Page 48 of Bad Blood Alpha

After that, they got down to business.

Flynn and Kira explained the situation between them—the handfasting, the binding, and Kira’s current issues, including the visions.

“One of the things we’re trying to figure out is why someone would be holding one—possibly two—dragons captive and taking blood from them,” Flynn said. “What could be done with it?”

Harrison tapped his fingers on the table, thinking. “Depends on who it is,” he said. “If it’s Gen-X, they probably want to give other shifters dragon powers. Cloaking. Healing. Psychic abilities. Some people say that the white shifters—wolves, owls, and so on—get their special powers from dragon DNA.”

Flynn’s head went up at that. “Matings?” he asked. “Or genetic splicing?”

“Or magic?” Israel put in, looking down at the gold disc in his hand.

“No one knows,” Harrison said. “Maybe whoever owns that lab is trying to find out.”

Ashley turned to Kira. “What made you think those dragons are Al-Maddeiri?”

Kira shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve been over and over it in my mind, but it’s nothing specific I can point to. It was just…when I saw them, it hit me so strongly. This feeling that I shared their blood.”

“But you didn’t recognize them?” That was Harrison.

Kira shook her head. “I realize I could be wrong. But I’m not really concerned about that. Whoever they are, they’re being held prisoner. Experimented on. It was me they reached out to. I may be the only one who can hear them. I can’t just sit by and do nothing.”

Flynn reached over and touched her shoulder. He wasn’t very demonstrative when people were around, and for him, that was the equivalent of a full-blown hug.

“Does it make a difference if they’re Al-Maddeiri or not?” Flynn asked.

The other three all looked at each other. “It could,” Israel said. “The House of Al-Maddeiri had special powers. Advanced healing. Visions.” He nodded at Kira. “Spirit communications. Navigating the inner worlds.”

“They were also able to successfully interbreed with other shifters,” Harrison added. “The Elite Lion Guard all had dragon blood, way back when.”

Kira glanced at Flynn. She was pretty sure he was not happy about having dragon blood, however diluted it might be. But he didn’t seem to be concerned about that right now.

“So their blood would be especially valuable to a group like Gen-X?”

“Probably. Or to a sorcerer. Dragon blood can be used in all kinds of rare spells and elixirs.”

“We can speculate like this all day,” Kira said. “The question is, will you help us find them? And if we can, will you help us free them?”

Harrison sighed. “It depends where they are,” he said in his deep voice. “In this world, we might be able to muster up some help from Rachelle Colton’s contacts. But if they’re in the Dragonlands, or another world…”

“We don’t know,” Israel said. “The political situation in the Dragonlands is extremely volatile right now. The High Council—”

“Fuck the High Council,” Flynn growled. “They don’t give a shit. They didn’t give a shit about me, all those years ago. They didn’t give a shit about the House of Al-Maddeiri getting wiped out. They could debate for years without doing a damn thing.”

“The prisoners will be dead by then,” Kira said flatly. “Is there anything you can do?”

“Finding them will be the first task,” Israel said. He looked at Flynn. “Kane and Rachelle are using their contacts at the Agency to find out if there are any rumors of Gen-X projects still in play, or any record of a facility that matches the description you gave us.”

“I wish we had more details,” Ashley said. She turned to Kira. “You haven’t had a vision since you and Flynn have been together?”

She shook her head.

Ashley hesitated, drumming her fingers on the tabletop. “Have you tried?”

“Of course she hasn’t tried,” Flynn said. “The last one almost killed her.”

“So the bond between you is blocking the visions,” Israel said thoughtfully. “That doesn’t seem logical. The bond was intended to strengthen her magic…”

“Was it?” Flynn said. “Or was it designed to strengthen her enough so that she could serve as a conduit for all the magic that was supposed to pass through her?”