Burning Desire (17 page)

“Not anymore,” Balladyn said calmly. “She’ll no longer answer to you or anyone else in her family. She’s mine.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Not two blocks from the steakhouse, Kiril found three Dark trailing him. It had taken over an hour, but with some help from a group of college students and a change of clothes he managed to get far enough away that they never saw him jump to the roof of a building.

Kiril remained there long enough to determine that they didn’t know where he was. From there he made his way to
an Doras
. He smiled when he spotted them gathering outside
an Doras
talking hurriedly, their hands moving agitatedly as they spoke.

It never occurred to the idiots that he might show up at the pub. A few seconds later and the three split up again. None wanted to tell Farrell that they had lost him.

Kiril remained in the seclusion of the shadows in a narrow alley between two buildings, giving him a perfect view of the door of
an Doras
so he could see who was coming and going.

The sheer number of humans, especially females, who entered the club boggled his mind. As a Dragon King, he was sworn to protect mankind, but how could he when they could be so incredibly stupid?

Didn’t they sense the evil of the pub? Didn’t they notice how few females walked out of the pub unchanged in some way? Didn’t they think the red eyes weird?

It was times like these that made Kiril think Ulrik was right in wanting to wipe out the human race. They hadn’t wanted the protection of the Dragon Kings, had instead sought to kill the dragons.

And yet, time after time across the millennia, the Dragon Kings had kept the Earth safe and the humans from knowing the horrors that existed on other realms.

The Kings did it while hiding who they really were. If the humans discovered everything there would be few who thanked the Dragon Kings. Those few would be outnumbered by those wanting to kill or enslave the Kings, and still others who wanted to dissect them.

It made Kiril sick. To know the Dragon Kings had gone to such lengths—including sending their own dragons away—for the humans made him want to hit something. No human would ever understand what it had done to each Dragon King to watch the dragons fly through the Dragon Bridge to another realm.

There was a piece missing from each King, and had been since the dragons left. It was a piece that would remain lost until the Kings were reunited with the dragons. And that would never happen on Earth as long as the humans inhabited it.

Kiril didn’t hate humans. He felt nothing for them. The only ones he could tolerate were the females who had mated with other Dragon Kings.

Cassie, Elena, Jane, Denae, and Sammi were different than other humans. Their compassion was immense, their minds open to possibilities, and more than anything, each had risked her life for a Dragon King.

There wouldn’t be such a human female for him. Kiril knew it in the very depths of his soul. Other Dragon Kings like Rhys sought out the females for nothing more than to relieve their bodies, but Kiril was perfectly content to never have one in his bed.

His gaze sharpened on the pub when a Dark couple rushed out of the building, looking over their shoulders as they did. Just what was going on inside? Kiril intended to make his entrance eventually, and he was thinking the time was about right.

The sound of high-heeled shoes on the cobblestones pulled his attention from the pub. A woman with red hair in tight curls and a blue dress that barely covered her ass approached in a drunken stumble. He thought she might pass him by, because no one could see that deeply into the shadows. Yet the woman came straight to him.

“There you are,” she practically purred in a thick Irish accent. When she reached him, she rubbed her body against his side, her hands everywhere.

Kiril kept his arms at his sides and turned his head away. She would go away as soon as she realized he wanted nothing to do with her. “I think you have the wrong man.”

“I’m sure I don’t.”

He looked down at her to find that though her voice and actions were seductive, her gaze was sober and direct. “You found me. What do you want?”

“To give you a message.” She pulled his head down and kissed him.

The kiss was nice, but nothing that stirred him as Shara’s had. Kiril didn’t pull back as he let her lead the kiss. Everything so far had been for show by the human. He suspected the kiss was as well. Either way, his concentration on what was going on around him didn’t wane.

She ended the kiss and wrapped her arms tightly about his neck so her mouth was even with his ear. “Phelan says Balladyn is inside.”

“How interesting.” He tried to pull back, but she held tight.

“That’s not all. Balladyn isn’t alone. Shara is with him.”

Kiril’s gaze jerked to the door of
an Doras
. Balladyn and Shara? Is that where she’d been? With that bastard?

The woman released him and stepped back. “That’s all I have.”

“Thank you. I suggest you get out of the city tonight.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I see you looking at
an Doras
. I wouldn’t suggest going inside. That place is … wrong. Two of my friends went in. One we’ve never seen again, and that’s been six months ago. The other isn’t the same person she once was.”

“Why remain here then?”

She shrugged and hugged herself. “I stop as many people from going in as I can. I just thought I should warn you.”

Kiril considered the woman for a moment. Here was a human risking her life by urging others not to enter the pub. “If those running
an Doras
discover what you’re doing, they’re liable to kill you.”

“I know.”

“And you’re willing to risk it? Why?”

“Others should know. My friends didn’t, and look what happened to them. Maybe if someone had warned them they wouldn’t have gone into that place.”

If the Dark weren’t in Ireland, the woman wouldn’t feel the need to risk her life every day to save others. The Dark. They were a plague that had been allowed to breed in Ireland unchecked.

“I’m sorry,” Kiril said.

The woman cocked her head to the side, her curls shifting with her. “For what?”

“For letting evil multiply.”

“Evil is evil. It’s everywhere. It’s not your fault.”

How wrong she was. The blame lay with every Dragon King. The Fae Wars had gone on for thousands of years, and when the Dark and Light Fae finally admitted defeat and signed the treaty, the Kings had just wanted to get back to days that didn’t involve constant fighting.

Their apathy allowed the Dark to remain in Ireland, trusting the fiends to abide by the treaty. The Light had to some extent, but not the Dark. They always tried to find a way around things.

Kiril grabbed the woman’s arm when she went to turn around. “Go home tonight. Trust me. You doona want to be here.”

“Perhaps you should go home as well?”

“Oh I am. Verra soon.”

She smiled and slumped over as she stumbled drunkenly out of the alley, her act once more in place.

Kiril shook with rage. He had told Shara about Balladyn, had told her it was the Dark who took Rhi. She hadn’t said she didn’t know him. In fact, she had admitted to knowing who Balladyn was. He began to suspect that Shara had played him more than he’d realized. And damn it all, he still craved her touch.

Still longed to hold her.

Still hungered to fill her body.

“I heard Balladyn is in there,” a Dark male said as he rushed past the alley where Kiril hid.

A second Dark with him rubbed his hands together. “In Farrell’s place? This should be interesting. I never thought Farrell would be a good leader for us.”

The first punched the second in the arm. “Don’t be stupid and say those things out loud. The Blackwood family has a lot of allies.”

“And a lot of enemies.”

They two continued their conversation, but they were too far away for Kiril to hear the rest. It seemed that Balladyn’s appearance was causing quite the stir. Dark Fae from all over Cork were coming to
an Doras
.

“Oh, please let it be him,” said a whiney female voice coming closer with every word.

Kiril remained still as he focused on the conversation.

“It is,” said another female, with a husky voice. “I know it. He’s going to be mine.”

A third snorted. “I heard he’s found his woman.”

“Who?” demanded the second as they walked past the alley.

The first smiled excitedly. “Yes, who?”

“Farrell’s sister, Shara,” stated the third.

Kiril stopped listening. He wanted to rip something apart, to shift into dragon form and let loose a ball of fire right at the pub. So what if Shara was with Balladyn? He’d had one night with her. It hadn’t meant anything.

Liar.

*   *   *

“My father hasn’t given permission,” Farrell told Balladyn. “He’s head of the family and ultimately decides who Shara will marry. It won’t be you.”

Shara sipped her whisky. For the first time, she knew Farrell wasn’t going to win. And neither was her father. It was hard not to contain her joy or the smile that threatened. Would they feel as helpless as she had? Would they know the futile fury that nestled like a cold mass in their gut? She hoped so, especially when it came to Farrell. He was a weasel, a bastard of the first order.

“Is that right?” Balladyn said and faced Farrell. “You think you’re someone important because of your family.”

Farrell gloated, his smile cruel. “I know I am. No one goes against a Blackwood.”

“And who is Taraeth’s right hand? Who commands the respect of the Dark army? Who is undefeated?”

“That will change soon enough,” Farrell stated confidently.

Balladyn grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. In the short amount of time Shara had been with him, she knew it was a sign that he had almost reached his limit. Her brother, the dumbass, didn’t know that.

Farrell thumbed his nose at her. “Besides, I thought after what I told you about her that you would know enough to stay away. It’s a matter of time before I get to kill her.”

“How many others have you told your family’s secret to?” Balladyn asked in a quiet voice, belying the fury she could sense.

Farrell shrugged, uncaring that he was treading on thin ice.

Balladyn closed the small distance between them until he was glaring down at Farrell. “How. Many?”

“Enough to make sure that stupid bitch is forever alone.”

The whisky glass slipped from her numb fingers to shatter on the floor. Her secret that was never supposed to leave the family had been bandied about all over Cork. Shara felt sick.

But she was also furious.

“You gave your word to Father,” she told Farrell. “You betrayed him, me, and the entire family.”

Farrell roughly grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the chair yelling, “He should’ve let me kill you!”

Whatever else he was going to say was cut off when Balladyn slammed a fist into his jaw. Farrell crashed to the ground, pulling her with him since he still had ahold of her arm.

Balladyn gently pulled her up and sat her in the chair. Then he turned back to Farrell. “As Shara said, you’ve betrayed your family. That is unforgiveable for a Dark.”

Farrell was holding his jaw as he leaned up on one elbow, blood seeping from his busted lip. “It’s accepted when it’s deserved.”

“And you thinking you could capture a Dragon King all by yourself?”

At that, Farrell climbed to his feet. “I will succeed. I was gaining ground.”

“By having drinks with him?”

“Shara was seducing him.”

She wanted to kick Farrell in the balls. Didn’t he ever know when to keep his mouth shut?

Balladyn’s gaze slowly turned to her. There was murder in his eyes—for her.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“You know this Dragon King?” Balladyn asked in a frosty tone that threatened to suck all of Shara’s courage from her.

She refused to cower to Balladyn. He could kill her with one blast of magic. How could she have even
considered
him her salvation?

“Yes,” she answered.

Balladyn faced her, his red gaze promising pain for her omission. He lowered his chin, his lips pulled back in a vicious sneer. “Who is he?”

Shara parted her lips, her mind rushing with options when Farrell chuckled loudly. Balladyn’s gaze slid to him, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Farrell leaned on the bar behind Shara’s chair grinning like a cat that had gotten into the cream. “The bitch knows to keep her mouth shut. The Dragon King is ours to take.”

For once Shara was grateful for Farrell’s arrogance and brazenness. Everyone’s gaze in the pub was on Balladyn. He grabbed Farrell and jerked him back, only to slam him against the bar.

Magic swirled around Balladyn as he gathered it in one of his hands. “I think it’s time you and I came to an understanding, Farrell. My understanding.”

Shara jumped when the first round of magic hit Farrell in the stomach. He screamed, his eyes squeezed shut against the pain. A few brave Dark snuck out of the pub and made a run for it while others remained transfixed with either grins or masks of fear as they watched Balladyn.

Shara used the opportunity to slide off the bar stool and slowly move away. Any moment now, Balladyn’s men would come into the pub, and she wanted to be long gone by then.

She reached the end of the bar without Balladyn noticing her. Another two steps and she turned the corner out of his sight. She didn’t wait another second to teleport out of the pub.

Shara appeared on the docks. She cringed when she was immediately soaked in the pouring rain. A glance around showed she was thankfully alone. She wrapped her arms around herself and was about to disappear again when she realized she had nowhere to go.

Wherever she went, Balladyn or someone from her family would find her. She just wanted a few minutes to herself to think without worrying about who was going to do her harm.

And then she remembered there was one place she could go, one place where she felt safe and secure.

*   *   *