by Donna Grant
“They trapped a white dragon on Fair Isle, and didna let it use the dragon bridge with the others. Then they tortured and finally killed it. No’ that long ago, Faith Reynolds discovered the dragon bones in a cave on one of the isles. It was Dmitri’s territory, so Con sent him to keep an eye on things. As he helped Faith uncover the bones, he learned what had happened. Worse, they found a small wooden dragon carved in the image of Con. When a mortal touches it, they want to kill us.”
“And when a King touches it?”
“We want to kill humans.”
“I was going to say bloody hell, but I think that calls for something a bit harsher. I just can’t think of anything at the moment.”
V saw how Claire struggled to take it all in. Her mind was likely racing with the information dump he’d just thrown at her, and yet she hadn’t run from him or demanded that he leave.
“Do you know who makes up these Others?” she asked.
“Sadly, no’ yet. We do know one person involved, Usaeil, the Queen of the Light Fae.”
Claire’s eyes bugged out. “What? The queen? Have you confronted her? Why hasn’t anyone done anything?”
“It’s just a matter of time before we figure out the others. The Druids would be long dead, but there is a chance that we could find the rest of the Fae involved. As for why Usaeil hasna been dealt with yet, that’s another long story.”
Claire pressed her fingertips to her temples. “Wait. So the Fae and Druids have been around since our war?”
“Druids, aye. We assumed that the magic on this realm eventually made its way to some mortals, but perhaps that assumption is wrong. The Fae came later.”
“Then how did they kill a dragon?”
V returned to the couch and sat beside Claire. “It’s one of the things we have to figure out. There is a lot that doesna make sense, but we know the Others are no’ finished with us. Everything they’ve done has been calculated and planned down to the last detail, millennia before we would ever stumble upon any of it.”
“They wanted your sword,” Claire said, her head jerking to him.
“Aye.”
“Why?”
“Because they knew it could return the dragons.”
She rolled her eyes. “You have the sword now, right? Then use it and call the dragons home.”
V took her hand in his and smiled. “What do you think the rest of the world would do if they suddenly saw dragons in the sky? And where would the dragons live?”
“I’ll admit, you have valid points, but if the Others didn’t want the dragons here, there has to be a reason for that.”
“Aye. I’ve come to that same conclusion.”
“What are you going to do?”
V ran his thumb along the back of her hand. “I doona know. Ever since I got my sword back, I can no’ use it.”
“Did the gypsies or the Others do something to it?”
“I can no’ be sure.”
She scooted closer to him. “How can you have this hanging over you and yet walk around as if nothing is wrong?”
“Will worrying about it help?”
She wrinkled her nose. “No.”
“Exactly. Look how long I twisted myself in knots about finding my sword. I couldna claim it until it was time. I believe the same will happen with battling the Others.”
“Aren’t you worried about them? They seem like a formidable enemy.”
V smiled then. “They have no’ faced the might of the Dragon Kings as one.”
“Surely, something like that would bring the Kings out of hiding and pronounce you to the world.”
“This is our home. We will always protect this realm and its occupants. If that means our secret is revealed, then we will deal with the consequences.”
Claire suddenly grinned at him.
V frowned. “What?”
“Your confidence is damn hot.”
One side of his lips lifted in a smile. “Is that right?”
“Oh, yes. Very, very hot.”
“Then what are we doing still talking?”
“I was asking myself the same question.”
V removed their clothes with just a thought. When Claire looked down and saw that they were naked, her lips turned up in a huge grin.
“Now that could really come in handy,” she told him.
“Why are you still talking?”
She straddled his lap and wound her arms about his neck. “You’re the one talking now.”
His hands splayed on her sides and then slid up her back as she lowered her lips to his.
TO MATCH OR NOT TO MATCH
Hello, lovelies!
You know how there are matchmakers out there that will help you find the right person? I’m actually tempted to hire one. The only problem is that the good ones cost a bit of money.
Hmm. Maybe we should have Date Analysts instead. Someone who could evaluate every step of a date from the initial meeting through to the end and then give a report. I wonder if that would help.
Sadly, I’ve considered this very thing for … well, awhile now. Every time I think I have one issue figured out, another pops up. This could be why there is no such thing on the market to help us date-disasters.
That brings me back to the matchmakers. Which—I hate to admit—are exactly what online dating is. They’ve just taken out an actual person and plugged in some algorithm to help sort through the thousands of people to find us proper candidates.
Why then isn’t it working?
And that brings me to me.
Perhaps I’m too picky. Maybe I want too much from the men I go out on dates with. Perhaps the faceless man I see in my dreams doesn’t exist, and I should accept that.
Or … maybe I shouldn’t even consider lowering my standards and being anything but deliriously happy with a man with off-the-charts chemistry that they always show in movies.
A lifetime of loneliness while waiting for The One, or settling.
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be lonely than settle.
And yet I accepted another date yesterday. Hope that the next one might be IT keeps me going, I guess. After the last date where his pictures were at least ten years old so he looked nothing as I expected, I’m a little leery now. It’s my own fault.
I used to make sure that my date and I shared a selfie before we actually met. I didn’t with this guy, and I paid the price.
I was put off by his lie—because that was exactly what it was. In his pictures, he was fit. Very fit. Wide shoulders, muscular arms. So, imagine my surprise when a man with no muscles and a potbelly walked up at our meeting place.
Now, everyone knows with online dating that first impressions are the photos. That’s why people like, smile, wink, or whatever at you. So, if you don’t have recent pictures, you’re duping others.
That really upset me, but I didn’t want to be rude and end the date based on looks. I’d like to say I’m not that shallow, but if we’re honest, we have to be attracted to our mates, right?
And there was no attraction.
None. Nothing. Zip. Zero.
I made the decision to stay on the date. He immediately took my hand. Which, I still don’t know how I feel about. I’m affectionate, but we’d just met in person despite texting for over a week. Still … work up to that.
And he kissed me. Now I really fought about what to do regarding the date. I had driven some distance to see him and had a hotel to go back to, but I’m just not a mean person. So, I stayed.
Surprisingly, we had a good time. He was very easy to talk to, and we laughed a lot. But I kept going back to two very important things.
1. His older pictures making me believe he was something he wasn’t.
2. I felt no physical attraction to him.
What made it worse was that he really liked me. And he let me know it. He wanted not just another date, but a relationship. While I also want a relationship, it’s not something you jump into willy-nilly.
Espec
ially not after just one date.
I have a policy for being honest with others. As hard as it is sometimes, I keep to that with the men I date. So, I told him the truth. He wasn’t happy and tried to make up excuses and reasons for his older pictures. But it still came down to the attraction.
If it isn’t there, it isn’t there. No one can force it.
So, what did I come away with after this meeting? I definitely need to get back to sharing current selfies with potential dates if I haven’t met them in person.
I also need to follow my instincts and let someone know if I’m uncomfortable with what they’re doing or saying instead of always worrying about hurting someone’s feelings.
While this date wasn’t a complete failure—I did have a good meal and conversation—it was still a dud.
I’m ready to hear about your dating failures in the comments so I don’t feel so alone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Isle of Skye
Rhi blew out a breath and looked at the pile of scrolls and books that the Skye Druids had given her access to, but no matter how many she looked through, there was nothing about any Fae being on the realm when the Dragon Kings and humans were at war. Or before.
Yet she knew Usaeil must have been here. Because, without a doubt, the queen was part of the Others. Rhi just hadn’t been able to actually connect Usaeil—or rather, Ubitch—to anything.
Rhi had spent the majority of her time searching for any kind of clue, and yet she had found nothing. It was the excuse she needed to put her hunt aside and focus on a bigger issue—Usaeil.
Con had even said it was time they went after the Queen of the Light. Why then was Rhi hesitating?
She shoved back her chair and stood. The small room was filled with yellow light that she had created with her magic, illumination that wouldn’t harm the ancient texts in the chamber. She longed to leave and go to her island to sink her toes into the sand and let the turquoise water lap at her ankles.
The island called to her so loudly that she closed her eyes. With very little effort, she could hear the waves rolling onto the shore and feel the grains of white sand rubbing her skin.
“There is nothing holding you here.”
Her eyes snapped open. She knew that voice. Slowly, she turned to look into the lavender eyes of the very being that could wipe her from existence with merely a snap of her fingers. “Death.”
Otherwise known as the Mistress of War or Erith to a select few, Death was one of the most powerful beings Rhi had ever encountered. It didn’t matter that she was petite in stature or so beautiful that it seemed incomprehensible, she controlled the destinies of all Fae. Once Death judged you, she sent her Reapers to be the executioners.
Erith’s lips curved into a grin. “You don’t seem happy to see me.”
“On the contrary, I’m delighted that everything worked out for you and that you defeated Bran.” Rhi looked over the long, inky hair that hung freely down Death’s back.
“Is that approval of my attire I see in your eyes?”
This time, Rhi smiled. “It is. The gowns were gorgeous, but this,” she said, motioning to the black pants and form-fitting black top with her hand, “is definitely you. And while I can sit and talk fashion all day, I don’t think that’s what brought you here.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Do I have to ask what is?”
Erith moved away from the doorway and entered the small chamber. She walked around the table and let her fingers brush over the books and scrolls. “You seek something that you won’t find here.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you know it. You just won’t accept it.”
Anger quickly rose up in Rhi. “You have no idea what goes on in my mind.”
Erith paused in her walk and met Rhi’s gaze. “I could read your mind, but I don’t need to. Because I know how you think.”
“Why do you say that?” There was something in Death’s tone that made Rhi very wary.
“Because I walked a similar path long, long ago. The difference is, I was very much alone. You have others who care greatly for you. The Warriors and Druids at MacLeod Castle, the Dragon Kings and their mates at Dreagan, your nail tech, Jesse, and yes, even Balladyn. The King of the Dark loves you deeply.”
“I can’t give him what he needs.”
A black brow rose. “Are you sure of that?”
“Yes.” Then Rhi frowned. “Why do you ask?”
“You fight it and hide it well, but I can see the darkness within you. It’s been there since Balladyn put the Chains of Mordare on you. And there was a time that you welcomed it.”
Rhi didn’t bother to refute any of what Death said. “Is it that obvious?”
“No. As long as you keep fighting it, your light will continue to shine.”
“But if I give in, I’m lost. Is that it?”
Erith nodded. She placed her hands on the table and leaned her weight upon her palms. “You’ve long wanted to know why I sent Daire to watch you.”
“Will you finally tell me?”
“Are you sure you want to know? Sometimes, it’s the truth we can’t handle.”
Rhi lifted her chin. “I’m a Light. I come from a noble family of Light who has sacrificed much for the Fae. I can handle whatever it is you have to tell me.”
“Can you? Is that why you didn’t tell Con or anyone at Dreagan about the name you saw written upon that stone in the cavern on Iceland?”
It took everything Rhi had to hold Erith’s gaze. “How do you know about that?”
“How do I know which Fae need to be judged? It’s my power.” Death pressed her lips together and glanced down. “Rhi, I don’t think you realize what a formidable Fae you are. Usaeil knows it. She’s known for some time. It was why she befriended you, why she made you feel as if the two of you were as close as sisters. It’s why she seemed to push you to do great things, but why you never quite reached whatever it was you sought.”
“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer,” Rhi said.
“Precisely.”
“How did I not see who Usaeil really was? Why did I miss what was right in front of my face?”
Erith blew out a breath and straightened. “Because she’s very good at fooling others. Usaeil wasn’t the only one who saw your potential. I did, as well. I kept an eye on you through the centuries, but the queen’s recent actions caused me to become concerned. It’s why I sent Daire to you. I couldn’t watch you all the time, but he could.”
“Why not just ask me what you wanted to know?” Rhi demanded.
“I wanted to see how you handled the darkness within you. I needed to see that the Fae I know you can be is still in there, waiting to show herself.”
Despite her better judgment, Rhi asked, “And?”
Death’s smile was slow as it filled her face. “You have the power to defeat Usaeil. But you have to be careful. One wrong step, one wrong decision, and you will lose the very thing you covet.”
“My light,” Rhi mumbled.
“I cannot interfere, but know that if I could, I would join you to fight Usaeil.”
Rhi let her anger show in her eyes. “You could judge her now. You, more than anyone, know the crimes she has committed. If anyone deserves to be taken by the Reapers, it’s her.”
“Yes. I could do that. But I won’t.”
“Why?” Rhi demanded angrily.
Erith came to stand before her. “Because she is yours to take. A future you can’t even see yet lies before you. It’s up to you to decide what you will do. But know this, Usaeil has caused enough havoc. I will not stand by much longer while you make your decision. Take her. Or I will.”
Rhi nodded. In the next instant, Death was gone, leaving Rhi with a lot to think over.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The morning came too soon. V hadn’t slept, but he had enjoyed holding Claire in his arms. It had been a wonderful experience. From her cuddling against him after hours
of making love, to her lips parting and her breathing deepening, to her twitching in her sleep.
He’d loved every second of it.
And he wanted another night. The problem was, he feared that all the nights for eternity wouldn’t be enough for him.
He didn’t pretend to sleep when Claire’s alarm went off, and she grunted in response before rolling over to turn it off. She sat up, swinging her legs off the bed. There, she paused. She looked over her shoulder and cracked open one eye.
“It wasn’t a dream,” she mumbled.
He grinned as he came up on one elbow and smoothed her hair from her face. “Nay, lass. It wasna a dream. It was verra verra real.”
“I love your voice,” she said with a smile, her eye shutting again. “It’s verra sexy.”
V laughed at her imitation of a brogue. He wanted to stop her when she stood and shuffled into the bathroom. He didn’t take his eyes from her as she moved about, turning on the shower and getting a towel.
He bit back another laugh when she looked confused about being naked. Then a smile came over her face, causing her to flush slightly as she glanced his way.
She was so damn adorable.
When she got into the shower, he was tempted to join her, but if he did, he wouldn’t be content with just touching and looking. He’d want her again.
V fell back onto the mattress and threw an arm over his eyes. If he’d had the power to make the night longer, he would have. The precious few hours he’d had with Claire had not been enough.
He’d shared his past—and the pain that went with it. Each time he saw her anger on behalf of him and the dragons, a little of his heart had healed. It was almost as if the time spent with her had made him into a new man.
A push against his mind alerted him that another King was trying to communicate telepathically. He opened the link, only to cringe when he heard Ulrik’s voice.
“Morning, Sleeping Beauty. Did you faint again? Or could you have found comfort in the bed of a pretty nurse we all know.”
“You can stop calling me that anytime,” V replied.
Ulrik chuckled. “Sorry. The name has stuck.”
