Chapter Nine

Skye never felt comfortable in Kol’s office. His agitation was even worse this afternoon while he waited for Garen to retrieve Melody for her interview. He had to control himself from bombarding Kol with questions about the girl. For the last week, Skye had thought of nothing else.

“What’s wrong with her?” he asked, staring out the window of the top floor of Magnus Tower.

Kol was silent for a moment, his emotional impression only a dark void. The Shadow had given him some details, but the utter lack of emotional display made Skye certain he was holding something back.

“Nothing,” Kol said, moving to stand beside him. “Melody is very special. She’d make a perfect mate for any dragon.”

“But not you.”

“She’d make an ideal mate for me, but Fate has already granted me the only mate I was ever meant to have. And if you’ll recall, you are owed recompense for Trevor.”

Skye grimaced. He would be happy to have that incident behind him, but at what cost?

Kol gripped his shoulder and squeezed. “You’ll love her, I promise you.”

“I’m afraid how I feel may be irrelevant to what Mother wanted for me. I’ve been with enough human women since ascending, I have a feeling very few are suitable mates for a dragon. Why should this woman be different?”

“You’re forgetting I’ve already vetted her. Melody’s been bonded to me for less than a year, but there is one thing you should know about her, which is the reason I need you to take her.”

Skye turned to look at his boss. So there was something he was holding back. Was the Shadow about to pull Skye into some illicit secret? He raised an eyebrow in query.

Kol pursed his lips and then sighed. “She is hard to give up, trust me. Melody is Blessed. And I realized it too late. Hallie and I included her once when we made love, and she bonded to me almost instantly. But I can’t keep her.”

The confession made everything clear. Blessed humans were rare individuals, drawn to dragons through an infusion of magic granted in the womb. Her mother likely hadn’t even known how close she was to a dragon when the blessing was granted. It meant Melody was destined to mate a dragon, but it complicated Skye’s situation considerably.

“You need me to break that bond. But if I go too far, it will tie her unequivocally to me, instead.”

“You’re the only unmated Blue powerful enough to influence her. The contract will be the test—she’ll sign it because she believes I want her to. The terms will be tricky for her to fulfill, however. Nearly impossible, if your servant does his job well. Every urge to break it will weaken her bond to me.”

“Do you know which dragon blessed her?” He grew thoughtful, considering the possibilities. “It had to be an elder. Which means he’s gone through the Renunciation, and she’s entitled to an inheritance—and she likely has no idea. But depending on how powerful he was—how powerful her blessing is—it may affect her susceptibility to a bond with me.”

Kol shook his head. “He wasn’t more powerful than me, so likely not a Court dragon. Usually it’s a bachelor who chooses a human child to grant a blessing to, but I’m tracking down his identity. Don’t worry about that for now—the most crucial thing is to unbind her from me. I don’t know how long that will take, but when the bond is broken, she’ll be able to make a true choice. I want you to give that to her. Let the magic guide you on how best to proceed. The magic will know.”

The infernal magic. Sometimes he wished he wasn’t so reliant on it for his power. He dreamed frequently of releasing himself from his human form and hiding in a cave somewhere like his ancestors used to do. Away from the buzz of humanity that even now added an irritating layer to his already uncertain mood. But without a regular influx of magic, he would slowly go insane and would ultimately have to be exterminated by his own kind, if the Ultiori—the ancient order of dragon hunters—didn’t find him first.

As if sensing his descending mood, Kol expelled a deep breath. The exhalation of magic draped itself across Skye’s shoulders, covering him in an almost imperceptible hooded cloak that muffled the bombarding emotions of the humans that lived and worked within the immediate vicinity. He could still sense the dragons in the building, but their auras were familiar to him, and not an irritation.

“Thank you,” he said begrudgingly. “Garen’s the only other dragon who can calm me as well as you can.”

“The two of you have always been close. I know the contract is only between you and Melody. Will he remain with you after the contract terms have been met? I’m happy to find a position for him here …”

“He’ll stay with me,” Skye snapped.

Kol raised his eyebrows and Skye sighed, regretting the outburst.

“Having him around will help test her bond with you. I have a plan for her. It’s all within the terms of the contract, of course. For the first month I plan to test her to see if she really is as perfect as you say, aside from being Blessed. Test her potency and her loyalty. And most of all to purge her of her bond to you. After that, I may need him to further ensure her happiness. That is, if I mate her.”

“If you do plan to mate her at the end of this, sharing her with Garen will only dilute your energy.”

“I don’t intend to share before we’re mated, if that’s meant to be. Garen’s very adept at priming a woman without giving in. I need to see what levels of magic she’s capable of containing. Most human women have low limits.”

“Be careful,” Kol cautioned. “It’s still against our laws for a single human to mate with two dragons. Sharing her from time to time is not an issue, but I’m fully aware of the risks we take with our impulses when we become emotionally attached to a human. Melody’s the perfect example. Don’t test Garen too much or both of you may regret it.”

“Don’t worry,” Skye said. “If everything goes well with Melody, I’m making it my sole task to find Garen a suitable mate afterward.” He avoided mentioning that he would still see to Garen’s needs himself if he had to in the meantime, but in light of Garen’s issues, Skye’s friend was the ideal candidate to help him test Melody. Of course Skye would have to overcome his own reluctance to share his Nirvana with a human, but that had never been his biggest concern. Whether or not Melody would be the one his mother’s magic chose was a far greater worry.

A glimmer of a more familiar dragon aura approaching bled through the shield of Kol’s cloak. Skye shed the shadowy cover so he could sense the presences around him more clearly.

“They’re here,” he said, turning to the door.

Something was strange about Garen’s energy as he approached from several floors below them. He seemed subdued—almost worried, if Skye had to put a name to it. That didn’t bode well. By contrast, the bright aura that accompanied Garen pulsed with excitement and apprehension. He could picture them in his mind’s eye—Garen’s soft white glow, threaded through with the lingering blue from the last time they’d shared their energy a week earlier. It wasn’t unusual for Garen to go a week or more between visiting Skye to replenish. Skye rarely went so long, but he had this week, for once, simply to ensure he had an undiluted taste of this young woman.

The closer she got, the more his own excitement grew, along with his need. He knew it was merely the prospect of having a fresh infusion of energy. Until she was in front of him, he would have no idea whether she would even interest him. Garen’s energy was so conflicted he couldn’t judge how the interview would go based on that.

Melody’s mood became more apparent as the elevator they were in rose higher. She was highly aroused, as was Garen, in spite of his conflict. Their two auras bled together where they overlapped in a way that intrigued Skye.

He forced himself to wait. He’d requested Garen meet him here to brief him before the interview. It was all he could do not to anxiously pace.

Kol chuckled. “I felt the same way waiting for Hallie to awaken me, friend. I have a good feeling about this.”

“Oh?” Skye said, shooting Kol an irritated glance. “Well, I hate waiting. Five hundred years was long enough. Add to that my mother’s ridiculous little puzzles. If this woman isn’t the one, I think I may just abandon the idea of a mate altogether. Mother’s wishes be damned. This is too much waiting for one day.”

His senses followed Garen out of the elevator, into the conference room across the small reception area, then back.

Garen knocked swiftly then opened the office door without waiting. Skye caught himself leaning forward expectantly and adjusted his posture, forcing himself to lower his shoulders and at least appear relaxed. Both Garen and Kol would know better, but appearances were important nonetheless. If nothing else, he needed to prepare himself to meet her.

Garen stepped through and closed the door behind him. He was breathless and flushed, his eyes bright and excited, but Skye still sensed some niggling reservation deep within his friend.

He strode quickly over to Garen. “Well?”

Garen grinned. “She is delicious. Here, these are for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny folded scrap of blue silk, holding it out excitedly.

Skye blinked down at the soft item in his hand, confused for a moment until he took the pair of panties and unfolded them. He didn’t need to bury his nose in them to catch the sweet aroma of her on them. The soft fabric and its infusion of Melody’s scent made his cock harden.

“She gave these willingly?” he asked.

Garen looked a little insulted. “Oh, she was surprisingly responsive. And more willing than any other woman I’ve met before.” He glanced at Kol. “Was this your doing?”

Kol shook his head. “I knew she had potential when I hired her. My own experience with her took very little influence on my part. I admit, Hallie was the one who gave her the first push, but she never once faltered after that.”

Skye stashed the panties in his jacket pocket. He was grateful for Kol keeping Melody’s Blessed status mum for the time being. He preferred to keep Garen in the dark for now—at least until he had a better idea how Melody would respond to his energy.

“Is she ready now?”

“As ready as she’ll ever be, I expect. I did my best to prime her for you.” Garen seemed to hesitate for a second, then said. “I would like to observe the interview, if you don’t mind.”

Skye nodded, suddenly very eager to proceed. “Of course. I need you to learn everything you can about her.” He turned to the Shadow. “Kol, will you be observing as well?”

Kol shook his head. “I’ll come in for a moment, but it’s better for you if I’m not there. If she’s still willing after you’ve tested her, then I’ll be comfortable with the transfer. Of course, it’s imperative you share none of your own energy with her yet. I don’t want her unduly influenced. She has to make the decision based on her own desires, is that understood? Not the beginnings of a bond to you.”

Skye merely nodded, amused at Kol’s tiny lie for Garen’s benefit. He turned and matched Garen’s swift stride out the door.