Chapter Twenty-Six

NASH

The moment I hung up the phone, Erin screeched.

“Dragon shifter? You’re a goddamn dragon shifter?”

I ran a hand through my hair. Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse…

“Yes. Sorry. I just…” I gave up and pointed at the road. “Can we just go?”

Erin glared at me. “You’re changing the subject.”

Trying to, yes. Though I preferred to put it in different terms. “I’m focusing on what’s relevant.”

“Being a dragon shifter isn’t relevant? We slept together, dammit!”

A good thing “Frank” — aka Ingo — was no longer on the line.

I motioned at the road. “Just drive. We can talk about it on the way.”

She shot me a slitty-eyed look. “Or not. What if I decide to leave you here?”

Would it help to point out that I could fly away? Probably not. I pursed my lips and waited as Erin pinned me with the evil eye. Yes, she had a right to be mad. And yes, I deserved it. But with a warlock and a vampire to deal with…

Erin huffed and tore down the road, sending gravel flying.

Funny how a car could talk for its owner sometimes.

“My mother is a dragon shifter,” she muttered, as if that explained anything.

“And?” I asked as gently as I could.

Her dry laugh scared me. “She took off on me and my dad five weeks after I was born. Five weeks! Not that my dad isn’t great — he is,” she hurried to add. “But seriously, what kind of woman takes off on her own kid that way? She did it with my sisters too.” She made a face. “Abby was the lucky — or unlucky — one. Apparently, Mom stuck around nearly two months for her. Not that that helped much in the end,” she added mournfully.

“My mother is a dragon shifter, and she stuck around,” I pointed out. “Hell, she still calls to check that I’m eating my vegetables.”

Erin snorted. “Lucky you.”

“I’m just saying your experience doesn’t apply to all dragon shifters.”

“I know that,” she snipped. “I’m talking about liars. She lied to my dad about going for a walk but never came back.” Erin glared. “She lied. You lied.”

I stuck up my hands. “Those two things are on entirely different scales.”

Erin huffed. “Maybe for you.”

We rattled over a scalloped section of dirt road so violently, I had to brace myself — one hand to the dashboard, one to the roof.

“What other secrets have you been keeping?” Erin demanded when we hit smoother ground.

“No secrets. Just bad judgment. I’m sorry.”

She huffed, then smacked the steering wheel. “And what the hell is a class-four warlock?”

Now, she was the one changing the subject. And man, oh man. What a detail-oriented mind. A mind I loved, like the rest of her.

So, you finally admit it, my dragon chuckled. You love her.

No, I wasn’t ready to admit it — not out loud anyway — but I was getting there.

“The agency classifies witches and warlocks into five levels,” I explained. “Class-one is the most powerful.”

Her head whipped around. “There are warlocks more powerful than Harlon?”

“Maybe a handful, but I’ve never encountered one. Harlon is at least a two.”

“So why would they call him a four?”

“To make him seem harmless, especially against a marauding dragon.”

She huffed. “You haven’t been marauding.”

At least she gave me credit for that.

I sighed, trying to figure out how I’d ended up in this mess. I’d come to Sedona to clear my mind, not to pick a fight — especially not with Erin.

And, man. What irony. Just when I felt like I’d come back to life, I was facing death by Harlon, Angelina, or the agency hit squad.

I gulped. What happened to me didn’t matter. All that counted was getting Erin out of this mess.

We drove along in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. Then we rattled over a cattle grid, and I looked up. We were nearly at the ranch.

“I guess you’re not throwing me out?” I ventured.

“Not yet,” Erin grunted, making the final turn.

* * *

A short time later, Erin huddled with her sisters on the porch of the main house. Claire was in sight but out of earshot, brushing one of the horses, who swished its tail. Erin hadn’t invited me in, but she hadn’t banished me either, so I stayed in the no-man’s-land of the stairs.

“So, now what?” Pippa asked once Erin had filled them both in.

“I knew he was trouble,” Abby grunted, looking at me. Me!

Erin shook her head. “This isn’t Nash’s fault.”

She said it begrudgingly, like I still had to prove myself to her. And, damn. Maybe I did.

“He didn’t bring Harlon out here,” Erin finished. “Harlon came all on his own.”

I looked at my feet. True, but what about Angelina? Was it mere coincidence to encounter her out here?

Not chance. It’s destiny, my dragon grumbled, and not in a good way.

I couldn’t make any sense of it. Why would destiny make so many separate lives cross here? Who was doomed to fail, and who would prevail?

Abby threw a fierce Momma Bear look in little Claire’s direction. “Fucking Harlon. I haven’t even met him, and I already hate him.”

Abby seemed to hate all men, so that wasn’t saying much. But in this case, I agreed.

“You think they can actually find us here?” Pippa asked.

Erin shrugged and looked at me.

I rubbed my chin. The ranch entrance was blurred by a spell. A very old, very powerful spell that probably went back generations. I’d kept my senses piqued on the way in, but I’d still missed the visual cues. On the other hand, I had sensed a telltale tremble in the air once I knew it was there.

“Harlon might not spot the entrance on his first try, but I doubt it will trick him for long.”

“How did he find out about the vortex?” Pippa asked.

Erin shrugged. “Madden pointed the ranch out to him from the air, but I had the feeling Harlon already knew about the vortex.”

“How?” Abby demanded.

An excellent question. Too bad our investigation hadn’t turned up anything about that.

“I have no idea,” Erin said. “But right now, we need to come up with a plan. What are Harlon and Angelina likely to do next, and how do we defend ourselves against that?”

But the three sisters were stumped, and honestly, so was I.

Finally, Pippa sighed. “Maybe it’s time to call in your dad.”

Erin’s expression made it clear she hated the idea. “Maybe it’s time to call in your dads.”

Abby’s expression darkened, but she didn’t say a word.

Pippa opened her mouth, then closed it, hesitating.

“What?” the other two demanded.

“What about Mom?” Pippa finally tried.

“No!” Erin and Abby shouted at the same time.

Pippa stuck up her hands. “You’re right. Forget it. We probably couldn’t track her down anyway.”

All three fell silent, and my heart tore a little more. I’d never considered my family particularly close, but hell. I’d never appreciated my folks as much as I did just then.

“Maybe we shouldn’t call in anyone,” Erin decided. “Bringing in a dragon or a couple of warlocks could just escalate things.”

True, but I was more in the Get all the help you can camp. I wasn’t capable of holding off Harlon and Angelina on my own, and I doubted the sisters could either — no matter how determined they were.

Another silent spell ensued, broken by Claire’s laugh as she shared a joke with Roscoe and the horse.

For a moment, we all smiled. Then, one by one, we each went serious again.

“What about that agency who’s sent a unit here — the BDSM?” Abby asked.

ADMSA, my dragon grumbled inside.

“Well, maybe that’s good,” Pippa said. “I mean, having an entire supernatural SWAT team show up could help us with Harlon, and we can explain it wasn’t Nash’s fault.”

If only it were that easy.

“They won’t make it here before tomorrow morning,” Erin said. “Harlon could make his next move before then.”

“Why would he?” Abby asked.

Erin scowled. “If you were a warlock, how eager would you be to come across an agency tasked with keeping tabs on you?”

“Another reason not to call in my dad — or yours,” Pippa decided.

Erin snorted. “They’re not shady. Harlon is.”

With that, she looked out over the ranch, and everyone grew quiet. It was late afternoon, edging toward evening and another fiery sunset. Shadows crept ominously over the arid landscape, and the air grew crisper.

“I have another idea, but I’m not sure I like it,” Pippa finally said. “The vortex. Could we use its power to protect ourselves?”

Erin wrapped her arms around her middle and looked toward the cliff. “The only thing that terrifies me more than the idea of Harlon using it is trying to use it myself. And didn’t Aunt Emma warn us never to go close?”

Pippa and Abby glanced at each other, then at the floor.

Yeah, those two had definitely gotten close at some point.

“Maybe it was one of those warnings adults give that only apply to kids.” Pippa made air quotes. “Like, don’t smoke or don’t have sex .”

Erin broke into laughter, and even Abby cracked into a sly look — only to frown an instant later.

“Sex was pretty easy to figure out on my own,” Erin said. “I’m not sure the vortex works that way.”

They looked at each other blankly, then at me, but I had nothing either.

“Let me guess,” Erin sighed. “Agency training didn’t cover that.”

No, it didn’t. For all it had taught me about warlocks, it hadn’t prepared me for seductive vampires, like Angelina, or for falling for the genuine appeal of Erin. Which just went to show that some things, you had to learn the hard way.

With Erin, I’d do it all over, my dragon whispered. Again and again, a thousand times .

As bad as the situation was, a smile played over my lips.

A horse nickered, and a bird flew by, slicing through the red-hued landscape.

“What about your own power?” I asked quietly.

Pippa laughed. “What power?”

I motioned at her, then Erin. “Your mother is a dragon, and your fathers are warlocks, right?” When they both nodded, I turned to Abby. “Is your father a warlock too?”

“He’s a self-absorbed nutcase. That’s what he is.”

I stuck up my hands, coming to my point quickly. “Well, I’m guessing he has magic too. Look.”

The sisters traded exasperated looks as I grabbed a box of matches and lit one. When I held it near Erin, the flame bent toward her, but she just laughed.

“That’s the wind.”

“Not the wind,” I insisted. Could they not see what I meant?

Spotting a lantern, I lit it and held it high. Again, the flame bent toward Erin.

I tapped the glass of the lantern. “It’s not the wind. It’s you.”

I got another one of those You are unbearably stupid looks. “The lantern is probably crooked or something.”

But even when I rotated it, the flame tilted toward Erin.

“And if I do this…” I swung the lantern slowly between Erin and Pippa. At some point in the middle, the flame swayed a little, undecided, then jerked over to whichever sister was closer.

Finally, I took a deep breath and held it toward Abby. “Tell me about your father.”

“None of your goddamn business!” she barked.

Whoosh! The tiny flame in the lantern exploded into angry crackles. They bounced off the glass hood, then escaped out the top, rushing toward me. I jumped back, holding it at arm’s length.

“See?”

Abby crossed her arms. “You did that on purpose.”

“Yes.” I gestured around with the lantern. “Do you get it now? You have power. All of you. It’s just that no one taught you how to use it.”

Erin shook her head. “Just because fire reacts to us doesn’t mean we can control it — or that we have any other kind of power. Even if we did, this is not the time to experiment with it.”

I took a deep breath, praying circumstances — or Harlon — wouldn’t force them to.

“It’s not just fire. You can read the wind too,” I pointed out.

Erin crossed her arms. “Like any good pilot or sailor.”

I shook my head. She was on a whole different level.

“More like a wind whisperer,” I murmured. “A person who can control the wind.”

Erin snorted. “Ha. At best, I could make a few suggestions and pray the wind feels like listening.”

I shook my head. Dammit, why hadn’t her father taught her anything about magic?

My dragon snorted. She’s convinced she doesn’t have any magic. And once Erin is convinced of something…

I didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh.

An errant streak of wind swept over the desert, making us all turn. Erin wrapped her arms around her middle, and Pippa sniffed the air. I did too, suddenly on alert.

A moment later, we all relaxed. No sign of Harlon, just the wind ruffling patches of sage and grass. That didn’t stop Abby from stalking out to join Claire, however.

“Come on, honey. Time for Misty to go back to the barn.”

We watched them go, half eyeing the sky. I observed the sisters at the same time. Did they even realize they were testing the wind the way I did? Probably not, but I was sure that was their dragon shifter blood coming through.

If these sisters harnessed their power instead of denying it… my dragon mused.

Watch out, Harlon, I agreed. Still, that was a big if.

“What if we bluff and tell Harlon we’ll sell?” Pippa asked. “That would buy us time.”

Erin thought it over, then shook her head. “That wouldn’t stop the agency from coming tomorrow.”

“So?” Then Pippa shot me an apologetic look. “Oh. You’d still get in trouble.” She thought it over, then brightened. “But not if you leave before they get here.”

I gulped. How could I leave Erin at a time like this? How could I leave any of them?

To my surprise, Erin spoke before I did. In fact, she practically barked.

“Nash stays.” The pink in her cheeks intensified, and she cleared her throat. “I mean, in case we need his help. I mean, if he’s willing to stay. I mean…”

She doesn’t want us to go, my dragon cheered quietly.

Because her family is in danger, I pointed out.

And other reasons, my dragon hummed.

Our eyes locked, and the glow in her eyes confirmed those other reasons . My chest swelled, and for the next few heartbeats, all I felt was peace and hope.

A pretty good definition for love, I supposed, risking a tiny grin.

Erin’s lips curled too. So, whew. It wasn’t just me.

But it wasn’t just the two of us either. Pippa was right there, studying us with a sly look.

I tore my gaze from Erin’s and murmured in my grittiest secret agent tone, “I’m happy to stay and help.”

“Good. Great. Thank you,” Erin said, still flustered.

Pippa grinned openly. “All right, then. We still need a plan, though. Ideas, anyone?”