Meg bit her lip. “You think it might mean awar?”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Damien said with a sigh. “And we really don’t need a war on our hands. Something in the dragon world is off. A month ago, our office in Saint Petersburg told me that two families, the Barinovs and the Drakors, had a massive battle. All but one of the Drakors died. We’re lucky it happened in a rural part of Russia. If it had gone down in Moscow or Saint Petersburg, we’d have been up to our eyeballs in damage control. But here’s the thing—what really got me looking into Sinclair was his recent diplomatic trips to Russia, where hemet…”
“…theDrakors.”
“Bingo. So I’ve got to ask myself, what does he have planned? And none of the answers I come up with aregood.”
A shiver racked Meg’s body. She couldn’t help but picture London burning, smoke filling the skies and peopledying.
“What do you want me to do?” sheasked.
“Continue observation of Randolph for now. I’ll have the London office bug Sinclair’s phones. If the dragons make a move toward war, we’ll need to be ready. I’ll reach out to every department that can send hunters at a moment’s notice, just in case we have tointervene.”
Meg stared at the dark windows of the townhouse where Randolph hadgone.
“Be careful, Meg. If a war starts, bug out. We’ll send in support. I don’t want you anywhere near groundzero.”
“But—”
“I mean it, Meg. You’re too valuable.” Damien’s voice gentled. “Stay on Randolph and report if anything elsehappens.”
“Understood.” Meg ended the call and continued to observe the street. Above her the clouds thickened, and when she glanced up, snow began to fall. It was going to be a longnight.
16
My task is set before me,girl,
My mission clear andtrue.
There’ll be black knights and dragons,girl
But I will always come foryou.
?EmmeRollins
Mikhail stretched in his bed,seeking the warm feminine form of hismate.
Mate. He had mated Piper. The thought of it made him grin, even half-awake.
“Little dove?” He rolled onto his back, opening his eyes. But she wasn’t there. His bed was empty except for him. He sat up and let the sheets slip from hisbody.
“Piper?” he called out as he slid out of bed and retrieved his clothes. He listened to the sounds in the house as he dressed, ears straining to catch any sign ofher.
Nothing. A small knot of tension grew in hisstomach.
“Piper?” he called again and left his bedroom. He searched every room, his anxiety spiking each time he came up empty. Where could she havegone?
He reached the kitchen and froze when he saw a small piece of paper, folded up, his name scrawled acrossit.
His stomach pitched south to his feet. “No…”
Mikhail opened the note, his hand shaking as he started toread.
Mikhail,
I never thought I would ever fall in love with a man like you, or that I’d have to give up a dream come true. But I had to. Please believe me when I say I never wanted to do this. Belishaw told me about dragons and human mates. You have hundreds, maybe thousands of years ahead of you. I don’t. I refuse to be the reason that you will die before your time. I care about you toomuch.
I hope that when I’m old and gray, I’ll still have the dreams that I flew with you and how we would watch the sun rise and set together. Maybe you won’t forget me, even if humanity has crumbled to dust and all that’s left are the gems we once shared, but I hope you’ll look back on me fondly and not hate me forleaving.
