Hour of the Dragon - Heather Killough-Walden Page 0,177

candy could help, at least a little. She’d learned that the hard way during her own baptism by fire.

And now here she was putting her friend through the same.

Piper gave her a final uncertain look before slowly lowering to her knees beside the detective and his partner. James looked from Annaleia to Piper, his gaze searching. He seemed so lost in that moment. And Anna could feel the shared anxieties, hopeful fears, and strained anticipation that everyone around them echoed where this was concerned.

Her gaze searched the faces in the crowd. Beside Conall, Antares stood watching her in silence. He gave her a nod of reassurance but kept his distance, allowing her to lead where needed. His expression was sure and proud, but worried. He knew she had to do this. But she could tell he just damn well hoped it all worked out.

Anna took a deep breath and knelt down beside Piper then closed her eyes, concentrating. She slipped her hand into the pocket of her grey leather jacket and sighed with relief when her fingers closed over the object she’d been concentrating on. Antares was right. She was going to thoroughly enjoy some of the perks that came with being a dragon. Such as wishing for a specific sugary sweet, and having it appear in her pocket.

The clothes Anna now wore were the dark gray leather clothes that had formed over her body when she’d shifted back into human form. Because of her inherited draconic knowledge, Annaleia innately understood that the clothing was an extension of her, the charcoal gray leather a reflection of her inner storm, shot through with the gradient purple of her own electric magic. She loved the outfit. Especially the boots. Plus, she looked really damn good in it.

But the sweetest thing about the clothes was that as an extension of her, they were capable of rooting her in the dragon realm. As long as she wasn’t somehow permanently separated from them, she could pull things to her from that other world. Such as candy from her own candy closet. Every dragon had one. Every dragon had a den.

She didn’t know where her own den was yet, but it seemed to already be well stocked, because when Anna pulled her hand back out, she was holding the Australian Violet Crumble chocolate bar that she’d hoped for. It was Piper’s favorite candy.

Along with about a million other interesting draconic facts, Annaleia had been given the knowledge that every born dragon was automatically granted their own den. The dens were similar to the one Ares possessed, but each was catered to its dragon owner. The den would appear somewhere in the ever-expanding dragon realm as soon as all three of the new dragon’s hearts beat their first beat. The dragon only then had to find the den and claim it, which was easy since the den would call to and guide its dragon home and would open for no one else.

Anna had a lot to look forward to. But for now, she showed the bar to Piper and said, “Eat this.” She wished dragons had sway over mortal will the way vampires did, but alas that was not one of their natural talents anywhere but in their dens alone. Otherwise she could have just forced her friend to eat it. She held the candy out to Piper and added, “And trust me. Okay?”

Piper regarded the chocolate bar with more confusion, her brow furrowing. “What? Why – Anna, I’m so sorry but I’m telling you I don’t feel like I have your ability –”

Jarrod Sterling stepped toward them, moving so that he took a knee directly behind Piper. He leaned in close to her, his lips to her ear, his gaze locked on Anna. “Take the candy, Piper,” he told her softly. Anna could feel his incubus magic wrapping around her friend; small measures of it rolled off him, enough for Anna to feel it brush against her own skin. She gave him a very slight nod of appreciation, and he smiled at her.

“Take it and eat it,” he told Piper, his eyes glittering as his small smile became decidedly wicked. The command was an innuendo if ever there was one, but he was a sex demon, so she wasn’t the least bit surprised.

Besides, it worked. Piper’s eyes glazed over. She reached out and took the bar from Anna’s hand, unwrapped it, and took a bite as around twenty supernaturally gorgeous men in leather and blood moved