Evie’s heart broke at his words, spoken faintly and dispassionately. But she wasn’t fooled. Malcolm was affected deeper than he wanted to admit.
In that moment, that barest brief of time and space, she knew he’d do whatever it took to kill Jason as violently and viciously as he could.
And Evie hoped he did.
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
Ferness
Phelan stood on the second floor and eyed the sleek bright blue Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale as it pulled up in Charon’s private drive at the back of his building.
Behind Phelan, Charon was in his office going over some figures for the flats he leased while Aisley filed papers and Laura worked on the computer.
The door of the Maserati opened and the tall form of Constantine unfurled from the car. He stood and buttoned the jacket of his charcoal-gray and black pinstriped hand-tailored Brioni suit.
Behind the designer sunglasses, Phelan knew Con was letting his gaze leisurely roam the area. He grinned when Con turned his head of blond hair and looked behind him before facing the building once more.
Constantine, the man behind Dreagan Industries, was much more than he appeared. For one, he wasn’t human—or mortal. He was a Dragon King. The King of Kings actually.
Dreagan land had been used to stop Wallace once. If it hadn’t been for the help of the dragons, Phelan was certain he wouldn’t be alive.
He watched as Con put one hand in his pants pocket and started for the steps. Con ascended the steps like a man who had all the time in the world.
Like a man who owned the world.
Since Con and the other dragons were as old as time itself, there was a reason Con acted that way. It also contributed to his self-assured, arrogant attitude that made Phelan want to see how long it would take to anger the King of Kings.
When Con reached the top, he stared through the sliding glass door at Phelan. A few seconds later, with a smirk he couldn’t hide, Phelan slid open the door.
“What brings you here?” Phelan asked as he moved aside.
Con stepped inside and removed his sunglasses, pinning Phelan with his black eyes. “Just stopping by.”
“No such thing,” Charon said as he exited his office. He extended his hand to Con and they shook. “What can we do for you?”
“Con,” Laura said as she came to greet him. “It’s always good to see you.”
“And you,” Con replied with a smile and placed a kiss on each of her cheeks. He then moved past her to greet Aisley in the same manner. “How is the Phoenix today?”
Aisley laughed. “I’ve got a cranky Warrior to deal with. How do you think?”
Phelan crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Constantine. “Stop flirting with my woman and tell us why you’re really here.”
“I came to see how things were going.”
“Bollocks. You know everything that’s going on. What’s the real reason?”
A slow smile spread over Con’s face. “You’re worried about Malcolm. I’m here to tell you he’s been spotted near Cairn Toul.”
“Shite,” Charon said and ran a hand through his hair.
Even Phelan was unsettled by Con’s words. “Are you sure?”
“Rhys knows what he saw.”
“So Rhys was taking a little midnight flight,” Charon said.
Con nodded.
Phelan dropped his arms. “Malcolm called two nights ago. He … well, he seemed lost for a minute. He told me he was all right, but I doona believe him.”
“What would bring him back to Cairn Toul?” Con asked.
Charon gave a snort of anger. “No’ a damn thing. He hates that place as much as we do.”
“But that doesna explain what Rhys saw,” Phelan argued.
Con’s black eyes studied Phelan. “Perhaps you should try and contact Malcolm again.”
“It wouldna do any good. He answers only when he wants to.”
Charon shrugged. “Con has a point. It might help.”
“Malcolm needs a friend,” Con said. “It looks like he turned to you for that.”
Phelan felt Aisley’s magic and wrapped it around himself. A moment later she was next to him, her hands on his arm. Phelan let her magic calm his racing mind. “If anyone can reach him it would be Larena, if she was able. Since she’s no’, and Fallon is too preoccupied with her, I’ll do what I can. I want it known that I think it’s a mistake for me to try and help though.”
“You’ll do great, babe,” Aisley said and rose up to give him a quick kiss.
Con ran a hand over his chin as he glanced out the window. “Do any of you know of an antiques and collectibles shop in Perth by the name of The Silver Dragon?”
“Nay. Should we have?” Charon asked.
“It’s a Dragon King problem. I was just curious if it was something that had drawn your interest.”
This piqued Phelan’s attention. “You’re coming to us to ask something? That’s no’ normal. No’ when you dragons seem to know the goings-on everywhere.”
“We’re no’ all-seeing,” Con stated flatly.
“Obviously. Is there something in this antique store you need?”
Charon blew out a breath and rocked back on his heels. “Phelan has a point. Why come to us with this? You’re dragons.”
Anger sizzled in Con’s dark gaze as a muscle jumped in his jaw. “This … problem … is one that has been around for a verra long time.”
“Then remove the problem,” Phelan said.
Aisley turned her startled fawn-colored eyes to him. “Phelan,” she admonished. “Did you not hear the name of the store? I’m guessing this has something to do with the King of Silvers.”
Con put a hand up to stop her. “Forget I said anything.”
“As if. Did you come here hoping we’d take care of this … problem?” Charon asked, his eyes guarded.
“Never. As I said, I asked in the hopes you might have information.”
Laura looked from Charon to Con. “One of us could always drop by and have a look around this store.”
“I’m no’ sure that’s a good idea.”
Charon’s dark brow lifted as he rocked back on his heels. “Is this problem of yours dangerous?”
Something vicious and primitive flashed in Con’s eyes. “No’ anymore.”
Phelan had a feeling there was much more Con wasn’t telling them. And until he did, there was no way he would allow Aisley anywhere near this … problem. “I’ve seen the way you dragons heal. It’s almost instantaneous. Whereas we Warriors take a few moments. Tell me why you doona just go into this store and end this problem?”
Con chuckled, the smile not quite reaching his black gaze. “It’s … complicated.”
“Meaning,” Charon said, “that this
problem
is a King and the other Dragon Kings wouldna be pleased.”
“To say the least,” Con admitted, though by the tightness of his lips, it cost him.
Phelan knew he had to be diplomatic. The Dragon Kings were good allies. They would be lethal enemies. “Perhaps it would be best if we stayed out of the middle of this. For now.”
Con’s gaze came to rest on him. He stood still as he studied Phelan for several long seconds. “Perhaps.”
“You don’t happen to have any information on Jason, do you?” Laura hastily changed the subject.
Aisley glanced up at Phelan. “Since we don’t want to sit around waiting for Jason to make his next move, anything you have would be great.”
“He’s at his mansion,” Con said and turned to look out the glass door. “Tread carefully. Wallace will be expecting you.”
“We’re no’ going to him,” Phelan said.
One side of Con’s mouth lifted in a grin as he looked at Phelan. “Wise decision. What are you thinking?”
“Still working on that,” Charon said before Phelan could.
Constantine turned back to the small group. “The others from the castle are no’ here. You wouldna be thinking of doing this alone, would you?”
Aisley cleared her throat and shrugged. “If we could take Jason unawares, there’s a chance we could end it all.”
“A chance. A slim chance.” Con looked at each of them in turn. “I know each Warrior has been given the serum to combat Jason’s
drough
blood, but it hasna been that long since the last battle. If anyone knows just how dangerous Wallace is, it’s you, Aisley.”
“That’s right,” she said. “I also know he’s brash and egotistical. He can be brought down.”
Con bowed his head to her. “If I learn anything new about Wallace, you four will be the first to know.”
With those parting words, Con opened the door and left. Phelan slid the door back into place and watched as Con got back into his Maserati and drove away.
“Well. That was interesting.”
Charon grunted. “Verra. Should we take a look at this antique shop?”
“Already done,” Laura said from her desk. She turned the monitor toward them. “The store doesn’t have a Web site, but there is such a place in Perth. It’s on King Street.”
“Does it say who the owner is?” Aisley asked.
Laura shook her head. Her moss-green eyes met Charon’s. “If it is a Dragon King—and with a name like The Silver Dragon I suspect it is—this is who Con is after.”
“Agreed,” Charon said. “I’m no’ sure what to make of this visit. A Dragon King who isna on Dreagan land.”
“We do nothing. For the moment.” Phelan walked to the couch and sank onto the cushion. “I’ve got a bad feeling about all of this. Con doesna want the other Dragon Kings to know what he’s up to. He expects us to look into this, and I’ve a feeling this is about Ulrik.”
“Ulrik?” Laura repeated with a frown. “What an unusual name, and one I’ve heard recently.”
Aisley nodded. “Remember when Rhys let it slip about one of the Dragon Kings who was on the outs? We didn’t hear the entire story.”
“Nor will we,” Phelan said as he rubbed his chin. “Rhys was quick to change the subject.”
Laura shrugged and propped her elbows on her desk. “They did allow us to have that battle on Dreagan land. Not to mention they helped us.”
Charon frowned thoughtfully. “All good points, sweetheart. I’m just no’ sure it’s enough. I doona want to make an enemy of any of the dragons, but if we side with Con on this, we could potentially be stepping in the middle of a minefield.”
“Look, I know the Kings have come to your aid before. It’s just…” Aisley trailed off and bit her lip.
Phelan leaned forward and braced an elbow on his thigh. “Go on, babe. Finish your thought.”
Aisley inhaled a breath to speak, then held it a second before releasing it in a rush. “I just … I just think it’s odd that Con and the others know so much about so very much, but they aren’t helping us with Wallace. Why is that?”
“Because it’s our problem,” Charon said.
“Bugger that,” Laura said angrily. “Jason has tried to kill all of us. Repeatedly. What would happen if he succeeded and there were no more Druids to take a stand, or Warriors who could fight him? Where would that leave the great and mighty Dragon Kings then?”
Charon smiled and walked to his wife. He leaned down and kissed her. “I love when that temper of yours comes out.”
“She’s right though,” Phelan said.
Charon straightened and braced a hand on the back of Laura’s chair. “Maybe. We battled Deirdre without help from the dragons. Same with Declan. We can take Jason as well.”
“Yes, we can,” Aisley said with a firm nod of agreement.
Phelan rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, worry niggling in his gut. Even though Aisley was a Phoenix and could come back to life, he wasn’t quite ready to test that theory again so soon. He had shattered when she’d died. He’d known then he would never be the same, never look at anything the same after having her in his life.
She’d been returned to him, but those few days had been a worse kind of hell than anything Deirdre had done to him. Aisley was his life, his very reason for continuing. Losing her wasn’t an option.
But he saw her need for revenge burning in her fawn-colored depths. Wallace had used her daughter, the infant who had died hours after being born, against her.
Phelan held out his hand, and Aisley eagerly took it. He pulled her into his lap and simply held her. “Tell me of Wallace’s weaknesses.”
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
Evie tried to concentrate on her work, work she did to help pass the time. But her thoughts turned again and again to Malcolm.
She’d never met anyone with so much pain and torment bottled within them. If Malcolm didn’t release it, he could well explode from the force of it. A person could only stand so much.
He didn’t seem the type to want—or need—help, however. All Evie could do was try to be there for him when he opened up a fraction. It wasn’t much, but at least he was talking about some of the things that pained him.
There was a depth to Malcolm that staggered her. He was intelligent, yes, but the depth was due to the things that had happened to him.
With his hatred of
droughs
and his cousin being a Warrior, it wasn’t far-fetched to think that somehow a Druid had hurt him in the past.
A ding signaling a new e-mail had her clicking over from her work screen to the e-mails. Her heart hammered in her chest when she noticed it was the e-mail corresponding to her site.
The subject read: Fellow Druid.
Evie’s hand shook as she opened the e-mail and read it aloud. “Hello. I came across your site and knew instantly that I’d found another Druid. I’ve been hoping to find another of us. Would love to talk more. Sincerely, J.”
Minutes ticked by as Evie sat with her hands on the keyboard trying to decide how to answer. Or if to answer.
She was suspicious of everyone, so she contemplated ignoring the e-mail. At the same time she gloried in the fact she could communicate with a potential Druid. How could she pass that up?
For several minutes she sat there staring at the screen. She hit delete and started to return to her work, when she paused. What could it hurt just to respond to the e-mail? It wasn’t as if she was meeting with the unknown person.
Evie bit her lip and went to the Trash file and found the e-mail. She dashed off a quick response telling J that she would love to talk more, but it would have to be through e-mail and hit send before she changed her mind.
But even as the e-mail winged its way through cyberspace, she regretted it.
It was less than a minute after she sent it off that J replied. Evie chuckled to herself at the innocent message that was returned. That’s when she realized she was being entirely too paranoid.