Page 46 of Dragon Bodyguard
She could see through all of the gathered dragons, each glowing red or yellow, none other than her glowing white.
“What were you going to do with me, dad?” she asked, making him lower the gun along his side, eyes not leaving hers. “I don’t think you were going to trade me,” she said. “We thought, maybe, you’d struck a deal with the Volkovs. That you were marrying me off but, to cover it up, you were making it look like a simple forced engagement. Once the bond was made, there would be no way out of it for me, but I don’t think you’ve promised me to the Volkovs at all. I think you knew…”
She trailed off, her heart swelling with the rising sorrow. She didn’t want to cry again, but tears rose anyway. She blinked at them, annoyed.
“You knew I was different,” she said.
“What is she talking about, Ilya?” Dmitri asked, a note of concern in his voice.
It emboldened her because it signaled to her that there was a good chance that he would take her side.
“It was a gamble,” Ilya said, one shoulder raised in a noncommittal shrug that made Misha take a step forward.
She reached out a hand, stopping him. She wanted to hear what her father had to say.
“What was?” Dmitri demanded, his tone hard with disapproval.
“Bringing her here,” Ilya said. “Bringing her to him,” he added with a nod to Misha.
So, that was it. Misha had been right.
“You split us up to keep me from being able to connect with my power,” she said. “Because Misha is my true mate, and he was bringing it out in me.”
“Yes,” Ilya said, “but it’s not exactly what you think.”
“Then what is it?” Misha demanded, slipping his hand in hers.
Ilya smiled again, leaning his head back as though the handholding and them together was the most ironic outcome. As though he wouldn’t have ever thought it
possible that they would find each other again.
“I’m not your father,” he said, eyes back on Kristina’s.
A very different sort of shock moved through her at that statement. Not numbness, but an electric current that seemed to go straight into every part of her. She knew it was true.
“And you were never a shiftless, Kristina,” Ilya said. “I only told you that to keep you in check. Your mother came to me when you were born. A blue dragon. She didn’t know what to do with you, how to deal with what you might become. She didn’t know how to teach you how to control yourself, control that power you’ve been so eager to connect with. So, I took you in. And I saw in you something… terrible.”
A wave of heat flowed through her at that word.
She could believe it.
Hadn’t she just thought of melting someone’s face off?
Misha’s hold on her hand tightened. He wasn’t letting go, even though she was beginning to think that he should.
“You lied to her,” Misha said.
“Power of suggestion,” Ilya nodded. “It was a very helpful tool in shaping you, my dear.”
“What about the… this?” she asked, waving at Byron.
“Oh, I don’t know anything about this,” Ilya said simply.
She couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.
“Wow,” she said, shaking her head at him. “You almost had me there for a moment.”
Ilya’s smile faltered, but only slightly. He kept it on, raising his eyebrows.
