by JD Monroe
He chuckled. “Basically.”
“Wow,” she breathed. As he pulled back the veil on this strange world, one she never even dreamed existed, her sense of wonder was mingled with anger. How could Thea have kept so many secrets from her?
“We handle our own kind. Keeping the police out of it protects them as much as it does us. If one of our kind is responsible for Thea’s disappearance, the police aren’t equipped to handle it.” He frowned. “Did the guy who showed up at your place give you anything?”
“Yeah, he told me this ridiculous story about her phone dying and not having a charger,” Natalie said. “I think he was just talking long enough to get inside.”
“Tell me everything he said.”
He listened intently as she relayed Thomas’s thin explanation of Thea’s disappearance. By the time she was done, they were nearly to the police station. The Asheville Police Department was nestled in the colorful heart of downtown. From the day she’d moved out here, Natalie had loved the historic downtown architecture. The bright red façade of City Hall loomed over them, in all its eclectic Art Deco glory.
“Arrived,” the GPS voice informed her as they drove past the red brick station. “Recalculating.”
She parked across the street. “What am I supposed to tell them? I can’t lie and tell them that we found her.”
“You don’t have to. I will.”
Her heart raced as she followed him up the sidewalk and under the arched awning. There was a magnetic confidence around Erevan. His broad shoulders were thrown back, his long strides purposeful as if he had no question about where he intended to go. Trailing after him, it was hard not to notice how his dark gray shirt stretched over his muscular back. From behind, she could see the parallel columns of small symbols tattooed on either side of his spine, disappearing into his hairline. Did the ink go all the way down? The brazen thought—with a lurid idea of what it could look like—shocked her. Focus, she told herself.
A cool blast of air welcomed them as they entered the police station. The lobby was small and quiet. The receptionist sat at a desk behind a glass window. “Can I help you?” she asked. A pair of reading glasses perched atop her head in a nest of highlighted blonde hair. She gave Erevan an appreciative look, her eyes sweeping over him from head to toe.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “Is Officer McQueen in this morning? She requested that I meet with her regarding a case.”
The receptionist nodded eagerly and picked up the phone. “I’ll get her for you. Can I tell her who’s here?”
“Erevan Sulkas.” He gave her a smile that would have melted the spine right out of a mere mortal.
“Got it.” She smiled at him. “You can wait here. Won’t be but a minute.”
“Thank you,” he said, his voice warm and sweet. As he turned and sauntered toward the center of the lobby, Natalie eyeballed him.
“Did you do your thing to her?”
“My thing?” He stood on a black carpet decorated with a bright gold badge.
“Where you make her do what you want?”
He frowned and gave her an incredulous look. “No, I was just being polite. Is it that unbelievable that someone might find me charming?”
“No,” she muttered.
But she wouldn’t forget the way he’d turned on the charm, oozing out of him like sticky honey. That was a whole different Erevan than the one she’d first met in her house, and only a distant relation to the one who’d informed her that he could burn the flesh from her bones. He had an unsettling way of adapting to his circumstances, like liquid poured into a jar. But which was the real Erevan?
“Mr. Sulkas?” a familiar voice said. Natalie glanced up. Officer McQueen stood in front of the reception desk. Her ash blonde hair was down, making her look softer. She gave Natalie a strange look. “Miss Thomas. I didn’t realize you were coming. You guys can come on back with me.”
Officer McQueen gestured for them to follow her down a hallway past the reception desk. Natalie’s heart thumped. Were they headed for a room with a double-sided mirror so McQueen’s partner could try to pick out who was lying?
Despite her TV-fueled suspicions, McQueen led them to a plain conference room. Its white walls were adorned with photos of police officers. The light wood conference table and black mesh rolling chairs completed the non-threatening tableau. McQueen gestured for them to sit while she sat at the opposite side and opened a leather folio.
Erevan pulled out one of the chairs and gestured to Natalie. So, he was going to continue playing the charmer. Too bad she knew it was all an act.
“Okay, first thing,” McQueen said. “You’re not under arrest, Mr. Sulkas.”
Erevan raised an eyebrow. “I’m aware, or I probably wouldn’t have walked in here, would I?” He gave her the same grin he’d given the receptionist, but McQueen raised her eyebrows and didn’t smile. It gave Natalie a vindictive sort of joy to see that his charm didn’t work on everyone.
“But I do have some questions about Thea Leska. What’s your relationship?”
“That’s why we’re here.” Erevan folded his hands and leaned across the table. “I appreciate your thoroughness in contacting me. But Thea is fine.”
Natalie’s stomach lurched as the lie spilled over his tongue. He didn’t even flinch.
“When I spoke to you last night, you said you didn’t know where she was,” McQueen replied. She glanced at her watch. “Less than ten hours ago, I might add. And you didn’t answer my question. What’s your relationship to Ms. Leska?”
“My apologies. Thea is my cousin. I’m her only family in town, so I check in on her occasionally. I received a text from her this morning. She had a family emergency out of town, and in her rush to leave, she forgot her phone charger. Her phone died, and it took a while before she could get away from the hospital to get a charger and contact someone.” He’d twisted Thomas’s story.
McQueen pinned Natalie with an inquisitive stare, her eyes narrowed as if she was verifying the truth of Erevan’s claim by Natalie’s expression. “Did you speak with her?”
Without flinching, Erevan’s foot found hers under the table and pressed on her toes lightly. “Yeah,” Natalie breathed. She yanked her foot free. His easy, nonthreatening smile never faltered.
McQueen glanced between them. “As the person who opened the report, it’s your choice to close the case if you’ve heard from her.” She turned to Erevan. “You’re confident that she’s all right?”
Erevan leaned toward her. His eyes widened slightly, and Natalie could actually pinpoint the exact moment when their eyes locked. As if he’d flipped a switch, McQueen’s shoulders relaxed. “I’m so thankful that you were taking care of the case. But my cousin is fine. There is nothing to worry about.”
“That’s wonderful,” McQueen’s lips curved into a faint smile. “I’m so glad.”
Horror gripped Natalie as she watched the stern officer’s expression go dreamy. It was one thing to hear Erevan describe his power, but another entirely to see him push his will onto an unsuspecting victim.
“Did you have any other questions?” Erevan asked.
“Not really,” McQueen said. “You’re free to go.”
“Thank you,” he said. He stood and extended a hand toward her.
McQueen gripped it, her smile perking up even more as she made physical contact with him. “It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Sulkas.”
“It was my pleasure. Thank you for serving the community.”
“Good to see you again, Miss Thomas,” McQueen said, almost as an afterthought.
“Natalie?” Erevan said politely. He gestured toward the door. She didn’t wait to follow him and pushed past him to retrace their steps to return to the car. Fear and self-preservation combined into a powerful explosion, propelling her into a jog to get outside. The glow of daylight beyond the glass doors was a beacon to safety and sanity. She ran faster, putting as much distance as she could between them. “Natalie?” he called again as
they got outside, this time in a sharper tone as the polite charm evaporated. “Natalie!”
What the hell was she thinking? She couldn’t trust this man, and all she could think about was getting away. With the sun on her face, out of the walls of the police station, she broke into a dead sprint for the car. All of her fear crystallized into a singular thought.
Run.
In the last twenty seconds, Erevan had come to regret allowing the human woman to accompany him. He should have hauled her off to Skyward Rest and left her under the supervision of the Palace Guard, who had more patience and less responsibility than he did.
Gritting his teeth, Erevan bolted after her. She was much faster than he expected, dashing across the street before he even made it to the curb. With size and a dragon’s strength on his side, he closed the distance between them easily. When she ran around the wrought iron fence enclosing the parking lot, he leapt into the air and intercepted her on the other side.
He caught her wrist before she got to the car. She yanked away from him, pulling him off balance. “Let go!”
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
She thrust her wrist up in the air, then twisted it around with surprising strength, breaking his grip. Her clenched fists were poised in a guard position. “I said let go!”
“Shit,” he murmured. She glared at him as if he’d threatened to kick a puppy in front of her. “I can’t keep up with the mood swings.”
She glanced over her shoulder, angling her body so that she wasn’t trapped between him and the car. Her survival instinct was commendable, even if she was unbearably obstinate. “You just mind-controlled that woman!” she spluttered.
“I certainly did not.”
“You give her one look and she’s all googly-eyed and ready to drop the case.”
“And?”
“And that’s terrifying!”
A man strolling through the parking lot snapped his head up at the sound of Natalie’s shout. Erevan forced a smile, but the man winced and avoided eye contact. Once he turned onto the sidewalk, Erevan turned his attention back to Natalie and lowered his voice. “Can we please get in the car?” He took a tentative step toward her. She backed away. “Besides, we’ve established it doesn’t work on you, so you don’t have to be afraid of me.”
She stared at him. “I’ll shoot you if you try anything.”
“Your gun is in the car,” he replied matter-of-factly. At least he hoped it was. She looked unhinged enough to use it if she could put her hands on it right then. “Can you please unlock the door? It’s too hot for this. Please.”
Still regarding him warily, she unlocked the doors and got into the car. He slumped into the seat and stared her down. “Quit trying that thing on me.”
“I’m not! Look, I don’t know what you want here. You demanded to help me, not the other way around.”
“Yes. To find my best friend, not to use mind-control to lie to the police.”
“For the last time, it’s not mind control, it’s—"
“Fine! But you did lie,” she said.
“You lied to Perry.”
“That’s not…ugh!” She threw her hands up in frustration and stared at the roof of the car.
He turned to face her squarely. Pressed tight against the door, she had one hand on the handle to make a quick escape. “What are you really upset about? Do you think I’m going to hurt you?”
She took a quick breath to respond, then froze. The realization dawned on him, as shocking and sudden as a sharp blow to the nose. She was scared of him, and not in the abstract sense that she was intimidated or fearful of something she didn’t understand, like the fact that he was a dragon. He had no qualms about saying what people wanted to hear, nor about using his brawn to intimidate when it was appropriate. But he hated the feeling that this human woman was afraid of him as a person. It made him feel guilty, as if he had already done the terrible things she feared he was capable of. “I don’t know. If you could use your thing on me, would you?”
“I would.” Her eyes widened. “If I could, I would tell you not to worry about Thea and to go out of town for a few days where you’d be safe.”
“Right, and you’d never use it to get something else you wanted.”
“What are you implying?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
He narrowed his eyes. “No, I think you do. Do you think I would use my power to take advantage of someone? Of you?” She shrugged again, but her gaze skittered away from his, staring resolutely down at the steering wheel. He sighed. “Let me explain something to you. My kind are much more powerful than humans. And yes, I could use that power to get something I wanted. I can tell you find me physically attractive.” Her cheeks flushed as she started to protest. “Don’t be embarrassed. Your heart races and your pupils react when you look at me. If my ability worked on you, it would be easy to suggest that you should take off your clothes and let me have my way with you. Even if you didn’t actively want to, there’s a part of your subconscious that does. I could even argue that I was only giving you your heart’s desire.”
“That’s horrible." Her eyes were so wide he could see the whites all the way around. Her breathing had quickened, and he could sense the rise in body temperature that came with physical attraction. There was also fear and a hint of adrenaline rushing through her. And he could smell the unmistakable scent of Kadirai blood running warm in her veins. This was getting weird.
“But I wouldn’t,” he said sharply. “Because we have laws, and we have a deep sense of honor that goes beyond those laws. If I used my power to hurt you or coerce you in that way, there would be an entire fleet of dragons prepared to tear me limb from limb for such a disgusting violation. I would never do such a thing, even if I could.”
Her eyes softened. “I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s just scary.” It was clear that she wanted to smooth things over, but there was no hiding the fear in her eyes.
He shook his head. “You’re being smart. If I see a gun in someone’s hand, I’m afraid they’ll shoot me with it. It’s a natural fear, and I don’t blame you for it. You don’t know me, so I understand that a mere promise I won’t hurt you doesn’t mean much. But I’ll give it anyway.”
“But you will use your power to lie if you have to.”
“If it’s necessary for the greater good,” he said. “Like I already said, police involvement won’t help Thea and will only endanger innocent people. If they find her trail and draw the attention of whoever attacked you, it’s not going to end well for them. Imagine sweet Officer McQueen walking into your house to find a fire-breathing dragon waiting for her. I’m eliminating that risk, and I won’t apologize for it.”
She set her jaw. “Fine. What’s next?”
There was a wary tension on her face that said the matter wasn’t resolved, but they had better things to do than bicker all day. “I know where Thea was the other night. I can’t be certain that she didn’t go anywhere else, but it’s a start.”
The directions from the Island flyer led them to a huge residence a few miles outside of town. Zenyr’s description of a farm was misleading; the house was a mansion surrounded by sprawling land. A sign reading Private Drive was posted at the end of the winding driveway. Natalie hesitated. “Are we allowed here?”
“We’ll worry about that if it comes up,” Erevan replied. He scanned the front of the house as she drove slowly up the driveway. Massive sprays of red and orange flowers decorated the porch. A tall privacy fence surrounded the back of the house, eventually disappearing into the natural border of the treeline.
Three vehicles were parked further down the smooth-paved driveway. The surrounding grass was marred with divots and ruts from dozens of vehicles driving over the land. Close to the house, a young woman in jeans was winding a thin silver chain around a plastic reel. Two young men carried big black trash bags, chatting as they hauled them to a pickup truck with its tailgate down.
“Park back her
e,” Erevan said. Natalie pulled off the driveway, then waited for him to get out.
Outside, he was nearly bowled over by the intense scent of Kadirai energy, a crackling magic that permeated the air. It reminded him of being in the palace at Skyward Rest, crowded with dragons. He wasn’t used to that out in the human world, where he only caught a hint here and there. Mixing with the earthy smell of magic were the tantalizing scents of roasting meat and rich beer. Fragrant wood smoke mixed with the bouquet to create a pleasant, inviting mix. It smelled like Festival. It was familiar and welcoming in a way that made his heart ache.
He missed the simpler days when he first joined the queen’s staff as a palace guard. Surrounded by his own people and speaking his native tongue, he’d belonged to a group. Though he spent time with his kind, like Ruana and their other coworkers, he was away from Skyward Rest more often than not. He’d lived in this world his whole life, but he felt like an outsider.
Natalie trailed him as he approached the gate. One of the trash-clearing men looked up and frowned. “Are you here to volunteer?” he asked in English. His accent was barely noticeable.
“No,” Erevan replied. “I’m looking for a friend of mine.”
“There’s no one here except volunteers. The last guests headed out a little after sunrise.”
“I’d like to just look around,” he replied.
The man winced, glancing at his partner. “I’m sorry. This is private property, and we assured the owner we would have everything cleared by noon.”
Erevan looked at his watch. “It’s only ten. Plenty of time.”
“But—"
Erevan stepped closer. The other man was slightly smaller, and he had to look up to maintain eye contact. “Maybe I should have led with this. I’m with the Skywatch, and I’m investigating an incident.”
“Oh. Of course.” The volunteer took a step back. “Is everything okay?”
“We’re looking for Thea Leska,” Natalie piped up.
“Alythea Tidesinger,” Erevan said. “She came to Festival here a few nights ago.” He turned to Natalie. She was gaping at him. It took him a moment to realize that she’d probably never heard Thea’s real name. Part of assimilating into the human world was adopting a name that blended in. “You have a picture?”
