Page 28 of Cast By Flames (Dragon's Breath)
That did sound a little suspicious, though I rarely went to that part of town anymore. I couldn’t say what was normal these days, but if Javier thought it was worth investigating, that meant something. He had excellent instincts.
“Okay, we’ll check it out,” I said, standing.
Everyone else also rose to their feet, but Javier pointed toward the back of the restaurant. “I’ll take your blood now, and then you can be on your way.”
Oh, right.I’d become complacent during the meal and had forgotten the less pleasant part of our visit. If it could helpprotect people, though, I had to do it. He wasn’t wrong that the more potion they made, the better.
“How many people will it help with Conrad and me donating?” I asked as we followed Javier past rows of tables and a long bar.
“I estimate about one hundred per slayer donation.”
Damn, I’d hoped for more, considering it wouldn’t even cover all of Miles’ human troops. “I’ll try to convince Rayna to donate more as well.”
“That would be excellent.” Javier glanced back at me. “Since you are quick healers, you regenerate your blood faster, so you could come back every few days to provide more—if you feel inclined.”
Conrad and I glanced at each other with wry expressions.
“Told you the damn guy is a vampire in disguise,” he said, shaking his head. “He’d drain us dry if he could get away with it.”
It sure felt that way, but could we refuse?
“Alright, I’ll come back again,” I agreed begrudgingly.
Conrad sighed. “Me too, Nosferatu.”
Javier chuckled. “You’re both true patriots.”
Freya stepped forward and gave him a stern look. “You’re lucky we think you’re useful, or I’d find a use for your blood—to paint the walls of this quaint little place.”
The suave sorcerer gave her an appraising look, undaunted by her threat. “It’s too bad you’re mated. I do appreciate females with a proclivity for violence and death.”
“You would,” she said, sneering.
Well, our day was off to a good start.
Chapter 8
Aidan
They dropped altitude as they neared the Shadowan territory border. Aidan, Falcon, Sabryn, Edythe, and four warriors flew together in a “V” formation and stayed that way until landing on a large crater that spanned forty feet in diameter. It had been left in the middle of the old mall parking lot by pure dragons who’d likely attacked someone or something at full force sometime in the past few years.
Before them sat a large building complex that had seen better days with many broken windows, crumbling walls, and caved-in roofs. He knew Bailey and her father used to hunt here often and wondered if it troubled her to see the place with so many memories of her sire in the ruins. He didn’t dare ask since she’d pushed down her sorrow to focus on the war. Occasionally, though, he caught sadness in her gaze before she quickly masked it.
His attention shifted toward his potential allies.
Since they were meeting pure dragons, neither Aidan nor his companions changed forms. Instead, they waited for the Shadowan leader to come forward. He dipped his snout and let out a huff of steam. Aidan returned the gesture as was the custom among their kind.
After that, each side lined up, standing on their hind legs to show their bellies for others to see. It wasn’t easy revealing one’s underside, where they were more vulnerable, but pre-inspections before meetings had become an accepted practice in the region. The Taugud weren’t the only ones who’d encountered infected members with dark magic, so no one objected despite the awkwardness. The signs were more apparent in their beast form since they didn’t have clothing to hide the evidence. One could tell if they were contaminated because they’d have black scales swirling out from the region near their heart. It also tended to emit a sickly feelingif one got close enough.
Once they were satisfied all was clear, Aidan gestured at Morgan with his red-scaled hand. The young sorcerer moved hesitantly forward, shades of anxiety in his blue eyes. He still had difficulty being near pure dragons despite regular exposure to them and shifters who’d promised to protect him. Everyone assembled there stared at theman with inhuman gazes, which might have been a little intimidating.
Gathering his courage, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes to the dangerous predators that could easily rip him apart. A whisper of golden power encircled his body, with the wind whipping through the area as he lifted his arms. The maelstrom grew so loud Aidan could hardly hear the words Morgan chanted. Within a minute, a thick bubble with a pink sheen had formed to encapsulate both sides of the gathering. Everything beyond them was hazy and unclear. No one could observe their meeting from outside the perimeter, protecting them from all manners of infiltration and magic.
The sorcerer dropped his arms and opened his eyes. “It is safe to speak now. Outsiders cannot spy on your conversation as long as I hold the spell.”
Aidan gave him a nod of appreciation. Morgan wasted no time moving behind the shifters, settling to the ground and placing two hands flat on the dirt. As he had done in previous instances, he linked himself with earth magic once the shield was erected, using his body as the conduit. This would allow him to maintain the spell for hours if needed without draining any more of his inner reserves. He had an impressive mastery of his powers, unlike any Aidan had seen before.
Thank you for meeting with us,Volker said, barely glancing at Morgan.
