“A son and daughter. They’re with Blaise. In Avalon.”
For the first time, Falcyn’s stern features softened. Blaise had always held a special place in his affections. “I’ll see them protected and shielded, too.”
As he started to leave, Max stopped him. “Thank you, brother. Can I ask why you changed your mind?”
Falcyn turned at the curtains to look back first at Max, then to Sera. “I still think you’re an idiot. I still hate and begrudge every breath that fills your lungs. But you are my brother and we are drakomai. It’s not my place to take from you your heart… If there is any way to help her, then I am honor bound to do so. You know the code we live and die by. Regardless of my feelings for you, it is my responsibility to protect what you love and preserve our bloodline.”
“Again, thank you.”
Falcyn didn’t respond to that. It was as if a part of him was embarrassed by the gratitude. Instead, he turned toward Illarion. “You still have your dragon’s claw I gave you?”
Always.
“Yeah, not what I heard.” Falcyn clapped him on the arm. “I heard you loaned it out to an addanc. What the hell’s wrong with you? Did I teach you nothing?” He shook his head at Illarion. “An addanc? Really?”
Falcyn made a sound of supreme disgust. “All my brothers are morons. I swear. Now take me to the dragonets before Blaise sucks what little intelligence they have out and leaves them lacking, too.”
Illarion rolled his eyes.
After they left, Max laughed.
Sera scowled at him. “What?”
“I just realized why I like Rémi so much. He reminds me of my own asshole brother.”
“And you find that funny?”
“I do.”
Sera held her arms out to examine them as if waiting to start growing cold and sluggish again. “Will this last?”
“It should. Falcyn is the oldest of our kind, to my knowledge.” He wrinkled his nose at her. “He’s even older than I am.”
“Wow! So why does he hate you, then?”
“I failed him and Hadyn. It’s why I won’t ever fail anyone else I love.” He brushed his hand through her hair before lifting a lock up to rub against his bottom lip.
That single action sent chills over her. Worse, it awakened her hunger for him in a way that was frightening. Before she could stop herself, she cupped his face in her hands and led his lips to hers so that she could ravage his mouth and drink her fill of him.
Max laughed as he picked her up and pressed her against the wall behind her. “How can my swan be starving so soon?”
She nipped at his whiskered chin, wanting to forget about everything else.
If only they could.
“We need to see about Nala.”
He nodded. “I need to get the Tablet back and make sure Kessar doesn’t use it.” He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.
Sera gasped at the action, especially when he headed for the door. “What are you doing?”
He playfully held her legs against his chest as he continued to carry her. “You keep getting into trouble. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“I can walk, you know.”
“Aye, but I’m a dragon. We’re known for abducting beautiful maidens and taking them to our lairs.”
Giggling, she surrendered to his hold. “I’ve always wondered about that. Why do dragons take women?”
He tsked playfully. “I’m offended you’d ask that given the ride we just had in my bed.”
“That’s not a bed… On your straw, you mean.”
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, the playfulness faded from his face. His jaw dropping, he slid her from his shoulder and set her on her feet in front of him.
Sera turned to see a new group gathered in the downstairs of Peltier House. The power coming from them was disturbing enough, but it was the two sets of identical twin gods that set her nerves on edge and terrified her.
One set was easy to mistake for each other. They were both tall, dark, and incredibly sexy. The only way to distinguish one from the other was that the one on the left had shorter black hair than the one on the right.
“Sin,” Max said, extending his hand to him. “Zakar.”
They shook his hand in turn.
The other set was much easier to tell apart. While they both had shoulder-length hair in similar styles, one had his black with a pair of swirling silver eyes. The other was blond with eyes of vibrant blue.
“Styxx,” Max greeted the blond. “Acheron.” He stepped back to introduce her. “My mate, Seraphina.”
Acheron inclined his head to her. “Wish we were meeting under better circumstances. Especially since I’m here to ask your mate if it’s okay if we feed him to the gallu.”
Sin clapped Max on the back and put a firm hand on his shoulder. “Actually, it’s not a request. Buckle up, Buttercup. We’re throwing you under the bus.”