***
Jean Luc was a tall, dark and handsome man.
Then again, all of them were handsome.
Ford, Alaric, Jean Luc, Derek and Dorian were all talkative and friendly. They were also the epitome of best friends.
When you thought of brothers, these guys were what you pictured.
Then there was the real brother of Nikolai and Keifer.
Farrow didn’t act like he wanted to be there.
Something about him just screamed leave me alone! even though he was in the room.
The other man who didn’t seem to fit was Ian.
He was the one in the corner, a deep, brooding feeling wafting from him.
He had dark eyes, a scowl set in stone, and a set of arms that could easily break me in half if he had half a mind to try.
Dark, scary looking tattoos took up the majority of said arms, snaking and curling around each contoured muscle like it was alive.
But it was his eyes, though, that let me know that he wasn’t truly a bad person.
That, and the pink fairy dragon that was perched on his shoulder.
I knew he knew it was there, too.
He could see it.
Nobody else could, though.
They could feel them, though.
Each and every one of the fairy dragons I’d brought home were now paired with various dragon riders.
Everyone in the room had one, including Mr. Grouchy Pants, aka Farrow, Keifer and Nikolai’s brother.
“Why do you think we can’t see them?” Blythe asked. “Do you think I have to do something worthy, like push this kid out to get them to let me see them?”
I shrugged. “I don’t really know.”
She pursed her lips. “You’re not being very helpful tonight.”
I snorted. “I know just about as much, if not less, than you do. So what exactly do you want me to say here? I’m learning right along with you.”
She growled.
“This kid is giving me indigestion. And I want to eat a cow,” Blythe grumbled.
“Like a literal cow, or a steak?” I asked worriedly.
“A steak. And a hamburger. And some ribs and brisket,” she qualified.
“The last time you had ribs, you threw up because the barbeque sauce was too thick,” I said. “Remember?”
She glared at me.
“It was gross,” she said. “Like literally. I threw up because it was poisoned.”
I rolled my eyes.
They landed on Ian again.
“Why’s he over there by himself?” I asked.
Blythe followed my gaze, and she shivered.
“I don’t know,” she said. “When I first got here, Keifer told me to stay away from him because he wasn’t ‘stable’.”
“How’s he not stable?” I asked. “Like mentally unstable or traumatized unstable?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve asked Keifer about him, but I never really get any answers.”
“Hmmm,” I said.
My eyes caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and I watched as Ian walked out of the room without a backward glance.
But he moved deliberately, as if he was being careful of the dragon on his back, confirming that he was more than aware of just exactly where that dragon was.
“I’ll be right back,” I said. “I have to use the little girl’s room.”
“Hmm,” she said, her eyes falling on the food that Keifer had just brought into the room.
On the plate was a huge ass steak, and nothing else.
He set it down in front of Blythe, then walked away.
“What the fuck was that?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I think the baby talks to him.”
“Weird,” I said. “What does he say?”
She shook her head. “I don’t really get much on that subject,” she answered. “And I thought you had to go to the bathroom.”
I glared.
Then left, waving to Nikolai as I exited the room.
He winked at me, then lifted his beer up to his mouth as he turned back to the man he was talking to, Derek.
Derek, apparently, had been in a coma not too long ago, and he was still pretty lanky due to that.
He looked like he could easily stand to gain at least twenty-five to thirty pounds.
And Nikolai’s sister stood at the bar, shooting the man inconspicuous glances during her conversation with another man that belonged to the Dragon’s Warriors, Alaric.
I walked out of the room, my eyes searching before I’d even gotten all the way into the hallway.
I found Ian a lot sooner than I thought I would.
He was standing in the kitchen in front of the fridge, offering the dragon on his shoulder a marshmallow.
“You can see him!” I said excitedly.
“Her,” he said. “And yes I can.”
“How?” I asked, walking closer with no regard for personal space.
I had a problem with that.
And I was working on it.
In the meantime, I hoped that the people I did it to didn’t care.
“I named her,” Ian said darkly. “That’s why I can see her.”
I blinked.
“How did you know to name her?” I asked questioningly.
He shrugged. “I didn’t.”
The man was full of embellishments…not.
“Hmm,” I said. “Can you see the others?”
He shook his head. “No, only this one.”
“Hmmm,” I said again, turning to look outside as I took a seat.
Ian didn’t say anything more, and I didn’t ask him to.
We sat there in silence as we looked over the lawn.
The three ice dragons, that seemed like they’d grown in the last day alone, were playing in the swimming pool that Keifer had turned to ice in front of my eyes.
They were having a grand old time, and about five other dragons belonging to the other dragon riders in the house, sat and watched them.
“What’d you name her?” I asked.
“Daisy,” he answered shortly.
“Do you mind if I sit here?” I asked. “I’m a little overwhelmed, and for some reason, you’re making my head feel better.”
He grunted.
“Do you know why that is?” I questioned him.
He sighed.
“I’m a healer,” he answered.
I blinked. “You’re a healer?”
“Are you going to repeat everything I have to say?” he asked.
I scowled at him.
He sighed again.
I seemed to be getting that reaction from him a lot.
“I get my healing powers from Mace.” At my questioning look, he said, “My dragon.”
I nodded, not saying anything to encourage him to continue.
“I can heal just with my presence,” he explained. “And go even deeper by touching you.”
When my eyes widened, he shook his head. “No, I will not touch you.”
“Damn right you won’t, Ian,” Nikolai said.
The headache started again at my temple, then spread back into my skull until it was pounding once gain.
“You give me a headache,” I said, not totally lying.
He frowned.
Then his expression turned to understanding.
“Touch her,” he ordered Ian.
I laughed.
Ian didn’t move.
Nikolai glared at Ian.
“Touch her, please,” he grated out through clenched teeth.
Ian sighed and touched his pointer finger to the middle of my forehead.
My eyes crossed as I tried to see the tip of his finger, then my headache started to slowly disappear until I no longer had it.
“Wow,’ I said. “That was better than ibuprofen!”
Ian grimaced.
“Ian doesn’t like calling attention to his abilities,” Nikolai explained. “Keifer and I are the only ones who know that he can do it.”
“Ahh,” I said. “Any idea why my headache keeps coming back?”
When you talk? I wanted to add.
You’re blocking him, floated through my brain from Perdita.
My eyebrows rose to my hairline.
I am? I asked secretively. From what?
I think you’re blocking him from your emotions and your head, but I can’t really tell because you’re blocking from me, too. I only get bits and pieces from you, which is what I’m assuming Nikolai is getting as well. I just know what to look for when someone is blocking, and you’re doing it.
I pursed my lips as I thought about what she’d said.
I wasn’t intentionally blocking him.
Really, I was just being me.
What would I have to block from him?
Ian and Nikolai spoke about possibilities, and I thought about others.
I did it so long and intently that I hadn’t realized that Nikolai had asked me a question.
“What?” I asked when the silence became deafening.
“Are you ready to go to bed?” he asked.
Ian got up and walked out the back door without another word, and I watched him curiously.
“He’s not very social,” I observed dryly.
“No, he’s not,” Nikolai agreed. “And you need to be careful with him.”
I blinked. “Why?”
Nikolai thought about it for a long moment before he said, “You just do.”
I wanted to roll my eyes, but he was being completely serious, so I decided not to argue…for now.