Shadow on the Water

by Katya Moore

  "Don't dream of mentioning it," she murmured into my hair. "You're my dear kiddo, and you'll always be part of my heart."

  "Even if I screwed you over and left you short a barback and a bartender?" I asked forlornly.

  "You gave me a waitstaff, remember?" she chuckled.

  I pulled back and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. "You mean... they've actually been showing up?"

  Kitty snatched a tissue from the box by my bed and wiped her shoulder clean. "Showing up, doing the dirty work, even washing glasses when I ask." A wicked grin lit her face. "I ask the blond one to clean the soda gun, too. Smarmy little weasel could stand to get a bit sticky."

  I roared with laughter. "You're evil and I love you."

  "You know you do." She laughed, then sobered a touch. "He asks a lot about you. About your past. About your friends. I know he's been pumping Missi for information, too, turning on the old charm and trying to sex it out of her."

  I snorted again, accepting a tissue from Kitty this time. "I bet that's gone over well."

  "She's only dumped a pint over his head the once." Kitty clutched my hand in hers. "Watch that one, Sia. I don't trust him. He even looks like a supervillain, with that scar on his eyebrow now. I wouldn't let him in my bar, but he seems to be working some penance off with your Elders and, considering all they're doing for you, I don't want to get in their way."

  "Let me deal with the Elders. If you want him out, he's out," I assured her.

  She waved her hand again. "Nah. Let him work it off. His hands are too soft. If he's going to be working with you on solving the problems with the cult and all that, he could stand to get them dirty."

  "True that." I frowned. "How are the rest of them?"

  "I've been going easy on Jared, what with the leg and all. He's been learnin' the ropes behind the bar. He's a quick study, that one. He and Missi will have to duke it out for who bartends when."

  "He is a doctor," I noted. "He prescribes medications. I'm sure he can handle some cocktail recipes."

  She snorted. "He's as bad as you are. Wants to add some specialty cocktails to the menu. 'The Doctor's Orders,' he calls 'em. Fuckin' hell..."

  I cackled. "Let him. It'll keep the tourists happy."

  "Fuck the tourists," she muttered.

  "Kitty..." I said in a mock-stern tone.

  She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, revenue streams and all that happy horseshit... Quinn. Quinn is adorable. He's too good for this world, I'm afraid."

  "Oh no. What's wrong?" I asked.

  "He's an innocent. I feel wrong, throwin' him to the regulars like that. They're having way too much fun with the poor lad." She shook her head. "Paulie had him convinced that if you have an orgasm at the same time as your partner, you'll have aneurysms. Took Jared ten minutes to talk him down from that one."

  "Oh god." I sighed and inwardly cursed Elder Long and everyone who'd kept him locked up his whole life. "Just... be gentle with him, okay? The dragons laid some seriously funky head trips on him."

  "I'm takin' him under my wing, never you fear." She smiled at me. "He's not quite as resilient as you, though, so I'll back off a touch on the sex ed."

  I winced as I laughed. I had fond cringey memories of those lessons. "Yeah, you do that. How's Kane doing?"

  "He'd rather be bouncing," she said. "So, for the most part, I let him. Pisses Billy off to no end. They're both stubborn bastards and I want to knock their heads together. Probably will, some night soon."

  I sighed, long and hard. "If you need help with that..."

  Kitty gave my shoulder a gentle shove. "I've been knocking heads longer than you've been walkin', kiddo. Now, let's get you back to yer boys before they think we've run off. And I'll help you pack yer shit in the morning. Tonight, we celebrate."

  "What the hell is a muddler?" Missi rolled her eyes at Jared behind the bar as Kitty and I walked up.

  Jared looked up and smiled at me. "Good evening," he said, leaning heavily on the bar. "What can I get for you?"

  I looked at him, stunned. "I... didn't think you'd be working here tonight."

  "It's my shift. I was just showing Missi how to make a mojito. We can't seem to find where Kitty keeps the muddler." Jared turned his attention back to the underside of the bar.

  "The only muddler here is why the hell you want to make a mojito in the first place? They taste like fucking mouthwash." Kitty rolled her eyes and nudged her way behind him to reclaim her spot by the taps.

  "I'll have to correct that misconception one of these evenings," Jared said with a surprisingly charming smile. I blinked, doubting my own eyes. I didn't realize he smiled. Like, ever.

  "Uh-huh." Kitty was unconvinced by charm, smiles, or minty rum drinks. "It'll be a cold day."

  "Suit yourself." Jared limped down to the other end of the bar and began taking orders. The cast was off his leg, but the limp remained.

  Galen watched him go with a concerned expression.

  "What?" I asked him, following his gaze.

  "He... shouldn't still be limping." Concern turned to guilt. "I... I did my best with what I had at the time. And he helped me. But..." His voice trailed off for a moment. "He shouldn't still be limping," he repeated softly.

  I slipped my arm around his shoulders and squeezed gently. "I'm sure he's going to be fine," I said in my best comforting voice.

  He nodded, still watching Jared. He looked unconvinced.

  I stroked his arm consolingly. Then, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

  "Shit." It was the Elders' assistant. "I've got to take this."

  Galen nodded absently, lost in his own guilt-ridden world. I squeezed his arm as I reluctantly stepped outside to take the call. I brushed past Billy on the way out. He ignored my presence. I ignored his.

  "Miss Bellmont? Ameera Veta. The Elders wanted me to contact you immediately regarding another disappearance."

  My hand clutched my phone tighter. "Shit. I mean, thank you. Who? Where?"

  "This one is especially concerning. Two fire dragons were taken near the Proving Grounds, in rural New Hampshire. It's especially concerning because the Proving Grounds are extensively warded for miles. Until now, there has been no indication that the Chosen of Apep knew its whereabouts. This has been a closely guarded secret for over a hundred years, Miss Bellmont."

  "Should we meet again?" I asked.

  "The Council wishes to convene as soon as possible." She paused. "They want the input of your team as well."

  My eyes widened. "Of... of course. Certainly. We're almost moved into the new house, if we want to use that, or we could set up the diplomat's mansion again."

  "The new... house will be sufficient. They'll be there in two days. Thank you for your time, Miss Bellmont."

  "Of course." I hung up the phone and rested it on my chest. This sounded bad. Really bad.

  "You okay?" Billy's voice was brusque, but concerned. It broke me out of my reverie.

  "Huh? Oh. Yeah. It's... fine." I wasn't even convinced.

  Billy frowned. "If you don't want to talk to me, fine." He turned and started to stalk back to the door.

  "Billy... look." He paused as I fumbled for words. "I'm sorry. It's... complicated."

  He didn't turn to look at me. "A lot of things are, these days."

  "Yeah." I wasn't in the mood to argue, so I walked past him into the bar.

  He huffed and hefted himself onto his stool, greeting a young couple with a harsh "IDs please."

  Chase met me at the door. "You left in a hurry. I was worried."

  "With good reason." I caught his arm and guided him back to the boys at the bar. "We've had a couple of fire dragons go missing near the Proving Grounds. The Elders are coming in two days to talk about it."

  "The Chosen found the Proving Grounds? That's..." Chase looked deeply disturbed.

  "Really bad. They told me it's been hidden for over a century." I chewed my lip. "No wonder they want to come talk to us." Chase looked a little gray. I reached out and touch
ed his arm. "What's up? Talk to me, hon."

  Chase chewed on his thumbnail for a moment, then spoke. "My sister's a student at the Proving Grounds. And I haven't heard from her in a couple of weeks."

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  About the Author

  Katya spent her childhood moving from place to place, seeing the country one new school at a time. She found her closest friends in books, favoring fantasy, mythology, and science fiction from an early age. She discovered romance novels on trips to Maine with her father’s family, and found a whole new kind of fantasy world to write about.

  Influenced strongly by Lovecraftian horror, Charles de Lint, Robin McKinley, and Anais Nïn, Katya started out writing paranormal romance and steamy fanfiction. Someone told her about reverse harem, and her ears perked up. After devouring a whole bunch of Tate James and Eva Chase (amongst others,) Katya found her new home.

  Katya can be found typing away on her iPad at coffee shops, sipping craft cocktails in hipster bars that Kitty would abhor, and fighting off her inherent couch potato nature at the local parkour gym. She has an awesomely supportive and very sexy husband (just the one) and a lovable hellion of a five-year-old.

  Also by Katya Moore

  Shadow on the Wing

  Sweet, protective Galen, quiet, studious Cassidy.

  Rugged Chase, the leader, and swaggering Aric, the pain in my ass.

  These four smoldering dragons hold the key to my past.

  And the secret to my own true dragon nature.

  The first book in the Arysia Bellmont series.

  Shadow and Flame

  My mates. My loves. They are my greatest strength

  and my greatest weakness.

  The Chosen of Apep have taken someone one of them holds dear.

  To stop his pain, I will risk everything.

  And I will do anything to get her back. No matter the cost.

  The third book in the Arysia Bellmont series.

  Shadow in the Ether

  Cassidy was my first. My sweet genius. My love.

  Now, he's lost to me, trapped in his own mind by dark magic.

  It's up to me and the rest of my boys to bring him back to us.

  What will I do to bring him back?

  Who will I kill?

  The fourth book in the Arysia Bellmont series.

  COMING IN MARCH 2019

  Revolution is brewing.

  We’re saving the Great Serpent from herself, with potentially apocalyptic consequences.

  My mates and I hold the key to bringing dragons back into the world.

  Will our love bring about the end of the world, or the beginning?

  The final book in the Arysia Bellmont series.