Page 42 of Feathers and Scales

“No.” The word came out from deep in his register, as if from his dragon, and he winced.

“But this meeting might include some extensive safety measures,” he continued. “I’m not going to lie. I can be in serious trouble bringing you here.”

That doesn’t sound promising.Daxton had a point though: a meeting would have come up eventually. And the last thing she wanted was to make matters worse for Daxton. She needed to figure out the link and couldn’t do that while stuck on the plane.

“Let’s go,” she said, her mouth going dry.

He paused, examining her face. It was as if he was giving her the chance to back out. When she didn’t, he jumped to his feet.

Breathing deeply, she calmed her mind.I can do this.She stood and grabbed her luggage from under the seat, glad to be in control of at least something as she followed Daxton off the plane.

The runway lights illuminated the details of the burly driver, who stood a few inches taller than Daxton. He wore jeans, and his loose T-shirt stretched to fit his broad shoulders and muscular arms. Before she deduced anything else about him, Daxton moved, blocking her view. Annoyance tingled at the base of her back, but she pushed it aside. She didn’t know what kind of threat Silas presented.

“I didn’t expect a chauffeur,” Daxton said.

“Funny,” Silas said. “Especially considering everything you’ve been up to.”

She could place accents well, but she couldn’t discern his. Her own changed with each life, depending on where her parents raised her.

“Is Keiran here?” Daxton asked.

“Yeah.” Silas’s glance landed on her.

Her skin itched under his scrutiny. She frowned. Daxton’s all-consuming presence kept her from picking up spirit energy from Silas. If she had to pass tests to go further, she wanted to collect as much information as she could first.

“Keiran has shit to do too, so let’s get a move on it.” Silas sauntered to the trunk with surprisingly lithe movements for his size, his blond hair swaying against his shoulders, free and untamed.

As she walked to the Jeep with Daxton, she focused on the structure of each muscle of Silas’s back highlighted under his tight shirt. She pictured a repetitive pulling action that stressed the right arm more than the left, forming slightly uneven muscles.Deduction points toward an archer.

Fighting the need to take the bag into the backseat with her, she set it down in the clean back and closed the trunk. Daxton openedthe back passenger door. She met his reassuring gaze briefly before she climbed into the lifted vehicle and sat on the suede interior. The scent of fresh linen filled the clean vehicle.

Daxton’s bulky frame spilled over the seat in front of her, muscled arms curving out like folded wings. Acid churned in the pit of her stomach as they drove to meet the Centurion.

She closed her eyes and released the yellow energy tying her to her physical self, falling further into her spirit. At first, Daxton’s heated force filled her senses, preventing her from sensing the other dragon in the Jeep. Concentrating past that sensation, her mind reached Silas’s spirit power.

He radiated a similar inhuman impression like dragons did, but his spirit energy shifted like smoke, disabling her from getting a lock on it. Her spirit shuddered. What else was he?

“I’m Silas, by the way. Has Daxton been treating you kindly?”

She opened her eyes and met his glance in the rearview mirror. “Izzy. Yes, given the circumstances, he’s been fine. Thank you.”

“Fine, hmm?” He smirked at Daxton and said back to her, “What do you do for a living?”

He might have appeared curious, but from the assessing quality of his glimpse, she figured he had more to his agenda. Some of the most dangerous foes possessed a charismatic charm. They burrowed under the defenses of others and stole everything. Her mother would smile and shake people’s hands as she took their companies. Izzy trembled, envisioning Darcy with the syringe.

“Research,” she said.

“In what field?” He peeked back again.

“Fields like science, archaeology, and history.”

“Isn’t that kind of broad?”

“Not for her.” Daxton sounded proud, though a tendril of amusement ran along the link. “The woman has degrees in practically every area of study.”

As Silas sped up, she leaned forward and spoke over the drum of the Jeep’s rumbling tires. “My interests and studies have evolved as different branches progress.”

“You speak as if you’ve been around a while,” Silas murmured, rubbing his brow.