Piper pulled the robe tight around her as a chill slithered though the bathroom window. Struck with a sudden inspiration, she tiptoed back through Mikhail’s bedroom, pausing by the bed long enough to stroke her fingertips along his chest before she left. She had no idea what time it was, but it was still daylight out, and she was going to make them both something toeat.
She was almost to the kitchen when she noticed a door open at the end of the hall. It hadn’t been open before. Curious, she padded down the hall and peeked inside. It was a study, but from the look of it, no one had used it in a very long time. A layer of dust coated the gilt writing desk and the bookshelves against one wall. The fireplace here had amassed an army of dust bunnies, and the sunlight had faded the rich fabrics of the couch andchairs.
Piper approached the bookshelf and noticed that there were more than just books on it. A few small animal skulls, a framed set of pinned butterflies, large exotic seashells, and a collection of nautical compasses were tucked between heavy tomes with titles such asExploration of India,The Classification of Mammals, andScientific Discoveries with Plants inMedicine.
This must have been the study that belonged to Mikhail’s friend, the one who was anaturalist.
Ignoring a small flare of guilt, Piper approached the writing desk and sat down in the chair. She played at the desk’s edges until she found a small, oddly placed bit of wood. When she pressed on it, a hidden drawer popped out. Piper had seen desks like these before onAntiquesRoadshow.
She opened the door farther and found it contained only one thing: a leather-bound sketchpad. She set it on the desk’s surface, ignoring the wave of dust it kicked up. Motes of dust caught and spun in the light streaming through the windows in a haunting dance. For a moment Piper thought she could see the ghostly form of a man pacing by the windows, but she blinked and the vision was gone, the dust drifting in gold waves as itsettled.
The initialsJMwere pressed deep into the leather cover. She opened it carefully to the first page. A gasp escaped her. It was a sketch of Mikhail. He sat in a chair by the fire, brooding. His dark hair was long and slightly wavy as it was now, but in the sketch he wore breeches and a waistcoat with a white shirt. Written beneath were the words,“Heavy weighs the soul of a dragon who has lost his honor.”Then another line of words below. “December 25, 1820, Mikhail Barinov as I rememberhim.”
The drawings were full of emotion, as though the artist had been fascinated with his subject. She carefully turned the page. Next was a drawing of a beast, one she remembered only too well. It stalked a herd of sheep over a hill, its wings tucked back against its body as it tried to creep up on them. The artist had written another description.“Mikhail can’t resist Mr. Bailey’s sheep. One of these days the old farmer will realize who is eating them.”Piper could almost hear the laughter in the artist’s voice, as though he were in the room with her. It was an eerie but not unwelcomefeeling.
She turned another page. This picture was not of people, but a place. And it was painted with watercolors rather than drawn. It was a valley with trees in a hundred fiery shades. Nestled in the valley were three small structures with onion domes painted with bright colors. The sight wasbreathtaking.
The artist had only written one word beneath this. “Home.” But it wasn’t the artist’s home. Perhaps it wasMikhail’s?
Piper turned one more page, and her heart clenched. Three men stood facing each other, smiles lighting their eyes. The familial resemblance was unmistakable. A name was written beneath each.“Grigori, Mikhail, Rurik. Brothers reunited after threecenturies.”
A voice from the doorway behind her made her jump. “He was a very good artist.” She turned to see Mikhail watchingher.
“I’m sorry! The door was open, and I…” Great, she got caught. She could only hope he wasn’tupset.
He only smiled. He wore only jeans as he leaned against the doorjamb. “Where did you find that? After James died, I searched for it everywhere.” He approached her, and she handed him theportfolio.
“It was in a hidden drawer.” She showed him the compartment. “I opened it by pressing this button. I recognized this style of desk and thought it might have a hidden compartment.” She showed him how she’d triggered therelease.
“Clever man, James.” Mikhail moved to a couch and had her sit beside him. She shifted so she leaned back againsthim.
“Who was he?” sheasked.
He curled an arm around her waist to set the portfolio between them. “An old friend. I was an outcast for a long time here in England, but he reminded me how good people could be. He took me into his home and offered me his friendship when I needed it most. He was my family in many ways, a brother of my heart but not by blood. Staying here with him was something I never regretted. And when he died, my dragon and I mourned him fordecades.”
She turned back to the picture of the three men to show him. “He met yourbrothers?”
“Yes. There was a point in the midst of my exile when Grigori sent word to me that our parents were touring the world and would be gone for a year. Grigori begged me to return home. I knew I shouldn’t disobey my father’s orders, but I missed my home. And my family.” His voice was rough, and his hold on her tightened. Piper leaned into him, wanting to offer as much comfort as shecould.
“So they let you come home? Your brothers, Imean?”
“They did. They never agreed with my exile, but I couldn’t disobey my father. Yet I did. I brought James with me as well. By then he knew what I was and was fascinated by us. My brothers and I swore him to secrecy, which he readily agreed to. He never breathed a word of what we were. Back then we would’ve been killed. Now…” He didn’t finish. But Piper had a sick feeling in herstomach.
“Now they’d probably turn you into a lab rat and do experiments onyou.”
He nodded. “And it would reveal the other supernatural creatures that are living among them aswell.”
Piper stared at him. “Wait—what othercreatures?”
Mikhail’s lips hovered in a near smile. “Surely you didn’t think we were the only unusual creatures outthere?”
“Well, I mean, I thought you were…” Piper really hadn’t thought about the possibility of other creatures. She was still stuck on the fact that dragons were real. But she supposed if one mythical species was real, then why notothers?
“So…” She snuggled closer to him, loving that she could and he didn’t push her away. “What creatures are we talking about here?” She tried to play it off casually, like she wasn’t freaking out on theinside.
“Oh, let’s see. Vampires and werewolves, phoenixes and other kinds of shifters, and then there are ghosts…” He ticked them off one by one on hishand.
Piper stared at him. “Vampires and werewolves?”Holyshit.
