"This is her?"
Jace was incredulous. Standing with her hands on her hips, looking down at Adelaide with a bemused expression on her face, it was clear to Thorne that she wasn't impressed by the girl that her boss had nearly died bringing back to New York. Thorne had always been good at reading people, which is one of the reasons he excelled as the leader of the Silver Talons, but he hardly needed such skills to see that the rest of the crew felt the same way.
"What exactly were you expecting?" asked Thorne as he stood near Adelaide, who appeared to be totally overwhelmed at being the center of attention. "Her to be ten feet tall and able to shoot lasers from her eyeballs or something?"
"That would actually be pretty cool," said Mick.
"Yeah," said Hoxson. "Hell, I'd bring her on the squad if she could do that, shifter or no shifter.
The group was gathered in the Silver Talons HQ in Hell's Kitchen. The rest of the drive had gone uneventfully, and Thorne was eager to meet up with the Abruzzi and put the mission to bed.
"Call me crazy," said Corvo, his arms crossed under his barrel chest, "but I'm a little more concerned with the fact that boss nearly lost his life bringing her back here. This was supposed to be an easy pick-up, but now we've got half the piss-ant merc crews in the city trying to off us and take this girl."
"Perhaps we should just give her up," said Aurelius from where he sat behind the group, the large window behind him in the main meeting room of the headquarters giving a sweeping view of the city at night. "I'm sure it wouldn't be too much trouble to find a new buyer for her if she's this…popular."
"Not a chance," said Thorne. "We're this close to having her delivered to the Abruzzi. Then we're done with all of this."
Strangely, however, the thought of giving her up didn't sit well with Thorne. It tugged at his stomach to speak the words, and he was already feeling a sense of longing.
What the hell is wrong with me? he thought. Just give the girl to the Abruzzi; that's all that's left.
But he couldn't deny that he was starting to feel…something for the girl. If nothing else, he had a strong feeling of protection toward her.
"There you go," said Adelaide, speaking up, "talking about me like I'm merchandise or something."
"As far as we're concerned," said Aurelius, "that's all you are."
Without thinking, Thorne shot Aurelius a harsh glare. The younger dragon returned the expression for a moment before apparently realizing that he was going toe-to-toe with the boss.
"Well, what's the next move?" said Corvo, his own expression all business. "I'm guessing the Abruzzi aren't going to want to wait long before they get their hands on her."
"You're right about that," said Thorne. "They want to meet with us in an hour. They're sending an escort to pick us up to make sure we get there in one piece."
Right at that moment, Thorne's phone buzzed his pocket. Taking it out, he saw that it was a message indicating that the escort was on its way.
"They'll be here in twenty," he said.
Then he took a long look at his crew, noting that they were all dressed in jeans and t-shirts, clothes that wouldn't look out of place in a biker bar, but not at all appropriate for a meeting with one of the most powerful families in the city.
"Uh, go put some more presentable clothes on," he said.
The crew groaned in unison.
"That's an order," he said.
The squad headed out of the room, leaving Adelaide and Thorne alone. A silence hung in the air for a moment. Thorne wasn't sure just what to say to Adelaide, and apparently, neither was she.
"So, that's it then," she said, standing up and walking over to the window looking out over the city.
"Why wouldn't it be?" said Thorne. "The job was to bring you to the Abruzzi, and that's about to be done. Then you're their problem."
"Oh, so I'm just a problem to you?" asked Adelaide, turning her gaze back to Thorne.
"Considering you're a goddamn magnet for dragon assassins, I'd say you qualify."
Thorne knew what she was getting at. He knew she felt that their night together was something more than just a quick screw, and he realized that he'd be lying to himself if he were to say he wasn't developing some sort of feelings for her.
But, like Thorne said, she was just a job. More than that, too, she was a human, and dragon and human pairings weren't exactly looked upon kindly in the dragon world.
"I don't even know what these people want with me," she said. "For all I know, they're gonna serve me for dinner."
"You watch too many movies," said Thorne. "Dragons don't really eat humans. You'd be more likely to be a live-in slave or something."
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" she said, her voice edged with anger. "I can't believe you don't even give a damn about what these dragons want with me. Don't you know what kind of job you're doing?"
"I told you," he said, raising a finger in the air, "I'm in this to get paid. I don't give a good goddamn what they want with you after that. You're just some fucking human."
The words tasted like ash in Thorne's mouth, and the feeling only worsened as he watched Adelaide's expression fall in response. But he knew he had to put some distance between the two of them; he needed to shove whatever feelings he'd developed far, far down and hope they'd just disappear with the fullness of time.
"Then you're not going to have to worry about this ‘fucking human' for much longer."
With that, she stormed out of the room, leaving Thorne alone.
After a time, another text vibrated in his pocket, signaling that the escort had arrived. The crew, Adelaide in tow, arrived in front of the building and were presented with a massive stretch Humvee, covered in what looked like steel plating. Two serious-looking men in suits stood near the doors of the tank-like car. The crew whistled and made other impressed-sounding noises as they looked the vehicle over.
"Holy shit," said Corvo. "They weren't fucking around with that escort."
"I've seen rides like this before," said Mick. "More of a tank than a car. And loaded for bear."
The crew climbed in and soon were off. Thorne spent the ride in silence, the rest of the crew already celebrating their payday. And Adelaide simply looked out the window, saying nothing. Thorne could only imagine what she was thinking.
Soon, they arrived at the Abruzzi building and, after going through lengthy security checks, found themselves in the main hall. Harold, Marion, and Cedric, all seated in grand, high-backed chairs in front of a massive conference table, appeared to be very pleased to see the crew as they entered the spacious room.
"There she is," said Harold, standing and clasping his slim hands together as Thorne and the rest of the crew entered. "I can't believe I'm looking at her with my own two eyes. Simply incredible.
Thorne and the crew came to a stop in front of the Abruzzi. Harold approached the team, his eyes locked onto Adelaide.
"She's beautiful," said Cedric. "More than I could've ever hoped. You've done very well, my dear parents."
Marion scoffed.
"You think this is about getting you paired off with a girl who you find pleasing to look at?" she asked. "You know damn well that it's what's inside of her that we're concerned with."
Paired off with a girl? thought Thorne. Is that what this is about?
Harold stopped only a few feet from the crew, an eager, excited expression playing on his prim, elegant features. Thorne remained silent, looking at Adelaide out of the corner of his eye. But instead of saying anything, Harold simply leaned in and took a long slow sniff of the air in front of Adelaide, a blissful expression forming on his face as he did.
"That smell…" he said. "It's even more intoxicating than I dreamed. Like…cinnamon and lilacs. I'm halfway tempted to take you for myself."
"Father, you wouldn't!" said Cedric, raising slightly from his seat. "You promised me that she would be mine."
"Oh, calm down, boy," said Harold, waving his hand dismissively toward Cedric while keeping his eyes on Adelaide. "I told you she'd be yours, and that's what I intended to do. But that doesn't mean a man can't indulge in a little fantasy here and there."
Finally, Adelaide spoke. Thorne could tell by her tone that she couldn't take any more.
"What's going on here?" she demanded. "What the hell are you planning on doing with me?"
Harold's silver eyes flicked onto Adelaide's.
"And, on top of everything, the girl's got spunk. I like that."
"Hopefully it doesn't mean that she's going to be…difficult about all of this," said Marion.
"About what?" demanded Adelaide.
Thorne glanced to the rest of his crew. He could sense that they were just as curious as Adelaide about whatever her fate might be.
"I suppose there's no reason to keep this all a secret any longer," said Harold. "After all, we've got her right where we want her."
He turned his back to the crew and took his place in his seat.
"That girl, this little Adelaide, is going to be the bride of my son."
Thorne couldn't understand his reaction to this news. He felt anger, apprehension, and envy all at once. He'd performed hundreds of jobs over the years for the dragons of this city, but now was the first time he felt anything approaching emotional investment. But he kept his silence.
"What?" shot out Adelaide.
"That's right," said Harold.
"But she's just some girl," said Corvo, speaking out of turn. "Why did our boss have to go all the way to New Orleans just to pick up a girl for your son? New York isn't exactly short on women."
Thorne's eyes flicked over to Aurelius, and he noted that the young man had a small smile on his face. Unlike the rest of the crew, he didn't seem to be surprised at this revelation.
"She's no ordinary girl," said Marion.
"No, not at all," said Cedric.
"That scent," said Harold. "That's how we know. That lovely, lovely scent that us dragons can't help but be irresistibly attracted to."
He narrowed his eyes, a grin forming on his lips.
"That girl, inside that lovely body of hers, carries the blood of one of the most ancient shifter families in existence. A family thought long-extinct – the blood of the Melefacts."
Gasps sounded from the crew, and it took every bit of restraint that Thorne had not to react in shock along with them.
"The Melefacts?" said Jace. "No goddamn way?"
"The what?" said Adelaide. "What does that mean?"
"It means, young lady, that you have a power in you that you can't even begin to understand," said Cedric. "You see, the Melefacts were one of the first five great dragon families to walk this earth; their lineage can be traced back for tens of thousands of years."
"Until they all went extinct," said Thorne.
"That's right," said Harold. "Lost in time. Us dragons have always wondered just what happened to these progenitor families, most thinking they were simply killed and replaced as new families came into being. But I've always had other thoughts on the matter. I believed that their bloodline was simply diluted over time as more and more of them mated with humans and gave birth to shifter half-breeds.
"Now," he continued, "a shifter half-breed still retains its power, but only after a generation or two. If a half-breed mates with a human, and then that offspring mates with a human, then, well, after a time, you have a being that no longer has the power to assume our form. For all they know, they're simply a normal human, just like everyone else. But in their blood is the traces of the power that they're descended from."
Harold leaned forward slightly, his eyes still locked on Adelaide.
"And now, we have her. We're going to bring her into the Abruzzi clan, and the child that she has with my son will be one of the most powerful dragons to walk this Earth. And that power will be at my command."
Cedric clapped his hands eagerly.
"She's mine!" he said with almost childlike enthusiasm. "All mine!"
"That's what this is all about?" said Corvo. "Some kind of breeding project?"
"That's certainly a gauche way to put it," said Harold. "I prefer to think of her as…a welcome addition to the family. Sure, it will be quite a scandal to have my son married off to what appears to be a common human, but the controversy will pass. And it will be a small price to pay for such a grand reward."
"And what if I don't want to go along with any of this crap?" said Adelaide.
Harold scoffed.
"You say that as though you have a choice in the matter," said Harold. "Unfortunately for you, your life as a free woman is all but over."
"But it won't be all bad, darling," said Marion. "You'll have access to the wealth of the Abruzzi clan. You'll never have to worry about any material concerns every again. Of course, we'll be keeping a close eye on you once you're part of the family, so it won't be the most…independent life there is. But you'll get used to that in time."
"All I have to do is be a broodmare for your son," said Adelaide.
"That's one way you could look at it," said Harold. "Or you could take it as an opportunity to be a wife and mother."
"In a loveless marriage," said Adelaide. "Where I'll be basically a prisoner."
Harold shook his head.
"Enough," he said. "I'm not going to waste my time explaining myself to a human, despite the blood in her veins."
He then turned to Thorne.
"I need to know when I get paid," said Thorne.
Adelaide shot him a look of surprise and hurt, as though she couldn't believe that he was thinking about money at a time like this.
"Of course," said Harold. "Ever the mercenary. Unfortunately, we're going to have to make a little adjustment to our arrangement."
"What?" said Thorne, anger in his voice.
"You see, despite the unorthodox nature of all of this, we would prefer to keep in like with…some traditions. One of those being keeping the bride and groom apart until we can officially announce the lovely couple to the rest of dragon society," said Harold.
"Not to mention with the fact that there seem to be other dragons who are very keen on taking possession of this girl, it's a prudent decision to keep her hidden away until we can officially bring her into the fold."
Thorne grunted.
"Then the job's not over?"
"Not for you, no," said Harold. "You're going to be keeping this girl protected under lock and key until the official announcement ball in one week. There, we will present Cedric and little Adelaide to the world. You will hand her over then, and payment will be completed once you do."
"I assume we're getting paid for the extra time."
"Naturally.”
Thorne didn't like this. He wanted to be done with Adelaide, if only to be able to put these strange feelings he'd been developing for her behind him. But he knew that there was no way to say "no" to the Abruzzi.
"So," said Harold. "Take her with you and keep her safe. And if you can find out just who is behind the recent attacks, so much the better."
"Fine," said Thorne. "But I'm expecting hazard pay if I have to fight off more damned grays."
"Naturally," said Harold. "Now, you all may leave."
An expression of realization then flashed across his face, as though he'd just remembered something of importance that he nearly forgot.
"Ah, one more thing before you depart."
He snapped his fingers in the air, and a pair of men in crisp, white frocks emerged from a nearby door and approached Adelaide. One grabbed hold of her arms, holding her in place while the other withdrew a small silver device from his pocket.
"What are you doing?" exclaimed Adelaide. "Let me go!"
But before anyone could react, the man with the device jammed the thing into Adelaide's wrist. A clear container filled with blood. A second later, the man withdrew the syringe and looked at it with a nod.
"Just going to run some tests on that lovely, lovely blood of yours, young lady. That will be all."
"Looking forward to seeing you again, my love," said Cedric, that same eager expression on his face.
With that, the crew was escorted from the premises and led back to the Humvee. The ride back was in silence, the information that they'd just received settling into their minds. Thorne couldn't help but keep one eye on Adelaide – after all, he'd been totally shocked by what he'd learned, and could only imagine what she was thinking.
But as he watched the city pass by through the tinted windows of the car, he told himself that all such concerns were nothing. He had a job to do, and he was going to see it through. Despite what he attempted to convince himself of, however, he knew that his heart had other things in mind.