by Donna Grant
“Stop thinking about that. Focus on Keltan. Usaeil might have used you, but the joke is on her. She had no idea who you were, Bernadette. It was a secret kept from Usaeil for a good reason. Now, forget everything but Keltan. Think about your love for him. Think about the love between you. And remember … nothing can defeat love.”
Bernadette didn’t hesitate to do as the voice urged. She filled every fiber of her being with thoughts, images, and remembered conversations with Keltan. She then let the love inside her grow and grow, all the while imagining that it was like a giant bubble that surrounded her and pushed out anything negative or bad.
She became aware of other voices, of people touching her. It was distant at first, as if she were watching it happen to her body instead of actually feeling it. All the while, she kept listening for Keltan’s voice.
Someone had said his name. He was there. She just needed to hear him. But the minutes ticked by with nothing. Others kept saying her name. It became louder and louder, the touches firmer until it was like she was being sucked back into her body.
Her eyes flew open with the pain that rushed through her. Her lips parted as she held her breath—a scream lodged in her throat.
On their own, her eyes went to the left where she spotted the head of a dragon looming over her. The citrine color of the scales mesmerized her. The large, silver eyes that stared at her with such intensity captivated her.
She knew those eyes. They might not be amber right now, but she recognized who they belonged to—Keltan.
The others surrounding her seemed to melt away as she let her gaze run over Keltan as he moved into the light so she could see him better. She’d seen the Silvers, but they had been curled together and sleeping. Catching sight of Keltan standing with his large wings tucked against him and his tail curling behind him was staggering.
She loved how the citrine scales grew finer and lighter around his neck and tail. Three rows of long spikes ran down his back. A mane of spines sprouted from the back of his head, and there was a bony ridge that separated his nostrils.
“Keltan.” She winced at the hoarse sound of her voice.
He lowered his great head close enough that she could lift a hand and place it on top of his nose. She smiled when his warm breath fanned her body.
She’d waited so long to see him. She wanted to tell him how splendid he looked, how grand and terrifyingly beautiful he was, but she couldn’t get the words out.
He shifted into human form and took her hand in both of his. “It’s fine, lass. You can say anything you need to later. Right now, I need you to rest.”
She shook her head. Bernadette didn’t want to go back to sleep for fear of what the Others might do.
“You need to sleep,” Eilish said from her other side.
Bernadette shook her head more firmly. “Can’t,” she got out.
Keltan’s brow furrowed. “Usaeil can no’ hurt you anymore. She’s dead.”
Bernadette wanted to celebrate, but all she could do was sigh. She licked her lips, and then with great difficulty, said, “Others.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Eilish said.
Keltan put his hand on Bernadette’s face. “Did they hurt you?”
“They tried. Used Usaeil’s magic.”
“That’s how they got through our magic,” a male voice said from behind Bernadette.
She couldn’t see who it was, and frankly, she didn’t care. She tightened her hold on Keltan. Bernadette was afraid that if she ever let go, she might lose him.
“I’m right here, lass. No one is getting to you,” he vowed.
The promise in his eyes was so bright that she believed him without hesitation. She smiled as he stroked a hand from her brow over her hair.
“I’m sorry,” he said as his face lined with regret. “I never thought Usaeil would use mortals. I never should have left you.”
She put a finger on his lips. “I’m here.”
“You doona know how close you came to no’ being here,” he whispered.
Bernadette looked into his eyes and said, “I do, actually.” She paused to get her breath. “The Others had a hold of my soul. They were trying to take me.”
“I really hate these people,” Eilish murmured as she turned away.
Keltan’s smile was forced as rage burned in his amber eyes. “You got free of them.”
“I had … help.”
“Help?” Keltan repeated, another frown forming. “Who?”
She tried to shrug, when that didn’t work, she said, “I don’t know. A woman. She sounded … familiar.”
“Someone from Dreagan?” Eilish asked.
Bernadette glanced at the Druid. “I don’t know.”
“We’ll sort it later,” Keltan said. “The important thing is that you’re here. With me.”
She smiled when he kissed her fingers. “When I was bleeding out in my car, there was one thing I wanted to tell you.”
“What’s that?”
“I love you.”
The smile that broke out over his face was so blinding, it would’ve overshadowed the sun. “Och, lass. I love you so much it hurts.”
Bernadette wanted to throw her arms around him, but the pain in her abdomen hurt too badly to attempt it. Keltan pressed his forehead to hers as they stared into each other’s eyes.
“I didna want a mate,” he told her. “I never looked, and I honestly prayed I’d never find one. I feared it would make me weak.”
She hated hearing that because she didn’t want to make him weak.
“I was wrong,” he continued. “I’m no’ weak with you. I’m stronger than ever before because of our love.”
“I’m yours.”
“And I’m yours. It might be too soon to talk about it, and I’ll wait as long as you want, but—”
She laughed, wincing at the throbbing it caused. “I want nothing more than to be your mate. Whenever you want.”
“Now,” he said with a chuckle.
She grinned, happier than she’d ever been in her life. It was amazing to feel as if you’d lost everything, only to then be handed the world on a platter. Not that she didn’t think there would be more difficulties.
Usaeil might be dead, but the Others were just getting started. And, apparently, they didn’t need Usaeil, after all. That didn’t sound good, but if anyone could defeat them, it was the Dragon Kings.
Bernadette realized that now. Usaeil had known it, as well, which was one reason she’d wanted Con so badly. From what Bernadette had learned of the Dragon Kings, they bent over backwards for their friends.
Usaeil, had she gone about things differently, might have been able to align with the Dragon Kings to defeat the Others. Instead, she’d lost her life. Hopefully, someone better would step up to rule the Light Fae.
But that wasn’t Bernadette’s concern. The Dragon King gazing at her with such adoration and love was. Their path had started out rocky, and the climb had been perilous, but it had been more than worth it.
As she was drifting off to sleep with Keltan holding her hand, she remembered what the voice had told her—that she was special.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Henry stared at the backlit map on the wall in the cavern that had become something of an office for him. But he didn’t really see the pins or the map. Instead, his mind was on Melisse.
The woman was different, that was for sure. Her beauty was enough to render anyone speechless, but it was something more. She exuded a confidence that went hand in hand with doubt and wariness, which she extended to everyone. At least to those he’d seen around her.
“Melisse,” he whispered.
He loved the way her name rolled off his tongue. It was as exotic and striking as she was. The few words they’d exchanged weren’t nearly enough. He had so many more questions he wanted to pose to her. And yet he also wanted to see her again. It was almost as if his eyes couldn’t get enough of her.
He’d been trained to pick up every detail around
him, but even if he hadn’t, he knew he still would’ve noticed how the ends of her hair curled just a bit. He would’ve seen the chipped left pinky nail that she tried to hide.
What had she really been doing in Madrid? Not to mention at the murdered Druid’s house. She could be a Druid. Unlike his sister, Henry couldn’t sense when there was magic near.
He pivoted and stalked from the cavern, nearly colliding with Banan as he did. “Sorry,” he murmured and kept walking toward the manor.
Once inside, Henry made his way upstairs in the hopes of finding Esther and Nikolai in their room. He pounded his fist on the door, impatience riding him hard. Just as he was about to knock again, the door swung open to reveal his sister.
Behind her was Nikolai, sitting with a large pad of paper in one hand and a sketch pencil in the other. Nikolai’s baby blue eyes locked on Henry, but he didn’t say a word.
“Henry?” Esther asked with a frown. “What is it?”
“When you and Nikolai found me at the café, did you feel any magic?”
Her frown grew deeper as her nutmeg eyes narrowed on him. “Why?”
“Did you?” he pressed.
“Maybe. I don’t know,” she replied with a shrug.
Nikolai set the pad and pencil aside. “What is it, Henry?”
Henry rubbed a hand over his mouth and gave a small shake of his head. “Esther, please.”
“Perhaps you should come in,” Nikolai said and got to his feet.
Esther moved aside. Henry stepped over the threshold but didn’t go any farther, even after Esther had shut the door. He glanced at Nikolai, but his gaze returned to his sister.
After a moment, she threw up her hands. “I was so worried about finding you that I wasn’t paying attention, okay? I should’ve been, I know, but I knew we had to get back here immediately.”
“It’s not your fault,” Henry said, trying to soothe her. “I just thought maybe you felt something.”
Nikolai came to stand beside Esther and asked Henry, “Did you feel something?”
“I don’t feel magic like my sister.” Though he wished he could.
Esther tucked her brown hair behind her ear. “I only feel Druid magic.”
“Someone made you think they had magic. Who was it?” Nikolai pressed.
Henry blew out a breath and put his hands on his hips as he leaned back against the wall. “I saw a woman outside the house we visited, and then again at the café.”
Esther’s brows shot up in her forehead. “Did you talk to her?”
“I did.”
Nikolai gave Henry a pointed look. “And?”
Henry shrugged, his lips turning downward. “Nothing. She wouldn’t tell me much. I did get her name—Melisse.”
“No last name?” Esther asked.
Henry shook his head. “She’s either naturally cagey—”
“Or she’s been taught,” his sister finished.
Nikolai blew out a long breath. “Talk to Ryder. He might be able to pick her up on the CCTV around Madrid. Maybe then we can determine who she is. Especially since she was around the house where Usaeil killed the Druid.”
“Yeah, that bothers me,” Esther said with a shake of her head. “Now, I want to know who this woman is.”
Henry’s arms dropped to his sides as he pushed from the wall. “No one talks to her but me.”
“Hold up there,” Esther began.
But Henry caught sight of Nikolai taking her hand to silence her.
Henry gave his brother-in-law a nod before he stalked from the room. He went directly to the computer room and spoke with Ryder. However, after an hour of searching near the café at the time that Henry had spoken with Melisse, they found nothing. The next three hours were spent combing the entire city, but once more, they came up empty.
By the time Henry returned to his cavern, he was more frustrated than ever. He’d thought that Esther might be able to tell him something. When that hadn’t worked, he was sure that Ryder would give him answers. Ryder always found people.
“Unless they don’t want to be found,” Henry murmured to himself.
“I think you spend too much time down here alone.”
Henry whirled around at the sound of the voice. He watched as Con stepped from the shadows of a corner to walk into the light. “I didn’t realize you came in.”
“I didna. I’ve been here waiting.”
“My apologies. Did you need something?”
Con’s black eyes studied him for a moment. “Is everything all right?”
Henry was a skilled liar, and while he knew he could get one past the King of Dragon Kings, he didn’t want to. Con had given him a place at Dreagan. He wasn’t going to ruin that.
“No,” he finally answered.
Con’s shoulders lifted as he took a breath. “Thank you for no’ lying. Want to tell me what’s going on? Or would you rather keep it to yourself?”
“You’ve been gone for weeks, and you want to listen to me?” Henry asked dubiously.
Con raised a blond brow briefly. “I’ve told you before that you’re one of us. I listen to all who I consider family.”
“I appreciate that, but I’m sure you have other things to take care of. I can’t imagine what it was like pretending with Usaeil all this time. You could’ve left, right? She wasn’t holding you.”
“Nay, she couldna hold me there,” Con admitted as he slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “I stayed because I knew it would gain us the advantage, which it did.”
“Not to overstep, but how? You weren’t in contact with anyone at Dreagan.”
Con smiled as he nodded. “You more than anyone know the extremes a spy will go to in order to assure that those they want to get close to believe them. It didna take long for Usaeil to trust me. Once she did, she told me everything.”
“Everything?” Henry asked, his head cocked to the side.
Con’s smile grew. “Aye. I know who the leader of the Others is. And I know how to find her.”
“That’s great news. When do you go?”
“As much as I want to confront the Others, I’m no’ going to rush into it. We need to be as prepared as we can.”
Henry crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you need from me?”
“For you to tell me what’s bothering you so badly that you didna even realize I was in the room.”
Henry flattened his lips. “It’s probably nothing.”
“You’re a trained spy for MI5. If your instincts tell you it’s something, then it’s something.”
“Esther, Nikolai, and I went to Spain. Esther got a feeling, so we decided to go to Madrid.”
“Good thinking,” Con said with a nod.
“We found what had called to my sister. One of the Druids who Usaeil killed lived there before their death.”
Con’s face hardened at the mention of the Fae queen. “Usaeil willna be killing any more Druids for their magic.”
“We can be thankful for that.” Henry swallowed. “When we walked from the house, my gaze was drawn to a woman. She was staring right at me.”
“Did you recognize her?”
Henry shook his head. “No, but there was something about her that drew my gaze. When I looked away, she disappeared. I asked Esther and Nikolai for a few hours to myself.”
“To look for her,” Con guessed.
Henry’s lips twisted. “Yes. I walked the city for hours. I’d all but given up when I stopped at a café, and then she appeared.”
“And?” Con urged.
“She was wary of me, but she did come to me. She said her name was Melisse.”
Con said nothing, merely drew in a breath.
Henry hesitated a moment before he continued. “She was in the city to see where the murder took place.”
“Did she say why?”
“Curiosity. There was more, but that’s all I got out of her. She also knew me. I only gave her my first name, but she called me Henry North. Then she said that I
wasn’t what she expected.”
Con’s face was impassive as he said, “Is that right? Anything else?”
“She wanted to know about Esther and Nikolai. I explained that it was my sister and her husband. Then Melisse said I should leave. After that, she was gone. That’s everything.”
“But you want to find her.”
Henry frowned and jerked back his head. “She knew who I was, Con. I’ve gone by so many aliases while working for MI5 that there are few people besides those I answered to who actually know my name.”
“And you want to find out how Melisse knows you.”
“Absolutely. Don’t you?”
Con didn’t answer as his black gaze moved to the map. “Do you have any ideas about who this woman is?”
“Not even a hint. It’s a rare thing for someone to keep such things from me. I guess I’m getting rusty.”
“Or she’s that good.” Con slid his gaze back to Henry.
Henry shrugged, realizing that was an option. “She could be.”
“Ryder said he didna find a single camera angle with her face on it.”
Henry issued a snort. “We’re trained to make sure no cameras can pick us up if we want to remain hidden. If she went to those lengths, then she likely works for our government. She has a Scottish accent, so I might be able to call in some favors and see if anyone knows her.”
“I doubt you’ll find anything.”
“You seem rather sure of that.”
It was Con’s turn to shrug. “Call it a hunch.”
That got Henry’s attention. “Do you know Melisse?”
“I do no’.”
“Yet you don’t seem surprised by what I’m telling you.”
Con shot him a quick smile. “Henry, you’ve yet to understand that sometimes people are drawn to us for reasons we can no’ understand at the moment. Then there is the fact that you’re the JusticeBringer. Neither you nor your sister fully comprehends what your roles entail, and I doona think any of us will until it’s time.”
“You think Melisse has something to do with me being the JusticeBringer?”