Fueled By Flames: A Hot Paranormal Dragon Romance (Hidden Realms of Silver Lake Book 9)

by Vella Day

  “I know you want to know why I left,” he said.

  Tory was thrilled she didn’t have to ask him about it first. “I do. I’m aware that you live a rather sheltered life, but running out on a woman, especially after making love, is not cool in any realm.”

  “Trust me, Bevon explained that to me in no uncertain terms.”

  She tossed him a quick smile. “Remind me to thank Bevon. He seems like a man of reason.”

  “Sometimes. Anyway, I left because I sensed your hesitation about what we did, and I was trying to save you the embarrassment of having to tell me that sleeping with me had been a mistake. I honestly wasn’t in a place to hear that.”

  “For real?” It stunned her that he had sensed her emotions, but also that he feared rejection.

  “Yes. Why else would I leave?”

  She studied him. Kenton really didn’t seem to have a clue. “I came up with many scenarios, but apparently I didn’t guess the right one.” Tory nodded to the bottle. “How about pouring us a glass and then sit in the living room? I have some news.”

  “All’s forgiven?” he asked, sounding relieved.

  “Yes. I, for one, appreciate honesty more than anything.”

  He saluted her. “Roger that.”

  “Where did you learn that expression?” she asked.

  “I overheard someone in the coffee shop say it. I’ve picked up a ton of phrases while working there.”

  Only Kenton would do that. “Good to know.”

  “I am curious. Why did you think I’d left?” he’d asked.

  “You were scared? Or you could read minds. Or…”

  He chuckled. “I get it. My actions defied reason. And you’d be right. It won’t happen again. I promise.”

  Relief rushed through her. “Thank you.”

  They carried their drinks to the living room where he sat next to her on the couch. Tory scooted a few inches away from him. She had business to discuss and didn’t need the intense distraction. Her body was already heating up from being so close. From the coffee table, she picked up the story she’d printed out about the Gromleys.

  “The Guardians had a late-night meeting last night with someone from Earth. She apparently used to live in Tarradon and was aware of these demons.”

  “Was it Ophelia? The Faiten sisters’ grandmother?”

  Tory’s jaw dropped. “You know her?”

  “We’ve met a time or two. She is amazing.”

  Tory handed him the paper. “She is. I wrote down what she told us. I didn’t want to forget anything.”

  Kenton read it. “Wow. I had heard rumors to this effect, but I wasn’t aware that white lighters sent them away.”

  Darn. She was hoping he knew more. “I kind of feel sorry for them. Just because they are different doesn’t mean they should be killed or banished to another realm—unless they took their anger out on people. Then all bets are off.”

  Kenton twisted toward her and lifted her chin. “I totally agree. The two groups should have tried to work together somehow.” He inhaled. “You know, you should have been in charge of the world back then. I bet it would be a different place today.”

  While she appreciated the compliment, it held quite a lot of sadness. “Are you telling me your kind wasn’t always welcomed here?” Or had she misread him?

  “At some point in our history I think that was the case. It was why we formed our own realm. Even now, it’s why we keep a low profile. Not to mention, we need to remain near the portals to keep them protected.”

  “And yet you spend most of your time in town now. Why is that?”

  He grinned. “I…ah…”

  She held up a hand. “Never mind. We’ll table that for another discussion, but I’m curious about something. The Guardians can create a portal wherever we are. Can you?”

  From the way his chest slightly deflated, he was relieved she’d let him off the hook with her last question.

  “Yes, but once we enter, it collapses. We aren’t worried about anyone following us through those. It’s the general portals that concern us.”

  “That’s exactly what we face.” Tory tapped the paper. “Which brings us back to this. Considering the Gromleys of old had their throats cut, and five recent people had their throats cut, do you think this could be a case of revenge?”

  “It’s a stretch but a definite possibility.”

  “Even if we learn the real reason for the attacks, that doesn’t help us figure out how to stop them,” she said.

  Her cell rang, but she chose to ignore it. She wanted to get to know the real Kenton Forrester and not just in a sexual way. Her body, however, was going crazy, and her dragon was demanding satisfaction.

  Stop it, she said. I need to be sure my attraction wasn’t just because I liked his looks.

  He’s your mate, her dragon shot back.

  “Aren’t you going to answer it?” Kenton asked, nodding to the phone. If he hadn’t sounded so concerned, she would have ignored it.

  “I can do that.” Tory picked it up, expecting it to be Greer. Instead it was her cousin Logan. He rarely called. “I should take this.” She swiped the phone. “Hey, Logan.”

  “I have some news on the possible suicide killer.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “Can I put you on speaker? Kenton is with me.”

  “Absolutely.”

  She pressed the button. “Okay, tell me.”

  “I decided to do a very deep dive on the five murdered victims. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but when I couldn’t find a connection between them, I went deeper.”

  Sometimes Logan could draw out the conclusion. “What’s the bottom line?”

  “I did a family tree for all of them. All of them came from two families—the Protero and the Colton families.”

  “What does this have to do with the Gromleys?”

  “Both families were powerful white lighters. While the information from four hundred years ago is rather spotty, I was able to piece together a few things. There were records kept of their council meetings. Apparently, they went on record saying the Gromleys had to be destroyed and sent off this realm.”

  She sucked in a breath. “And you think these current day people are being targeted as a way to pay for their ancestors sending the Gromleys to Cargonia?”

  “Draw your own conclusions, but that is what I get out of it.”

  Kenton leaned closer. “Kenton here. Did you learn if anyone else was responsible for their demise? I’m wondering if maybe the Feys either helped the Gromleys or helped the locals get rid of them.”

  “I don’t know, but I did recognize one name from back then—someone who was the head of the council.”

  Now he had her curious. “Who?”

  “Tory’s grandfather, Altus Sinclair.”

  Her pulse raced. “What are you saying? That the Guardians helped kill the Gromleys?”

  “It’s possible, which means your family and maybe mine could be the next target.”

  Tory hung up, her face pale and a bit contorted. Drat. Kenton was actually scared for her and her family. Why he thought this Gromley demon would target her specifically, he didn’t know, but Kaleena had Finn to help protect her, and both Nessa and Greer also had mates, assuming the Caspians were included in this vendetta.

  “I have a suggestion,” he said as calmly as he could.

  Her face hardened as she put down the phone and turned her attention back to him. “Unless you know how to locate this demon, what can you do?”

  “I can keep you safe.”

  She looked at him like he had two heads. “How? You said it takes your whole family to create this magic ball that might kill a demon. This guy figured out a way for five people to kill themselves in their homes!”

  “That is true, but if you aren’t on Tarradon, they can’t find you.”

  She scrunched her brows. “I’m not sure I follow.”

  “Come to Feyrion with me.” He held his breath.

  Tory hu
ffed out a laugh. “Seriously? Not only do I have a job, but as a Guardian, I have to protect the people here. I won’t run off because I’m in danger.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “How are you going to protect others? Can you be sure this demon can’t convince you to slit your throat?”

  “Slitting my throat won’t kill me.”

  “Okay, if he can tell you’re a shifter, he might compel you to stab yourself in that soft spot below your heart.”

  Her mouth opened. “You have a terrible imagination.”

  Kenton clasped her hand. “Would you mind coming to the forest with me for a few minutes then? I want to ask Fay something. The Fairies are intuitive. She might know something.”

  “You haven’t told her about the Gromleys?”

  “I have, but that was before I was aware you might be in danger. I’m hoping she can offer a suggestion. I’ll bring you back here whenever you want.”

  Tory pressed her lips together. “Okay, but how are we getting there? I can’t teleport.”

  He smiled. “Like this.”

  One second, they were in her living room and the next in Fay’s house. To be precise, it was Fay, Meena, and Tally’s house.

  Tory grabbed his arm. “Holy crap. Did you just teleport me to the forest?”

  From the sparkle in her eyes, she liked it. “Yes.”

  “Where are we?”

  “At my house.” Fay said as she exited her bedroom. “This is a surprise, brother. I can feel Tory’s concern and excitement blended together.”

  “Fay!” Tory said. “That’s because I’ve never teleported before.”

  Kenton needed to explain things quickly. “Logan Caspian did some research. We have reason to believe that Gromley demons might be coming after the Guardians next.”

  Fay sucked in a breath. “That is not good.”

  “Exactly.” He told her what he’d learned. “Any suggestions?”

  “I suggest you tell Tory everything and let her decide what to do next.”

  His mate glanced up at him. “What do you mean everything? What haven’t you told me?”

  He turned to face his sister. “Thanks for the tactful suggestion.”

  She smiled sweetly. “You were taking your sweet time. I was just giving you the needed nudge.”

  Tory clasped his arm. “I’ll ask again. What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Let’s go to my place. I’m hoping Bevon is still out. I’ll explain everything there.”

  “I prefer you take me back to my place.”

  He didn’t want to piss her off more than he already had. “If you wish.”

  Kenton placed a hand on her back and teleported them to her home. She placed a hand on the back of the sofa. It was almost as if she was testing whether they really were in her house. “That was too strange. I feel as if I’m in a dream.”

  He walked over to the kitchen, grabbed the half empty bottle of wine and then returned to the living room. “I have a feeling we’ll be needing this.”

  Without saying a word, he poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her. He then motioned they sit down.

  Once she settled down, she tossed back most of her wine and then faced him. “I’m ready. Tell me.”

  “You remember Malpan, right?”

  The chuckle that escaped wasn’t from cheer. “That scum hurt a lot of people. Of course, I remember him.”

  “You recall that he hurt you too, and that Greer and Declan had to heal you.”

  “I don’t need a rehash of my life.”

  “It was a lie.” He waited for her to yell or something. Instead, she just stared at him.

  “Which part?”

  “Let me back up to right before Malpan attacked you. You were fighting some dragons and were injured enough to fall to the ground.”

  “That’s not unusual in such a battle.”

  “What you don’t know is that when Malpan realized I was a Fey, he knew he was about to die. Seconds before I tossed him through the portal where my guards were waiting to rip out his soul, he implanted part of his dark soul into you.”

  She sucked in a breath. “I had dark magic in me? Like Danita had?”

  “Not quite. Most of the time, a dark Fey will put a dark spell on the person, like what he did to Danita. In your case, it was more serious. You had a kind of dark cancer, if you will, growing inside you.”

  She placed a hand on her chest. “But Greer and Declan did their magic and saved me.”

  “No. I’m afraid the darkness shut down your dragon’s ability to save you. Greer and Declan wouldn’t have been able to save you.”

  She shook her head. “But I’m still alive. Clearly, I didn’t die.”

  “No. I was able to convince Griffin to let me take you to Feyrion and cure you.”

  “Griffin knew?”

  “That’s what you’re getting out of this? Tory, you almost died. Hell, you did die for a few seconds.”

  She polished off her wine and set down her glass. “I don’t understand any of this.”

  “Not that it is critical to the story since I might not have acted any differently, but from the moment I saw you flying overhead doing battle, I knew you were my mate.”

  She froze and stared at him. “Then it’s true.”

  He shouldn’t have thrown so much at her at once. She had yet to come to grips with what he had to do to save her. “Yes, but we can discuss what that means in a moment. Back on Feyrion, I had minutes to save you, so I took a piece of my life light and placed it in you.”

  When he nodded to her chest, she slapped her palm over her heart. “The heat? Those slight light pulses are you?”

  He was relieved she understood. “Yes.”

  “Did that cure me?”

  “Yes. It was able to dissolve, if that is even the right word, all of the darkness inside you. It took about a week for you to recover.”

  She placed her palms together and pressed her fingers to her lips. “I don’t remember anything.”

  Now he needed to deliver the third blow—or was it the fourth? “With a little help, I was able to erase the memory of your time on Feyrion.”

  “You erased my memory? Are you kidding me?”

  “Like I’ve said, I have many talents.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tory’s mind seemed to be spinning as she tried to absorb all of this new information. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked. “I mean this happened a while ago.”

  “That’s kind of the purpose of erasing your memory.”

  Her lips pressed together. “Why would you do that? Was there something on Feyrion I shouldn’t have seen?”

  “Not exactly, but after the attack, I made the call that you weren’t ready to learn we were mates. Even if you hadn’t been my mate, we would have erased your memory because we don’t want other worlds to be aware of Feyrion.”

  “I’m sorry for being so dense, but what is on Feyrion that is so secret? Danita knows your realm exists. Why keep it from me?”

  Kenton had more or less been waiting for these questions and had prepared his answer. “Our magic could be exploited if a lot of people learned about us.”

  She stared at him for a minute. “I can see your point about wanting to keep your talents secret. My family feels that if Tarradon learns who we are, we’d be taken advantage of. I imagine it’s the same for you.”

  “Thank you.” Kenton couldn’t believe she was so forgiving—at least of that one part.

  Tory twisted away from him and leaned back. “I can’t believe some of my family members knew about this and covered it up.”

  “I asked them not to say anything. It was for your own good. I wanted to be the one to tell you—when the time was right.”

  Her lips pressed together. She faced him, her gaze not a forgiving one. “You didn’t think to ask me what I wanted?”

  “About what? Me inserting my light into you or erasing your memory?”

  “Both, I guess.”


  “First off, you were dying and weren’t exactly awake for me to ask you. Besides, you are my mate, and no matter what, I will do everything and anything to protect you—including keeping something secret from you until the time is right to tell you.”

  She sat up straighter. “Fine. Now that I know, I want this thing you put in my chest, out.”

  Tory couldn’t be serious. “You don’t understand.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “Enlighten me.”

  “For starters, removing my life light might kill you—assuming I could remove it. It’s not something I’ve ever done before,” Kenton explained.

  “If you put it in, you can take it out.” Tory dipped her chin. “Please remember that I was quite healthy before Malpan came along. I am fully healed now, so I don’t need it.”

  “It will give you strength.”

  “Look. Right now, I don’t want to be artificially connected to you, and I mean that in the nicest way. If we do end up together, I want it to be because we want to be together, not because some light is making us.”

  Blood pounded in his ears, and his gut was churning something fierce. He held up a hand, needing a moment to think. Tory was his mate. She couldn’t really mean that she wanted his light out of her. “I get it, but you need to give me some time to figure out how to undo it. I need to find out if it will harm me.” That was a low blow, but Kenton was desperate. He couldn’t lose their connection.

  “Fine. While you are figuring things out—and I’m figuring things out—I’d like you to leave.”

  “Leave? No.” He clasped her hands in his. “Tory, we belong together. Just give me time to prove it.”

  “Do you really think a relationship should be based on lies though? Has there been anything you’ve told me that was the truth?”

  Her anger actually hurt his whole body. “Yes. I want to be with you. You do things to me that no other woman has. And that’s the truth.”

  “This is all about you?”

  “Ouch.” He released his grip and stabbed a hand through his hair, but his fingers only tangled it more. “No. That’s not it. I am devastated that I handled everything so poorly.”

  She stood. “I need time to think. Not only did you implant something in my body and erase my memory, you asked my family to keep it from me. I’m betting you didn’t just happen to run into me the day I was on my way to see my sister.”