“That’s your war, my love.” She lifted her face and gave him a wink. “You can easily take the Dark. You’ve done it before.”
Con took a deep breath and slowly released it. “And you’ll do what? Stand by and watch?”
“Of course. I’ve got a movie to make starting tomorrow. I can’t take the time to lead my army.”
“Then give it to someone who can. We could use an ally.”
She burst out laughing and patted his chest before walking toward the bedroom. “You’re a Dragon King. You don’t need anything.”
Con couldn’t remember ever fighting so hard to remain calm and cool as he was in that moment. He needed to say something to get her attention. Rhi was definitely a trigger, but there had to be something else.
Reapers!
He followed her, but stopped at the bedroom door, leaning against the doorjamb. “And what of the Reapers?”
Usaeil was in the process of shimmying out of her slinky dress when he spoke. In a blink the gold dress was back in place. “You’ve been talking to Rhi!”
“No’ about you. When I do speak to Rhi it’s about the Dark and the war.”
“Liar. Rhi asked me the same things. She thinks I should be gathering the army to help you and calming the Light about the Reapers.”
Rhi was right. Though Con would never tell her that. “I’d no idea the two of you had such a conversation.”
“No one tells me how to rule!” Anger billowed around Usaeil like wind. “I’ve reigned over the Light for thousands of years and never led them wrong.”
“Why no’ calm them about the Reapers then?” Con shouted over the wind.
She rolled her eyes. “The Reapers are just stories told to frighten the Light away from turning Dark.”
“What if they’re more than that?”
She scowled at him, looking at him as if he were mud on the bottom of her shoe. “I no longer require you tonight.”
And with that she was gone.
The silence was deafening after the noise of the wind. But Con wasn’t fooled. Usaeil could be veiled, though he wasn’t sure for how long. He knew it was longer than most Fae.
Except for Rhi.
Con noticed that Rhi was able to remain veiled for even longer than Usaeil. He pulled out his phone and sent a message to his pilot and driver to be ready to leave Paris immediately. Then he pivoted and returned to the table. He took another bite of steak and a long drink of wine before he walked from the room.
It was a good thing Usaeil couldn’t read minds, because Con was thinking about Rhi. It was disturbing that Rhi had left the Queen’s Guard, and now that she and Usaeil seemed to be on the outs, the Queen was acting strange.
Rhi also questioned Usaeil. And urged sound advice. Con wished he was surprised, but the fact was—as reckless and irritating as Rhi could be—she was a skilled warrior with a strong mind that saw so much.
The only reason Usaeil didn’t take Rhi’s advice was because Rhi was the one giving it, and Usaeil’s feelings had been hurt by her leaving the Queen’s Guard.
But Con knew why Rhi left. The Light Fae suspected Usaeil was having an affair with a King. How long before Rhi pieced it together and confronted him? Con suspected it was going to happen sooner rather than later.
He exited the hotel and got into the waiting car. As he was driven to the airport, it angered Con that he couldn’t just shift and fly back to Dreagan as he would’ve before the video leaked of them.
But times changed—and not for the better. He feared it was a permanent change. It wasn’t one he was prepared to defend against his men.
In truth, there were times he regretted keeping his vow to protect the humans. If he’d joined Ulrik, none of this would be happening.
He and Ulrik wouldn’t have argued.
Ulrik wouldn’t have been banished and his magic bound.
The dragons would never have had to leave.
The Kings would never have had to hide in their mountains for thousands of years.
The Fae would never have had reason to come to the realm.
Not to mention there wouldn’t have been Fae Wars or the constant fighting with the Dark.
Con wouldn’t be preparing to kill a dragon who had once been his best friend.
All so the Dragon Kings could continue to hide on Dreagan, shifting only in the mountains—but never flying.
It wasn’t fair to any of the Kings. Or to himself.
Con looked around the plush Jaguar sedan and wanted to bellow his fury. He felt confined, restricted. Restrained.
Because he was. He was a Dragon King. One who not only ruled the entire realm, but other Kings as well. And where was he? Grounded with the possibility of his wings being permanently clipped.
He thought of the Kings. It had taken him longer than he wanted to admit to turn them away from Ulrik the first time. As fractured as they all were now, he wasn’t sure how many would side with him.
The Kings wanted to be in the air in their true forms. They hadn’t been happy about only being able to fly at night, but at least there had been that.