Page 99 of Dragon Unleashed

“Who? Kai?”

She nods. “His surname is Grigori.”

I throw myself backward onto one of the giant sofas and raise my hands to the ceiling. “Yeah, he said that like it was meant to mean something too.”

Chano snorts in the corner and Val giggles.

“He’s like minor royalty.”

I push myself onto my elbows.

“He sure hasn’t been treated like it.”

“Don’t suppose they can show favoritism, not when there’s a serious threat to the throne from the fae. But the Angel King’ssister is Kai’s stepmother. Not that there’s love lost between her and Kai.”

“Great, more aristocracy,” Chano grumbles from the corner.

I cough back a laugh. I’m so far from thinking of myself as that. And yet it’s so important to Chano. A weariness washes over me.

“Val? He offered to siphon off some of my negative energy. What’s that about?”

She sits beside me, scooting closer, intensely interested again.

“Fae are like vampires, Lorelei. Except they…” She pauses. “Wefeed on emotions, not blood. It’s how we sustain ourselves. Normally it’s the happy emotions fae take. It’s seen as weak to take the negative stuff. Stupid, but that’s how it is.”

I close my eyes and picture Kai leaning over me again, his muscles hard beneath his thin drab clothing.

“He didn’t seem weak,” I say.

A rumble from the corner has me cracking an eye open. Chano moves closer to the sofa, glaring down.

“You don’t need anyone interfering with your head,” he warns.

“Yeah? You try being me. The strain is killing.”

Chano huffs out a breath and leans closer. He’s so close I get a whiff of his wood-smokey scent, and my lower belly clenches.

He straightens suddenly. “You need to feed. I’ll sort it.”

Chapter Forty-five: Lorelei

“Here, killer, we kept you a seat.” The tiny fae, whose name Ithinkwas Jessica, pats the chair beside her.

I groan inwardly, swiping a coffee and pastry from the counter before crossing the café away from her. It is far too early for the aggro of fae. A muscled arm slips through mine and Kai steers me back toward the group. I don’t have the energy to fight him. I end up wedged between him and an overly perky Jessica.

The group looks more rested. How they slept well on those skinny little mattresses… Although it’s not like I had much more growing up.

“C’mon, killer, we’re in the same classes today.” Jessica swipes my book bag and trots off in the direction of Divination.

With a snarl I jump to my feet. That has all my kit. My knife. This is too much.

A hand stops me.

“Let her. She’s showing you respect.”

“By making off with my bag?” I snap. “And I’m not a killer.” I mean. Except Frank. But he had it coming. I didn’t kill Allegra.

He smirks down at me. “But you’re strong enough to be. As I said, the fae like strength.” I go to pull my arm away but he tightens his grip, a warning tone creeping into his voice. “They don’t have anything, Lorelei Bal. Nothing. It gives them hope to think you’re a threat to authority, whenauthorityis currently trying to break us. So just…let them. Please.”

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