Chapter Twenty-Four
Glasses clinked, and everyone sipped. Then they broke into conversation that ebbed and flowed.
“Who would have thought…”
“I still can’t believe it…”
“Start from the beginning…” Cruz demanded of Kai.
Boone cocked his head at the collection of stones. “It’s funny. I thought that when we had all five, something big would happen. I mean, something really big.”
“Like what?” Nina laughed. “Fireworks?”
Boone gestured vaguely. “I don’t know. A burst of light, maybe? A heat wave?” He laughed. “I guess we should be happy that’s not the case.”
“Exactly. I’m just happy all five are safe,” Silas said.
Cassandra sat perfectly still as the faint memory at the back of her mind stirred. All five…safe… She tilted her head at the collection of precious gems. Why did that sound wrong?
“All good?” Silas murmured, seeing her drift off in thought.
She flashed him a quick smile. Everything was great, right?
Silas stood and took her hand, murmuring to the others. “If you’ll excuse us…”
His eyes glowed, and she smiled for real, knowing exactly what he had in mind.
“Have fun, kids,” Kai called.
Boone whistled, and Nina thumped his arm.
“Hey!” he protested.
“That was once us,” Nina admonished him.
“That’s still us.” Boone laughed, tugging her out of the chair. “If you’ll excuse us, everyone…”
Silas chuckled, keeping Cassandra close as they walked toward the path to his house. Behind them, footsteps, giggles, and lusty growls indicated that the other couples were also heading to their own private corners of Koa Point with their jewels.
Cassandra wound her arm around Silas’s and breathed deeply, looking around. “Such great people. Such a peaceful place. And it’s yours.”
“It’s ours,” he corrected as they walked up the path. “Every part of it.”
She laughed. “All I really care about right now is the bed. And not for sleeping.”
Silas’s arm slid up and down her back, making her hungry for him all over again. But that uneasy something still tapped at her brain, and she couldn’t quite let go of it.
“What’s mine is yours. The bed. The house.” Silas lifted one finger after another as he spoke. “The car. The estate. Oh, and the library, of course.”
She stared at his hand. Five fingers. Five Spirit Stones…
A blurry image raced through her mind as quickly as the ruffled pages of a book.
“The library,” she murmured, taking off for the stairs.
Silas jogged after her. “The library?”
“Yes. No. I mean, sorry,” she mumbled, trying to catch a stray thought that refused to be caught.
She was panting by the time she reached the top level of the house, and when she burst into the library, she crouched by the box next to the door and pulled out one book after another.
“Filimore’s books?” Silas asked, giving her space.
She nodded, not sure which one she sought. She’d only skimmed through a few briefly. She pushed one book aside to check the one under it, then backed up to a green, leather-bound volume.
“This one…”
A moment later, she had it open on the table and under the lamp. Silas leaned over it with her, and she started flipping through the pages. The worn leather cover carried the scent of centuries, and the detailed illustrations on each page were from an era when tasks were measured in years, not hours.
“What are you looking for?” Silas asked in a hushed voice.
“There was something in here about the Spirit Stones…”
“I think I’ve read everything that exists on Spirit Stones,” Silas said in a weary tone.
He sounded as though he’d be happy never to read a book again, but she pressed on.
“Have you ever read these?”
“No. I haven’t had time.”
She flipped through the hand-decorated pages, searching for something that might trigger a memory. Then she stopped at a lushly illustrated scene with a field of dense script along one side.
She peered closer, holding her breath.
“What is it?” Silas asked.
She looked, stunned, fighting the instinct to hide the page. Shouldn’t she allow Silas to enjoy peace for a few more days? Surely, this new complication could wait.
On the other hand, she couldn’t keep a secret from her mate, especially one as critical as this.
She tapped the page, telling herself whatever trouble this new discovery created, they would face — and conquer — it together.
“There. Look.”
She pointed. In the center of the image was a woman holding out both hands, one higher than the other. In the background, a burgundy dragon circled a volcano that shot lava high in the air.
“Have you ever seen this?” she asked.
Silas leaned closer, studying the details. “No. Filimore had so many books…” He ran a finger under the script caption. “The Queen of the witch clan creates the Spirit Stones…”
“You can read that?”
He nodded. “It’s an ancient script, but yes, I can read it. My parents were sticklers for a classical education.” He sighed. “Lucky Kai. He got off easy.”
“Look at her hands.”
The woman in the center — the witch queen — held both palms up with her fingers curled tightly, displaying a full set of rings. One on each finger, with the gemstones showing.
“A diamond…a ruby…” Cassandra pointed at each one. “A sapphire…”
“An amethyst, and an emerald,” Silas finished. “The Spirit Stones.”
He seemed content to leave it there, and she bit her lip, wondering what to say.
Say the truth, the voice inside her urged.
She pointed at the book. “There aren’t five Stones. There are six. Look at her other hand.”
When Silas leaned in for a closer look, his body tensed along her side.
“There’s one more ring with one more gem,” she said. “Something multicolored…”
Silas’s eyes darted from the image to the text and back again.
“What does it say?” she begged.
He ran a finger under the script and read aloud. “Five Spirit Stones, born of fire…”
She waited impatiently.
“Commissioned by the great dragon lord…”
If there were a fast-forward switch to Silas’s commentary, she would have hit it.
His voice dropped. “And the Keystone shall unite the others…”
Silas trailed off, and they stared at each other.
“The Keystone?” She gulped. “Have you ever heard of it?”
He shook his head immediately. “Never. But it says here, First, the queen created the Keystone, and with it, she breathed life into the diamond, the ruby…”
Cassandra had felt so happy a short time ago. Now all the anxiety pressed back in.
“So it isn’t over. There’s one more Spirit Stone out there.”
Silas nodded slowly. “Sounds like there could be.”
She tilted her head at the image. “What kind of gem looks like that?”
“Like a rainbow? I have no idea.”
Cassandra looked at the box by the door. “You brought those from New York, right?”
He nodded. “They’re the oldest books from Filimore’s collection — the ones he kept in a separate vault. I took them in case Drax came along, but I haven’t been able to read them yet.”
Cassandra’s blood ran cold. “Do you think Moira knows about this?”
His chin dipped, and for a moment, he looked older. Wearier. “I doubt she knows. I doubt anyone knows.”
“Maybe this book is wrong,” she tried.
He shook his head immediately and showed her the title page. “By Marius Baird. He’s a legend among dragon scholars. I doubt he would be wrong.”
She wrung her hands. “Damn it. Just when I thought we had everything figured out…” Then she sighed. “If nothing else, I think I just found myself a new job.”
He tilted his head in a question, so she went on.
“Learning to read that script and going through all these books. We’re going to have to if we want to find out more about that sixth stone.”
Silas rubbed his chin. “That means another trip to New York.”
“To clear out my apartment?” She’d already pictured the process, and frankly, she couldn’t wait.
He smiled. “That, and to go through Filimore’s penthouse.”
“The penthouse. Of course.” She waved a hand like it was nothing.
Silas nodded toward the box of books. “There are a lot more books there. You think you’re ready to give up bartending?”
She laughed. “If I get to explore these books, yes. Maybe I’ll finally learn a spell or two. I love the idea of helping Tessa too.” Her face fell into a frown. “After we figure out what to do about this Keystone, that is.”
Silas tipped her chin up and flashed her a bittersweet smile. “That could take years. But you know what?”
“What?”
He hugged her fiercely. “I am putting problems aside for tonight. Exploring the fine art of procrastination, as Boone might say. In fact, I am putting problems aside for several nights. Because I have my mate, and nothing is going to stop us from enjoying our time together.”
She burst into a smile and slowly shut the book as lust reared up in her again. They couldn’t procrastinate forever, but yeah — a week or so would be nice.
“Well, then,” she said, inching around until she was sitting on the desk. She pulled Silas into the V between her knees and wrapped her legs around him. “I’ve always had a fantasy about this table, you know.”
She ran her arms over his chest then lay back slowly. Silas pushed the books aside and nestled close enough to make every hard ridge of his body felt.
“And what exactly did you have in mind?” he asked, leaning over her.
“A kiss.”
One pencil-thin eyebrow arched. “Just a kiss?”
She tried — and failed — to hide her smile. “Maybe more than just a kiss. But you’d better act fast.”
“Oh, yes?”
“Yep. This offer is going once…” she said, wondering if her eyes were shining as brightly as his.
He placed his elbows on either side of her and settled in close.
“Going twice…”
His lips twitched, and his eyes glowed.
“Gone,” he whispered, kissing her lips.
* * *
Thank you for reading Love of the Dragon! If you enjoyed the story, please leave a review on or . Reviews are the best way to thank an independent author for a story you’ve loved.
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Love of the Dragon is Book 5 of the series. The action, emotion, and passion continues in , Book 6. Click for a sneak peek of Ella’s story, or order it on today!
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