Dragon Rage

by Kelly Armenta

  Jace spoke to him in a strange language while Milos leaned around Jace’s chair. “You have the most interesting associates,” he told Gareth, his eyes gleaming as he first glanced at Kit’s tail draped around my throat and then over to Snick still floating in the air in front of Jace.

  The more Jace talked the more agitated Snick became until the little man winked out, only to reappear in front of Ricky, who reared back and yelled while he struggled to get free. His reaction didn’t really surprise me, given that the last time Snick had touched him just a few days ago, he’d wiped his memories. Obviously Jace had been too kind in having Ricky placed unharmed on a park bench across town. Without any memories of who he was, you would have thought it would be the last we would have seen of him. Unfortunately for us, someone had retrieved Ricky and somehow returned his memories. That he had seen me shift and knew what I really was was worrisome. That he had shared that information with whomever he was working with was downright alarming. Even worse, we didn’t know who that someone might be. This had all happened before I’d called my four to me, so none of them knew anything about any of that.

  “Do you know what they are saying?” I asked out loud in Elvish. My question aimed at the men behind me or Owen.

  “I’m sorry, Princess, I don’t speak Gnome,” Amras replied from behind my chair. Owen’s ears flickered and he shook his head but didn’t turn.

  “He asks the little one to tell him who returned the memories. What memories does he speak of, My Lady?” Cursed asked.

  “The man’s a spy and Jace had Snick erase his memories several days ago. Jace had him removed from here. Someone must have found him and done something to restore them. We suspect we have him to thank as tour guide for the problem we had earlier in the tunnels.”

  “He appears to dislike you, Princess.”

  I sighed and nodded. “I killed his lover.” Apparently Amras didn’t know what to say to that. Actually she was on her way to attacking me first and let’s face it, Dragons and Trolls just don’t get along.

  Down the table Marcus coughed and I lifted my eyes to him. He had swiveled his chair so that Belinda was slightly behind him and could not see his expression. Of course with her leash firmly in his grip, it seemed the tables had turned. Valentine was too busy watching Ricky to notice, but the look Marcus gave me was… well it nearly made me blush. Apparently I’d impressed him. On my shoulder Kit hissed and his little teeth pulled the hair at my nape, his way of telling me to stop paying attention to Marcus. I winced and reached for Kit but he grabbed another mouthful, letting me know he wasn’t about to be removed from his perch. “Would you quit?” I muttered, then dropped my hands back to my lap as Gareth cleared his throat. When my gaze turned his way he was leaning his chin in his palm and his eyes caressed my face, the look he gave me reminding me just whose bed I’d be occupying later. My mouth went dry as I swallowed and felt the heat invade my body from the anticipation.

  Bodark leaned forward sharply, his nostrils flaring. Beside him Alan made a low purring noise in his throat. Gareth lowered his lashes, the only sign he made that their attention irritated him.

  “May I ask why, Princess?” Amras asked his voice hesitant as if he knew something had just happened but he wasn’t sure what it was.

  Why what? I thought for a second then gave myself a mental shake. “It was me or her,” I replied. “I don’t like Trolls.” Plus at the time I thought she was sleeping with Gareth. At least that’s what Jace had led me to believe. Though if she hadn’t been Troll, it’s possible I wouldn’t have actually eliminated the competition, so to speak. Or maybe I would have. I’d recently discovered I didn’t much like sharing. I know, I know, it doesn’t make sense to be jealous, especially given the fact that I currently have six lovers all my own. But there it is.

  I really needed to pay attention here, I thought sourly as coughing erupted down the table again. And something was going to have to be done about the fact that my upper shield wasn’t as secure in mixed company as I thought.

  Behind me I heard Cursed whisper, his voice sounding shocked. “Did she say Troll?” I didn’t hear Amras answer so he must have just nodded. Trolls and Elves don’t like each other much either. In fact the only one around here that seemed to like Troll was hanging between Nick’s men and whimpering. Obviously whatever Snick was doing was extremely painful.

  “Is this necessary?” Adara finally demanded. Her delicate Asian features screwed up in a frown as she leaned her arms on the table and glanced toward Gareth. If we were waiting to see who would break first, we might have just had a winner here. Although it would have been logical to suspect Angel was the one involved with Ricky instead of Adara. Since they were, after all, both Hyenas. But then a Werehyena didn’t have the necessary skills to replace someone’s memories, whereas a Sorceress might. So what would Adara have to gain by infiltrating Gareth and Jace’s operation?

  Gareth’s eyes went flat as he looked down the table at the Sorceress. “Someone sent our little friend back to us,” he informed her coldly. “I’d like to know why.”

  Adara’s glance slid to Angel’s. “Aren’t you going to do something?” she demanded.

  Angel shrugged a shoulder and stared back at Adara, her gaze flicking toward Gareth, then back. “He’s not mine,” she replied abruptly, then settled back in her chair and turned away. Adara gave her a disgusted look then subsided back into her own chair. Out of the corner of my eye I couldn’t help noticing her long pointed nails digging into the chair. At the rate she was going, it was likely that she’d puncture the buttery soft leather. Ricky had signed on to be a Hunter. Once a person did that, it made them Gareth and Jace’s problem. The act of signing ultimately severed any ties to whatever local Werepack a person had originated from. To claim kinship to him would have broken this evening’s treaty and Angel didn’t appear interested enough in Ricky to risk that kind of repercussion.

  “What has this to do with us?” Eldel asked gruffly. I blinked, suddenly remembering the Dwarfs were still in the room. They’d been so quiet it was easy to forget they were here.

  Jace said something to Snick and the Gnome nodded briefly, then pulled his hands back from Ricky, who appeared to be swaying on his feet. If not for the guards he might have slid to the floor. Jace crossed to Ricky and grabbed a handful of hair, yanking Ricky’s head up. “Ricky’s been a very bad boy. A bit of an inconvenience you might say,” Jace commented angrily. Snick seated himself on Jace’s shoulder and spoke rapidly in his ear. You could see Jace tense, and his hand tighten, until Ricky pulled air in through his teeth. His dark eyes glared up at Jace from a face gone pale.

  Cursed shifted at my side and I nearly jumped when he asked something in Gnomish, his tone sharp. Jace looked over his shoulder at my ‘half Goblin half Elf’ and nodded curtly. His response caused Cursed to place his hand on his hilt and my eyes widened at the look that slid over Cursed’s face. It occurred to me that Ricky may not be getting out of the room alive.

  Jace gave a nod to the two men holding Ricky and they released his arms, stepping back but keeping their eyes on him just in case. “Is there anything you’d like to say for yourself?”

  Ricky managed to pull himself upright and lock his knees while his eyes moved between Jace and myself. I could feel the hatred pouring off of him. Beside me I sensed Cursed roll onto the balls of his feet. “You took something of mine,” he told me in a low voice that vibrated with anger.

  About ten feet separated us from each other. He’d barely finished speaking when he launched himself toward me, his body shifting mid-air. I barely had time to blink before his head was neatly separated from his body and flopped to the floor, nearly rolling under my chair. Beside me Cursed had slipped to one knee, his blood stained sword held at shoulder level, an intense look of satisfaction lighting his large black eyes as he watched Ricky’s body shift back to human, sans its head. His eyes swept the room, taking in the reactions of everyone there at a glance. Satisfied, he lowered his sword a
nd wiped it on Ricky’s shirt, careful to remove all trace of blood before he rose to his feet and slid it back into the scabbard on his hip.

  When he’d returned to his position behind me, I reached down and gathered my dress away from my foot, then gave Ricky’s head a delicate shove. The force sent it skittering back toward the rest of his body. That he had gone for me was neither surprising nor particularly alarming. I suppose in his position I might have done something similar, though I hoped I’d have been more successful.

  Shaking my head I looked up at Jace who still had his arms crossed over his chest, and a pleased smile on his face. He glanced down at the lifeless pieces, then looked at Nick before turning back to his chair. He hadn’t even bothered to flinch when Ricky launched himself toward me, knowing that I was well protected. It made me wonder just what it was exactly that Cursed had asked him. The blood on the carpet was starting to stink and I turned back to the table, while Nick’s men removed Ricky’s remains from the room.

  Stroking Kit, I lifted a serene face to the room, careful not to smile at the calculating glances aimed my way. I suppose given my attire and breeding, it might have been more appropriate for me to scream or feint and act the helpless victim. That I did neither seemed to have surprised several of our guests, specifically the Dwarfs, both of whom were eying me with speculation. It looked like my reaction had earned me some little measure of their respect.

  The meeting portion of the evening was pretty much over at this point. Gareth had informed our concerned guests that the threat to their livelihoods had been dealt with, and being who he was, they had no reason to doubt him. In addition, between Valentine and Ricky there had been more than enough entertainment for one evening.

  Jace invited our guests to enjoy the refreshments and a couple of guards turned waiter in black pants and white shirts, slipped into the room and began circulating with trays of food. One of them circled the table and took drink orders. Gareth rose from his chair and went to chat with Jace. Across the table from me Alan stood from his chair and moved to Gareth’s, which also happened to be right next to mine.

  Across from me Bodark leaned forward, giving Alan a frustrated look. Apparently he’d had the same thought but hadn’t been quick enough.

  “So is it true?” Alan asked, his long fingers making circles on the arm of the chair while his dark eyes searched my face. Kit turned his head up and rolled his eyes at the lame pick up line. Kit had been watching out for me since I was a child, something I’d just recently discovered. Just hours ago he’d explained to me that only immortals would do for me, and to ensure I hadn’t taken any non-immortal lovers he’d actually turned my previous dates impotent! Imagine how fun that had been for me. Especially since I was unaware until just a few days ago that Kit even existed. He literally was the chaperone from hell. Now, thinking about it made me smile and helped to keep the desire I was experiencing under control. After all, what good would it do me to get all worked up over the man since Kit could emasculate him with a snap of his fingers?

  “I’m sorry is what true?” I asked, glancing at him through my lashes.

  “He wants to know if you’re actually a Faerie Princess, and not just in appearance,” Bodark added.

  I glanced between the two of them while Kit sat calmly in my lap. He’d closed his little red eyes and was resting his head on his tail. He’d been excessively quiet since he’d returned from Marcus and it was just a little disturbing. Even Alan seating himself mere feet away from me hadn’t caused him to hiss or growl. I dipped my head slightly and replied, “So the papers have reported.”

  To my left Milos pushed Jace’s empty chair away from the table and scooted closer to me, his eyes focused in the region of my lap. If I didn’t know he was watching Kit, I might have been offended. Judging by the look on his face, I might end up offended anyway. The man seemed to have a single minded obsession. When he reached out a finger toward Kit, Cursed was suddenly standing at his shoulder, his arms crossed over his chest, black eyes narrowed in a disapproving frown. Milos blinked several times but got the message and pulled his hand back into his own lap.

  “Damned guard,” he mumbled.

  “You should be thanking him,” I informed him calmly. “He just saved you from losing a finger, or more. Kit does not like being touched by strangers. Consider yourself warned.”

  Milos grumbled and turned his chair toward Adara, the look on his face frustrated. Had Kit been an actual Dragon I might have been worried that Milos would attempt to steal him, but given the fact that Kit was a Demon and legally mine for all eternity, I had little to worry about.

  Bodark chuckled and Alan joined him. Gareth went to talk to Nick but I could feel his eyes on me from across the room. Jace wandered over and inserted himself between Alan and myself by placing his hand on the back of my chair. When I looked up at him he ran a finger across the tip of my pointed ear. “Can I get you anything?” he asked, lifting his face to glance down the table in Marcus’ direction. I turned my head slightly, following his line of sight and noticed Valentine was engaged in conversation with Adara and Milos, while Belinda and Marcus appeared to be missing from their seats.

  Chapter 3

  Kit sat up in my lap and swung his head left then right, twisting it nearly all the way around before he resettled himself and closed his eyes to angry red slits. I nearly did the same but managed to restrain myself and glanced back up at Jace, feeling the hair on my neck stand at attention as his eyes narrowed somewhere just over my left shoulder.

  “Jace,” Belinda’s high pitched voice purred. “How nice to be seen by you.”

  Jace lifted an eyebrow and brushed my ear again. “Belinda,” he replied, his voice flat.

  Behind me Cursed and Amras shifted, moving to block Belinda from stepping between the back of my chair and their bodies. “Get the hell out of my way!” she snapped.

  “Leave it Belinda, or did you wish to end up like the hyena?”

  Her high pitched laugh cut across the room. “Ha! They carry nothing more than toothpicks!” she scoffed.

  Alan leaned back in his chair and rested his hand across his waist, his dark eyes intent upon the interaction between Jace and Belinda.

  Jace shrugged. “Elfin steel leaves a nasty cut, and you don’t seem to be healing well these days.”

  His comment must have convinced her because when next she spoke her voice came from behind and to the right of me. “It has been too long,” she told Jace, her voice dropping to something less annoying. It might possibly have passed for a sexy voice except it was still irritating. Or maybe that was just the subject matter. Though I knew Jace had slept with her once upon a nightmare, I wasn’t in the least worried it was something he was likely to repeat. Jace liked his women a lot less mean and a lot more intelligent than Belinda would ever be.

  “I see you’ve managed to land on your feet, or knees as the case may be,” he replied stiffly. “Who is your friend? I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

  Jace took a second to swivel my chair toward the door so that the back blocked me from Alan and Belinda. I nearly knocked my knee into Cursed who was standing so close he was forced to take a step back to avoid me.

  Belinda grumbled something, then nearly fell to the floor when the leash she was wearing was jerked sharply and Marcus growled in her direction. He was standing on the other side of Cursed with Amras between him and Belinda while the length of leash draped between them.

  “Marcus Red, meet Jace Green,” she replied sarcastically. Jace looked at Amras, who slid farther to his left. Cursed hesitated a heartbeat then moved to my right so that we formed a circle, Jace, Amras, Marcus, Cursed and I.

  “Marcus,” Jace replied, his dark green eyes narrowing as he looked Marcus over. He held out his hand and the two of them shook.

  “May I present Princess Lexi?” He purposefully left off my family name. None of us wanting to go there just yet.

  Marcus pulled his hand back and went to a knee in front of me
. At the other end of the leash Belinda sputtered angrily but managed to not say anything worth repeating. “It is an honor,” Marcus replied, his light brown eyes nearly level with mine.

  Jace turned toward Belinda, drawing her attention as he remarked in a snide tone to her and those at the end of the table. “Interesting necklace, quite the step down for you isn’t it?” I ignored Belinda’s response, grateful for the distraction Jace was providing.

  Kit growled at me when I reached out my hand to Marcus but otherwise didn’t move in my lap. He hesitated a second but slipped his fingers around mine and slowly bent over it laying a soft kiss across my knuckles. “The pleasure is mine,” I replied. Between Jace’s body blocking Belinda and the back of my chair taking care of Bodark and Alan, I was free to search his face while he held my hand.

  When he would have stood I squeezed his fingers and closed my eyes thinking, ‘if you can hear me blink,’ and he blinked. ‘Are we in danger?’ I asked and he blinked again. ‘From Valentine?’ when he blinked again I bit my lip and thought, ‘we need to speak… can you get away?’ When he dropped his eyes to the floor I nearly groaned realizing I didn’t have much time, so I asked. ‘Do you know who I am?’ He glanced back up at me and tilted his head to the side, neither confirming nor denying. ‘Do you know who you are?’ I asked and he again neither confirmed nor denied. ‘Who did this to you?’ I thought, at a loss of what else to ask. I wanted very much to drop my shield but with Belinda this close I dare not.

  He didn’t respond. He was so pale and the wounds on his neck looked so ragged that it pulled at my heart strings. My fingers slipped from his and I reached to tenderly brush the side of his neck and he froze at my touch. “You did not heal when you shifted?”

  “No,” he replied softly.

  My eyes met his, so wide and wary, and with my fingers still resting on his abused skin I asked, “Would you like me to assist you?” I’m not sure he understood what I was asking but he nodded anyway. “You must say the words,” I told him, conscious of our rules of engagement for this meeting. I dare not take the chance that Valentine would use this against me and could imagine he might say I had forced my will upon Marcus.