Nix’s breath shot out from her lungs. “Your mother…”
“Was taken.” Ryker’s jaw ticked. “By force.”
Nix felt the little flames emerge between her knuckles as her fingers balled into fists. Ryker’s mother was taken by other dragons as a…sexual plaything. Treated like a trophy or toy or…
Nix wanted to vomit. “Do you know who took—”
Ryker’s gaze refocused on Nix as he promised in a low voice, “If I knew, I would wear their bones around my neck and listen to their screams every night.”
Nix’s mouth dried. Ryker always seemed like a misunderstood teddy bear. This dangerous side of him was new to her, but it stemmed from a desire to protect his mother. Gods, his poor mother.
“What if rogue dragons take me too?” Nix asked softly.
Ryker’s eyes fully shifted into slitted, reptilian diamond irises as he growled, “Then they will pray to the gods for death to come to them before I do.”
Trying to lighten the mood, Nix remarked, “So maybe…we are a bit prone to violence?”
“Is it violent—” Ryker reached up and touched a lock of Nix’s reddish orange hair. “—to hurt those who hurt others?”
Nix thought of her plan in this second chance at life. She wanted to kill her future captor before he knew she existed. Before he committed atrocities against her.
“Violence exists because there will always be someone with power who justifies it,” Nix commented. “And there will always be someone without power, hurt by those who justify it, willing to do anything for revenge. Violence is a snake eating its own tail.”
Ryker stared at her, reading her expression as if her words had appeared on her skin as she said them.
He looks at me like I am the most amazing and fascinating thing he has ever seen. He stares through me like he can read my thoughts.
Nix changed the subject, blushing under the intensity of his gaze. “You said dragons also have enemies. Other than just other dragons.” Nix asked, “Who are the enemies? Sounds like I should learn how todefend myselfagainst them.”
Nix faked a fight move, chopping the air with her hand.
Ryker pressed his lips into a thin line at the topic of teaching her fight moves again. “The enemies are other powerful paranormals. Those who betray their own and sell rare creatures on the dark market. Dragon scales are worth…much.”
Sell rare creatures. Rare creatures like Pegasi shifters? Like Persius?
Had Nix’s captor realized she was a rare female dragon and captured her because of it?
Ryker stated, “Hunters…come in many forms. Like those who are different from us and villainize our species.”
“Like the cygni,” Nix said. “The clan leader, my…non-biological father, was the one who established the ban on dragon shifters being voting members of the council. He is the reason no laws have been made against hunters, to protect dragons from extinction—”
Ryker leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. “I do not wish you to worry…about enemies,” Ryker said softly.
Nix shivered. “We all have enemies. I want to fight mine. Teach me. I need to know how.”
Ryker told her, “We are gifted with fire.”
“But what if we were weakened by something, and we couldn’t use any powers? What fight moves should I know then?”
Ryker’s brows furrowed at her very specific question.
“Look, either you show me fight moves, or I learn the hard way.”
“Hard way?”
Nix launched herself at him, throwing a practice fist toward his face.
He suddenly had her flat on her back and restrained.
