Keltan.

  Her hands shook as she unlatched the door and opened it to stare into his amber eyes. She wanted to smile in welcome, but she held it back, remembering that Usaeil could be near.

  “Hello, Dr. Davies. I’m Keltan, a representative from Dreagan. I was wondering if I could have a few minutes of your time?”

  She nodded and stepped back to allow him entry. As he passed, his hand brushed hers, sending a jolt running through her.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Seeing her was like a punch in the gut. For a moment, Keltan couldn’t breathe. When her lips curved into a quick little smile, he’d wanted to reach for her and pull her into his arms. It was all he could do to keep his hands to himself.

  How he got the words out to introduce himself, he’d never know. When he walked into the house, he couldn’t help but make sure their fingers brushed. It might be the only contact he had with her, and he wasn’t going to let such an opportunity pass him by without taking advantage.

  He was overjoyed to see her on her feet. There was still some fatigue in her eyes, but the fact that she was alive was amazing considering what Usaeil had done to her.

  “Would you like some tea?” Bernadette asked as she shut the door behind him.

  “That would be nice, thank you.”

  She didn’t look at him again as she filled the kettle and set it on the stove to heat. “What brings you to my home?”

  He stared at her, waiting for her to look at him. He’d been thinking of her jade eyes all night, and he desperately wanted to look into them again.

  Keltan cleared his throat, remembering his role. “I’m here about the lecture you gave in regard to Dreagan. You made some pretty large leaps.”

  “Did I?” She faced him and leaned back against the counter. “Are you willing to go through my data and give me answers?”

  “And what data would that be?”

  “Let’s begin with the women that have all but disappeared after visiting Dreagan.”

  Kelton shook his head. With every word that fell from Bernadette’s lips, he knew that Usaeil was near. He wanted to send out magic to look for her, but he held back. Let the queen eavesdrop and get whatever she wanted so she’d leave, and he could talk to Bernadette as he wished.

  “I’m no’ able to divulge information on private citizens,” he replied.

  Bernadette gave him a pointed look. “So, you admit that the women are at Dreagan.”

  “I’m no’ admitting anything. If you’ve done any research, then surely you hired some private investigators to locate those you’re looking for.”

  She propped her foot against her ankle and gave a shake of her head. “You don’t plan on telling me anything, do you?”

  “Dreagan is an international company. We’re a multi-billion-pound, euro, dollar, or whatever currency you wish to use corporation. No business willingly sits back and lets someone make such accusations against them. In fact, we could sue you for slander.”

  Bernadette’s gaze narrowed on him. “You would sue me?”

  “I’ve been sent to talk with you in the hopes that it doesna come to that.”

  The kettle let out a loud whistle in the prevailing silence. Bernadette turned and put two teabags into the teapot before she poured in the hot water. She then set a timer for five and a half minutes.

  “You’ve come to threaten me,” she said before she faced him once more.

  He shrugged. “I call it talking, but you can call it whatever you want. The point is, Dr. Davies, the things you’re saying need to stop.”

  “This is a free country. I can say whatever I want.”

  Keltan wanted to applaud her acting skills. He was, in fact, surprised that she hadn’t said many of these things when they spoke at Dreagan. If he hadn’t heard from Guy and Sophie that Bernadette had agreed to this charade, Keltan might actually think she meant every word.

  “Actually, that isna entirely true. Especially when it comes to slander. We at Dreagan pride ourselves on our good name. Your lecture has besmirched our reputation, and that, in fact, is slander. Now, I’m sure you’ve no interest in going to court over these wild allegations you’re throwing at us.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and held his gaze. “You said wild.”

  He shrugged. “Aye. What of it?”

  “You didn’t say they were false.”

  Keltan glanced away. “Wild. False. Same difference.”

  “Actually,” she said, using the same tone he had moments ago, “they aren’t. I believe you’re hiding something.”

  “You really want to go down this road? We have unlimited funds, Dr. Davies. We can spend decades dragging you to court. No one wants to do that.”

  She licked her lips and stared at him for a long moment. The timer went off for the tea, and she turned to pour it into two cups before setting his on the table with some milk and sugar.

  After she’d fixed her tea, she held her mug between her hands and looked his way once more. “I want the truth.”

  “Why do you believe what you’re saying is true? Is this the proof you spoke of at the lecture?” Keltan couldn’t believe he’d forgotten to ask her about that while she was at Dreagan. He’d been otherwise occupied.

  She took a sip of tea. “Perhaps.”

  “Care to show me this proof?”

  It was her turn to snort. “No, I don’t. And you can search my house if you want, but you won’t find it here.”

  He narrowed his gaze at her. “You’re one individual, Dr. Davies. Someone who has lost her main position with the museum and is now only working part-time. Your income has severely dwindled, and you want to go up against Dreagan? You’ll lose.”

  “Maybe. But the rest of the world will hear about why you’re taking me to court. They’ll read my articles. They’ll hear from the ones who attended the lecture. And the attention you’re so anxiously trying to avoid will be on you.”

  Damn, she was good. Keltan fought to hold back his smile. As good as Bernadette was at this game they were playing, he was tired of it. But for her safety, he would continue in this vein for however long it took for the Kings to bring down Usaeil.

  “No witty comeback?” she asked, her brows raised.

  Keltan reached for the tea and lifted it to his lips for a drink. “This is good.”

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  “Let’s work out an agreement, Dr. Davies.”

  She shook her head. “I’m going to have to pass on that offer.”

  For the next twenty minutes, they continued in the same way, each getting in a dig as often as they could. That’s when Bernadette set aside her empty cup, a small frown forming between her eyes. She left the kitchen and made her way to the bathroom, where she closed the door.

  Keltan walked around
the small home, seeing Bernadette in her private setting. There wasn’t much in the house, but there were a few items, like a bronze statue of a red deer with its head tilted back as it let loose a call.

  He knew Bernadette had given up almost everything to dig into Dreagan, but the few things she’d kept were obviously the ones that were important to her for one reason or another. And Keltan wanted to know the story behind each of them.

  Unable to resist, he touched the bronze buck, letting his finger run down the back of the beast. It was a large statue and probably hefty.

  The sound of the door opening drew his attention. He dropped his hand and faced Bernadette. She looked haggard and spent as if it had cost her everything just to talk to him.

  “Perhaps I should return another day,” he said.

  “She’s gone.”

  Keltan frowned, unsure why Bernadette would dare say such a thing. “I’m sorry. I must have missed something. Who is gone?”

  “Usaeil. She’s gone. And I know you don’t think I should be saying her name, but it’s fine,” Bernadette said as she walked toward him and sank onto the sofa.

  Keltan glanced around furtively as he walked to stand before Bernadette. “Dr. Davies—”

  “She came to me in the bathroom, Keltan. She said she couldn’t stay but wanted to let me know that I was doing a good job.”

  Keltan hung his head for a minute. “It could be a trick.”

  “It’s not.”

  “Bernadette,” he said and raised his head.

  She gave him a pointed look. “I don’t care if it is a trick. I can’t keep talking to you the way I have been. It’s not … us.”

  He sat beside her and took her hand. “How are you feeling?”

  “Oh,” Bernadette said with a frustrated shake of her head. “You mean how am I feeling since Usaeil used magic to make my organs begin shutting down unless I came home? She got great joy out of that one. I’m feeling fine, though.”

  “It was close.”

  Her jade gaze darted away as she tucked her black hair behind an ear. “She’s lost her mind.”

  “We’ve known that for a while now.”

  Bernadette swung her eyes back to him. “She doesn’t know when I’m lying, though. I told her I went driving. She has no clue I was at Dreagan.”