Dragon Tempted (The Sentries #3)

1. Chapter 1

That was like having a root canal without anesthesia, Sienna Simonson’s inner voice whined as she left the office for some fresh air.

The analogy summed up the online meeting she had just escaped from perfectly.

The Dragon Council sessions were drawn-out, mind-numbing, and filled with passive-aggressive posturing.

It didn’t help that several of the council members weren’t taking her seriously as the Simonson clan leader.

She wasn’t sure if it was because she was a woman or because she was under thirty, but she wouldn’t let them intimidate her or back away from her responsibilities.

Sienna pulled off her suit jacket and dropped it on the deck lounge chair as she made her way outside.

The camisole she wore underneath dipped low in the back, which was perfect for what she had in mind.

She headed toward the outcropping of rocks that overlooked the valley—her clan’s land—filling her lungs with fresh pine scent.

In moments she stepped to the rocky edge.

She closed her eyes to calm her heart, but it kept tap-dancing in her chest. Her inner voice started deep breathing like she was practicing Lamaze, and Sienna chuckled before taking some deep breaths and calming herself.

When she opened her eyes, her senses expanded.

She could see far away over the dips and swells of the valley as if she were looking through binoculars, each minute detail showing itself.

The sounds of the forest pulsed around her, and the scents of the pine trees and wildflowers bombarded her.

Sienna concentrated and worry circled low in her belly when nothing happened.

She blew out another breath and concentrated again.

Tingling finally started along each shoulder blade and ran down her back as her butter-yellow wings unfurled, slowly warming in the sunshine.

Then she dived over the edge. Catching the wind currents, she coasted for a moment before climbing higher with a few flaps of her wings.

This. This is what she needed. Time to soar and feel a part of something larger than herself. It gave her perspective. Allowed her to get above the minutia. The air rippled over her wings in a soft caress, and her stiff neck muscles softened.

If she was honest with herself, she only cared about what her own clan thought of her leadership, and so far there had been no complaints now that she had stepped into what had been her oldest brother Adam’s role.

But she also knew that she had to get along to a certain degree with the other four clan leaders—or some of the leaders—so she maintained professionalism during the meeting.

Although her inner voice hadn’t gotten the memo since she’d been blowing raspberries at the other council members whenever they spoke. Especially Wallace.

Maybe because the Simonson and Wallace clans had once been a single clan that had broken apart centuries ago, leaving behind animosity and mistrust. Or maybe because some of Wallace’s clan had recently attacked her brothers, Adam and Eric.

Wallace’s own daughter, Katherine, had led the attacks and Sienna’s oldest brother, Adam, had almost lost his life because of it.

The attackers had been declared misguided.

Wallace’s word—not hers, or anyone else with a brain.

Great, now her inner voice was singing Scarecrow’s rendition of “If I Only Had a Brain.”

Sienna’s inner voice had been a constant companion for as long as she could remember.

She took up a prominent place in Sienna’s brain.

So much so, that years ago she had named the voice Veronica or V—if she was really being a handful—after the character from Veronica Mars.

Now that woman had a smart mouth on her, and Sienna’s inner voice ran a close second.

And currently her inner voice cackled like a cartoon villain.

Sienna glided over the valley and landed on a low outcropping of flat rocks that had been her favorite place growing up.

She stood for a few minutes taking in the land around her before launching into the air and flying back toward the clan house.

A flash of purple caught her eye, and she descended toward it, grinning.

Adam stood in the backyard, his dark purple wings flared out.

He kept a close eye on his adopted daughter, Lily, who flew around him, her light purple wings flapping hard to keep her afloat.

Lily was the embodiment of joy wrapped up in a six-year-old with an infectious smile.

Adam and his wife, Tessa, called her their precious gift.

Lily saw her and waved, which had her lurching to the side.

“Careful, sweetheart,” Adam called out.

Sienna flew closer and landed next to her brother. “She’s getting much steadier with her wings.”

“She is.” He looked over at her for a second before turning back to Lily. “Something bothering you?”

“What makes you say that?” Sienna asked.

He shrugged. “It’s the middle of the day and you’re out here flying around instead of elbow-deep in clan work.”

“Had a Dragon Council meeting earlier.”

“Ah. Enough said. Is there something I can help you with?”

Sienna hesitated. When she had taken over the clan for Adam, it had been a big deal. She didn’t want him to feel like she couldn’t handle the job. “It’s fine. I’m good for now.”

Adam looked like he was going to ask her another question, but Lily called out, “Watch me!” Then the little daredevil did a loop de loop.

Sienna and Adam cheered for her, and Lily giggled as she flew past them.

Sienna said her goodbyes and furled her wings before walking back toward the house, her thoughts filled by all the things she hadn’t said to her brother.

How could the council members not be taking the threats from the witches and Templars seriously?

The curse was real. It had taken their full dragons, but thank the Fates they still had their wings and heightened senses.

So far. But even now they had clan members losing their ability to fly.

And she didn’t want to dwell too long on the fact that lately it seemed harder and harder to call on her own wings.

If they lost their wings, what was left?

How could the other leaders stick their heads in the sand and not believe what was happening?

But they haven’t been told the whole truth, Veronica argued. Sienna grudgingly wondered if she gave the leaders more information, would it convince them to take the threats seriously?

She grabbed her jacket and headed inside to the clan office to get some much-needed work done. Opening the door, Sienna’s eyes were drawn to the painting above the fireplace that called to her like a beacon.

Death of Magic was a scary but accurate name for the scene.

Dragons attacking a small village with people—witches—fighting back.

The event had been the impetus for the curse created by witches over four hundred years ago to strip dragons of their powers.

Only it had worked too well, and now all magic was slowly leeching away.

They had told the other clan leaders about the painting, but not the scroll they’d found hidden in its frame.

She turned to the safe behind her desk and opened it, then extracted the plastic sleeve that held the flattened scroll of the witches’ curse.

It was bespelled, and the words on the page made no sense to her, but they had been able to interpret it. She didn’t need to be able to read it, but for some reason she did need to feel the weight of it between her fingers as she remembered the words.

A call to nature

Free us from the flying demons

Fire, air, water, earth

Take their wings

Take their fire

Take their powers

Free the sky

She stopped for a moment before remembering the second paragraph, which could help possibly break the curse.

An oracle born

Templars united

Blood will be shed

Forgiveness and Sacrifice

Magic restored

Sienna looked at the foreign words, and a chill ran down her spine.

They had chosen not to share the scroll with the other clans because of the reference to oracles.

According to dragon lore, historically each clan had a female who was born an oracle and could see the future.

But there hadn’t been any oracles that they were aware of for centuries.

Until her niece Arabella was born with the oracle mark.

Her brother Eric and his wife, Megan, didn’t want anyone to know for fear that someone would try to harm their daughter.

Sienna understood and would walk through fire for her. And Lily, who coincidentally—or not so coincidentally—bore the oracle’s mark as well. Plus Lily could see the future, even if it came to her through her drawings.

How was all of this even possible? If someone had told her two years ago that witches and curses existed, she would have told them they needed a psychologist.

Now? Now her family was in danger—hell, all the dragons were in danger, and they needed to do something about it. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to happen soon. She just wasn’t sure if it meant breaking the curse or succumbing to it.

Could they tell the other clans part of the curse and remove the oracle line in the second paragraph? Or maybe the leaders would listen to someone else. Someone who knew about the curse firsthand?

Sienna placed the scroll back in the safe, closed the door, and spun the dial. She grabbed her phone off her desk and called Ryan. “Can you bring the car around. I have a meeting.”

She shut down her computer and straightened the desk before heading through the clan house to the front porch.

Ryan stood next to the SUV waiting for her.

How many times had she told him not to act like a chauffeur?

At least he didn’t try to put her in the back seat, instead opening the front passenger door for her.

She rolled her eyes at him, and he kept his expression serious except for a slight smirk before mumbling, “Just get in, Your Highness.”

He closed the door before she could offer a retort, and jogged around to the driver’s side and climbed inside.

“Why do you keep opening the door for me?” she snarked. If she had her way, she would be driving herself around.

He started the car. “Because you’re the head of the clan and there are certain formalities that we should observe.”

She fastened her seat belt. “Please. What’s the real reason?”

His smirk turned into a grin as he pulled around the circular drive. “It irritates you.”

“This is what I get for having my best friend as my bodyguard.”

His eyes widened in fake innocence. “Don’t you mean your personal assistant?”

“Ryan. You know that Adam and Eric might have agreed that I would remain leader, but that doesn’t mean they still aren’t overprotective with everything that’s happened recently. I know what you really are.”

He reached for his sunglasses and put them on. All that was missing was an earpiece and he could pass for a Secret Service agent. “Are you saying I’m not a good assistant?”

“No. You’re an annoyingly good assistant.”

Ryan chuckled. “Thanks. I think.”

Sienna sighed. “You’re annoyingly good at everything. Don’t get a big head about it.”

He turned toward her for a moment. “I don’t need to worry about that around you.”

She rested her head against the seat. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be taking my bad mood out on you.”

“Since you have your throat-punch face on, I figured as much.”

Sienna blinked. “My face tells you that I want to throat punch someone?”

“Absolutely. Do you want to talk about it?”

She looked out the window for a moment before responding. “Wallace asked when Adam was going to take over the clan again now that he’s recuperated. He seems to have conveniently forgotten that Adam’s injuries were from a witch who was working for his daughter.”

“I bet you reminded him of that.”

She nodded. “You know me too well. But most of the other clan leaders still aren’t taking the threats seriously.”

“And does this have anything to do with where we’re going right now? As your annoyingly good assistant, I don’t remember you having an off-site appointment.”

“I don’t. Or I didn’t. But I need to find a way to get the leaders to take things seriously.” To take her seriously.

He glanced over at her. “I’m not going to like this idea of yours, am I?”

“Nope.” But she needed to take the bull by the horns—or the dragon by the wings. It was time to meet John Baker. If anyone could get the other clans to listen, it would be him.

After all he’d been alive when the curse was cast over four hundred years ago.