Heat, page 14
“Nay, you’re no’,” he said, breaking into her thoughts. “Know that I want you. I crave you.”
She felt the desire tighten in her stomach. “Show me,” she demanded.
With a grin, he pulled off her sweater and slid his hands around her back as he bent to take her lips in a scorching kiss.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Cork, Ireland
The birds were loud, and the breeze cool. The disorder within Ulrik was at odds with the calm, serene countryside of West Cork.
He stood on the bank, looking out over the water that was still as glass. Behind him, the mountains rose up, the craggy rocks pushing through the vivid green grass to give the setting a majestic view.
Though it could never rival Scotland. The only reason Ulrik remained in Ireland, residing in the ancient cottage nestled amid a grove of trees surrounded by lush foliage was because of Eilish.
Any day now, she would come for him on orders from Mikkel. His uncle’s hunger for power had been there all along. Only Ulrik hadn’t seen it.
Before the war with the humans, all Ulrik had cared about was having his family close. He’d been too naïve to see who Mikkel really was. And now, Ulrik was paying the price.
He briefly thought of going to Con and alerting him but there was no point. The King of Kings wouldn’t believe him. And to be honest, if Ulrik were in Con’s shoes, he wouldn’t believe him either.
Mikkel was an issue Ulrik would have to deal with on his own. It wasn’t that he wanted to kill the only link to his family, but after everything Mikkel had done, there was no other option.
Ulrik was the rightful King of Silvers. Though he hadn’t had to battle his father for the position, it was no less his. His strength of power and magic had propelled him into the position whether he wanted it or not.
That might was the reason Mikkel didn’t dare confront Ulrik outright. Mikkel didn’t have what it took to be a Dragon King. It was why he’d been passed over to begin with.
In a battle between the two, Ulrik would slaughter Mikkel within minutes. So the coward had found a loophole—a Druid.
Ulrik wasn’t sure Eilish could kill him, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. Mikkel thought she could, and so did the Druid. Which was enough to put Ulrik on edge.
The easiest solution would be to kill the Druid, but for some reason, Ulrik couldn’t do it. He’d thought of several ways to end her life, and each time, he found a reason not to. None of which helped his dilemma.
And he didn’t want to think about why he didn’t want the Druid’s life to end.
Movement out of the corner of his eye had him turning his head in time to see Balladyn appear. Ulrik wasn’t so sure he liked the idea of a Fae having easy access to him. Then again, if he were supposed to be working with the Dark Fae, he would have to trust Balladyn.
Just as Balladyn had to trust him.
Ulrik faced him. The Fae was dressed in all black and strode angrily toward him. “What is it?”
“We’ve got a problem,” Balladyn stated.
“And that is?”
Balladyn halted before Ulrik, his nostrils flaring as the long length of his black and silver hair lifted in the breeze. “Usaeil.”
“The Light Queen? What does she have to do with anything?” Ulrik asked, puzzled.
“You mean besides asking Taraeth to kill me years ago and going to the King just now to put out a hit on Rhi?”
No matter what Ulrik thought of his fellow Dragon Kings, Rhi was a friend. “No one is going to harm Rhi.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Balladyn confirmed.
Ulrik nodded as he realized the implication. “You’re ready to take out Taraeth.”
“Aye. It’s the only way I can protect Rhi.”
“I suppose you’ve told her.”
“I did.”
Ulrik knew Rhi most likely went to Dreagan immediately. “Becoming King of the Dark willna save her.”
“I’m well aware of that. Which is why I’ll kill Usaeil.”
At this, Ulrik smiled. “Want some help?”
“You’d meddle in Fae affairs?”
He shrugged as he looked at Balladyn. “She’s no’ exactly a model of decorum if she’s having the Dark murder her people. I think it’s time for a regime change for the Light, as well.”
Balladyn smiled. “You want Rhi to take over.”
“I’m no’ the only one. You’ve thought of it, too.”
“I have, but I don’t think she’ll do it.”
Ulrik shrugged and scratched his cheek. “She may no’ have a choice. If Taraeth isna there to give the order for the Dark to kill Rhi, Usaeil will have to do it herself.”
“If I know Rhi—and I do—she’s already preparing.”
“She may no’ wait for the queen to come to her. Rhi has yet to confront Usaeil about everything you’ve told me is going on at the Light castle. Add in the photos Usaeil had taken of her and Con, and Rhi will no’ be alone when she decides to do something about the queen.”
A flush of resentment stained Balladyn’s cheeks. “You mean Con will be with her.”
“Or Rhys.” Ulrik didn’t mention Phelan. He’d discovered the Warrior was half Fae on one of his secret trips to see the Silvers.
Rhi had gone to great lengths to conceal Phelan’s identity from all Fae, and since Phelan was heir to the Light throne, it was a smart move. It was a secret Ulrik would keep as well.
“Soon, Rhi won’t have reason to keep turning to the Dragon Kings,” Balladyn bit out.
“Doona be a fool. You know she’ll always have a connection to us. Discounting it or pretending it isna there will only push her away.”
A vein protruded in Balladyn’s temple as he glared at Ulrik. “I’m going to be enough for her.”
“She has friends at Dreagan. Doona ask her to ignore them. She willna do it.”
“You act as if you know her better than I, when I’m the one who has known her the longest.”
Ulrik lifted his hands, palms out to calm the Dark. “Your judgment is clouded by your love. I can see things clearer than you, and if you want to remain with Rhi, you will have to accept her link to Dreagan.”
“You’re probably right,” Balladyn said and blew out a resigned breath. “I thought she was over her dragon lover.”
“She may be.” There had been a time Ulrik thought Rhi might get past her longing for her King, but he wasn’t so sure now. He’d personally pushed her to let go of that love, but she hadn’t done it. Nor was she likely to.
Just as her King would never be free of it.
Balladyn shot him a wry smile. “We both know the truth.”
“You love her,” Ulrik said. “She’s with you, so give her your strength, friendship, and love. Stand with her in all things, and she will be forever loyal.”
The Dark nodded and clasped his hands behind his back. “If I see Mikkel after I kill Taraeth, I’m going to remove your uncle from this war.”
“Take the chance if you get it, but I have a feeling you willna find him once he learns of Taraeth’s demise. Mikkel distrusts everyone, and he wants me dead. He’ll be getting everything into position to ensure that he takes my place as King of the Silvers.”
“Are you going after the Druid?”
Ulrik drew in a breath and released it. “I thought about talking to her, convincing her that Mikkel is the wrong dragon to ally with.”
“But?” Balladyn asked.
“I’ve already spoken to her. I’ve manipulated and bribed enough humans and Fae to know when one willna switch sides. Eilish is one of those.”
“I looked into her pub, Graves. It’s not widely known among the Dark, but there are some who visit it. They’ve told me she has banned any beings from harming the mortals who live in the village. She backs that up with quick and painful retaliation for anyone who doesn’t abide by that rule. She’s powerful, even against the Fae. That’s not something we see in Druids.”
Ulrik had deduced as much when he visited Graves himself. “There’s a reason she’s loyal to Mikkel. I just need to discover what that is. If he’s promised her something and I can get it before he does, then the tide may turn in our favor.”
“Then you’d better start looking. Once Taraeth is dead, Mikkel will come straight for you.”
“The coward won’t do it on his own. He’s sending a Druid in his place.”
Balladyn wrinkled his nose. “You’re the only Dragon King I can tolerate. Doona let him take control.”
“No’ my intention.”
“How does the Druid plan to take you out if only another King can kill a Dragon King?”
Ulrik looked back out at the water. “I’ve been wondering that myself. Mikkel seems too sure of the outcome, and he doesna act like that unless he has proof. Even if Eilish can no’ kill me, she might weaken me enough for Mikkel to finish me off.”
“Just don’t let any of that happen.”
“No’ in my plans,” he said and glanced at the Dark.
Balladyn grinned then. “Mikkel may be more of a match than you expect if he gets the rest of his magic unbound.”
“That willna happen if the Druid is as intelligent as I think she is.”
That caused Balladyn to lift a brow. “How so?”
“My uncle is so wrapped up in thoughts of being a Dragon King that he’s forgotten one thing. I already have my magic. I’m the Dragon King.”
“Which means he’ll be a dragon unable to shift,” Balladyn said with a grin.
Ulrik smiled. “Precisely.”
“And if the Druid isn’t that smart?”
“She is.”
Balladyn raised both brows as he chuckled. “So Mikkel will continue to be limited in what he can do.”
“For now.” Ulrik had a plan that would ensure his uncle returned to his true form. “By the way, any more word on the Reapers?”
“Nay, though Rhi’s obsession with them has been bothering me.”
Ulrik pulled his hair back at the base of his neck and then tugged a strip of leather from his pants pocket to wrap around the strands. “Does Rhi know more than she’s letting on?”
“I think so, but she won’t tell me what that is yet.”
“If what you’ve shared about the Reapers is true, then there’s a reason she’s keeping it from you.”
Balladyn ran a hand down his face as he sighed loudly. “I’ve thought of that.”
“One thing at a time. Deal with Taraeth. That will force Usaeil to make a move if Rhi doesna beat her to it.”
“And you?” Balladyn asked.
Ulrik was silent for a long minute. “I could talk to Eilish again. Or … I could find a weapon that will give me ultimate power over the Druids, my uncle, and the Dragon Kings.”
“You’re talking about the weapon.”
“I am.”
Balladyn narrowed his red eyes on Ulrik. “You’ve known where it is the entire time?”
“I have.”
“Both you and Mikkel promised it to Taraeth.”
Ulrik stared at Balladyn. The Dark’s next reaction would determine if Ulrik could trust him.
Balladyn lifted one shoulder and grinned. “If you rule the Dragon Kings, you’ll want to be rid of the mortals on this realm. The Dark can help with that. What need do I have of the weapon?”
Ulrik smiled in response. “We do make a great team.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Icy shards of apprehension immobilized Esther. She recognized the darkness around her, sensed the threat just out of sight.
The last thing she remembered was Nikolai holding her with the fire warming their naked bodies after hours of making love. She’d only closed her eyes for a second, but that’s all it took for sleep to claim her.
She swallowed and pinched herself to try and wake. It was a useless endeavor, but that didn’t stop her from trying again and again.
“Nikolai,” she whispered.
The sound would never reach him. She was on her own, locked in her mind and about to face terrors she’d run from ever since waking from the Druid’s hold.
She lifted her hand and saw it clearly. There was a light above her as if spotlighting her for whatever waited in the recesses of her psyche. Yet everything else was black as pitch, the dark so deep that she instinctively recoiled from it. Not that it did any good when it surrounded her.
Esther had walked into meetings with people armed to the teeth. She’d dined with a known terrorist, and even partied with a man who was involved with human trafficking. All of those people were among the most evil of humanity, but the fear she’d felt around them was nothing compared to what gripped her now.
She was a joke, telling everyone how strong—both mentally and physically—she was. That her training had prepared her for anything.
The instruction had done nothing to prevent a Druid from controlling her thoughts and actions. It hadn’t readied her for magic or the supernatural. It did little to show her how to defend herself against her own mind—or whatever creature was there, waiting for her.
But she wasn’t a Dragon King. She couldn’t remain awake indefinitely.
“Bloody brilliant,” she mumbled.
How did one plan for battle with oneself? One way or another, she was going to find out just how tough and resilient she was.
She took the first tentative step, her knees literally knocking together. How Henry would love to see her so terrified after all those pranks he’d played while they were growing up. What she wouldn’t do to have someone with her. Nikolai or Henry. Hell, she’d even take Con. Yet she had no choice but to face whatever was to come alone.
“You can do this,” she told herself.
The encouragement might have worked if her voice hadn’t shaken so badly, but it was hard to motivate yourself to move forward when all you wanted to do was curl up in a ball and pretend that none of it was happening.
Standing around wishing she would wake up wouldn’t solve her dilemma. If she wanted to survive, she had to do something.
She thought of Nikolai and how he’d stood steadfastly beside her. His stillness and silence were a peace she hadn’t realized she needed. He was a calm in the storm that was her life. The tree with roots that went so deep, nothing could ever move him. And he offered for her to hang onto him.
It was Nikolai who allowed her to take a breath and calm her racing heart. He might not be standing beside her in her mind, but she knew he was holding her, encouraging her. He gave her the courage to take another step—and then another and another.
The light above stayed with her, shining just enough to emit a glow so that she saw a few feet in front of her. Esther felt as if she walked for miles and saw nothing but more of the inky blackness.
She didn’t know how long she walked before she realized that the monster she’d sensed earlier felt as if it were right behind her. She didn’t stop, though. Her feet kept moving even as she trembled in dread.
It was there for her. She knew it with a certainty that she couldn’t explain. What would happen when it finally reached out for her? Would she be tortured? Would she be wracked with pain?
Or would she simply cease to exist?
The questions multiplied a thousand times over until she couldn’t take it anymore. She halted and whirled around, only to come face-to-face with herself.
Except this Esther wasn’t plagued with fear. She stood calmly, bright eyes locked with hers. How wrong was it that she’d been afraid to sleep because she might encounter … herself?
“I’ve been waiting for you,” Esther II said.
Esther still wasn’t sure what to make of what was happening. “Why? Who are you?”
“Call me E2.”
Esther blinked and scratched the side of her nose where an inexplicable itch suddenly developed. “All right. E2, why have you been waiting for me?”
“For a long time, I was locked away, unable to show you.”
Esther was getting frustrated with the lack of answers. “Show me what?”
“Who you are.”
“I know who I am.”
E2 smiled and tilted her head to the side as she raised a brow. “Do you?”
“Of course.”
“Then tell me.”
Esther wondered if she were going insane. She talked to herself often to fill the silence when she was alone, but she’d never actually imagined a clone of herself standing in front of her, demanding things.
She studied the way E2 stared at her. Was that really how her hair looked as it framed her face? Maybe it was time for a new style. And she really needed to relax, if E2 were any indication.
“Are you afraid?” E2 asked.
“Yes.”
“Don’t be.”
Esther shrugged. “I’m an MI5 agent.”
“Are you still?” E2 inquired softly.
Damn her. Esther had been debating leaving the agency, but that was because she didn’t feel as if she belonged anymore. “Yes.”
“Truth,” E2 commanded.
Esther shrugged. “I don’t know anymore.”
“What else are you?”
“I’m Henry’s sister and the daughter of Jack and Lucy North.”
E2 gave a nod. “You are Henry’s sister.”
Esther frowned at the way she obviously left off being the Norths’ daughter. “Are you telling me I’m not Jack and Lucy’s daughter?”
“You said you knew who you were. I hope it’s more than what you shared with me.”
Esther was really beginning to not like E2. At all. “I’m a sister, a friend, a warrior, and a truth seeker.”
“Yes,” E2 said with a bright smile. “You are a TruthSeeker.”
Esther took a step back. The last part had come out of nowhere. The words had formed and were spoken before she realized what they were.
“Explain,” she urged E2.
“The truth is waiting for you.”
“I’m ready.”
E2 shook her head. “Not quite. You still hold too much fear.”
“Because I’m in a world with magic and dragons and Fae! I don’t stand a chance against any of those.”
