Dragon Bound (Elder Races #1)(62)

Over two hundred years ago, humankind time, Urien had taken the Dark Fae crown in a bloody coup. Urien had slaughtered his brother, the King, the King’s wife and anyone else who had any direct claim to the throne, except he managed to miss one small person, their eldest daughter, Tricks.

At just seventeen years old, Tricks had been considered little more than a baby at the time when she had managed to escape. She had run straight to Dragos, the one entity she felt sure could stand up to her uncle without any fear, and had asked for sanctuary. She had been with him ever since.

“It’s been a fun game of Fuck You, hasn’t it? We managed to keep it going for quite a while, but you know it had to end sometime,” he said to her. She gave him a miserable nod.

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” he said. “Tiago, send some of the troops you brought back with you to scour that Goblin stronghold. They know what to do to anyone stupid enough to still be there.”

Tiago smiled. “You got it.”

“Aryal,” he continued, “investigate the Elven connection. I want to know who might have leaked information to Urien.” The harpy gave him a nod. He turned his attention to the gargoyle. “Grym, I want you to work with Tricks to plot the layout of the Dark Fae palace and grounds for possible plans of attack. I’ve got a few ideas, but I also want to know what you come up with. Tricks, I know you’re going to get really busy, but I would appreciate it if you managed to hire a replacement for yourself before you go, or at least come up with a short list of suggestions. We’re going to need a new PR person.”

“Of course I will,” Tricks said. “It’s the least of what I owe you.”

“It’s never gonna be the same,” Graydon said in a mournful voice. “Watching her cute little face when she came on television and knowing how Urien must have gnashed his teeth every time he saw her.” Everyone laughed. Even Tricks managed to smile.

Rune and Graydon were looking at him. He told them, “Until further notice, you two, and Bayne and Con, are on special detail. Get lieutenants to step in with your regular duties. You four are going to guard Pia whenever I’m not with her. Two on, two off, twenty-four/seven. She is never to be left on her own. Understood?”

Rune’s chair came down on all four legs. The handsome male looked very alert. Graydon’s expression was the picture of incredulity. It was more or less echoed around the room. Tricks’s eyebrows rose and her lips pursed.

“You’re putting four of your most powerful warriors on babysitting detail for a thief?” said Aryal. “At a time like this?”

Dragos looked at her from under lowered brows. Grym put a hand on her arm. The gargoyle said to him, “Unless there’ll be anything else, we’ll get right to work, my lord. I think we all have got a lot to do.”

He considered the harpy for a few more moments, the dragon roused and moving deep in his thoughts. Aryal dropped her gaze and bowed her head in a submissive posture.

“Go,” he said.

The others scattered. Rune and Graydon followed him as he went back upstairs. He stalked down the hall, still brooding, while they shadowed him on either side. He came to Pia’s door where Bayne and Constantine lounged against the wall, talking. The two men straightened at their approach.

“Fill them in,” he told Rune, who nodded. The dragon still roused, he regarded them all. The gryphons watched him with attentive, quiet faces. He said, “Let me make this perfectly clear. Just so there’s no mistake. We’ve worked well together for almost a thousand years. You have all come to mean a lot to me. I treasure your service and I prize your loyalty above all others.” He looked at Rune. “I count you as my best friend.”

They all stood taller as he talked. He pointed at the door. “Thief or not, she is mine and I’m keeping her. If a single hair on that young woman’s head is harmed, you four bastards better be slaughtered and in pieces when I find you.”

Rune’s steady gaze met his. “You needn’t worry, my lord,” the gryphon said. “We’ll guard her with our lives. I swear it.”

Tired as she was and in spite of the comfort of the bed, Pia tossed and turned, unable to settle into a deep sleep. She dreamed of being chased. The scenes kept changing. First she was crawling through the secret ways of a huge house, trying to find someplace to hide. Next she was weaving in and out of a crowded, unfamiliar city street while someone menacing followed behind her. She could never quite see her pursuer’s face, but he terrified the hell out of her.

Then someone lifted the bedcovers. A large, damp, naked male slid into the bed beside her. She startled, coming awake with a violent jerk.

“Shh, it’s me,” Dragos whispered. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“S’okay,” she murmured. “Didn’t like that dream anyway.”

There was a reason why it wasn’t such a good idea for him to be in her bed. Or was she in his? She wasn’t awake enough to grasp any of it. She was just awake enough to feel a rush of pleasure and relief.

His arms came around her. She made a noise and burrowed into his side. His warmth and energy enveloped her. She put her cheek to his shoulder, against the damp, clean-smelling skin that covered hard, bulky muscle like silk, and rested a hand on his chest.

“Did you like your supper?” he asked.