“So you’re choosing him, then?” Rainier asks, intertwining his fingers on the table. He’s wearing a casual gray sweater with little silvery threads that match his eyes, plus light jeans. “Choosing both of us? Excellent.”
Van and Byron both start to argue, and I put a hand to my head, trying to stave off a headache.
“No, I haven’t chosen,” I say, because at this point, I don’t want any of them. No matter how sexy they are, I don’t want to choose when they all want to take each other down. It just doesn’t feel right to me.
It all goes quiet. Then Rainier speaks up.
“I’m sorry. I thought it was the logical conclusion. But I should have been listening to your feelings. You’re confused right now. I want to give you space.” He gives me an apologetic look, and I give him a relieved smile.
“Me too,” Griffin says, running his hand through his auburn hair. “I’m sorry. I can’t stop pushing you.”
“It’s hard,” Byron says, reluctantly sharing a grimace with Griffin before facing me. “Not to want to lock you down when you mean so much to us.”
“To all of us,” Van says, looking almost thoughtful as he stares down at the table, his dark hair still damp from his morning shower.
There’s silence for a moment before Seth resumes munching happily. Today he’s wearing a green tee shirt and black jeans, looking a little punk with his blond and black hair.
He also seems to be feeling better. So perhaps being with me is best.
I still want to figure out how I feel about these dragons, but I want to make sure to spend time with Seth as well.
Griffin sets down his fork with a clatter and rests his cheek on his palm as he leans on the table. “We’ll give you all the time you need, Anna. As long as we can.”
The other dragons nod in confirmation while I just bite the inside of my cheek.
“And you won’t hurt each other?” I ask. “You’ll all try to get along.”
There’s a lot of glaring and muttering, but then slowly, each dragon assents with a nod.
Looking around at them, I can’t help but think how different they all are. How am I supposed to compare?
“There’s time,” Seth says, squeezing my hand under the table. “Just try to enjoy this, because there is time.”
And then suddenly my brain is filling up with all the things I can do with the dragons—in the bedroom and outside of it—and I can’t think straight.
“I’m going up to take a nap,” I say, pushing away from the table.
“When you’re back, we’ll go flying,” Griffin says.
“Or I can take you on a walk,” Van says.
“Or we could talk about fae lore,” Rainier offers.
“Or make out,” Byron says, leering at me, making me giggle.
I turn as I’m about to reach the stairs, putting a hand on my hip. “This is the Blur. Aren’t things supposed to be scary and dangerous?”
The dragons all look at each other, puzzled, but Byron just gives me a shrug. “Maybe the Blur is only scary when you’re alone. Maybe it’s not so bad when you’re surrounded by dragons.”
As he ducks his head to his plate, I almost think he’s talking about the entire room. How they all seem more relaxed together even though the world outside is against them.
I bite back a smile. “All right, then. We’ll have fun.”
At least until Lee catches up to me and tells me what he wants from the contract.
Chapter 13
A few days later, I’m sitting on a log with Seth, watching a couple gray butterflies dance around each other, recounting my adventures with the dragons.
“So flying with Griffin, that was fun?”
“Yes,” I say, thinking about the feeling of sitting on his back and the wind in my hair. “I’ve always loved that.”
Seth smirks at me. “And Rainier?”
“Um… we were going to talk about fae stuff, but we kind of got distracted and ended up making out. Don’t get me wrong, I love talking to Rainier, but when he talks all smart, I just—”
“You like it,” Seth says with a grin. “You like the smart ones.”
“I do.”
Seth cocks his head. “So you must hate Byron, then.”
I laugh at the joke but swat at Seth playfully. “No. Byron’s smart. He’s just not interested in showing it. But he makes me laugh.”
“What did he do, take you outside and show you his muscles?”
“No, he wanted me to watch him lift heavy rocks, shirtless. Then he wanted to grill for me, shirtless.” I flush. “I guess he figured out I’m a perv.”
“They’re all worse pervs,” Seth says. “So at least they won’t judge you for it.”
There’s an odd chemistry growing between Seth and me, though we never get too physical. It’s not just friendship, though that’s the basis. There’s also attraction and a sense of longing, like we’re both holding back.
“It’s just complicated,” he says. “You already have enough dragons fighting over you. As long as you’re happy, I will be too.”
But I’m not sure if I would be happy without him.
Each of these dragons fills up a different piece of my heart, and while I know it’s selfish, I just want to be with all of them. I mean, I want them all in my life in some way or another.
Seth sighs. “And Van? How are things going with him?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “I spent the night with him the other night. He said it kept the visions away. That his visions are getting clearer with me around. That he isn’t crying anymore at night.”
Seth raises an eyebrow. “He cries at night?”
I nod. “Sometimes. He says it’s because he sees things he can’t prevent. Things that already happened, even when they are terrible. Sees people die horribly. Many images at once.”
“Damn,” Seth says. “Dude is haunted.”
I nod. “But I’m glad it’s getting better. See, that’s another reason I can’t make up my mind. I’m helping all of them too.”
“You help me,” Seth says. “Sometimes I wish things could never change. That we could all just live here like Snow White and her seven dwarves. You could be Anna and her dragons.”
I shake my head. “Who would be the prince then?”
“Good point,” Seth says. “Since we dragons would probably kill anyone else who came near you.”
Each of the dragons is my prince in some way, I think, watching the butterflies circle each other higher and higher.
“Or maybe you’re the prince,” Seth says. “Come to save us all. Break the spell. Set us free.”
“Free?”
“You know, from hating ourselves and staying alone,” Seth says. “Like we were for the most part before you got here. I mean, yeah, the guys kind of hate each other, but they’re getting along. We’re all under one roof, which is amazing considering the last time they all got together, they tried to kill each other.”
The pairing ceremony. “Right,” I say.
Seth picks up a blade of grass and sticks it in the corner of his mouth, chewing it. “So you aren’t any closer to deciding?”
“No,” I say.
“That’s too bad, because I think things are coming to a head.”
“What do you mean?”
Seth faces me, his expression dour. “I can hear their thoughts. They’re coming this way.”
I sit up a little just as the front door to the cottage slams, and I see four huge guys piling out, shoving each other in a way that seems to be escalating.
Once they’re outside, Van seems to be facing off with Rainier, while Byron and Griffin look ready to butt heads like rams.
I run over to them, trying not to trip, heart beating wildly as I look from dragon to dragon, trying to figure out what is going on.
When they’ve been with me, they’ve all been patient.
As I reach them, all four dragons turn to face me, and all look frustrated as hell.
Rainier,
who’s wearing a gray jacket over jeans, his silver hair loose around his face, puts his hands on his hips and faces me. “Anna, we can’t wait much longer. I can’t stand to live in this house with these—”
“Shut it,” Byron says. “We were nice enough to let you stay here, but I’m through with—”
“Go back to the human world,” Van spits at Rainier. “You don’t even have to be here. Gutless whiner.”
Rainier whirls on Van, looking tall and fierce as he corners the other dragon. “I’m not gutless just because I have some fucking self-control. You’re the one who’s always either shrieking or doing something awful.”
“Not anymore,” Van says, poking Rainier in the chest. “I’m getting ready to accept my place as leader now that I have Anna by my side. The visions are clear now. Sorry you won’t get to take your place in the other world with Griffin, but Anna is clearly mine.”
Griffin lets out a snarl. “Over my dead body.”
Byron gets up in his face, blocking his route to Van. “That can be arranged.”
“Don’t you have some bears somewhere missing you?” Van retorts mockingly. “At least you found someone stupider than you.”
Griffin’s eyes go wide, but Rainier steps in front of him, placing a hand on his chest as he backs him up.
“Stop it,” Rainier hisses at Griffin. “This is what they want. To provoke us into fighting so we look bad in front of Anna.”
“You look bad anyway, compared to us,” Byron says, his stupid gold jacket sparkling in the sun, almost blinding.
“We aren’t trying to provoke anything,” Van says. “We aren’t that stupid, though we aren’t all the silver dragon.”
Rainier scowls at Van as if he can’t decide if he just received an insult or a compliment.
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re so smart, so together,” Van says. “So above everything. You don’t even need to be here. So why try and take Anna from dragons who actually need her?”
“I need her,” Rainier says, his hands in tight fists as he walks forward. “I need her as much as anyone. She’s my heart.”
“She’s my heart,” Byron says.
“Mine too,” Van retorts.
“Mine,” Griffin says simply, his eyes darting to me.
I’m only standing there, tears biting at the corners of my eyes as I try to figure out what to do now.
If I mate with either pair of dragons, I know I could be incredibly happy. Just two of these men would be more than anyone could deserve.
And I would get the blue dragon’s power, which could save my sister. And I most likely wouldn’t have to stay in the Blur or worry about Lee’s contract anymore.
But choosing any of them now… just doesn’t feel right.
“I’m sorry,” I say, blinking back stinging tears as I face them. “I don’t know what to say. You’re all wonderful.” I look down at the ground. The grass is swaying in the evening breeze. “You all have my heart, and I don’t know how to choose. I can’t picture my life without any of you. I can’t… I don’t know what to do anymore.”
The dragons are all silent now.
Van’s trench coat is blowing in the wind, which has picked up.
He looks up at the sky, and some of the other dragons do as well. It seems like things are suddenly darker. Just a shade, like someone threw a filter over everything.
I look up to see the sun behind the clouds. Is that why?
“Do you feel that?” Van asks Byron, who nods, brows lowered.
“I do,” Byron says. “Do you think…?”
Rainier steps forward, looking nervous. “Is that—”
“What should we do?” Griffin asks. “Should we fight? Run with Anna?”
“It’s too late,” Byron says. “I can feel him. He’s close.”
“Stupid teleporting fairies,” Griffin says, taking a step back toward the house. Then he looks at me and comes striding over. “Come on. Let’s get you inside.”
“No, why?” I ask, dragging my feet as I see the other dragons, including Seth, walking toward the open field in front of the house as though they’re going to face someone.
“Stay here,” Griffin says. Then he places a kiss on the top of my head and shoves me inside, shutting the door behind me. He thinks for a moment, then grabs a chair from the front porch and uses it to block the door.
I grab the handle and rattle it, but it won’t open. I slam my hand on the door and go to a nearby window, but I can only open it a crack. I can hear, but I can’t go out.
I want to run around the back, but I don’t want to lose sight of the dragons. What if they need my help? I mean, it’s laughable that I could do anything, but still…
I see all of the dragons look up as something starts falling from the sky. At first, it’s small and dark, but it gets bigger as it descends to the ground. Bigger and taller, with large, menacing wings that unfold just as it’s about to hit the earth.
It still lands with a menacing thump that shakes the ground all the way to the house. When it stands, I think it’s a man.
At least sort of.
He’s taller than even the dragons. His facial features are sharp, and he has long dark hair, not unlike Van’s except it’s thick and shiny with streaks of gray running through it.
His ears are long and pointed, and they poke up out of his thick hair. His face is beautiful but cruel. His large black eyes, set against his pale skin, are topped by harsh slashes of eyebrows, and his full, lush lips are pressed together in a frown.
He’s wearing what looks like leather armor in black and gray.
His wings are something from a nightmare. Large and dark and veiny with little claws at every joint like I would picture for a vampire. A really large, scary vampire.
But looking at the ears, I know there’s only one thing he could be, given what I know about this world.
Plus the way the dragons are backing up, each of them rigid with fear despite the fact that I’ve never seen anything scare any one of them.
It’s a fairy. And for some reason, just the sight of him fills me with fear.
Rainier looks back at me, and I hear his voice in my mind so clearly.
Stay back, Anna. Promise me you’ll stay back. Every type of fairy is different, but this one looks dangerous.
I bite my lip as he turns back to face the fairy with the other dragons, knowing I can’t promise Rainier anything.
How can I just sit still when someone is threatening my dragons?
Chapter 14
Seth
Seth felt jumpy as he waited with the others to see what the fairy wanted.
He didn’t recognize this one, though he’d met a couple.
They hadn’t ever been cruel to him, but they didn’t look like this one did.
He wanted to glance back to check on Anna but didn’t want to give the fairy even more ideas of what might be going on.
He didn’t know if the fairy was here to take a dragon heart.
And Anna was so much more than just a dragon heart to him. She was kind. Loving. She made him feel not broken. She made it seem like they could all get along somehow, though Griffin and Byron kept ruining it.
So yeah, Seth would burn the whole place down before he let anyone touch Anna.
The fairy stood at nearly seven feet tall, lean yet muscled as they all seemed to be. Seth couldn’t guess what type this one was, with his pale skin, black hair, and dark wings.
It didn’t seem good, though.
“Sorry to interrupt,” the fairy said, withdrawing his wings magically until they were invisible and he just looked like an extra tall, extra muscular man. “But I believe you have something I need.”
“Is that Azrael?” Griffin asked, walking forward and cracking his knuckles. “Because if you think you own Anna just because of that rotten fighting ring, you’re wrong.”
Byron shot Griffin a look. “He’s not Azrael, he—”
“We’ve never met him,�
�� Van said. Then he turned his glare back to the fairy. “We don’t have anything you can take.”
“Well… that’s not exactly true,” he said. And then he reached into his leather jacket and pulled out something small and folded and white. A piece of paper?
The fairy’s large black eyes narrowed cruelly. “I mean, I suppose she doesn’t even know it.” He looked at Rainier. “But then again, perhaps someone smart, like a silver dragon, should have advised her not to sign a blank contract.” He flicked his hand, and the paper he was holding unfolded, showing a clean paper with a signature at the bottom.
Seth’s mind went blank, and the poison inside him started roaring as he recognized Anna’s name.
Why had she signed it? Why—
“Give me that,” Byron said, stepping forward irritably. He grabbed the paper from the fairy and looked over it. “There’s nothing on here.”
The fairy waved his hand, and words appeared. “My name is Nerrenth, and I’m here to pick her up. She agreed to it, though she doesn’t know it.”
Byron’s face paled as he stepped back, dropping the contract. Then his tanned hands fisted, and he coldly stalked toward the fairy. “If you think we’re going to give her to you over some stupid piece of paper, you’re dead wro—”
But Byron was interrupted by the fairy’s fist punching calmly into his face. Everything seemed to go quiet as Byron went flying backward, so far it didn’t seem possible considering how little the fairy had moved.
Seth glanced to Byron lying facedown in the grass a hundred feet from them. Totally still.
“That’s it,” Van said darkly, stepping forward. “If you want to take her, you’re going to take on five dragons.”
Seth bit his lip, gnawing at it as he considered if he could really take this fight and keep his poison under control.
Normally, he wouldn’t be worried, but they didn’t have a blue dragon on their team. If someone was hurt…
But Griffin and Rainier were already shifting, filling the clearing with their hulking dragon forms.
Seth ran forward to grab the contract, taking advantage of the fact that the fairy was distracted looking up at the two huge beasts.
Soul of the Dragons: Bad Dragons Page 9