Page 41 of Stolen By Dragons

He chuckled darkly. "Oh, but I do. Don't worry, it'll be our little secret. But if you tell anyone..." His voice dropped to a whisper. "You might find yourself having an unfortunate fall in your bathroom.”

What the fuck? The threat hit hard, and I knew it wasn’t one to be taken lightly as he closed in, and I debated running. Even with my newfound speed, it was nothing compared to a vampire.

What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t even conjure up magic to protect me.

Just as panic threatened to overwhelm me, a shadowy creature materialized between us. It was grotesque, with glowing red eyes and razor-sharp claws. Marcus stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock.

Without hesitation, Marcus attacked the creature, his hands passing right through it. The shadowy form dissipated like smoke, revealing it to be nothing more than an illusion.

Zephyr stepped into view from the fae hall, a grim smile on his face. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Marcus."

Zephyr. The sight of him flooded me with relief, but then unease took its place. He’d used illusion magic. Unlike other fae, he didn’t have a magic that could be used offensively. Sure, he had his air magic, but I wasn’t sure how an elemental fight would go down here. And fire seemed incredibly dangerous combined with air.

Marcus snarled as the realization set in, and he moved for Zephyr as I shot to my feet. But before he could retaliate, Ossian appeared, moving so fast he was just a blur. In an instant, he had Marcus pinned to the floor.

I moved quickly to get closer to Zephyr, and he crossed the space between us instantly, wrapping an arm around my shoulder protectively as we both stared at the two vampires.

"Aria is under my protection," Ossian growled, his voice colder than I'd ever heard it. "Remember that."

Marcus's face contorted with rage, but he remained silent.

“Understand?” Ossian ground out.

“Got it,” Marcus spat, his gaze drifting to me for only a second before Ossian yanked him to his feet. He didn’t let go though as he turned to Zephyr. "Take Aria back to her room. Make sure she's safe."

Zephyr nodded, gently guiding me out of the communal area. As we walked back to my room, the adrenaline slowly drained from my body, replaced by a bone-deep weariness.

"Are you okay?" Zephyr asked softly once we reached my door.

I nodded, still a bit shaken. "Thank you for using your magic. Were you already coming out to the communal area? It’s pretty late,” I mumbled as I looked back the way we’d come, grateful to find no one following.

Zephyr's expression turned sheepish. "I, uh, may have put a warding spell on you. I noticed some of the vampires showing interest, so I cast a spell to reduce your scent and alert me if you were in danger. It's the only protective magic I know."

"Zephyr, that's... that's incredibly sweet of you. Thank you." I smiled softly, touched by his need to look out for me.

He smiled, a hint of his usual mischief returning to his eyes. "Well, I've grown quite fond of you. Couldn't let anything happen to you, could I?"

For a moment, we just stood there, gazing at each other, my heart skipping a beat oddly as his smile softened. He blinked, as if realizing he was staring, and cleared his throat. "Well, it seems I'm not your only knight in shining armor."

I frowned, confused by what Ossian had said. "What did Ossian mean about me being under his protection?”

"Ah, that," Zephyr nodded. "It's a vampire thing, he’s extended his protection to you. Any vampire who wants to hurt you will have to go through Ossian first. Most won't even try - they know a vampire offering protection will not hesitate to kill for their protected one."

"But why would he do that for me?" I asked, a chill coursing through me. Why would he have offered up such a thing? Sure, we were growing closer, but that sounded heavy.

Zephyr shrugged, a strange expression crossing his face. "Maybe not all vampires are bad." He frowned slightly, his eyes sweeping over me in a way that made me feel suddenly self-conscious. "Goodnight, Aria. Stay safe."

With that, he turned and left, leaving me alone with my swirling thoughts. As I entered my room and closed the door behind me, I couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get even more complicated than they already were.

I sank onto my bed, my mind replaying the events. Marcus's threat, Zephyr's timely intervention, Ossian's fierce protection - it was all so overwhelming. And beneath it all, the constant worry about my dormant magic and the looming trial.

As I stared at the ceiling, I found myself wondering about Ossian's declaration of protection. Why me? Was it just because I was the only human here and the vampires needed to be kept in line, or was there something more to it? And what about Chris? Our growing connection, the heated kisses we'd shared… he believed I was his mate, and yet, here I was, feeling things for Ossian.

Then there was Zephyr. His protective spell, the way he'd looked at me before he left - it hinted at feelings I hadn't even considered before. Was it possible that he, too, felt something more than friendship?

I rolled over with a groan, burying my face in my pillow. Surely I didn’t have three men vying after me. Chris, yes, but the other two, no. It was likely just my mind messing with me because I’d not had much experience with men in my lifetime. Just my high school boyfriend and then Jason.

How had my life become so complicated? Just weeks ago, my biggest worry had been making rent and dealing with difficult clients at the community center. Now, I was caught in a web of supernatural drama, ancient magic, and world-ending threats.