Page 38 of So I Dared a Dragon

“That was a lot of reasons.” I chuckled nervously.

“What can I say? The possibility of you having actual scales freaks me out. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“Neither have I.” There was a lot of magic around the dragons in the Smoky Mountains, but all he’d done was use the watercolors and a little glitter. I’d packed them, but… “Do you think whoever left that note could’ve had the opportunity to tamper with the paint?”

“The ones I used seemed okay. But we should keep a close eye for any other changes, just in case.” Bibi touched my arm again, and this time, smoke rose from it. “How does your wolf feel?”

I closed my eyes, channeling my beast. She was usually easy to find, providing me with a running commentary. Moon knew I provided her with enough material to have opinions about. “I don’t feel her at all.”

fourteen

. . .

Aarix

“What the hell were you thinking?” Magnus grunted between gritted teeth as soon as Bibi took Calista home. “You should’ve never painted those scales on her.”

“It was a bold move.” Luca shook his head. “Our ancient mating tradition. Not that a non-dragon could pick up your powers, of course.”

“I got caught in the moment.” I wouldn’t apologize. Luca was right—it was bold, which was exactly my intention. “Someone’s stalking my mate, and I need to send a message loud and clear that I’m here and there will be hell to pay if they harmed even one hair on her head. “But it water paint. Nothing permanent. And she doesn’t know our traditions.”

But fuck, had it ever looked good on her. So many nights I lay awake in that mountain prison, dreaming what Calista would look like as a dragon after she’d left her sweet scent lingering on my pillow. She’d have those fiery scales all over her body, her nipples shining with the same coppery hue. Her wings were as red as her hair. Tonight was the closest I’d get to that reality. I’d savor it as long as I could.

Tina waved us forward. “We call this the hive, because it’s always buzzing with activity.”

“What’s our plan?” I asked. “It’s been a long time, but we have security experience.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow but thankfully kept his mouth shut. Last time I was in charge of anything, it had had a disastrous ending. I wore my bad choices like a weight on my shoulders. Had I learned anything about protecting those I loved in those centuries of captivity?

Tina’s skeptical gaze scanned over us. “Bibi had already given the team all the information we had about the note. The investigation is underway.”

She pushed open the doors and led us into the hive. It was aptly named, a dark, rounded room, filled with screens and computers. A few workers tapped at their keyboards and studied the results. A bookshelf overflowed with thick binders, next to a corkboard with various photos, maps, and clippings pinned to it.

I had to wonder if this would’ve been what our intel center would’ve looked like if we’d had access to the same equipment.

Magnus bumped against me. “Your girl could be putting all these people in danger.”

I growled, and everyone turned to see smoke come out of my nostrils. The last thing I wanted to do was fight with Magnus. He was a brother to me who’d stood by my side during the darkest days. How could he think of Calista as a bigger threat than the Night God?

Or he’s speaking up this time, my dragon said.

Or he wanted me to walk away from her.

“This is impressive.” Luca had broken away from us and had pulled a thick binder off the shelf. “There must be a multitude of threats in the area if you’ve amassed this level of intelligence.”

Tina twisted her lips, like she was wrestling with what to tell us. “We pride ourselves on being prepared, because when realityTV serves a plot twist, things can hit the fan. Not sure if you’re familiar with that metaphor, but basically, a mess can break out of nowhere. We like to think this gives us adequate warning. Ancient shifters have made a statement this season, and we’ve pivoted every time we’ve been challenged. It’s far from perfect, but it makes for a hell of an episode.”

“Is Bibi coming back?” I didn’t love that she’d left, and I felt safest with Calista by my side. But there was no way we could fully investigate with her here. We needed to be able to talk plainly, explore all options, and narrow down our suspects.

I hoped none of them were in this room.

Marissa appeared with two steaming mugs in hand and handed one to Tina. “The coffee station is fully stocked. Something tells me it’s gonna be a long night.”

Tina nodded and took a sip, but I didn’t miss the concerned look she gave Marissa.

“If you know something, now’s not the time to hold back,” I said. We may have added a layer of complexity to this team’s job with our unexpected arrival, but it couldn’t have gone any other way. Calista belonged to me.

Marissa shrugged in response to Tina’s look. Tina was obviously the senior producer in this situation, the one in charge when Bibi wasn’t here. The woman had a no-nonsense attitude that I could learn to appreciate.

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