Smoldering Hunger (16 page)

It was the catalyst in the war with the humans, sending their dragons away, and the Kings going into hiding for several centuries.

A repeat would be … catastrophic.

Darius was quite sure the Kings wouldn’t willingly go to their mountains and hope the humans forgot about them again. There would be another war.

And the mortals would lose.

“
You’re no’ going down the same road Warrick and Thorn did, are you?
” Con asked.

Darius thought about Sophie and how he couldn’t wait to have her in his arms again. Bedding her was all he wanted. Anything else was … futile.

“
Nay.
”

“
Excellent. Then there’s no need to tell her anything.
”

Darius leaned a shoulder against the building. “
That doesna mean I’m going to sit by and watch Ulrik pull Sophie into his web of deceit. He’s only after her because he saw us together. That’s on me.
”

“
So you want to protect her?
” Con said with exaggerated sarcasm.

“
Do you really need to ask that? We gave a vow to safeguard the humans. I’ve put one in danger because I didna get her off the streets before I took her so that anyone could stumble upon us.
”

“
If you doona have feelings for the doctor, let Ulrik have her,
” Con said, breaking into his thoughts. “
We’d get to see exactly what Ulrik is up to.
”

“
Now who’s daft?
” Darius muttered.

Con chuckled. “
I suppose that’s a nay, then?
”

“
You know damn well it is. Ulrik will approach her again. I think it’ll be wise for me to have a chat with him first.
”

There was a pregnant pause from Con. “
That could be a good move. Ulrik willna be expecting it. No’ when I want all of you to stay far from him until it’s time for our battle.
”

“
My thoughts as well. Does he know you’re in the city?
”

“
It’s possible. I’ve no’ tried to hide myself.
”

Darius scratched his cheek. “
I’ll play it by ear. If he doesna mention you, then I willna either.
”

“
What do you hope to accomplish? You push Ulrik to stay away from Sophie, and that will only spur him on harder to get her.
”

“
I know. I doona know what I’ll say yet, but it willna be about Sophie.
”

Con’s laugh was short and loud. “
Brilliant, Darius. Let’s hope Ulrik will fall for it.
”

Darius didn’t expect Ulrik to. He severed the link with Con and walked from the alley. He made sure he was on the other side of the city before he stopped hiding and walked into the open.

For the next hour, Darius once more strolled the streets of the city. He kept his eye out for anyone who might be a Dark Fae, but there were none. It wasn’t that he was unhappy about it, Darius was just confused as to why they’d departed Edinburgh so quickly.

He noticed the man following him almost as soon as it happened. Darius didn’t try to get away. He wanted Ulrik to find him.

Darius made his way to Princes Street Gardens. The public park was in the center of the city and in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle.

Even in mid-November, the park teemed with people—locals and visitors alike. The beautifully colored flowers were gone as winter approached, but with the castle, fountains, and beauty of the park, it was a mecca.

Darius saw a vacant bench and sat. He leaned his head back with his eyes closed and let the sun shine upon his face. While he waited for Ulrik to find him, he dreamed of flying through the clouds, the sun so close that Darius had often thought he could touch it if he but tried.

But that only made him sad. Darius opened his eyes and lifted his head. He could make out the top of Scott Monument from his seat. The field of green grass before him had people scattered all over it thanks to the gorgeous day.

“I didna take you for a people watcher,” Ulrik said as he walked up and sat.

Darius didn’t look Ulrik’s way. He kept his attention on the mortals. “You see all kinds. It’s a form of entertainment.”

“Why have you sought me out?”

“I didna.”

Ulrik made a sound at the back of his throat. “You stopped hiding. I’m no’ a fool. You wanted me to find you.”

“So I did.” Darius turned his head to look at him.

“Why?”

He’d surprised Ulrik, just as he’d wanted. Darius needed to be careful though. Ulrik was a master at manipulation. Darius wanted to take advantage of the opportunity he had. “I found you here. Why no’ remain in Edinburgh and keep an eye on you?”

Ulrik’s lips lifted in a smile before he began to laugh. “Keep an eye on me, aye? Are you sure you’re no’ here for Dr. Martin?”

“I told you she means nothing.”

“That’s why you bedded her again?” Ulrik asked with raised brows.

Darius scooted farther down on the bench and extended his legs. “It doesna matter what I tell you, you willna believe me.”

“I’d believe you if you told me you were with her.”

“Fine,” Darius said. “I was with her.”

Ulrik’s eyes narrowed. “You gave in too easily.”

“I told you that you wouldna believe me.”

Ulrik looked away and was silent for several minutes. Finally he asked, “Why lie? Why no’ tell me the truth?”

“How do you know I’m no’?”

“My men didna see you enter her flat.”

Darius nodded slowly. “So if they didna see it, then it’s no’ true.”

“You’re trying to play me.”

Darius didn’t hide his smile. “Am I?”

Ulrik’s head swiveled to him. “You are. I think you care about the doctor. I think the idea that she might actually consider my offer infuriates you.”

“I doona want her involved with you, but no’ because I have feelings for her. I’d feel this way about any mortal getting entangled with you. They all end up dead.”

“How would you know? Have you tracked all the people who work for me? Nay, you’ve no’. You’ve no’ because you doona have a clue as to who they are.” Ulrik cut him a derisive look. “I treat my employees verra well.”

“As long as they do what you want.”

Ulrik shrugged, his look stating that was a given. “It’s true that I put an end to anyone who attempts to betray me. Only those who are completely loyal remain. Con is the same way in regards to each of the Kings. All of you are just so used to it you doona realize it anymore.”

“He doesna kill us.”

“Of course he doesna. He just sends you to your mountain and tells you to sleep for a few thousand years.”

Darius tried not to react, but he couldn’t stop his body from stiffening. How had Ulrik found out? There was no way Ulrik should know of such things since it happened when Ulrik was battling the humans.

Ulrik’s cocky smile made Darius want to physically remove it.

“Con would never kill a Dragon King. I’m proof of that,” Ulrik stated. “It matters how many of us are here. Did he tell you that?”

It was the first Darius had heard of it. Of course the more Dragon Kings that were alive the better, but Ulrik made it seem as if there were more to it. Knowing Ulrik, it was a trick to make Darius doubt Con.

Then again, Constantine had a habit of keeping things to himself. The only other one who knew was Kellan as Keeper of the History.

“Of course he didna,” Ulrik continued. “When does Con share that kind of information with the rest of the Kings unless it involves the continuation of Dreagan?”

“What’s your point?”

Ulrik lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “I think the Kings should begin asking Con questions. Make him answer for his decisions as he’s always made each of you answer for yours.”

“Let me guess,” Darius said with a flat look. “If you were King of Kings, things would be different?”

Ulrik threw him a smile. “Of course they would. I’m no’ Con. He wanted to be King of Kings from the moment he was born. He didna stop until he achieved that position. Do you really think he’d give it up so easily? Why keep me alive if I could potentially challenge him one day?”

They were damn good questions, and it pissed Darius off. He wasn’t here to have Ulrik put thoughts in his head. Yet that was exactly what was happening.

“The lengths Con went to in order to be King of Kings were extreme,” Ulrik said. His smile vanished as if he were recalling days long past when he and Con were still friends. With a slight shake of his head to dislodge those memories, Ulrik was smiling again. “Perhaps you should ask Con why he’s kept me alive. He says he’s ready to battle me. Why then is he holed up in his suite no’ far from here?”

“He willna fight you in front of the mortals.”

Ulrik laughed as he got to his feet and adjusted his suit jacket to button the top button. “I never said I’d fight him in front of humans. I just said that I’d challenge him. And I
will
win.”

CHAPTER
NINETEEN

Rhi? Can you hear me? Please hear me.

Balladyn’s voice reached her deep into her sleep. The note of longing and worry was enough to yank her awake. She lay still until she was sure she was alone.

Rhi tried to gather the darkness around her to sleep once more, but Balladyn’s voice shattered whatever tenuous hold she had on it.

She opened her eyes. It took blinking a few times before the room came into focus. She stared at the white ceiling and crown molding for a few seconds before she sat up.

The room was decorated in various shades of white and taupe. It was a soothing palette. One that made her want to curl up on her side and sleep some more.

Rhi.

She winced at Balladyn’s call. Had Taraeth discovered he was the one who’d told her where Lexi was being held? Was Balladyn in trouble? That thought made her swing her legs over the side of the bed and stand.

Instantly, she felt the eyes of her watcher on her. Every time she had woken he’d been there. Did he ever leave? And what the hell did he want with her?

Rhi got a look at herself in the mirror and grimaced. She was still in the same clothes from the battle, and the holes in her shirt from the Dark magic were doing nothing to make her look good.

With a snap of her fingers, Rhi replaced her clothes with pale denim jeans and a bright orange long-sleeved shirt that hugged her breasts and waist. She looked down at the brown booties and smiled.

Orange. She couldn’t remember the last time she had worn orange. In fact, she’d worn nothing but black and white for some time. She hadn’t exactly chosen orange, but she hadn’t thought about her usual colors either.

There was a sound at the door. Rhi whirled around to see Rhys. He was looking at her choice of shirt with a smile about his lips.

“I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to wake,” he said as he walked into the room.

Rhi looked pointedly at the door. Rhys closed it without question and walked to her. Before Rhi could react, he enveloped her in a hug.

“We’ve been worried,” he said.

She closed her eyes and returned the hug. There was something calming about a hug. Something that made all the stress melt away. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you all right?”

“I don’t really know,” she admitted.

“And the sleep? Was it only the Dark magic?”

Since Rhi couldn’t lie without experiencing extreme pain, she opted not to answer.

Rhys blew out a breath and leaned back. “It’s what I suspected.”

“I needed some time.”

“I can respect that. I took some as well. We all need it, but that doesna mean you have to sink into such a sleep that we can no’ reach you.”

Rhi didn’t bother to tell him that she’d heard some of the conversations. Others she had been too deep in the sleep to hear.

“I’m back now.” What else was there to say really?

“Aye. So it seems.”

Rhi looked away from Rhys’s penetrating gaze. She looked down at her nails and knew one of the first things she was going to do was get a manicure. Might as well get a pedicure too. If her fingers looked that bad, then she could imagine how her feet looked.

She tossed her long hair over her shoulder. Just as she was about to teleport away with some snappy remark, she heard Balladyn say her name again.

That hesitation had Rhys beside her.

“What is it?” he asked.

She turned her face to him. “What’s happened while I’ve been asleep?”

“Nothing much. All the Dark are out of Edinburgh. Out of most of the cities, actually.”

“The Dragon Kings kicked ass, I suppose.”

Before she finished speaking, he was shaking his head with a frown. “That’s the odd thing. Darius is in Edinburgh now, and he was killing plenty of them. Then it became harder and harder to find Dark. The last time Thorn spoke to him was a few days ago and Darius had gone days without seeing a Dark.”

Wasn’t that interesting? Had Usaeil stepped up and done what a Queen of the Light should have done as soon as the shit hit the fan?

Rhi looked to where her watcher stood in the corner of the room. She knew he was Fae. Only a Fae could veil themselves in such a way, but as far as she knew, not even Usaeil could remain veiled as long as Rhi. And her watcher stayed that way almost indefinitely.

A Fae for sure. But Light or Dark?

More importantly, what did he want with her?

“What’s going on with the Dark?” she asked offhandedly.

Rhys snorted loudly. “You mean what’s going on with Balladyn?”

She looked at him and raised her brows, waiting for him to tell her.

Rhys gave a little shake of his head. “I understand you were close to him at one time. He tortured you, Rhi. Remember the Chains of Mordare?”

There were times she could still feel the weight of them on her wrists. She took a step toward Rhys. “I wore them,” she said in a clipped tone. “I remember.”

“Fine.” Rhys threw up his hands in surrender. “As far as we’ve heard, Taraeth doesna know Balladyn told you where Lexi was.”

“Was that so difficult?” she asked with a smirk.

A vein ticked in his temple. “More than you know.”