“Why do you think most Dragons take a number of partners, more than almost any other Lineage?” Rikyava chuckled with a knowing look in her lavender eyes. “Because it’s either fuck or fight, Layla. Most of us with normal day jobs don’t want to be all tied up in a fighting rage all the time. So fuck it is.”
“Except I’m stuck in the opposite situation right now thanks to Reginald’s ultimatums. More celibate than a nun on Sunday.” Layla growled, feeling a conflicted heat rise inside her. Reginald had been odious with her for weeks, yet suddenly tonight had showed a deeply tender side, protecting her from the Owners and helping ease her fury afterwards. As Layla thought of him, of how kindly he’d held her out in the gardens, her Dragon coiled over with a languid, sexual movement – not conflicted about Reginald in the slightest.
“But isn’t Reginald training you in all the sexy stuff?” Rikyava frowned now, cocking her head. “I thought everybody had to learn those things during their training to become a Courtesan. And since Reginald’s not allowing you to see Adrian or Dusk, I thought you two would totally be boning by now.”
“Nope.” Layla growled, sliding her feet over the quartz floor again as her Dragon coiled restlessly inside her. “Before tonight, the most Reginald and I touched was when he fixed my hair, or if we were practicing dancing. He’s sat with me through Assignation demonstrations on various topics, but that’s all. Which just drives me even more crazy – watching people have sex and having to sit primly on a chair next to Reginald and discuss it like it’s an art class.”
“Like tonight.” Rikyava’s gaze was knowing as they finally came around to speaking of everything that had happened at the Owner’s party. “When that Assignation demonstration started in the Blue Pavilion, I felt your Dragon’s power spike, Layla. Hard. I was outside in the main hall of the Hotel, and good thing I was, when Adrian went ballistic. What happened, anyway?”
“Reginald’s brother happened,” Layla sighed, hating recalling it though it was nice to tell a friend. “Bastien Durant. Adrian was teasing me with his magics during the Assignation demonstration and Reginald was trying to fend him off. I think we all could have settled it like human beings if we’d just left the room, but Bastien had to reach out just then and tear down Reginald’s protection. Voilà. Crisis instigated.”
“No shit.” Rikyava went silent a long moment, and Layla wondered if she was thinking about that black spear again. “I hate Bastien Durant. I’ve met him a few times, and every time, he’s a fucking dick.”
“I thought Reginald was the dick of the family?” Layla smiled sidelong at her friend.
“Not even close.” Rikyava scowled, propping one boot up on the bench, not in a teasing mood now. “Reginald is a hard-ass, but most of his family make him look like a summer breeze, trust me. The Durant Sirens are like the Chicago mafia of the 1920’s. They’re bad news,reallybad news, most of them. You think Reginald’s dominant? Think again.”
“Do you hate him? Because of your clan?” Layla hedged, wondering about the situation between the Blood Dragons of Norway and Sweden and the North Sea Sirens.
“Reginald?” Rikyava blinked at her, astonishment and something complex moving in her gaze. “I don’t hate Reginald, Layla. Even though my clan is at war with his, he and I… we don’t dwell on the politics of our clans. Like him, I chose to take a job here at the Hotel because I wanted to escape my clan’s responsibilities. Fortunately for me, my uncle King Huttr respects my decision. To him, battle is battle, and even if I’m doing it here for the Hotel, it still earns our clan prowess. Reginald’s father, King Léviathan Durant of the North Sea Sirens, doesn’t see things that way. He sees what Reginald is doing here as a betrayal of their clan. He doesn’t see what the rest of us do…”
“That Reginald is a celebrity here?” Layla spoke, thinking about how he’d been treated at the Owner’s party.
“More than that.” Rikyava glanced over, that complex look in her gaze again. “Reginald holds more power in the Twilight Realm than any of us here at the Paris Hotel, even Adrian. He’s built his empire in the bedroom, but he’s no pushover. He has immense influence, Layla. You’re lucky he’s training you. You don’t even know how lucky, even though he’s a dick sometimes.”
Sobering, Layla thought that over, thankful that Rikyava could always put things in perspective. “But seriously. Why is Reginald training me with so much restriction? Is he just trying to drive me nuts? He knows how hard I’m chafing; he basically admitted it tonight. I mean, everything that happened at the party could have been avoided if he’d just let Adrian and I be alone together these past weeks.”
Rikyava laughed, still chuckling as she sipped her water. “I think Aldo’s trying to drive your Dragon nuts, girlfriend.”
“Why?” Layla glanced over, sensing Rikyava was right but still confused, as it echoed something Reginald had hinted at. “Why would he want to drive my Dragon nuts?”
“To make you stronger.” Rikyava set her water bottle aside on the bench. “Look, Layla. When Dragons get pent-up, their magic intensifies. When pro boxers have a fight coming up, or pro weightlifters have a competition, everybody knows they don’t fuck. They take all that raging energy and channel it into their sport. Same is true of Dragons. The more Reginald frustrates you, holding his sexy eye-candy at bay while you have to live with it daily, not to mention keeping you away from your bound men, the more he cranks your magic up. Your power is growing at alarming rates, Layla. I don’t know if you’re aware, but you are a long way from where your magic started back in August, talisman or no. Normally, Dragons take decades or centuries to develop their magic. You just suddenly flipped yours on – and Reginald is taking that power and purposefully blocking it to see how high it’ll ratchet up. And how quickly.”
“Does he care that it’s driving me insane?” Layla wondered.
“He’s probably seeing how far he can push you before you break.” Rikyava eyed her knowingly. “Today was damn close. I don’t think he expected it, but he and I are going to have a talk anyhow. Even though he’s dominating you hard right now, he needs to be more careful when other people are around.”
“How exactly is he dominating me?” Layla glanced over, her brows knit.
“Withholding touch is a major power play with Dominants.” Rikyava grinned, sly now. “He’s driving you crazy on purpose, and that sucks for you, but it’s not as bad as what you’re really chafing at.”
“What am I really chafing at?” Layla frowned deeper.
“That Reginald’s trying to force you to play Submissive to him. But Layla-girl don’t play that game, does she?” Rikyava chuckled.
“I don’t think so.” Layla scowled now. Being a pushover in the bedroom was so not her style. And yet, as she thought about being flooded with passion by Adrian or rolled by Dusk’s vibrations, it suddenly made her exquisitely hot. And the next thought troubled her further – thinking about being sluiced with Reginald’s oceanic tides as he laid her back on silk sheets.
“Nope. That is so not going to happen.” Layla spoke again as she tried to banish the thought. But it wouldn’t go. Over and over, as Layla gazed up at the pink crystal vaults, she saw Reginald – dancing with her, stroking her skin with his long white fingers, the swell of his strong dancer’s shoulders under his 1700’s frock coats.
“Fuck.” She breathed softly. “Fuck, fuck, fuck…”
Beside her, Rikyava’s brows had risen. But before the Head Guardswoman could say anything, it was as if thinking about Reginald had summoned the devil himself. The reinforced crystal door to the training-hall was suddenly hauled open, and in he strode with a brusque, dancelike grace. Still in his sky-blue outfit of the night and without his wig or makeup, Reginald was devastatingly handsome with his natural features and golden hair bared. Layla thought he’d snap his fingers at her to come get ready for bed, when he opened the door wider.
And Dusk followed him in.
Layla blinked. It was the last thing she expected tonight, to be permitted to see Dusk.
But as she smelled his river-water scent flood the hall, relief filled her. Though his gaze flicked to Reginald, there was far less ire in Dusk’s eyes than previously. Stepping close and sinking to one knee before Layla, Dusk actually glanced at Reginald before reaching out to take her hand.
