“So that’s the deal with the ledgers.” Adrian commented quietly, as everyone else watched.
“I would fight Hunter, but I fear that without the Crystal Palace dead, my power is too weak.” Markus continued within the orb. “My only option to best him was to conquer the world’s last Royal Dragon Bind, the famous chanteuse Mimi Zakir, so I could gather to me all the Dragon-clans of the world to oppose him. But something has gone wrong with my resonance inside Mimi. She Bound a Crystal Dragon once before, yet when I rolled her last night, she became disastrously ill. I had no choice but to release her back to her clan in Morocco. I fear my resonance inside her may kill her, which was not my intent. She is my only option to fight Hunter! Mimi’s Bind-magic is the key to Hunter’s undoing. And yet… what if she comes to an untimely death because of my actions?”
Again, the recording swirled, and as Layla truly gaped at the orb now, to know how much Markus had hammered his way into all their families at Hunter’s bidding, his image returned in modern clothing. “I take up this recording again on the thirtieth of November, two-thousand-and-nineteen. Long have I waited for a second opportunity to bend a Royal Dragon Bind to me, and at last the gods are kind. I was right about Mimi Zakir; her body decayed rapidly after what I did. But upon her death, a daughter of Mimi’s became known, one Layla Price. I must find a way to summon Layla to me. From the rumors, she has strong Bind-powers and is already on her way to greatness. The young drakes Adrian Rhakvir and Dusk Arlohaim are already Bound to her, and there is a rumor the Siren Reginald Durant is now also. Perhaps Hunter was seeking them all because he knew they were key to his undoing? While it gladdens me to know Hunter has fears, I also cannot allow Dusk Arlohaim to break my rule. Perhaps there is a way to wrest Layla and her Bound Royals from Dusk, using the Bind to take all the Royal Dragons of the world and finally bring down Hunter…”
With that, the glowing orb swirled out. It went dark, as if Markus’ memories were now cleared and it was inert, waiting for someone new to imprint it. Layla, Dusk, and Adrian stared at the quiet orb in a kind of fascinated horror, until at last Adrian spoke.
“Sweet gods.”
“You said it.” Dusk sat back in his chair, rifling a hand through his perfect hair as he shook his head with wide eyes. “I can’t believe Markus orchestrated all this from the beginning… as a way to oppose Hunter!”
“Markus was ruthless,” Adrian growled darkly, glancing to Dusk. “Your entire Lineage has suffered because of him, and I won’t have any sympathy for him now, even if he was trying to bring Hunter down.”
“Markus admits he was Crimson Circle,” Layla spoke, glancing to her men, just as stunned as they. “He was one of our last three members at the top serving Hunter. It sounds like he was being visited in dreams. Which jives with what Dusk experienced long ago – that Hunter can infiltrate the dreams of Royal Crystal Dragons.”
“That leaves only two Crimson Circle members left, Adrian,” Dusk glanced to Adrian. “Do you or the Intercessoria have any idea who they are yet?”
“Not yet.” Adrian spoke quietly, crossing one ankle over his knee and frowning as his aqua eyes glimmered with fury. “God, it just sets my hackles up to know Markus was involved in the Hotel and with Hunter. We have a lot to tell the Intercessoria. Everything from Markus’ study is probably evidence now that they’ll need to pour through for connections to Hunter. I’ll call Heathren tomorrow, get him to come collect everything. Though I’ll be sure you get it all back, Dusk.”
“Sure.” Dusk spoke quietly, rubbing a hand over his chin now, his gaze a thousand miles away.
“Well, what do we do now that we know all this?” Layla asked.
Glancing over, Adrian was silent a long moment as he held her gaze with his fierce aqua eyes. “We use it,” he spoke at last, “when the time is right. Hunter is still out there, and so are his last two Crimson Circle members. But we’ve had a victory far greater than we knew. Because of our Bind, we not only brought down a tyrant, but also removed a vast source of income from Hunter. He’ll probably retaliate in the coming months. But even so, we’ve woven a noose around his neck. It’s a great victory, and right now… I think we should celebrate.”
“I think it’s about time we all got riotously fucking drunk.” Dusk chimed in with a wry nod. “Margaritas, anyone? I think I need like four bottles of tequila just to process all this.”
“You’d better share.” Layla grumped with a smile.
“Done.” Dusk chuckled, grinning as his fingers stole out, lacing into hers. “Though I get to lick all the salt from the rim. Don’t even try to stop me.”
And despite everything they had gone through in the past weeks, Layla felt something good flare through the Bind as they all shared the joke, that Dusk was a ridiculous drunk on tequila. As Layla gazed around their trio, she felt them all begin to grin. A deep glint of passion was in Dusk’s eyes as he rose, turning to Layla and smoothing his thumb over their clasped hands. “Dragon Bind? What do you say we all have some alone time together with a fuck ton of booze? Would you do these Royal drakes the honor?”
Rising with her heart in her throat and a hot flare of bourbon-orange scent washing from her skin, Layla blushed hard. She smiled wide as she came to her Bound drakes and they cradled her in their arms, pressing her close to their hard, amazing bodies. “I don’t think there’s anything I would like more.”
As Dusk gave a beaming smile from his sapphire-bright eyes, Adrian gave a free, spontaneous laugh. As a trio, they moved out of the Sun Temple’s library stuffed with the old Crystal Dragon King’s belongings.
And towards the gargantuan bedroom of the new one, deep within the temple.
