Page 37 of Destiny of the Dragons

Jace gave his brother a grin. Finally he’d come out on top of all the messed up games his family played. “If I were you, I’d choose these next few moments carefully.”

Dax seethed. They looked alike, or so all of the women and men his brother lured away from him said. Like his brother was the original and Jace just a secondary thought.

“Awful cocky for one who was just on the streets.”

Dax didn’t realize it, but he just admitted that Jace was coming back. Jacewason the streets, in past tense. Not present.

Jace’s grinned wider. He looked at his mother and then Alina. “You sense the power rolling off me.”

Dax rolled his eyes. “Big deal, you had a molting.”

Jace held up two fingers. “Guess which molting I’m on?”

Jace couldn’t lie about the number of moltings he’d experienced. His age couldn’t change, and the minute Dax stopped whining, his common sense would catch up.

“I’ve had two moltings since I left.” Jace let that sink in for a moment.

Mother cocked her head. The rest of his family was quiet. His great-great-grandfather had as many moltings as Jace had, and he was the head of the Family until he was assassinated.

“Power comes in many forms,” Dax said finally. “Not just your internal fire.”

“What about having the most powerful wizard in the world owe you a favor? What about priceless riches?”

Jace’s phone call this morning had been quite productive. He was a billionaire now, and Marvelouso was so grateful for getting his early work back, he said he’d owe Jace a favor.

Not too shabby for a Monday morning.

Jace watched his mother’s face go from hostile to impassive. His mother was why he was able to read Smoke so well.

She was impressed.

Jace leaned back. His place in his family was his. Now all he had to do was tell Smoke and Mia the good news, and his life would be on track.

Mia stared at the computer screen. Another dead end.

She tried not to lose hope. She had never been so close to her family’s spellbook.

But she called everyone in the area, and no one knew where old lady Ryder moved to. She tried a minor tracking spell, only to end up back at the old bookstore where this treasure hunt started.

Frustration ate into her chest, hot bitterness stealing any of the joy leftover from her amazing night with Smoke and Jace.

She would never be free if she didn’t have the right leverage.

Mia grabbed the notebook and threw it against the wall. It hit with barley a thump.

Mia stifled a scream.

The door opened, and Selena came in with Keyona in tow.

“Yo, let’s go get some lunch.” Key leaned against the countertop. “When does your current shift in hell end? I want some tapas.”

Mia turned red. “Charlotte should be here soon.”

Selena picked up the notebook from the floor, sending her a quizzical look. “What happened? Those dragons of yours?”

Selene was a clanless air dragon. Mia had never thought much about it before; if anything, she wished she had the freedom Selene did. But it must have hurt, being disowned by her family.

“No, they’re amazing.” Amazing was one word for it.

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