Tate froze.
She knew that sound. It was one of many mirror communication devices Tate had in her house. It used to be she only had one, located in the foyer, but after she’d missed repeated summoning’s over the course of a week, Thora demanded she put one in every room of the house.
Tate straightened from Ryu, sending an annoyed glare at the mirror.
Ryu’s lips twitched. “Someone has interesting timing.”
Tate climbed off his lap. “I’m so glad one of us finds this amusing.”
She marched toward the mirror, touching the surface to activate her side of the call. Thora’s face took shape in the mirror’s depths.
“What?” Tate snarled.
Thora didn’t respond to the rude question, his gaze going over her shoulder and locking on Ryu. “You’ve been summoned by the emperor.”
“Understood.”
Thora grunted and cut the connection without another word.
“That rude bastard,” Tate exclaimed.
Ryu pressed a kiss to the side of her temple. “It looks like our reunion will have to be delayed.”
Regret moved through Tate. It couldn’t be helped though. A summons by the emperor via the Dragon Corps commander couldn’t be ignored—even if doing so would fill her with an immense amount of satisfaction.
“Rain check?” she asked.
Ryu tilted her face up to his, dropping a kiss onto her lips that sent lightning darting through her veins. It was the sort of kiss that ravaged the recipient’s senses, leaving them craving more.
Tate clung to him, wanting to wrap herself around his body and never let go.
The intensity of the kiss waned until he pulled back, dropping one last kiss on her lips. His eyes were like molten lava as he stared at her. “Always.”
He whistled and Rath flew to perch on his shoulder. He gave her a wicked smile as he exited through her windows, striding across the balcony. Between one step and the next, his form merged with Rath’s, and a dragon filled the space where Ryu had just been.
Ryu’s dragon stretched out his neck, breathing on the glass. It fogged up. With a playful look on his face, Rath swiped his tongue over the glass.
“You brat! I just cleaned those last week,” Tate yelled.
The dragon rumbled as it crouched and took off into the sky.
This is what happens when you side with the interloper,Ilith said without an ounce of sympathy.
Tate would have to remember that for next time.
* * *
Dewdrop fussed with the stiff collar of his formal jacket. With his hair smoothed back from his face in a style that was popular with high society and dressed in an outfit that coordinated with Tate’s, Dewdrop looked incredibly dashing. If only he didn’t also look annoyed.
“Why do I have to wear this?”
Tate slapped his hands away, reaching out to fix the part he’d disturbed. “Stop that. You’ll wrinkle it.”
Where Tate’s outfit was primarily a deep blue with silver accents, Dewdrop’s was the opposite. Silver was his dominant color with the blue serving to add a pop of interest.
He held still, aiming an irritated frown at her that said he didn’t really care if he ruined the jacket. “It’s stuffy. I feel like I’m choking.”
“Too bad. You’re not the only one suffering. We all are.”
