Origin of Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Protector #3)(9)

The lack of agony was pleasure in itself.

Aidan sat back. “That should do it.”

I leaned up and peered at my side, nudged the torn shirt away until I could see that my flesh was once again unbroken. “Thanks.”

“I don’t think they were after the beaker,” Del said.

My gaze darted to her. She still knelt by the box.

“What do you mean?”

“Even after the demon stole the box, all the rest kept going for you. It was easier to see the pattern from up above.”

“I’m with Del,” Cass said. “Drakon’s men were after you, not the beaker.”

“Well, maybe both,” Del said. “But they were definitely after you.”

I slumped back against the couch, my mind racing. “Damn.”

“Why?” Ares demanded.

Del and Cass shrugged. “No idea.”

I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Why now? Why me?”

“Maybe because you’re the one who chased him up the stairs at his compound and made him evacuate?” Cass asked. “It’s not the best theory, but it’s all I’ve got right now.”

“All I’ve got too,” Del said. “He saw you, though. You were the biggest threat to him.”

“Well, he now knows where we live,” I said.

“How’d he find that out?” Ares asked.

“Powerful guy like him…” I said.

“But he can’t get into the building,” Cass said. “The protections are too strong.”

“I’ll stay the night with you,” Ares said.

Pleasure flared in my chest at his words, followed quickly by worry.

After an injury like the one I’d just had, and as exhausted as I was, I wanted nothing more than to visit my trove. It was like a hunger inside me, something I couldn’t ignore. And even though I trusted him, I couldn’t invite him up there. Not yet.

My trove was private. The most personal thing in my life.

“Thank you, but not tonight. You already said you had to go back to the Vampire Court for something important. Do that. I’ll be with these guys.” I gestured to Cass and Del. “And no one can get in here, truly. We already had great security, and Aidan amped it up by a thousand a few months ago.”

“I insist.” He knelt by my side, eyes worried. That softness was such a contrast to the hardened shell that he always wore.

As much as I wanted to be with him—he was complex. My feelings for him were complex. The situation was freaking complex. And I needed to heal. To rest amongst my trove to get to one hundred percent strength.

Being with Ares… it certainly wasn’t restful.

I had to be ready for whatever came at me. I didn’t have time for distractions. Not now.

I reached for his hand, squeezing it. “Thank you. But go do your business in the Vampire realm. It’s important, right? And I’ll be safe here.”

His eyes flickered, indecision clearly warring within him. Finally, his mouth flat and his gaze resigned, he nodded. “I’ll be back in the morning. Don’t leave the apartment until I return.”

I almost snapped at him that I knew how to take care of myself, but I bit my tongue. He meant well by it. I wouldn’t make a habit of letting him tell me what to do, but right now, if it made him comfortable enough to give me the space I needed…

“Okay.” I nodded, squeezing his hand once more. “Go do your thing.”

He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, sending heat streaking through me at a most inappropriate time, then leaned down and whispered raggedly in my ear, “Be careful.”

I sucked in a ragged breath and met his gaze. Go. Don’t go.

I didn’t know what to say.

But he saved me from that by standing and nodding to the others, then leaving.

I swallowed hard and turned to my friends. “Thanks for having our backs out there.”

“Anytime.” Concern shadowed Cass’s eyes. “You need anything?”

“Just a shower and a nap. Then let’s start fresh tomorrow.”

“Well, you call us if you need us,” Del said.

I smiled at her. “Always.”



I didn’t look in the mirror as I went into the bathroom to shower. The memory of the blood splattering on my face was enough to remind me that I didn’t actually want to see my reflection.

Despite Aidan’s healing ability, all my muscles ached as I leaned into the crummy old shower to crank on the water. Though my deirfiúr and I put vast quantities of loot into our troves, you’d never know it from the way our apartments looked.

As the shower heated up, I leaned my aching body against the small sink counter and stared at the box holding the beaker. I’d brought it into the shower for paranoia’s sake, really, because once it was within the building, it was safe.

Mordaca was right. It was an unassuming thing, to be so powerful and coveted. Now I just had to figure out the potion that would allow me to use it. Because damned if I didn’t want to understand the prophecy about dragons. Real dragons were supposed to dead. Gone. So what did Drakon want with them? Whatever it was, I couldn’t let him have it.

But we had so little to go on. Our clues were hardly even clues. Was I really capable of this? I knew so little about my past and my magic. My qualifications… Not impressive.