“Who’s Luka Mettler?” Aria asks.
I wince. “He’s my mate’s father,” I reply. “I haven’t spoken to him since Gisele’s funeral. He blamed me for Gisele’s death, and for the death of the unborn child.”
Aria’s face goes white. “She was pregnant when she was killed?”
Fuck. Of course she didn’t know. It’s not like I’ve discussed any of this with her. “I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I should have told you.”
“That’s okay. I get it. It’s hard to talk about.”
But hard though it is, it needs to be done.
I’ve changed in the last few weeks. It’s not just Aria. Hanging around with my fellow dragons feels good, much better than the isolation of Castle Valder. For the first time in centuries, I look forward to each day.
Aria deserves to know everything. As much as I will always feel a twinge of sorrow when I think about Gisele, the honest truth is, I’ve barely thought about my long-dead mate in the last few weeks.
Instead, I’ve thought about Aria. Infuriating. Brave. Stubborn. My mate.
I’m finally ready to move forward, ready to look to the future instead of dwelling on the past.
But first, I need closure. And for me, that’s a conversation with Luka Mettler.
“We can’t even be sure that this message is really from him,” Casius continues.
“Who else can it be?” I ask. “I mean, look at this. The note is written on parchment, and it’s stamped with Mettler’s wax seal.” The dragon has ignored everything that’s gone on in the world since the death of his child. Cell phones have not invaded Luka’s world.
Mateo, who’s been silent so far, speaks up. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
I give him an irritated look. “You’ve been saying that for weeks.”
“And I’m right every time,” Mateo retorts.
I get to my feet abruptly. “Thank you for the advice. But I need to do this.”
“I’ll come with you,” Bastian says. “If that’s okay?”
He’s worried. And so am I. Gideon’s on a rampage. Innocent people are getting attacked. Magicals are starting to talk, to panic. Bastian’s kept everyone on a pretty tight leash ever since he came of age, but I wouldn’t put it past other dragons to use the chaos for their own nefarious purposes.
And if Luka Mettler turns out to be a pawn in someone’s sinister chess game, then I’ll be foolish to go alone. “I’d appreciate it.”
Aria bites her lower lip. “I want to come too. If Zyrian is involved in this, he’ll bring magic to bear. I can be useful.”
“No,” we all say at once. “It’s too dangerous, princess,” I tell her.
She narrows her eyes and glares at me, but I’m unmoved. When it comes to her safety, I’m never going to relent.
“Tesoro, you’ve made great strides in the last few days,” Mateo says gently. “But you’re not powerful enough to face the Dark Dragon.”
“He’s in Alaska, not Germany.”
“He can send his spirit walking abroad while his body is protected,” Mateo replies. “Remember our lesson this morning? Time and space are not constraints for a mage of Gideon’s power.”
Rhys puts his arm around my shoulder. “I’m sorry, love,” he says. “I know you want to help. But if you go, Erik and Bastian will be so busy worrying about you that they’ll be distracted.”
She sighs heavily. “Damn it, that makes sense.”
Rhys grins. “I’m more than a pretty face, love.”
“It doesn’t mean I like it,” Aria says pointedly. “Fine.” She puts her arms around my neck and hugs me tight. “You beat me at pool last week,” she whispers. “And I want revenge. You better stay safe, you hear me?”
I take a deep breath, and the light, floral scent of her washes over me. “Princess,” I smirk in an effort to lighten the mood. “You’ve been trying to beat me for weeks and failing miserably. When are you going to learn to give up?”
She punches my arm in reply.
As she hugs Bastian goodbye, I give Mateo a sidelong glance, and he nods slightly. We both know that there’s a good chance that Aria will try to follow us.
Mateo, Casius, and Rhys need to make sure she fails at that task.
15
Aria
I quietly make my way down the hallway, determination marking my every stride. The dragons might tell me not to worry, but I can’t let it go. Call me stubborn, but I should be helping Erik and Bastian. The need to just do something is too strong to ignore. So, despite the fact that I said I’d stay behind, I’m sneaking out to help.
A dark figure steps out of the shadows causing my heart to pound furiously in my chest. Mateo steps into the light, and I relax slightly.
“Where are you off to?” he asks casually. Too casually. He knows what I’m doing. Can I bluff my way out of this?
“I couldn’t sleep.” I shrug. It’s not a lie. It’s just not the whole truth.
“There seems to be a lot of that going around tonight. Right, Rhys?” Mateo asks over my shoulder.
Rhys has managed to sneak up on me with silent feet. I turn to find him only a few feet behind me. Damn it. They definitely know.
“Very true,” he replies. “So, Aria. Let’s cut to the chase. You’re running off after Bastian and Erik.”
I glare at the two of them. “Fine,” I admit. “That’s what I was doing. They don’t have magic, Mateo. What if Zyrian attacks them?”
Rhys puts his arms around me from behind. “You do them a disservice, love,” he breathes into my neck, his lips rasping against my skin with each syllable. “Bastian and Erik will be back before you know it.”
“I—” My breath catches as his hand slides up my body, resting just underneath my breast. His thumb rubs gentle circles on the underside of my breast. Even that relatively innocent touch has my insides clenching. Rhys is using our connection through the mating bond to distract me, and it’s working.
Mateo closes the distance between us until I’m caged between my two mates. It takes more willpower than I knew I possessed to push away from them. “I can’t do this,” I clench out. “Not when Bastian and Erik could be in danger.” The feeling that something’s wrong is growing. I give Mateo an imploring look. “Remember what happened to you,” I tell him, silently begging him to understand.
“You’re right,” he agrees. “Anything might happen. But Erik Valder and Bastian Jaeger are two of the most powerful dragons in the world. They are more than capable of taking care of themselves. Besides, we’re jumping to conclusions. Chances are that the meeting is exactly what it appears to be.”
“You don’t think the timing’s odd? This dragon hasn’t spoken to Erik for five hundred years, and all of a sudden, he wants to drop by for a chat?”
Mateo doesn’t reply. The door beside me opens revealing Casius, clad only in a pair of dark gray boxer briefs. “What is going on out here?”
“Aria’s sneaking out to help Valder and Jaeger. She doesn’t like being left behind.”
Mateo’s frustration rings loud and clear in his tone. I’m fairly certain he’d like to throttle me right now.
“Is that true, little thief?” Casius asks, quirking an eyebrow at me.
“Maybe?” I meant to say yes. I also meant to sound like a confident, magic-wielding, sword-using badass. Epic fail.
He just shakes his head, grabs my hand, and leads me into his bedroom. Crap. I must’ve gotten turned around again because I totally didn’t realize I was so close to his guest suite. Resigned, I follow him.
I know they’re right. I’m acting like an idiot. An impulsive fool. But my skin is itchy with worry, and I can’t shake the ominous feeling that is threatening to suffocate me. I pace at the foot of the bed. Wearing out a hole in the carpet might not be productive, but it’s an outlet for the chaotic energy inside me.
“Tesoro.” Mateo’s smooth voice cuts through my cloud of fear. “Would you like for me to help you calm down?”
“How?”
“There is a spell. It will temporarily remove your worries.”
I give him a skeptical look. “Like a magical Prozac?”