We’re different people, she reminded herself. Maybe he doesn’t like a challenge as much as you do.
She was halfway across the lobby when someone collided with her from the side, nearly throwing her into an enormous fake fern. Nina’s heartbeat was suddenly frenetic. Her instinct was to send a pulse of power at whoever it was who had attacked her, shocking them for long enough to—but then she saw that it was just a very worn looking Rachel.
“Nina!” Rachel threw her arms around her sister’s neck and started to babble incoherently about how worried she’d been.
“Hold on, hold on,” Nina said to her, laughing nervously as she looked around the lobby. “Don’t make a scene in this nice hotel.”
Rachel glared at her, her eyes red rimmed. “Excuse me? The last I heard, someone was trying to murder you. I think that’s cause for alarm.”
Eli swiftly moved to Rachel’s side and a put a hand on her shoulder. “That may be true, but we can’t be sure our conversations are private here.”
Rachel looked at Eli blankly and nodded, waiting for him to walk away and press the call button before she turned back to Nina with a sly smile. It almost looked at home on her pale, exhausted features.
“Wow, that’s who you spent the night with? I don’t know how you got any sleep, between him and Mr. Mysterious up there.”
The wheels of Nina’s mind were spinning for a moment before she realized who Rachel meant. “Oh, you mean Pryce?”
She blushed, remembering the way he tackled her before the arrow shot through her body, and the intensity of his concern in that moment. It was so different from the angry, slightly aloof air he gave off the rest of the time—had it been real at all?
Rachel shot her a conspiratorial look. “Uh, yeah. I wish I were a dragon. They don’t make witches like that, you know.”
Nina laughed, her first real laugh of the day. “Witches come out okay,” she allowed. “Besides, these guys come with lots of baggage.” She paused. “Especially Pryce.”
Rachel looked curious, but she held her tongue until they were all in the hotel room together. Nina sank onto the couch, patting the seat beside her to let Rachel know she wanted her near. She couldn’t sense Witch energy as strongly as dragon energy, but it was there all the same—bright and sweet and inviting, like the scent of a lilac made into an aura. Rachel’s energy was calming.
Eli sat down opposite them on one side of the king sized bed, looking sheepishly between them as the silence filled the room.
“So, Rachel,” he began awkwardly. “Have you been all caught up?”
Her sister seemed taken aback by his professional tone, and Nina suppressed a smile.
“Uh, yes,” Rachel answered, tugging on a lock of her red hair. “Pryce caught me up. He told me about—” Her eyes flashed to Nina before she continued. “He told me about your prophecy, and how your parents were killed by the same people that are now after you. And about the Outcast network and stuff.”
For a moment, Eli looked furious. The expression slid off his face in an instant, but Nina felt the violent spike in his energy and knew he was only hiding it, not letting it go.
“I see.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes and looked at Nina. “Was I not supposed to know?”
“It’s not exactly something we want to publicize,” she said gently. “But it’s not just non-dragons. Most dragons don’t know about it either. Don’t worry, it’s not your fault.”
“Our dear Pryce should have controlled himself,” Eli said with forced cheer. “But if Nina trusts you, then we can, too. No harm done.”
A tense silence fell between them all again.
“Where’s Pryce, anyway?” Nina asked then, looking around the room.
As soon as the question left her lips, the door to the bathroom opened and a thick cloud of steam spread out into the main room. As she watched his approach, she wondered if he’d been waiting for someone to say his name so he could make an impressive entrance. Pryce strolled out wearing a pair of black jogging pants and nothing else, patting his blonde hair dry with a towel. Nina’s eyes were drawn to his torso—at first, just because it was bare and admittedly well-defined; his stomach was divided into a firm six-pack, and his broad chest was so immaculately muscled it looked sculpted, or modeled after a statue of a Greek god. His smooth chest was glistening from the shower, and Nina had a strange urge to rush over to him and towel his chiseled body off herself.
Then she noticed the scar tissue. There was a tangle of scars at the bottom of his rib cage. They twisted up his left side like a set of creeping vines, curling up his shoulder and onto his neck. A single line of scar tissue continued up and crawled over his cheekbone, ending just below his left eye. The scars were old, she could tell, and they were stark enough against his golden brown skin that Nina knew the cuts had been close to fatal when they were fresh. Dragons only scarred when their bodies truly had trouble healing, and that was rare. Who tried to kill you, Pryce? Was it another Outcast?
He dropped the towel and made eye contact with Nina at the same time. She jumped, embarrassed at being caught staring. Instead of looking uncomfortable, though, Pryce let a lazy smile take over his features until his eyes were twinkling like emeralds under a spotlight. A slow, delicious shiver made its way around Nina’s body, and she remembered to try and contain her energy at the last moment. Pryce didn’t bother; she could feel his desire from fifteen feet away, though it didn’t feel lewd—as Anders’ had—though she couldn’t say why.
“Hey,” he said simply. “Glad you made it out of there okay.”
Nina smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Did you think they’d attack me, too?”
Pryce shrugged. “You never know, with that Council. They have some weird ways.”
Eli cleared his throat harshly. “Pryce, if you’ll finish getting dressed, we have something to discuss.” His eyes were pointed carefully at the floor.
Nina felt a rush of shame; of course he’d felt the energy, too. The next moment, her shame was replaced by indignation: he’d already rejected her. Why shouldn’t she flirt?
Rachel seemed to have sensed the tension in the room. “Should I be here for this?”
“Yes,” all three dragons said at the same time.
“You’re involved now,” Eli said wearily, rolling up the cuffs of his dark grey shirt. “You’ve got to be kept abreast of all of this, for your own safety.”
“I think it’s great having a witch on the team,” Pryce said as he pulled a black V-neck over his head. “Witches and dragons work well together. Always have.”
Eli opened his mouth to interject, but Nina beat him to it, sensing that his anger wouldn’t allow him to be diplomatic right then.
“Witches hunted us. They helped the humans drive us into hiding thousands of years ago, and only made peace with us in the last millennium.”
Pryce spoke with a patient tone, as though he were correcting a student. “Actually, that’s only partially true. Some witches hunted us, but they were in the majority. Witches and dragons have similar powers in some respects, so there have been a lot more instances of us teaming up than you might think.”
Eli looked at Pryce strangely. “And where did you learn this?”
“Life,” Pryce said coolly. “Experience.”
Eli turned around without responding. “Well, fairy tales aside, it’s still dangerous bringing someone else in when there’s a hit man on the loose.”
Pryce sat next to Eli, ignoring his snide comment, and focused on Nina. “So what’s up, Miss Henry?”
Nina took a breath and told them about the meeting. Rachel was gripping her hand by the time she’d finished speaking, tears swimming in her wide brown eyes.
“Nina, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
As soon as Rachel apologized, it was like a dam burst inside her. She felt an enormous sense of loss fill her as she hugged her sister; Rachel understood her dilemma, because she knew how much being a fully-bonded dragon meant to h
er.
“I bet you’ve already made up your mind, huh?”
Nina shrugged. “I don’t know that there’s much to choose between. I can’t let the dragons die out.”
“And there’s no other way? At all?” Rachel asked.
“They didn’t mention it. Actually, I thought you’d know. Witches are pretty damn good at cleansing stones.”
“They are,” Pryce said.
Nina turned to Pryce, intrigued. “Could they do something like this?”
“I doubt it,” he answered regretfully. “Actually, I hate to say it, but it’s likely the Council has already tried. The Greater Horde may be distrustful of witches and their ilk, but the Council isn’t stupid enough to not try everything they can to halt their own demise.”
“Pryce is right,” Eli said, tight lipped. “I’m sure asking Nina was a last resort.”
Nina looked him squarely in the eye. “A last resort?” Like a backup to a backup.
Eli sighed. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know what you meant,” Nina said. “But it just means I’ll have to do it.”
“Wait a minute,” Rachel said, panic in her voice. “You have a month to think about it. Why don’t we go back home and do just that? Or go to Mom and Dad and see what they think?”
“No,” Nina snapped.
Everyone looked at her, shock written clearly on their features.
Rachel looked angry as well as surprised. “They’d want to know, Nina. They’d want to help.”
“Exactly,” Nina countered, throwing her hands up in the air. “That’s another two people dragged into this mess. More secrets shared. Another two people in danger. I’m not doing it, Rachel. It’s bad enough I got you involved, honestly. I’m not losing them to these people, too.”
Rachel’s eyes widened in understanding. “Oh.”
Eli was shaking his head. “Nina, I really think you should think this over some more.”
“I hate to agree with Upper Crust,” Pryce said. “But he’s right. This may not be something you want to rush into. This could cost a lot more than just power.”
“I have the most to lose out of all of you,” Nina spat. “This is my decision. I’ve already made it. I would really appreciate it if you all kept that in mind and stopped trying to steer me elsewhere.”
“Nina—”
“No!” She stood up, glaring at Rachel as she interrupted her. “No, Rachel. I can’t not try this. If I’m really a queen, how can I turn away from it?”
“You won’t be a queen for much longer if you do this,” Rachel said desperately, rising slowly so she could look her sister squarely in the eye. “Not likely, anyway.”
Nina couldn’t reply to that, because the pain that ripped through her when she thought of losing her dragon essence sapped her ability to speak. Instead she shook her head and closed her eyes, trying hard not to start crying again. Enough crying today. I’ve made my decision, and now I have to start living with it. She inhaled deeply, willing the hysterically swirling energy surrounding her to slow and recede back into her body, condensing it into a tight ball in the center of her body. When she opened her eyes, she felt calmer, but no less sure.
“I’m going to take Eka’s offer. In the meantime, though, I’d like to go home. Let’s see if that Council Guard made it over there okay.” She could feel that her energy was firm and determined.
Eli and Rachel looked like they wanted to argue, but Pryce’s expression was harder to read. He stared at her, green eyes probing hers for so long that she had the feeling he was looking into her instead of at her. Then he nodded at her and stood, gathering his things silently and signaling for the others to do the same.
Nina turned away from him, unsure of why it felt like she’d just passed a test of some sort. Mr. Mysterious is a good name for him, she decided. I’ll have to thank Rachel.
Footsteps approached her a moment later, and a hand rested gently on her shoulder. Nina felt an inexplicable surge of elation rush through her body as she turned around.
Pryce was gazing at her, and she could tell that this time he’d felt the bolt of intense energy that had passed between them. He smiled, and Nina felt her stomach perform a clumsy somersault before she mentally scolded herself for being sappy. You’re letting Rachel’s read on him get to you. You hardly know this guy. Your body likes him, that doesn’t mean you have some connection. He’s still an outcast.
“Can you, me, and Eli have a minute?”
Nina was shocked. “What about?”
Pryce smiled wryly. “About this thing going on between us. We should address it before it tears us apart, I think.” He turned as Rachel came out of the bathroom. “Can you wait for us outside, please? Maybe on that bench by the elevators?”
She gave him a strange look but obliged.
Nina stepped closer to Pryce. “What are you doing?”
“Heading off a rivalry before it gets crazy,” Pryce said genially. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that both Eli and I are pretty taken with you.”
Nina had noticed, of course, but she blushed anyway. “So what?”
“So it’s going to be distracting,” Pryce said. “At the very least.”
Nina shrugged, but she knew he was right. Eli was growing more uncomfortable every moment it was apparent that Nina and Pryce found each other attractive. No matter how much they could bond over their love of the Greater Horde and all its trappings, Eli likely felt threatened.
“I don’t know if Eli is going to like that. Airing his feelings out.”
“I want to do more than that,” Pryce said confidently. “We need to find a solution.”
Nina laughed at his business-like tone. She raised her sparkling light brown eyes to his. “What do you suggest, a schedule? A punch card?”
“Maybe a ticket system,” Pryce said in mock seriousness. “Color-coded, of course.”
Nina laughed and shoved him on his shoulder playfully. “What if I don’t want a system? What if I want to let you both fight for me and choose a winner?”
Pryce pressed a hand to his barrel chest. “I’d do whatever my lady asks,” he said, his cerulean eyes shining with mirth. “It will be a fight to the death.”
Nina shoved him again, but he caught her hand in his before she could pull it away. Heat started to spread over the surface of her skin as he pulled her closer and gripped her hand, the weight of his gaze making her body grow warmer every second.
“Really, though,” he said gently,“I think you’re underestimating yourself, Nina. You’re incredible. You have two total strangers trying to make sure you stay alive and helping you on a dangerous quest at the same time. You could probably ask us both to leap from a building and we’d do it.”
Nina tried to speak around the lump in her throat. “I wouldn’t ask that,” she said softly. “And I wouldn’t ask you to fight, either.” She dropped her gaze briefly. “In fact... I don’t even know that I could choose between you, if it came to that.”
Pryce leaned forward and kissed her cheek tenderly. “If it makes things easier, maybe we can all climb into bed together. I don’t mind sharing you, after all.”
Nina’s mouth dropped open. “Pryce!”
He laughed, his eyes twinkling as she hit him with a pillow. “I’m kidding,” he said. “Well, no, I’m not, but I don’t think our dear Eli is ready for anything like that.”
Nina looked at him. “I don’t know. He’s told me about some wild things he’s done before. They do include threesomes.”
“Devil’s threesomes?”
Nina nodded, enjoying the shock on Pryce’s face.
Pryce whistled. “I may have underestimated Upper Crust. He’s not as crusty as I thought.”
“What about Upper Crust?”
Eli came out of the bathroom and eyed their joined hands, frowning as they stepped away from each other. “What’s going on?”
Pryce looked at Nina, silently asking permission to speak. When she nodded nervously, he tu
rned back to Eli.
“We both seem to be after the same girl. It might become a problem if we don’t set some ground rules.”
Eli’s eyes widened in indignation. “Excuse me? I think we’re going to be too worried about staying alive and helping Nina come into her power to consider romance.”
“Really?” Pryce said mildly. “Because you guys found enough time to fit in a quick fuck last night.”
The room was filled with an embarrassed silence. Pryce smiled easily until Eli regained his voice.
“What are you suggesting?” he asked stiffly. “We take turns or something?”
Pryce gazed at them both. “I was,” he said slowly. “But Miss Henry gave me an idea. Maybe we could get rid of some of this tension between you and me if we... all got together. Once in a while,” he clarified. “Maybe not every time.”
Both Nina and Eli looked at Pryce in disbelief. Nina was angry at first, but then her anger gave way to bewilderment, and finally, curiosity. They both started talking at the same time, and their voices crossed over each other’s so much that Pryce held up his hands in a “stop” gesture. “One at a time, please.”
“It’s ridiculous,” Eli sputtered. “Sharing Nina? With each other? At the same time?”
“Why not?” Pryce countered. “You’ve done it in the past.”
“Yes, with another man I trusted,” Eli pointed out. “And with a woman who I’d known for some time. Sexual activity engages our auras in a way that can be very lasting on a relationship, you know.”
“I do know,” Pryce said calmly. “I think it would be interesting for us to have a closer relationship considering we’ll be working together for a little while, at least.” The corners of his mouth twitched. “The Council was all about cooperation the last I heard. Melding energies and whatnot. Is that not your deal anymore?”
Eli’s cheeks colored. “Of course I want us to work together more harmoniously,” he allowed. “I can see you’ll be very valuable to us. But I just can’t put Nina in that kind of situation.”
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