Darkest Flame (6 page)

“That depends on what you can tell us about MI5.”

“Are you asking me now?”

“Nay.”

Denae slid down on the bed until she was flat. “Do you plan to remain here all night then?”

“We wouldna want you thinking you could escape, now would we?”

Denae looked up at the ceiling. “Where would I go? For the moment, Dreagan is the safest place for me.”

“As long as you cooperate and we doona believe you’re lying, then you will be protected here.”

“Can you really get me out of the country?”

“There is much we can do.”

She grunted. “Maybe that’s why MI5 is interested in you. I saw the file on Dreagan. It holds just a few slips of paper. So thin it didn’t make sense for us to be sent in.”

“How big are the files you normally see?”

She held up a hand and spaced her index finger and thumb apart. “About three inches or so. Before any mission is set, information is gathered on everyone and everything connected to whatever is being watched. From there, the mission is determined and several teams are sent in.”

“I thought you said it was just you and Matt?”

Denae put a hand beneath her head to see Kellan. “It was just the two of us. That was another red flag for me, but then I thought other teams might have been sent in that we didn’t know about.”

“No one else has been located.”

He said it with such certainty that it made her wonder if MI5 had been right to want more information on Dreagan and its people.

“Dreagan consists of over sixty thousand acres. There is no way you could cover all of it in the time since I was brought here unless you have advanced military equipment.”

Kellan simply returned her stare, refusing to admit or say anything.

“You do, don’t you?” she asked and sat up again too quickly, causing her side to pull and her to grimace. “Did you steal it? MI5 will stop at nothing to have that equipment returned.”

Kellan leaned forward in the chair. “Did you ever stop to think there are more ways of doing something than a human’s tiny mind could comprehend?”

Denae was left with her mouth hanging open as Kellan rose and walked out of her room, leaving her with his question running through her mind.

And no answer in sight.

CHAPTER SIX

Somewhere in Scotland …

The dungeon was dark, as was the entire crumbling castle. As if that would make him anxious. He’d asked for the meeting to continue to cultivate a union that had not existed for well over ten millennia.

The Dragon Kings had made a crucial mistake in alienating the Fae. An error he wasn’t going to repeat. He knew a secret about the Fae the Kings had been desperate to keep quiet.

He was taking things a step further and aligning himself with the deadliest Fae—the Dark Ones. These were the Fae who didn’t hesitate to use their considerable power for anything—and everything—they wanted.

“You’ve kept me waiting,” he said into the darkness.

He wasn’t alone. He hadn’t been alone since the moment he stepped across the old drawbridge. The Fae were everywhere. Two stood not a foot from him.

Not that he was scared. The Dark Ones had their own way of doing things, and they were still learning to trust him.

“Because I wanted them to,” said the raspy voice of the Darks’ leader, Taraeth. An unearthly blue light suddenly filled the dungeon area. “Why did you call this meeting?”

“The plan to infiltrate Dreagan has run into a problem.”

Taraeth’s lip lifted in a sneer, his red eyes glowing. “We know. The human failed in his quest. The female is now in the hands of the Dragon Kings.”

“Do you think they’ll trust her?” he asked. “Of course they won’t. They’ll get all the information out of her they can, and then they’ll let her go.”

“She’ll have seen them.”

He shrugged. “Perhaps, but I don’t think so. They will be careful. Once the woman has been released, I’ll make sure MI5 is there to take her. The Kings will be keeping watch. They’ll come to her aid. That’s where you come in.”

Taraeth’s smile was cold and calculating. “You’ll let me have a Dragon King?”

“Take as many as you can capture, and use them as you see fit.”

Taraeth considered the new plan for several minutes before he folded his arms over his chest. “There is just one I want.”

He nodded. “Ah, yes. Kellan. Why him?”

“None of your concern. What happens if this plan goes awry?”

“It won’t,” he stated. “I know the Kings. I know how they think. They’ll play right into our hands.”

Taraeth gave a nod, and the next instant the blue light was gone. And so were the Dark Fae.

He walked from the dungeon and back through the ruins of the castle, over the drawbridge to his car. He slid into the driver’s side and started the car before pointing it in the direction of Perth.

*   *   *

Banan stared at the group of sheep being herded into the pen to be sheared. Ever since he had been told an MI5 agent was being held in the manor, he hadn’t wanted to believe it.

It had been Henry North, an MI5 agent they had called on a couple of times, who helped him track the men responsible for kidnapping Jane in London.

The sound of approaching footsteps was drowned out by the bleating of the sheep, but Banan heard it just the same.

“It might be time to give Henry a call,” Constantine said as he walked up.

Banan glanced over to find Con had traded his slacks and dress shirt for a white tee, faded jeans, and boots. “No’ your usual attire.”

“I couldna very well walk out in the mud and gunk in my customary clothes, now, could I?” Con stated in annoyance.

Banan closed one gate as that pen was filled, and then quickly opened another gate. “I doona want to hear what Henry has to say.”

“You might. Jane said he’s now taken to calling her since you willna answer your mobile.”

Banan leaned upon the fence. “I like Henry, Con. Every time we’ve asked him for something he has always come through.”

“What makes you think now will be any different?”

“Why didna he tell us?” Banan asked as he turned his head to Con. “Why did he no’ warn us?”

Con shrugged. “He might no’ have known. You know how different departments keep secrets from the others in the spy world.”

He had a point, but the churning in Banan’s gut told him that if Henry had betrayed them, there would be retribution.

“Call him,” Con urged. “If Henry did betray us, do you really think he’d keep trying to call?”

“Aye. He might no’ know what we are, but he knows we’re powerful.”

Con leaned over the fence and patted one of the fat sheep as it darted by. “If you doona call him, I’ll invite him to Dreagan. Your choice.”

Banan looked into Con’s eyes and saw the truth of his words. A gust of wind passed through the valley, ruffling Con’s blond hair. Banan turned away and rubbed his hand over his short, dark hair.

“Fine,” he said and pulled out his mobile phone.

There were ten missed calls from Henry and three messages. Banan didn’t bother to listen to the messages as he dialed Henry’s number.

Henry answered on the first ring. “Banan.”

“Tell me you didna know.”

“I didn’t,” the Brit said hastily. “I swear. I only found out because I heard about two missing agents. When I learned what department they were from, I discovered their covert mission to Dreagan.”

Banan closed his eyes. “I want to believe you.”

“Then do. I called as soon as I found out. Jane wouldn’t tell me anything. I can be at Dreagan in a few hours.”

“Why would you come here?”

“Because I know you won’t believe a word I say over the phone. You’ll need to see me.”

Banan turned around and faced Con. He knew Con could hear the entire conversation. “Why does it matter what I think?”

“I spend my life lying and blending in so that I’m not seen. I couldn’t be picked out of a crowd of one, Banan. I’m good at my job, but there are times I want to be seen. You and the others from Dreagan see me. I’m not a ghost to you.”

“Your decision,” Con told Banan.

Banan closed the second gate before moving to another set of holding pens. “Will you be tracked here?”

“No. Nor are they listening in on this mobile. They don’t know about this number. I’ll be there tomorrow. Early.”

“One of the agents is dead,” Banan told him. “The second agent killed him when he attacked her.”

Henry let out a long sigh. “This is so fucked up. We’ll get it straightened out.”

“We can handle it. The female claims she was betrayed by your organization. She willna trust you.”

“She doesn’t even need to know I’m there. I know the department she was working for. They’ve been known to leave agents hanging out to dry as well as having factions within their department go after each other. Keep her safe. They’ll be coming for her.”

Banan hung up the phone and pocketed it. “We’ve been so lucky in staying hidden all these centuries. Why do I get the feeling that’s all about to end?”

“If it does, it does,” Con said. “We’ll follow our dragons to their realm and live with them once more.”

“What about us protecting the humans?”

“Once they learn we’re dragons they’ll hunt us ceaselessly. Look at what they’ve done to Loch Ness just because someone claimed to see something in the water. That something just happened to be one of us. They’ve combed Loch Ness endlessly, and they willna give up even though they’ve no’ found anything. What do you think they’ll do when they discover we can shift into dragons?”

Banan squeezed his eyes shut. “No amount of hiding will help us then. There isna any place on this planet we can go.”

“Nay, there isna. We’ll have to leave or face war once more. I doona want the Kings divided again.”

“We could scatter. Asking Jane to leave her realm will be difficult. If we’re no’ here, they’ll have a hard time knowing who is a Dragon King.”

Con looked out over the land. “They’ll find out. They always do. You know we can no’ leave for long. If we are no’ here with our magic, the Silvers will wake and kill the humans. Those Silvers are the largest of Ulrik’s dragons. We have to keep them sleeping since they wouldna leave with the others after Ulrik’s command.”

“It willna be long until we’re hunted. I’m no’ sure I could bring up any pity for what the Silvers would do to the humans.”

“And what would Jane think?”

Banan winced as he thought of his human wife who had become his mate a few months earlier. “She’s one of us now. She would understand.”

“I doubt it,” Constantine said as he walked away.

Banan motioned to the shearers to get started as he moved to the next pen and opened it. For so long anonymity had been theirs. And they had taken it for granted.

It was one thing for Banan to be on the run hiding from the humans hunting him. It was quite another to take Jane with him. Leaving her wasn’t an option either.

As his mate, she was now as much a part of Dreagan, despite that she couldn’t shift. They were connected, joined in more ways than just their love and their vows. She would live as long as he did, and die when he did. Since he could only die by the hand of another Dragon King, she could, in effect, live forever.

Could they leave the realm? Part of Banan wanted to depart this instant. To see his Blues again was something he dreamed of often. Then he thought of Jane and knew she would follow him anywhere, but would she be happy?

*   *   *

Con walked into the still house and breathed in the many aromas involved in the process of making their renowned whisky. With the copper stills going, the place was loud, and it helped to mask the thoughts running through his head.

Banan was right. They would be discovered soon. It all hinged on just how soon was soon?

It was Con’s job to keep the Kings safe and Dreagan a haven for them. How had it gotten so messed up? It would be easy to blame the women who were mated to his Kings, but Con knew they had no part in it.

No, the blame lay with whoever was pulling the strings behind the scenes. First it was PureGems and their attempt to discover something when they came in under the pretense of “caving.”

It was only by following that lead, with Elena and Jane’s help, that the Kings learned PureGems was just a cover, that there was someone else masterminding it. Jane had spoken to the man, but she never saw his face.

In his gut, Con knew Ulrik was a part of it—if not the one behind it all.

For centuries Con had waited for Ulrik to take his revenge, but he assumed Ulrik would target just him—not all of the Dragon Kings.

Con had done the right thing in killing Ulrik’s woman those hundreds of thousands of years ago. She had betrayed Ulrik and the Kings. As King of Kings, it was Con’s duty to take action.

He thought he could talk to Ulrik and make him see there had been no other choice. But Ulrik had spiraled out of control.

Con walked up the stairs to the platform to overlook the workers. He leaned his hands upon the rail. Ulrik had done the one thing they were forbidden to do—he had taken his Silvers and waged war on the humans.

It didn’t matter that the humans were killing dragons. It was the Dragon Kings who were meant to keep the peace between both dragons and humans.

Con had failed in that.

Ulrik had been beyond talking to, leaving Con with only one choice again. He had stripped Ulrik of his right to shift into dragon form and had taken his sword. Con then bound Ulrik’s magic so he couldn’t communicate with his Silvers.

The rest of the Kings trapped a few Silvers to hide them in one of the mountains where Dreagan was created. Ulrik was left to walk through life immortal, with no other benefits of a Dragon King.

The confrontation between him and Ulrik was coming. He had been expecting it for a while now. His onetime best friend, the one he had called brother above all else, was now his enemy.

Ulrik craved revenge.

Con would give it to him.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kellan wasn’t sure why he returned to Denae’s bedroom long after she had fallen asleep. He had stood guard outside her door for hours afterward, going over their conversation.