Hot Blooded (19 page)

“Rhi.”

Laith glanced at Con, because he hadn't called the Fae's name with his usual scorn. There was no mistaking the surprise in Con's black gaze, but Laith couldn't pinpoint the exact emotion in Con's voice. If Laith didn't know better, he'd almost think it was delight.

Rhi cut her silver eyes to Con before she looked at Laith, unfazed by their nudity. Her lips softened into a half smile. “Who is looking after the pretty Iona while you're here?”

“Is she in danger?” Laith asked, more harshly than he intended.

Rhi held out her hand and caught a drop of water on the tip of her nail. She turned her wrist so that the droplet ran between her fingers into the center of her palm. Her gaze watched the water until she closed her fist around it. Then her eyes lifted to him. “Not that I'm aware.”

Laith didn't know whether she was teasing or not. Just as he was about to demand she check, Con gave a shake of his head. Laith held his tongue as Rhi walked past him to stand beside Kiril.

She put her hand on Kiril's shoulder. His head immediately jerked to her. He rose and enveloped her in a hug. Laith noticed she didn't return the embrace. Her hands hung by her sides waiting for Kiril to release her.

“Can you help him?” Kiril asked as he released her and stepped back.

Rhi took a deep breath and slowly released it. “I can try.”

“We would be grateful,” Con said.

Rhi's head turned slightly in Con's direction, but she didn't look at him. Instead, she focused on Rhys and walked to stand next to his head. She put her hand on his forehead while her gaze drifted from Kiril to Laith, and then finally Con. Then her lids closed and she began to glow.

“Con,” Kiril said worriedly.

They all knew that for Rhi to use that kind of magic that she could destroy the entire mountain as she had the dungeon in the Dark Fae prison. Or she could use that magic to give life to a planet.

Con walked quickly and quietly to stand on the other side of Rhys's head and watched Rhi intensely. Laith glanced at Kiril, and the two shared a shrug, unsure of what was going on since no one was acting like themselves.

Several minutes ticked by before Rhi stopped glowing, and she lowered her hand. She opened her eyes to focus on Con. “There is Dark Fae magic mixed with dragon magic.”

“We know. Our magic is stronger,” Con said. “Rhys should be able to overcome it.”

Rhi swallowed and ran a hand across Rhys's yellow scales in a caress. “He has a choice to make. I've told him as much.”

Laith then noticed that Rhys was no longer trying to shift. As long as he remained in dragon form, the wound stayed closed.

“What choice?” Kiril asked.

Rhi let her hand drop to her side and lifted sad eyes to Kiril. “The mix of dragon and Dark magic has done something to Rhys. It's what is causing him such pain when he shifts. I've dulled the Dark magic enough to help manage the pain for him to shift once more.”

“Once more?” Laith repeated, not wanting to comprehend what Rhi was trying to tell them.

Rhys blew out a breath and opened his orange dragon eyes. Then he lifted his massive head. He gently nudged Rhi with his arm, causing her to grin up at him.

It was Con who said, “You mean he can shift into human form, but he will never be able to take his true form again?”

Rhi nodded and rested her head against Rhys. “Or he can remain in his true form, never able to take human shape again.”

Con hung his head, his fists clenched at his sides. Laith had seen that kind of fury only one other time—when Ulrik's woman betrayed Ulrik.

“It's your decision, Rhys,” Kiril said. “We'll stand beside you whatever you choose.”

When Con finally lifted his head, there was death in his gaze. “Ulrik will reverse this, Rhys. I swear it.”

They watched Con walk to the waterfall and shift into a gold dragon before flying away. Kiril strode past Laith and slapped him on the shoulder. He jumped through the water, shifting into a burnt orange dragon as he did.

Laith turned back to Rhys and Rhi to find both looking at him. “Was it Ulrik that did this to Rhys?”

“Who else could it be?” Rhi asked.

“Doona do that,” Laith said rigidly. “Doona answer my question with a question. If you doona know, then just tell me.”

“The answers are more complicated than that,” Rhi said as she pushed away from Rhys and walked toward Laith. “Only a dragon can use dragon magic.”

Laith gave her a flat look. “We know. Every Dragon King except for Ulrik has been accounted for.”

“Not every dragon.”

Laith gave a loud snort of derision. “Rhi, Ulrik's Silvers are caged and asleep. They have been for more millennia than I can remember. They didna do this to Rhys.”

She simply smiled and looked at Rhys over her shoulder. “I know. Regardless of what Rhys tells you, it's more than his wound that troubles him. The last time the Dragon Kings were in such discord was when the war with the humans erupted.”

She vanished before he could respond. Laith looked to Rhys and frowned. Discord? There was no discord in the ranks of the Dragon Kings.

Or was there?

 

CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO

Working on her father's Range Rover helped Iona pass the hours, but it did nothing to stop thoughts of Laith's kisses or the fact that someone killed her father. Murder wasn't new to her. She witnessed it while in Africa, Iraq, and Palestine.

Not at all times had she been protected by the military. There were cases when she had been alone with only a guide, and though she had been scared, she always got out alive with her assignment complete.

She wasn't on assignment now, but the terror was doubled. All because of some secret her family kept. A secret that she didn't know.

Iona tightened the last bolt after installing the new brake line. She looked up at the motor with all the new parts in place and wondered if she would ever get into a car again without worrying that her brakes might fail or if it would be the steering or something else.

“A person could go mad thinking about such things,” she told herself.

She was alone on fifty acres. Anything could happen at any time, and no one would be around to know. No one was there to watch her back. It had Iona reassessing her lifestyle.

Those thoughts brought her back to Laith. He occupied most of her mind of late, especially after their kisses. Even now she could still feel his tender lips as they skillfully seduced her, because that was exactly what he did.

It should be a sin for someone to kiss so expertly that she forgot everything except him. She closed her eyes and thought back to their last kiss by the waterfall. Her stomach fluttered and desire coiled within her.

She didn't attempt to deny the need clawing through her. There was something compelling and altogether captivating about Laith. It could be his gunmetal eyes, the way the steel gray color was ringed with black. His stare was penetrating, as if he could see into her mind and sort through all her wishes and desires.

It could be his long dark blond hair. The color wasn't just blond. There were traces of gold, copper, and light brown through the strands. She didn't know if she liked his hair better down, or when he pulled it back in a queue, but she itched to sink her fingers into the length regardless.

It could be his lips. No man should have such full lips that, with just a smile, could make it feel as if a thousand butterflies had taken flight in her stomach. His lips were a heady combination of tender and forceful as they kissed. And they did incredible, wonderful things to her.

It could be his body. She hadn't seen him without his clothes, but even in them, there was no denying the hard sinew and bulging muscle. She was tall for a woman, but he towered over her. He moved with an ease that reminded her of a lion stalking his prey.

It could be his accent. As much as Iona wanted to pretend that she detested anything Scottish, she had always loved the sound of a brogue. After traveling the world over a dozen times, it felt good … right even … to be back in Scotland listening to a man with a deep brogue that caused goose bumps to rise along her skin.

Iona was jerked out of her thoughts by the sound of a car approaching. She slid out from beneath the Rover and peered around the tire to see a newer-model black Range Rover come to a stop behind her car. The door opened as the engine shut off. That's when Iona heard the laughter.

She smiled when she recognized Sammi's laugh. Iona dusted herself off as she stood and started toward Sammi. That smile faltered when she noticed two other women with Sammi. The one with chin-length auburn hair tripped over … nothing, and Sammi quickly held out a hand to steady her. As they both laughed, Iona saw the similarities between the two women, which meant she must be Sammi's sister.

Iona's gaze shifted to the second woman and was completely taken aback by her beauty. The woman had long black hair with a strip of silver falling next to her face. That silver didn't take away from her exquisiteness, but added a hint of mystery. That silver also brought out her unusual silver eyes.

“Iona!” Sammi called when she saw her and held up bags in both hands. “I brought reinforcements.”

Iona glanced down at her dirty, grease-stained pants and wished she had known Sammi planned to visit because she would have showered and changed. As it was, her attire made it more obvious how out of place she was.

“You know how to work on vehicles?” the black-haired woman asked in surprise.

Iona wiped her hand on her jeans and nodded. “I made myself learn after I was stranded in the Arabian Desert for a day.”

“I wish I knew what to do with them. I'm hopeless. My talents lie elsewhere,” Sammi said with a grin. She nodded to the woman beside her. “This is my half-sister, Jane. And the stunning one beside her is Shara. Jane, Shara, this is Iona Campbell.”

Jane held out her hand, a warm smile in place. “I've heard so much about you, Iona. It's good to finally meet you.”

Iona shook her hand. She released it only to have Shara hold out her hand. “Hello,” Iona replied.

Shara's silver eyes watched her closely, even as her lips lifted in a smile. “I've also heard a lot. It seems you've caught Laith's interest.”

“I'm sure many women do.” Iona wanted to kick herself. “I didn't mean that he was a womanizer, just that he was a handsome man who women would notice.”

Sammi laughed. “We know what you meant.”

Shara didn't release her hand. She took a step closer and said in a low voice, “Laith isn't like other men. It says a lot that you caught his eye.”

“Does it?”

“Certainly.” Shara dropped her hand to her side and lifted her other that held several bags. “I love to shop. Let's see if I picked anything you might like.”

“I doubt it'll fit,” Iona said as she turned and started toward the house.

Shara was beside her as she said, “We'll see.”

Iona was the first inside. She kicked off her shoes and said, “Make yourselves at home. I'm going to take a quick shower.”

“Take your time,” Jane called before she ran into the side table.

Iona was unsure what she felt as she stepped into the shower. She wasn't used to being around women. Her assignments usually had men guarding her or guiding her wherever she needed to go. The fact she didn't have friends made her anxious that she might do or say something wrong.

By the time she finished showering, she regretted ever saying anything to Sammi about shopping. Iona should have done it herself so she would be the only recipient of her embarrassing lack of fashion sense.

Iona ran her fingers through her wet hair and shrugged on her robe. When she came out of the bathroom, all three women were in her bedroom.

“There you are,” Sammi said. She pulled Iona farther into the room so she could see all the outfits either laid out on the bed or hanging in various places in her room. “We weren't sure what you were looking for, so we got a bit of everything.”

“Shara got a bit of everything,” Jane corrected.

Sammi elbowed her sister playfully, then turned back to Iona. “Shara is amazing, and has a true knack for choosing the perfect outfits for people.”

“I'm not most women,” Iona said.

Shara straightened from putting a necklace with a dress. She gave a halfhearted shrug. “I suppose that means you're perfect for Laith since he isn't like most men.”

“Good point,” Jane said. She rubbed her hands together. “I'm dying to see you start trying things on, Iona.”

Sammi shooed Jane out and waved at Shara to follow. “We'll be waiting. Remember, what you don't like or doesn't fit can easily be returned.”

When the door closed behind Sammi, Iona slowly faced her room and stared wide-eyed at the clothes. There really was something for every occasion. There were a couple of sets of jeans and shirts, three casual dresses, two dressier dresses, a chic after-five black dress, and even a few sets of pants and jackets.

They hadn't just stopped at the clothes. There were shoes and jewelry to go along with each outfit. Iona had no idea how the three of them had done it, or even why, but she was overwhelmed with all they had done for her.

She removed her robe and dug for a pair of panties and a bra before she reached for the first set of clothes. It was a navy sweater with navy sequins scattered across it. The sweater was light and draped over her becomingly. Iona then pulled on the pair of skinny navy slacks, surprised to find they fit as well.

Iona turned one way then the other in the mirror, liking what she saw. She checked the shoes, and merely laughed when she discovered they were her size. Once the heels were on, she donned the long gold necklace and gold earrings before stepping out of her room.

“I knew it,” Shara said with a bright smile when she saw Iona.

Jane's eyes widened. “Wow.”