by Olivia Ash
“I know them,” I say with an indifferent wave of my hand. “Thank you, Reggie.”
I don’t like to be dismissive to such a kind man, but every move I make must be a power play. Knowledge. Authority. Control. I must exude all of that and more at any given moment, and I must never back down from any challenge.
Not with these dragons watching.
“Ah, well,” Reggie pauses for a moment, clearly trying to skip a few bits of his rehearsed routine. “In that case, I will leave you all with a few parting rules, and then you may begin your—deliberations.”
I resist the impulse to smile as he avoids the word “festivities” this time.
His gaze passes over the many faces in the room. “This is old hat to many of you, so I thank you for your patience as I repeat the laws of the castle. Please, no shifting within the buildings. All dragonish activities must take place outside.” He nods toward the windows. “As my staff and I are all human, please do not engage with any of us in a physical manner, or I’m afraid I will have to immediately remove you from the property. Multiple infractions may result in a lifetime ban, so I ask that you not tempt fate on that one! And, lastly, no fistfights in the castle halls. Everything must be taken outside. On the grass, you’re free to do as you please. However, I implore you to please not light my forest on fire!” He chuckles, but not one else laughs at his joke.
Honestly, in this political climate, it’s probably a real risk.
Reggie pauses, scanning the faces before him. I figure this is his attempt to get us to agree to the rules, but no one speaks. He nervously clears his throat.
“I’ll take my leave, then,” he says with a hesitant bow. “The cameras will turn off momentarily.” As he casts one last fleeting glance toward me, he walks into the hall and gently shuts the door. Almost instantly, the red light of the camera in the corner flickers off.
And just like that, we can begin.
The moment the caretaker leaves, Jett Darrington opens his mouth to speak.
I beat him to it.
“The Vaer have a bio-weapon, one capable of rendering humans unconscious,” I say, diving in to the most prominent thought on my mind. “I’ve—shall we say, acquired its chemical composition, as well as the antidote.”
Behind me, Jace lets out an annoyed little sigh, but I resist the impulse to smirk.
“I’ve partnered with a few distribution centers to distribute the antidote globally,” I continue, barreling through the over-simplification with a wave of my hand.
None of them need the details, anyway.
Jett leans back in his seat, an arrogant smirk on his face as he gives me a once-over. “And how did you discover this nefarious plot, exactly?”
I lift one eyebrow. “Don’t worry about that, Mr. Darrington.”
He frowns.
Elizabeth Andusk tilts her regal chin thoughtfully. “I would like my own copies of this antidote, as well as the weapon.” She smiles warmly. “Purely for study, of course.”
My eyes flit briefly to Harper, who nods almost imperceptibly.
“You can have the antidote,” I say. “But not the weapon.”
The barest hint of a scowl crosses Boss Andusk’s face, but she recovers quickly. “I understand. I imagine you want to keep that information for yourself.”
I smirk at the jibe, but I don’t indulge her by responding. She’s just trying to put me on the defensive. I can’t even remember how many times Diesel has pulled this stunt on me—it just doesn’t work anymore.
Aki Nabal clears his throat, smiling a bit as he adjusts in his seat. “As I’m sure you can tell, Miss Quinn, none of us are particularly fond of each other, but we despise the Vaer far more. I’m grateful for what you’ve done.” His smile falters. “Kinsley doesn’t need any more power than she already has.”
“I agree,” I say with a nod.
It feels damn good to dismantle something the Vaer have worked so hard to build.
“Yes, yes,” Jett says, waving his hand dismissively as if none of this matters in the slightest. “I believe there are other things of more importance, however. Such as you, Miss Quinn.” He sneers as he says my name in a slightly mocking tone, clearly just trying to toy with my patience.
Before I can help myself, I grimace.
“Tell us what you can do,” Victor Bane orders, finally breaking his silence. “What does it mean to be the dragon vessel, exactly?” He lounges in his seat and sets the heel of his boot on the elegant table before us as he watches me with a hunger I’ve seen before. The overconfident smirk, the relaxed shoulders, the not-so-casual spreading of his legs—he’s observing me with barely contained lust, and he’s likely debating all the things he would do to me if he could have his way.
“Yes,” Elizabeth says, the thin line of her cleavage exaggerated as she leans subtly forward. “We’re quite curious.”
“That’s a shame,” I say with a cocky grin.
I’ve never seen so many people frown in unison. That clearly was not the answer they came all this way to hear.
“We have a right to know,” Victor Bane snaps.
“She is the dragon vessel,” Isaac says, the last of the Bosses to break his silence. His voice has a distinct accent to it, though it’s difficult to place—I didn’t hear it when he spoke to me in his dragon form, but it’s unmistakable in his human body. “She owes us nothing, Bane.”
Victor scowls at the Palarne Boss before him. “The noble warrior comes to the maiden’s rescue, huh? Let the girl speak for herself.”
“Show her respect,” Isaac snaps. His voice booms through the air like thunder, thick with authority and control.
Victor narrows his eyes in disdain, but he doesn’t say anything more.
“Perhaps you’re worthless,” Jett says with a lazy shrug. “Perhaps all of this pomp and pretense was for nothing.”
“Perhaps,” I say with a wry smile, matching him at his game. “Perhaps you all wasted your time over some silly legend. I’m just a harmless human, after all.”
Behind me, someone shifts uncomfortably—Tucker by the sound of the boots. He’s likely wondering what the hell I’m doing, but he’s thankfully not going to undermine me by asking in front of everyone.
Good, because this is all part of my plan.
“Or,” I continue, eyes narrowing on the Darrington Boss before me. “Perhaps you know damn well what I can do, and you’re trying to make the others care less about figuring it out for themselves.”
With that, I set my finger on the wooden table before us and summon my magic, never once breaking eye contact with the Darrington Boss. White light blisters over my skin, casting a soft glow across the room. Elizabeth and Aki both gasp, though everyone else manages to contain their excitement.
Electricity can carve intricate patterns into wood. So, either my magic is going to do something truly breathtaking, or I’m going to blow this table to bits.
Either way, I win.
With a sudden jolt, I reach into the depths of my magic and channel a measured blast of power through my finger. The magic crackles through the table, burning golden lines into the wood that splinter in different directions like the roots of a tree.
When I lift my finger and lean back in my chair, the table before us smokes. Golden lines crisscross the grains of wood, as fine and beautiful as if a craftsman put them there intentionally.
Oh—oh crap.
Though I maintain my stoic expression, my heart skips a beat at the thought that perhaps this wasn’t just some table—perhaps it was a custom build, or worse, an heirloom.
Shit.
I’m going to have to apologize and maybe even replace it.
Damn it.
Careful to maintain my composure, I gently adjust in my seat, getting comfortable as I smile knowingly at Jett Darrington.
His eyes finally snap away from mine to assess the table before us, and his scowl deepens. “Impressive.”
“Impressive?” Victor Bane asks with a sk
eptical laugh. “Don’t try to undervalue this. The lines—the gold—and so fast! That’s more powerful than any old thunderbird.” The Bane Boss sneers as he runs his finger along the gold grains.
“Thanks,” Harper says dryly.
“I figure we’ll be discussing quite a bit over these next few days,” I say, doing my best to sound casual. “But I want you to know one thing for certain, all of you.” I pause, waiting for each gaze to drift back to me before I continue. “I am not afraid of any of you. Not your armies. Not your powers. Not your resources. You do not scare me, and I am not for sale.”
A few hours later, Reggie stands at the open door, his mouth gaping as his fingers claw at his remaining hair. “By the gods above, what happened to the table?”
“Ah,” I say, trying not to grimace with guilt. “That was me.” I give the caretaker an apologetic nod, even as I try to maintain my composure in front of the Bosses.
“But—how did—you did that?” He blinks rapidly, at a loss for words.
“I take it lunch is ready?” Jett asks in an irritated tone.
It takes a moment for Reggie to shake himself from his daze, but he eventually manages to nod at the Darrington Boss. “Uh—yes, sir. Yes, it is.”
“Good.” Jett’s chair scrapes over the hardwood as he stands. He leaves without another word, and several of the other Bosses follow silently behind.
We’re all exhausted from several hours of interrogation, and I am beyond relieved for the break. As the Bosses turn their attention away, I feel a comforting hand grip my shoulder. I look up to see Jace nod approvingly at me and gesture for me to follow the rest of the dragons filing out of the room.
There’s something I need to do, first.
I clear my throat. “Reggie, can I have a word?”
The castle’s caretaker tilts his head curiously but indulges me by walking over as the last of the Bosses step into the hallway. “My dear, if this is about the, er, intrusion last night, I cannot even begin to express my utter apologies to—”
“No, consider that forgiven.” Jace had already run him through the ringer, and I wasn’t about to do it again. Instead, I nod toward the golden lines now wrought permanently into the table. “Sorry about that. Can I pay you back, or—”
“Not at all!” Reggie laughs. “My dear, you just made that table priceless. Touched by the dragon vessel herself? Miss, I’m fairly certain you just allowed me to double my daily rate for use of this room!”
I laugh at his candor. “In that case, I get to stay for free in the future, right?”
“Absolutely, my dear.” He grins and offers me his arm so that he can lead me to the buffet. “Shall we?”
I chuckle and take the balding man’s arm. I have to admit, I’m rather fond of Mr. Reginald Greaves.
As for the Bosses, however—I’m sure most of them were expecting a frail little girl in over her head, faking and bluffing her way through the meeting.
I, however, don’t have to bluff. I have the guns to protect myself and the trigger finger to fire should the need arise.
Back arched, I join the Bosses in the next room as Jace, Drew, and Tucker flank me and Reggie. One morning down—only two and a half exhausting days left.
Chapter Fourteen
As the day wears on, I’m left dog-tired.
But I figure that was the point: wear me down. Ruffle my feathers. Make me break and reveal something crucial—something they shouldn’t know.
Fat chance.
I slip into the restroom as we break for dinner, eager to have a moment to myself. Jace tried to follow me in, but damn it all, I will get one moment of peace and quiet.
As the door shuts behind me, I press my back against the ornate designs in its wood, take a deep breath, and survey the ornate room to make sure I’m alone.
Unsurprisingly, there are no cameras in here. An elaborate sink with a gilded mirror covers one wall. A few reflective trays in each corner of the wide counter offer lotions, rolled towels, and perfumes to guests. An elegant black chaise rest against the other wall, and I wonder if anyone has actually sat on it—or if it’s more for show. White marble covers everything from the floor to the sink to the ceiling, and I figure the phrase “tone it down” was never mentioned when the architect built this place.
There are two separate doors in here, and I figure the builder added two toilets for increased capacity. The door to one of them is open, though the other is closed. Despite the utter silence in here, I frown, wondering if I’m alone after all.
To my surprise, the knob turns almost instantly.
Moments later, the door to the second water closet opens, and Elizabeth Andusk walks into the elaborate restroom. When our eyes meet, she gasps in surprise and sets a hand on her chest.
“Oh, my,” she says with a light chuckle. “You startled me.”
“Sorry,” I say, my moment of peace shattered. “The door was unlocked, so I didn’t realize the room was taken. I’ll leave.”
“No, nonsense.” She waves her regal hand to dismiss the idea and smiles warmly as she heads to the sink. “I’ll be done in just a moment.”
As the beautiful woman gently bends over the ornate counter to wash her hands, I take the moment to survey her skeptically.
I don’t believe for one moment that this was accidental, and she’s a fool if she thinks this worked.
“Since you’re here,” Elizabeth says as she daintily lifts a rolled towel from one of the trays on the counter. “I have a surprise for you.”
“No, thank you.” It’s tough to be polite when I want to punch pretty much everyone in the face, but I force myself to grin and bear it. I only have two more days of this nonsense, after all.
As I turn the knob to leave, she clicks her tongue in disapproval. “Honestly, Rory. This is a fun surprise.”
Uh huh. Sure.
Before I can even open the door, Elizabeth whips out a velvet box from a hidden pocket in her dress. It’s roughly the size of my pistol, and for a moment, I wonder if she actually got me something useful.
Not that I’d take it, but still. It’s the thought that counts.
She lifts the lid to reveal a dazzling diamond pendant set on a crisp black satin pillow. The center stone is as large as my thumbnail, and it glistens with brilliant facets in the warm light around us. Four smaller diamonds, each equally dazzling, trace their way up the golden chain.
“It’s a trifle,” Elizabeth says with a smile as she lifts the necklace from the box. “Someone as beautiful as you should be doted upon, don’t you think?”
The Andusk Boss sets the box aside and raises the necklace, wordlessly offering to clasp it around my neck, but I lift a hand to stop her.
“Do you really think I’m so easily bought?” I ask, raising one eyebrow in annoyance.
“I—I don’t know what you mean.” Elizabeth watches me with a wounded expression, and she takes a wary step backward.
But I see through the act.
“Did you think I forgot about the attack by the cliff?” I take a step toward her, squaring my shoulders as I look her dead in the eye. “Did you think I forgot you sent your people to kidnap me? Back before I went to the dojo? Back when you thought I didn’t know how to control my powers?” My voice lowers as I near her, and I don’t bother to mask the icy chill in my tone. “I remember, Elizabeth, and I will never forget.”
For the first time since we met, Elizabeth drops the phony warmth she’s so good at faking.
Her nose wrinkles slightly as she studies me with a disdainful expression, and she lifts her chin in defiance. “Those are some bold words.”
“They’re not just words,” I promise.
The Andusk Boss chuckles humorlessly. “You are property, little girl,” she says, her tone shifting dramatically from the honey-smooth kindness she’s spoken with all day. Elizabeth lifts the beautiful stone in her hand, studying it as the light glints brilliantly off its facets and casts small rainbows around the room. “You’re like
this diamond, in fact. Beautiful. Rare. Commanding. But, ultimately, you’re just another thing to obtain.” Elizabeth smirks, the sultry tilt to her eyes brimming with confidence as she speaks. “You can fight me, you can be shackled and controlled, or you can simply obey me and live in comfort.”
I scoff. “Even if it’s comfortable, it’s still a prison.”
“You don’t know what we can do to you, child,” Elizabeth warns, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper as she slowly closes the gap between us. “The ways we can break you, the ways—”
As she nears my face, entirely too close, I’ve finally had enough.
Before she can even blink, I whip out one of the daggers hidden in my skirts and hold it to her neck.
“We’re done.” My voice is cold. Harsh. It leaves no room for interpretation or doubt.
Elizabeth stiffens as my blade presses against her neck. Her beautiful brown eyes narrow as she glowers at me, but it’s several moments more before she finally steps backward.
“You’re a fool,” she snaps. “And you will regret this.” She slams the diamond into my palm in a fit of disgust. Without another word, the regal woman storms from the restroom.
When the door clicks shut behind her, I tilt my head slightly to stare after the regal woman. I simmer on everything she said, on all those hollow threats, and I wonder if any of them had any substance.
It’s hard to tell with her. One moment, she’s frail and elegant; the next, it’s like I’m looking at a totally different woman. A vengeful one, someone who would go to the ends of the Earth to settle a grudge, if that’s what it took.
Curious, I lift the diamond in my palm, examining the beautiful stones on the glimmering golden necklace as the room’s soft light dances through the facets. I’ve stolen necklaces like this before, though nothing quite this beautiful, and I suspect it’s easily worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But a woman like that—she has an ulterior motive. They all do.
Carefully, I flip over the pendant and pick at the settings with my dagger. A few of the stones pop out, totally clean, and I briefly wonder if I’m wrong—if she really did just hand over something worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in a transparent attempt to buy my loyalty.
