Bridget’s eyes widened. “Scary boss lady of the hunters? I know stories of her. You guys are all somehow related to the fae?”
“Yes. My little brother Reeve is married to Charlotte, one of her daughters,” Bas said. ‘Married’ seemed like an easier word to explain than ‘mated.’ However, Valentine’s big mouth was going to force him to explain their dragon heritage sooner rather than later.
Bas gave Bridget the folder. “Kenna called me in for a meeting this morning and gave me this. That thing that’s been stalking your dreams has been feeding off others and killing them.”
Bridget opened the file, and while she read, Bas found the first-aid kit. When you lived with an alchemist, it was always a good idea to have something ready for magical burns.
“Lift your hair for me?” Bas instructed.
Bridget barely looked up from her reading and just did as he asked.
Bas gently dabbed the lavender-smelling mixture on the curling red mark. He tried not to think too hard about the softness of her golden skin or the submissive gesture of offering her neck to his dragon. A dragon who really wanted to nip that tender nape to see what kind of sounds she made.
“Better?” he asked, heat burning in his chest.
“Y-Yes,” she stammered and then cleared her throat. “Thanks.”
Bas moved back from her and tried hard to pretend that touching her didn’t make his pulse race. He washed his hands, turned on the oven, and started pulling ingredients out of the cupboard.
“You weren’t joking about the cookies,” Bridget said, amusement shining in her eyes.
Bas cracked some eggs into a mixing bowl. “I never joke about cookies. I’m stressed, and baking helps me think. Also, I just want them.”
“And you really think this is the weird shadow thing that was after us in the astral that day?” Bridget asked, flipping through the articles.
“It was trying to feed off of us, so it fits the pattern. It also came back in your dreams when I wasn’t there to protect you,” he growled, the metal spoon in his hand bending with his too-tight grip.Shit. He straightened it out again and hoped she didn’t see it. Bridget had. She noticed everything.
“I’m a big girl, Bas. I know how to protect myself,” she said, eyeing the wrecked spoon.
“Not in the astral, you don’t. I’m not accusing you of not being capable. You clearly have magic to burn, but you don’t have the knowledge of how to do it. This creature hunts minds like yours. It’s probably been starving for centuries, and now it’s woken up, it’s been gorging itself. Then it comes across the unprotected mind of a magician and probably thought you were all-you-can-eat buffet,” Bas replied, tipping in extra chocolate chips because he was starting to freak out over the thought of her being defenseless.
“Why did it wake up now?” Bridget asked, looking back at the articles. “What even is it?”
“I don’t know the what, but I know the why.” Bas mixed ingredients and rolled cookie balls while he told her about the fae kings restoring the magical ley lines linking Faerie and the human world the year before.
“A huge injection of power surged through, and ancient creatures that have been starved and sleeping for centuries have woken up. I believe whatever we are hunting is one such creature. Kenna had no idea what it was, so she passed the job on to me.”
Bas arranged the dough on baking trays before setting a timer. He was bending down to put them in the oven when he got a flash of ‘Nice ass’ from her mind, and he nearly dropped the tray in surprise. His dragon preened, and Bas quickly put the cookies in the oven. He really had to teach her to shield her thoughts even if they were complimentary.
“This thing is just feeding off people until they drop dead,” Bridget said, clearing her throat. “That’s fucked up.”
“It is. Can I get you a drink? Tea?” Bas asked, his neck still hot from the compliment she unknowingly gave him.
Bridget smiled. “We can start with tea, but I feel like I’ll need to check out your cellar by the end of this visit. Especially when we get to the bit about dragons.”
“You’re welcome to it,” Bas replied and put the kettle on. He was going to kill Valentine. “Dragons can come later.”
“Okay, but I won’t forget.” Bridget tapped the folder. “Say you’re right, and this shadow man-creature is stalking me. What am I meant to do about it?”
Bas turned to face her. “We, Bridget. What arewegoing to do about it? I want your help trying to identify it and also to kill it.”
“I’m bait,” she said bluntly. “Just say it, Bas.”
“We know it wants you. It’s not the kind of predator to let you go just because you slipped its trap once.”
And neither am I, his dragon growled. Jesus. He needed to get a grip on himself.
“Your mind is too much of a feast to pass up,” Bas continued. “I won’t let it touch you.”
