by Vella Day
“Pretty girl. Who is she speaking with?”
“Yes, she is. That’s Ainsley. She and Blair went to school together and now work at the same physiotherapy business here in town.”
“Ah, yes—Jackson’s mate.”
Connor and his brother came back over, and Connor handed EmmaLee a glass of red wine while Devon gave Vinea her water. “You two ladies catching up?” Connor asked.
“Yes. We need to visit Pittsburgh soon,” EmmaLee told Connor. “I miss my friend.”
“Absolutely. I can catch up with what is going on with Devon at that office.”
Someone knocked on the front door, but unlike with the other visitors, this person didn’t come in.
“I’ll get it,” Connor said.
EmmaLee returned her attention to Vinea. “I haven’t been to a party this big in so long. I’m beginning to feel caged in.”
Vinea laughed and rubbed EmmaLee’s arm. “You’ll get used to it. The McKinnons are a large family. Add in the Murdochs, who are like family, and it’s never dull. For that reason alone, I miss Silver Lake.”
“Do you think you’ll ever move back?”
Vinea glanced at Devon. “I don’t think so. Devon loves running the Pittsburgh office and the people there are really nice. His team and their mates are good people.”
“I couldn’t be happier for you.”
Curious at who’d arrived, she turned around. “Oh good, Ronan made it.”
“Who’s Ronan?” Vinea asked.
“He’s Lexi’s brother. Didn’t I tell you Connor asked him to come down from Vermont to help him take down Slater?”
“Ah, yes. Now I remember. So, now that Slater is gone, will Ronan return home?
“Connor offered him a permanent place in the firm.”
“That’s great,” Vinea said. “I guess I kind of messed things up though. Once I became pregnant, Devon decided to stay home with me.”
EmmaLee clasped her friend’s hand. “I’m sure Connor is just fine with Devon running the other office.”
Connor helped EmmaLee up. “Let’s grab something to eat. You’ll need your energy for later.”
EmmaLee chuckled. “I am starving. You two coming, Vinea?”
She looked up at Devon. “I’d like to rest for a bit longer. We had a snack on the drive down here, and ever since I got pregnant, certain foods haven’t settled well with me.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make up a plate for you when you’re ready,” Devon said as he sat next to her.
Now that Vinea was in good hands, EmmaLee and Connor meandered over to the buffet table. “Oh, my. It looks like your mom planned for a hundred guests. Do most shifters have such a healthy appetite?” she asked.
“I’m afraid so.”
“Before we have kids, I guess I need to find a job to pay for food.”
Connor laughed. “You just might.”
While EmmaLee picked out her food, she couldn’t help but watch Ronan who was openly staring at Blair. She nudged Connor. “What’s up with him? He can’t take his eyes off of Jackson’s sister.”
Connor shrugged. “He’s single. She’s single.”
That was a lame answer. “I think it’s more than that.”
“Even if there is, it’s none of our business.”
Well darn. It was still fun to speculate. As they moved through the line, Connor introduced her to Elana and Kalan.
EmmaLee glanced from Kalan to Jackson. “I can see the family resemblance.”
“Thank you. I’m just happy Blair takes after our mom. I wouldn’t wish my unruly hair or big nose on any woman.”
Everyone laughed. The clinking of glass sounded, and the crowed quieted.
Mr. and Mrs. McKinnon were standing by the unlit fireplace in the living room smiling. “Thank you all for coming—not that you had a choice,” Mr. McKinnon said.
This time, EmmaLee laughed along with the crowd. Only Finn remained sober, poor guy. She wondered when he’d find peace.
“We are here today to celebrate our newest family member. EmmaLee Donovan. She and Connor have mated. While they were brought together because of a bad situation, love prevailed. Please welcome, EmmaLee.” Everyone clapped.
“Thank you,” she said when the crowd quieted. “It’s a great honor to be part of the McKinnon family.”
“Connor?” his dad said with a knowing nod.
Connor turned her toward him and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You’ve made me a happy man, Em. With your demons vanquished, may your life with me be filled with love and adventure.” He lightly kissed her then looked at her as if she was expected to say something.
Wow. That was a hard act to follow. She inhaled then let out a big breath. “While our relationship started off on a rocky path—mostly because you were stubborn—I’m very glad you finally saw the light.” That got a chuckle from everyone.
As much as she wanted to reference Connor’s attempt to slay a dragon, the McKinnons felt it would be wiser to keep that story under wraps—except to Vinea.
The crowd chanted, “Kiss her, kiss her…”
And kiss her he did.
*
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*
I hoped you enjoyed EmmaLee and Connor’s story. Up next is the first book in a Silver Lake spin off series called HIDDEN REALMS OF SILVER LAKE, starring Finn McKinnon and Kaleena Sinclair—a dragon shifter from the realm of Tarradon. But don’t worry, Ronan and Blair will have their story told.
Here’s the first chapter from AWAKENED BY FLAMES.
*
Fire shot through Kaleena Sinclair’s body, and she stiffened as the poison coursed through her, stretching and then contracting her veins. Shooting arrows of pain aimed straight for her heart, and the inability to stop any of it made her pulse race faster than any dragon could fly.
To keep from falling off her bar stool, she gripped the shiny counter in front of her, all the while trying to make sense of what was happening. Sounds faded, and the bartender’s face blurred. Her mouth turned sand dry. Then the sheer terror of possible death slammed into her.
“Are you okay?” the bartender asked. Or at least she thought that’s what he said.
“I think so.” Embarrassment made her lie. Because it would hopefully only take a minute for her dragon to heal her, she tried to relax, but her animal wasn’t succeeding fast enough.
It’s Seliarus, her dragon said. This will take time. I’m sorry.
Oh shit. This stuff was very rare, and if ground into a dust and ingested, it was extremely dangerous to a dragon. While it wouldn’t kill her in an of itself, if she were lured into battle in her state of weakness, it would be deadly.
Had Christian slipped it into her drink? Or had the bartender laced her wine when she and Christian were on the dance floor?
Eyes wide, Kaleena looked around to see if anyone else was experiencing the same devastation. She’d come here with one of her coworkers, but Denise had received an emergency phone call and had to leave. Kaleena would have left with her, but this guy, Christian insisted she dance with him one time.
He’d excused himself a minute ago to use the facilities, so maybe he was ill too. Had she and Christian both been drugged, or had he been responsible for the burning acid wreaking havoc inside her? Kaleena didn’t think she was that bad a judge of character.
Get us out of here! her dragon pleaded, snapping her focus back to getting away from the crowded bar.
Kaleena tried to push back her stool, but her muscles failed to cooperate.
Suddenly Christian appeared next to her, looking healthy. “Jeez, Kaleena. You don’t look so good,” Christian said, full of sympathy. “Let me help you.”
The bartender placed a glass of water on the bar. “Drink this. It’ll make you feel better.”
She reached t
o take it, but then thought he might have been the one to lace her drink, so she let her hand return to gripping the counter. Before she was able to turn around, a wave of nausea made her almost fall off the stool, but Christian caught her.
“I’m taking you to the Emergency room,” he said.
Kaleena was too disoriented to argue, but when he wrapped an arm around her waist to help her up, her mind snapped. Suddenly, she was convinced he was this evil warlock sent to harm her. Kaleena had been trained to fight, and she used what little strength she had left to swing a fist at his face. It was as if the air was made of clay though, and her delivery came out way too slow. No surprise, Christian was able to duck before she could connect.
Fight, dragon, fight, she pleaded.
“I’m trying to help you, Kaleena,” Christian said.
Was he? So what if his support was all that was keeping her upright. “I’m okay.”
“No you aren’t. You can barely remain upright.” Christian helped her off the stool and then managed to weave them through the crowd toward the back entrance. As soon as she stepped outside, her vision turned black and her knees buckled.
*
When Kaleena awoke, her head was pounding something fierce. She slowly eased open her eyes to mostly darkness. Where the hell was she? Only scant light filled the small, disgustingly smelly space. From the stench, this wasn’t a hospital. The drugs were still in her system and were definitely messing with her ability to focus well.
Pushing up on her elbows, she looked around, but she only remained upright for a moment. Weakness attacked her, and she fell back onto what felt like a cot resting on top of rocks. Even though cold dampness seeped into her body, she didn’t have the energy to rub her arms to warm herself.
Don’t move, her dragon warned.
No problem. I couldn’t if I wanted to.
To help ease the ache stabbing her eyes, she palmed her lids and pressed inward. The pain eased slightly. Not only was her head throbbing, her stomach was threatening to revolt. This had to have been a mistake. If she lived long enough to tell her family what had happened, they would make certain the perpetrator would be punished for his indiscretion.
Sounds slowly filtered into her drugged mind. Something clanked, feet shuffled, and moans sounded, but she couldn’t quite figure out her location. Pleading with her body to get rid of this devil potion inside her, she rolled onto her side and held in a moan. Kaleena blinked and focused on the small dirty white sink jutting out from a wall made from stone. Next to it sat a metal toilet. Cot, sink, toilet. Was she in some kind of jail cell? If so, why? It wasn’t as if she’d committed a crime. And where was Christian? He was supposed to take her to the Emergency Room. Or was he being held captive too? Goddess this was such a nightmare.
When her vision finally cleared, her body turned even colder. Knives protruded at six-inch intervals from the walls. And not just a few knives, mind you—a whole shit ton of knives.
With a gargantuan effort, Kaleena managed to sit up and ease her feet to the floor. An ache stronger than the strength of ten dragon claws filled her, but she pushed aside the discomfort and glanced upward. Holy goddess. The eight-foot by eight-foot cell had daggers jutting down from the ceiling too. What kind of sick bastard had kidnapped her? At least the fourth wall was merely barred.
Drugged and imprisoned, but why? For money? Or did this person have a vendetta against her family? Perhaps her father or uncle had threatened to expose some deadly secret, and her kidnapper planned to use her as leverage to keep them quiet.
Think!
She was the head of public relations for SinCas Mining and Gems, but it wasn’t as if she wielded a lot of power. Okay, that wasn’t totally true. Her family was one of the most powerful and wealthy in all of Tarradon since they owned the two largest mines in the realm and employed a ton of the local shifters and humans. And yes, she possessed a level of magic the Royals wished they had.
Not only were the workers at SinCas always treated well, the Sinclairs and Caspians gave to many charities and supported those in need. She wracked her brain to think if she’d mention her last name to Christian. Even if she had, he didn’t seem like the type to be after her for her money since he was a highly successful lawyer. Or had that been a lie?
Nothing made sense to her addled brain. At least if her captor demanded a ransom, her parents would find her. Whether she’d be alive was another matter.
Lay back down, her dragon said. I need to heal you.
Kaleena did as her dragon asked, and she closed her eyes once more to help center herself. The stench, which was a combination of unwashed bodies, mold, and stale air, pushed past acceptable, causing bile to rush up her throat. Forcing herself to reach the sink that was a mere two feet away in time, she bent over and vomited. Her knees weakened, and she dropped to the filthy floor. Jeez, she had to get out of there.
And she would too if only she could figure out how. Given all of the knives surrounding her, shifting was out of the question. Her nearly twenty-foot wings would be shredded in seconds. Only another dragon would be so cruel to think of that.
As Kaleena inhaled deeply, her body became wracked with a coughing fit. After she forced herself to calm, she rose to her feet but instantly dropped back down as a wave of dizziness assaulted her again. Damn drugs. No one was going to stop her from doing what she needed to do however. She was a Guardian, for goddess sake—imbued with magic and strength. She would escape.
With her lungs still on fire, Kaleena crawled back to the cot and dragged herself on top. One of her talents should enable her to escape. Only which one? She was strong and fast in the air, but shifting inside the cell wasn’t possible. Cloaking only occurred in her shifted form too. Damn. If only she possessed the talent to teleport, she could get out of there right now.
Then an idea struck. There were hundreds of weapons surrounding her. All she had to do was extract one of the knives and wait for her captor to visit. If he was a dragon—which she suspected was the case—she’d stab him in the top part of the heart—the one vulnerable spot on his body. With the element of surprise on her side, she might be able to kill him.
Renewed by her fresh idea, she tried to stand once more. This time she succeeded. Focusing on keeping her balance, she made it to the sink and held on. Not wanting to slice up her hand when she tugged on the knife to remove it, she slipped off her lightweight jacket with the intention of wrapping it around the knife to pull it out.
To her great dismay, the moment the fabric came in contact with the metal, it jutted out from the wall another ten inches. Holy hell. If she merely brushed against the wall, the blade would impale her.
Strong footsteps sounded down the hallway. She quickly lowered her arm and slipped on her jacket then had to grab the bars to steady herself.
“Hello?” she called out.
A moment later, a man in a khaki uniform appeared. Unfortunately, the small logo on the pocket wasn’t something she recognized, and the letters were too small to read. Damn. He handed her a metal cup but said nothing.
Not wanting to piss him off, she took his offering. “Thank you. Can you tell me why I’m here?”
As he stepped closer, his sour breath made her lean back. The man opened his mouth wide and laughed. Oh, dear god, he had no tongue. What kind of monster would do that to another person—especially to another dragon? Acid burned in her stomach at the injustice.
She stood as straight as she could without wincing to show him she wasn’t afraid—even though she was. “I’m Kaleena Sinclair. Please ask my captor to come here and face me.” She hoped her name would mean something to him.
The guard slammed his hand against her bars and leaned forward as if to give her some kind of warning. He glared at her and then grinned before shuffling back down the hallway. Well, that didn’t go as well as she’d hoped.
The energy drain to remain upright overwhelmed her, and she returned to the cot. Kaleena needed to go over what had happened with Christian
in order to figure out how she’d ended up there. During the prelude to their three-minute dance, had he hinted at anything to indicate he was involved in some scheme to retaliate against her family? She didn’t recall anything. While she’d never met him before tonight, he seemed like a nice guy.
Gaining strength slowly, she stood and paced, accessing the situation. So far, only one guard had stopped by, but she wasn’t so naïve to believe there weren’t more close by.
A whimper came from someone near, and Kaleena stilled.
“Hello?” Kaleena called out.
Silence. Even the small cry had stopped.
“Who are you?” Perhaps the caged person thought this was a trap. “I’m Kaleena Sinclair. Maybe we can help each other.”
“Sinclair?” The woman whispered the name with reverence.
“Yes.” Kaleena’s pulse sped up.
“I’m Danita. Why are you here?” she asked.
That was a good question. “I’m not sure, but someone drugged me.”
“Me too.” The desperation in the woman’s voice tore at her.
“Are you a white lighter?” Kaleena lowered her voice when she said the last word. It was the only logical explanation for why they’d both been taken.
“Um…yes.” It was as if she was afraid to admit it in case a guard was near.
“When did they take you?”
“I think a week ago.”
Kaleena’s shoulders slumped. This was worse than she thought. As much as she wanted to speak with this woman, there was no telling if anyone was monitoring their conversation. She looked around the hallway, checking the area near the ceiling to locate any cameras, but she found none. “How many other captives are there here?”
“I don’t know.”
Kaleena returned to her pacing, careful not to walk too close to the walls. She stopped. “Are there knives sticking out of your walls?” she asked the other captive, trying to see if every cell was equipped with such torture.
“Knives? No.”
A heavy door opened, wheels squeaked, and then what sounded like metal trays were being slid across the floor. One scraping noise. Then two. And three. Finally, the same guard who’d handed her a drink appeared in front of her cage. He bent down and delivered a tray under her cell bars.
