Divided attention makes it easier to overlook the enchanted anklet I’m wearing, or keep The Horde from noticing how intently I’m watching each and every one of them while searching for any signs of malice or recognition. They can look their fill while I gather useful intel the Syphons will need when this forsaken curse is finally broken and we once again claim our rightful place.
Arguing starts up behind me, and Nixy and I both turn to watch Azo and a couple of my newly appointed guards locked in a heated exchange. Things have been tense since the guards stormed in here in search of the unauthorized signal being flagged as a security breach. They scanned the room several times and found nothing. Farrow and Karis accepted those results before they left to deliver my simple message to the king. However, two of the initiates haven’t been as willing to let it go. A hairy male named Shaw, who looks more lycan than drake, and the Channeler from earlier with the crooked nose and olive green scale armor, Julian.
Azo shoots a pleading look at either me or Nixy as the two drakes do their best to intimidate him into giving them answers. With a huff, I abandon my reflection in the Syphon Glass and stride to the human’s rescue.
“I assure you, the signal the security system picked up on has to be that,” Azo affirms, gesturing to the small black remote that Shaw is holding in his hand. “It’s the only thing it could be. If you would just allow me to turn it on, you’d see what I mean.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you,” Shaw growls at the human. “We turn it on, and boom, you take out everyone in this room in one fell swoop. Is that the plan?”
Azo sighs and deflates with defeat. He put on a good act of being terrified when the guards first started questioning him, but now he’s starting to look tired of the endless loop of accusations.
“It’s not an explosive,” Azo argues. “If it were, the four scans you’ve already done would have picked up on it. It’s for her dress. It arms the butterflies.”
“Arms the butterflies?” I ask as I join the keyed up huddle.
“Yes, it’s the security measure Nixy programmed at your request,” Azo tells me.
My head snaps in the direction of Nixy’s semitransparent visage. “Do the butterflies shoot lasers?” I ask excitedly.
The flat, troubled line of her lips lifts into a smile. “No, dragoness, I couldn’t get authorization for that…though I did try.”
My eyes flare with surprise, and my grin suddenly matches the wyvern’s. I can only imagine how that conversation went with the royal planners. If Nixy wasn’t already on a watchlist, she sure as shit would be now.
“While there are no lasers involved, the butterflies will serve as a dance deterrent once they’re activated,” Nixy explains.
“Say less,” I chirp, and then I snatch the remote out of Shaw’s hand before he can stop me.
“Dragoness, don’t!” several drakes shout at once, but I’m already pressing the button on the device markedon.
Julian leaps toward me and tries to make a grab for the remote, but it beeps and theonbutton turns green. I can just make out the sound of tearing fabric over the alarmed shouting, and for a second, I worry I’ve ripped my dress. Then, out of nowhere, a kaleidoscope of butterflies breaks free from the bag still hanging on the rack across the room. They quickly flash my way, and the next thing I know, I’m surrounded by flying, bejeweled magi-tech that starts to dive bomb and slash at the guards with razor-sharp wings.
I watch in rapt shock as the crystalline butterflies attack. They draw blood and elicit chaos as they push back the small contingent of guards tasked to protect me. One of the Channelers blasts the swarm with air, blowing them away from me and everyone else, but the fluttering little weapons simply regroup and renew their charge.
“If you back up, they’ll stop!” Nixy shouts at the guards, her drone joining the melee. “They’re programmed for a six-foot radius, but it can be adjusted if you’ll just back off for a second so I can fix it!”
I look down at the remote and hurriedly click another button. It starts counting down from six with each press, and I stop when I get to two, resetting the attack radius for the dress. I look up and the butterflies instantly calm. They pull in closer to me, some of them landing and blending in with the others already attached to my dress, while the rest of the kaleidoscope continues to flutter around my body like they’re nothing more than innocent animatronic accessories.
Bloody scales, that just might be better than lasers.
My smirk is wide and elation percolates through me as I survey the cuts and scrapes marring a handful of very pissed off drakes.
“Please don’t do that, they’re very hard to make,” Nixy pleads, and I look over to find a Burner melting butterflies with the blue flames floating in his hand, while a Thrasher works to crush the ones he managed to catch.
“Hey!” I shout, rage and possession surging in time with my dragon as it unexpectedly swells and presses against the confines of my body. “Those aremine.”
Something in my voice has every head in the room cautiously turning to take me in. The blue flame in the Burner’s hand sputters out, and the Thrasher opens his fist and lets two butterflies fly away. I glare at both guards while internally trying not to freak out over the unexpected possessive show of my broken other half.
“What is going on here?” Farrow demands, drawing everyone’s attention as he strides into the room, Karis tight on his heels.
Both Wing members look pissed, but that could have everything to do with my refusal to explain my cryptic message to the king before I ordered them to deliver it, and nothing to do with the face-off that’s occurring between me and the guards they left behind.
“We leave you alone for ten minutes and come back to this,” Farrow barks with obvious disdain.
“It’s the butterflies, sir,” Shaw rushes to explain while gesturing wildly in my direction.
I bite back a laugh at the incredulous look that crosses Farrow’s face.
Karis turns to me and notches an eyebrow. “Explain.”
