Tobias nodded. “In March. Chicago. We had to eliminate him.”
Rowan brought her fingers to her lips. Scoria was the captain of the Obsidian Guard. Sending him was the equivalent of waging war.
“It’s no longer enough to allow us to live out our existence in another realm. Now she and Brynhoff want us dead,” Gabriel said.
“But why?”
Gabriel fixed Tobias with a steady stare. “My mate, the one who returned to Paragon with me when I discovered our mother’s treachery, she is a witch.”
“Oh, Gabriel.” Rowan tried not to judge. She loved her brother, and she of all people now understood the undeniable nature of finding one’s mate. But witches were forbidden.
“Believe me, I felt the same way,” Tobias said. “But I’m more convinced than ever that Raven was sent by the goddess of the mountain herself. I think the same prophecies that warned us about witches may actually be promising us a way to save Paragon.”
Rowan leaned forward and said through her teeth, “Before we go any further, there is something I need you to understand. I will never go back to Paragon. I have a life here now with Nick, one I prefer to what I left behind. I will never be a Paragonian queen. I will never marry another dragon or birth a bunch of whelps to propagate the race. Do you understand me?” That was that. She’d raised her voice to her brothers, something she’d never done in her five hundred years. But she was no longer a Paragonian princess. She was the captain of her own ship, the ruler of her own life, and she would live it on her own terms.
“Never,” Gabriel said, the fire in his dark eyes burning. “I would never do that to you, Rowan. But mother sent Scoria for a reason, and she will send others. Next time she may come for you herself, or—”
“Alexander. We have to warn Alexander! He’s unwell and he can’t protect himself.”
“We know.” Tobias took her hand in his and squeezed. “He’s how we found you. Through the paintings.”
“You saw him?”
“No. His apartment was empty. But we were in his apartment, and it looked like he had been there recently.” Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck. “Judging by his rooms, he’s not in a good place.”
“We’re concerned he’s suicidal,” Tobias said.
Rowan frowned. “I’ve seen it in his art. He’s getting worse. Darker.”
“A suicidal dragon who suddenly has an easy way to kill himself…,” Tobias said.
“We have to find him,” Rowan said, “before someone from Paragon does.”
Gabriel placed a hand on hers. “So we can count on your help, Princess?”
“Don’t call me that, Gabriel. Honestly.”
He winked at her.
“Yes. Yes, you can count on me. You saved my fucking life and the life of my mate. I owe you. And I owe Alexander. I will help you.”
Gabriel took her other hand. “Together again.”
She grinned and offered a deep chuckle. “What could possibly go wrong?”
* * *
The chiefof police stood next to Nick as he arrested Soren. They’d already raided Gerald and Camilla Stevenson’s homes and found several links proving the real estate developer was the mastermind behind NAVAK and the largest human trafficking ring ever busted in New York. Nick had no problem proving Soren was Stevenson’s accomplice. It seemed Gerald had hours and hours of recordings on their relationship, probably meant to use against Soren if he ever turned on him. Pretty damning stuff.
“You’re a fucking bastard,” Soren yelled, spitting as Nick handcuffed him and read him his rights.
“Yeah, I’m a bastard. But I’m an honest bastard who gives a crap about integrity.” He handed Soren off to a fellow cop to process.
“Great job, Nick. This bust is a record breaker. You’ve saved hundreds of trafficked victims.”
It meant a lot to Nick to hear those words from a superior. This job, these people, they’d become like a family to him. But they weren’t his family. This was a job. And he’d given far too much of his life to it.
“While you’re feeling pleased, maybe this would be a good time to ask you for some time off.”
