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Simone pushed down her emotions. They were at the council house, and it was time for her to put on her social mask. The supernaturals that were gathered outside of the council house would not see any problems between her and Andre, even though she was still mad at him from their conversation in the car. To the outside world, their relationship was perfect.
She could feel Andre’s surprise at her dropping the subject. It was better to show him that she could handle herself instead of trying to tell him.
When Andre reached inside the truck to help her out, she took his hand with grace. While she appeared calm, her eyes were flicking everywhere, trying to see. Back in her old conclave, she had the best distance vision of any dragon. So, growing up, her father always had her on watch during events. But at home, she only had to alert her father’s guards if anything was amiss.
But now, she didn’t have the option to just alert a guard. If she had told Andre and Lisa that she used to perform this function in her conclave, she might have had that option. After they retired for the day, she would tell them so they could plan accordingly from here on out.
As they walked up to the council house, she could feel Andre speaking to someone mentally. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but she wasn’t concentrating on him either. Something was causing the skin on the back of her neck to crawl. If she were in dragon form, she would weave her head about, looking around.
A flash in the distance caught Simone’s attention. Nothing should be moving that far into the desert. She focused and saw the faintest shadow of a man with a rifle.
Andre was speaking to someone who was holding the door open. “Yes, sir. You and Lady Silversbane are the last to arrive.”
Shit! She turned and tackled Andre to the ground. He went down easily since he wasn’t expecting her to move like that. As they hit the ground, she felt the wind and heat from the bullet pass over her head. The wood in the doorjamb splintered from the force of the bullet hitting it.
Her dragon started roaring in her head for vengeance, and Simone had to fight her to keep control. She looked back to where the bullet came from, and she saw movement again.
No fucking way did someone just try to kill Andre. Simone pushed up and started running, ignoring the agitated crowd. She let her dragon take over, and she transformed mid-stride. She leaped into the sky. Her first downward stroke showered the yard of the council house with small fragments of ice.
Within seconds, she was streaking towards where she had seen the sniper. Off in the distance, she could see a wolf running across the desert. She could see he was racing away from a car.
Simone! Keep him in your sights! I’m right behind you! Matt yelled.
The white dragon growled and sped up. There was no way she was letting someone else kill the bastard who had tried to take out Andre. The wolf looked up and spotted her. The blasted beast tried speeding up.
Like that was going to save him. Simone veered slightly upward. She needed a little more height. It was so much easier to catch prey during a swoop.
Don’t kill! We need answers.
That bastard tried killing Andre!
Simone, do not kill him. The power that flowed through Matt’s voice hit her like a hammer. He was an alpha, and she couldn’t disobey him when he used his power.
She growled before dropping out of the sky towards the wolf. The would-be assassin tried jerking in another direction to avoid her, but it was too late. Simone pulled up at the last moment, the wind from her passage picking up the wolf, tossing him twenty feet away. He landed with a yelp. Before he could stand back up, Simone dropped on top of him.
Her feet formed a cage as she back-winged, trying not to sit on him. She wanted to rip his throat out, not squash him flat.
The wolf tried biting her feet, but she barely felt it through her scales. “Stop that,” she growled at him.
The wolf shifted back into his man form. Simone snaked her head down and snapped at him when he tried to scoot between her talons.
“How dare you go after Andre?” This time, she did roar at him. The man fainted dead away.
Simone!
Simone looked around, sensing Andre trying to reach her. Andre?
What’s going on?
She looked down again at the wolf shifter and sniffed. She could smell urine. The fucker had pissed himself.
I caught the bastard who shot at you. Wingbeats sounded in the distance. Fucking coward passed out when I yelled at him. What a pussy.
Are you in your dragon form?
Yes. Why? What in the world did that have to do with the would-be killer being a chicken shit?
She could feel Andre’s amusement. You might’ve scared him, dear.
Oh.
***
WARM WATER LAPPED AROUND Simone as she relaxed in the deep, soaking tub. She had been in the luxurious bath for nearly thirty minutes, trying to get past the assassination attempt.
After she arrived at Sascha’s mansion escorted by two dragons, a servant led her to a large bedroom where she was told she could relax and bathe. When she entered the tub, she had been vibrating with anger from the attack.
She had reached out to Andre several times while he was in the council meeting, and she could feel his worry. She had interrupted him once to tell him she was heading back to the estate.
There was a knock on the door. “Lady Silversbane? The queen is on her way back to the house,” a woman’s voice called out. “You need to get dressed.”
Simone opened her eyes and sat up. “Thank you. I’ll be out soon.”
“There is a selection of outfits on the bed for you.”
At the thought of her dirty, custom outfit, she sighed. It hadn’t even lasted three hours. Hopefully, tomorrow’s outfit would last longer. She wondered if Meredith could restore the corset back to its original glory. Unfortunately, she thought that the silk skirt was toast.
She quickly got out of the tub, dried off, and went back into the bedroom. As promised, there were three outfits on the bed.
The first was a simple, classic, spaghetti-strap dress made of black silk. The second was a strapless red number that was made of Ponte knit.
Simone crossed the red one out immediately. It looked as if it would crawl in the wrong direction all night. The last thing that she needed was to be pulling her dress either down or up all night.
The last drew her attention. It was a crimson silk tank and black jeans that had a stylized dragon embroidered in crimson down one leg. The dragon sealed it for Simone.
She spied a black thong. There was no bra. She swore softly. Her C-cup breasts would be on their own.
Thank the gods I’m a young shifter, she thought as she picked up the thong and put it on, or gravity would be a definite problem.
Getting dressed only took her two minutes. Afterward, she combed through her hair and put on her jewelry again. She didn’t worry about her makeup. She had washed that off before her bath. And there was no makeup available to reapply.
She looked down at her dirty white heels and sighed. There was nothing to do but put them on as well.
I’m on my way. Andre’s speech was brief and clipped.
What’s wrong?
Everything. I’ll explain on our way back to the house.
A knock sounded at the door again. “Yes?” she called out. “I’m decent.”
The door opened, and a servant stuck her head in. “Queen Sascha requests your presence in the library.”
Simone turned from the mirror. “Thank you.” To Andre, she said, Sascha wants to see me.
Concern flowed over their link. I’ll meet you.
She followed the servant through the enormous mansion to a small library on the first floor. Simone noted that the decor, while expensive, was of a desert theme with muted earth colors. Her dragon sniffed. It wanted more color and flashy decorations.
There were lots of people in the house. Most looked at her with unabashed curiosity but said nothing as she walked by. She could smell smoke from a barbecue outside. Hopefully, she could get a plate soon. It had been hours since her last meal.
The servant opened the door and motioned for her to enter. Simone paused, took a deep breath, and then walked in. The library was small. It was close to fifteen by twenty feet and had no windows. Bookcases lined all the walls of the room. There was even a shelf above the door that contained books.
In the center of the room stood a medium-sized rosewood table with four comfortably-padded chairs around it. Two of the chairs held Matt and a stunning dark-haired beauty that Simone assumed was Queen Sascha.
Simone dipped into a curtsey as the door to the room shut behind her. “Your Highness. Lord Matt.”
Matt had taken the time to bathe and dress since she had last seen him in the desert. He had arrived on the scene minutes after she had captured the wolf shifter that had tried to kill Andre.
He stood and walked over to Simone. Bending over, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Good work on catching that assassin. My men said that you were in the air before the sound of the shot had faded.”
The queen gave her a warm smile. “You have my thanks as well.” She motioned to a chair. “Come and sit.”
Not wanting to offend Sascha—and wanting to relieve the pressure on her feet from her heels—she sat in the chair next to the Nightshade queen.
“Matt tells me that the two of you visited The Gateway yesterday?” Sascha asked once Simone sat down in a chair.
Simone nodded quickly. “It was something to behold. I would have never guessed that there was a portal to Faerie right in the center of Las Vegas!”
“It is one of our better-kept secrets,” Matt said, sitting back down in his chair. “It is a source of pride amongst our local supernatural community.”
“I definitely want to visit again.” Simone meant every word. Hopefully, before they departed for Detroit, she could drag Andre along for a visit.
But how would that work? He would have to be in Vegas during the day. She dismissed the thought. There had to be a way that vampires could visit without risking death by sunlight.
“I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future,” Sascha said. “Matt, dear, would you order us some refreshments? I suspect Andre will be here shortly.”
The older dragon went to the door and spoke to someone waiting on the other side. Simone made out that he wanted blood wine for the Nightshade and snacks for the two dragons, which was perfect since she hadn’t eaten since lunch at the resort.
Teach me to skip dinner, she thought wryly.
Andre walked into the study, and Simone looked up at him, giving him a smile. There were worry lines around his eyes, and he walked with less energy than he had earlier.
Was the council meeting stressful?
Disgust came over their link. She barely held in a snort of laughter. Apparently, it didn’t go as well as he hoped.
At least one council member is a coward, and another thinks that I’m an idiot. Andre stopped as he took the chair next to Simone. She looked over at him, reassuring herself that he was in one piece. She noted with a small smile that he had taken off his suit jacket and tie.
“Have Sascha and Matt been suitable hosts?” Andre asked with a smile. He reached out and laid an arm across the back of her chair.
The queen gave off a throaty chuckle. “Of course. When have I ever been a poor host?”
Matt looked over at his queen with one eyebrow raised. “Uh, I can think of an example.”
Sascha reached her hand out and lightly slapped him on the arm. “That was over fifty years ago.”
The dragon laughed. “The fae are still talking about you dumping Lord Sion into the fountain.”
At the confused looks from both Andre and Simone, Matt continued, “Lord Sion had asked Sascha to be his lover several times. She refused each time.”
“The pompous ass wouldn’t take my refusal seriously,” she muttered darkly.
“He was under the impression that no woman could resist him.” Matt’s eyes crinkled as he laughed at Sascha. “Finally, he tried to force her hand when we were hosting the fae court in Las Vegas. Sascha threw him into one of the casino fountains to cool him off.”
Everyone in the room laughed. Simone could picture the aloof queen losing her temper and pitching a fae into a fountain. Sascha’s temper was famous throughout the supernatural world. After they all calmed down, Sascha got the purpose of their meeting underway.
“We found the location of the Crown of Ice,” Sascha said, all traces of her earlier levity gone.
The Crown of Ice! Why would anyone want to unearth that cursed thing? Simone suppressed a shiver.
No dragon currently living wanted it found. The dragon priests of old had hidden it in order to keep it out of the hands of mortals. The ability to control any shifter was a great temptation for the power-hungry.
She looked over at Matt, who didn’t seem surprised at Sascha’s statement. But he clearly wasn’t happy either.
And she sensed that this wasn’t a surprise to Andre, either.
“Your Highness, wouldn’t it be safer to leave it hidden away?” Simone asked, her voice rising on the last word.
Andre started stroking the back of her neck soothingly. But he remained silent.
“In a perfect world, I would never dream of even looking for it,” Sascha said.
“But Raphael is also seeking it out,” Matt said grimly.
Simone couldn’t suppress her shudder this time. The Mad King wanted the Crown of Ice? That was a scenario guaranteed to cause nightmares.
“We need to grab it before he can. And for that, we need your help.” Sascha’s eyes held a hint of entreaty.
“My help?” Simone’s voice came out as a squeak.
She felt Andre tense up beside her. “Sascha, you can’t mean for Simone to retrieve it?” Anger, tinged with horror, flooded over their bond.
The queen nodded. “Simone is only one of two ice dragons from the royal line alive who can safely move the artifact.”
Simone shook her head wildly. “I’m not of the royal line.”
If she had been of the royal line, her conclave would have known. Dragon genealogy was strictly monitored between the conclaves to prevent interbreeding. Maintaining bloodlines was a major reason for matches between conclaves.
“You are, via Imka,” Matt said gently. She could see the compassion in his eyes. “I don’t know why they didn’t tell you, but your grandfather is of the royal line.”
Everything that Simone thought she’d known about her life was ripped asunder again. Why had her parents kept that from her? She could understand her grandparents not mentioning it. They probably assumed she knew already.
“Who’s the other dragon? Can they go get it for you?” Andre demanded. His anger washed over Simone through their bond. She hated to do it, but she partially blocked him so that she could think.
“I’m afraid the other dragon is a child.” Matt stared at Andre for a second before continuing. “And his parents are hiding to keep Raphael from finding him.”
Various emotions, from shock to anger, ran through Simone. She didn’t want to be the one that could touch that cursed crown. Like all dragons, she grew up hearing tales about what the ancients went through in order to hide the crown away from the world.
She didn’t want to be the reason that it saw the light of day. However, the thought of the Mad King having control of it was worse.
It was very clear that Andre didn’t want her to do this. But he wasn’t worried about the artifact. His concern was that she could be hurt while trying to retrieve it.
Her eyes locked onto Sascha’s, and she saw compassion and understanding in them. All the stories that Simone had heard of Sascha being cold and unfeeling flooded into her mind.
Simone knew then that the stories were wrong. The queen may have to act without mercy, but it didn’t mean that she didn’t care.
You are seeing the real Sascha, Matt’s voice whispered into her mind.
Simone looked away from Sascha. “Where is it? Is it somewhere accessible?”
Andre’s hand moved from behind her. He stared at her in disbelief. “No, Simone.”
“We have a duty to keep Raphael from getting his hands on the crown.” Simone tried to keep her voice even.
“Andre, we would not send Simone in alone,” Matt said. “I have a team of mercenaries to get her in and out.”
“Absolutely not.” Andre’s tone was flat. There was no give in his stance at all.
Excuse me? Simone whipped her head around and glared at Andre. “What?” Her tone was sharp.
“I’m not letting you go into danger,” he said implacably.
Before Simone could open her mouth and say something that she would regret, Sascha interrupted them.
“The crown is in the catacombs of Paris. The fae have agreed to let you cross Faerie to come out of their portal in Paris to avoid detection from Raphael.”
That surprised Simone. The fae were notorious for not letting non-fae visit Faerie. Very few outsiders ever saw their lands. They tightened the restrictions after the Mad King started his quest for world domination. The seriousness of her retrieving the crown drove home.
“Andre, my men will guard Simone to within an inch of her life the entire time,” Matt said quietly. “And we will have a plane ready for when she gets the crown. The team can be in the air flying back to the States within thirty minutes of her laying her hands on it.”
The Nightshade lord said nothing for a moment. She could feel his emotions roiling over their link. Then, he spoke. “Do you mind if I speak to my shadow alone about this?”
Sascha waved her hands. “It’s been a long night. We can talk tomorrow before the Council meets.”
***
SILENCE FILLED THE SUV on the ride back to their temporary residence. It was clear that Andre didn’t want to talk about Sascha’s request.
Something bothered Lisa as well, but she didn’t speak about it.
The silence was driving Simone crazy. When she tried to speak, Andre would just tell her they would talk at the house. She wanted to get their upcoming talk over with. She was going to retrieve the artifact. There was no way that she could let the crown fall into the Mad king’s hands if she could prevent it.
And if she refused to retrieve it, the opposing side would continue to hunt the poor dragonling until they got their hands on him. Her dragon rumbled in agreement.
Simone worried over the problem of how she would get Andre on her side for the rest of the ride. The stopping of the SUV in the driveway startled Simone out of her reverie.
Andre helped her out of the SUV, and they went up to the door where Boris held it open.
“Good evening, Lord and Lady Silversbane,” Boris said in welcome.
“Hello, Boris.” Simone gave the butler a tired smile while Andre nodded at him.
“Lisa, Simone and I have to talk for a bit,” Andre said crisply. “But I need to get with you before dawn.”
“That’s fine, Andre. I have some stuff to do anyway.” Lisa nodded at Boris, and then she disappeared deeper into the house.
“There’s a meal prepared for Simone. Would you like it in the smaller dining room?” Boris asked.
The house had a tiny dining area off the kitchen that could only seat four comfortably. But it could be closed off by a door for complete privacy.
Andre looked at Simone with his eyebrow raised in mute inquiry. Simone nodded her head. “That is perfect. Give us time to change, and then we’ll come down.”
Twenty minutes later, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, Simone met Andre in the dining room. He had changed into jeans and a polo shirt.
In the entire time she had known him, he had never completely dressed down. Only at weapons and martial practice would he wear workout clothes.
On the table was a full meal of steak, vegetables, and wine. There was a second carafe that contained blood for Andre. She blessed Boris’s foresight. Her stomach growled at the sight of all that food.
Andre chuckled. “I can hear your stomach over here. Eat and then we can talk.” He pulled out a chair for her, and she sat. When she looked questioningly at him, he waved his hand at her plate. “Eat. Our conversation can wait.”
So, Simone attacked her food while Andre sipped at his blood. They maintained their usual silence until she finished the last of her steak.
“I don’t want you to go to Paris.” Andre held up a finger. His eyes bored into her for a second before shifting away. “But that’s the protective part of me talking.”
Simone took a long sip of her wine and then took a deep breath as she sat the glass down. “We can’t let Raphael get his hands on the Crown of Ice.”
“I know. All the shifters would be in danger from him.”
“It’s not just the shifters. Do you know the crown is the key to several of the other artifacts?” She paused for a second, considering what she was about to impart to him. Hopefully, it wouldn’t get back to her conclave or the Dragon Council on what she was about to tell him.
“What other artifacts?”
“Each shifter race has an artifact that was created by the gods. The gods created articles of power so that when they are all worn together, it would give the bearer the power of a god.” Simone looked away and composed her thoughts before continuing.
“If Raphael can find the six artifacts, he would be akin to a god.”