“Prey.” Layla knew what Dusk was trying to tell her, and couldn’t imagine what would happen if Luke ever nullified Adrian’s magic. Plenty of bad debts would come home to roost – debts Adrian had been amassing for over a century.
“Prey.” Dusk agreed solemnly.
As if that idea broke their sweet reprieve, Dusk gave a hard sigh, kissing Layla on the brow and letting her go. Standing, he took up her silk robe from the bedpost and extended it, gesturing to breakfast. Layla needed no second urging, sliding on her robe and moving to the table. As they sat, Dusk poured coffee and served eggs and bacon and sautéed pears in a brown sugar sauce. Combing through her snarl of hair with her fingers, Layla remembered why she didn’t let it dry overnight in bed. As Dusk served her, Layla’s hand slid out, stroking one of the gilded china plates. Moving on instinct, she adjusted the silver forks until the setting was perfect.
It wasn’t something she normally would have done, and Layla shook her head, lifting a hand to her temple as Dusk sat beside her, watching. But even as she moved, she felt an oceanic presence rise up through her. Reginald’s awareness wasn’t churning darkwater this morning, but smooth and deep like a calm harbor, and in her mind, Layla saw sunlight sparkle on morning waves. As she turned in his direction, no longer seeing only white but the pale blue-grey of his eyes piercing through that blank fog, something inside Layla breathed deep in relief.
Your friend is a danger.She heard Reginald’s smooth voice flow through her suddenly.Be cautious of what he can do.And then he was gone, washed away like the morning tides.
“Was that Reginald?” Dusk was watching her intently.
“It was. He’s back, and calm finally.” Layla blinked, shaking her head to clear it as she took up a forkful of eggs. “I think Luke’s effects on our Bind were temporary.”
“Small wins, I guess.” Taking up his coffee, Dusk sipped it. “I think we need to be very cautious of Luke until we know more about what he can do. Even though he saved your life, it could have come at quite the cost. It was a risk I was willing to take last night, but unless your life is in danger again…”
“Reginald is of the same opinion, that we should be cautious.” Layla glanced at Dusk as she took a bite of eggs. “And after what I felt from Luke last night… I believe it.”
They ate in silence for the rest of the meal, subtly hurrying as both felt the tension of their oncoming day finally grip them. With breakfast finished, Dusk whisked about Layla’s apartment tidying as she checked her suitcase for their time at Château de Chambord. While she dressed in jeans, tall boots, and a grey cable-knit sweater, pulling on her blue peacoat, Dusk and Adrian’s luggage arrived with a retinue of Guards. As Layla did a touch of makeup, Adrian entered the apartment, moving to her and giving her a kiss, his aqua eyes sober this morning with deep flecks of gold. Their kiss lingered, but before Layla was able to ask him how he was this morning, a knock came at the apartment door, Dusk opening it to admit Rikyava and Luke.
Dressed in jeans and boots similar to Layla’s, though with a rig of modern knives and handguns over her sweater, Rikyava’s long Swedish-blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail as she slung on a beige peacoat and buttoned it halfway, nodding to Adrian. Luke wore his blazer and jeans, and his gaze found Layla’s for only an instant before it flicked away. Layla blushed and she saw Luke do the same, his bloodstone pendant whirling. She felt Adrian’s energy ratchet up in a hard flash as he stared at Luke, but there was no time for talk. Chambord awaited, and they had to get going if they had any hope of rescuing Layla’s friends.
In a moment, everyone was out the door, a cadre of twenty Guards escorting them and carting luggage. Stares followed their party through the morning Hotel, but there were no adverse events as everyone bundled into two of Adrian’s black Bentley sedans waiting on the snowy promenade with his personal drivers. Layla took a car with Adrian and Dusk, Rikyava and Luke taking the other. A tense silence filled their car, Adrian not saying anything, though he did slide his hand out at one point, clasping Layla’s where she sat next to him in the back seat and twining their fingers together.
But he didn’t mention Layla’s tryst with Luke, and she didn’t know how to bring it up. Before Layla knew it, they were arriving at the Charles de Gaulle Airport, driving to one of Adrian’s Learjets waiting on the tarmac, its electronics whining as snow began swirling down from the heavy sky. Rikyava and Luke’s car had arrived, everyone up into the jet quickly with luggage stowed. As the Parisian co-pilot secured the doors, she gave Layla a sympathetic smile, feeling the tension in the jet. As Layla took one of the jet’s leather chairs across the dining table, Adrian took the seat beside her, while Luke and Dusk settled in the seats opposite. Rikyava buckled in at a writing-desk on the other side of the cabin, though she was close by.
Layla could practically cut the tension in the jet with a knife, it was so thick. No one wanted to engage conversation, Dusk shifting and clearing his throat as Adrian gazed around the group with a simmering hardness. Layla fidgeted while Luke stared determinedly out the window, his fingers tapping on the table. Only Rikyava seemed composed, watching everyone with a Guardswoman’s readiness in her lavender eyes, as if she might have to quell a fight soon.
As tension flared to screaming with the roar of the jet’s engines, Layla wanted to retreat into the back of the plane and hide – beginning to think this plan with both Adrian and Luke involved was a bad idea.
A very bad idea.
CHAPTER 16 – TALK
Adrian’s eyes flashed as he settled back in his leather chair on the jet, placing his hands on his chair arms and crossing one ankle over his knee. Layla recognized Adrian’s posture as a show of dominance against Luke sitting across from him at the table. As Layla glanced between Adrian and Luke, she saw Adrian simmering with a dark power, though he was trying to contain it. Luke was cool as he gave Adrian hard green eyes back, though his new magic suddenly began to crank up in the relatively small space. Luke’s lips quirked, his eyes going two shades more viciously green as the drakes regarded each other. Both Dragons meant business as they stared each other down – Adrian furious that Luke had had sex with Layla, and Luke hating Adrian to his very marrow.
As the jet revved its engines and began to taxi towards the runway, Rikyava spoke up from her seat at the desk. “If you both can’t agree to put aside your hatred of each other, our aims in Chambord will go nowhere, and Layla’s friends will die.”
It was a succinct summary. Layla saw Luke digest Rikyava’s statement; she saw it rattle him as Luke closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Layla. I’ll try to put aside my grievances against Adrian until we’re through all this.”
“I won’t.” Adrian’s gaze was pinned to Luke as he spoke quietly, though loud enough so everyone could hear him. “We need to talk through a few things before we get to the Storm Dragons. I think it’s high time we had a little chat, Luke.” Reaching out, Adrian twined Layla’s fingers in his – another distinctly possessive move that was not lost on Luke.
“What is your fucking problem?” Luke hissed, his gaze fierce upon Adrian.
“You’re my fucking problem.” Adrian spoke back, simmering with a barely-restrained fury. “You say you support Layla, but all I’ve seen you do is be a pain in her ass ever since I first met you back in Seattle. Tell me honestly that you support Layla’s decision to be a part of this world, or to be with Dusk and I, or to become a Courtesan.”
“Hey, I saved her when you could do jack-all about it last night.” Luke snarled back, lightning flashing in his hot green eyes now. “You’re just pissed that you couldn’t help her and I could.”
“Youfuckedher.” Adrian’s gaze was roaring as he spoke coldly back. “Been waiting a while to do that since she left your bed, haven’t you? Since when do doctors fuck their dying patients? Oh, I remember – when they have no control over their inner beast.”
“You dick—!”
Luke half-rose with a snarl on his face, but Dusk’s hand whipped out fast, his formidable Crystal Dragon strength restraining Luke to his seat. As Layla nearly laughed with a bitter gall, that Adrian and Luke had to dig into this now, the plane began to roar along the runway into takeoff. Layla’s adrenaline spiked and she gripped the arms of her chair with both hands. It was an animal fear, this panic she always experienced on takeoff. Looking over, Adrian smoothed his hand over hers, soothing her with a curl of spiced wind.
But as she came out of her sudden panic, she noticed everyone around the table was staring at her, affected by it. Across from her, Luke was wound tight, his eyes sparking a fierce emerald as he gripped his pendant in his fist. Dusk was breathing hard, something severe in his eyes as he massaged his chest, as if trying to hold back shattering as his eyes flashed diamond-bright. Beside her, Adrian had set his jaw, gripping her hand too hard now as if he wasn’t aware of his tension.
“Look at you four.” Over at the desk, Rikyava was watching the entire scene with deep awareness. “None of you can escape Layla’s Bind, even though Luke’s not even a part of it yet. Best get used to it if you all want to keep it together for this mission.”
“My fear. It affected all of you just now.” As Layla glanced around the group, she flexed her hand beneath Adrian’s. He startled, moving his hand with a surprised look as if he hadn’t known how tense he’d been. As Layla watched them, she saw her own primal fear echoed in every face. They were shaking it off, but Layla’s sudden rush of animal terror had thrown them.
