“That’s easy. He wants revenge.”
“Which is pointless until he has all of his magic.”
Con tossed back the whisky and gently set the glass down on his desk. “We have his Druid now. She willna be helping him.”
Kellan straightened in his chair. “You’re no’ seriously considering holding her as a prisoner, are you?”
“What she doesna know willna hurt her.”
“You’re messing with fire, Con. She touched our magic and lived. That should tell you right there she’s special and no’ someone to disregard easily. Besides, do you really think Ulrik will let us have her?”
Con opened his mouth to respond when the door was flung open and Denae walked in.
“Surely I didn’t hear y’all right,” Denae said in her thick Texas accent as she let her anger show. “Darcy is a person. She has rights. She’s not an object to be fought over.”
“Denae,” Kellan began.
She put up a hand to stop him and speared Con with her whisky-colored eyes. “Y’all have some gall.”
“Whether you want to admit it or no’, she’s a pawn in this game,” Con stated.
Denae rolled her eyes. “All because she was about to undo what you put in place.”
“What we all put in place,” Kellan corrected his wife. “It wasna just Con.”
Denae dropped her hand, shaking her head as she did. “If y’all think Darcy is just going to let you ‘take’ her, I think you’re going to be sorely mistaken. Didn’t your time with the Warriors and Druids tell you anything about the Druids?”
“She’s got a point,” Kellan told Con.
Con looked at the mates. “Warrick and Thorn will do what they must to keep Darcy from returning to Skye.”
“Which makes her rely on them.” Kellan lifted a shoulder. “It could make her see us in a good light, but if she ever feels trapped, I doona think the outcome will be good.”
“Warrick and Thorn will keep her there,” Con said again.
Kellan harrumphed. “You obviously doona know Warrick. He’s a guardian, Con. He’ll protect her from any danger—even us.”
“Warrick is a Dragon King. He knows how important it is to stop Ulrik. He’ll do what’s right.”
Kellan slid his hand against Denae’s, their fingers twining. “Let’s hope you’re right. I doona want to fight the Druids as well.”
Neither did Con. They had enough enemies, but he had to do what he had to do—regardless of who it angered.
*
“What do you mean she protected my flat only?” Darcy asked in outrage.
Warrick looked at Thorn for help, but Thorn shrugged, telling Warrick he was on his own. Warrick turned back to Darcy who stared at him impatiently. He shifted his feet. He hated situations like this. No matter what he said, it wouldn’t be enough. If only he had a silver tongue like Rhys.
“Hello?” Darcy said, her brows lifted.
Warrick opened and closed his mouth. He released a breath. “I told you all I know. Rhi did it while you slept, then hid them so they couldna be used again.”
“That’s great for my flat, but what about this place?” Darcy asked, her arms spread wide, indicating the shop.
“Rhi left before I could ask. At least you have one place to go that you know the Fae can no’ intrude.”
All the anger deflated right out of her. “True,” she grumbled. “I was just hoping to protect the shop as well. It sucks that I can touch dragon magic, but I can’t keep a Dark out of my space.”
“That is rather odd,” Thorn said, his face scrunched with confusion.
Darcy shot him a withering look. Warrick stepped between them when he saw Thorn’s grin. It was just like Thorn to want to irritate Darcy.
“We’ll add our magic to yours,” Warrick told her. “We can keep the Dark off Dreagan. We’ll keep them out of the shop.”
That seemed to satisfy her, and for the next thirty minutes, the three set up the spells, each overlapping the other to make them stronger.
By the time they finished, Darcy was ready to get to her plants. Warrick didn’t follow her. He remained in the front with Thorn.
“I doona like that there were no Dark last night,” Thorn said.
Warrick glanced toward the back where Darcy was. “Aye. No’ a single one even scoping out the place.”
“They know we’re here.”
“Which means there was another hiding and watching the other night.”
Thorn’s lips flattened. “The next attack will come soon.”
“One of us needs to stay with Darcy at all times while the other keeps his distance.”
“Agreed,” Thorn said. “I’ll stay close enough to help, but far enough away that the Dark willna see me.”
Warrick was more than happy to stay close to Darcy. “Perhaps I can convince Darcy to return to her flat before dark.”
“Good luck with that,” Thorn said with a laugh. “That woman is as stubborn as they come.”
She was all that and more. That’s what drew Warrick to her. That and the fact he wanted to be with her. When he couldn’t stand to be with anyone for very long, that spoke volumes about her.