“My brother,” Tobias says. “He’s the dragon whose blood is running through your veins. Up until recently, he led the Order of the Dragon.”
My mouth goes slack. I dart a glance toward Cassius, but even he looks stunned. “You… you’re a dragon? I mean a dragon shifter?”
He gives a light chuckle and pulls Sabrina into his side. She smiles warmly at him, transforming from deadly regent to Midwestern wife in a heartbeat. “Yes.”
I brace myself on a table in the foyer only to do a double take when the wood groans and I realize that the piece I’m leaning on is old enough to belong in a museum. It looks older even than the furniture in Harcourt. I draw my hand back.
“Please come in.” Sabrina gestures toward a glamorously appointed sitting room. “I think we should get to know each other.”
I’m not entirely sure I should be as relieved as I am from the change in their demeanors. After all, the door behind me is most definitely still locked, and everyone in this room is capable of killing me. But I go with it, trying to calm my racing heart.
Cassius gently intercepts me before I can sit down. “You mentioned needing the restroom. It’s behind you.” He gestures toward a hall. In fact, I hadn’t mentioned it. He must sense that I’m rattled, and I thank him before making my way to facilities that belong in a high-end hotel. There’s a toilet and sink but also a cozy sitting area that I make use of while I collect myself and take stock of my situation.
I’ve never faced anything like this. Sure, surviving what happened with Tony required courage and cleverness. But he was just a man. Maybe a mobster, but in the end a human man. I am underground in a facility filled with vampires and, my God, a dragon. My life is in the hands of a shade, a monster I’ve known just over a day. And I do not have Damien or Maeve to back me up this time.
I’m not a stupid woman, but maybe it is stupid that I’ve put myself in this position. I recognize the risks I’m taking. But without those people, nothing will change. Whatever risks I’m taking now, I’m willing to do far more to get Damien back. I picture him baking in that silo, skin as pale as stone, and I know I am his one and only hope. I know it in my gut.
Damien once killed for me. He would have killed Tony if I’d given him the chance. But he took care of the man Tony sent to murder me and ended the lives of Tony’s two cronies before they could retaliate after he died. Even before that, Damien protected me. He helped free me from Tony’s hold and made me feel worthy of love and self-respect again. And on a deeper level, a level I can hardly explain, I know he is not just my mate but my one and only true love.
I can’t hide in here forever. Quickly I empty my bladder and then stare at myself in the mirror as I wash my hands. “You’re strong,” I whisper. “You’ve done magic. You survived Tony. Get your shit together. If they wanted to hurt you, they would’ve done it already.” I splash cold water on my face and steel my spine. Then I join the others.
The room where they’ve all gathered is truly stunning. Sabrina is playing a baby grand piano that’s tucked into a corner—a classical piece—while Cassius partakes in an array of canapés set out on a buffet table at the back of the room. The furniture belongs in Versailles. The chairs are gilded and upholstered in a floral fabric that brings out the red tones in the rich leather sofa and rosewood piano. All of it is anchored by a hand-tied Turkish rug over a polished wood floor. I’m hesitant to even walk on it. If I were to paint this picture, I’d title it Extravagance.
Tobias brings me a glass of wine. “I guessed you preferred white.”
“White’s fine.” I have a feeling he did more than guess. He presumed that red would remind me of my blood flowing into the chalice moments ago. It’s a small thing but meant to put me at ease. It’s thoughtful.
He wanders to Sabrina’s side, leaving me alone at the edge of the room. All I want to know is what they’re going to do to help rescue the love of my life, but I don’t know how to broach the subject. I sip my wine and walk deeper into the room, noticing a painting on the wall that resembles The Starry Night by Van Gogh, only painted in reds instead of blues with a silhouette of a couple embracing at its center instead of a village.
“It’s what you think it is.” Tobias is suddenly beside me, looking up at the painting.
My brows lift and I shrug. “All I was thinking is that it reminds me of a Van Gogh.”
Tobias nods. “He painted it. Sabrina’s father knew him. It was a gift.”
My eyes widen. “Holy shit.” This belongs in a museum. It must be worth millions.
“Yeah. Only a handful of individuals have ever seen it.”
I glance around the room again, really taking it in. That chair isn’t a Louis XVI replica. It’s the real thing. And the sideboard doesn’t just look like it belongs in Versailles; it’s old enough to have potentially been there. The rosewood piano Sabrina’s playing is a Steinway with carved legs like I’ve never seen before. My artist’s eye darts to the rest of the art, the sculptures, the furniture. If Harcourt Manor is a time capsule for the early 1900s, this place is an eclectic mixture of decor from the past five hundred years.
“How old is Sabrina’s father?” I ask absently.
He snorts. “Very. Old enough to amass quite a collection. We’ve considered redecorating over the years, but neither of us can stomach giving any of it up. Her father’s home is overflowing with it.”
I take a sip of the wine, a delicious blend that might be the best I’ve ever had in my life, and then turn to him. “I’m sorry, but all of this is overwhelming. I just learned shifters were a thing a few weeks ago. And I knew about the dragon blood, but…” I shake my head. “I have so many questions. Are there others like me? Is there someone who can help me learn about the type of magic my parents practiced?”
Tobias frowns. “Unfortunately, I’m not the one to answer that. I’m a dragon, yes, but I don’t wield magic in the way my brother Nathaniel does. And he’s no longer on this planet.”
“Not on the planet?” I parrot softly. It comes out sounding like what the fuck.
“He’s returned to our home world. I can tell you this though,” Tobias continues. “Your blood is both dragon and witch. Dragon blood feeds witch magic. Having both means you have unique potential.”
“The only thing I care about is having enough power to get Damien back.” One thought of my mate and I can’t play this game any longer. I whirl to face Sabrina and raise my voice over the piano. “Isn’t there something you can do? While we’re sipping cocktails, Damien is frying in the queen’s torture chamber. Can you get him out or not?”
Sabrina stops playing but doesn’t remove her fingers from the keyboard. Her eyes snap up to mine, her face an icy, impassive mask. “The piano helps me think,” she says. “I need to think because I’m not sure what to do with you, Eloise Harcourt.”
Do with me? My gaze darts to Cassius, but he’s examining his nails.
