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RUEN CALLED HIS BOSS when we reached the spot we’d been teleported to. “We’ve completed our mission and we’re ready to return home, my lord,” he said after Drake answered. “Yes, my lord, we’ll be ready,” he added, then ended the call. “Move in closer,” he instructed us. “Gracelyn will be teleporting us home in a minute.”
We shuffled into a tight group, making sure no one would be left behind. When sixty seconds had passed, the fairy zapped us back to Nexus and vertigo hit me. Felicity fell to her knees and heaved again, but her stomach was empty this time. Otis looked shaky as he crouched beside her and put his hand on her back. The others had weathered the journey better this time. Aurora had barely been bothered by it at all.
Drake looked relieved to see us all in one piece. “It’s good to see you again, Aurora,” he said in greeting. “I trust your brief stay in Germany wasn’t too taxing?”
Aurora surprised everyone by striding over to him and hugging him tightly. “I owe you big time for sending your bounty hunters to rescue me, Lord Gilden,” she said, voice quivering with emotion.
He patted her on the back, but his eyes went to me. “Payment for your rescue has already been arranged,” he told her kindly.
Gracelyn put a hand to her forehead and looked a bit pale. “I’ll return to my home now if you have no further need of me, my lord.” Teleporting so many people twice in such a short time must have taken a lot out of her.
The dragon nodded and Aurora stepped back from him. “Thank you again for your assistance, my lady,” he said and escorted her to the elevator.
“I’m glad I could help,” Gracelyn said. She cast a lingering look at us all before stepping into the elevator. The door closed and she was swept downwards.
Drake turned to us and shook his head. “You look like you barely survived a war,” he said ruefully.
“We had to kill nearly a hundred lesser demons,” I said with a grimace.
“Ruen wiped out half of them on his own,” Hugh added.
My ex-partner looked down to avoid everyone’s eyes. “It’s regrettable that you had to witness me in that condition,” he said.
“Is he dangerous to us?” Theo asked their boss.
Drake shook his head. “Ruen is bound to me through blood and magic. He can only harm others if I give him permission to.”
“He’s like a rabid dog on an invisible leash,” Felicity muttered.
Ruen flashed her an irate look, but we all knew she was right. “May I leave, my lord?” he asked. “I’m in dire need of a shower.”
“You may go,” the lord said. “Thank you for your assistance tonight. I’m sure your debts to Ms. Sterling have been repaid in full.”
“They have,” I confirmed. “We’re all square now,” I added to his team.
“I’d say it was our pleasure, but that mission was a bloodbath,” Hugh said grimly, then we all headed towards the elevator.
“I’d like to speak to you alone for a moment, Saige,” Drake said and my shoulders immediately hunched up around my ears.
“Give me your keys,” Aurora requested. “And your phone. I need to let Mekhi know I’m safe and I’m sure Pearl is wondering where we are by now.”
“Your purse and phone are in my car,” I told her. She took my keys, then stepped into the elevator. I waited for it to descend before I turned around. Drake was holding two glasses of whiskey. He’d moved so silently that I hadn’t heard him pouring them.
“You look like you could use this,” he said sympathetically.
Heaving a quiet sigh, I crossed to him and took the shot glass. I downed it in one swallow, then gasped for air at the burning sensation in my throat. “Can I have another one?” I croaked when the heat faded.
Drake downed his own glass, then took mine from me. Our fingers brushed and a different type of heat rose inside me. I watched him walk to the sideboard where he stored his alcohol and pour us both another shot. He handed it to me and I sipped it more slowly this time.
“I take it Valac is dead?” he asked.
“I stabbed him in the heart, then slit his throat for good measure,” I replied in satisfaction.
“Were there any survivors?”
“Nope. We got them all. Valac didn’t find out who Aurora’s former owner is, so I think she’ll be safe.”
He tapped his glass thoughtfully and my eyes were drawn to his diamond ring. He glanced down at it, then arched an eyebrow. “This trinket has caused quite a fuss,” he said wryly.
“Lenny told me that decrepit old fairy at the ball assumed it was a betrothal gift,” I said as my heart sped up.
“Indeed,” he confirmed.
“But, I gave it to you,” I reminded him.
“I’m aware of that, Ms. Sterling.” His tone was amused, yet held a hint of something else.
“Why didn’t you tell everyone it was just a misunderstanding?” I asked, starting to get annoyed.
“There was no misunderstanding,” he told me. “A gift of this magnitude freely given and willingly accepted is considered to be a sign of betrothal between dragons.”
“I’m not a dragon, Drake,” I said in exasperation.
“You have weredragon blood in your genes,” he reminded me smoothly.
“I’m a mongrel,” I pointed out. “I turned into a frugging troll in the fifth realm.”
He smirked, then shook his head. “We’ll discuss our semi-engagement at another time. For now, there’s the matter of the latest favor you owe me.”
I hadn’t forgotten I owed him several favors. “What do you want me to do?” I asked in resignation.
“As partial payment, you will become my employee again and move back into your apartment,” he said.
“And?” I asked, assuming there would be more.
“I’ll no longer be paying you any bounties,” he said. “You’ll now work for me for free.”
“For how long?” I asked in dismay.
“Until I’ve decided you’ve repaid me,” he said in supreme satisfaction.
“What am I going to do for money?” I protested. “I need to pay my bills and buy food!”
He shrugged elegantly. “You’re an intelligent, highly skilled woman. I’m sure you’ll be able to find suitable work.” I fumed in silence and he grinned in triumph. “Do we have a deal?” he asked.
“Do I have a choice?” I snarled.
“Not really,” he replied smugly and downed his drink. “The team will be delighted to have you back on board,” he said. “I’m sure Ruen will be pleased to be partnered up with you again.”
There was nothing I could say that wouldn’t make me sound like a whiny child. I downed what was left of my whiskey, then turned on my heel.
“Is that a new tattoo on your back, Ms. Sterling?” Drake asked when I stabbed the call button so hard that I almost broke it.
I froze, then turned around. My hair had whipped over my shoulder when I’d spun away from him, partially revealing the gold dragon tattoo. “Aurora did it for me recently,” I said, willing the elevator to arrive before he felt compelled to take a closer look at it.
“What is it?” he asked, taking a step towards me, knowing I was hiding something.
“It’s personal, Lord Gilden,” I said, then walked backwards into the elevator when the door opened. “It isn’t part of our deal for me to tell you every detail of my private life.”
He gave me a sardonic look, then the door slid shut and I was swept down to the parking garage.
I sagged against the door, vowing not to wear anything that would reveal my new ink to him. He hadn’t explained why he’d decided to become semi-engaged to me. It made no sense at all.
Aurora was sitting in the passenger seat when I reached my car. “Your mom is furious that you didn’t bring her in on my rescue,” she said when I climbed into the driver’s seat.
I grimaced, knowing I was going to get an earful when we got home. “Was Mekhi glad to hear from you?” I asked.
“He almost cried in relief,” she said as I drove out of the garage.
“He knows about the supernatural world,” I told her. “He doesn’t know you’re a demon, though. I told him I’m a monster, but I didn’t give him the details.”
“It’s a bit of a relief that he knows humans aren’t at the top of the food chain,” she said. “I think I might tell him I’m half-demon, since he can obviously keep a secret.” I nodded in agreement, leaving it up to her. “What did Lord Gilden say to you?” she asked, dying from curiosity.
“He had to make a deal with a fairy to teleport us all to and from Germany to rescue you,” I said. “I owe him for it and he’s decided I’m going to work for him and move back into our apartment.” It was apparently only a partial payment for the large favor, but I kept that part to myself.
“That’s great news!” she said in excitement. “Isn’t it?” she added uncertainly when she saw my grim expression.
“There’s a catch,” I said. “I have to work for him for free until he decides I’ve repaid him.”
“Dragons,” she said, rolling her eyes in annoyance. “It’s always a bad idea to make deals with their kind. How are you going to pay your bills? I’m earning good money now, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to pay for everything for both of us.”
“I’m going to have to get a second job,” I said unhappily. It was a good thing I didn’t need much sleep, because I was going to have to find a day job to help cover our expenses. I didn’t mention my secret engagement to the dragon. How the hell could I explain that to her when I was still coming to terms with it myself?
Drake couldn’t have chosen a more annoying way to punish me for quitting and walking out on him. I was going to be kept extremely busy working night and day. I wouldn’t have much time left to play my beloved videogames. Gaming was my form of therapy. It helped keep me sane after the disturbing things I had to face on a near nightly basis. Without them, I was going to be a very cranky employee.
I realized I was smirking in anticipation of the havoc this deal would no doubt cause. Lord Gilden thought he was so clever, but this was one bargain that just might come back to bite him on his gorgeous ass.
