Darkest Flame

“Precisely. Ian has to know.”

 

 

Kellan liked Tristan. A lot. It wasn’t just that he was a Dragon King. Tristan had proven himself as someone Kellan could trust. He would do whatever Tristan wanted regarding Ian. If Tristan didn’t want to see his brother from another life, then Kellan would make sure Ian didn’t interfere.

 

“We’ll protect Tristan.”

 

Phelan raised a dark brow, an eager light in his eyes. “And we’ll back Ian.”

 

“This should be interesting.”

 

“Aye.”

 

The boat began to slow, the motor no longer as loud as before. Rain pelted the top of the yacht. The ferocity of the rain proved that it was going to be a long storm.

 

Kellan didn’t stand until the boat was docked and tied off. Before he could take the first step onto the deck, Con blocked the doorway, his blond hair dripping with water and his dark red dress shirt plastered to his chest.

 

“Is she all right?” Con asked as he nodded to Denae.

 

“She will be.”

 

Con’s black gaze shifted briefly to Phelan before he gave a slight nod and walked to stand next to Tristan in the rain.

 

“Why do I get the feeling he isna happy you’ve brought Denae back?” Phelan asked.

 

Kellan flattened his lips. He had gotten the same vibe from Con, and it didn’t sit well at all. “I doona give a rat’s arse what he thinks. I make my own decisions.”

 

“Even living at Dreagan? I get the feeling Con makes the rules.”

 

Kellan snorted. “He tries. We all tell him to go bugger himself if we doona agree.”

 

“As would I.”

 

Kellan stepped in front of Phelan before he could walk out. “Con is a good man. He’ll have your back if you ever need it.”

 

“Aye, I know.”

 

“But he’ll also turn on you quicker than you can blink if he feels it’s justified.”

 

Phelan’s brow furrowed. “Can you give me an example?”

 

“Ulrik.”

 

“I’ve heard that name before. He doesna happen to be the King of Silvers, does he?”

 

“Aye. How did you guess that?”

 

Phelan paused long enough for Kellan to know that Con had let something slip. Anger filled Kellan. “What did Con tell you about Ulrik?”

 

“He didna say Ulrik’s name. He asked if we knew anything about a shop in Perth called The Silver Dragon.”

 

“Shite,” Kellan said and glanced down at Denae in his arms. “Be forewarned, Warrior, when it comes to Ulrik, the Kings have always been divided. We united the first time to stop the war with the humans, but if there was a choice now, none of you would want to be in the middle of that war.”

 

“Point taken. As much as I want to hear more, I want to get back to Aisley. And I know you want to get Denae out of this weather.”

 

Phelan was the first onto the deck. When Kellan turned to step outside he found Tristan already walking down the dock, mindless of the rain.

 

Guy laid a trench coat over Denae, making sure to cover her head. As Kellan followed Guy off the boat, he spotted Phelan running down the dock in the opposite direction from Tristan.

 

It wasn’t until Kellan was in the Mercedes G-Class with Guy behind the wheel and Con in the front passenger seat that Tristan climbed into the backseat with him.

 

“She’s still unconscious?” Guy asked.

 

Kellan nodded as he removed the coat. “Aye.”

 

“I thought you said nothing was wrong with her,” Con said as he shifted to look in the backseat.

 

Tristan crossed his ankle over a knee and slowly turned his head to Con. “She was hit with magic while wielding Rhi’s sword and trying to take off a Dark Fae’s head. She deserves to sleep as long as she needs.”

 

Con looked from Tristan to Kellan. “You expect me to believe Denae survived Dark Fae magic?”

 

“I doona give a shite what you believe,” Kellan said. “It’s what happened when Taraeth tried to take her again.”

 

“Taraeth.” Con’s frown grew. “Humans can no’ survive the Dark Fae.”

 

Kellan ignored Con. “Let’s go, Guy.”

 

There was a beat of silence before Guy started the engine, a smile on his face.

 

Not once did anyone mention Rhys or Kiril. Both had opted to return to Dreagan as dragons rather than by boat. Kellan had told Tristan to do the same, but the King of Ambers had refused.

 

It was obvious Con wasn’t happy. Whether it was from the fact some Kings had gone to Ireland to look for him, that they had battled the Dark without waiting on Con, or that Denae was returning to Dreagan, Kellan didn’t know nor care.

 

Everything had changed for the Dragon Kings the moment they sent their dragons away. The same rules that had governed the Kings for hundreds of thousands of years no longer applied.

 

They needed to find their own way, and it was only with the hope that one day the dragons would be returned as well as keeping the Silvers contained that they remained together.