Page 29 of The Dragon Sacrifice

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When his brothers returned from their reconnaissance mission, Jerrard was at the kitchen table waiting for them. Stenton and Langdon gave him nods as they collapsed their tired and dirty forms into the battered wooden chairs on either side of the table.

“You’re looking well,” Stenton said, clapping Jerrard on the back. “Nothing like a nice nap to refresh you, eh?”

“You mean sucked of blood until near death? Is that what you call a nap?” Jerrard shot back.

Stenton smiled, kicking back in his chair. “Near death. Nap. Tomato. To-mah-to.”

“I’m feeling better if that’s what you were concerned about. Seela used the right herbs to help seal the wounds and speed up the healing process.”

“Yes, Seela is very useful,” Langdon said, steepling his dirty fingers on the tabletop. “We are lucky to have her around.”

Stenton raised an eyebrow. “Very useful? Is that how you woo your women? No wonder you used to spend so much time alone in the privy.”

Langdon rolled his eyes, not taking Stenton’s bait. “You know what I mean. Seela is very talented.”

“Indeed.” Stenton smirked.

Jerrard didn’t want to reflect too much on his time with Seela. He’d really thought they were hitting it off, but then he’d sensed so much hesitation in her. Maybe she preferred one of his brothers. He couldn’t necessarily blame her. Langdon was the oldest. With that title came certain powers. And Stenton was the lady’s man. Though, Jerrard had his fair share of ladies back when they were free. They often liked a man who could tune into their emotions.

“What’s the status?” Jerrard said, changing the subject.

“Well, if you mean with the horde, their numbers are reduced thanks to Langdon’s barbeque, but they still outnumber us a hundred to one. So, enjoy living while you can. Enjoy a last meal. Take in the sights.” Stenton’s dark humor didn’t help to lighten this news.

Jerrard sucked in a breath. “How long do we have before they attempt another attack?”

Langdon focused on his fingers. “A few days? Who knows? They can sense we are at the weakest we’ve ever been. Only Stenton can shift. Once he does, that only gives us a few minutes. We’d never survive a direct attack. We’re finished once they figure that out.”

“But the door will hold,” Jerrard said, turning his eyes to the ancient runed door. It had never failed them before.

“The door may hold,” Langdon said. “Or it may fail. We’ve never had this little magic before.”

“What about breaking the curse?” Jerrard asked. “Are we any closer?”

“Has anyone been able to persuade Seela to… mate with them?” Langdon asked.

Stenton tossed his head back. “I had a very romantic talk with her in my room. It’s only a matter of time.”

Jerrard gave his brother a harsh look. “She isn’t ready.”

Stenton lurched forward. “How do you know? You get some sense of her emotions? Not when she was with me, brother. If you had been there, you’d have known she was practically begging for it.”

“Then why didn’t you?” Jerrard asked angrily.

Stenton’s eyes darted to Langdon. “She happened to mention that she’d just been making out with Langdon. The thought of him and her together killed the mood.”

“See!” Jerrard said, punctuating his point by jabbing his finger at Stenton. “Not ready.”

“Well, ready or not, we need to try,” Langdon interjected. “And it doesn’t seem fair to have Stenton be the first. He can already shift.”

Jerrard crossed his arms over his chest as anger pulsed in his veins. “It should be up to her to decide.”

Stenton laughed. “Oh sure, little brother. What shall we say? ‘Seela, we’re a dying breed who’ve pathetically lost our powers, but we need you to fuck one of us to see if you can bring them back. Which one would you like to bone first?’ Sounds great, doesn’t it?” Stenton sneered.

Jerrard shot his nasty glare back at him. “I’m sure if you were propositioning her, that’s exactly how you would put it.”

Stenton reared up, appearing ready to slug Jerrard.

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