The young man’s eyes blazed with anger. Black washed over them, and I stepped back, feeling a flood of magic pushing off of him. I’d seen that wave of color that took over eyes: shifters all had it right before the inevitable change. What type of shifter could travel? The discovery of a new magical hybrid wasn’t unheard of, but he was a shifter and what? His fair skin had a light dewy glow. More magic, harder, more tumultuous, rose from him. His body contorted, and black scales punctured his skin. They rolled over his body, covering once-human arms as his body quadrupled in size. Before me, a black dragon with eyes just as dark as his scales emerged. His tail waved in my direction. I flipped to grab my gun, wishing for more than just rubber bullets. I shot once, hitting him in his chest. He didn’t budge, not even an inch. I shot again, hitting him in the temple. I was rewarded with just a slight jerk of his head, hardly enough to stop him.
The woman was my only option. I turned quickly and made a shot to her chest that sent her back several feet into the wall. Her hand went up. I took the shot, hitting the extended hand. She wailed in pain; I’d probably broken it. Magic shattered around us, everyone in the room moved, and simultaneously their eyes went to the dragon. A ball of flame formed in Kieran’s hand, and he tossed it in the dragon’s direction. The massive creature moved from the flames that landed at his feet. When he moved his tail struck the bar, bashing it to pieces. I made a note to stay the hell away from that tail, something the now-massive wolf formally known as Alex didn’t. He leapt at the dragon, sinking his teeth into him. He was a massive wolf but no match for a dragon. The dragon began to move, ignoring us, his sights only on the witch across the room, who didn’t have use of her left hand. With his whipping tail clearing anything and anyone out of his way, he grabbed her by the shirt with his teeth. She looked like a rag doll, falling limp as he soared with her, using his body like a wrecking ball and ramming into a wall to get an opening to ascend into the sky.
“You don’t see that every day,” I said, watching him as he flew away and trying to ignore the foolish urge to jump on the tail to follow them. I could do a lot of things, but flying wasn’t one of them, and I’d need that skill if he managed to knock me off.
“A dragon and a witch,” Landon said, his voice a cross of incredulous amusement and disgust.
My gaze danced past Mephisto, who looked like he was fit to burst with rage. It wasn’t just the heightened anger that caught my attention: it was also the dark, alluring call of his unique brand of magic, which wafted off him. Even in his rising fury, he looked in my direction, and a devilish glint skated over his eyes as a light curl lifted his lips.
“Well, if the folklore is right, at least your things are probably safe and not being sold on the black market,” I said, adding a little ebullience to my tone, hoping to lighten the mood. It didn’t help. Landon’s dark eyes went to me before moving them to Mephisto, who brushed the dust from his suit and then tugged on the arms and the hem of the jacket, straightening it. Even in the aftermath of a dragon attack, he still couldn’t bear to be anything other than meticulously dressed. When Landon spoke, his tone was deep, commanding, and edged with his anger. “I take it this will be handled rather quickly since we now know who the culprit is. I’m sure you will be providing me with more than just the items that were stolen—I’d also like a way to get in touch with these people.”
Typical vampire. They wouldn’t get their hands dirty or spend time finding the culprit but managed to find ample opportunities to seek retribution.
CHAPTER 5
“I need help finding a dragon,” I informed Cory the moment I walked into his apartment. He stopped me at the door and pointed at my shoes. It was a wonder we managed to be friends. His home was an homage to his type A personality. Everything had a place, including my shoes, which I placed next to his where they were lined along the wall.
Each picture was intricately hanged and aligned. His decorative pillows were placed neatly on his sofa. The coffee table was perfectly positioned—I didn’t doubt that he’d used a ruler to make sure it was an equal distance from each end of said sofa. His color scheme throughout the house was tan in contrast to mine, which featured vibrant colors. I thought the military would have made him crave colors, but instead he wanted uniformity and structure. I enjoyed a little chaos, and I needed color. Muted walls were reminders of being in the Sty—institutionalized and lacking control. For a brief moment I thought of Mephisto.
“You’re looking for a dragon?” he asked, his brows arched in disbelief as he took a seat next to me on the sofa.
“Yep, a dragon and a witch.”
“Cool. I want a unicorn,” he teased.
I laughed and then told him everything that had taken place at Mephisto’s.
His eyes widened. “Well, finding a dragon should be easy.”
“Really? I’ve lived here all my life, and not one time have I ever seen a dragon. He’s a shifter—they love their animal form.” It was nothing to see a random tiger just traipsing through the street like an adorable little kitty as opposed to a big-ass apex predator.
I ran my hands through my hair, then pushed my bangs from my face. “If he’s like other shifters, he’ll have to change during the full moon. I guess we can try to track him then.” I wasn’t sure if shifter rules applied to flying reptiles. And he would have to live in a place large enough to allow his dragon form to roam unseen.
For several minutes I tried to think of secluded housing. But when you flew over the Midwest, you could see that it was full of places that could be easily hidden by forests. Homes overshadowed by thick trees or acres of farmland.
“Do dragon-shifters have to change during the full moon?” I asked Cory.
His lips twisted to the side in thought before he shrugged. “I don’t know. But if he went through a wall, it’s doubtful he did it without injury and leaving blood behind. Blood, like a person’s name, can be used for a tracking spell.”
“Name?” He’d said that so many times I hadn’t really considered it of any consequence until now. Mephisto guarded his name for a reason. How much power was in a name? “And if you have a name, what can you do?”
“Depending on how strong the magic-wielder is, they can call the person. However, specification is your friend on this. If you want to do a spell to target all Corys you are going to be in a world of trouble, and I can imagine that’s going to take some time to recover from. But if you call Cory Keats, how many are there? Maybe three or four. You have a combination of both a real name and blood and you can do damage. But it’s limited to just others of the magical world. Our names hold power.”
“I wonder if that’s what Mephisto is afraid of?”
“Nah, he’s just going for that whole hot and mysterious shtick. After all, if he told you his name was Henry Joe-Blow you wouldn’t be here thinking about him, now would you?” A brow arched as he studied me and a flicker of a smile curled his lips. “The thing about a name and blood—you have to wield some serious power for them to be of any use to you.”
“Power like yours,” I noted.
“Oh shucks, you flatter me.” Cory was one of the most powerful wielders of magic in the world, strong enough to sustain me and not die.
I winked at him and mocked, “You need to be flattered. Who else is willing to be a donor to a misfit like me?”
“Oh stop gushing. I can only take so much. If not me, there would have been someone else. Not nearly as handsome as I am—probably a trollish-looking guy that you’d have to suck face with for all of eternity.”
“You know I don’t have to actually touch my lips to the person. I did it in the beginning because it’s easier” I quipped back.
He laughed. “Yeah, I wasn’t happy about that part at all.”
I rolled my eyes. Cory hadn’t come out yet, although I wished he would, but I didn’t push it. Once he was ready, I knew he would. Even if that wasn’t the case, our friendship was platonic. But Mephisto—what had happened between us was different,
and I didn’t like it. I liked when I had an aversion to him.
“I think we need to pay dark, sexy, and mysterious a visit and see if he has some dragon blood so we can track that critter and get us some money,” Cory said, coming to his feet.
“Us?”
“Of course. You can’t do this without my talents, and I don’t work for free.” His hands swept over his jeans and the t-shirt that molded around his muscular chest. “This costs money to upkeep. Grocers refuse to take a smile as currency, despite how spectacular it is.” As illustration, he flashed me a dazzling smile.
“Your modesty is the most endearing thing about you.”
“I know.”
* * *
I was escorted into Mephisto’s home by a butler and followed him to the room where the game had been held. It didn’t look a lot different than it had a couple of hours before. Splinters of wood from the destroyed bar peppered the floor, which was still wet from the broken bottles of alcohol. I had to walk around the shattered glass.
Mephisto looked in my direction, ignoring Cory, who stayed at my side. “This is a mess. I hope you have something for me,” he said.
“Maybe,” I offered, “if he left any blood behind.”
He nodded slowly, but it took a moment for him to drag his eyes from mine, and when he finally did, he walked over to a pile of debris, pulled out a fallen broken shingle, and handed it to me. There was just a small speckle of blood on it. I was more concerned with keeping my curiosity from consuming me than the shingle he’d extended in my direction. How had he found it so quickly? The magic that drifted off him was thick, so much more intoxicating than before. It was harder to be around it and even harder to ignore my desire to feel it, touch it, enjoy it. A wicked smile spread across his face, and I knew I hadn’t successfully hidden my interest and yearning.
“Erin.” Cory said my name, and I refocused on the task at hand. He took the shingle from me. Mephisto eyes narrowed and bounced between the two of us.
Even Mephisto looked at him in quiet awe as Cory performed a locating spell. Cory’s magic was more than calling forward his powers to perform a task. It was an elegant show of power, control, and beauty. Vibrant colors skipped around him before he was enclosed by them. Thick vines of teal, peach, white, and crimson wrapped around him, obscuring our ability to see what he was doing, which wasn’t a big deal because we were fixated on the color show that unfolded before us. His melodious incantation filled the room.
I was a little proud of myself for never having attempted to keep something so glorious for myself. It was a reminder of how much better I was. I’d killed before to keep magic forever—or rather, until it was depleted. I could never keep it for long, sometimes for days but once for three months. I shuddered, remembering those dark years.
My eyes slipped in Mephisto’s direction: he was watching me. I gave him a light smile, that wanton need to have his magic finally doused. I was thankful for that. I needed memories and Cory to keep me on my path.
Mephisto moved closer to me, and as his hand pressed against my back, warmth wrapped around me. He leaned down, slightly angled so he could continue to watch Cory’s impressive display of magic. “Erin”—he said my name not as one would a colleague’s but as if we were in a more intimate setting, deep and breathy—“are you okay?”
Discreetly, I inched from his reach. “Yes, just a little distracted. I need to finish this job”—I gave him a wry smile—“or you might never hire me again.”
He looked at me skeptically, and I vowed I would start doing more advertising so I could depend on him less for work.
I got the impression he was ready to close the distance I’d put between us when Cory said, “I got it.” Once the colorful cocoon around him had dropped, he pulled out his phone and tapped something into it. Seconds later my phone buzzed with an address.
“May I have it as well?”
I hesitated but went ahead and sent it to Mephisto. I was sure he wanted it for more than sending repair bills, but when you stole dangerous objects from dangerous people there were consequences.
CHAPTER 6
Cory stopped the car and then parked it. I looked around the miles of fallow land, surprised not only by the desolate area but also the presence of Kieran and Alex. The more the merrier, as long as they didn’t think their assistance would result in a reduction in my fee. I didn’t mind Kieran. A fire-throwing mage might be what we needed. But shapeshifters weren’t known for their even temperaments, and one of Alex’s status was going to be a little harder to rein in.
Before opening the door, I asked Cory, “Are you sure this is the place?”
He nodded. I surveyed the area again before getting out of the car. I ushered a smile on my face and greeted Kieran and Alex with a smile. “I’m glad to have the assistance,” I said in a spritely voice, preparing them for what I was about to say next. “But I’m the lead and we move on my command.” I was prepared for the look they returned. Alex’s eyes narrowed as he gave me a long, lingering once-over and then responded with a grunt. He might as well have said, “We’ll see.” Kieran’s defiance was more subtle as he gave me a crooked smile and a dismissive shrug of his shoulders. Maybe the more wasn’t merrier.
Alex leaned in and inhaled. “Yeah, there’s magic here. Recently spilled blood, too.” Okay, maybe it wasn’t a bad idea to have a shapeshifter with us even if he was insolent.
Cory stepped a few feet closer, running his hand over something that I didn’t see. “This should be fun.” Fun meant hard as hell. When he pulled out a knife and ran it over his hand, we were past fun and into strong magic territory. Blood magic was the strongest, and often took a lot out of the wielder. If he had to use it, he wasn’t going to be of any further use.
“It’s a ward. I can bring it down, but once I do, I won’t be able to use magic for a while.” Now I was more than happy to have the ill-tempered shapeshifter and fire mage to draw from. If I needed to, I’d even borrow magic from the witch if she was there. A stream of blood came from Cory’s hand, and he let it fall. The words for his spell spilled from his lips, and the ward pulsed and then bulged in. The more power he poured into it, the more the ward dipped in, becoming thinner, and eventually it ripped, allowing us entrance.
Fatigued, Cory didn’t look like he was going to stand much longer. Alex helped him and held on to him as we walked in. Miles and miles of open space, large trees that stretched to a clear blue sky, a world where dragons had adequate space to roam freely. I heard the powerful whipping sound before I saw two dragons soaring through the air. I looked around for more. One was substantially smaller than the other and a brownish color, the other black, the thief from earlier. He could crash through a house, lose blood, and still be able to play in the sky. I headed for the only house in the vast area, several feet away.
“I’ll stay with Cory until he can be of some use,” Alex said.
I nodded, and Kieran and I headed for the house. I continued to listen for the dragons, making sure they were still in the air. For thieves, their locks weren’t impressive. I broke through them in less than five minutes—but they lived in a land no one knew existed. Why did they need locks at all?
We walked in the door, and the witch looked up from the sofa where she was sitting, cradling her injured arm to her. She jumped up, but just before she could do anything a ring of fire encircled her. It danced around her, increasing in height and intensity every time she attempted to breach it. She performed a spell, and the fire breezed closer. A spark jumped to her, flicked on her skin. She screamed.
“Don’t move. You have something of mine. I want it back. Either you can tell me where it is, or this fire might get a little out of control. Don’t make me burn a witch. It’s such a cliché.” Kieran gave her one of his dashing smiles, and if he wasn’t in a position to burn her to death, I was sure she’d be swooning over it like many women before her.
Her lips tightened into a defiant scowl.
He shrugged, and with a
gentle move of his hand the fire performed for him. It dipped in, burned her uninjured arm, and she howled in pain. I looked away. I wasn’t ready to see someone burn to death, and based on the insolent expression that remained on her face, that was exactly what was about to happen. I left, searching the house, going through the bedrooms. There were two that looked lived in. I assumed the one dragon shifter stayed in one and the witch and the other dragon shifter stayed in the other. Beyond the bedrooms was another small room. I opened the door and was met with just a narrow pathway and several feet of items, I presumed stolen. Statues, paintings, expensive-looking swords, gold, expensive jewelry, and rows and rows of priceless artifacts. It looked like dragon shifters weren’t any different than the average dragon. They hoarded treasures. I started to walk farther into the room, resigned to the fact that I had my work cut out for me, but I stopped midstride. They’d most likely want the newest conquest closest to them. To my right, on top of a large wooden chest, was another smaller chest. I opened it, and the dagger gleamed from the box; next to it was the stone. When I moved them, tucked in the corner was the ring. I placed the things in the little over-the-chest pack I’d brought with me.
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