They came to an automated ticket machine against one of the station’s walls. When Neko thrust a hand into her pocket she realized how unprepared she was to go about her day as an ordinary person would. Reaching inside her clothing, her fingertips made contact with the handle of a dagger, and she instinctively pulled her jacket shut. “I haven’t exactly brought a wallet with me, I just remembered,” she said.
“It’s fine—I’ve got it.”
Within thirty seconds, Lumen had extracted his own wallet and paid for two tickets, handing one to Neko.
“Thanks. I suppose I didn’t expect you to carry cash. It seems an odd thought, after everything.”
“I do. And it’s no problem. There’s plenty more where that came from; money is not an issue for me.”
“So that part of the mythology about Dragons is true, then? Do you all sleep on piles of gold?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Lumen said. “We are, all of us, wealthy. Probably in part due to the fact that we care very little about material goods. Not to mention the fact that our ancestors were rich and powerful.”
“Well, well. You do become more interesting, don’t you?” she asked, leaning against the wall behind her.
“I certainly hope so. I should hate for you to find me dull.”
“I can’t imagine it. You’re many things, but dull is not one of them.” She stopped herself before risking complimenting him further, and looked about until her eyes located a sign for the ladies’ room. “Listen—the train’s not due for a few minutes. I need to use the loo.”
“Be my guest.”
She walked away, looking over her shoulder to see that he was watching her with an admiring smile on her face, seemingly unconcerned that she’d make a run for it.
“I should take off, just to show him,” she thought, knowing perfectly well that she wouldn’t.
When she reached the bathroom she used the toilet and then, finding herself alone, stripped off her jacket to reveal her sleeveless top. Turning on the tap, she stared for a moment at her face before splashing cold water over it. It felt good, reinvigorating to clean off some of the grime that seemed to have built up.
She grabbed a handful of paper towels and soaked them, adding a little soap to clean under her arms. Turning to her side her eye picked up a familiar sight in her reflection: a scar on her left shoulder blade.
It had been there since she could remember, and no one, not even her parents, had ever been able to tell her where it came from. Two parallel, zig-zagging lines forming red streaks along her skin. One of the many scars ornamenting a Hunter’s body. Most had come from encounters with claws, and some from knives. But this one was special; it looked almost hand-crafted, as though someone had carved it deliberately into her flesh.
She assessed her face once more before leaving the bathroom, trying to see what Lumen found so enticing in it. But she came up short.
Large, untrusting eyes. Cheeks with a hint of pink to them. Lips that wanted to be kissed.
But only by one man.
No—she wasn’t as beautiful as Tryst. But Lumen seemed to find her attractive. The most mind-blowingly divine man she’d ever met wanted her. It was enough to make her swoon—and she had never once swooned in her life. It was too girlish a concept, better reserved for flakes who depended on men for shots of self-esteem.
Allowing herself one brief smile at the absurdity of it all, she headed back to where she’d left him. On his face was a look of relaxed pleasure, as though they were away on holiday together, instead of heading out on a manhunt.
“So, I take it you’re not afraid I’ll run away, now that we’re above ground?” she asked
“No.”
“Why not?”
“For one thing, you’re clever, and so you know you’re safer with me than on your own. Strength in numbers and all that.”
“But if Vail actually wants you dead, there’s hardly a risk in my heading off—”
“Oh, I suppose if you believed my dead body was what he really wanted, you could go home and rest your weary head. You could trust that he’d only come after me, and that he’d leave you alone. But then again, he might just ignore me for the time being, break into your house, hold a knife to your throat and demand that you tell him where our hidden Dragon lair is. But if that did happen, I know you wouldn’t tell him. And so he’d torture you, at the very least.”
Neko crossed her arms, her expression one of a woman who’d been moderately offended. “This is all assuming he could even get his hands on me, which isn’t so easily done.”
“True. I know how swift you are, not to mention how resistant you are to a man getting his hands on that delicious body of yours. Still, I think you’ll stick with me rather than take the risk.”
“Why’s that?”
The train was pulling up now, passengers preparing to step onto the platform while others readied themselves to climb on.
“Because,” said Lumen, “if you don’t stay by my side we might lose each other permanently, and that would be a fate worse than death for us both.”
Her breath caught in her throat. He was right, as always. Losing him now would feel worse than death, a vital organ ripped away from her body. But how they’d gotten to this place was a mystery. It had been so quick, as though a century of bonding had occurred over the course of just a day or two. He’d migrated into her soul, into her very bloodstream. It was beyond her meager human understanding.
When the other passengers had moved out of the way they scaled the train’s steps in silence, locating two quiet seats next to one another, and Neko slipped into the one closest to the window.
“You’re a strangely open person, you know that?” she said, her eyes staring out through the glass into the distance. Her heart was beating fast, as it did each time Lumen hinted at profound feelings for her.
“And you’re a strangely closed off one,” he said. “So afraid to concede what’s occurred, to tell me what you really desire. To acknowledge what you know to be the truth.”
“Being closed off is how I function best. In fact, it’s the only way that I know how to be; I’ve found that keeping my cards close to my chest works nicely for me.”
He leaned in, his breath causing a loose strand of hair to brush against her cheek. The fingers of his right hand slipped towards her neck, tracing a line from her collarbone downward, slipping slowly and deliberately towards her right breast. “Well, one of these days you should consider letting other things—such as me—get close to that chest of yours.”
She turned his way, only to see that he was smiling again. Warm, affectionate, playful. So honest about his desire for her, even as she struggled constantly to fight the words, the feelings. To deny what she knew at her very core: that she didn’t want to proceed through a single day of her life without him by her side.
She took his hand in hers, pushing it gently into his lap before letting go. “Let’s get through this morning in one piece before we discuss going out on our first date, shall we?” she said, leaving the topic floating between them.
“Very well, Neko. We’ll see how we work together. And then perhaps we can see how well we are together. But in case there’s even a trace of doubt in that closed off mind of yours: I should very much like to get you fully nude and to spend some more time between those lovely thighs.”
“Oh, would you now?”
His smile was almost enough to make her rip off her clothing right then and there. Public location be damned.
“I can still taste you on my lips and tongue,” he whispered, his scent twisting around her, imprisoning her in its allure. “I’ve craved you ever since I first sampled you, Neko.”
She turned to look out the window again, reluctant to let him see the smile that was forming.
Damn you, Lumen, for ruining me and driving me mad. For making me crave you back so much that it hurts.
* * *
The ride was brief, and for the most part even pleasant. They spoke about London, their
favourite places to eat and drink, the galleries they’d visited. They discovered a mutual enjoyment of the National Portrait Gallery—Neko liked to study the faces that had wandered through London over the centuries, and Lumen was more interested in the historical accuracy of them, claiming that most weren’t actually as they should appear.
“Richard the Third looks downright sane in his portrait,” he told her. “But he was anything but.”
“And you know this because…?”
“Friends of mine have met him. He was a bleedin’ lunatic.”
Neko dismissed his tales with a grin and a wave of her hand, as though to deny the possibilities. They were entertaining, but unrealistic, after all. There was no way that the British monarchs had hung about with Dragon shifters.
Probably.
She reminded herself after a time of what was awaiting them in London: a bloodthirsty assassin who probably hated her even more than his Dragon shifter target. But Lumen had been right; together, they were a formidable team. And there was no way that Vail could take them both on. When they’d extracted the information they needed from him, they’d be able to ensure that he would never bother either of them—or anyone else—again.
When they’d arrived they switched trains, taking the Tube to Paddington Station, where they climbed out with the other passengers. Both looked around warily as they walked up the stairs to the large, open space that made up most of the station.
Paddington consisted primarily of a long, arched building, not unlike the passageway they’d been in earlier in the day. The difference was in its natural light, pouring in through the glass ceiling and enormous windows at either end. Neko felt herself breathing in a quick gust of cool air as bodies moved to and fro around them, hurrying on their way to somewhere important.
After a moment she noticed Lumen sniffing subtly, no doubt looking for threats among the pedestrian traffic that seemed quite oblivious to their existence.
“Anything?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No Lapsed, and no Hashes. Not yet, anyhow. But I’d like to keep the advantage in this. I need you to find out where Vail lives so we have a starting point for our hunt. Can you do that?”
“Sure, but he probably lives under a rock,” she growled, remembering her last encounter with the jackass.
“Nevertheless, we’ll need a proper address if I’m to track him,” said Lumen. “Something more specific than ‘in the filth with the other vermin.’”
Neko made no attempt to conceal her smile, and the Dragon Shifter raised an eyebrow.
“I believe this is the first full-on smile you’ve ever allowed me to witness on that lovely face of yours,” he said.
“I just find it entertaining that you’ve suddenly become the tracker. Everything’s flipped itself upside down, and I no longer know my job—let alone have a job.”
“I don’t think that’s the worst thing in the world. After all, your job for a little while was to murder me. Perhaps we could alter your résumé not to include slaying Dragon shifters who only want to take you in their arms, strip you naked, and…”
“Stop,” commanded Neko, the smile still on her lips. “None of that.” She pulled her cell phone out of her jacket pocket. “I’ll get in touch with Bertie—my boss—and see what I can find out. You behave yourself.”
“Fine, then. I’ll stand here and daydream about your naked body while I watch your fingers dial, you sexy thing.”
* * *
“Wait—You want what?”
Bertie sounded stunned, and it was no wonder. Hunters never sought information on other Hunters or Hashes. Their unspoken code dictated that no one invaded the privacy of their peers. Too much potential for conflicts, client-stealing, and worse.
“Vail’s address. I—we—need to find him.”
“We?”
“The Dragon shifter and I, if you want me to be honest about it.” Here we go.
Silence met her ear, and for a moment it sounded as though Bertie had hung up. When at last she spoke, she did it slowly and methodically. “Let me understand this clearly: the Dragon whom you were hired to kill has somehow become your ally in a hunt for a Hash who works occasionally for the Syndicate.”
“That about sums it up, yeah.”
“Jesus, Neko. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“So do I.”
“Is this Dragon of yours at least handsome? Please, for the love of God, tell me he’s pretty.”
Neko rolled her eyes impatiently. “Very. You would fall over dead of a massive orgasm if you saw him. Now, please. Are you going to help me or not?”
“Well, now, you know that I can’t give you that sort of information. It’s against everything we stand for.”
“Bertie—” Neko’s heart sank. Where the hell would she start, if she had no address?
“I can’t tell you, for instance, that he has a flat at number fourteen Wallis Street, or that he likes to frequent the Dirty Vicar Pub. I repeat: I can’t tell you those things, as it would violate our regulations.”
The Hunter breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Bert. You’re a peach.”
“Don’t die, would you? Not until I’ve met this new man of yours.”
“He’s not mine. And I won’t die.”
Probably.
The Hash
“Vail won’t be at his flat. That much I know,” Neko told Lumen when she’d finished her conversation and hung up. “He probably won’t be at the pub either. If I know him, he’s devoting all of his energy to finding you and me. Staying out of his home base for fear of retaliation.”
“So what do you think we should do, Hunter?” Lumen asked, bright eyes revealing a look of slight amusement.
“You’re actually enjoying this, aren’t you?” she asked. “You like the hunt.”
“I do, I suppose. Of course, it helps that the hunt involves having a beautiful creature like you by my side. But tell me—don’t you get off on this sort of thing as well?”
“I don’t know about getting off,” she said. There were, after all, other ways that might be more enjoyable. “But yes. I much prefer being the stalker to the prey. As for what we should do…you have quite a nose on you. Could you track him from his place?”
“No doubt.”
She looked at their surroundings; the long, arcing brightness of Paddington Station. People were scurrying around their stationary forms as though she and Lumen didn’t even exist, oblivious to what they were. Ignorant of the fact that the two very out of place figures were looking for a hired killer.
“So let’s find it. He doesn’t live far from here, if the address is correct. I must say, he obviously does a lot of killing if he can afford a flat in this area.” She led the way, walking out of the station and down the street.
“Ah, wealthy entrepreneurs,” said Lumen. “You know, some say that prostitution is the world’s oldest profession, but I’d give the title to killers. Vail’s got hookers beat by a mile for the honour.”
“Good for him. Self-made men are so admirable, aren’t they?”
Lumen smiled again. He could feel Neko beginning to loosen up at last—they were almost becoming friends, even. Though it would no doubt be short-lived. A woman like her never let her guard down for long. Particularly not when she was about to involve herself in a potentially deadly situation.
“Speaking of freelancers and other resourceful types, Neko, why did you accept the job of killing me?” he asked.
And there it was. All semblance of relaxed friendliness obliterated in one instant. The smile on her face erased, renewed tension in her shoulders, her neck, her whole body. He’d struck a nerve with the question.
But he wanted her to answer. The truth needed to come out, for both their sakes.
“I don’t know,” she said quietly. “Wait—yes, I do. It was money. I wanted the pay, and I didn’t want someone else to take the job.”
“I see. And what would you have done with that money?”
&nbs
p; “Bought food? I don’t know. I don’t really need anything.”
“Right. You don’t need anything, and you’re not a cold-blooded murderer. So let me ask again: why did you accept the job?”
Neko’s jaw clenched shut, her fingers rolling her hands into tight fists before releasing again. “I was curious, I suppose.”
“Ah, there’s some honesty.”
“You don’t think I’m a psychopath for accepting a job that entails slitting your throat, then?”
“You’re far from it. You wanted to find me, I believe, but you had no intention of killing me from the beginning.”
Neko flashed her face towards him as they walked, her brows meeting in annoyance. “That’s not true. I had every intention of doing it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Well, maybe. Until I realized who you were. I’d met you already, remember? And I suppose I had a suspicion that the man Umbra described was you. I couldn’t quite imagine anyone else having the eyes that he described.”
Lumen was silent, his stare focused ahead.
“What are you thinking?” asked Neko. Some part of her felt ashamed that she should ever have contemplated taking the life of the man who accompanied her now, who’d been so defensive of her under the Heath.
“I’m thinking only that my eyes aren’t nearly so wondrous as yours,” he replied, turning towards her. For a moment she felt herself go hot under his gaze, the words melting her from within. She opened her mouth to reply, with no idea what she was about to say. How did one respond to such a compliment from such a man?
He saved her the trouble of formulating a response by interrupting her thoughts. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her against a wall, each of them peering around and assessing the vicinity.
“I’ve got his scent,” Lumen said, though he didn’t need to; she knew exactly what had happened. “I’d recognize it anywhere. The stink of a drunk woman’s nether regions combined with overpriced soap is a pungent mix.”
Neko glanced around, realizing that she’d slightly lost track of where they were. Once again Lumen had destroyed her ability to concentrate. They’d somehow already arrived at Wallis Street.
Dragon Hunter Box Set: A Dragon Shifter Serial Page 10
