“You didn’t tell me that.”

  She glanced up at Lucius. “I told you I’d looked into them. It really did seem legitimate. After finding their offices empty, I have to believe it was nothing more than an elaborate and expensive hoax. Anyway, they put me in contact with a man who claimed to have found a dragon carved out of stone in a cave in the Smokey Mountains National Park.”

  “That would be you.” Maccus pointed the tip of the dagger at Lucius, who only grunted.

  The faster she got through this, the faster they could leave. Her heart was beating so hard her chest was aching. Sweat had her clothes sticking to her skin. No way could she hide her obvious discomfort from any of them. Their abilities were unknown to her, but she assumed her hosts had preternatural senses. Even if they didn’t, it wasn’t hard to tell she was uncomfortable. “When I went inside to investigate, my guide exploded the entrance, trapping me.” From there, she continued recounting everything. Well, mostly everything. She skipped over the fact they’d slept together. Not that they couldn’t fill in the details. “So we went to the Angel Foundation and found it empty,” she concluded. “You responded to the message we left and here we are.”

  “Why you?” His dark eyes pierced her soul. It was as though he could read her every thought. God, she hoped he couldn’t read her mind. He’d sat quietly during her explanation, asking no questions. He might be a big bruiser, but his exterior hid a keen intelligence.

  “Lucius asked the same thing. I’ll tell you what I told him. I don’t know. I’m nobody special.” Certainly not someone who belonged with this group of extraordinary people. She dropped her head back and stared at the ceiling.

  “I didn’t think it possible to wake a sleeping drakon.” Hard to tell if it was distrust in his voice or if he was simply trying to reason things out.

  Lucius stirred beside her. “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. I believe there’s one force strong enough to bring a drakon out of the Deep Sleep.”

  Curiosity had her sitting forward again. “A chatty teacher of folklore,” she joked, trying to lighten the heavy mood that hung over them. Morrigan smiled, but the men remained grim.

  “No, something far more elusive and unique.” She cut him off with a shake of her head and rolled her eyes toward their avid listeners. Spilling drakon secrets didn’t seem like the smart thing to do, especially since Morrigan was an unknown. There was no doubting she was a badass or she wouldn’t be with Maccus, but she was a stranger to Lucius. Whatever he was about to reveal, it likely had something to do with her, and she could deal with only one thing at a time. Right now, surviving Maccus and getting information were the goals.

  “You’re a treasure, Raine, but Maccus knows all about drakons. He’s far older than I am.”

  “He is?” That was mind-boggling but something she should have reasoned out. After all, he was an angel—a fallen one, but still—and the leader of the Brotherhood. Maccus leaned back in his chair, one hand resting on Morrigan’s thigh, the other playing with a knife—a different one from earlier. Where is he getting them? “Just how old is he?”

  “Positively ancient. I’m four thousand years old. A mere babe in comparison.”

  She blinked several times. He wasn’t kidding. Her vision began to dim. “Excuse me.” She dropped her head between her legs, closed her eyes, and tried to breathe. Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out.

  “Raine.” Lucius sounded far away.

  “I’ll be fine. Just processing.” Suck it up. Don’t show weakness in front of the others. Too late for that. Taking a deep breath, she raised her head. “Sorry about that. It’s been a busy few days.”

  Morrigan hurried back into the room, a bottle in hand. She must have left while I was trying not to heave. “Here, sip some water.”

  Lucius helped steady her hand when it shook. The cool water soothed her dry mouth and throat. “Thank you.” She took another sip.

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s a lot to take in. I had some difficult moments when I first met Maccus, and I was a bounty hunter for Hell.”

  Water spurted, spraying everywhere. “What?”

  Morrigan’s eyes twinkled. “It’s a long story. I’m not too much older than you.”

  This must have been what Alice felt like when she fell into Wonderland—out of her depth and totally inadequate. “Fallen angel, former bounty hunter for Hell, drakon, and human. One of these things doesn’t fit with the others.”

  …

  Fuck! He’d almost blurted that Raine was his mate in front of the others. It had been a primal instinct to claim, to mark her as his.

  “Who would know”—Maccus hesitated for a split second—“how to wake you?”

  His friend had reasoned out what Lucius hadn’t said—Raine was his mate—and understood the implications. Drakon mates were likely the rarest creatures in existence. A drakon protected his treasure, no matter the cost. It placed a huge responsibility on her, whether she understood it or not. The fate of the world was literally in her hands. If she realized that, she’d likely run from him.

  His friend didn’t appear to be overly concerned about the implications, but looks were deceiving. The adage “still waters run deep” applied to the man. A lethal hunter—not by thought, word, or deed did he give himself away. By the time his enemies discovered he was near, it was too late.

  “That’s the question, isn’t it?” For all his vast knowledge, he couldn’t come up with an answer.

  Raine rubbed her hand over her forehead. “For whatever reason I was able to wake him. I’m nothing more than bait. The non-virgin sacrifice.”

  Morrigan gave her a quizzical look. “I don’t understand.”

  “Virgins were often offered up as sacrifice to appease our dragon sires when they roamed the earth,” Lucius explained.

  “I told him in the cave I wasn’t a virgin, so it was his tough luck.” Raine shot him a quick grin.

  “And I said I don’t want to hear about past lovers unless you want to give me their names.” The thought of her with another was enough to make him crazy.

  She mimed zipping her lips.

  “Enemies have been trying to destroy the Brotherhood.” The knife flashed as Maccus slammed it into the table, burying the blade deep. “I thought we’d dealt with that.”

  Raine jolted beside him. Her heartbeat skipped a beat and picked up its pace. He was worried about her. The stress couldn’t be healthy. “Who?” This could be the lead they’d been hoping for.

  “Gabriel tried to hire me to kill Morrigan, even though humans are off-limits to angels. That bastard’s had a grudge against me since he kicked me out of Heaven. Pissed off I didn’t die.” He took Morrigan’s hand and twined their fingers together. “Lucifer wanted her to kill me. He’s still annoyed at the havoc I caused in his realm. Their plan failed, but not for lack of trying.”

  “And you just happened to beat both Heaven and Hell at their own game. And now you’re living happily ever after with a woman of your own.” Call him skeptical, but that seemed a tad too good to be true.

  Maccus’s lips flattened and another blade appeared in his hand. “Watch yourself. Think what you want about me, but do not disparage Morrigan.” The temperature in the room was nearing a boiling point, tempers close to flaring. His dragon wanted to barbecue Maccus, which wouldn’t help the already strained relations.

  Releasing a growl of pure frustration, he rubbed the back of his neck. “I apologize. I’d gut anyone who spoke against Raine in that manner.” Not knowing who his enemy was, having nowhere to aim his fury, was making his dragon restless and dangerous.

  “We all need to calm down. No one is gutting anyone.” The slight quaver in Raine’s voice shamed him. She had to be scared out of her mind. Even though she appeared calm, he could smell her fear, noted the way she was chewing her bottom lip.

  He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. “I’m frustrated, but that’s no excuse.”

  Maccus inclined his head. His friend really had changed. In the past, he would’ve been dodging flying blades as he shifted and attacked. Maybe the women were taming them both.

  “Lucifer and Gabriel set you on each other. That’s a grudge against you. What does it have to do with me or the Brotherhood? How does it all tie in?”

  “When the dust cleared, I was off-limits. So was Morrigan.”

  “Are we talking about the Archangel Gabriel?” Her voice was steady, but he detected the slightest quiver. “Because if we are, I’m even more freaked out.”

  Lucius wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Yes, that Gabriel.” It was all beginning to make a sick kind of sense. “Hurt the Brotherhood. Hurt you.” It was diabolical and ingenious.

  “Yes.” There was a wealth of pain behind that one word. His friend might seem cold and unfeeling, but he took his responsibility to the rest of them seriously. “Lucifer worked behind the scenes to put other Brothers in situations that could have turned ugly, but the threat was nullified. Or so I thought.”

  “If something happened to Raine, you’d attack, maybe even killing innocents.” Worry clouded Morrigan’s eyes.

  He’d already killed to protect her, but he didn’t count Mack and his armed buddies as innocent. The back of his neck prickled. “If I killed indiscriminately, Maccus would be forced to try to put me down.”

  “Make no mistake, it would happen.” The vow slammed down between them, a dividing line. Maccus was on his feet, a deadly sword lit with blue and purple flames in his hand. A brilliant light now rimmed the black of his eyes, making them appear deep and fathomless and even more otherworldly.

  Lucius slowly stood and faced his friend. “You’d try, but I’m not as I was. Before I went to sleep, I was bigger and stronger than any other drakon alive. An oddity, even among them. Something happened to me after I awakened. It almost destroyed me. I’m ten times more powerful than I was. I could blow up the Earth’s core, if I chose.”

  “Stop it.” Raine jumped to her feet. “No one’s blasting anything or smiting anyone. Whoever is behind this, this is what they want. I, for one, am in no hurry to give them anything.”

  The flames winked out and the sword disappeared. “You’re right.”

  Lucius’s jaw dropped. “Did you just admit to being wrong?” This was a first for the ages. Maybe the apocalypse was upon them.

  A muscle in his jaw worked. “No. I’m saying she’s right.”

  “How are you doing that knife and sword thing?” Raine demanded. “They come. They go. Wait, don’t tell me. I’m not sure my brain can handle much more without exploding.”

  The corners of Maccus’s mouth twitched. A hard lump of dread loosened in his chest. He didn’t want to have to fight one of the few men he called friend. “I can see why you were pulled from the Deep Sleep.” High praise from his Brother.

  “Hey, I talk when I’m nervous, and I’ve got to tell you, I’ve never been more nervous than I am right now. Wait, maybe when the stone cracked around Lucius and he became a real dragon, or drakon, but it’s a close tie.”

  When she took a breath, he bent down and pressed his mouth to hers. It allowed him to silence whatever thought was about to spill out. It also gave him the touch and connection he craved. She made one of those sexy sounds in the back of her throat and flung her arms around him.

  Maccus cleared his throat. “Do you want a room?”

  Lucius smiled against Raine’s lips and raised his head. “Did you just make a joke?”

  He grunted.

  “You’ve been good for him,” he told Morrigan.

  “Sorry about that.” Raine straightened the hem of her sweater. “Getting back to the subject at hand, who would put Lucius and me together? There was no way to know how things would end.”

  Morrigan tapped a finger to her cheek. “Maybe someone was guessing you might have the ability to wake him and figured it was worth a try. It wasn’t Lucifer. He knows what would happen if he poked his nose into Brotherhood business again.”

  “You’re sure?” Lucius couldn’t see Lucifer just backing down, but he had to believe there was a reason they were so certain.

  “Yes.” The finality to Maccus’s agreement was enough for him.

  “Then what about Gabriel or some other angel with a grudge? It’s not by chance the Angel Foundation was behind the grant Raine received.”

  Maccus stared at Raine. “She’s the only other new player. Are you sure she’s not working with them?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The shock of the accusation hit her right between the eyes. Should have seen that one coming. It was a perfectly reasonable question, but it hurt nonetheless. She was the outsider.

  For once, she had nothing to say. Lucius wouldn’t be swayed by Maccus’s accusations. He thought you might be guilty of working with Mack, a voice in her head gleefully reminded her. That was before. They knew each other much better, had shared secrets, not to mention making love.

  Or maybe she was grasping at straws.

  Burying her hurt, she tilted her chin up and faced her accuser. “There’s nothing I can do to prove my innocence. I’m done here.” If the angel distrusted her, he wasn’t likely to divulge any useful information while she was around. She was halfway to the elevator before Lucius caught her by the hand.

  “Not without me.”

  Relief swamped her, making her head spin. “I would never work with anyone to hurt you.” It was important he believe her. He gave a curt nod. A muscle ticked high on his cheek. “Ah, your eyes are glowing.” Did he really believe her or was he just saying it?

  “We’re not done.” Maccus was only a few steps away. “All possibilities must be considered.”

  She gave him props for looking out for his friend, even as she wanted to kick him where it really hurt. Not smart, considering he had a flaming sword and she had nothing more than her wits to protect her. Talk about an uneven fight.

  “Raine is a victim in this.”

  She started to nod but shook her head instead. “I’m no victim.” Anger made her voice shake as adrenaline flooded her body. She’d worked damn hard to be strong and capable, to overcome the obstacles life had thrown at her. Outmatched she might be, but she wasn’t backing down. “I found myself in a situation.” She nodded, liking the word. “A situation far outside the norm. I may not have superpowers like all of you, but I’m determined and I’m no quitter. Victim, my ass.”

  “I stand corrected.” Lucius brought her hand to his lips. “You are the bravest woman I’ve ever known.”

  “If she has nothing to hide, she won’t mind if we investigate.”

  It was official. His last name was Fury because he made people furious. Before she could think better of it, she stalked forward and poked him in the chest. “Investigate all you want. It won’t change a thing.”

  The room grew visibly darker, shadows slithering down the walls and creeping across the floor until she and Maccus were surrounded. Sound and visibility dropped to almost nil. What she could hear was muffled.

  “You touched me.” His voice sounded odd, not outraged. More perplexed. She often had that effect on people.

  “I didn’t hurt you. Your chest is like iron.” Antagonizing him wasn’t going to help matters. He was Lucius’s friend, not to mention he was a powerful being. She swallowed heavily as the shadows thickened. Ribbons of them wove through her legs and twined around her waist. “I shouldn’t have poked you. In my defense, I was provoked.” The ribbons climbed higher, encircling her neck. She coughed as one pressed against her throat.

  What the hell? Shadows didn’t have weight or substance, or shouldn’t, yet her throat ached. Her breathing grew shallow and her limbs began to tremble. I could die. A fallen angel held her life in his hands. Lucius might not be able to rescue her in time. He’d blame himself for this, even though it was her impetuous behavior that put her here.

  The air behind her superheated. It was like stepping out of air-conditioning into a blistering one-hundred-degree day. Despite the warmth, she shivered with a chill that went all the way to her bones.

  A thunderous crack and groan split the air. The shadows retreated, allowing her to breathe more easily. They raced back to the dark corners of the room. Her ears popped and the world became audible.

  Holy shit! The place was trashed. What was left of the sturdy furniture resembled a pile of matchsticks and fluff in the far corner. That’s not going to be cheap to replace. That was the least of her worries. Lucius’s huge dragon filled the entire space. His rose-gold scales reflected a brilliant light that chased the shadows until they were swallowed up. His tail whipped toward the wall. A piece of plaster crashed to the floor. Even with the high ceilings, he had to duck his huge head and fold his wings. The floor began to creak beneath him. It wasn’t meant to support this kind of weight.

  Wings shot out from behind Maccus. Not white, as she’d imagined an angel’s would be, but black as pitch. An inner light shimmered among the feathers. They reminded her of his eyes. She would have thought fallen angels lost their wings, but here was proof to the contrary.

  The flaming sword was back in his hand. His shirt was somehow gone, revealing a muscular upper body covered in tattoos of knives, throwing stars, and other sharp instruments of death, several of which eerily resembled the ones he’d been playing with earlier.

  Death surrounded her. These men were immortal assassins, who wouldn’t hesitate to kill if provoked, had killed many times in their long lives. Lucius had told her. She’d seen him kill to protect her. This was something more primal and dangerous.

  Caught like a rabbit between two ravenous wolves, she froze in place, her legs refusing her command to run.