House of Darken (Secret Keepers #1)(68)

Lexen’s shoulders were so broad his bulk filled half the bed. He was clearly way too ripped to be a teenage boy. It was amazing no one had called him on it back on Earth.

“You’re thinking very loud,” he said with a low rumble in his voice. “Go to sleep.”

I rolled on my side to face him, but before I could bestow my very best glare on him, he murmured something and the light at his bedside turned off, leaving the room in semi darkness.

“You can control the dragon fire?” I accused. “Are you the one who dims the huge one above Silver City?”

He chuckled, the deep sound filling my head and sending trills of tingles down my spine. “Qenita controls that one. She’s asleep high in the caves. I could, technically, control it also. I’m the draygone lord. I was born at the exact same moment as Qenita. We bonded, despite the fact that we were nowhere near each other. I have … some similar abilities as the draygones. I can do much more than a regular Daelighter.”

There was an openness between us that had not been there before tonight. It lowered my guard and I found myself whispering, “Do you think my guardians are alive?” I’d been too afraid to voice this question before now, but I needed to prepare myself. Otherwise the reality might completely kill me.

He shifted closer, half rolling to face me. “I believe there are two options. Either your guardians were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, dug their nose into something they shouldn’t, and if that is the case, then yes, I think they will have been killed…”

My inhalation of breath was loud, cutting him off for a second. Breathing became harsh and ragged as I fought to contain my grief. After a few seconds Lexen continued, his voice low and gentle: “The second option is that they were specifically targeted for some reason. That they are being held hostage because the Imperials want something to do with them, or with…”

“Me,” I finished for him.

I felt him nod, close to my shoulder. “It’s a possibility. The pieces aren’t quite adding up, though, because your parents were the secret keepers, not you. But maybe there are some important facts that we’re missing.”

I quickly wiped away the few stray tears that had escaped. “I’m really praying for the second option. I don’t even care if they want something from me. I need Sara and Michael to be alive.”

I startled as Lexen reached out and took my hand. I expected a quick squeeze, but he held it, silently supporting me. His thumb was even doing this slow glide up and down, unhurried and smooth. It was so ver…



I didn’t recall one moment of my sleep for the rest of the night. No more nightmares, no tossing and turning in restless slumber. I simply passed out and did not wake until the dragon fire in the mountain was burning brightly. A cool breeze brushed across my face and I struggled to get my eyes open. When I finally did, I was amazed to see that there was a panel of doors along the back wall of Lexen’s room. All of them had been pushed back to leave an entire wall open, showcasing the city and the stunning stone that made up this mountain.

I lay there for many moments, snuggled and warm under the thick covers, just breathing it all in. It was so peaceful. I knew Lexen wasn’t in the bed any longer. He emitted so much heat that it was immediately obvious when he was close. I was just wondering where he’d gotten to when another whoosh of cold air hit me. I bolted upright as a dragon appeared in that open wall. Qenita’s huge white head wiggled inside and a gust of breath left her, sending icy particles through the room to slap me in the face.

“Um, hi,” I squeaked, holding the covers up to my chest as I wiped the icicles off my face. “Lexen is not here, sorry. Please don’t eat me, I’ll probably taste terrible. I’ve literally been living on Fruit Loops for months.”

Who was I kidding? Fruit Loops were delicious. She was going to love chomping down on me.

We silently stared at each other from across the room, and I wondered if she understood English. I also wondered where the freak Lexen was. It was his job to stop Qenita from eating me. As if she’d heard that thought, the dragon let out another snort of air. This time I ducked before more ice could hit me. A soft thud had me flinging my head up again in time to see Lexen walk across her back and drop down into the room.

He looked wild and forbidden in that moment, his hair tousled, eyes lit up with so much white light it was almost eclipsing the dark. My mouth suddenly went dry as a desert, my body doing that thing again where it ached for him. Traitor. My body was a freaking traitor.

“She’s not going to eat you, and what the hell is a Fruit Loop?”

His words returned some of my clarity, and I focused on how amazing it must be to fly on a dragon. Sure, I’d gone on the magic carpet thing, but that wasn’t the same. To ride on the back of such a powerful beast as it ducked and dived between the mountains … I couldn’t even imagine.

Lexen ran a hand through his sexy disarray of hair, pushing the longer side over, leaving the symbols standing out starkly. Despite the chill in the air, and the chill from his dragon, he wore only a black fitted shirt and black pants with heavy boots. As I stared, he tilted his head to the side, observing me much closer than usual.

“Would you like to meet her?” he asked, holding his hand out to me again.

Without a thought of hesitation, I placed my palm in his, already moving before he could help me.