The Madame’s speech worried Layla deeply and she spoke up at last, needing to know what was going on. “Can someone please tell me what you’re talking about? What is aChiari drachans-siar, and what does it have to do with me?”
Uncertain eyes glanced to her, though no one answered. Reginald’s gaze was critical, though something in it was also thoughtful. The silver woman’s voice suddenly breathed through Layla’s mind as she spoke to the assembly, though she continued beaming her pleasant smile.
Layla is compelling enough, and lovely enough to be a Head Courtesan,Adrian.I can feel the passions that rush through her, and she is truly a Chiari drachans-siar – not just a Royal Dragon like you, but a Royal Dragon Bind – a rarity in our world. Before the Bind Lineage resurfaced in Mimi Zakir, we thought C. drachans-siar extinct. Because of what Layla is, I would caution you to not lock her away anywhere. Her Lineage learn their power through interrelating with others. If you protect her someplace isolated, she will suffer – perhaps never reaching her full powers. Perhaps damaging them, and her, irreparably.
“Even though she’s Royal Dragon Bind energy, I sense no control in her vibration yet.” It was Dusk who spoke next, an oilslick sheen washing through his hair in a ripple as his bright blue gaze weighed Layla. “She’s so new to her opening ability that she probably doesn’t know a damn thing about it yet, or what it will do. Have you briefed her on any of it, Adrian?”
“Not yet.” Adrian spoke.
“Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” Layla interrupted again, feeling tense once more despite how the Head Courtier had soothed her.
But everyone ignored her yet again. Dusk shook his head at Adrian with an exasperated sigh, rubbing his hand over his lips in a gesture of frustration. Layla felt something competitive pass between the two men again, as Dusk gave Adrian a disdainful look.
In the silence, the Head Courtier Reginald drew a deep breath, tapping one long pale finger on the arm of his chair. “She needs training, Adrian. She needs a place she can go to be quiet and spend time with this new energy rising inside her. We cannot have such a live wire in our Hotel, raw and untrained.”
“I can quiet her magic, for now.” Dusk met Reginald’s gaze squarely. “As can you.”
“Perhaps.” Reginald lifted his chin, settling his long fingers to his neck as his icy gaze devoured Layla. “But keeping her very unique and very rare magic here as she opens to it will bring trouble beneath this roof.”
“Layla’s magic will be no more trouble than yours, Reginald,” Adrian chuckled, though his tone held warning.
“How can you be sure, Adrian?” The Madame fretted again, fluttering her golden fan.
She will be as she will be.The silver woman’s speech breathed through the room again, though she continued to beam at Layla.Of all the Dragons, Layla’s Lineage is the least predictable, with potential for either great light or tremendous darkness. But give her a little kindness, and perhaps she will not become an unholy terror. C. drachans-siar were once able to forge great alliances between humans and the Twilight Folk. But their temperament depends upon the nature of their heart, and their experiences in life. Give her nurture – and perhaps her nature will follow.
Though her speech was pleasant, the silver woman’s words sent chills up Layla’s spine. And though Reginald’s energy had calmed her earlier, a sudden conflicting heat and chill sluiced through Layla, her skin prickling and biting viciously. Layla reached down, rubbing at her wrist, feeling something hot and fierce rising inside her – and rising fast.
“Layla’s nature is—”
But Adrian got no further as Layla suddenly slapped her palms to the arms of her chair, gripping the gilded wood like she could rip it apart with her bare hands. She had a sudden image of talons shooting from her fingertips as a roaring sensation rushed through her body with a hot whip of fury. She was pissed that they were all ignoring her. And that hot, fierce emotion sent a scalding whip of power through her body so hard that she rocked in her seat. That vicious whip of energy lashed out from Layla – straight to Adrian. He grunted as if he’d been hit, one hand flashing up to grip his chest like Layla had hit him.
“Talk to me!” Layla roared, something rageful ripping up through her throat and making her voice growl. “Are you saying I’m something inhuman? That my Lineage – whatever that is – is evil? That I’m something evil?”
Adrian was still clutching his chest, his eyes closed tightly as if her outburst had physically hurt him. Reginald was rising with severe eyes, moving toward Layla, but Adrian held out a hand with his eyes still closed, pointing Reginald back to his seat. The Head Courtier lifted his chin but returned to his chair – though his iceberg eyes were distinctly unfriendly now as they flicked to Layla. At last, Adrian caught his breath. Opening his eyes, he locked his beautiful gaze upon Layla, opening his lips to answer her.
“Layla, please, there will be plenty of time—”
“Plenty of time to answer my questions?When, Adrian?” Layla growled, feeling something enormous inside her facing off with him – and matching him somehow, power for power.
Adrian opened his lips to protest again but before he could say anything, Dusk gave a growl and spoke, his bright sapphire gaze level as he held Layla’s stare.
“We’re saying you’re a Dragon, Layla Price.” Dusk spoke strong but kindly. “AChiari drachans. A humanoid shapeshifting creature of magic that exists in our world, the Twilight Realm, and not yours.”
“What?” Layla breathed, incredulous.
“You look human, but you’re not,” Dusk continued briskly, pinning her with his level sapphire eyes. “You were raised as a human, but you’re not. That talisman you wear on your wrist recognizes your Dragon Lineage as a Royal Dragon Bind – a very rare Lineage of particularly tempestuous Dragons. Your talisman marked you when Adrian put it on you, and opened you to your magic at the same time. Your powers were latent but now they’ve been sparked, and now they will begin the process of maturation. Been feeling heated lately? Rageful, passionate, hot and cold, crazy ever since Adrian clapped that thing on your wrist – though you’ve always been that way, only it’s a hundred times stronger now? Welcome to being a Dragon. Maybe you’ll shift into your beast form, maybe you never will, but you carry the beast of your magic deep inside you. And now it rises. And since your breed are one of the most dangerous in the Twilight Realm, we are trying to decide what to do with you.”
Layla’s lips fell open.
And something inside her roared – understanding the Head Concierge’s words to her core, though she didn’t understand them at all.
CHAPTER 16 – DRAGON
The roaring sensation inside Layla understood Dusk’s words and echoed them as he spoke. Passionate, intense, overheated; waves of fire hammered through Layla, her equilibrium becoming strange again as he finished speaking. Glancing down, she stared at the hamsa-cuff, feeling the burn mark underneath it; it had truly marked her that day in the Vermillion gallery. But it had only been recognizing something inside her all along; her temper, her heat, her desire to fight and fuck and rage and work herself to death until she conquered whatever she was after.
Her passion and determination – even when all of life went to hell.
As if her attention had woken it, Layla could suddenly feel that strange essence moving inside her again. Stretching with a tremendous heat like liquid fire ran through her veins, it shifted deep inside her core. Like scales slid through every blood vessel in her body, Layla could feel the creature now that Dusk had named – hot with passion. Simmering with a blistering rage that would never quit, the beast turned over and rose, sliding through Layla’s sinews as if paying attention to her awareness. Layla gasped at the impossibly erotic sensation, shuddering. Her eyes rolled up, her eyelashes fluttering as she felt that enormous, fire-bright energy roll deep inside her body – sending up a wave of orange-spice and sweet bourbon scent all around her like an Old Fashioned cocktail.
