Chapter 31
Lachon surveyed his office from behind an antique teak desk. Law books lined the linen colored walls. Normally inspired by the knowledge that surrounded him, today those books felt like tombs. He knew in his bones that the daughter of Gray Taleisin was alive but he couldn't prove it. Rangers he’d sent to speak with the record keeper had disappeared. They’d last made contact prior to checking in at the Vancouver airport. The fools hadn't even made it to her island. All the feelers he sent out came back with the same message. Something had changed. A power had shifted but so far no one could get a hold on why. Then, two nights ago, reports came in from a spy in England that Collum Thronus had been seen with Domhall Taleisin and a young woman at the Heathrow Airport.
Lachon was no fool. He knew what that meant. He'd suspected it from the beginning if he was being honest.
Thronus with Domhall was a variable he didn't want to deal with. Thronus was old, older than old. If the dragons were now involved? If Thronus was somehow involved with the girl, it would change things. He didn't want a war with the dragons, but if the council was right about who her father had been then she was far too dangerous to live. Goddamn he was tired of all this bullshit. And he missed his friend.
Taurin and Ealian burst into his room brandishing a cell phone like a sword. Ealian was practically purple her passions ran so high and Taurin was whiter than normal. They dressed in faded gowns reminiscent of the sixteen hundreds. Their pale and dirty locks hung around their faces. Ealian's breasts attempted to break loose from the too small dress she wore.
He wondered again why he hadn't removed the brother and sister from the council long ago. Elders or not, something was wrong with them. Perhaps they shouldn't have lived so long.
Taurin wailed, “The dragon has killed my soldiers. This is an act of treason. You must send your people after him and kill him.”
Lachon’s heartbeat raced. “What are you talking about? Sit down for God’s sake. You and Ealian rushing in here like tornados solves nothing.”
“Nothing. Indeed, you seem to solve nothing, don't you Lachon?” Ealian seethed.
Her tattoo was dry, the colors of the wind faded but even those shook against her skin. It was a reminder to Lachon that Ealian, at least, was dangerous still.
“Why don't you tell me what you’re talking about and we can find a solution that doesn't involve war with the dragons.”
Taurin practically fell into the leather chair. Ealian slammed her body into the other seat, her small breasts battering against her skin. Taurin grabbed her hand. Lachon noticed again the strange relationship between the two. He wondered, not for the first time, if Taurin's choices had warped his sister’s uncontrollable passion.
“I sent four of my men to Thronus's home in England to see what the bastard beast knows, since you didn't seem to be bothered to do so, and he killed three of them,” Taurin screeched. “This is an aggression that cannot be allowed against us. You must hunt him down.”
Disbelief froze Lachon’s features. “You sent four armed idiots to a dragon’s home and expected what exactly? And you did this without my knowledge. May I fucking remind you that I make the laws for our kind. Not you. Dammit. The council means nothing if you act alone. You know that. And may I also remind you that our laws are not dragon laws. Thronus doesn’t answer to any of us. He was long ago named The Guardian of all races. The beast is a law unto himself.”
“He protects a child that is a danger to us, Lachon,” Taurin whined.
“I know this. And I am working on it. But running off half-cocked won’t help us.” Lachon took a steadying breath. “What did your man report to you?”
Ealian composed herself enough to speak. “He said he was old before we were born and he would kill us as easily as he did our men.”
Lachon slammed his fist onto the desk, disgusted with them like never before. “You’ve endangered us all. Surely you must know this isn’t the way to handle things? My God, what’s happened to the two of you? Never mind. Don’t tell me. Just get out.”
Their blank looks only fired his rage further. “Leave. I can’t stand to look at you. I’m tired of this . . . of you both.” He swept his hand at the office door. “Now go away so I can think.”
As they blustered and argued he managed to push them out the door. They truly were idiots, but idiots were dangerous. None of that changed anything though.
Twenty-five years ago, the council agreed Gray Taleisin should be wed to keep her in check. She’d grown too wild and there were rumors of her finding a lover that could produce a child powerful enough to upset the balance in their world. It was that simple. He'd hated the decision. As expected, it had almost broken Domhall, but he'd agreed it was the right decision. Taurin and Ealian were tasked with finding a strong mate for the young woman.
They’d thought it was all under control until the partner they’d chosen claimed he’d been made a fool. He’d killed her. First, he’d killed the man she’d maintained was her true husband. It had been a shit show of the highest order.
If there was a child from that original union? If that’s who was coming into power, and he suspected it was, then they were in deep, extraordinarily deep, shit.
He spent the afternoon trying to figure out how to outmaneuver the dragon and his old friend, Domhall, but there seemed to be no good plan. If Thronus protected the daughter, it meant the Elementals were at war with the Dragon kind as well as the Parthen.
Shortly after nine o’clock that night, his assistant knocked on his door. “This came for you and it’s marked private.” She handed him a black envelope.
Lachon rushed her out the door and told her to go home before he set himself behind his desk. He sliced through the envelope with an old ivory letter opener. Five words in bold lettering materialized on the paper. Five words he didn't understand. He suspected that he knew who could. Lachon called his assistant back before she reached the elevator.
“Call the pilot and tell him to prep the helicopter for a quick trip to Victoria as soon as he can. Preferably now.”
He turned back to the desk as she scrambled to do his bidding and re-read the words he suspected were about to change everything.
The witch can bind their powers.