Adam smiled, taking up his Tom Collins now that his bourbon was done and pushing away his finished bowl of stew. “In any case, I’m here to answer your questions. Hit me. What do you want to know about our clan or about your magic?”
Suddenly there were too many questions. Layla had come here tonight wanting answers about her clan, but now felt like she wanted to ask more personal questions. And getting personal suddenly brought Dusk to mind. These past days, she’d felt something far more personal rising between her boss and her. He’d mentioned that Layla’s magic was seeking powerful mates to bind in Adrian’s absence – and Layla knew the first question she needed an answer to.
“You mentioned that Dusk is a powerful Royal but that he hides it.” She spoke plainly. “I’ve heard others say similar things but I’ve never seen him do anything particularly stunning at the Hotel, other than the night I almost shifted. How powerful is he, Adam, really?”
Adam’s eyebrows rose at the topic but he gave a dark smile, as if he enjoyed outing his adopted cousin’s personal business. “Dusk is a force of nature, Layla.” Adam spoke as he set his drink down on the bar. “He only shows a small sliver of it at the Hotel because he doesn’t want to offend anyone – problem-solving is his M.O., and him getting his panties in a twist at something is against his intent as Head Concierge. But let’s put it this way: you know the earthquake that fucked Fukushima? Dusk could have caused that if he’d been angry enough. Crystal Dragons are strong, but Dusk is a Royal Crystal Dragon, and a powerful one to boot. Even if his Egyptian clan wasn’t dead, he’d still be their First, hands down. It’s no secret that the Crystal King Markus Ambrose is watching Dusk carefully – because he’s afraid Dusk may rival his own power someday. Maybe sooner than later.”
Layla’s eyebrows rose, so much about Dusk making sense suddenly – and why Layla’s Royal Bind magic was reaching out to him. “If that’s the case, then why does Dusk hide how strong he is? Is it because of his position at the Hotel?”
“Not exactly. It’s because he’s not done growing.” Adam gave her a look, sipping his drink.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that Dusk isactuallylike a crystal or a diamond.” Adam nodded up at the crystal chandeliers above. “They’re never done maturing. And the older Crystal Dragons get, the stronger they get. Like Adrian and I, Dusk is only one hundred and fifty years old. I’m nearly finished maturing in my magic. Adrian’s got a ways to go; he’s still surprising everyone. But Dusk will never be done growing in his magics. His power will never stop getting more formidable. There are people out there, not just King Markus, who would slit Dusk’s throat in his sleep if they had any idea how powerful he really is. Even Adrian’s afraid of it, I think. Or he should be. I’d hate to see it if they ever had a real fight.”
Layla blinked at what Adam had said. It painted Dusk in a whole new light, and she believed it. How effortlessly Dusk had used his powers to stop her beast from shifting. That invisible crystal wall he could slam up against other people’s magics like an armored shield. The way even the slightest rumble from him could shudder the earth. Layla sipped her drink, thinking about it. “They’ve fought pretty badly before, haven’t they, Dusk and Adrian?”
“As kids.” Adam nodded, his face serious. “It landed them both in the hospital more than once.”
“That bad?” Layla’s brows rose.
“Their biggest fight was in their early twenties,” Adam continued, “over a girl Adrian had fallen in love with and Dusk then charmed and fucked for fun. Adrian could shift into his beast by then but Dusk couldn’t. Adrian attacked as his Dragon, roaring and slamming Dusk with tail and talons, whipping sand-funnels like a fucking hurricane. But Dusk was in human form. And still, he managed to not only weather that storm, but get Adrian’s beast pinned and choked at the throat by a noose of crystal magic. Rachida had to knock them both out to stop the fight. The girl left them both and Adrian left home in a rage to go find himself traveling the world. They haven’t fought like that since, but it simmers sometimes.”
“Jesus.” Layla blinked, trying to imagine it. “What does Dusk’s Dragon-form look like?”
“It doesn’t.” Adam set down his glass with a frown. “He still can’t shift.”
“But I thought all Dragons could shift.”
“Generally. It comes at some point as our magics mature.” Adam nodded, still looking strangely concerned. “But Dusk has never changed – not yet. It’s a scary thought, actually. It means he’s still quite juvenile in his power. Like a fucking Pokemon, what we see is far from his final shape.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.” Adam’s eyes had gone a deep hunter-green, dark with thoughts Layla couldn’t even come close to interpreting. Like he’d looked on the ridge when he’d come across Adrian and Layla’s tryst in the forest, there was something deep inside Adam that simmered in darkness. As if he’d seen too much war, Layla suddenly realized her perception of him as a WWII flyboy or a Roman conqueror was strangely accurate. On the surface he was blithe. But deep down, Adam was scarred – in a way that Dusk and Adrian, for all their conflict, just weren’t.
Looking up as the mournful song ended and the musicians took a break, Adam’s haunted look cleared. “What else would you like to know about our clan, Layla?”
“What in the hell does Adrian really do for a living?” The second question of the night was already on the tip of Layla’s tongue. “And why can’t he ever stay in one place?”
Adam laughed his good, bright laugh, his former moodiness banished. Taking up his Tom Collins, he downed the rest of it in one fell swoop, then set it back to the bar. “A better question is: whatdoesn’tAdrian do for a living? Adrian’s a business mogul, Layla. He invests money in a lot of places, heads up a number of boards for international companies, is a part-owner in the Hotel, which is a far more elite and difficult position than you might think. He trades stock, he invests in alternative energy and clean-earth tech. He’s a primary investor in Space-X and Tesla and a number of companies you’d recognize. He’s been involved in zero-point energy development and holds anenormousamount of Bitcoin and different cryptocurrencies. He’s also part of a ring of Twilight tycoons that find genius inventors and whisk them away into the Twilight Realm so they can continue their work safe from deep-state persecution.”
“So that’s why he’s never around.” Layla stilled on her barstool, wondering if she had been too hard on Adrian. She’d imagined some of the things Adam had said just now, but hearing it all laid out in one long list was overwhelming. She couldn’t imagine how one man could manage so much and have any life at all. But it was still difficult, learning all this about Adrian from other people – never from the Royal Desert Dragon himself.
“It’s rare for Adrian to be in one place for even a handful of days.” Adam’s expression softened as he watched her. “He’s a nomad, Layla. A business nomad, but a nomad all the same. Our ancient Desert Dragon ancestors roamed the deserts like the wind, similar to the Gypsun Tempests. He’s like that. But I think…I think somewhere underneath it all, he’s looking for something real. Something to give him a home.”
“Are you saying I could pin him down?” Adam’s direct gaze was not lost upon Layla.
“Maybe.” Adam shrugged. “But I think the question you should ask yourself is – do you want to?”
“What do you mean?” Layla frowned, sipping her drink.
“I mean – is Adrian worth your heartbreak and rage?” Adam’s gaze was penetrating. “Desert Dragons are passionate creatures, and the two of you spin each other up like like nothing I’ve ever seen. Maybe not in a good way.”
It was far more than insightful. It was as if Adam could do that trick Dusk did, of climbing inside Layla’s heart far more than she wanted anyone to, and coming to the same conclusions. She shifted on her barstool, re-crossing her legs as she cradled her bourbon glass.
“I don’t know. The connection I feel to him…”
“All magic can be broken, Layla.” Adam’s voice was sincere, his green eyes deep. “The Bind Adrian placed on you was criminal. I didn’t know about his scheme until after he succeeded. But if I had known…” Adam took a deep breath and sighed, rubbing a hand over his trim blond beard. “I would have told Adrian not to do it. Ancient magics like that cuff of yours come with dark prices. Things no one should have to pay. Least of all you.”
