Veiled Threat (4 page)

Milly gave me a tight nod, and Frank’s eyes damn well lit up. “Like a command center?”

“This isn’t a fucking video game, Frank.” I snapped at him, irritation flowing through me.

His eyes dimmed. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m trying to put this in terms I understand is all.”

Liam and Milly both gave me a look, one that said I’d gone too far. Again. Damn it all to hell and back.

I damped down my irritation, forcing my voice to soften. “Sorry, Frank. You and Kyle put together something of a command center, it’s a good idea.”

And with that, we were off in different directions again.

I didn’t like it.

Never mind that nothing I planned went the way I hoped.

Not one freaking thing.

Chapter 4

R
ylee was passed
out, sound asleep beside him. The last month she’d slept like the dead, heavy and dreamless. Liam ran a hand over her bare shoulder and then slowly pulled the covers over her. She didn’t even twitch, her face buried in her pillow. For a woman who’d always been a light sleeper, he didn’t know what to make of this change. On one level, he knew it was good, knew she needed to rest and likely that’s all this was. A break before the coming storm when she could build up her reserves.

But damned if she didn’t constantly smell like Milly now, her heavy rose perfume seemed to permeate everything. He blew a breath through his nostrils as if to clear the scent. Nothing he could do about it, not really. Besides, Milly was trying and she saved his life, came back for him when she didn’t have to. Damned if he didn’t trust the witch fully now. When he first met her, before he knew Rylee well, Milly had been nothing but trouble. His cop instincts knew she was up to no good. But now that they’d all been through so much together, not a single doubt resided in him. Milly was with them, for good or ill; she would stand with them against Orion.

That didn’t make it any easier on him that Rylee smelled like her all the time—and it certainly wasn’t helping him sleep.

But, underneath it was Rylee, the smell of his mate, and it was enough.

He tucked an arm behind his head and stared at the ceiling. The farmhouse was quiet except for the steady blow of wind against the building.

Erik’s voice suddenly whispered along the floorboards. Without another thought, Liam slid out of bed and made his way through the house to the living room. A dying fire flickered shadows and light against the far wall.

“I wondered how good your hearing was.”

Liam didn’t answer, just stood there, waiting for the man—this Slayer—to say something.

Erik turned to face him, a smile on his lips. “I didn’t know she was alive, not until this past year when you and your pack went trapeezing across Europe. You stirred up all kinds of shit with your passing.”

“She has a tendency to do that.” A smile twitched his lips.

“Yes, our family was not known for … subtlety.”

There was nothing to say to that, so Liam just nodded.

“She needs to ride with my dragon, have a little girl chat, and I do believe that Blaz will not like this, much as he tries to act as though he would rather not have a rider. It would only be temporary of course. Long enough for Ophelia and Rylee to speak to one another,” Erik said, his voice pitched low.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you have her ear. Ophelia knows about the Blood of the Lost. My dragon is the last keeper of the knowledge of what Rylee truly is, a truth she needs to claim if she is to be the one to stop Orion… Unless you have the violet-skinned book of prophecies?”

Liam let out a slow breath, his mind working through this piece of new information. “No, the book is missing. You’d be better off telling Rylee yourself. She doesn’t like games, nor does she play them well when forced to. More than likely she’ll break something. Your face to begin with, your balls shortly after that.”

The older man grinned at him. “Good. Then at least I know the blood runs true. I didn’t want to approach her until I had a better feel for how she’d react. Then, of course, the hard part is going to be dealing with her pain in the ass lizard. He really doesn’t want to be tied to my girl.”

Liam tipped his head to one side. “You’ve already called Ophelia here, haven’t you?”

Erik nodded. “She’ll be here by morning light. And she truly can be a cranky bitch—all female dragons are—but she is loyal beyond the grave.”

There was nothing to be done for it. “Is that all?”

“You don’t trust me yet, wolf, but you will.” Erik held out his right hand and it was the first time he noticed the last two fingers were missing.

Liam didn’t offer his own hand back. “Missing appendages don’t make me trust you any more, they only make me think you’re weaker than you look.”

Their eyes met and Liam expected a challenge, but Erik didn’t seem to be looking for a fight. His eyes were full of questions, but no direct challenge.

“Well, goodnight then, Liam.” Erik walked past him toward the guest room down the hall. Liam watched him go and waited until the sound of the bedroom door clicking shut reached his ears.

His voice low, he stared at the closed door. “I don’t trust you. But I think we’re going to have to.”

Moving quietly, he slipped back into his own bedroom and shut the door. Rylee still slept, motionless on her belly, her breathing deep and even. Lying beside her, he pulled her gently into his arms. She murmured something unintelligible and buried her face against his chest. The long gold chain holding the pendant he’d given her when they’d bound their lives together warmed between them, reminding him of the promises he’d made.

Holding her tight, he closed his eyes and let out a long, slow breath.

Keeping Rylee safe, and in one piece, was his number one goal. And his wolf acknowledged, as he did, that if Erik was telling the truth, the Slayer would be able to help them do just that.

Of course, that was assuming Rylee wouldn’t take exception to Erik bringing in Ophelia, or trying to tell her how to kill demons.

Another long, low breath escaped him. Yeah, it was going to be an interesting morning.

Waking up to a dragon roaring inside my skull was not what I’d call pleasant. I was on my feet and scrambling for clothes before I was fully awake.

“What the fuck is going on, Blaz?” I grabbed my new leather jacket as I bolted for the back door. I was still breaking it in; it only had a few stitched up spots from our stay in Europe, and the leather was still a bit squeaky. When I reached the door, a burst of cold air wrapped around my neck and face as Erik stepped in, blocking my path. He held up his hands, palms facing me. I hadn’t noticed before that he was missing fingers on his right hand. Not that it mattered.

“Let them work it out. A tiff like this always looks worse than it is.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Let who work it out?”

He tipped his head toward the window over the sink and I peered out. On the far side of the barn, in the fields, was a red and silver dragon beating the shit out of Blaz. Her wings buffeted him as she snaked her head forward, biting his shoulders.

“That doesn’t look like they’re working it out.” And just how was I going to stop her? I mean really?

“You want get between them?” Erik laughed at me and headed to the coffee pot. He was wearing the same clothes as when we’d met him, minus the long fur-trimmed cloak.

“Not really. She won’t kill him?”

“Nah, she’s just pissed he’s avoided her for so long.” He sat with a thump and then I realized we were by ourselves. I Tracked the others in the household and found them either still asleep or, in Liam’s case, out for a run with Alex.

I kept my back to him and watched the dueling dragons, seeing now they were both holding back. Blaz was no longer yelling inside my head—hell, how did he think I was going to help anyway?

“How do I know you are really my uncle, or if you are my uncle, you’re not some evil ass relative who’s waited for years to get your revenge on my parents by trying to take me out?” Fuck, I felt like some twisted Disney princess saying that, but the possibility was there. Especially with my life.

The sound of someone choking came behind me and then a cup being set on the table. I turned to see a very amused Erik leaning back in his chair.

Before he said anything, a rather loud and peevish female dragon interrupted, her voice echoing inside my head loud enough that I knew I was not the only one hearing her words.

Tracker. Come and deal with your lily-assed blue boy; I cannot talk any sense into his pea brain head.

I didn’t wait for Erik to follow me; I was pretty sure he would. Hell, I had no doubt he’d set this up, even though he’d said he wouldn’t call Ophelia.

Which went to prove my distrust was well placed. Already I knew I needed whatever knowledge he had about demons and fighting them, but I was keeping him on the outskirts of my circle. No need to let the viper in the front door, even if you needed his venom to poison the bad guys.

Walking across the muddy farmyard, I circled to the back of the barn. Tracking Eve, I found her sound asleep too. It was like everyone was still on vacation, sleeping in, resting their bodies as much as possible. That we were all on the same page made me a bit jittery. Like we all knew the “big game” was coming and we were prepping. I didn’t like it, not one bit.

Around the back of the barn I found the two dragons. Ophelia sat on her haunches, still as a statue, glaring at Blaz with his wings spread wide and his jaw open as if warning her off.

“You two kids having fun?” I stopped and put my hands on my hips. Blaz tipped one eye toward me.

This is not fucking funny, Tracker.

I lifted my hands overhead. “Look, you two big-assed lizards figure this the hell out. I’m not a negotiator and I don’t relish the idea of trying to work out your breeding rights or who takes out the fucking garbage in your dragon relationship.”

Ophelia’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened, showing off the deep brown edging the purple of her iris.
I am not here for breeding rights. That is months away. I am here to help my rider. And quite frankly, I am here to help your scrawny ass, Tracker.

Blaz snaked his head toward her going nose to nose.
Don’t talk about my rider that way, bitch.

Ophelia snarled and shoved him away.
So, you do have some spine in there after all.

Again, I held up my hands. “Stuff it, both of you. I’m going to Portland; Blaz is taking Liam and me.” I glanced at Erik leaning against the barn. “I suppose you and Ophelia are coming too?”

Erik nodded the same time Ophelia did. Though on him, it looked like he held back a laugh, and Ophelia just looked smug.

A black streak of fur ripped across the yard, mud flying in all directions. “Alex tooooooooooo!”

Liam in his wolf form loped lazily along behind Alex, his tongue lolling out. He gave me a wink over one silvery golden eye as he stepped beside me, Alex right behind him. Alex pushed hard against my leg on one side, and Liam pressed against the other, heat from their bodies warming my legs in a split second. Submissive he was no more; Alex pressed harder, begging with his eyes as round as he could get them, his lips whispering “please, please, please.”

“Fine, Alex, you can come too.”

He leapt up and mud sprayed around him, splattering my pants and jacket. I wiped it off, but didn’t bother to scold him.

Within fifteen minutes, we were ready to fly. Liam shifted and put on warmer clothes, and Blaz backed from Ophelia to give them both room to take off.

I cannot believe she is here.
His voice was low and I knew he spoke just to me. I shrugged; nothing we could do about it.

I know that.
His voice was resigned. Was it really that bad being with her? Hell, I’d be pissed if my mate avoided me for years.

I don’t love her. It is that simple.
A picture of a smaller dragon, tawny and cream colored flickered from his mind to mine. Shit. And Ophelia no doubt knew Blaz felt something for this other dragon.

It was her cousin.

I didn’t stop the groan that slipped out of me. A dragon love triangle? That was not going to be good. Wait, was?

Sorrow, thick and heavy, flowed into me.
Her cousin is dead. Gone for many years.

What the hell was I to say to that? Nothing. If I lost Liam, no way I could just “move on” with someone else. Not even if someone paired us up and said it was for the best and we needed to be together.

I touched Blaz’s back, pressed my hand into his scales. “I’m sorry.”

He said nothing more, the feel of his long-buried sorrow enough to keep our thoughts to our own heads.

Liam and I tucked into the harness on Blaz’s back, and Alex climbed behind us, wrapping himself into the leather. Though we planned to see Doran and Louisa first to ask about casting out the evil spirits, at the last minute I directed Blaz to head to Portland. I could always call Doran, or even Louisa, but the ogres had waited long enough.