Dragon Knight

by Jayne Hawke

  “I’ll send my pack tonight to ensure it’s us she signs with,” Connor said.

  I nodded and calmed the growing fury. A cu sith pack would scare Ailsa and bring her back into line. Remind her how this city worked. They wouldn’t kill her, but the very presence would be enough.

  I began pacing.

  “What could they possibly have done to scare her that badly?” I asked.

  “Hades is the god of the Underworld,” Connor offered.

  I snorted.

  “He has no control over fae essence.”

  The gods couldn’t touch our souls or essence. We belonged to our own land and couldn’t be removed from it.

  “But he could take her down there while she’s living. We do not fit into his usual rules...”

  I curled my lip. To be so weak as to be scared of his Underworld was infuriating. Still, Ailsa was one of the weaker ladies in the city. This could work to my advantage. Her bakeries were popular with the humans. My own businesses were centred around law and finance, but bakeries might be a good place to expand.

  “We will take control of her territory. She is a weak link,” I said.

  Connor nodded and made no attempt to hide his smile.

  “It’s been a century since we claimed a fresh territory,” he said.

  “Hades and his puppets will not take a single inch from us. We will do what we must to ensure the safety of our people and the security of our place in this world,” I growled.

  “I believe they’re up to far more than hostile takeovers,” Connor said.

  My gaze snapped to him.

  He shrugged.

  “I don’t have any proof yet, but I think they’re sinking their claws into the underbelly of the city.”

  I rolled my jaw. It wouldn’t be entirely ridiculous to think they would cause a revolt against us. They would make themselves out to be the protectors and drive the vicious abominations out.

  “Dig. Stop it before it starts,” I said.

  Connor grinned at me and pulled me into a hug. The cu sith had always been more tactile than other fae. Still, his hard presence reminded me that I had him at my back. The Hades god touched wouldn’t stand a chance against us.

  THIRTY-FIVE

  Iona

  As much as I wanted to curl up in the ridiculously comfortable armchair I’d found tucked away in the very heart of the library, I had retired to the non-fiction section to look into information on the dragon and fae politics. I was hoping that a better grasp of fae politics might give me a better look into who could be the dragon and where he was hiding.

  The small walnut table in front of me was piled high with beautiful hardback and leatherbound books. None of them were new, and yet they were all pristine. I was flipping through a book that had been published over a century ago. The giddiness at being surrounded by so many beautiful books had been distracting at first, but I’d centred myself and was focusing on the job at hand.

  We were sure that the dragon was a fae lord. There was no real reason why it couldn’t have been a fae lady, though. They held as much power as the lords. Frowning, I realised that Mr. Anastas had guided our thoughts and feelings on the dragon a lot. He had an ulterior motive, and I wasn’t sure what it was.

  To my surprise, the first four books I looked at held information and stories about the dragons being guardians. There were none of the stories that I’d read in the books we owned. I made a mental note to speak to Evander and Connor about the discrepancy. The dragons might have been more closely tied into the fae that we’d realised, which could have led to very different tales being told about them within fae circles.

  I turned my attention over to fae politics, something we hadn’t been told much about. We didn’t deal with the upper echelons, so it had never really occurred to me to try and learn. The first book was full of tiny print on pale cream paper. It began by listing out the hierarchy within the central court in fae. I read it three times before the names and titles started to mean anything.

  The main court was where all of the lords and ladies gathered to discuss the fae lands as a whole. Those with larger and more powerful territories held more power. That meant that Evander had a lot of power over the entire fae lands. Chewing on my bottom lip, I tried to get down to the politics within modern London.

  It looked as though London had been split into eight territories with five more territories surrounding it. Evander’s was by far the largest and held the richest parts of London. Fionn held far more land than I had realised. He looked as though he’d be able to challenge Evander, if he could gather his people. Ailsa held a small territory that sat between Evander and Fionn’s. Notes said that she was focused on baked goods and was malleable.

  I found myself sucked into the stories of backstabbing and treachery. In some cases, it was literal backstabbing where a lady had taken her chance to stab a lord in the back and tried to claim his territory as her own. It was a bloody affair.

  After four hours, I hadn’t made any useful progress. I was leaning towards the dragon being Fionn due to his age and power. He had been near the Barrows when the dragons had emerged, but there were no hard ties between him and the dragons. Unfortunately, there weren’t any clear ties between any of them and the dragons.

  I leaned back in the chair and stretched. This was supposed to be a quick and easy thing that led to my stabbing the dragon and gaining my freedom.

  “Don’t stop on my account,” Evander said with a wicked smile as I relaxed.

  I realised that some of my stomach had been exposed as I stretched. Standing, I walked to him and drank in the details of him in his soft grey-blue suit. It brought out the emerald of his eyes, but my gaze lingered on his powerful thighs and slender waist. I wouldn’t have minded wrapping my legs around his waist in that moment. I was sorely in need of a distraction and release.

  “I’m taking you out to dinner tonight. I’ve left three dresses in your room to choose from,” Evander said.

  I crossed my arms and stared him down. I wasn’t a doll to be dressed up.

  He reached out and slowly caressed my bottom lip with his thumb.

  “You’re irresistible when you challenge me like that,” he said huskily.

  “I’m not a doll or a toy,” I whispered into his ear.

  He nibbled on the tip of my ear lobe making me gasp as chills spread through me.

  “No, but you do need to be dressed appropriately for dinner,” he whispered back.

  “You’re not cooking?”

  “Not tonight. I’m taking you out.”

  Butterflies exploded in my stomach. He was taking me on a date in public, where people would see us together. That was a huge step.

  THIRTY-SIX

  Three beautiful dresses were hanging in the walk-in closet waiting for me. The first was a floor-length deep blue the colour of the dusk sky moments before night consumes it. The neckline was simple and looked as though it would sit just below my collar bone. Running my fingertips over it, I felt the tingling sensation of fae magic running through it. That explained the soft shimmer of the fabric.

  The next dress was a knee-length fitted dress in a stunning shade of garnet. The neckline was straight with a dipping back. That would show off my curves and legs, leaving little to the imagination. The final dress was a flowing emerald green gown with a touch of glitter down the right-hand side giving it a touch of interest. The skirt would move when I walked. It was the least striking of the three, and I discarded it.

  Now I needed to decide between the elegant blue dress, and the teasing red dress. Did I want to show Evander everything and tempt him into my bed?

  “The blue will bring out your eyes,” Connor said from the closet doorway.

  “You didn’t knock,” I said.

  “I came here to make sure you were getting ready. We can’t have you being late,” he said with a smile.

  “Thanks,” I said as I picked up the blue dress.

  He left my room without a sound. I barely
noticed him leave. He was an assassin, and I had no doubt he was very skilled at what he did.

  I didn’t risk running a bath, not wanting to lose track of time and leave Evander waiting. The shower was incredible, with far better water pressure than I’d ever experienced before. I stayed under the hot water as long as I dared before I started getting ready.

  The dress fit as though it had been tailored just for me. That could well have been the magic, though. I found a beautiful pair of dark blue silk pumps that were also my size. The final piece was a delicate silver necklace with a star charm that I found sitting on the desk. Looking in the mirror, I barely recognised myself. Gone was the hardened look of a warrior. My reflection showed a confident woman in the most beautiful dress. I turned slowly and admired the way it hugged my curves without giving too much away.

  I opened the door to my room and found Connor waiting for me, still in his jeans and t-shirt.

  “Evander will be very pleased to see you looking so beautiful.”

  Warmth spread across my cheeks, and I followed Connor down the hallway. He opened the door with a flourish and a small bow. I bit back a laugh at his antics and walked through to find Evander waiting for me in a stunning pitch-black suit with an ice-blue tie. He looked like he’d stepped right out of my dreams. His mouth pulled up into a warm smile as his gaze travelled down me.

  “I am a very lucky man,” Evander said.

  Rather than drive me himself, Evander had a driver in a pale silver car drive us through the city. I took the opportunity to lean into him on the soft leather seats. As much as I was tempted to climb into his lap, I enjoyed watching the view outside. The sun was still high in the sky, such were the summer nights. We were in a part of London I hadn’t had a chance to really look at. Evander wrapped his arm around my shoulders and smiled warmly at me.

  “Your interest and passion are refreshing,” he said softly.

  “I haven’t seen much of this part of the city,” I said.

  “I’m afraid I’m not a very good tour guide. I can tell you which businesses are making good profits, but not much more than that.”

  He was a businessman. I’d somehow forgotten that while I was getting wrapped up in his smile and gentle touches. He was so far from my world.

  We passed an old building formed of pale-yellow stone with large windows before we crossed the wide river. I looked down at the crystal-clear water full of fish, mermaids, and the occasional dobhar chu. I couldn’t imagine it ever being brown and murky.

  A pair of mermaids had surfaced and were watching our car pass with brilliant violet eyes. Evander tensed as he looked back at them. The mermaids wouldn’t have been able to see anything through the dark tinted windows, but there was still something unnerving about their gaze. They bared sharp piranha teeth and made a high-pitched clicking sound before they dove beneath the water.

  “Mermaids are a wilder fae. They do not approve of my restrictions upon them and their diet,” Evander said ruefully.

  “You mean they hate that you limit how many people they can eat,” I said.

  He laughed.

  “Yes. Those pods out at sea have more freedom, as it’s harder to track the sailors and such who’re fool enough to become food. This pod chose a safer territory, and that came with restrictions.”

  I knew that people were still devoured by the beautiful fish people. They couldn’t resist their song and were dragged beneath the water to be torn apart. From what I understood, it was usually those who had been sampling the city’s wide variety of drugs. It was hard to think that there were people who weren’t familiar with mermaids and the dangers they presented. I supposed that some tourists might not know about them. They were such a normal part of my life.

  I slipped into my own mind as I thought about all of the new places and cultures I could explore once the dragon was slain. There was so much out in the world to experience and explore.

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  The restaurant that Evander had chosen for our evening meal was a simple understated place. The white stone had been carved into great blocks, giving the building an old elegant appearance. I noted the fae protective wards that wrapped around the place. They shimmered in soft pastels when the sunlight caught them just so.

  Evander opened the door for me and offered me his arm as I got out. I looked around and saw a number of people had paused to look at us. They were also dressed in fae-made finery with glittering magic woven into their beautiful dresses and suits. A tall ice-white blonde woman with sky-blue eyes looked me up and down slowly before she shook her head and whispered in the ear of the sidhe on her arm.

  I looked away and ignored the increasing whispers and stares as Evander led me into the small restaurant. The interior was done in shades of cream with splashes of blood red. The high-backed seats were well padded with cream silk. A thin red ribbon had been tied around the back, giving it a touch of colour. Evander pulled out my seat, and I focused on him. He was making me feel like a princess.

  We had been seated in a quiet corner with a single candle on the table between us. I picked up the menu and gulped at the prices of everything. A starter was as much as I earned in an entire year.

  Evander reached across the table and took my hand in his.

  “I want you to enjoy tonight. Don’t worry about anything,” he said softly.

  I smiled at him and tried to figure out what the items on the menu actually were. Chewing on my bottom lip, I felt like I was trying to translate a foreign language. Quickly, I realized I actually was – a fae dialect I didn’t even recognize.

  “I’ll have a glass of double cream, and my date will have a chardonnay,” Evander told the waiter when he appeared.

  I was the only non-fae in the entire place. Even the wait staff in their cream and red suits were pure-blooded fae, judging from their bone structure and jewel-coloured eyes. I lifted my chin and reminded myself to focus on Evander, not the weight in the pit of my stomach. This was the experience of a lifetime.

  The waiter left us, and Evander squeezed my hand.

  “Would you like me to order for you?”

  “Please,” I said as heat spread across my cheeks.

  “Don’t be ashamed, I should have known you didn’t speak Old Fae. It was entirely my fault.”

  When the waiter returned with the tall glass of cream and my wine, I tried to look far more confident that I felt. The cream alone must have cost six months’ rent. Evander confidently ordered three courses each, and the waiter gave a small bow before he left us.

  Evander offered me the glass of cream.

  “Would you like some?”

  I’d never tasted cream before. It was a luxury only the richest of the fae could afford.

  “Thank you,” I said as I took the glass.

  I took a small sip, not wanting to take too much. It coated my tongue in a silky-smooth flavour with a slight sweetness. I could see why the fae enjoyed it.

  “Am I making you uncomfortable?” Evander asked with a small crease between his eyes.

  “No, I just don’t want to embarrass you.”

  He grinned at me and took both of my hands in his.

  “I’m proud and honoured that you’d come with me. I want to show the world how lucky I am.”

  My heart fluttered and words fled.

  “Did you enjoy the library?” he asked.

  “Yes! It was incredible. I focused on books on the dragon, but there are so many fiction books I’m dying to read. I must admit, I’ll be sad to leave you and your library once I’ve killed the dragon,” I said.

  He tensed a little.

  “Let’s not worry about that now. One day at a time. We should enjoy what we have.”

  “So, what did you order for me?” I asked with a grin.

  Excitement was starting to replace the anxiety that came with being so completely out of my depth.

  “Your starter is a light chicken salad with fae greens and a dusting of redcurrant powder. Your main is my favour
ite fish dish from anywhere in this city. It’s rainbow trout with a splash of sunshine and a side of potatoes cooked in a thin layer of baby’s breath. Then, you’ll finish it up with the most exquisite chocolate brownie complete with a dash of cloud, raindrops, and a side of the most luxurious vanilla ice cream.”

  My mouth began watering just at the thought of all of that. It was nothing like the simple meals I’d grown up on.

  The waiter returned five minutes later with our starters. Evander lifted his glass and toasted to our happiness.

  I looked down at the small salad with brilliant jade and neon greens topped with small slivers of pale chicken. It smelled fresh and somehow invigorating. I took a bite, and the flavours exploded on my tongue. Fresh grass wrapped around tart berries and finished with a soft savoury taste. I closed my eyes and took my time enjoying every bite. This might have been my last chance to enjoy the very finest fae cuisine.

  Evander had chosen well with my main as well. The sunshine was light and warming with a slight citrus aftertaste, and I had no idea that potatoes could taste that could. The baby’s breath was crisp and made the potatoes melt on my mouth.

  Nothing would ever compare to the brownie, though. Cloud and raindrops both had a slightly metallic taste and evaporated on my tongue. One of them brought out the deep richness of the chocolate, and the ice cream was pure bliss.

  I’d never known that food could taste - or feel - so good.

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  As much as I wanted to remain after dessert and enjoy more of the wine, I was glad when Evander paid and took me back to his penthouse suite. He took my hand and led me into his private quarters, where we settled onto a large silver couch with a view looking out over the city. The sun was beginning to set and painted the tops of the buildings a delicate rose pink.

  I leaned against Evander and enjoyed the comfortable silence as we watched the sunset. The birds had given us quite a show with a large murmuration of starlings not far from our window. They had descended to a cluster of old trees nearer the street where they nested for the night.