“Trying to piece it all together?” Ulrik asked. “If you had forty lifetimes you wouldn’t be able to. See, Henry, I’ve been setting all of this up for thousands of years. I’ve been patient, I’ve bided my time, accumulated allies and assets, and amassed a fortune.”
Only one other time in his career as a spy had Henry felt as if he were thrown to the wolves. He’d nearly lost his life that first time, and he was certain he would this time. It wasn’t so much that he was going to die, but the fact that everything he knew—or thought he knew—wasn’t the whole story.
All he had to do was look into the gold eyes and know that Ulrik held all the cards in this particular game. No matter what the Dragon Kings did, no matter if MI5 got rid of all the traitors, no matter if the Dark Fae left Earth, Ulrik was going to win it all.
“You look a bit green,” Ulrik said as he sat forward. He took the decanter and a crystal glass and filled it with water before handing it to Henry. “You could probably use something stronger, but this will have to do for now.”
Henry took the glass with his good hand. As he brought the crystal to his lips, he briefly thought the water might be poisoned, and then he didn’t care. He was thirsty, and he was going to die. Did it really matter how it happened?
He downed the first glass quickly. As he set the crystal on the sofa, Ulrik refilled it. Henry drank two more glasses before he shook his head at Ulrik’s offer of another refill.
Ulrik put the decanter back in place and sat back in his chair once more. “I like you, Henry. You seem like a smart man. What would make you stand against me? You know I’m going to win.”
“Just because you’re going to win doesn’t mean the rest of us just move aside for you.”
Ulrik shook his head and propped his elbow on the arm of the chair before resting his head against his fist. “Isn’t it better to live in my world than die in yours?”
“No.”
“You say that without even knowing what my world is going to be.”
“I do know. If the Dark get this weapon of the Dragon Kings’, then the Kings will be wiped out. You’ll try to stand against the Dark, but you won’t be able to.”
Ulrik’s smile was gone as he carefully watched him. “The Dark will never get the upper hand on me. Oh, they’ll try, but they’ll fail. As for the Dragon Kings, what do you know of them?”
Bloody hell. Henry knew better than to talk so freely about the Kings. He was going to have to construct a good lie, not an easy thing when he was in such pain. “How do you think I knew about the group of traitors within MI5? How do you think I knew of the Dark or of you?”
“I’d like to know.”
The words were spoken calmly, softly, but Henry didn’t miss the menace that underlaid them. “I was asked to join the task force to find the traitors in MI5. When I agreed, my superiors informed me of just what I would be seeing.”
“Hmm,” Ulrik said. “That’s a very plausible explanation. I wonder though, did one of your superiors have any dealings with the Dragon Kings? Because any normal human would want any such magical beings eradicated from this realm posthaste.”
“I don’t know if he did or not. From the files I read how Dreagan Industries was being targeted. Once we learned those at Dreagan were really dragons, we realized they haven’t done any harm to us. It’s a human thing to stand up for the ones who are being picked on.”
Ulrik laughed and leaned forward so that his forearms rested on his knees. “Trust me when I say the Dragon Kings don’t need your help. Besides, Earth will be better off without them.”
“Why?”
“Because I was meant to rule.”
Henry wished he had some way of getting all of this back to Banan. Thinking of his friend made him realize Banan would likely go looking for him when he didn’t check in.
He looked at Ulrik and twisted his lips in a sneer, ignoring the pain when he split open his lip again. “You belong in Bedlam.”
“I’m taking what was mine by right. You have a choice here, Henry. You can live or you can die.”
Henry snorted derisively. “I suspect it isn’t that easy of a decision.”
“You pledge yourself to me, then I let you live.”
“I could lie.”
Ulrik rose. “You could try, but the magic I use will ensure your promise to me is kept.”
“So you don’t trust me?”
“I don’t trust anyone.”
“Give me a reason to side with you, Ulrik.”
His face contorted with rage for a heartbeat, and then it was gone. “Doona ever call me that again.”
Henry didn’t comment on Ulrik’s slip into his brogue. There had to be a reason he didn’t want his name known or for others to know he was Scottish.
“As for why? Henry, I would think your life would be answer enough,” Ulrik said, appearing to collect himself, his English accent back in place. “You have until dawn to make your decision.”
CHAPTER SEVEN