Slowly lowering the blades, Rian stood tall, refusing to be ashamed for what he’d done. He knew he’d do it all again…and more if it meant saving Audrey. Standing perfectly still, the Dragon Leader looked at the faces of his brothers, as well as two of his oldest friends, and was shocked to find no recrimination…only questions and more than a little concern.
Never one to wait, Rory closed the distance between them, slapped Rian on the back, and asked, “Got anything good to drink? I’m thinking this conversation is gonna take beer…lots and lots of beer…maybe a keg or two.”
“Wouldn’t turn down a cold one either, but the fridge is empty,” Kellan answered from the kitchen. Rian turned; shocked that he’d missed the scarred dragon’s movement. Another testament to how focused he was on Audrey’s freedom.
“Beer’s good but all I brought was whiskey.” Brannoc winked, carefully taking a step back and pulling a fifth of Scotch from his backpack. “I figure if there are more than two of us together it’s always good to have refreshments.” He hoisted the bottle in the air before plopping down on the couch.
Once they were all seated, each with a drink, Royce immediately asked, “Okay, what’s really going on, Ri? Enough is enough, spill.”
Knocking back all the Scotch in his mug, Rian leaned his head into his hand and massaged across his forehead with his thumbs before speaking. He had no idea where to start but decided since the dragon was out of the bag, he might as well tell them everything.
Taking a deep breath, he sat back and looked each man in the eye before beginning. “I’m sure y’all remember about a week after Roy left to train and join MacLendon’s Force that Stefan and Marcas approached me about taking over Dad’s spot as Head Elder. It had been vacant for a while, and from what they said, they’d all been waiting for me to be ready to take over. At the time, I wasn’t sure I even wanted it. I was perfectly happy leading our Force, fighting the good fight, and training the new guardsmen.
“Of course, they had other ideas. As only an uncle can do, Stefan told me how it had always been Dad’s dream to have one of us follow in his footsteps.” He gave a half-grin to Royce and Rory. “Then as Dad’s oldest friend, Marcas confirmed what Stef said and added that it was Dad’s greatest wish right after us all joining the Guard. Thank the Heavens, Niall was too busy instructing new Healers. I don’t think I could’ve taken his two cents worth on top of everything the others had dumped on me. Anyway, without Roy to yell at and with Ror training in the mountains, I decided to take a walk on the beach to clear my head. I knew it always worked for Dad, so I gave it a try.”
He reached for the bottle of Scotch sitting in the middle of their circle, poured way more than two fingers, and drank it down before continuing. “What I found wasn’t answers. No, that would’ve been too easy. I found my mate, Audrey Dobresou, a princess from another kingdom. I also soon found out she was the unwilling prisoner of a Demon Lord, the Chancellor of Hell to be precise.”
“Mother…”
Rory wasn’t able to finish his statement as Royce jumped to his feet and bellowed, “That was a hundred years ago, Ri!”
Nodding his head, Rian scrambled for what to say. But it didn’t matter because they were all talking around him.
“What the hell? You’ve been keeping this whopper from all of us for a hundred frikkin’ years? You can’t even keep a surprise birthday party a secret. What the hell, man? You bucking for Superman’s job?” Brannoc was shaking his head, brows furrowed, while he bit the inside of his cheek; something he always did when he was trying to solve a puzzle.
“Explains the Devil’s Traps and the cabin,” Kellan added, never one for many words.
But then came Rory. As usual, he had more to say than anyone else. “Seriously, Ri? Seriously? You’ve been dealing with this shit for a hundred years and never told any of us? You walk around issuing orders and acting like the sanctimonious Dragon Leader while messing around with a demon?”
In a flash, the youngest O’Reilly brother was on his feet and pacing as he talked. “Something ain’t right. It just feels off. You don’t do shit like this. That’s my job. I’m the little brother. I’m the screw up. Not you. Not Roy. Y’all are responsible. Always think about the greater good. Leave the stupid shit to me.”
He stopped pacing and looked at Rian with his hands on his hips. “How do you even know she’s your mate and this isn’t some trick by this piece of shit demon to lure you into a trap?”
The words were barely out of Rory’s mouth before Rian was flying across the room, blade drawn, aiming for his baby brother’s chest. Thankfully, Royce could move more quickly than his older sibling could and was between his brothers before Rian’s dagger was anywhere near Rory’s chest.
Holding Rian by the neck at arm’s length, Royce snarled, “Calm the hell down.”
Turning to look at Rory, he growled through gritted teeth, “Can you just once try not to say everything as it floats through that air tunnel you call a brain? Dammit, you’ve seen a dragon when he’s kept from his mate. You know it’s freakin’ torture. It’ll drive even the weakest of us crazy. Look at Ri. He’s a fucking mess. We’re just lucky he’s as strong-minded as he is or the dumbass would’ve lost all his marbles long ago, and then where the hell would we be?”
Looking back and forth between his brothers one more time, Royce asked Rian, “Now, can you play nice?”
“Yeah, whatever,” Rian grumbled, dropping the arm holding the blade and hanging his head.
Frowning at Rory, Royce raised an eyebrow while asking, “And you, dumbass, can you please keep your mouth shut?” Then snorting, he corrected, “Or at least count to five before saying something stupid so we have time to prepare?”
The room erupted in laughter as Rory shook his head and chuckled, “No promises.”
With the tension level lower and the air not quite so thick he could cut it with a knife, Rian continued, “Just to clear the air and answer Rory’s question…I have been summoning Audrey every full moon for about ninety years…”
“Son of a bi…” Rory murmured under his breath.
“Explains a lot,” Kellan commented while Royce and Brannoc sat completely still, waiting for Rian to continue.
“Audrey has done everything, including steal a book from Adramelech’s private library, to get herself out of hell. After all this time, I know her well enough to assure you she is not evil, merely trapped. And to answer the question screaming through your minds, yes, I’ve been cautious. I’ve been working with Eleanor and her coven since day one. She’s had some crazy monk with an extensive knowledge of the dark arts helping her for as long as I’ve been meeting with Audrey and they’re still hard at it trying to find a way to make the Summoning Spell a permanent escape for my mate.”
Royce cleared his throat, which always meant Rian wasn’t going to like what his younger brother had to say…but Roy was going to say it any way.
As if on cue, he asked, “I know you think you’re sure her intentions are good, and I know this is gonna piss you off, but I gotta ask. You know I do…Can you feel her through the mating bond?”
