by Olivia Ash
The Darringtons did something not many can do—they surprised me. They truly and completely caught me off-guard, and it’s because I never had the opportunity to face off with a Boss before.
“I don’t know what I’m up against,” I answer. “Who I’m up against. Their abilities. Their intelligence. When I see someone for the first time, I can gauge them. I can see through them. Intel is great and incredibly useful,” I say with a nod toward Jace. “But there’s something about seeing someone in person—I can often figure out who I’m facing off with, what they want, and how to disarm them. I can see the kind of person I’m up against. More than that, I can draw the line. Since I acquired this power, they’ve hunted me. I think it’s time they realized what exactly I can do to those who come after me.”
Sure, I could stay holed up behind walls for the rest of my life, but I shouldn’t have to lock myself away.
And I refuse to do so.
This meeting is the chance for me to make it clear what I will and will not put up with. I need to make plain what happens to those who come for me—like the Darringtons did.
They got away with it once, and I will never let it happen again.
“Well, damn,” Tucker says, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead as he processes everything I said. “All right, then.”
Drew sighs and leans back in his chair—his own form of resignation, and the only confirmation I’m going to get from him that he’s on board.
“We need to review the dragon families who will be there,” Jace says, flipping once more through his remaining stack of papers. “The most notorious ones are, of course, the Darringtons.”
He tugs out a picture of Jett and Milo, tossing them on the table between me and Drew. Drew tenses as his eyes drift toward the pictures, and he shoots another sidelong glare at the dojo master.
“I know about the dragon families,” I say, wanting to stop any tension from building before it gets out of hand.
Jace shakes his head and taps Jett’s picture with his pointer finger. “Not in this context. They each want something from you, Rory, and you need to make sure you don’t play into their hands.”
“And what do the Darringtons want with her?” Drew asks ominously, a tense frown on his face.
The dojo master tilts his head toward the Darrington heir, his hand briefly balling into a fist as he no doubt suppresses all the things he wants to say to Drew. “To use her, of course.” Jace’s voice is growly and deep, brimming with chilly rage. “Like they use everyone.”
Drew’s scowl deepens, and the two men look moments from tearing each other apart.
“Jett and Milo Darrington,” I interject, tapping the photos as I try to diffuse the tension with what information I do know. “They’re the oldest and most powerful family. Darringtons are mostly fire dragons, and they control a network of natural resources, governments, and industries globally.”
“Don’t forget,” Jace adds, sitting back in his chair. “They’re notorious for thinking they’re above the rules and that they can get away with anything.”
“They usually do, don’t they?” Drew asks, narrowing his eyes in a barely contained challenge.
“What do they want with Rory?” Tucker asks, his eyes shifting between the two dragon shifters who look moments from tearing out each other’s spines. “How do they want to use her?”
“As a weapon, probably,” Jace says, never taking his eyes off of Drew.
“Guys,” I snap. “Cut it out.”
In unison, Jace and Drew briefly look at me, cross their arms, and glare in opposite directions. It would be funny, if they weren’t seconds from killing each other.
“Okay, so that’s the Darringtons,” Tucker says warily, no doubt trying to understand where their tension was coming from. With everything going on, I haven’t had the chance to tell him about Drew’s heritage. This probably looks strange and unsettling from his perspective. “Who else will be there? The Vaer?”
“The Vaer aren’t coming,” Jace says. “They break so many treaties that they’re considered rogue. They’re no longer welcome at events like these, and any Vaer will be killed on sight.”
“Good,” I say with a curt nod. “I wouldn’t want to play nice with any of them, anyway.”
“So that’s the Darringtons and the Vaer,” Tucker says, ticking them off on his fingers. “That leaves the Palarne, Nabal, Fairfax, Bane, and Andusk families.”
Easy. I’ve studied all of them and recited facts and details for Zurie all my life.
Jace lays a picture of an elegant woman on the table, and I instantly recognize the Andusk Boss.
“Elizabeth Andusk,” he says, tapping the picture.
Oh, I’m aware of who she is.
Zurie sent me off more than once on missions funded by this vain woman. I’ve stolen dozens of rare paintings, priceless statues, and glimmering jewels for her, though she never knew it was me.
The Andusk family are typically fire dragons who prefer warm climates. Easy to spot because they’re the only gold dragons known to exist. They’re vain, materialistic, and they hoard wealth.
They also tried to kidnap me once already, so I’m not altogether fond of them.
“The Andusk probably just want to show me off,” I say, leaning back in my chair.
“Probably,” Jace admits. “They would never be able to contain you, though. Their military isn’t nearly strong enough.”
I grin, taking that as a compliment.
Jace tosses two pictures on top of Elizabeth’s—one woman with loose brown curls, and a man with cropped hair and a rifle in his hand. “Natasha and Victor Bane.”
Ah, yes. These guys.
The Bane family are fire dragons who view laws as guidelines that hold others back. They deal mainly in illegal activities, and of all seven dragon families, Zurie tended to hand out assignments to kill the Bane more often than not.
Victor is the Boss, but I’ve heard his sister Natasha likes to bend others to her whims. Especially men.
“They probably want to sell you,” Drew says with a scowl, glaring at the duo’s pictures.
“Lovely.” I grimace.
“No one will touch you, Rory,” Jace says intently. “I’ll see to it. You have the entire Fairfax army to protect you.”
I smile, appreciating the gesture even if it is overkill.
“Harper will also be there,” Jace says casually. “So, you’ll at least have one familiar face at the table.”
I nod at the mention of his cousin’s name, but I’m still not sure where I stand on her. She’s the total opposite of Jace, and yet probably just as brutal on a battlefield.
The Fairfax family is the only family with thunderbirds. Even though they have natural magical ability, most of them prefer to think of life as a game. Zurie always warned me that, to the Fairfax dragons, adrenaline is more important than money—they’re hard as hell to kill.
“Aki Nabal,” Jace says, throwing a man’s photo on the pile. His high cheekbones and dark hair give him an elegant and aristocratic air. His features suggest Japanese heritage, and his dark hair contrasts sharply with his light skin.
Ah, right. The Nabal.
They’re wealthy fire and ice dragons who deal in information. They have an eerie knack for figuring out intel they shouldn’t know anything about. No one knows much about the Nabal, and I suspect that’s how they like it.
“They probably want to dissect me,” I say with a laugh, only half-kidding. “They like figuring things out, so I’m sure they’d love to know what makes me tick.”
“That’s super not funny,” Tucker says with a grimace.
I shrug.
“And lastly, Isaac Palarne,” Jace says, ignoring my joke as he throws one last picture on the pile. A familiar man stares back at me, his dark eyes intense. His chocolate skin is a warm contrast to the cool sky behind him in the photo, and his expression bores into me as intently as if he were sitting across from me.
“Yeah, we’ve met,
” I say simply, stiffening in my seat.
After my run-in with Isaac, I’m not sure how to feel about the Palarne dragons. They’re supposed to be noble fire and ice dragons known for their honor and war skill, but he seemed a little too eager to get me to return to the capital.
And I have no idea why.
“Every one of these dragons will be there,” Jace says intently, tapping his finger on the pile of photos. “They all want you for various reasons, and we need to make sure they don’t get the opportunity to fly off with you in their claws.”
“That would be nice to avoid,” I say.
“I want you accompanied at all times,” Jace continues. “You’re not to go out alone during the event.”
I tilt my head toward him, not bothering to mask my annoyed expression.
“What?” he asks with a shrug. “Do you want me to say please, or something? This is serious, Rory. These people are dangerous.”
In answer, I just sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration.
“She shouldn’t sleep alone, either,” Tucker says with a wry grin, wrapping his arm around me and tugging me closer. “I’ll do my part in this fight.”
I shake my head and set my face in my hands, but I can’t keep myself from laughing at this lovable idiot.
“As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right,” Jace says through gritted teeth. I lift my brows in surprise, but the dojo master continues before I can make a sarcastic comment. “It would be easiest for someone to sneak in while Rory is asleep.”
Exasperated with how long it’s taking him to grasp my capabilities, I just point to myself. “Do you even know how many traps I set before I go to sleep every night?”
“Eight,” Tucker says with a confident nod.
I chuckle. “Tucker, that was rhetorical.”
“Am I wrong?”
“Very.”
“Damn. High or low?”
“Low.”
“I’m not willing to take the risk, Rory,” Jace interrupts.
“Fine,” I say with a shrug.
He hesitates, as if he can’t believe I agreed with him, but he only pauses for a moment. “We’ll have to be cautious. The castle grounds themselves will look inauspicious enough, but the forests surrounding the castle will be teeming with soldiers. Everyone will bring their armies, just in case.”
“In case of what?” I ask.
Jace studies me for a moment, as if debating whether or not to tell me the truth. “In case they can take you,” he finally admits. “In case there’s a moment—even just one—where they can get away with kidnapping you.”
An uncomfortable silence settles on the room, and I let it sit there. I don’t fight it. I want to make sure I don’t sweep this aside or assume I can handle it solo. Even Jace can only take on twenty dragons or so at a time—and we’re walking into a den of hundreds, maybe thousands.
Each dragon family wants me, and each will keep the other at bay.
For now.
Jace and Drew know this world. They’ve lived it, even fought on opposite sides. As much as it pains me to give up control, I’m going to let Jace and Drew steer on this one. Their advice matters. Their protection counts.
When we step onto the castle grounds, we’re trusting a fragile truce between six families that have all been at war with each other at some point over the years.
Every movement and every word must be chosen carefully. And whatever we do, we’re going to do it as a team.
The five of us—together. Whether Jace and Drew like it or not.
Chapter Six
A few hours after our meeting about the Bosses, I finally got to stretch my legs and train.
After I let loose a blast of my magic, only a smoking crater remained of the boulder that had once sat on the edge of the small clearing Jace and I use for training.
“That’s an improvement,” Jace says with a proud nod. “At least you didn’t blow a hole in the mountain this time.”
I roll my eyes. “Har freaking har.”
“Yeah, babe,” Tucker says. “That was impressive.”
I peek over my shoulder to find him standing in a firing stance with a rifle pressed against the crook of his arm. A row of circular red and white targets lines the edge of the cliff in front of him.
“Those are for Rory,” Jace says with a slight frown, crossing his arms.
Tucker shrugs. “She’ll just blow them up.”
“Hey, now.” I gesture toward my body. “This is pure control and power over here, thank you.”
“Don’t make me regret allowing you to train with us, Tucker,” Jace says with a disappointed tilt of his head. “Stop distracting her.”
“Fine.” Tucker returns his attention to the targets and instantly fires five shots, each one hitting a perfect bullseye. The modified silencer on the barrel subdues what would have been thundering booms to mere pops.
I whistle, impressed. “Show off.”
Dashing as ever, Tucker flashes me a broad grin and winks at me over his shoulder, all without lowering his gun. “What should I shoot next, Rory? The rocket launcher?”
“Well don’t you have a ton of fun toys,” I quip.
“Yeah, because he keeps stealing them from me.” A small grin tugs at Jace’s mouth, and I’m surprised to see he’s not nearly as frustrated now as he’s been with Tucker’s thievery in the past.
I set my hands on my hips, the corners of my lips twisting upward as I study the dojo master. “He saves your life once, and now he’s suddenly on your good side, huh?”
“Hey.” Tucker points two of his fingers at his own eyes and then turns his fingers toward me, as if he’s saying he’ll watch me like a hawk. “Don’t ruin this for me.”
I chuckle.
“Don’t get cocky, Tucker,” Jace chides, crossing his arms. “But yes, Rory. He saw something that I missed. That saved my life and kept you from fracturing—or possibly going feral even before your dragon emerges. So, I’ll admit, he’s redeemed himself.”
“Nah,” Tucker says with a wry grin. “Jace just thinks I’m pretty.”
Jace laughs, shaking his head and setting his face in his hand. “You really are too much, man.”
Tucker shrugs and once more aims his rifle at the targets. “I’m fun at parties.”
“All right, Rory. Let’s focus,” Jace says.
I sigh and look at him, waiting for the next exercise.
“Control the blast this time,” Jace says. “Restrain it, minimize it, and only permit a small ray of it through.”
I lift my eyebrows, not entirely sure how to even begin.
Jace seems to sense my hesitation and gestures toward another boulder nearby. “Just try it.”
“Okay,” I say, dubious. “Here goes nothing.”
I lift my hand and aim my palm toward the center of the boulder, dipping into the magic in my chest as I’ve done so many times before. Each time I touch the magic swirling in my core, it becomes easier to feel it. Easier to control.
And, to my delight, it becomes even more powerful.
But Jace has a point. I need to be able to rein it in just as much as I let it loose. If I can’t limit the power of an attack, my magic still controls me, in a way.
Heat billows down my arm, and white light simmers above my skin. It glistens and shifts like the northern lights, hovering over my body as I bring it forth.
I let out a slow and focused breath as my eyes narrow in focus. My fingers tingle with the raw power burning within me. It aches to break free, to wreak havoc, to burn and simmer and boil whatever it touches.
It wants to set the world aflame.
“Shh,” I say softly, soothing the beast within.
To my delight, the magic softens ever so slightly at my reassuring voice.
My arm trembles from the effort of restraining the magic that aches to break free, but I keep it contained.
Barely.
“That’s it,” Jace says with an excited tone. “Breath
e.”
I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath, but I take that moment to suck in some air. Relief bleeds through my chest, but the tension remains in my shoulders.
“Do it,” Jace orders. “Now.”
I release what I think will be a tiny blip of light—and, instead, a towering beam of energy breaks free from my palm. It cuts through the world like a blinding ray of concentrated sunlight and slices through the boulder, kicking up dust.
Coughing, I bat at the air to clear the plumes of dust. It takes a moment for the air to clear, but once it does, I can see the perfect hole I carved through the middle of the boulder—one that’s roughly the size of my head.
Not quite what I was going for.
“Well, it is smaller,” Jace says with a shrug, examining the hole. “I mean, usually you just blow things to rubble.”
“Thanks,” I say dryly.
He looks at me out of the corner of his eye, the edge of his mouth tilting upward in a cocky grin as he seems to debate whether or not to toy with me.
Thankfully, he chooses not to.
“Let’s call it a day,” he says.
“What?” I gesture to the forest around us. “You’re not going to make me do that a million times before supper?”
He hesitates, smirking. “Do you want me to?”
“No,” I say quickly. “Duh.”
He laughs. “I would rather we work on something else. Something more important.”
He takes a few steps closer, and as he nears, my body instinctively leans toward him. My mind goes fuzzier and fuzzier the closer he gets, and I have to fight to stay coherent enough to understand what he’s saying.
He presses his finger against my sternum, the gentle tap of his fingertip shooting electricity through my chest. “Your shift.”
“It hasn’t moved again,” I say with a hint of disappointment. “Not even a little.”
“That’s fine,” Jace says with a relaxed shrug. “I want you to reach for it, this time. See if you can make it stir.”
I take a deep breath to brace myself and close my eyes. I listen, reaching inward and looking for the same frighteningly beautiful sensation I felt before, when I nearly collapsed on his living room floor. As painful as it was, it meant my dragon was coming to life—and if I don’t take care of her, she might die.