Chapter 19
Nineteen
VAUGHN
I’ve gone and done it. I can’t believe I whisked Sophie away before the Red Guard got to her.
If they saw us together, I’m done for. I’ll be branded a traitor and executed for sure.
Let’s hope they didn’t see me. In any case, Sophie and I need to get off the street, and my brilliant idea is to hide inside Ember Emporium.
I haven’t been here since we rescued Rikkon from Larsson, which is another example that I’ve lost my damn mind.
Just because there’s a truce between the dragon kingpin and King Raphael doesn’t mean I’m safe.
The clientele that frequents Larsson’s establishment is of the “stab first, ask questions later” variety.
The parking lot in front of Ember Emporium is full—mostly motorcycles—which means the place is packed tonight.
There are a couple of dragon shapeshifters hanging out at the front, smoking cigarettes.
They give us a cursory glance, and one of them sneers, but other than that, they don’t mind us too much.
Maybe it will be the same inside. One can hope.
I sense Sophie’s hesitation at the door, so I say, “It’s okay. We’ll be safe here.”
“My whole life, I was taught to stay away from dragon shifters.”
“Well… it’s a bit different now.” I push the door open before she changes her mind and decides to bolt.
It’s loud inside—the cacophony of conversation mixing with the background music. There aren’t any tables available, and it’s impossible to move without bumping into someone. It’d be perfect to get lost in the crowd, if only the crowd wasn’t looking at us as if we were bugs to be squashed.
“They look friendly,” Sophie whispers, getting closer to me.
My pulse accelerates with her proximity, which is all kinds of stupid to be feeling anything for the daughter of the enemy.
I keep walking toward the back of the place, where Larsson’s office is. But before I can get to the hallway leading to it, Jagger, Larsson’s younger brother and Cheryl’s former squeeze, blocks my path.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Uh… I was in the neighborhood?”
He glances at Sophie, his nostrils flaring. “Who’s your friend? She reeks of magic.”
“My date,” I say quickly. “Is your brother around?”
Before Jagger can reply, a commotion by the entrance gets his attention. He curses, then tells us to stay put before walking away.
Sophie glances over her shoulder. “Do you think your friends from the Red Guard followed us here?”
“I hope not. Come on. Let’s see if Larsson is in his office.” I steer her down the hallway until we reach a closed door.
I take a deep breath, then press my ear against it. “I don’t sense his presence or hear—”
The door suddenly opens inward and I fall forward, colliding with a solid chest—Larsson’s. How the hell didn’t I pick up his presence? Sophie yanks me back before he can detach my head from my body. He feels pissed off enough.
“You’d better have a good explanation for coming here with Jacques’s daughter in tow, Vaughn.”
“How do you know who I am?” Sophie steps back, trying to pull her hand from mine, but I hold on.
“We’ve met before,” Larsson replies.
My brows shoot up. I wasn’t expecting that revelation.
“I don’t remember ever meeting you.”
He rubs his chin. “It was a long time ago. You were a child.”
Whoa. I sometimes forget that Larsson is old as fuck.
He turns to me. “Why are you here? And do not lie to me.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. The dragon kingpin is scary as hell, more so than King Raphael. “The Red Guard is after Sophie.”
Larsson narrows his eyes. “I see. And why are you helping her? Have you switched sides?”
“Hell no!”
Larsson raises an eyebrow, and the corners of his lips twitch up. He seems amused by my outburst. That’s a first for him. I don’t know what he finds so entertaining until I glance at Sophie and catch her glaring at me.
“Hell no?” she repeats through clenched teeth.
Perhaps letting her know how strongly I feel toward her side wasn’t the best way to get her to tell me anything. But I’m not going to backtrack.
“Yes, hell no. Do you have any idea how much damage Tatiana, Boone, and your father did to us? Let’s not forget that it’s thanks to Boone that I’m now a bloodsucker.”
Sophie winces visibly. Every time I mention that deranged motherfucker, she has a visceral reaction. I wonder if Boone hurt her in the past.
“I remember you had an affinity for magic. Is that still true?” Larsson chimes in.
“Yes,” she replies in a cagey manner.
“Then I’ll grant you sanctuary tonight if you help me with something.”
“Help you with what exactly?” I ask, not trusting the dragon one bit.
The last time he needed assistance with something, he kidnapped Rikkon and coerced Vivi to steal from Lucca.
Larsson’s yellow eyes glow for a hot second, making him look like a true dragon. “A bit of magic.”
Sophie takes a deep breath. “All right.”
I wish I could do something to prevent this new development, but it’s my fault we’re here. I was the one who had the great idea to hide in Larsson’s bar.
He moves out of the way to allow Sophie and me to pass, then locks the door with a resounding click that gives me the chills.
“Why did you lock the door?” I ask.
“It’s my office.” He veers toward his massive black desk. “I do not wish to be disturbed.”
Sophie is staring at everything with wide eyes.
I had the same reaction when I came here for the first time.
Larsson’s office is an explosion of colors, as if a unicorn threw up here.
It’s a two-floor space with an atrium in the middle—a mix of mall arcade and a sports bar.
It has games, several flat-screens, a pool table, and a foosball table.
Larsson takes out a small wooden box from a drawer and sets it on the desk. There are carvings on it, and it looks super old.
“What’s that?” I ask.
Sophie walks over to inspect the box from up close. She doesn’t touch it, though. “Where did you get this?”
“Where I got it is of no importance to you. Can you make it work?”
“I’m so confused. Can anyone explain to me what we’re staring at?” I butt in.
Sophie looks at me. “This is a lerix box. It’s like a safe… a magical one.”
“So… you need to use magic to open it?”
She shakes her head. “Not exactly. There’s no key, but the box is enchanted. The contents inside are only revealed if you know the correct incantation.”
“Uh…” I glance at Larsson. “That’s what you need Sophie’s help with—to recite the incantation? You couldn’t ask the High Witch or any other mage for hire?”
Larsson narrows his eyes. “The High Witch cannot know about this.”
An alarm sounds in my head. “Why not? This isn’t dark magic, is it?”
“No.”
“What about mages, then? You couldn’t hire a rogue mage from the guild?” Sophie asks.
“No one was able to crack the code, and I have my suspicions as to why.”
“Oh yeah? And are you going to share them with us?” I ask.
He glowers at me, making me feel like an insignificant bug. “Careful now, kid. Don’t mistake my benevolence for weakness.”
Heat spreads across my cheeks. I got cocky there, trying to show off to Sophie.
“It’d be helpful if you did share your suspicions with us, though,” Sophie pipes up.
“I was told the incantation had been keyed to the essence of the object’s owner.”
I scratch the back of my head. “What does that mean exactly?”
“It means that only the owner can open it,” Sophie answers. “If that’s true, then I can’t help you.”
“Perhaps, but there could be a way to circumvent that issue. The owner was a Blueblood vampire female. You’re a Blueblood vampire female with innate magic.”
“Who was the owner?” I ask, very curious now.
“None of your business,” Larsson growls.
Yikes. Touchy. I should keep my mouth shut from now on. He could breathe fire while in his human form and burn me to a crisp where I stand. He needs Sophie, but he doesn’t need me.
Sophie picks up the box, and the symbols etched on the wood glow blue. Larsson leans forward, his eyes wide with interest. “The box is already reacting to you. That didn’t happen with anyone who handled it before.”
“Shh… I’m trying to connect with it.”
Wow. I can’t believe she just shushed the king of dragons, and the only reaction she gets from him is a clench of his jaw. He must want whatever is inside the lerix box badly.
Seconds pass, and I hold my breath. Sophie starts to chant words that mean nothing to me, but the symbols on the box glow brighter, and then suddenly, her eyes glow the same eerie blue.
A gust of wind comes out of nowhere, sending the papers on Larsson’s desk flying.
It’s comical how he tries to catch them.
Sophie’s hair dances around her face, and her chanting becomes louder. I can sense the magic coming from the box. It’s spreading across the room, giving me goose bumps. The wind picks up speed. Hell, is she summoning a mini tornado?
No sooner does the thought cross my mind than the wind dies out and the magic recedes to the box. I hear a click, and the box opens by itself, revealing a peacock feather inside.
“You did it,” Larsson breathes out before he reaches for the object.
“All that work to protect a feather?” I ask.
“Yes,” he replies absentmindedly.
He seems fascinated with the feather in his hand. Man, he’s one weird dude.
Sophie sways on the spot, and I step in to catch her. “Are you all right?”
She presses her palm against her forehead. “That box took a lot from me. I’m lightheaded now.”
“You probably need blood. I’ll leave you alone so you can feed.” Larsson glances at me.
Not that I don’t want to help her, but I’m not keen on being her snack again. It does things to my body that I can’t control.
Sophie steps away from me. “I don’t need blood. I just need a moment to recover my strength.”
“In any case, I said I’d offer you sanctuary for the evening if you assisted me, and a promise is a debt in my world. You can stay in my office until the Red Guard is no longer in the area.”
“Thank you.” She flops onto one of the leather couches and closes her eyes.
Maybe I stay rooted to the spot for too long while staring at her, because Larsson steps closer and says, “You do not want to get involved with her, boy.”
My spine goes taut. “Who said I wanted anything with her?”
He gives me a droll stare. “Your puppy-love eyes say otherwise. Heed my advice or don’t; it’s nothing to me. Just don’t break anything while I’m gone.”