Falcyn snorted. “As if I give two shits for Savitar’s laws.” He raked a bitter stare over Urian. “Oryou,for that matter. And even less for your boss. So don’t even think of dragging Acheron’s name into this as protection from my wrath. I dare him to say a single word to me … onanymatter.”
Urian scowled at his words and bravado given the fact that Acheron was the final Fate of all. To defy him while knowing his real place in the universe was a special level of stupid and bravery that most lacked. “Is there nothing you fear?”
Falcyn’s gaze went past Urian’s shoulder to something in the crowd.
“Aye, but sadly she’s not here.”
Urian turned his head at the sound of the deep voice behind him. Blaise du Fey. There was a bastard he hadn’t seen in a long, long time. Another of Xyn’s dubious kin.
But at least he was a little better natured than Falcyn. With hair as pale as Urian’s and eyes a peculiar lavender shade, Blaise was a fierce and reliable warrior.
And like Xyn, his ears held a bit of a point to them. Something that always hit Urian hard in the gut whenever he saw Blaise or any of the Adoni as it reminded him of the way he used to nibble and toy affectionately with Xyn’s. Those ears had always been a source of fascination for him.
Stop, Uri! You make me self-conscious! I feel enough like a freak because of them.
Don’t say that. I adore your ears. They’re as beautiful as the rest of you. And the fact that they’re not like everyone else’s makes them as special as you are. You should never cover them. Rather flaunt them to the world. Let them see the unique beauty that is you.
God, how he missed her. And instead of having her precious kindness, he was stuck with her two asshole brothers to deal with.
Awesome.
Falcyn tsked at him. “Now, Blaise, why would you go and bring Xyn into this? Especially given what a sore topic that is?”
Blaise let loose a charming grin. “Felt the need to rankle my big brother. Besides, everyone else fears you so. You need me to even you out.” Blaise kept his hand raised and out so that he could feel his way through them. Because of his albinism, he was blind in his human body. “And if you’re through scaring the natives, I’ve got something I need to speak to you about.”
Falcyn sneered. “Rather spend time scaring the natives than listening to your petulant whine.”
“Ah, now, you’re going to hurt my feelings.”
“You don’t have any feelings.”
“Not true. I had a lot of them, until you, Kerrigan, and Illarion shriveled them into oblivion. But I think I managed to salvage one or two. Please, try not to kill those last two off. I might need them one day.”
Urian shook his head at Medea, who was so lucky that she’d been raised as an only child. He envied her that.
Falcyn made a rude noise of dismissal. “Those are called hunger pangs.”
Blaise laughed. “Hungry for a kind word, you mean.”
“Well, you won’t be getting it here.” Falcyn gestured toward the stairs as if his brother could see his movements. “So off with you.”
Blaise sighed heavily. “’Fraid not. Must intrude. Can’t wait.”
Urian pulled Medea away from the fighting dragons. “Well, then. We’ll leave you to your argument. Come, big sis. Let’s get out of here before Godzilla and Mothra go at it and we’re caught in the crossfire.”
She screwed her face up at him. “Before who and what?”
Urian groaned under his breath. How could he forget that she knew next to nothing about pop culture? It was actually painful how few of his quotes she understood. “One day we’ve got to do an all-day movie marathon to catch you up on my references.” And with that, he pulled her toward the stairs.
“What are they?” she asked him as he led her upstairs to the less crowded area of the bar.
“Blaise is a mandrake. Falcyn … hell if I know. He’s one of the dragon breeds, but not a Were-Hunter.” Even though Urian usually called him that just to piss him off because it was fun to listen to the irritable bowel symptom noises Falcyn made in protest.
“If they’re brothers, he’d be a mandrake, too. Right?”
One would think. But he’d learned centuries ago from Xyn that it didn’t work that way. “I don’t think they’re really related. The dragons have an even more peculiar idea of what constitutes family than we do.”
“But if he’s a dragon and he’s not a mandrake or Were-Hunter, how can he be human? Aren’t they the only two kinds of pure-blooded dragons who can take human form?”
