CHAPTER ONE
Storm Fireblood parked his car in front of his house and killed the engine. As he unbuckled his seat belt, he noticed that his younger brother, Seath, was still sitting in the passenger seat, doing a great job pretending to be a statue.
Storm narrowed his eyes at Seath. This was highly unusual. Something was up.
Seath usually bounced out of the car the instant Storm turned into their street, sometimes even before the car had pulled to a complete stop.
Storm and Seath lived right next door to each other. Their eldest brother, Sky, used to live next door to Storm as well, but Sky had gotten married and had bought a cozy little house near the town center with his mate, Leia. Storm was sure they would soon be filling the house with adorable, fiery little dragons, and Storm couldn’t wait to be an uncle.
Storm glanced at Seath, who was still sitting in the car like a big, immovable rock. As he stared as his baby brother, Storm suddenly realized that his little brother was no longer a boy. Seath was all grown up, and he was now a fine young man.
Seath had just turned twenty-one, and he was now taller and brawnier than Storm. The kid might have a powerful physique, but it was his character that made Storm’s heart swell with pride. Seath was young, but he was brave, loyal, hardworking and even though the brothers had gone through some tough times, Seath never lost his cheerful nature and sense of humor.
Life hadn’t been easy for the three brothers after their mother died when Sky and Storm were teenagers, but they stuck together and looked out for one another.
Of the three of them, Storm knew that Seath was the one with the biggest muscles and the biggest heart. The kid never lost that sweet, childlike innocence and his sensitive, caring nature even though he’d had to grow up in a hurry.
But something seemed to be bothering Seath now. He wasn’t even making an effort to get out of the car. Seath was always the first to run indoors and jump in the shower once they got off work.
Sky, Storm and Seath had their own landscaping business, and they worked hard to build up the reputation of Fireblood Landscapers. The brothers worked well together, and they were proud of their success. They had come to the small town of Shadow Point as outcasts and misfits, but now they were all proud and happy to call Shadow Point home.
“Aren’t you making a beeline for the shower?” Storm said, raising a brow at Seath. Truth be told, he was starting to get a little worried and spooked by his brother’s odd behavior. “Are you feeling all right, buddy?”
Seath grunted and remained in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead.
Storm’s frown deepened as he eyed his brother with growing suspicion and concern. This wasn’t like Seath at all. Seath loved food. Food, glorious food, was his joy and passion.
Seath didn’t run headlong into the shower every evening because he was a cleanliness freak. Seath was a food freak! He knew that the faster they cleaned up and made themselves presentable, the sooner they could go grab dinner.
Storm and Seath sometimes went over to Sky’s house for dinner. Their sister-in-law, Leia, could cook really well, and she always made Seath his favorite pies.
But tonight was date night for Sky and Leia. So Storm and Seath were on their own. They’d planned to go to Broomstick Inn for dinner. The dining room of the inn was open to the public during lunch time and dinner time, and it was almost impossible to get a table at dinner time.
Broomstick Inn was run by Gramma and Ne-ma, the two energetic, exuberant grandmotherly witches who seemed to know almost everyone in Shadow Point. Storm and his brothers had grown to love Gramma and Ne-ma dearly.
When Storm, Sky and Seath first came to Shadow Point, they didn’t know anyone in town and they were wary of the townspeople. Gramma and Ne-ma were the first two people to introduce themselves to the Fireblood brothers, and they helped Storm and his brothers get their business off the ground by recommending their landscaping services to all their friends and neighbors.
Storm knew that Seath was eager to eat at Broomstick Inn because tonight was “Pie Night” at the inn. Gramma and Ne-ma were serving all kinds of pie for dinner and dessert, and Seath loved pie.
“Seath?” Storm peered at his brother. Alarm bells were now ringing in his head. “Hey, talk to me, buddy. Whatever it is, I’ll help you.”
At his words, Seath sprang back to life. Seath’s eyes widened and a delighted smile spread across his face. He turned happily to Storm and grabbed his arm.
“Really?” Seath said eagerly. “You’ll help me?”
“Yeah. Of course. You know I’ll do anything for you.”
Storm groaned inwardly when he saw his brother’s cheeky grin. That was exactly what Seath wanted to hear.
His baby brother had played him like a fiddle.