But Layla knew what she’d felt. Reginald was suppressing an attraction to her, and as Layla glanced at him, she was suddenly arrested by his handsomeness, as if gold could have been made into an Adonis of the ocean. He looked over, and Layla saw something she hadn’t seen before. Reginald had a kindness in his face that Bastien, for all his statuesque beauty, didn’t have. Reginald’s pale blue eyes were haughty, and at times they could be cruel, but as he and Layla arrived at the alcove that led in to Rikyava’s office, all she saw in him was an ancient sadness.
“Reginald.” Layla turned, something moving in her heart for him. “Were the things Bastien said tonight true?”
Lifting a hand, he cupped her cheek with his long fingers, his brows knit. “Yes. But my words to him were more true. I have a dark past, Layla, and my family seeks to chain me with it. The Durant Sirens have ruled the North Sea for over three thousand years, and at one time, I was next in line to be King, despite being the youngest in my family. Siren inheritance follows power, and I have more than most. Bastien criticizes me because my family wishes to chain my power to their talons, and I won’t let them.”
“Because they would use you in their war against the Blood Dragons.”
“Yes.” Reginald’s gaze tightened, his eyes becoming sharply icy. “And I cannot let that happen.”
“Does this have something to do with your memories I glimpsed?” Layla asked, having a deep intuition that it did.
“It does, but we have no time for details now.” Reginald spoke, effectively telling her that he wasn’t ready to share. “But while Bastien seeks to tear down my place here at the Hotel, by defaming me and attacking those I associate with, what my odious brother doesn’t understand is that he triggered a demonstration tonight. While it has proven that you and Adrian don’t have control over your Bind yet, it also showed something far deeper to the Hotel Owners. It showed that you have power in that connection. A power to be noticed; a power to be feared. A power that could trump their hegemony, if applied in the right fashion.”
Layla understood what he was telling her. That she had the power, bound to Adrian and Dusk, to be a threat to the entire Hotel Owners Board.
“Do we need to meet with the Owners again this week?” She asked, dreading the answer.
“No.” Reginald spoke succinctly. “Better to leave them guessing at just how much you may be raging right now, bonded to Adrian Rhakvir and denied the right to mate with him. And how much power that may be generating for you.”
“What?” Layla blinked, confused.
“Your magic is behaving around Adrian and Dusk as if you are life-mates, Layla, something most Dragons take decades to find, or centuries.” Reginald brows knit again as he watched her.“But Adrian’s energy, and Dusk’s, race to you like you’re the only woman in the world. You’ve bound them fast. For you, they would do anything. Adrian made a fool of himself tonight, but it wasn’t his fault. All of you are powerful individuals – but connected, it is like touching a live power plant with your bare hands. Something that none of you are adjusted to yet, especially since you’ve not been able to explore it this past month.”
“And whose fault is that?” Layla growled angrily, crossing her arms.
“Mine. On purpose. Come.”
With that enigmatic answer, Reginald led Layla in through the stone doors of an octagonal office absolutely stuffed with a hodgepodge of papers and wall-to-wall cabinets full of weapons. The chaos of stone and clutter was Rikyava Andersen’s office as Head of the Hotel Guard, and as they arrived, the statuesque Swedish Guardswoman looked up from examining a cruel-looking ebony spear with a long obsidian blade. The spear had sigils like Norse runes inset all along the shaft in gold, and they flared a caustic violet to Rikyava’s touch as she examined it, the color filtering into the blade like vivid purple ink. But seeing them enter, Rikyava turned, setting the spear aside in a rack, her straight blonde eyebrows rising.
A nasty bruise purpled the Guardswoman’s cheekbone, extending all the way to her eyebrow and ear. Layla’s lips fell open, knowing it had been Adrian who’d done that tonight.
“Rikyava, are you ok?” Layla rushed forward, her hands rising to Rikyava’s face to examine the bruise, though she really couldn’t do anything about it.
“It’s fine. Layla, it’s fine.” Rikyava smiled wryly as she trapped Layla’s hands, lowering them away from the bruise. “I’m not going to lose an eye or anything, so I call it a win. Adrian really doesn’t sucker-punch all that hard.”
“How is he, Adrian?” Layla’s brows knit, worrying for him.
“He’ll be fine.” Rikyava patted her hands, though her smile was tense. “He’s just upstairs in his apartment having a few drinks to chillax. Dusk and Sylvania are with him, helping calm his Dragon so he can sleep it off.”
“You didn’t usethaton him.” Reginald’s gaze was frosty as he nodded at the ebony spear. Something in his glance was dark as he and the Head Guardswoman shared a look.
“I didn’t need to.” Rikyava spoke firmly. “But I’m having the Guard get them out and start practicing with them, just in case.”
“Astute.” But Reginald’s voice was still chill as he glanced at the spear again.
“What does that spear do?” Layla asked, frowning.
“Forbidden Spears paralyze Dragons, Layla.” Rikyava spoke brusquely, though her words were soft. “They’re intensely effective magical weapons, used especially if someone gets out of hand in Dragon-form.”
“You think you might have to paralyze Adrian from going full-Dragon sometime?” Layla blinked, understanding. “Because of he and I’s Bind?”
“Hopefully not.” Rikyava gave a hard sigh, running a hand over her long blonde ponytail, her lavender eyes tight. “But everything that happened between you and him this evening just makes me worry. It’s not the first time your Bind has triggered you both. Let’s just say I’m hoping it doesn’t come to using the Spears, but it’s my job to protect the Hotel and everyone inside it. Sometimes… protecting your friends means taking one of them out.”
Layla’s gaze pinned Rikyava. “Are you saying that if Adrian went ballistic in Dragon-form because of our Bind that you would kill him?”
“I would do everything in my power to prevent him from doing harm, and from harm coming to him.” Rikyava spoke quietly, though her firm gaze upon Layla brokered no bullshit.
“Hopefully, we may all find a better way.” Reginald interrupted calmly. “Rikyava, I need to tend a few things with the Madame after tonight’s antics. Would you mind occupying Layla and helping her discharge a while?”
