The Dragon Realm (Dark World The Dragon Twins #2) - Michelle Madow Page 0,38

mimosas.” I quickly sat down, avoiding meeting Rohan’s eyes.

Lucy left the champagne cart next to the table. “So you can mix your own,” she explained. “I know everyone prefers their mimosas differently. Now, if you don’t need anything else…”

“This is perfect.” Rohan shot her a movie star grin. “Thanks, Lucy.”

She beamed in return. “Any time,” she said. “Enjoy!” She hopped around and hurried out of the room, closing the doors behind her.

“You did it again,” I said once she was gone.

“Mesmerized her?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Maybe I did.” He shrugged. “But I don’t have a gift. It’s all natural.”

From his amused expression, I had a feeling he was telling the truth.

He was beyond frustrating.

No good response came to my mind, so I stood up, walked to the cart, and picked up the bottle of champagne. It was an expensive brand I’d only had once, for my sixteenth birthday.

“No way am I ruining this with juice.” I easily popped the cork and poured myself a glass, not stopping until it reached the top.

“For someone who was iffy about having mimosas, you’re sure going heavy on that champagne,” Rohan observed.

“It’s champagne—not vodka,” I said. “I’ll barely feel a thing.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“No,” I said, since I didn’t want to let my guard down too much around him. “But I bet I can eat more pancakes than you.”

“Challenge accepted,” he said, and then we both dug in.

As we ate and drank, I ended up telling Rohan everything that had happened since Gemma, Mira, and Ethan had arrived in Utopia.

He was good, fun company. And it was refreshing to chat with him. I’d tried to spend time with the high witches of the Vale, but they’d been standoffish from the beginning.

They hadn’t said it outright, but I knew it was because I was a vampire. Even though I could use my witch magic, they didn’t consider me to be one of them. I was an outsider, and they’d made sure I knew it.

Breakfast with Rohan was the most relaxed I’d felt since getting to the Vale. Which was crazy, since a few weeks ago I never would have thought it possible that I’d feel at ease around a supernatural male. But after being rejected from Avalon and rejected by the witches, it felt nice to feel accepted.

Even if that acceptance was from an arrogant male vampire with more charm than should be legal.

“So Lilith has the Dark Grail and the Dark Crown, and Lavinia has the Dark Wand,” he said once I’d finished telling him everything. “Who has the Dark Sword?”

It was a good question—one I was surprised I hadn’t thought of yet.

Maybe he’d been right, and I’d been spending too much time brooding in my room instead of trying to do something productive.

“I don’t know,” I said, and just like that, an idea started forming in my mind. “But maybe…”

He leaned forward, intrigued. “Maybe what?”

“We know Lilith and Lavinia are trying to find the Dark Sword,” I started. “But what if we got to it first?”

“And then what?” he said. “They’ll track it down with that dragon heart and destroy the Vale like they destroyed Utopia?”

His words were a jolt to my heart.

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

I swallowed down my grief. “I know you didn’t,” I said, then quickly returned to the subject at hand. “But they haven’t tried attacking any other kingdoms now that we have Nephilim patrolling the borders.”

“True. But they probably want that Sword more than they wanted the twins,” he said. “If they know it’s here, they’ll figure out a way.”

“So what if we don’t keep it in the Vale?”

“Do you think you can convince the Ward to take it?”

“Not the Ward,” I said. “It would be safest somewhere the demons and dark witches literally can’t reach. Which means we need to find that Sword, and get it to Avalon.”

25

Gemma

Standing in the empty ivory hall of the Eternal Library, I pulled off my key necklace and threw it on the marble floor.

I’d been coming here every day for a week.

Each day, Hecate wasn’t there.

What use was endless knowledge when the person who was supposed to give it to you was never available?

I was so angry that I wanted to blast fire at the key. I wouldn’t actually do it—I wasn’t stupid—but it was probably a good thing I couldn’t access my dragon magic while in Hecate’s realm.

I glanced at the door to the hall with the endless shelves of books. Because I’d seen the book that had