Dragon's Fire: A Reverse Harem Romance

by Lili Zander

  “What is he offering them?”

  “What do dragons care about more than anything else? Power, of course. He’s told them he’s remaking the Council of Thirteen, and he’s offering their families a seat at the table.”

  “Zyrian will never form a council,” I reply flatly. “He doesn’t share his power. They’re even stupider than I would have thought. I need names, if you can tell me who they are without endangering your agents?”

  “I’ve pulled them out,” he replies. “Things are too unstable right now.” He smiles ruefully. “Wouldn’t it be something if we could fight the way the Norms do? Avoid the battlefield entirely and drop bombs from the air?”

  If only things were that easy. Maintaining a shield is elemental magic. You don’t even need to be a mage to do it. I haven’t been to Castle Jaeger in twenty years, yet the shield I took over when I came of age still stands, as strong as it was on the day I created it. It doesn’t work on people, but it definitely blocks mindless and magic-free Norm objects like bombs and bullets.

  To kill Zyrian, we need to storm his castle, and it sounds like the mage is shoring up his defenses.

  “Aria’s safe,” I reply. “For the moment, that’s all that matters.”

  He sighs heavily. “I hope you’re right, Bastian.”

  He looks every inch of his eighty-odd years. I feel for the Alpha. Whether we like it or not, Zyrian is preparing for a fight, and Pack Helfrich, as my allies, are bound to get caught up in it.

  I get to my feet. “Thank you, Derther. For everything.”

  He rises too. “You’ve shouldered the responsibility for the curse alone and unaided, but all of us have a stake in this. Pack Helfrich and House Jaeger have been allies for centuries, my Lord. But more than that, I consider us friends. We are ready to fight, Bastian. If you call for aid, Pack Helferich will answer.”

  75

  Aria

  Rhys finds me in the study at six in the evening, reading a book on my phone. “Change of plans,” he says. “I was going to take you into the city for dinner, but Bastian wants to talk to us.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “I’m sure everything’s fine,” he assures me. “Bastian went to see the Pack Alpha. I assume he wants to tell us what he learned.” He grins cheerfully. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll stay in for dinner and go out afterward.”

  I tilt my head to one side and look at him. “You’re being very mysterious. What do you have planned?”

  His smile widens. “If I tell you,” he says with a wink, “It’ll ruin the surprise.”

  My lips twitch. “You’re just quoting me.”

  “It seems so apt, don’t you think?” He sits next to me and leans against my shoulder. “Did you enjoy your magic lessons?” he teases. “It certainly sounded like it.”

  My face flames. The dragons seem perfectly unperturbed by the fact that I’m making out with all of them—except Erik—but I’m much less casual about it. “Tell me something,” I ask Rhys. “Does it bother you that I have five mates?”

  “No, love. I’m very good at sharing my toys.”

  I punch his bicep. Hard. “If I were you,” I advise him, “I’d rephrase that sentence.”

  He winces. “Sorry love,” he says immediately. “That came out wrong. You’re definitely not a toy. You know that, don’t you?”

  I pause and let him sweat for a few seconds, biting back my smirk. Of course I know Rhys doesn’t think of me as a possession. If I had the slightest doubt about something as important as that, I wouldn’t be here, curse or no curse. I take pity on him when his expression turns concerned. “I’m just messing with you.”

  “Is that so?” His eyes gleam with wicked amusement. “Tell me something, Aria. Are you ticklish?”

  I shoot to my feet. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Wouldn’t I?”

  Mateo walks into the room at that moment and catches the last bit of our exchange. “What wouldn’t Rhys dare to do?” he asks.

  “I was just asking Aria if she was ticklish,” Rhys replies. “From her reaction, I’m guessing that’s a yes. Next time she isn’t cooperating in a magic lesson, maybe we could use it for a little motivation.”

  They are ganging up on me now? I am so screwed.

  Mateo chuckles. “That’s a good idea. Aria does a lot better with creative teaching methods.”

  I glare at the two of them. “You know you guys are assholes, right?”

  They both laugh at my expression. I’m wondering if I can manipulate the threads of magic surrounding Mateo without him noticing when Bastian walks into the room. Erik and Casius are right behind him. “Sorry about your date,” he says apologetically to Rhys and me. “But Derther Roth had some news that I thought you should all hear.”

  He fills us in on the conversation. “So Zyrian’s bracing for war?” Casius asks. “Why now? We’ve never been able to storm his castle before.”

  Erik looks grim. “Maybe he thinks that we’ll try harder. Now that we have Aria.”

  I give them an inquiring look. “Does Zyrian know about the prophecy?” The moment I ask the question, I realize the answer. So you are the mate, Zyrian had said to me back in New York. Of course he does.

  Mateo nods soberly.

  Okay then.

  “We’re not going to attack,” Bastian says firmly. “Not until we’re better prepared. I’m not planning on fighting a war that I can’t win.”

  “I always thought the BloodGift was a rumor too,” Casius says thoughtfully. “It’s never been mentioned in any of the scrolls or manuscripts I’ve read.”

  Erik frowns. “You can’t write it down,” he says, as if everyone should know that. “There’s a gaes on it.”

  Bastian runs his hands through his hair, looking frustrated. “Derther asked us if we ever talked to each other. Damn it. I never knew that. Why didn’t you tell us?”

  Erik doesn’t reply.

  Because thinking of Zyrian reminds Erik of his mate, I realize. It brings him back to a time when she was in his life.

  We’re all under a lot of stress. I don’t want to think too much about Erik’s loss, and I don’t want the dragons to get into an argument. I cut in before they can start squabbling. “So if you bleed on the Bloodstone, it’ll absorb it?”

  “It used to,” Erik replies tightly. “Not anymore. Mateo, you have the gem?”

  Mateo hands it to Erik, who sets it on the coffee table. The golden dragon is back in position again, hugging the stone tight, hiding the chip in the ruby. “Watch,” he says. He stares at his right hand, and his nails grow into talons. Holy crap that’s both scary and awesome. Then, with a casual gesture, he slashes his left palm.

  “What the…” I bite back my instinctive shout and glare at Erik. “Next time, warn me, will you?”

  His lips lift in a smile. “It’s just a scratch, princess.” He holds his hand over the ruby. Blood wells from his cut and falls on the gemstone, but as Erik had predicted, nothing happens.

  Or…?

  There’s a pressure in my head. I can feel the Bloodstone strain to soak in Erik’s blood, but something’s stopping it. There’s a barrier around it, and it won’t be penetrated.

  Not yet, something inside me whispers. The time has not yet come.

  “See?” Erik says quietly.

  “But it worked before?” Mateo asks insistently. “You’ve seen it?”

  “Before the curse came into effect, I’d given blood many times,” Erik replies. “Then, shortly after Maija Essen died, I went to the Annwn Gala.” He stares into the fire. “That night, when we lined up to bleed on the stone, it didn’t accept the gift. That was our first indication that something was wrong.”

  “Why didn’t anyone try to figure out why?” I ask softly.

  Erik shakes his head. “You have no idea what those days were like,” he replies, his expression troubled. “Zyrian had informants everywhere. Dragons were being hunted, poisoned in their homes, killed in the streets. No one k
new who to trust. Nobody had time to investigate the Bloodstone. We were too busy trying to stay alive.”

  God, I feel like a jerk for asking. I put my hand on his. “I’m sorry.”

  The moment I touch him, I know what to do. “Erik,” I whisper. “Cut my hand.”

  “What?” He gives me a horrified look.

  “Please.” The certainty inside me is growing. I don’t know where it’s coming from, but I know exactly what I need to do. “Mateo can heal it.”

  Mateo hears the strained note in my voice. “Do it.”

  I barely feel the slice of Erik’s talon against my skin. I do what he did—hold my palm over the Bloodstone and let my blood drip down on it.

  The same pressure fills my head. For a second, I wonder if my instincts are wrong.

  But only for a second.

  Because this time, when my blood touches the ruby, the barrier momentarily gives way, and the red drops are slowly absorbed into the gemstone.

  Threads of magic swirl around the dragon’s treasure and around me, tugging us together. The stone is calling to me. It wants to be whole again.

  My head starts to hurt. On auto-pilot, I pick up the stone with the hand that’s bleeding.

  A surge of magic rushes from the ruby into me.

  But the magic is skewed. It feels wrong, tainted. This is almost as bad as Zyrian’s thick, oily strands of magic. If we release this into the world, I know that things won’t get better.

  They’ll get worse.

  The Bloodstone’s magic seems to burrow its way into my cut. I reflexively push it out, but it’s strong. So strong…

  “Enough.” Casius’ voice is harsh, and he yanks the chain from my grip, his face pale. “Mateo. Heal her now.”

  That was much more powerful than I ever anticipated.

  You must pretend that you’re fine, a voice inside me cautions. Otherwise, the dragons will not let you touch the Bloodstone again.

  Is that my voice? Maija Essen’s? The Bloodstone itself? I don’t know anymore.

  I smile up at Mateo. His piercing blue eyes are filled with concern as he runs a finger over my cut, healing it effortlessly. “See?” I tell Erik, flexing my fingers. The blood magic is tugging me toward him, and him toward me, but we both resist its pull. “As good as new.”

  “Are you sure?” Bastian asks worriedly.

  I don’t like lying to my dragons, but something compels me to keep silent. “Of course.” I jump to my feet. “I’m starving. Do you think Frau Ziegler still has some of last night’s kale and sausage soup? I’ve been dreaming about it all day.”

  They’re not quite reassured, but they don’t press me. “Don’t eat too much,” Rhys says, coming up to me and putting a hand on the small of my back. “It might spoil your surprise.”

  “And what is my surprise?”

  Bastian bites back a smile. So he’s in on it too? I’ve got to start figuring out how to hold my own against my dragons.

  76

  Aria

  Oh. My. God.

  At dinner, in response to my badgering, Rhys had told me that he was going to give me a tour of the area. Silly me, I assumed we’d be driving into Cologne so I could see the sights.

  But no. Rhys is going to take me flying. In the sky. On dragon back. This is every single one of my Game-of-Thrones, Harry-Potter, Anne McCaffrey fantasies come to life.

  I’m so excited that I can’t stop jumping up and down with glee. “This is so awesome,” I say, probably for the tenth time.

  Mateo, who’s standing next to me on the lawns in front of the castle, laughs at my expression. “Erik says you’re concerned about the cold, tesoro,” he says indulgently. “Here. This will help.”

  He does something clever with his magic, and a warm blanket of air seems to drape around me. What a sweet trick. “Teach me how to do that,” I tell the mage enviously. Super handy to be able to control the temperature around me—I always seem to freeze my ass off in winter, no matter how bundled I am. “Unlike making paperweights fly through the air, being warm is a useful skill to learn.”

  Mateo rolls his eyes. “Use your imagination, little thief. If you can fetch a paperweight, you can fetch more valuable things. Like swords.”

  Oh. Duh. Not my brightest moment.

  Thankfully, Rhys cuts in before I can feel too much like a fool. “You ready?” he asks, his face lit up with excitement that matches my own. I remember what Erik said. Rhys loves to fly.

  I’m totally ready. I’m finally going to see one of my mates in dragon form, and I’m going for my first flight. “Hell, yes.”

  Rhys methodically takes off his clothes. He’s not trying to be sexy, but my constantly-horny libido still takes note. Is it wrong that the soundtrack of Magic Mike is playing in my head, and Rhys is playing the starring role in my fantasies, shoving Channing Tatum out of the way?

  After my previous mostly-mediocre sexual encounters, all this great sex is going to my head. Of course, given that I can either choose to be horny because of my five dragon mates or be freaked out by the threat posed by Zyrian, guess which option sounds better?

  As soon as the last article of clothing hits the ground, the air around Rhys’ body shimmers, and then he explodes into a massive purple dragon.

  My jaw hits the floor. “Wow,” I breathe in awe.

  Okay, I know that isn’t very articulate, but have you ever seen a fucking dragon? Wow covers it nicely.

  Rhys tilts his head to the side and levels one slitted eye at me. I can feel his concern through our bond. Wait, he thought I’d be freaked out seeing him as a dragon? Silly Rhys.

  “You’re beautiful,” I say with complete honesty.

  And he is. His scales are brilliantly purple, the moonlight reflecting off of them in a glittery wave. He’s long and sleek, almost serpent-like in his regal lines. And when he spreads his wings… Holy fuck. So sexy.

  Rhys’ dragon snorts at my compliment, though I can tell he’s pleased.

  “Would you rather me say you’re fearsome and terrifying?” I tease him.

  He closes his eye in a wink, and then throws his head back and lets out a thunderous roar. A jet of fire shoots into the sky, and my pulse quickens. When he’s done with his little show, he turns back to me, a thin line of smoke trailing from his nostril.

  “Show off,” I accuse him with a grin.

  If a dragon could smirk, Rhys does.

  At my side, Mateo snorts. “Enjoy your flight, tesoro,” he says. “Rhys, be careful. No barrel rolls.”

  Rhys lowers his body to the ground so that I can climb onto his back. I clamber up and get myself situated between his shoulders, the way Mateo and Rhys instructed me to. Mateo checks to make sure I’m securely seated before nodding at Rhys. “She’s good.”

  As soon as Mateo gives the all-clear, Rhys leaps off the grass, and with a mighty flap of his wings, propels us into the night sky.

  Okay. I’m not afraid of heights like Silas, but I will admit to about five seconds of crap-my-pants fear before elation takes hold. I do not have words to describe how amazing this feels. We’re gliding through the air, and because of Mateo’s magic, I’m toasty-warm. The moon shines on us, silvery and bright, and everything feels utterly magical.

  Rhys circles the castle grounds, and then wings his way toward Cologne. In less than ten minutes, the dark of the Königsforst gives way to the bright lights of the city. We’re up high in the sky, but I can’t help wondering if anyone will catch a glimpse of us. I’ve never seen a dragon in Manhattan. If one appears, it’ll probably cause mass panic. Maybe because Bastian’s castle is so close to Cologne, the residents are more used to flying dragons?

  I shriek with joy and grip his scales tightly as Rhys dips and dives through the clouds before climbing higher. This is like being on a roller-coaster, and I love it. “If you want to do a barrel roll,” I yell to him, “I won’t tell.”

  Unfortunately, he doesn’t take me up on it, though his exhilaration at being in the air is palpable
. I lose track of time as we fly. My cheeks hurt from my wide smiles, and my throat is sore from screaming. Flying with Rhys is like the world’s best theme park ride, and I find it impossible to hide my disappointment when the familiar lines of Castle Jaeger come into view.

  Rhys gracefully lands on the lawn, and I slide from his back a lot less gracefully. In other words, I land on my butt. I’ve barely gotten my feet under me when I’m lifted in two strong arms.

  “How was your first flight, love?” Rhys asks, nuzzling my neck.

  “It was okay,” I shrug, attempting to play it cool, though the wide grin on my face belies my words.

  “So was that someone else yelling for me to go faster? And what was it… ‘Oh my God, Rhys, this is amazing!’ Was that someone else too?”

  “Must’ve been,” I tease, turning in his arms, standing on tiptoe and pressing my lips to his. “Thank you for taking me. It was… amazing. Can we go again?”

  Rhys drops a tender kiss on the top of my head. “Anytime you want, love. We’re safe here.”

  77

  Mateo

  Last night, when Casius had voiced his suspicions about what it meant that Aria was part of the Bloodstone, I’d dismissed them as far-fetched.

  Then I saw Aria’s blood being absorbed into the gemstone, and I sensed what she did her best to hide from us.

  I’ve worn the dragon relic around my neck many, many times. It has never felt hostile. But when Aria’s blood dripped down on it, I’d been shaken by a sense of wrongness. The Bloodstone had felt malevolent, snaking out tendrils around Aria’s pure, clean magic, trying to draw her power into itself.

  Derther Roth speculates that Aria is the key to unlock the magic that’s trapped inside the ruby, but though the elderly wolf-shifter is wise, it’s not quite that simple.

  The Bloodstone had felt greedy. Hungry. Dangerous. And as to what that means…

  I refuse to allow myself to follow that train of thought.