Page 50 of Hot for the Dragon

"Maybe that's why Terry came to us." Daphne perched on a stool, watching Archer move back and forth. "He sees she's getting desperate."

"Or it's a total set-up to eliminate me and you." Archer's shoulders tensed as he glanced out the window again. "Dragons don't just switch sides."

"You did."

He spun to face her. "That was different."

"Was it?" Daphne raised an eyebrow. "You saw something wrong and chose to stand against it. Why can't Terry do the same?"

"His body language does read honest," Archer admitted grudgingly. "His scent doesn't carry deception. Even his expression..." He trailed off, jaw clenching.

"Then why not trust him?"

"Because if we're wrong, everyone pays the price."

The worry in his eyes caught Daphne off guard. Behind his usual mask of confidence, she glimpsed real fear - not for himself, but for her and everyone else. Her heart squeezed at the sight.

"We've been making progress," she reminded him. "The town's more prepared now than ever before."

"Against Carmen's full force? In three days?" He shook his head. "We're not ready. And you-" He cut himself off.

"I what?" Daphne stepped closer. "Still need work on my plant magic fighting skills?"

"You're not prepared for a full-scale dragon attack."

"Neither is anyone else in town." She touched his arm. "But that's exactly why we need allies like Terry. Maybe he can help us."

"Or lead us right into his trap." His eyes softened as they met hers. "I won't risk you getting hurt."

"That's not your decision to make." Daphne squared her shoulders.

Archer's gaze drifted back to the window. "Well, I still don't trust him."

Daphne watched the tension ripple across Archer's shoulders as he stared out the window at Terry. She found herself wanting to reach out and smooth the worry lines from his forehead. Instead, she took a deep breath and changed tactics.

"What if we checked out Max Stone's bakery first?" The words tumbled out as the idea formed. "If Terry's telling the truth about Max being an informant, it could help us verify everything else."

Archer's dark eyes snapped to her face, consideration replacing some of the suspicion. "The bakery on Fifth Street?"

"Right." Daphne nodded, warming to the plan. "If Max really is passing Council information to Carmen, we should be able to find proof. And if Terry's intel checks out..."

"Then maybe - maybe - he's being honest about the rest." Archer's jaw unclenched slightly. "Fine. We'll investigate the baker first."

The victory felt small but significant. Daphne pressed on, "But eventually I'll need to meet with those dragons if there's a chance to prevent bloodshed. We're running out of options here."

"Absolutely not." His voice carried the kind of authority that probably worked wonders on his old wing.

"Archer." She stepped closer, close enough to catch the woodsy scent that always seemed to cling to him. "I know you want to protect me, but you have to trust that I know what I'm doing. If I was able to convince Terry to go against Carmen, then maybe…"

His expression darkened. "You're asking me to risk your safety on a hunch."

"I'm asking you to trust me." The words came out softer than she intended, but she held his gaze. The workshop suddenly felt smaller, the air heavy with unspoken things between them.

Daphne waited for his response, her heart beating a little faster than usual. She could practically see him weighing options in his mind, that tactical brain of his working through scenarios. His eyes darted between her and the window where Terry waited, his jaw clenching and unclenching.

Finally, his shoulders dropped slightly. "If - and only if - Terry's information about Max Stone checks out, we'll meet with the other dragons." His voice carried a deep rumble of reluctance. "But we do this my way. No rushing in unprepared."

Relief flooded through Daphne. She nodded, knowing better than to push her luck when he used that authoritative tone.

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