Chapter Twenty-One
Angelica-Six Months Later
I could feel that Trey was lurking nearby as I sat at the cafe table outside the small coffee shop. I now knew that the tiny sliver of awareness that I’d always tried to ignore was actually the connection we had as fated mates. I found it comforting, sensing him close by even when I couldn’t see him. We were visiting my family at Derek’s house this weekend, and while everyone had sworn off any kind of work while we were together, there was one thing I had to take care of before any more time had passed.
So here I was, sitting at a lovely cafe in an equally charming Arizona town, waiting to tie up the last loose end from my time at the Archive. Trey had wanted to sit beside me for this meeting, but I knew that it was something I had to do myself.
The tall blond woman walked onto the patio clad in dark jeans and a leather jacket. She scanned the crowd, and when her blue eyes landed on me they hardened, understandably. I thought she might turn around and leave, but she ended up sitting across from me. Her scars were less angry than they’d been in Siwa, though her eyes were just as empty.
She hung her jacket on the back of the chair, revealing a black shirt with the name of a bar across the chest. Upon closer inspection, her boots were shit kickers, and there were tattoos on her hands and forearms.
“Thank you for meeting me,” I said.
Dahlia’s jaw tightened and she ordered an espresso from the waitress.
“I know you must be angry at me, for stopping you.”
“No,” Dahlia said, “I’ve had time to think about it and…I know it probably wouldn’t have ended up how I wanted. But I at least would’ve had something at the end of it.”
“You’re working as night security at a warehouse, is that correct?”
“What of it?”
“Nothing, except I imagine it’s not what you wanted to be doing.”
“What does that matter now? I’m tarnished by my mother’s reputation. There’s not a single reputable organization that will hire me. And since I have no training in anything other than Supernatural jobs, and no money to get Mundane training, this is what I’m stuck with. I guess it’s better than killing people.”
“What if I could offer you a job? Something that would fit your skill set perfectly and get you out of Mundane work?”
Dahlia sat back and crossed her arms across her chest, studying me.
“You’re offering me a job at the Archive?” she asked.
“Not exactly. Officially, I’m resigning as Director. A woman named Andromeda Kane will be taking my place.”
“And unofficially?”
“The council grudgingly agreed not to prosecute me for destroying the sundial rather than bringing it in. And the new director has secretly agreed with me that there are some artifacts that are too dangerous to remain in existence. She has authorized me to create and oversee a team to hunt these down and destroy them. I would not be in the field, in fact, I would have complete immunity as Draconian royalty.”
Dahlia glanced down at my hands, where my markings were proudly displayed.
“And you want me on the team?”
“No, I want you to help me run it.”
Her eyebrows winged up.
“You know people with the skill set we’d need far better than I do.”
“That’s a nice way of saying I know criminals.”
I chuckled.
“Yes, it is. The catch to this is, of course, that no one can know who any of you are. Andromeda won’t even know who you are so she has plausible deniability. Officially, you’ll be labeled a rogue group by the Archive council, if you’re caught by the Archive or authorities, you’ll be prosecuted and jailed. Unofficially, you’ll have all the resources of my mate and myself behind you, and your team will report to me alone. Your missions will come from me, and so will your new identities and compensation.”
Dahlia sipped her espresso, the scar on her jaw pulling at her mouth on that side as her frown deepened. Although I was fairly confident that she would take the job, I was also a little worried that perhaps her anger with me was more prominent than she’d let on. Finally, she leaned her forearms on the table and looked me square in the eyes.
“I’ll do it, but I get to pick the team, we get to decide how to do it, no interference.”
“As long as you’re as discreet as possible about it, then I’m fine with that.”
“And my team gets to decide whether they want to be captured or not.”
I knew what she was saying and I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with the idea of having a team of people under my watch that all had suicide pills on them.
“Some of the Supernaturals I’m thinking of would rather die than be incarcerated again,” she said. “And I think you know why.”
My eyes widened just a little at that. I hadn’t expected her to know or even be in contact with the Supernaturals her mother had experimented on. Now it made a bit more sense and I could hardly begrudge them their choice.
“Of course,” I said.
“How would we contact one another?”
I handed her a compact mirror and she opened it with an incredulous frown.
“Dragon magic is incredible,” I said. “So many spells and incantations that we don’t have access to. This is one example. Prick your finger on the underside, the Dragon’s tooth. Then say my name three times. I’ll do the same when I need to talk to you, the mirror will chime. You’ll be the only one to hear it.”
“Better than a burner phone.”
“Precisely. You are the only one I’ll be talking to. I’ll give you the mission, you put together the team and let me know any resources you need.”
She stuffed the compact into the pocket of her jacket.
“Gimme a few weeks to get things in order and reach out to some of my contacts.”
“You’ve got three, there’s already an artifact I have my eye on.”
Dahlia nodded and started to get up but stopped. When she turned to me, her face was less stoic, a crack in the protective mask she wore.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice hoarse. “This is…unexpected.”
“I’m not sure you’ll be thanking me when you’re facing death and no win odds on a constant basis. But for what it’s worth, you were judged unfairly, by all of us. I wish I could do more.”
She gave me a short nod, swallowing convulsively before getting up and walking away.
A few minutes later, Trey took the seat she’d occupied and wrapped his hands around mine.
“Well?”
“She accepted, but why do I feel like I still didn’t do enough?”
“Because you know the kind of life she was denied, and you also know how dangerous this is going to be.”
I rubbed my fingers across my forehead.
“At least it buys me time to figure out how to expunge her record,” I said.
“You might never be able to do that. But I imagine that you’re still giving her a purpose, which might be enough for now.”
“I hope you’re right.”
He leaned across the table and planted a reassuring, soft kiss on my lips.
“Come on, let’s go see your kids and forget about all of this for a few days.”
I let him lead me away from the cafe to a quiet back alley where he could transform. When he pulled me into his arms and shot into the sky, the worries I’d carried fell away. I had done what I could, and for now, it would have to be enough.
“I didn’t scream,” Max argued.
“No, you caterwauled,” Nathan snorted.
“It was hilarious!” Ava said with chuckle. “Max tore off into the fog, and ran right into a tree! Knocked himself out cold.”
“I didn’t see the tree,” Max said defensively.
“That’s evident,” Derek smirked.
They continued to argue and laugh about the time Ava had terrorized Max by convincing Derek to dress up as the Creature from the Black Lagoon for her high school AV club project. I held Trey’s hand and sipped my wine as we sat at one end of the table at Derek’s house, enjoying the familial chaos. The remnants of the lasagna dinner River and Max cooked sat in front of us while Alexis and Ravi, Ava’s husband, talked about some new spell for her firearms. Tessa was chasing the twins around the living room, trying to get them up stairs for a bath.
“Nathan! A little help please!” she called.
“Absolutely, darling,” he said and over his shoulder threw out, “The creature incident is still not as funny as the time Derek went streaking through the house because he thought a spider was in his swim trunks.”
Derek spat out his drink and the table went silent for a moment before Ava, Max, Alexis, and Ravi started to roar with laughter.
“God damn it, Nathan, you’re the one who put something in my trunks!” Derek called out. “Little shit was always pulling a prank.”
“Okay, can we keep the noise down? Little Jacob needs to go to sleep so mommy can have two minutes to herself,” River said, bringing a freshly bathed, squirming two-year-old into the room.
“I’ll take him,” Derek said, planting a raspberry on the boy’s chubby cheek.
River plopped into the chair and proceeded to drain Derek’s wine glass.
It was noisy and hot in the house after an evening of cooking, but I couldn’t have cared less. This was what I’d been hiding from for all those years and I intended to catch up.
“How are you handling the chaos?” I whispered in Trey’s ear.
“It’s wonderful,” he answered with a kiss.
“Good because there’s no getting away now.”
“Oh really?”
“Absolutely. I’d find you wherever you went.”
“That won’t be hard because wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be.”
He kissed me longer, his lips insistent until Ava’s voice interrupted us.
“Hey you, two get a room!”
“Just not here,” Max said.
That only made us kiss more dramatically, mainly for the reactions.
We got a couple of cat calls and whistles, Ava made gagging sounds and Max said something about checking the oven, but Alexis pulled him back down and plopped onto his lap. When we broke apart, I leaned my head on his shoulder and just let the warmth of this moment wash over me. I never thought I could be this content and at peace in my life. Sometimes I still worried I’d wake up and find it was all a dream.
But one look at my mate, and I knew, it was wonderfully real.
Trey hadn’t stopped smiling since we left the Archive hospital in Egypt, with the exception of when I was brought up on charges before the Archive council, that is.
The charges didn’t stand a chance once Trey pulled rank as the current King of Avalon. An entire retinue of diplomats and warriors strolled in behind us, all wearing their hybrid Dragon forms and declaring that I was off limits to the council. After a few days of negotiations and veiled threats, the council had to agree, not wanting a war with the Dragons.
Within hours, my office and what was left of my penthouse was cleaned out and I was out of a job and home. At least for a few minutes.
Two weeks later I found myself at a coronation for Trey and me, my children in awkward attendance among their new Dragon kin. While Trey didn’t have any brothers, he did have a few Dragons who had suddenly decided to support him. I still didn’t fully trust them, and neither did Trey, but I was hopeful that maybe someday we would be able to believe their devotion. The last few months had been spent determining how to lead and what the Dragons under our care needed, as well as trying to make sure our two families were getting to know one another.
I had worried that I’d get bored without the constant mental stimulation that the Archive gave me. But it turned out that being a queen of Dragons had its own challenges and learning curve that kept me on my toes. And then there was flying with Trey, which we did often.
Queen…I’m still trying to wrap my head around that one.
The conversations were interrupted by the squealing of two little girls in night gowns and bouncing blond curls running into the dining room. Nathan followed them, growling and pretending to be some kind of creature. One of his daughters, Rory, stopped and held out her hand, face defiant and lips pursed.
“You stop, Daddy! ‘Melia is afraid,” commanded Rory.
“I am not!” Amelia pouted.
Nathan grinned and let out another playful roar that set both girls running toward Trey, of all people.
“You said Dragons protect princesses,” Rory said, climbing up on Trey’s lap.
Amelia followed suit and they both clung to either side of his neck.
We were just starting to be around the family more and my instinct was to get the girls off Trey in case he was uncomfortable. But one look at his face said he was in heaven as he played with his…
Granddaughters…oh my goodness, he’s their grandfather.
The realization had me leaning back in shock, and a few tears burning my eyes. I had lamented the kids not having a grandfather to play with and learn from. And here was Trey, playing with them, making them laugh, just like a grandfather would.
“I will defend you, fair maidens, but remember, it’s better when we’re a team,” he said with a wink to me. “Brandish your weapons!”
The two girls frowned at him and then their eyes got big as they jumped off his lap, ran into the other room and came back with long paper tubes. A closer look showed that these were paper towel rolls, taped end to end and painted to look like swords.
“How may I help you defeat this monster?” Trey asked, on his knees in front of the girls.
Nathan still snarled and growled in the doorway, eyes twinkling as he waited for the game to continue.
“We should ride the Dragon into battle!” Rory said.
“Yeah! That would teach the monster not to mess with us.”
Trey got on all fours, transforming into his hybrid Dragon form, complete with his tail. When I saw that, my throat tightened and I met his eyes. He didn’t show his tail unless he was completely comfortable, at home.
He grinned up at me and I mouthed, “I love you.”
Before he could answer, the two girls were ordering him to charge and Trey took off chasing Nathan into the adjoining room.
Tessa plopped into Trey’s empty chair and gave me a tired smile.
“He’s really good with the kids,” she said. “This afternoon he had them making weapons out of whatever they could find in the recycling.”
“So that’s where they got those.”
“I’m happy for you. Trey fits into the family and I’ve never seen you so content.”
I hugged her and we both chuckled at the squeals from the other room.
“I never thought I’d have this,” I said, looking around the table. “Content is a good word for it, but I also can’t describe it fully. I always thought I’d need a purpose, a battle to fight to feel fulfilled. But I didn’t, I just needed someone to love, that loved me back, without all the pain that came before. And then the rest just either fell away or fell into place.”
“I know what you mean. Nathan wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, at all. But he was what I needed,” Tessa said, glancing up with a radiant smile as Nathan came back into the room. “Where’s the girls?”
“They slayed the terrible monster,” Nathan did a little bow, “and now their Dragon is putting them to bed.”
I raised my eyebrows as I looked at my son and he rolled his eyes. Nathan trusted very few people to care for his daughters in any capacity, and he cherished tucking them in for the night.
“Your mate is the new, interesting person. I am not concerned because I know I’m still their favorite,” Nathan replied. “Besides, they can never have too many Supernaturals looking out for them.”
Tessa and I raised a glass to that, and we continued chattering about the new club Nathan was opening. When the conversation changed to other endeavors and Trey still hadn’t come back, I went to find him. The girls’ bedroom door was cracked and I stood outside, listening to Trey finish the story he was spinning.
The girls were riveted by his voice, eyes wide as they clutched the blankets.
“And that’s the end for now,” he said.
“Can we have another, pleeeease?” Amelia asked.
“One more?” Rory added.
“That was one more,” Trey said, “and your father wouldn’t be happy with me keeping you awake. But I promise I will tell you more stories the next time we see you.”
“You’ll come visit?”
“Or maybe you could come visit me. You could see more Dragons.”
Both girls’ eyes lit up and they nodded.
“But that won’t happen if you don’t sleep.”
They shut their eyes tight and Trey pressed a kiss to their foreheads.
“May you soar among the clouds and never fear the winds,” he said as he got up.
When he came out into the hallway and saw me, I didn’t even have the chance to tell him how adorable he was with them before he was kissing me hard and deep.
“You’ve made me so happy,” he whispered. “I never thought I’d have a family, I thought I’d be alone if you rejected me and I forced myself to accept that. But here I am, with you, and your children and their children. They’ve folded me into their lives, received me as one of their own, all because of you. Thank you, my love.”
“I was going to say something similar to you,” I said. “You’ve given me so much Trey, just by loving me.”
“I’ll love you forever. This is only the beginning.”
And as he picked me up and carried me to the room we were sharing, I knew he was telling me the truth. For the first time, in so very long, I had hope for my future.
Thank you for reading Inferno, and for coming on this journey with me! If you have a moment, would you please leave a review or star rating wherever you love to gush about books?