Page 22 of Kiss of Embers
This is a bad idea, he mouthed.
But hadn’t he just said I should talk to anyone willing to help me? If Brader could be persuaded to stand up for me, weren’t two powerful, probably ancient dragons even better? If I couldn’t hide from them, I might as well face them.
I lifted my chin. “Come in,” I called.
My ears popped as Drute’s ward fell. A second later, the dragons ducked inside the tent, bringing a gust of wind with them.
Drute stepped away from the table, and he angled his body so he faced them head-on. I stayed put, my hand on my sword. My heart sped up as the dragons straightened.
They’d looked large in the clearing. Under the tent’s low ceiling, they wereenormous. Raindrops dotted their shoulders, which were broad enough to take out a door frame. Struan was slightly larger, his build more muscular. At first glance, he appeared more dangerous.
But my gaze returned again and again to Finn, some primitive instinct whispering that the gray-eyed dragon was the deadlier opponent.
As if he’d read my mind, he glanced at my sword. “We’re no threat to you, Zara.”
Abruptly, the memory of him channeling across the clearing flashed through my brain.
“You’re part vampire,” I said. That explained the menace that hovered around him. Vampires were an insular species. They preferred their castles in the mountains, where they worshipped power and held blood sacred. Fortunately, they were usually too busy backstabbing each other to make trouble with other immortals.
Finn kept his eyes on me as he inclined his head. “Aye. My mother was the daughter of the Prince of Vostrova.”
“Can you read minds?”
“No, lass. I didn’t inherit that gift. Your thoughts are safe. I give you my word.”
Awareness lifted the fine hairs on my body. Although, maybe it was just the way he saidlass, his accent turning the word into a kind of caress. In my mind, my wolf hesitated. Confusion drifted through our bond. The beast couldn’t speak—at least not in actual words. But she could make her emotions known. And right now, she couldn’t decide if Finn was lying or laying a new kind of trap.
“We came to apologize,” Struan said, pulling my attention to him. His eyes were an even deeper blue in the lantern light. “We didn’t mean to jeopardize your chances of competing in the Games. We came to make amends.”
“We know you’re trying to save your pack,” Finn said, drawing my gaze back to him.
“Which is what any fine alpha would do,” Struan added, approval thick in his voice.
I put up a forestalling hand before I got dizzy from trying to follow their ping-ponging conversation. “Wait. What do you know about my pack?”
“Moon sickness,” Struan said bluntly. “Word has it your people have been hit hard.”
Drute made a negative sound. “Gossip,” he said gruffly. “Nothing more.”
Struan turned to Drute, and the polite smile he offered didn’t reach his eyes. “Our sources are sound. Are you in service to the Rockford Pack or Zara herself?”
“None of your business,” Drute said.
Struan slid an assessing look in my direction, and I tensed under his scrutiny. That he knew how gargoyles operated didn’t surprise me. They weren’t exactly abundant on the earth plane, but there were enough of them around for most people to understand their ways and the rules that bound them. Even the humans had vague ideas of gargoyle guardianship.
“He serves the pack,” Finn said. “Otherwise, Zara wouldn’t dream of competing. A gargoyle in personal service doesn’t leave his master’s side. Zara would be disqualified for cheating.”
Drute’s growl echoed around the tent. He stepped toward the dragons, his dark wings unfurling with a silky whisper. “Thegargoylehas a name. And neither of you is welcome here.”
Red flickered over Finn’s eyes. “Zara is the alpha. I think she can decide for herself who’s welcome.”
A charge filled the air. Lightning flashed outside, briefly throwing the men’s faces into stark relief.
“It’s all right, Drute,” I said. The last thing I needed was a brawl in my tent. For one thing, I wasn’t at all certain Drute could win against one dragon, let alone two. Especially notthesetwo.
Drute spoke as if he hadn’t heard me. “I may not be bound to Zara personally, but rest assured I’ll protect her from anyone who thinks to force a claim without her consent.”
As one, Struan and Finn moved forward. The tension ratcheted higher as Finn bared his fangs. “Good news, gargoyle. Our goals are aligned.”