Darkest Flame

Kellan leaned back against the door and folded his arms over his chest. “If any of us had done that, you would be patting us on the back. A mortal, one who had been touched and tortured by the Dark, does it and she’s a liability. Odd that your mantra of ‘protect the humans at all costs’ doesna come into play now.”

 

 

When Con merely glared at him, Kellan continued. “You convinced us to send our dragons to another realm so the humans could live. You stripped your best friend and rival of his powers to save the humans. When it comes to you, Con, you’ll do whatever it takes to secure what you want.”

 

“Are you saying I’m happy I had to do that to Ulrik?” Con asked with a heavy chill to his words.

 

“I’m saying you didna mind it. I’m saying you didna hesitate. I’m saying you saw an opportunity and took it.”

 

“You know nothing,” Con said between clenched teeth.

 

Kellan smirked as he dropped his hands and pushed away from the door. “I record the history of the Kings, remember? I know it all.”

 

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door and Kellan’s name said through the wood.

 

“This is over. Denae will stay as long as she wants. And if you force her away, I’ll go with her.”

 

“You can no’,” Con said, a hint of surprise on his face.

 

Kellan put every ounce of anger into his words as he said, “Watch me.”

 

He turned and yanked open the door to find Tristan. Kellan walked out of the office, not bothering to close the door behind him as he and Tristan walked away.

 

“What is it?” he asked the new King after they were some distance from Con’s office.

 

“Rhys and Kiril have no’ returned.”

 

Kellan stopped and glanced down the hallway to Con’s office. “Why no’ tell Con?”

 

“Because Con didna want them to go to begin with. Banan is on his way back after dropping off Henry, and Guy is just staring at the Silvers.”

 

The Silvers. Kellan hadn’t gone to see the dragons since he’d awoken. It was too hard to look at the magnificent creatures and not long to free them, to see them take to the skies with their roars—regardless that it would mean the end of the humans.

 

They were dragons, the essence of who the Kings were. The Silvers were the last link to the dragons the Kings had sent away so long ago.

 

“Leave Guy for now. He needs to be alone,” Kellan said. “Where is Hal?”

 

“With Cassie dealing with some distributor issue in the Dreagan offices. I didna bother him. Laith, Ryder, and the others are busy as well.” Tristan’s dark eyes were ever watchful, catching every look, every gesture a person made.

 

Kellan motioned to Tristan and they began walking again. “Rhys and Kiril should’ve returned by now. Have you tried to call to them using your Dragon Voice?”

 

“Aye.”

 

“Let’s give it another try before we go looking for them.” It was Kellan’s worry about his friends that kept him from returning to Denae, but when he did get back to his room, he and Denae were going to have a long talk about the future.

 

What he was going to say he hadn’t yet figured out. All he knew was that he wanted her with him.

 

*

 

Denae turned off the blow dryer to the sound of the bedroom door opening. “Con,” she said when she looked out of the bathroom.

 

“I was wondering if we could talk.”

 

She was immediately put on the defensive. Had Kellan sent Con? No. That wasn’t like Kellan at all. He would take care of his own business, no matter how nasty it might turn out.

 

“About what?” she asked as she tucked her still-damp hair behind her ears.

 

“The girls found you clothes, I see.”

 

She glanced down at the jeans and vintage Dr Pepper tee. “Yep. What do you want to talk about?”

 

“What are your plans?”

 

It wasn’t like she could tell Con she’d been hoping she and Kellan would have this conversation first, or that she desperately wanted to stay with Kellan.

 

Instead, she told him what she’d already decided on. “I’m going to contact Henry and see about sneaking into MI5 so I can determine who made the union with the Dark Fae. Then, I’m going to erase myself from their database.”

 

“Really?” Con asked with a raised blond brow.

 

“Really.” The part about her finding out who was after the Dragon Kings was none of his business. She wasn’t doing that for him. She was doing it for Kellan and their time together.

 

“I may have misjudged you, Denae.”

 

She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you have. Now, ask me what you really want to know.”

 

“And what would that be?”

 

“When am I leaving?”

 

He stared at her quietly for several seconds before his wide lips softened into some semblance of a grin. “Is there somewhere I can drive you?”

 

Denae was glad he couldn’t hear the frantic, anxiety-filled beat of her heart. It was costing her everything to leave. But there was work to be done, work only she could do.

 

For the Dragon Kings.

 

For the world as she knew it.

 

For … Kellan.

 

“I’m better on my own,” she said. “Don’t worry. I’ll be outta here shortly. Oh, and one more thing. Are you going to wipe my mind like you first planned?”