by Donna Grant
“Con?” she asked.
He turned his head to her. “Constantine. The King of Kings. He diffused tense situations and kept everything calm until the day came when it was out of his hands.”
She moved closer to the bars. “How? What happened?”
“During that time, it wasna uncommon for a King to have a house in the villages. Some of the humans flocked to these Kings because they knew they would be protected. Because of this, the Kings would often take mortal women as their lovers.”
“I can see how that would happen.”
He shrugged and lowered himself to the floor. “There were drawbacks. None of the humans were able to carry a child conceived by a King to term. Most of the pregnancies ended after a few weeks. On the rare occasion that the woman was able to bring the pregnancy to term, the bairn was stillborn.”
“All of them?” she asked in surprise.
“All. It was for that reason that most of the Kings decided no’ to take humans as mates. You see, Devon, dragons bind themselves for life to their mates. If a King chose a mortal as his mate, then he was effectively ending his bloodline.
“Even with that knowledge, a handful of Kings fell in love with humans. Ulrik was just such a King. He and Con were as close as brothers, and everyone knew he could’ve challenged Con to be King of Kings.”
Devon’s brow furrowed. “Why didn’t he?”
“Ulrik was happy leading his Silvers. He was a good King, one who enjoyed the simple things. He played jests on us constantly,” Anson said with a smile as memories surfaced. “Everyone liked him.”
“But something happened,” she said.
Anson’s grin faded. “Somehow, Con found out that the woman Ulrik had chosen as his mate was going to betray Ulrik. She intended to kill him the night before the ceremony that would’ve bound them for eternity.”
“Why?” Devon asked. “Didn’t this woman love Ulrik?”
“We thought so. For all the time she spent within the walls of Ulrik’s house as he fed, clothed, and protected her and all of her family, she didna learn anything. A human can no’ kill a Dragon King. Only a Dragon King can kill a King. But she also gave up immortality.”
Devon’s blue eyes widened. “How do you mean?”
“A Dragon King is immortal. When we take a mate, they live as long as we do.”
“I see,” she mumbled, a frown forming. “So why did she want to betray Ulrik?”
He shrugged. “I doona know. Con gathered us and told us what he’d learned after sending Ulrik away on some business. All the Kings hunted down his intended mate and killed her for what she’d planned to do to Ulrik. I knew it wouldna solve anything, but I was angry on behalf of my brother. And we knew he’d never be able to take her life because of his love. That’s why we stepped in. Except we unknowingly set in motion a war that would eventually destroy us.”
She released a breath. “Will you tell me more?”
He turned and met her gaze. “Ulrik returned to discover what we’d done. His anger was volatile, and he unleashed his fury. Right before our eyes, he changed. He immediately set out to destroy the humans—and he began in the verra village he’d helped to build.
“He engulfed his home in dragon fire. His Silvers joined him. When there was nothing left, they moved on to the next. In retaliation, the humans slaughtered the smallest of the dragons, wiping out entire clans. That’s when I joined Ulrik.
“Some of the Kings remained with Con as they tried to bring about a truce, but many of us went with Ulrik to rid our world of the beings who had caused nothing but harm.
“The Kings fighting with Con set up dragons to guard the humans, and those verra people turned and killed the dragons. I watched in horror as the dragons failed to defend themselves because they’d been sent to shield the mortals. I knew then the war would only end when one of our species ceased to exist.”
He stopped and closed his eyes as memories flooded his mind. The screams of dying dragons, the roars of others who watched the massacre. The fire, the blood.
The death.
A soft hand rested on his arm. His gaze snapped open to look at Devon. Her blue eyes were filled with a wealth of sadness.
He inhaled deeply and continued. “It didna matter how many humans we killed, it seemed more appeared. During all of this, more and more dragons died. That’s when I went to Con. Eventually, all the Kings but Ulrik returned to Con. Together, we called the dragons and used our magic to create a dragon bridge that allowed them to escape this world and go to another. It was the most horrific day of my life.
“No’ even the dragons leaving appeased the mortals, though. Ulrik and four of his largest Silvers ignored Con’s call. They continued to wreak havoc on the mortals so that we had no choice but to make the Silvers sleep. That incensed Ulrik. After we’d moved the Silvers inside a mountain on Dreagan, we were able to corner Ulrik.
“He wouldna listen to reason. His anger hardened him to everything. Con commanded us to unite our magic to bind Ulrik’s. Con then made sure Ulrik walked this world in the verra form he detested—human. And to seal everything, he banished Ulrik from Dreagan.
“We had little time to come to terms with what had happened to Ulrik, because the humans were still hunting us. It didna matter that they couldna kill us, or that we could’ve wiped them out with ease. We retreated to Dreagan and our mountains to sleep away centuries, only to emerge when tales of dragons were only myth. We’ve been living among you ever since, hiding who we are and fighting wars to protect you.”
Devon’s lips were parted. She blinked twice. “I don’t really know what to say. That’s quite a story. I have some questions.”
“Ask them,” he bade.
“How did you keep humans off Dreagan while you slept?”
He shifted against the metal. “Magic. Those barriers are still up to this day. They make the mortals uneasy, causing them to turn back before crossing onto our land. It’s the only way we can guard sixty thousand acres. We altered it to allow visitors to the distillery, but only in certain buildings.
“The Silvers?”
“Still sleeping on Dreagan. Our magic keeps them there, caged.”
She licked her lips. “All right. What about Ulrik?”
“His hatred for what we did has driven him for thousands of years. His goal is to take down Con and become King of Kings.”
“Which means what for us humans?” she asked.
“Death. His loathing of you has only grown over the years. If he defeats Con, he’ll wipe the realm of all mortals.”
She twisted her lips. “What’s preventing him from doing that now?”
“His magic being bound. Unfortunately, he found a Druid who was able to touch dragon magic and unbind some of his power. When his magic is fully returned, he can wake the Silvers and plunge the world back into war.”
“Well. That doesn’t sound like fun. What does any of that have to do with Kyvor, though?”
“Ulrik is working with the Dark Fae to expose the Dragon Kings to everyone. It’s part of his plan to tear the Kings apart and mess with Con. By bringing in mortals, Ulrik is making it more difficult for us to fight him.”
She scrunched up her face. “How?”
“Neither he nor the Dark Fae care about your kind seeing them, but the Dragon Kings go to great lengths so that mortals doona see us.”
“I can understand how that might be problematic. However, that’s twice now you’ve mentioned Dark Fae.”
He smiled sadly. “We’re no’ the only beings with magic on this earth, Devon. We already told you about the Druids.”
“This can’t be real.”
“It is. Denying it willna change anything.”
She closed her eyes and nodded. “I’m finding that’s truer than I ever realized.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
MacLeod Castle
There was a restlessness about the castle, an uneasiness that seeped into the very stones and touched every person with
in the walls.
For Isla, it was even worse. She had been jerked awake by the sound of the Ancients screaming her name. Hayden asked her repeatedly what the Ancients were saying, but she couldn’t make it out. She only knew it was imperative that she get inside the walls of MacLeod Castle and summon the other Druids. Hayden hadn’t hesitated to dress and go with her from their home on MacLeod land.
She hadn’t needed to worry about gathering the other MacLeod Druids, for the Ancients had woken them as well with shouts and screams. The only difference was that the Ancients only seemed to want to talk to Isla.
Isla now stood on the battlements of the castle next to Sonya, their gazes pointed west. Isla watched as her husband stood below with the other Warriors, talking amongst themselves. The fourteen men had scoured MacLeod land, looking for anything that might cause such a disruption, but they found nothing.
If that weren’t disturbing enough, there was a growing apprehension within her. It’s why she’d sought out Sonya. Except the flame-haired Druid was too intent on listening to the trees to even know Isla was beside her.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
There was a whooshing sound above. Isla raised her gaze to see Broc stretch his dark blue, leathery wings as he glided over them, his gaze locked on Sonya. With a tip of his large appendage, he turned and landed beside his wife, folding his wings behind him.
Isla watched the dark blue fade from his skin as Broc tamped down the primeval god within him. His wings disappeared, as did the fangs and claws. The dark blue that filled his eyes from corner to corner diminished to reveal brown irises.
Sonya closed her lids and spread her arms as the trees bent this way and that as they moved, dislodging snow in their effort to speak to her.
Isla turned her head and looked down, her gaze locking with Hayden’s. He’d released his god as well by the red of his skin and the horns sticking up through his long, blond hair.
She’d never thought she could love anyone as much as she loved him. Hayden was her life. He’d saved her, and shown her a world of love and contentment.
After all the battles each of them at MacLeod Castle had fought with droughs, this was their time of peace. So many times, they’d come close to death. Yet they’d banded together and become a family, overcoming all obstacles.
That was how they’d destroyed Deirdre, Declan, and Jason—droughs who had sought to take over the world with magic.
The Dragon Kings had come to their aid, and they, in turn, had helped the Kings. Was this new disturbance about the Kings?
Or had another drough appeared?
“Rhi is coming,” Sonya suddenly said.
Isla looked to her friend to find the Druid’s gaze on her. “When?”
“Now.”
Isla glanced at the trees to discover them still once more. By the troubled expression on Sonya’s face, the Light Fae’s visit wasn’t a social call.
Sonya turned and walked inside the castle with Broc at her side. As soon as the door opened, Isla heard a commotion within. It wasn’t long before the Warriors also began to make their way within the castle walls, though Hayden lagged behind.
Isla huddled beneath her coat, bracing against the cold. Hayden took a few running steps before he jumped to the top of the battlements. He landed beside her and tamped down his god.
Without a word, she turned to her husband. His strong arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly. He stood in the elements with no shirt, completely unaffected by the chilly weather.
“What is it, love?” he murmured.
“If we go inside, we’ll learn what woke me.”
His chest expanded as he inhaled. “That wouldna be good, why?”
“Another fight is headed our way.”
“Are you sure?”
She leaned back and looked into his dark eyes. “Yes.”
“I’ve never backed down from a fight before. I willna now.”
“Haven’t we done enough? Haven’t we given enough?”
His fingers skimmed down her cheek tenderly. “This is who we are.”
“I know.” She sighed and sank her fingers into his blond hair. “I thought we were done risking our lives.”
He gave her one of his crooked smiles that she loved so much. “I’m a Warrior, and you’re a Druid. We get to stop the day our hearts stop beating.”
“I know. It’s just … the Ancients feel scared. And that terrifies me.”
“You’re the strongest woman I know. If anyone can do this, it’s you. And I’ll be standing with you the entire time.”
He always knew what to say. She felt her lips lift in a grin. “Promise?”
“There isna a being on this planet or elsewhere that could keep me from you. Shall we go and see what Rhi wants?”
She gave a nod. With their fingers entwined, they made their way inside the castle. As they descended the stairs to the great hall, they could hear the various conversations.
Isla’s gaze moved around the hall to the couples sitting at the table. Only one person stood apart: Rhi. The Fae’s gaze jerked to Isla.
Hayden’s fingers tightened around Isla’s as he led her from the stairs to the last two remaining seats at the table. Her heart was pounding. She didn’t know what was wrong with her, but every instinct she had told her to run as fast and as far as she could.
The room quieted as everyone turned to Rhi. She pushed away from the wall she had been leaning against, her gaze never leaving Isla.
“What brings you to our home?” Fallon MacLeod asked.
Rhi shot a quick look at the leader of the Warriors. “Trouble.”
Isla felt a shiver run down her spine. It was only Hayden’s hold on her that kept her in her seat while Rhi slowly made her way to the middle of the great hall.
“What’s going on, Rhi?” Phelan asked.
If anyone could get the Fae to talk, it was Phelan. He was half-Fae himself, and like a brother to Rhi. But to Isla’s surprise, Rhi ignored the Warrior’s question.
“Something called you Druids together,” Rhi said, the statement directed at Isla.
No matter how she tried, Isla couldn’t look away from the Light Fae.
“What did you hear?” Rhi probed.
Isla grimaced as the Ancients’ voices suddenly rose up together in a tidal wave of shouts and screams in reply, a sound that had her clutching her head between her hands.
The voices ran over each other, making it impossible to distinguish even one word. Her head began to pound the longer the voices continued.
It was only Hayden’s hands and his voice soothing her that kept her calm. Isla fought against the voices, wanting to get away from them.
“Concentrate, Isla,” Rhi demanded. “Listen to them.”
She shook her head. “No!”
“They’re only talking to you. You have to listen!” Rhi bellowed.
Only talking? That couldn’t be right. Isla opened her eyes and looked across the table to Laura, who sat with worry filling her gaze.
Isla clenched her teeth as the ache doubled. “I can’t.”
There was a scuffle of some kind, and she heard Hayden growl dangerously. Hands roughly grabbed her and gave her a little jerk.
“Dammit, Isla, concentrate,” Rhi ordered. “They’re trying to tell you something.”
How did Rhi know about any of this? Isla couldn’t understand what any of it meant. She only knew there was danger, so much danger.
“Focus on the voices. Push everything else out of your mind,” Hayden whispered in her ear.
The sound of his voice gave her a dose of composure. She felt his hands on her, lending her his strength. She did as he asked, and immediately, the pain diminished.
The Ancients were still loud, but the sounds of those in the great hall were interfering. Isla gripped Hayden’s hand tightly as she shut herself off from everything around her. With the outside noise removed, she was able to lose herself to the Ancients.
The longer she listened
, the clearer the voices became. The first thing she noticed was the dread and distress she heard in their tones.
“I’m here,” she told them.
“Isla. Danger!”
She’d been right. “Tell me.”
“The past is returning.”
“What does that mean?”
“They want payback.”
She was growing more confused as they spoke. “Who?”
“You’ll not be able to stop them alone. You’ll need the Light Fae. She has the answers you seek.”
And just like that, the Ancients left. “Wait!” Isla shouted, reaching toward them.
Her body pitched forward only to be caught by strong arms she knew well. She looked up into Hayden’s face and wanted to scream in frustration. But she couldn’t. Not when the rest of them waited to hear what the Ancients had told her.
Isla drew in a shuddering breath. Her gaze clashed with Rhi’s. The Ancients wanted her to work with Rhi. It was an odd request since the Druids tended to keep apart from the Fae.
She stepped out of Hayden’s arms and walked to Rhi. “How did you know?”
“There was an incident,” Rhi said loud enough for everyone to hear. “On Fair Isle.”
“Oh, God. Faith,” Ronnie said in alarm.
Isla vaguely recalled Ronnie mentioning something about one of her colleagues finding a dragon skeleton on an isle.
“Faith is fine,” Rhi assured Ronnie. “We made sure of that.”
Lucan MacLeod said, “I think you’d better fill us all in on everything.”
“Of course.” Rhi swallowed and faced them. “Faith did indeed find dragon bones—an entire skeleton. It had somehow been concealed with magic when Dmitri destroyed the bodies of the Whites who died on his isles. We thought the worst was the fact that a skeleton had been left behind.”
Isla wrapped her arms around herself. As Rhi spoke, she could see the events unfold in her mind as if she’d been there with Dmitri and Faith.
“Dmitri brought the bones to Dreagan. When he removed them from the cave, Faith found something. It was a small, wooden dragon.”
Isla took a step back from Rhi, her knees threatening to buckle—because, at that moment, the Ancients showed her the wooden piece. “A dragon carved to look like Con.”
