my ear, his breath playing through my hair and down my neck and giving me goose bumps. I wiggled my hands up to his smooth, muscled chest and pushed back from him, needing space to think. “Why are dragons so keen on avoiding questions?”
“Ah, so she told you she’s a dragon, then?”
“Nope, you just did.”
He laughed again, but softly this time. “What gave it away?”
“The eyes flashed that weird blue color. Then she said she knew I was the Niteclif. Only the supernatural world knows about my existence, so logic says she must be one of your world. Then you came here in dragon form, without concern of being seen, so she had to know about you. Simple deduction.”
“Well done, Maddy. Ah, the eyes. She must have lost her temper then. Brylanna?”
“She provoked me,” the woman said, sounding sulky.
“And you know better than to be provoked,” Bahlin said, sounding reproving. “Maddy, Brylanna is my sister and yes, she’s a dragon, as well.”
Ah, sister. I hated that I felt relieved, so I took the offensive, though it was more curiosity than anger in my voice. “Explain the whole she-knew-before-I-knew thing.” I walked to the small dining table and sat.
“Make yourself comfortable,” Brylanna said in a sickly sweet voice.
“Brylanna. She is my guest. Respect her as such.” Bahlin’s voice brooked no room for argument.
“My apologies, Niteclif,” she said, looking honestly chagrined.
“Maddy, Brylanna. Please call me Maddy.” Deciding to be the bigger person, I stood and walked to her, sticking out my hand again. “I’d like to start over with you. It seems that we’ve somehow taken off on the wrong foot.”
She tilted her head to one side and considered, then stuck out her hand. She grasped my hand and bent her head over the joined digits, humming in a way similar to Bahlin’s heat-generating sound. I tried to take my hand back, and she tightened her grip to just this side of pain.
Beginning to feel trapped, I looked at Bahlin and realized his eyes had changed to icy blue. I tugged harder. Brylanna’s head snapped up, and her eyes matched Bahlin’s in their other-worldliness.
“Your path has changed, Maddy,” she said in a resonating voice. “You’ve lost someone from your inner circle, and it is unclear whether he will be returned to you.”
“Tarrek,” I whispered and her hand squeezed mine tighter. Panic fluttered in my chest.
“Brylanna’s a Seer,” Bahlin said softly, having come up behind me. He laid his hand on my shoulder.
“Bahlin, remove your hand. It clouds my Site,” she said in that timbered voice. She bowed her head deeper over our joined hands. Suddenly she was grinding the bones of my hand together. I grunted in pain and she fell to her knees in front of me, hissing.
“Brylanna,” Bahlin shouted.
“Oh, goddess, she’s dark, Bahlin. I cannot see beyond—”
“Leave it,” he ordered again, grasping our hands and wrenching them apart.
Her head snapped up, and she growled at him. “It’s not for you to divine now is it, brother?” she asked cryptically. He held out a hand and helped her to her feet. She accepted then flung herself free of him, turning away from us and wrapping her arms around her middle. I stood shaking, unsure what had just happened, clutching my bruised hand to my chest.
“What did you see?” I asked.
Taking a deep breath she turned back to us, her eyes no longer that icy blue. She looked first to Bahlin and then to me. “Part of it I will not tell you because he,—” she inclined her head toward her brother, “—doesn’t want you to know. But as for the other, you should be prepared. You are hunted by something dark, soulless. It comes for you in stealth, though you know who it is already. And you are ill prepared to defend yourself. Bahlin will come to your aid, but it may not be soon enough. If it is not, you will both perish. Bahlin,” her voice cracking, “the shadow—it’s after your stone.”
In a moment of hysteria, I burst into tear-inducing laughter. Both dragons turned to look at me, astonished.
“It wants his stone?” I gasped for breath and wiped my wind-chapped cheeks. “Isn’t that rather personal?”
“Oh for the love, Maddy,” Bahlin said, rolling his eyes. “Get your mind out of the gutter, chick. My stone, not my stones.” Suddenly he was chuckling and we paused, looking at each other.
“Fine. Laugh if you will, but this may be the death of you and I cannot see.” Brylanna stormed toward the front door.