The Dragon Chronicles_City of Sin

by Melissa Stevens

  “I'm not going to complain, it seems to be working out so far. But you've danced around the real issue long enough. My questions about what kind of deal I'm supposed to be making weren't why you wanted to meet with me. What's going on?”

  “I had a meeting this morning. I knew it was big news, but didn’t know exactly how big when I saw you this morning.” She leaned back in her chair and watched him for several seconds. “The other Fractions have discovered who is behind the disappearances we've been dealing with and it's not good.” She took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. Neo could tell she didn't want to have to say it. “There's a daemon in Vegas.”

  “Holy shit.” Neo was stunned for a moment, “I always thought they were a myth.” He realized how stupid that sounded. “Well, not really, I mean I know there are Angels, who around here doesn't, so I guess it makes sense daemons are real too. But here? Wow.” He sat watching her for several minutes. Teya watching him in return, as if waiting for something, then it hit him like a bolt of lightning. “Oh, shit, this could really foul up the treaty, couldn't it?”

  “It could. That's why I need you to be extra diligent that the visiting dragons remain safe, and yet ignorant of our issue until it's resolved.”

  “They already know about some of it. But only that there are disappearances, one of the body guards brought it up last night.” He told her about the conversation the night before over dinner about what areas were safe and what to avoid.

  “That's all right. It's good they know basic safety for now. I just don't want them finding out about this Donas until we've figured out how to get rid of it. Until it’s been defeated and is no longer a concern.”

  “All right. I'll do my best.” Neo didn't know how well this was going to work. He could keep from telling Gwen if the subject never came up, but if his mate asked him if they had figured out who was behind the disappearances, he didn't know if he could lie to her, and he told his sister that.

  “I don't expect you to lie to her. That would be a very bad way to start your relationship.” Teya fell silent for a couple moments. “Have you told her about yourself? About what happened?”

  He knew what she was talking about, how couldn't he? “Things have moved really fast, but it seems to work that way with mates,” he nodded in her direction. “But yes. I told her I was cursed and most of it before anything really happened between us. I told her the rest this morning.”

  “And what about her? Does she have anything in her past?”

  “Nothing like I do.” He filled his sister in on what he'd learned about Gwen, well, the parts he was comfortable sharing. There was no way he was going to tell his sister Gwen giggled when he licked the backs of her knees.

  “I'd like to get to know her a little better, when you're comfortable with it. Has she given any indication on whether she'd be willing to come here or are you going to go to Europe and live with her clan?”

  “We haven't talked about that yet, but I get the impression there's nothing holding her there. She has no family left and if we can get this treaty in place, there's no reason her friends in the Welsh clan can't come visit here anytime.”

  “That's good.”

  “I've always lived in the desert, I like the heat. I'm not sure how my old bones would handle the cold and damp over there. That said, if she wants to stay with her clan, I’ll follow with bells on if she’ll have me.”

  Teya laughed and shook her head. “Go back to your mate. Spend time with her, get to know her better, and enjoy, but carefully. The treaty will be good for us all if we can get the details hammered out. And ask her about getting together some time, maybe you two could have dinner with Jericho and me.”

  “Will do.” Neo stood and walked out of her office, waving one hand as Rachel looked up while he walked by, but his mind was on how he would avoid telling Gwen or her bodyguards about the daemon.

  NEO WENT BACK TO HIS apartment, his mind still on the daemon. He went straight through the living room, to the bedroom and used the bathroom off his bedroom, noticing on the way back through that his bed had been made. That meant housekeeping had been and gone, which in turn meant the water in his fridge had been re-stocked. Neo wasn't used to spending so much time at home, or having guests, and he and Gwen had gotten the last bottles shortly before he'd gone up to see Teya.

  In the kitchenette, he pulled a bottle from the fridge, opened it and took a long drink before noticing Gwen sitting in one of the chairs in his living room, watching him. He blinked and lowered the water to the counter.

  “Did I just walk right past you?”

  “No,” she frowned for a second. “Did you just get back?”

  Neo nodded and took his water into the living room and sat on the sofa, his eyes never leaving her face. “Did you hear from your alphas?”

  “I did.”

  Neo didn't know her well enough yet to read her face. “What did they say? Are they going to send someone to replace you?”

  Gwen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “They're not replacing me, but I've been given very strict instructions on what they want in the way of terms for the treaty.” She made an unhappy face before letting her head fall against the back of the chair.

  “Well, it's something.”

  “It is. How did your meeting go?”

  “Oh, fine,” Neo wasn't sure what to tell her, “just some clan business. Teya asked if you've given any consideration to staying in Vegas once we have this treaty nailed down. I told her we hadn't talked about it yet.”

  Gwen was quiet a moment. “I've thought about it a little, but I don't know. I've worked hard to gain my alphas' trust and I don't know if I'm ready to walk away from that. Would you consider coming back with me and becoming a part of my clan?”

  “I told you I'd let you walk away if it made you happy. Do you think I wouldn't join your clan to see you happy? If that's what it takes, of course, but I want to look at things carefully and take some time before we make this decision. It's a big one and I don't want to rush into it.”

  “Like tying your life to a total stranger for the rest of eternity?” she smiled at him as if she had a secret. Neo stared at her for several seconds before realizing she was talking about mating. Smiling, Neo shook his head and chuckled.

  “Yeah, kind of like that. Biology and our other halves tell us who the right person is, but it's up to us to make it work.”

  “Or decide we can't make it work.”

  A sharp ache shot through Neo's chest and his dragon roared in his head. “Is-” he had to stop and try again. “Is that the way you're leaning?” He didn't know why the idea hurt so bad. He never thought he'd have a mate, but in the last twelve hours she'd come to mean a lot to him. Even the idea of losing her, for any reason, hurt. Maybe she objected to his past after all. She hadn't seemed to mind this morning when he'd filled her in on what he hadn't already told her the night before, but maybe she was having second thoughts.

  “Not really, but I thought it should be considered. Your sister seemed eager for me to join the clan, but I can't see why. I have nothing to bring into the clan, no money to speak of, no extended family, no connections.”

  “Is that how your clan works? Dragons are accepted or rejected based on what they can bring to the clan?”

  “Isn't that how they all work?”

  “Not this one. It never has.” Neo hated she was so far away, sitting all alone in her chair. He wanted her next to him where he could touch her skin while they talked. Where he could stroke her arm and sooth her fears. “We accept or reject dragons based on who they are. On whether they are good people. Sometimes whether they have skills we can use, or if they don't but they can be taught. With the resort, we have plenty of money. Connections are nice, but not required, and we are each other's family. Teya, and my parents before her, worked hard to make the clan like this.”

  “I just can't see why your sister would welcome me without knowing anything about me.”

  “I can.” It w
as obvious to him, but then, he knew Teya and she didn't. “Have you heard about her new mate?”

  “No,” Gwen frowned, “I'd only heard she's recently mated. Was there something special about her mate?”

  Neo hesitated. “How about I let you meet him first. Teya wanted me to ask if you would be interested in having dinner with them, let me call her and ask her about tonight.”

  “I don't know, it's awful short notice.”

  “It's not like she's cooking. Besides, the worst she can do is say no, right?”

  “All right, if you're sure.”

  “I am.” He picked up the phone and called Teya.

  10

  Gwen's heart thundered in her ears as they stood in front of Neo's sister's apartment door. Yes, she'd met her that morning, but it had only been for a moment. Now, she wanted to make a good impression, she wanted his alpha to like her, and not just because she was Neo's mate. What Rhiannon had said to her that afternoon snuck into her mind, but she pushed it out again and renewed her resolve to not think about it tonight. The door opened, revealing a small Asian woman with hair half way down her back.

  “Come on in, Teya says she's almost ready.”

  Neo's hand on her back urged her inside.

  “You must be Gwen,” the Asian woman said. “I'm Rachel, Teya's assistant. We were just going over some last-minute things before I left for the day.”

  Gwen's mind raced. “Assistant? Are you the one mated to a were?”

  Rachel laughed and turned to look at Neo. “Been filling her in on us, have you?”

  Neo shrugged. “We were discussing safety and our alliance with the weres came up.”

  A dark look flashed across Rachel's face, then she smiled again and looked back to Gwen. “I am. That's where I'm headed now, to drag him out of his office and make him relax a little. You guys have a good night.” Rachel turned back toward where the bedrooms were, at least in the two apartments Gwen had been into, and shouted, “I'm leaving, and your guests are here.”

  “I'm ready, I'm ready.” A door opened and Neo's sister stepped out, wearing a sparkling dress and still putting in one earring. Spotting Gwen and Neo, she smiled. “Hey you two, Jericho will be right out. He's fussing with his laces.” Her gaze moved to Rachel. “Go, have a good evening, be careful in the tunnels.”

  “No worries. If Chris can't make it to escort me home, he sends one of his men.”

  “Even better.”

  “It was nice to meet you,” Rachel said to Gwen.

  “Nice meeting you too.” Gwen said, but she was distracted by the man who had just come from the bedroom. She heard a door open and close, and she assumed it was Rachel leaving, but she couldn’t look away from the new man. It wasn't his looks that caught her attention, though he was handsome in a classic, old-world kind of way. There was something about him that made her senses buzz. It was an odd sensation, one she'd never felt in her hundred and twenty-six years. Neo bumped her with his elbow, making Gwen realize Teya was speaking.

  “Are we ready to go upstairs?” was all Gwen caught. She had no clue what the alpha had said before that. Teya didn't seem to notice and no one acted like she'd missed anything important.

  “I'm ready when everyone else is,” Gwen said, her eyes on the newcomer.

  “Oh, where are my manners tonight?” Teya shook her head and laughed. “Gwen, this is my mate, Jericho. Jericho, Gwen is the representative from the Welsh clan,” she paused a few seconds, then continued, “and Neo's mate.”

  The new man's eyes went wide as he turned his attention on Gwen, then a smile spread across his face. “It's a pleasure to meet you.” He extended one hand toward her.

  “Nice to meet you, too.” She met him halfway and when their skin touched, Gwen's dragon hissed and a visual of her dragon form, baring her teeth at him while smoke escaped her nostrils, flashed in front of her eyes. Fallen echoed through her mind. She tried not to let it show but knew she'd hesitated when her dragon had hissed.

  Glancing around, she tried to see if anyone had noticed. All three seemed to be watching her with varying levels of anticipation.

  “You all seem to be expecting something so I hope I'm not out of line by asking this. What are you?” she asked Jericho then turned to address her mate, “What is he?”

  “We'll tell you,” Teya said, “but first, tell us why you ask.”

  Gwen looked at each of them in turn but didn’t say anything, she didn't want to say too much for fear of offending her hosts, and potential in-laws.

  “Gwrtheyrn,” Teya said after a moment, “we’re not setting you up in anyway. We've had several different reactions when people meet Jericho. There’s been instant fear, confusion, even horror, we're merely curious what you sense. You're not going to upset or offend us.”

  Still unsure, Gwen explained her dragon's reaction and ended with, “Now will you tell me what he is?” She looked at Neo as she asked, hoping her mate at least would fill her in.

  “I'm a nephilim,” Jericho said, his voice soft.

  “Nephilim?” Gwen frowned as she tried to remember everything she'd ever heard about the ancient beings. “Aren't nephilim supposed to be the giants? The children of angels and women? Like Goliath. You're not a giant.”

  “The bit about giants is fiction. It was a story told by a few survivors of a battle. They needed an excuse as to why they lost. It only served to increase our reputation, so we never bothered to set people straight.”

  “What is a nephilim then?”

  “We were angels once, long ago. We decided we liked earth and all it offered better than heaven. It wasn’t taken well and we were banished, our wings taken, but not all our powers. We came to be known as ‘The Fallen.’ Nearly all my kind were eliminated in a great flood. I found a way to escape death, though not without a price.”

  “A price?” Gwen was intrigued now but didn't want to ask for details.

  “I was stuck between realms, trapped between worlds for millennia, forced to steal energy from others to survive.”

  “Wow.” Gwen didn't know how to respond.

  “I don't know about the rest of you,” Neo's voice made Gwen realize they were still standing in the middle of the alpha's living room, “but I'm hungry.”

  “I'm sorry.” Gwen looked to each person in turn. “I'm delaying dinner.”

  “Don't worry, I know how this works.” Teya smiled. “Our reservation isn't for another twenty minutes.”

  “That gives us time to make our way upstairs and get a table,” Neo put in. He set one hand on Gwen’s lower back and looked around. “If you’re ready, that is?” he looked at his sister and waited.

  “We’re ready,” Jericho wrapped one arm around Teya’s waist and pulled her close. “Let’s go.”

  As they made their way to the lift and up to the main casino floor where the restaurant was located, thoughts of what her alpha had told her crept back into her head. She was furious with them. But she still had to finish the job they had assigned her, and do it right or she would ruin her reputation. That only made the sting of their actions burn more. The lift door opened and the ring and chime of slot machines drew Gwen from her thoughts.

  She glanced at the others, but no one seemed to be waiting for her to respond. Gwen breathed easier realizing no one seemed to notice she’d been lost in thought and quickly followed Teya off the lift.

  AFTER THEIR MEAL, THE four of them sat at the table and talked for another hour, sipping wine and eventually ordering dessert, then eating it while they laughed and got to know each other. Gwen found Teya and Jericho to be oddly normal, down to earth and easy to relate to. Her alphas in Wales had always kept themselves separate, as if they were above the rest of the clan.

  It never occurred to her until now that it could be different. She was used to the class system that ruled her clan. She was part of the working class, and they were the clan equivalent of nobility. Somehow, Teya didn’t give off that air. She treated everyone, down to the wait staff normals, w
ith the same respect and courtesy as she did her brother or her mate. She seemed to know every person they encountered by name. That alone caught Teya’s attention.

  They were back on the lift, riding it down towards their rooms, and Gwen knew she had to tell Neo all of what her alpha had said when Rhiannon had called her back this afternoon. She wasn’t looking forward to it, but she knew it had to be done.

  “I had a great time, thank you again for inviting us,” Gwen said to Teya while they stood in the hall, each turning for their respective apartments. Teya and Jericho going for theirs, Gwen and Neo heading for his.

  “I did too,” the clan alpha said. “I’m glad you agreed. I had an amazing time tonight. Best evening I’ve had in a long time,” she glanced over at her mate, “well, outside of my apartment that is.”

  Gwen couldn’t help but laugh. “Me too, though without the apartment caveat. But give us some time, I’m sure we can make some progress.” She glanced over at Neo, saw the contented smile and wondered what he was thinking. She hated knowing she was going to make him lose that smile.

  How had this man, this stranger, come to be so important to her in such a brief amount of time? She’d met him what? Thirty-six hours ago? She didn’t know how nature could do this to her, why his feelings mattered to her so much so quickly, but they did. She might wish it were otherwise, but she couldn’t change the way she felt. She couldn’t change what her heart and brain insisted.

  Inside the apartment, Neo went to the couch and fell into the seat.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  Gwen kicked her heels off next to the door and curled her toes into the carpet as she made her way toward where he lay half reclined on the sofa. “No, it wasn’t bad. I had a good time.” Now she had to ruin it, and she hated it. “I’ve been thinking,” she slowly put one foot in front of the other as she walked past him, then turned and headed back. “Maybe I should consider taking your sister up on her offer. Move here and become a part of your clan.”