children of the gods. I, at least, meant only to study them.'
'No, you meant to expose them. Did you think that would have done them any good? Did you think the entire world could resist coming here and stealing the overabundance of treasures?' Now Jason was the one to snort. 'To answer your question, no, I didn't think I could blithely steal from them. I knew I could. Quite easily, too.'
Alex shook his head at such blatant arrogance. 'I suppose you're going to tell me just how you did it. We can have ourselves a Bad Guy Confession Time.'
A hard glint entered Jason's eyes, but his need to brag far surpassed his anger. 'Before entering the portal in Florida, I tossed in enough fentanyl gas to put a legion of men to sleep. Then I sent in my troops. Most were killed, but casualties of war are expected. The Guardian of the Mist might have been strong, but he couldn't survive multiple rounds of firepower and he quickly bled out.'
'What about his men? The Book of Ra-Dracus speaks of each Guardian possessing an army of dragons inside his palace.'
'Ah, the Book of Ra-Dracus .' All arrogance, Jason lifted a jeweled goblet and sipped the contents. 'Have I thanked you yet for the book's acquisition? It changed my life.'
'You stole it from me,' he accused, his eyes narrowed.
'Of course. Just like you stole from me. The irony is beautiful, isn't it?' Smiling smugly, Jason added, 'You made the mistake of typing your notes into your computer. I keep tabs on all of my employees.'
'You hack into their personal lives, you mean.'
Jason shrugged 'When I realized exactly what you possessed, I knew I had to have it. So I paid someone to 'acquire' it for me.'
'I stole the medallion from you, yes, but I always intended to give it back. I didn't think you even knew what it was.'
'Oh, I knew.' A soft rumble of laughter escaped. 'I'm slowly emptying this palace of every jewel, every piece of gold, every fine fabric and selling them on the surface. How else do you think I afforded those new buildings? My designer clothes?' He paused, tilted his chin. 'And I'll do the same to the other dragon palace. But we digress. How did we kill the dragon army? The same way we found them. Ra-Dracus . We learned they are weakened by cold and bullets. Quick. Simple.'
'You're a monster,' Alex whispered, horrified by what Jason had done-and all he would do.
'A monster? Hardly. Those that dwell in Atlantis are the monsters. In fact, let me tell you a little about Teira, the sweet Teira you so wish to protect. She's a dragon. A changeling.' He studied Alex's waning color and nodded with satisfaction. 'I see you know what I am talking about.'
'I read Ra-Dracus in its entirety.'
'Then you know what happens when you infuriate a dragon? It transforms into a beast. A killer.'
'If Teira is a dragon, why hasn't she changed? Why hasn't she freed herself?' He paused. 'Why hasn't she killed you ?'
'She has seen what our guns did to her people, and she fears us. Fear will keep the fiercest of creatures submissive.'
'Or maybe that's why you keep it so cold in here. To keep her weak.'
Eyes narrowed, Jason said, 'Dragons can go days, weeks without food. Then, suddenly, an intense craving comes over them. Do you know what they eat when this craving comes upon them, Alex?'
He swallowed. He didn't know, but he could guess.
'They eat whatever is in sight,' Jason answered, leaning back in his chair. 'And do you know what Teira will crave when the hunger hits her? You, Alex. You. She won't have to change to dragon form. She'll just start biting.'
A wave of dizziness hit him as he shook his head in denial. 'She wouldn't hurt me.' He didn't know when he'd started to think of Teira as his ally. He didn't know when he'd lost his animosity toward her. He only knew that hers was the only kindness he'd known these last weeks.
'You sound so confident. So stupid.' Jason laughed. 'I know the nature of the beast, and I know beyond a doubt that when the time comes, she will feast on your body because you will be the only food in sight. She may not want to, she may hate herself for it, but she will do it.'
'Why are you doing this? Why go to all this trouble? Kill me already and get it over with.'
'Tell me where the medallion is, and I'll let you go. We'll forget this ever happened.'
Liar , he almost shouted. Unless Jason meant to let him go with his head detached from his body.
Lethargy began to weave through the dizziness, and he closed his eyes. 'I don't know where it is,' he said. His voice sounded far away, lost.
'Need I remind you that I'm not above using your mother? Your aunt? Your sister? Patrick, one of the men who found Grace, would like nothing more than to spread her legs before he kills her.'
Alex couldn't manage to open his lids; they were simply too heavy. He said weakly, 'If anyone touches a single member of my family, I will-'
'You will what?' Jason said mockingly.
He didn't respond. There was no threat great enough… and there was nothing he could actually do. Not here, not now, and not while the drugs crawled through his system. Not while his body suffered from blood loss. Sleep, he just wanted to sleep.
'We've searched your home, Grace's home and even your mother's home. No one's been hurt yet. That can all change in an instant, Alex. I'm running out of patience.' Jason pushed to his feet and walked around the table. He knelt in front of Alex. He gripped his hair and forced his head back, forced him to stare up into his eyes. 'Do you understand?'
'Yes,' he whispered hoarsely.
'You're pathetic.'
His hair was released, but he didn't have the neck strength to keep his head from slamming into the ground. He rolled onto his side and knew nothing more.
How long passed before the sweet fragrance of seawater invaded his senses, he couldn't fathom a guess. But when he opened his eyes, Teira was curled beside him, sleeping peacefully. Instinctively he jerked away as Jason's words flitted through his mind. She won't need to change into dragon form, she'll just start biting .
Teira's pale lashes fluttered open, and the corners of her lips gifted him with a sleepy smile-a smile that did odd things to his stomach.
She studied his expression, and her smile slowly faded. 'What wrong?'
As he studied her in return, he lost his trepidation. A bruise marred her cheek, barely visible under the dirt covering her. 'Nothing's wrong,' he said, his throat scratchy. Still a bit groggy, he reached out and gently caressed the discoloration.
'You look in pain,' she said.
'How long did I sleep?' he asked.
She shrugged.
His fingers moved from her cheek and cupped her jaw. 'What did they do to you?'
'They not hurt me,' she assured him. 'I think they fear I hurt them.'
He chuckled, a low rumble that reverberated in his chest. She looked so delicate, it was hard to imagine her as a fearsome dragon.
'How you feel?' Concern glinted in her golden eyes. She placed her hand over his heartbeat.
'Better.' Much better now that she was here. But the shakes would come again, he knew, and so would the need. 'Teira.' He sighed. 'I'm sorry for how I've treated you.' Born to a staunchly Southern father, he was ashamed of his behavior toward her. He might live in New York, but like every gentleman, he still opened car doors, still paid for meals and still called women when he said he would. Not that the ones he dated expected it. 'I thought you worked for them, but that's no excuse.'
Her gaze skittered shyly away from him. 'I like being with you.'
Her confession pleased him, warmed him as surely as a winter coat. She wasn't his type, but he was attracted to her all the same. A powerful attraction he couldn't hide anymore. Didn't want to hide anymore. 'I like being with you, too,' he admitted. He liked her more than he should.
Leaning up, hesitant, she placed a soft kiss on his lips. He knew she meant it as a chaste peck, a swift kiss of solace, but he pried her lips open with his own and swept his tongue deep. At first, she stiffened. But when she
