“One of the last remaining dragon shifters,” I replied.
18
Maverick
We had nothing. Not so much as a hint of my little mate’s whereabouts.
I stared at the letter from Olaf. Finding out a mythical dragon shifter existed had blown my mind. The vampire was the only one of us who seemed unfazed. One of these days, I’d pin that wily fucker down and quiz him about what else he hadn’t told us.
“Do dragon shifters fly?” Zane asked Rasmus. “I’ve always wanted to fly.”
“Yes,” the vampire replied as he stalked around us. Adam had disappeared with Nula to work on removing the spelled collar. I hoped he succeeded. Losing access to one’s animal was the worst kind of cruelty.
I knew the most dangerous shifters locked up in the magical penitentiary lost access to their animals, but never for more than a few weeks at a time. Several reputable scientific studies had concluded that the psychological trauma caused by such treatment could break a shifter’s mind. I suspected that was what had happened to Nula.
The female seemed broken beyond repair. But I didn’t have the emotional energy to worry about her. Not with my mate missing.
I sighed and crumpled the letter into a ball. With no other leads, it looked as if a trip to see this Olaf guy was on the cards. It was possible he knew something important if Kenji was acting as a go-between.
When I scanned the room, looking for the kitsune, he was busy glaring at the pig like he wanted to throw the creature on a grill and call it cooked.
“Are we all ready?” Kai stood by the door, his shoulders rigid with discomfort. He’d barely said a word since we arrived here.
Rasmus turned his creepy red eyes in my direction. “I need to feed.”
“Seriously? It’s been, like, a day. You can’t possibly be that hungry!”
“I’m recovering from an extended blood fast. I need additional sustenance, bear, and you are the best source.”
Zane huffed loudly. “What’s wrong with my blood? I got tested last year. I’m a disease-free incubus.”
“You are merely O-positive. The bear is AB-negative. Drinking your blood is like sipping water from a muddy pond, whereas the bear’s blood is akin to a vintage merlot made from the finest grapes in Tuscany.”
The incubus snorted, not at all offended. “Fine. I guess I’ll just watch and suck up the lust.”
“What fucking lust? Blood play isn’t my kink!”
“You sure about that, care bear?”
A sharp wind whipped my hair as we stood at the entrance to a granite building built into the side of a bleak mountain range. The sun hadyet to rise, but there was enough silver moonlight to make out our surroundings.
The building’s exterior blended into the rock face, so I doubted it could be seen from below. Besides, Olaf’s note had hinted at powerful protective wards that shielded the place from human and magical eyes.
The incubus shivered at my side. “Is this the right place?” he asked the kitsune.
Kenji had teleported us here. Although I had no clue wherehereactually was, not recognizing the tall, jagged mountains that surrounded us. A cursory glance revealed no lights or signs of human or magical settlements.
Magic brushed over my skin as we stepped closer to the metal gate decorated with gold finials and set between towering stone columns. It opened, making no sound.
Kenji vanished, leaving us to make our way up a steep path hewn from solid rock. The going was treacherous thanks to the icy terrain, but nobody complained. Not even the incubus.
When we reached a flat terrace, wide enough to seat a dragon, several mage lights flickered into life. The house seemed far larger up close. There were few windows, at least at the lower levels, but when I looked up, I could see a vast expanse of dark glass overlooking the valley.
The view would be stunning from this altitude. I pictured my little mate gasping as she peeked down. Maybe once we rescued her from the mage’s clutches, I’d bring her back here. I’d bet she’d love to meet a real-life fire-breathing dragon.
I just hoped this dragon shifter knew where Raven was. Or at least offered to help us find her. He was our only hope after Adam’s location spell failed to yield results.
“Fuck me, it’s cold up here,” Zane grumbled, rubbing his bare arms.
