Page 83 of Blood on the Ice

I feel their gazes on me as I let my system come down from channeling that much unfamiliar power, including pushing the gorgon back into her cage. It’s hard to control the bloodlust when she’s fully out, and I don’t want to hurt anyone by mistake.Soft footsteps approach and I’m surprised when a hand lies on my back between my wings to gently rub.

“You’re okay, Morgana. We’re okay. Even Kaspar is—” Before Slade can finish, the fire drake crashes to the ground with a mighty shake of the earth. I lose my balance, falling to my knees on the grass as everything around us vibrates with the impact. “Holy shit.”

I grimace as I look at the mess, rubbing a hand over my face. “We have to call for Guardians. They need to question everyone still breathing, including this dick who just made my week infinitely harder.”

All eyes whip to me, but it’s Iggy who finally asks, “The dragon is… alive?”

Sighing, I give them a tiny smile. “Yeah. Encased in stone, but not dead. Gorgon justice sucks pretty hard.”

Now they wonder what someone could do to warrant me killing them instead of enduring this—great.

1 Mother of crones, grant me access to your son.

2 Loan me your strength so I might defeat this evil beast. Protect our clutch from those who would harm us.

secrets

Once Lucas shifted back, we decided he should call his Nana to get Guardians on-site. To my surprise, she only asked brief questions while he was on the phone with her, but he assured us she’ll want the complete story later. Morgana grumbled at him to put his damn clothes on, and I nodded at Kaspar to let him know he could shift back and do thesame. Our girl was already back to normal, not wanting anyone to show up and see her in anything but her human form.

There’s merit to people knowing what she can do, but not now.

“Li, that thing wasnotregistered. I checked every registered and Council supe within the agreed radius when we arrived.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sigh. “America has more unregistered supes and hybrids than any other country because of their… inclination to buck authority. You couldn’t have known there were creatures hiding amongst the shadows, Kas.”

“It’s my job,” he grunts.

“You kinda suck at it.” Morgana’s smirk doesn’t help the scowl on his face, and I put my hand on her arm. “What? He does. Fire drakes leave trails of destruction wherever they go; it’s why they’re more tightly supervised than most dragons. Outside of storm dragons like dumbass here and Mind wyverns—they make up the top three dragon dicks who can’t be trusted to hold their wads.”

It would be easier if she wasn’t on the nose with her statements; Magnus must have shared that tidbit.

“Listen, you overgrow bat?—”

Lucas’s eyes flash and he puts his hand on the dragon’s chest. “Stop. This isn’t helping us figure out how all this shit ties together and what the fuck we’re going to tell the Guardians when they arrive.”

The professor and Slade look at one another, then Morgana before chiming in, “As little as possible.”

I chuckle and nod my agreement. “Yes, that seems prudent. The only connecting factor between Lucas and me is our wealth and status,or…our connection to Morgana. That concerns me; while I have a guard specifically because rebels like the Hand of Morrigan are always looking to cause chaos, Lucas does not. They avoided direct confrontation with him, which must hold significance.”

“Butwhy?” The gargoyle almost wails that question and we all look at one another. “Magnus had followers, sure, but this is so much bigger than their petty squabbles. They might have access to a fire drake, but for fuck’s sake, a murder cover-up that’s fooling the cops? No way.”

That seems far-fetched for a group of deluded women and men worshipping a dead guy.

“If you’re right, then we need to trace this back farther than just Lucas and me. Ignatius, you may need to do some work in the school’s link to the shifter archives. Kaspar will visit our home and see what he can scrounge up in the Daybreak Court’s archives regarding the Morrigan and ties to rebel groups here. And we definitely have to go through with Slade’s plan—no question now.”

The guys—except for Kaspar—all agree, but they look at our mate, waiting for her to weigh in on the topic. Morgana leans back against the car, her head tilted up to the stars. I know her mother was a witch, so perhaps she places some stock in the alignment of their places. She’s quiet for a minute or two while she thinks, and when she finally speaks, her voice is soft and husky. “I’m worried I’ll get you all killed. If these people are after me for some unknown reason, continuing on this path will only put more people in danger.”

Lucas snorts and walks over, lifting her off the car so she has to wrap her legs around his waist. He’s strong as an ox, which I think Morgana likes more than she admits. She’s not tiny, but the bear picks her up like it’s nothing. “Babe, the only person who hasn’t said they’re here for the chaos is the dickwaffle dragon. The Prince’s influence compels him to comply, rendering it inconsequential. Stop disbelieving what we’re telling you. When you do that, the Headless Fuckhead wins.”

Her eyes go wide and it’s like he just unlocked something in her brain. The rosy lips I adore form a perfect ‘O’ and her body goes completely still in his embrace. “Y-You’re right. Magnus wins if I can’t ever—Oh, fuck me.”

The siren grins a little, looking adorably endearing as he walks over and presses against her back. “That’s right. If you can’t let go of his emotional abuse and move on with your life, you’re stuck living in the past as he dictated. And yeah, he definitely wins because you’re letting a dead man run your life.”

“Plus, I’d absolutely love to take you up on that offer, and I can’t when you’re gloomy,” the bear says with an eyebrow bob.

Even Kaspar laughs at that, and my chest warms a little. I know he’ll get there, but I have to keep him from burning the bridge irrevocably before he does. “Okay, so what are we telling the Guardians?”

Morgana shrugs as the two men sandwich her, then snaps her fingers. “Oh! We took a romantic walk in the fields. Like, swoony style.”

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