Dragon Night: A Dark Kings Novella Read online

  “I’m sure that isna the only thing he found.”

  Con lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “It’s the only one we know of. From the black and white pictures Ryder obtained, there are Fae markings on it.”

  Now that got Dorian’s attention. “If they are Fae markings, then it would prove that they were here long before they claim to have arrived.”

  “Exactly. It’ll also be the evidence we need to link the Fae to the Druids with the wooden dragon. I believe Rhi, but none of us can get near enough to the carving to determine what magic is being used. Without her, we wouldna even know this much.”

  Dorian still wasn’t convinced he was the one for the job. “I suppose this is when you tell me why I’m the one to retrieve this artifact?”

  “It’s no’ only under the tightest security the mortals have, but it’s also surrounded by magic.”

  “And how do you know this?”

  Con’s lips flattened as he sighed. “Because Eilish tried to get it for us. Her finger rings allow her to teleport, and while she managed to get in the room, the magic threw her out. Then Ulrik tried. He got closer, but still wasna able to get to the object.”

  “Can we no’ ask one of the Fae?” Dorian purposefully didn’t say Rhi’s name. He knew many of the Kings thought of her as a friend, but he didn’t know the Light.

  Con hesitated before he shook his head. “This group of Druids and Fae has targeted us, and me specifically. I want to know why before something else happens. And understand, Dorian, that something else is surely to occur. It’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when. You’re the only one who will be able to get through all the security and magic to reach the artifact. Your magic of invisibility allows you to bend matter to go undetected so you can go through anything.”

  “Getting it, however, will be another issue. You know I’ll no’ be able touch it while concealed.”

  Con didn’t appear fazed by the statement. “I’m sending you to get this artifact, Dorian. We’re no’ thieves. Unless we have no other choice. I’d like to see if you can buy it from the mortal first. If that doesna work, then get it any way you can.”

  Dorian watched as Con turned on his heel and walked from the cavern. He might not have been involved in the many battles or daily machinations of the ongoing conflicts with their enemies, but that didn’t mean Dorian hadn’t felt the anger and desolation when his brethren had lost or the contentment and delight when they won.

  In every word Con uttered while detailing everything, Dorian perceived his worry, his unease. But more than that, Dorian felt the fear that ran through Dreagan at their new nemesis.

  Whoever this band of Dark and Light Fae and drough and mie Druid, their first strike had been substantial. The ramifications of the Kings touching the wooden dragon still caused ripples, and likely would for some time.

  Dorian rolled his shoulders. His muscles were stiff from his time sleeping. Whether in dragon or human form, he needed to remember who he was.

  He’d be happy to remain in his true form forever, but his King called for him. And that meant Dorian was going to have to interact with the very beings he wanted to wipe from the realm.

  Slowly, he walked to the water. His enhanced eyesight didn’t need the aid of any light as he peered over the edge to look at himself.

  As soon as he saw his face, he cringed and jerked back. He wasn’t prepared for this. But there wasn’t time for him to get ready.

  Dorian blew out a breath. The last time he had been outside his mountain was after he watched his dragons cross the dragon bridge to a new realm and helped to bind Ulrik’s magic.

  He’d been inconsolable, his world shattered in the space of a heartbeat. Everything he’d loved, everything he’d lived for had been taken from him. Viciously. Cruelly.

  Ruthlessly.

  Con had brought him to his mountain because Con knew if Dorian was left alone that he would finish what Ulrik had begun.

  There wasn’t a day that went by that Dorian didn’t dream of his life before the humans.

  Or plot their demise.

  Now Con wanted him out in the world. Dorian would get what was needed to battle their new foes, but every chance he got, he would take out a mortal.

  They didn’t belong on this realm. It wasn’t theirs. It belonged to the dragons.

  And the dragons would take it back.

  Soon. Very soon.

  Dorian shifted and spread his wings as he shook his head. Then he drew in a deep breath before blowing fire across the water.

  He jumped into the air and flew through the opening at the side of the mountain and felt the sunlight on him for the first time in eons. It warmed his scales while causing him to blink against its brightness.

  Dorian flew as high as he could until the clouds blocked any sight of land. Then he glided down, the feel of the wind across his scales as heavenly as a lover’s caress.

  He soared between mountains, over lochs, and chased a herd of sheep. Then he saw the Dragonwood. He flew over the expanse of forest several times. Then he turned and headed for Dreagan Mountain.

  The manor that came in sight was as grand as it was beautiful—but Con wouldn’t build anything less.

  A flash of jade scales caught his eye. He looked over to find Warrick flying next to him. When Dorian glanced to his other side, it was to see Kiril.

  “Nice to have you back with us,” Warrick said through the mental link of the dragons.

  Kiril bumped him with his wing. “I second that. It’s been too long, brother.”

  Dorian didn’t know how to reply. He was still getting used to the sun and sky again. It seemed everyone else had moved on—including Ulrik. Was he the only one continuing to hold on to the past?

  Was he the only one still hurting from what the humans had done?

  “Dorian?” Warrick called.

  “The sun feels good,” he replied.

  Kiril chuckled. “There’s the Dorian we know and love. You just missed V. He and Roman left to find his sword.”

  Dorian remained silent as his two friends spoke about technology he didn’t understand, vehicles, and flying machines. He frowned at that. Why did the Kings need a...helicopter? They could fly.

  The fact that Dreagan had two such machines was a reminder of the lengths the great Dragon Kings had gone to in order to hide from the humans.

  Both his friends were mated now. Kiril to a Fae and Warrick to a Druid. Fae and Druid. Surely he wasn’t the only one to see the connection.

  A King had a Fae as a mate. A Light Fae who had once been Dark. Then there were the Druids. Warrick’s mate wasn’t the only one. Ryder, Dmitri, Anson, Nikolai, and even Ulrik were with women who were either Druids or had some kind of connection to them.

  Then there was Rhi.

  The Light Fae who had fallen for a Dragon King and once their affair finished, remained friends with several Kings.

  Con had always feared another betrayal. There was a massive one in the making, and no one but Dorian seemed to realize it.

  He had a chance to stop it, to right things as they should’ve been to begin with.

  And he was going to take it.

  Chapter One

  Manhattan, New York

  March

  “Oh, my God. Look at that dress.”

  “Girl. I’m looking at the jewels.”

  “Ugh. If only we had the Sheridan money we could buy whatever we wanted.”

  “I hear the stores come to her. She doesn’t even shop on her own.”

  Alexandra rolled her eyes. It went against everything she’d been taught not to show in New York society, but sometimes the only thing to do when hearing others talk about you was to give an eye roll—even if it was just to herself.

  Those two women were right. Wealth did have its privileges. Every American designer wanted Alex to wear their things, she was able to give a shitload of money to charities, and she was invited to all the parties.

  The downside of being wealthy was that s
he was invited to all the parties. Not to mention the list of charity galas and other such events she was expected to attend.

  Alex had never known anything other than the Sheridan fortune, which was probably why her mother used to give one of her famous eye rolls every time Alex would say she wished for a quiet life in the country somewhere.

  “If only,” Alex murmured.

  But her destiny lay elsewhere. She was the sole remaining member of the Sheridan dynasty. She lived alone in a huge penthouse while overseeing the ridiculous fortune made by her great-great-great grandfather when he came over from Ireland.

  She moved to the back of the stage and grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter. After last year’s disaster, she’d sworn never to do the auction again. But what was she about to do?

  Put herself back up on that stage while smiling and flirting to get the bids higher. All in the name of charity.

  Her cousin had died in some remote part of the world she couldn’t pronounce defending their country. So, no matter how degrading it felt, or how horrible the “date” was, she would never turn down the Wounded Warrior charity for veterans. Especially since she sat on the Board of Directors.

  “It’s time, Alex.”

  She turned at the sound of her assistant’s voice. Meg had been with her for three glorious years. It was Meg who kept her sane—as well as keeping her on a schedule that didn’t run Alex into the ground.

  She smiled into Meg’s black eyes as she leaned close and grinned. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you when you walked away earlier, but the bartender totally checked out your ass. I told you that you seriously rock it in that fuchsia dress with your dark skin. You look like a goddess.”

  Meg shifted and covertly glanced toward the bartender, who was even now eying her. “Then I suppose I should tell you that he asked me out when I was getting you a drink.”

  “I’ve got one,” Alex said.

  Meg gave her a flat look. “Of course. But I was giving studly a chance to ask me out.”

  “Of course you were.”

  They shared a laugh.

  Alex knew it was dangerous to become friends with someone she employed, but the truth was, Meg was her only friend. Alex had learned at a very young age that people only wanted to be her friend in order to get something from her. Whether it be station, items, or money—everyone had a reason for wanting to be with her.

  Consequently, she had trust issues. It also didn’t help that the few times she had attempted to trust someone, it had ended with them using her in one fashion or another. Frankly, she was tired of it.

  While others coveted her wealth, Alex was jealous of their relationships, of the way they could walk along the street without paparazzi following their every move.

  Which left her Meg. They had hit it off instantly. But even then, Alex tried to stay as detached as she could. Just in case.

  She followed Meg to the stairs that led to the stage. No matter how many speeches she gave, she always got nervous anytime she had to stand in front of a group of people.

  Because everyone was picking her apart. From her hair, makeup, jewelry, and nails to the way she stood, if it looked as if she’d gained weight, and every word she said.

  Was it any wonder that between her social engagements she disappeared for weeks at a time to try and forget the spotlight that was always on her?

  “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen!”

  Alex looked up as the emcee for the event came on stage. She didn’t know the news anchor, Lori Duval, personally, but she’d suggested a female host this year, and it had been approved by the rest of the Board. By the sound of the applause, everyone else seemed pleased by the change as well.

  “I’m very excited to be here,” Lori said as the overhead lights made the rhinestones in her dress glitter. “My grandfather, father, two brothers, and five cousins have or are serving this fine country of ours. I’ve long been a donor to this amazing charity. You all know the drill,” she replied with a bright smile. “Every penny earned here goes straight into the Wounded Warrior project. If there was one night for you to open those pocketbooks, it’s tonight. Now, why don’t we get this party started?”

  The crowd laughed, but all Alex wanted to do was turn and run. Her stomach clutched painfully and her blood had turned to ice.

  Meg physically removed the champagne flute from her fingers before Alex snapped it in two. Sadly, it had happened before.

  “Breathe,” Meg urged.

  Alex inhaled deeply, but before she could let it out, Lori said her name.

  With no other choice, Alex placed her hand on the railing and walked up the steps on wooden legs. Her greatest fear was that she would trip and fall during one of these events.

  People might talk, but she was used to that. She didn’t want them laughing at her - at least not for something as stupid as falling.

  Before she knew it, she was standing next to Lori. The news anchor was talking, but Alex didn’t hear any of it. She faced the crowd and smiled. There were several whistles, which caused laughter to erupt around the room.

  “Wow,” Lori said as she looked at Alex. “I guess we should’ve known that would happen. Everyone wants to date Alexandra Sheridan. Even me.”

  Alex smiled and winked at Lori. Years of being in the spotlight kicked in, and she leaned into the microphone. “I go to the top bidder. If you want a chance, you know what you need to do.”

  Lori acted like she was looking around for her purse. Then she said to the crowd, “You heard her, ladies and gents. Who is going to start this auction off for a date with New York’s most eligible bachelorette, Alexandra Sheridan?”

  “Five thousand,” a man shouted from the back.

  Alex kept a smile on her face, clapping with the others each time the amount rose. She wondered what animals at auction thought as they stood there while others bid on them. She had to keep telling herself it was for a good cause.

  The bidding went on longer than it had the year before. It was up to forty thousand when a deep voice from somewhere in the middle of the room said, “A hundred thousand.”

  A shiver raced through Alex at the seductive tone.

  The silence that followed was deafening.

  The spotlight slid across the room and came to rest on a man leaning against the bar. Their eyes met, and her heart literally skipped a beat.

  He was in a tux, but only the top portion. And as she took in the kilt, she had to admit, he looked as sexy as sin.

  The light above him shone on his blond hair, pulled back into a neat queue at the base of his neck. He had some ornate thing draped around his hips, but all she could think about was if he had anything on beneath the kilt.

  “Sold!” Lori suddenly shouted, causing Alex to jump.

  The man turned and set his glass on the bar. Alex blinked before she made her way back to the stairs and Meg.

  “Might I just say holy shit,” Meg whispered with a grin.

  Alex stopped, only dimly aware that the next person was up on the stage being auctioned. “What just happened?”

  “Somebody bid an extreme amount for you.”

  Meg was smiling, her gaze telling Alex that she wasn’t sure why Alex wasn’t thrilled. But then again, Meg hadn’t seen the man.

  “What’s wrong?” her assistant asked.

  “He’s...different.”

  Meg raised a black brow. “Do you know him?”

  “No.”

  “Have you met him?”

  “Well, no,” Alex began.

  But Meg continued. “Then you can’t really say that he’s different.”

  Alex recalled the man’s stare. It had been bold, defiant even. And determined. Yes, determined was a very good word to describe him. He’d stood alone, as if he didn’t know anyone—or care that he was by himself.

  His entire appearance gave off the vibe of “fuck you, I’m going to get what I want.”

  A shiver went through Alex once again. Men like that were particular
ly difficult to handle. They never really understood the word no.

  “I’ve never seen him before,” Alex said.

  Meg’s gaze was directed toward the crowd. “I think everyone is figuring that out. Oh, my,” she whispered. “Is that a kilt?”

  “Yes.”

  “I thought I heard an accent. Hard to tell with only three words.” Meg swallowed loudly. “You know I have a thing for Outlander. If you don’t want him, can I have him?”

  “Um...”

  “He’s paying for you,” Meg went on, her entire focus on the stranger.

  Alex grabbed another glass of champagne from a tray and took a long drink. The bubbles did little to squash the nerves in her stomach.

  The past four years she had done this auction, she’d always ended up with men that she knew. Men that had asked her out on a date and she had turned down. This was their revenge in making her go out with them.

  Which was fine with her as long as the charity got its money.

  “He’s got that Jamie Fraser look down pat,” Meg murmured.

  Alex rolled her eyes and snagged a napkin. “Here.”

  Meg reluctantly pulled her gaze from the man and frowned. “What’s that for?”

  “The drool.”

  Meg huffed and snatched the napkin from Alex’s fingers. Her lips curved into a grin as her gaze returned to the man.

  “He’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Alex shook her head. “You say that once a week.”

  “This time I mean it.” Meg suddenly whirled around to Alex. “He caught me staring. Oh, and by the way, he’s coming over here.”

  Unable to help herself, Alex lifted her eyes and found herself snagged by his gaze.

  Chapter Two

  She was magnificent. Dorian hadn’t expected that. Her beauty, of course. He’d seen a picture before he left Scotland—as well as getting a complete background review from Ryder.

  But Alexandra Sheridan was anything but a typical woman.

  The way she had stood on the stage looking out over the crowd with grace and calm shocked him. She was of average height, but that was the only average thing about her.