“Even staying alive?”
He shrugged.“As long as I don’t die because some damned demon or Dragon got the best of me.”The upside to not caring was that he didn’t have to fear losing anything.Or anyone.The downside?Not caring about anything.Or anyone.
“Dragons can’t fly?We have wings.”
“It’s against the law now.When I was born, Miami was largely unpopulated by Mundanes.It wasn’t until the 1870s that developers came in hordes.During the population booms, we only flew in the dark, soaring through the night skies with the glitter of stars and moonlight on our scales.”He paused, taking in a delectable memory of those moments.“With the development of satellites and radar, airplanes and cameras, we can’t take the chance anymore.Can you imagine those videos up on YouTube?”
Younger generations didn’t know the singular experience of soaring through the night sky, the wind tugging at their wings.A shame.Then again, it was probably worse to know a pleasure one could no longer experience.
Yes, much worse.
His gaze went to her mouth, and he remembered how it had felt on his.Another pleasure he could not have again.
She faced him, her head tilted as she studied him.“You care about flying.I heard something in your voice.Emotion, nostalgia, longing.”
“Your imagination.”
“Yeah, right.What if Crescents did come out of the closet, so to speak?Rule Number One seems pretty severe to me.And very restrictive.”
“Before Miami was populated, the Crescents didn’t hide their powers.A group of settlers pretended to be our friends, but one night they ambushed Crescents in their own homes.They killed over a hundred of us before they were stopped.”
“That’s terrible.”
He only nodded, not letting himself go back to that dark, moonless night.“The Concilium has discussed it over the years, but ultimately the Rule has remained.People are afraid of what they don’t understand.Especially when it’s dangerous.”
“I guess they’d get pretty freaked out to learn that there are Dragons among us.I sure did.”
How far she’d come.Unfortunately, she had much more to go.He nodded toward his phone.“That call I took earlier was from my former boss.The man who ordered your family’s murder just contacted him, suspicious that the assassin did not complete the assignment.Somehow Mr.Smith”—his expression told her it was the anonymous kind of Smith—”has figured out that you’re Justin’s daughter, alive and well.Which confirms for me that he’s the one who sent that star orb.His target was Moncrief, but he could see you through the orb.The question is, why did he go after Moncrief to begin with?”
“Mon’s phone showed a call from Brom a short time before he called me, insisting that I go to his house immediately.And he did warn me that seeing Brom was dangerous.”
“So maybe Mr.Smith was spying on Brom and heard whatever it is that’s brought him back to Miami.He couldn’t kill Brom so he sent a parasitic demon instead.He does kill Moncrief because he knows too much.And that could be why you’re a target, too.”The thought of them hunting her tightened his chest.“But why is he trying so hard?It’s not like you’ve gone to the Guard or Concilium to report anything.Until recently, you didn’t even know you were a Crescent.It doesn’t make sense.”
She gripped the door handle.“If I get my hands—or talons—onMr.Smithfirst, I’ll kill him.”
“Remember what I said about letting emotion drive you.I’ve seen revenge backfire when fury gets the best of someone.”
As they drove through Brom’s old neighborhood, Ruby did a double-take at a man walking his dog on the sidewalk.“That man was a Crescent.I saw that mist swirling in his eyes.”
“They tend to congregate in the same areas, same as the Cubans, Haitians, and any peoples of a different culture do.For us, it lessens the chance of accidentally exposing our magick to a Mundane.And minimizes people wondering why you don’t age.”
“Why did your former boss callyou?Why not call the assassin?”
“He thought I might know where he is.”
“Which you do.”
He shrugged.“I have an idea.”He felt her hunger to know.“And you will too at some point.”
She sighed her frustration at those last words.“What is he like?A vicious killer.Cold.A Dragon, right?”
“Yes, to all the above.”He slowed down in front of a gated entrance similar to his.“Crescents also value privacy.Many of us bought our properties before the big boom, able to purchase double and triple lots.We’ve had a long time to cultivate hedges and other privacy measures.”
“I vaguely remember coming here.Mon was usually here, too.”
Cyn drove past the closed gate and pulled in to a public beach access.“We’ll come in from the back.Just in case.”He reached beneath the seat and pulled out an ornate wooden stick that was about a hundred years old.
“What’s that?”she asked as she got out.
