by Donna Grant
He looked past Camlo and into eyes as dark as the night and as deep as the heavens. And was instantly drawn in.
CHAPTER SIX
Sabina didn’t know what drew her into the forest. Camlo often walked among the trees, but today she decided to join him. She was taken aback to find him speaking with two men.
“Camlo,” she repeated and motioned for him to join her.
“Bina,” he said when he looked at her. His eyes were full of excitement. “They’re here.”
She eyed the man closest to her. He had short, sandy blond hair and eyes a vivid, turbulent green that reminded her of the sea—vast, dramatic, and perilous.
He was so very tall and stood calmly, relaxed as if he walked the woods with dangerous bears all the time. There was a sense of serenity about him that she noticed immediately. Yet she felt that just beneath the surface was a passionate intensity that waited to bust through. The emotions should be at odds with each other, but they were like two sides of a coin.
“We mean him no harm,” replied the second man.
Sabina looked into his ice blue eyes. He held her gaze, slightly bowing his head of long, dark hair. The men spoke fluent Romanian, but she had heard Camlo talking to them in English so she decided to use that. “No one comes here.”
“They’re searching for something important,” Camlo said as he walked to her.
She gazed up at her brother’s face, her heart breaking for the compassion inside him because she knew that, one day, someone would rip it out of him.
Sabina looked between the men. “You should leave, and if you know what’s good for you, you won’t return.”
“Your English is verra good, lass,” the man with the green eyes said.
She paused at his accent, not quite able to place it. Taking in his long-sleeved, beige tee and jeans slung low on his hips, she couldn’t help but notice the way his shirt clung to his wide shoulders and thick chest. “Thank you.”
When she tried to turn Camlo, he wouldn’t budge. “I waited all night for them, Bina. I’m not leaving.”
She glanced at the duo and said in a low voice, “Camlo.”
“No,” he stated loudly.
He was rarely obstinate, but when he got like this, she couldn’t budge him. Sabina had no choice then because she wasn’t going to leave her brother alone with strangers. She glared at them, daring them to do or say anything to upset her brother.
“I’m Roman,” the first man said. He pointed to the second. “He’s V.”
“V?” she asked with a raised brow.
V shrugged. “That’s right. Bina.”
She cringed. How did he know that she hated the nickname? The only one who called her that was Camlo, and she only tolerated it because when he was little, he hadn’t been able to pronounce her name. “My name is Sabina.”
Camlo nodded as he smiled. “Yes, yes. Bina.” Then he looked at the men, pointing to the sky. “Can you do it again?”
“Later,” V replied.
Roman frowned at V but didn’t say anything.
“You didn’t say what you’re doing here,” she said.
It was Roman who answered. “We’re hiking.”
“With no gear, jackets, or food? Try again.”
“It’s no’ a lie,” he insisted.
She crossed her arms over her chest. There was something about the men that was off. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was certainly something peculiar about them. “What did Camlo mean when he asked you to do it again?”
Roman issued a movement that constituted a shrug. “I doona know.”
“I won’t let you hurt him.”
V lifted his head then, his brow furrowing. “Why would you think we would harm Camlo?”
“That’s what people want to do when they see my brother,” Sabina said, her gaze darting between the men. “His size scares them, and when he helps animals, they don’t understand. It’s their small minds.”
Roman grinned. “Small minds, indeed. But we’re no’ like that.”
“So you say. I don’t know you,” she stated. Oddly, she didn’t get the sense that she should hurry them away. Everything about this meeting should make her feel anxious and afraid. But it didn’t.
Camlo jerked his head to her. “I do.”
“Honey, you just met them.”
He shook his head and pulled away from her. “I’ve known they were coming for a long time. The others told me.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the men exchange a look. She kept her gaze on Camlo. “You never said anything.”
“I have secrets, too,” he declared and crossed his arms over his chest.
She blinked. “You make it sound as if I have secrets.”
“You do,” Camlo replied with a sour look.
Sabina glanced at Roman to find him watching her carefully. She returned her attention to Camlo, but she couldn’t come up with an argument.
Her brother dropped his arms and turned to V as if he’d forgotten she was even there. She watched as Camlo began talking so fast that V had difficulty understanding him, but the man never chided Camlo.
It was always just the two of them, so anytime she saw her brother with someone else, she became protective, watching and waiting for someone to hurt him.
“What happened to your brother?” Roman asked as he drew near.
She shrugged, never taking her eyes off Camlo. “He was born like that. He sees the world differently. To him, it’s nothing but good and beautiful with animals for friends.”
“And you keep him here to shield him from the bad bits.”
“Something like that.” She glanced down and sighed. “Kids used to make fun of him when he was young. My parents kept him home and schooled him as best they could.”
Roman looked over her shoulder at the house. “Where are your parents?”
“They died some years back. I’ve been taking care of Camlo for nearly ten years now.”
“That’s a long time.”
She looked into Roman’s sea green eyes and shook her head. “Not really. His mind might be stuck in a state like that of a child, but he’s a good man. He has a love of animals that goes beyond anything I can explain.”
“I saw,” Roman replied softly.
Sabina smiled as she thought of the bear. “He’s always said he can hear the animals speaking, and he talks to them. Not in words, but there is obviously something going on between them.”
“And you think we’re here to exploit that.”
She faced him and squared her shoulders. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, and I don’t care. Return to the city and tell others. I’ll be ready if anyone comes and tries to take him away.”
“I’ll no’ be telling anyone,” Roman assured her. “And neither will V. We willna harm or bring harm to you or Camlo, lass.”
She wanted to believe him, but she couldn’t chance it. “Sure.”
He blew out a breath and opened his mouth to speak when Camlo started running up the mountain. He tripped, and V was there to catch him before Sabina could grasp what was happening.
The moment V touched Camlo, he stilled, an odd look passing over V’s face before his gaze slid to Roman. V jerked and fell backwards.
Camlo began screaming as she and Roman rushed to them. Sabina wrapped an arm around her brother while Roman knelt beside V, calling his name while looking for injuries.
“I didn’t do it,” Camlo said and covered his face with his hands.
Sabina rubbed her hand up and down her brother’s back. “You didn’t do anything, honey. It’s going to be fine.”
“He’s in pain. I felt it,” Camlo wailed, crying harder.
Roman looked over his shoulder at her, worry creasing his brow. His eyes moved to Camlo and then down to V’s hand. Roman lifted V’s arm that had touched her brother and looked closely at it for a long while.
Camlo shoved her away and took off running down the mountain toward the house. Sabina watched
until he was safely inside the barn, the mangy dog running in after him.
“Is he going to be all right?” Roman asked.
She turned her head to him. “You’re asking about Camlo when your friend is unconscious?”
“Aye.”
She swallowed. “The animals are where Camlo seeks comfort. If he gets upset, he runs to the forest. If something happens here, he runs to the barn. What happened to V?”
“I’m no’ sure,” Roman admitted as he sat back on his haunches. He placed his hands on his thighs and stared at his friend.
She wanted to return to the house, but she couldn’t just leave Roman and V out there. What if there was something really wrong with V and he died? How would she live with herself then?
Dammit. She was going to have to invite them in. When all she really wanted was for the men to leave. Didn’t she? Because she wasn’t too sure since the thought of Roman remaining made a small bubble of excitement rise inside her. It wasn’t as if she got a lot of visitors. That must be the reason.
“You better bring him inside,” she told Roman.
His head snapped up to meet her gaze. “You doona have to do that.”
“I’ll only make the offer once. You don’t have to accept it.” With that, she turned and started down the mountain.
She only got ten steps before she glanced over her shoulder. A smile played on her lips when she saw Roman following her with V slung over his shoulder.
Against her better judgment, Sabina slowed her pace until Roman caught up with her. Everything she was doing went against all she’d done for her brother through the years. She couldn’t remember the last time there had been a guest inside her home.
“I’m not much of a healer, but I know a few things,” she said.
Roman glanced at her and adjusted V. “He passed out is all.”
“I saw his face, and that didn’t look like he just fainted. But who am I to argue.” She shrugged, but all the while, her mind replayed the moments right before V collapsed.
He’d touched Camlo. Before that, everything had been fine. V had also looked at his hand. The same hand Roman had inspected. She shifted and cut in front of Roman before turning to face him.
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He merely returned her look and said, “Quite a lot, I’m sure. We did just meet.”
“V fainted when he touched Camlo.”
“I saw.”
She flattened her lips when Roman didn’t continue. “Why?”
“If I knew, I’d tell you.”
She raised a brow, silently questioning him.
“I would, lass,” Roman assured her.
She looked away, wondering if she were doing the right thing bringing strangers into her home. This could all be some trick to … to what? See if Camlo could talk to animals?
Oh, God. She’d all but admitted it, and Camlo had said as much, as well. What if they tried to take Camlo away from her? What if they said she wasn’t—
“You’re safe with us,” Roman interrupted her thoughts.
She looked at him. “What?”
“You wear your emotions on your sleeve. You’re worried about what our arrival means. It’s just happenstance, I promise. As soon as V wakes, we’ll leave. You’ll no’ see us again after that.”
For some reason, that made her sad. It wasn’t every day that she met men, much less a gorgeous man with haunting sea-green eyes and sandy blond hair she longed to touch.
“Camlo is taken with you. He doesn’t normally talk to people. As I said, he prefers animals,” she explained.
One side of Roman’s lips lifted in a grin. “He likes you well enough.”
“He doesn’t have a choice. I’m his sister,” she stated. Then ruined it with a smile. “I’m cautious for a reason.”
“No need to explain.”
She drew in a sharp breath and turned back to the house. They walked the rest of the way in silence. She spotted Camlo peeking his head out of the barn when they approached the house. Sabina gave him a smile as she opened the door to let Roman enter.
Right before he stepped over the threshold, she felt some force pass through her, like a warning that everything was going to change as soon as he crossed the doorsill.
Then Roman was inside with V, and there was no way to stop whatever was coming next.
“The storm,” Sabina whispered and looked up at the clear sky.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Dreagan
For the first time, he truly didn’t know what to do. He was Constantine, King of the Golds and King of Dragon Kings. He always had answers, always knew what direction to take in a crisis.
But not this time.
This time, he was on the edge of a cliff and looking into an abyss of … nothing.
He sat at his desk and drew in a breath as he raised his gaze from the papers he’d been pretending to read to find Kellan and Ulrik seated before him.
“… we have no other option,” Ulrik said.
Con blinked, completely at a loss regarding what the conversation had been about. He should’ve been paying attention, but he couldn’t even remember them walking into his office. That’s how deep his preoccupation went. Hopefully, Kellan and Ulrik hadn’t noticed.
Kellan raised a brow at Con’s silence, his celadon gaze locked on his King. “You heard none of our ten-minute discussion, did you?”
Damn. Con looked away from the concern in their eyes. He fisted his hand and felt something in his palm. When he glanced down, he found the pocket watch Erith—also known as Death—had given him many years ago.
Of course, he hadn’t known who she was then. She had also given him the dragon head cufflinks that he wore every day. And the Montblanc pen that was his favorite.
“Con?” Ulrik called.
He closed his fingers around the pocket watch, hoping that it would somehow give him answers. But it didn’t. “To answer your question, no, I wasna listening.”
Con turned his chair and rose to look out the windows. He tried to remember why he’d wanted to be King of Kings so desperately. If he didn’t have the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, he could be out there flying around Dreagan, letting someone else make the decisions.
“This isna like you,” Ulrik said as he came to stand beside him.
Con drew in a deep breath. “You’ve been gone from Dreagan a verra long time, old friend. You doona know me anymore.”
Ulrik let out a loud snort. “You’re still the same obstinate, tenacious, persuasive, formidable arse you always were. If anything, you’ve become more so.”
“My decisions led us here.”
“You can no’ take all the credit,” Kellan stated.
Con turned his head to glance at Kellan before he looked into Ulrik’s gold eyes. “Mikkel’s defeat should have been the end of things, but there is much more spiraling out of control.”
Ulrik inhaled sharply and slowly released the breath as he shifted to face Con. “To be fair, the situation with the Dark Fae has been ongoing for some time. I’ll let you take credit for the Usaeil debacle, though. I doona know what you were thinking taking her to your bed.”
“I was thinking that I was lonely.” He closed his eyes as soon as the confession passed his lips. No one else would’ve been able to get him to admit such a thing.
Ulrik stared at him solemnly for a long moment. “You doona have to be.”
Con returned his gaze out the window, refusing to reply to the comment. “Becoming involved with a mortal, even for a single night of passion, wasna something I wanted to attempt. Usaeil had let me know for some time that she was interested. Before we … sealed our union … she promised that it would just be a fling for both of us.”
“Friends with benefits,” Ulrik replied. “I can see that.”
“It got out of hand quickly. I saw it, but didna get out when I should have.”
“It wouldna have mattered. I think Usa
eil told you whatever you needed to hear to get you into her bed.”
Con shrugged. “Possibly. She used me, but I was using her, as well. I wanted the Light army in case things with you went tits up.”
“I would’ve done the same thing. It was a smart move. You had no idea she was tipping into crazy town.”
“Usaeil has done more than set her sights on being my mate.” Con gave a shake of his head as he turned and walked to the sideboard where he poured three glasses of scotch. He turned to hand one to Kellan, only to find the seat vacant. Con quirked a brow in question to Ulrik.
“He left to give us some time to talk,” Ulrik replied as he took a glass from him.
Con tossed back the whisky and let the smooth taste slide down his throat to settle in his belly. “Handling me with kid gloves, huh?”
“Actually, Kellan wasna interested in hearing you whine,” Ulrik replied with a straight face.
Con chuckled and reached for the other tumbler. “Nice try.”
“I thought it was a damn fine try.” Ulrik grinned before he raised the glass to Con in a salute and took a drink.
“The Dark are a minor concern. Usaeil … well, I promised Rhi that we’d handle that situation in a timely manner,” Con said.
“I’m no’ sure how long our friend will wait. Usaeil banished Rhi from the Light. That blow, combined with learning that Usaeil wanted her killed, and the argument with Balladyn, has hit Rhi hard.”
Con sneered at the mention of the new King of the Dark. Balladyn had given the Dark free rein to kill as many humans as they wanted.
And to think, Con had had a chance to let him die recently. He hadn’t, though. Because Rhi had asked him to save Balladyn.
“There’s also the Reapers,” Ulrik added.
Con shot him a flat look. “We’ve heard rumors about the Reapers for some time now. Even Rhi told us about them. A couple even visited me.”
“Aye, but that was before you knew that their leader, Death, had come to Dreagan to see you several times over the last few centuries, disguising herself each time.”
“Her name is Erith.”
Ulrik shrugged. “Death. Erith. It’s all the same. And our two groups could verra well work together soon. But that’s no’ what’s really bothering you, is it?”
