Destiny Kills

“Why?”

He hesitated. “I made a deal with my father. If I give him the ring, he gives me some information I need.”

“It must be some pretty heavy information if you’re exchanging a ring your brother valued for it.”

“Egan didn’t value the ring,” he said, voice edged with annoyance. “He valued what taking it meant.”

“And that makes total sense.” Not.

He waved a hand dismissively. “It involves clique politics and history, and I’m not about to go into that here. Give me the ring, Destiny.”

“Sorry. No can do.”

He uncrossed his arms and took a step toward me. In that instant, the little warmth that had been evident in his eyes fled completely, and the dragon came to the fore. It was like facing a stranger—a complete and utterly dangerous stranger.

This was not just a dangerous thief, nor even the man who’d held the gun at me. This was someone totally new. Someone who didn’t care who or what he hurt as long as he got what he wanted.

And I could see why Egan might have called him in for protection.

“Give me the ring, Destiny,” he repeated.

I lifted my chin, a small defiance that made me feel better even if it had no perceivable effect on the man standing opposite me. “I can’t.”

“Why can’t you? What have you done to it?”

“I sent it somewhere safe. Somewhere where no one can get to it.”

“You gave it to one of your people in the sea?”

I had no people in the sea. Mom’s relatives had become virtual strangers the day we’d left Scotland. But I wasn’t about to disabuse him of the notion that I’d given the ring to someone else. The control we sea dragons had over the sea—indeed, any sort of water—was something of a well-kept secret. Well, until Costa Brava, anyway.

Hell, legends had us physically attacking boats of old, and while I’m sure there were some old sea dragons who loved to smash and crash before they looted, most had no need to take it that far. Not when the sea could smash and crash for us.

Trae took another step forward. The ice in his eyes, the tension knotting his limbs spoke of anger and violence bubbling under the surface. I should have been afraid. Very afraid.

Part of me—most of me—definitely was. Yet that last step brought him within a couple of arm lengths, and the raw, spicy aroma of his masculinity washed over me, heating my senses and making my body burn.

I crossed my arms and fought the desire to traverse the distance between us, to fling myself into his arms and taste those uncompromising, yet undoubtedly lush, lips. Think of Egan, I told myself sternly. He deserves the respect of a decent mourning period, at the very least.

Trouble was, the part of me that hungered just wasn’t listening.

I wished I knew whether it was simply lust or something more. I’d never really had a chance to talk to my mom about life and love, and I had no idea what it actually felt like when you finally met the one man destined to be your mate. I had talked to my dad, of course, but he could only bring his experiences and his knowledge as a man and an air dragon to the table.

And there were greater differences between sea dragons and our air cousins than just the elements we dominated. Our society was more matriarchal than patriarchal, and it was the women who decided when and if the men could impregnate them. I had no idea, however, if females generally remained virginal before they met their mate, or whether they were able to enjoy the company of others. No idea if me being a half breed had any effect on my sexuality and the restrictions that might have been patterned into my DNA. Certainly I hadn’t fallen pregnant in the ten years I was with Egan, so that again suggested I was more my mom’s daughter than my dad’s, but did the mere fact that I hadn’t remained a virgin mean that the restrictions were muted in me?

Was I even capable of breeding? Of having that one true mate?

I didn’t know.

And if I didn’t get my mother out of that place, I might never know.

“Destiny, did you give the ring to someone else?”

I stared at him for a moment longer, then nodded. It was close enough to the truth, and he couldn’t do anything about it anyway. The dawn had gone, and my ability to recall the ring had fled with it. There was always another dawn, of course, but if he didn’t know the truth of the ring’s disappearance, then he couldn’t force the issue.

“It’s out of my reach—and out of my control—for at least a couple of days.”

He swore softly and thrust a hand through his hair. “Damn it, you had no right to do that.”

“I had every right to protect what is mine. That ring was left to me by Egan”—a lie, but he wasn’t to know that—“and I have no intention of giving it to anyone until I’m good and ready.”

He made a hissing sound and spun around, his hands on his hips and his head raised. As if he’d rather look at the brightening skies than me.

My gaze traveled down his leather-coated back. He had good shoulders, good shape, and a butt that filled jeans the way the Gods meant them to be filled. But from the back, he looked more like Egan than ever, and though sorrow stirred through me, it was mixed with guilt.

I owed his brother more than just half truths.

“How about we do a deal?”

He turned back around. The wild, dangerous remoteness had left his eyes, leaving them icy and yet human. If you could ever call a dragon “human,” that is.

“What sort of deal?”

“You help me get the security codes—”

“What security codes?” he asked, frowning.

“The codes are for the Loch Ness Research Foundation, where we were held captive for so long.”

His frown deepened. “Why would you want those?”

“Because my mom’s still there, as are the kids, and because I promised I’d go back and free them. And I intend to keep that promise, no matter what it takes.”

He considered me for a moment, then said, “That’s pretty brave.”

“Or pretty stupid,” I muttered, and knew which one would win my vote. “Once we get the codes, if you can then get me to Maine, enough time will have passed for me to be able to recall the ring and give it to you. That way, you can have the ring within days, and I get the protection and help Egan wanted me to have.”

“What’s in Maine that’s so important?”

“My dad. He’s dying.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“So am I.” But I was also angry—at the scientists for keeping me away for so long, and at myself for so stupidly leaving him in the first place. “Do we have a deal?”

“I think I could live with a deal like that.” His gaze rested on mine and played havoc with my heart rate. And I wasn’t entirely sure if the cause was the heat that surged between us or the dragon spark that seemed to glow deep in his eyes. “But be warned—if you’re playing me for a fool, or if you betray me in any way, you will regret it.”

“I’ve got too many regrets in my life already, Trae. I don’t intend to add any more.”

“Good. Where do you want to go first, then?”

“Florence,” I said, and walked around to the passenger side of the car. The car beeped as I approached the door and lights flashed. I wondered where he’d gotten the keys from, decided I didn’t want to know, then opened the door and climbed in.

“So who are we going to steal the codes from?”

“From a Louise Marsten, mother of Doctor James Marsten, who is the founder of the Loch Ness Research Foundation and chief tormentor of all things dragon.”

He started the car and drove out of the turnaround, then asked, “How many of you were there in this place?”