"You can't believe he's bad to the bone," Rox said quietly, and he nodded in quick agreement.
"It's more than that, too. I have to live with myself when this is done," Niall said, his voice rising. "I already have to live with the fact that Phelan wanted to talk to me about turning Slayer before he did it and I refused to have any such conversation with him. I have to live with the fact that I turned him away, the person who had been closest to me in all my life. I let him down."
"The choice was his," Rafferty said softly.
"That's not all of it," Niall argued hotly. "I was the one who told our father what Phelan had done, so I was responsible for the fact that our father both shunned and disinherited Phelan. I was the one who insisted that Father not tell Mother, that he leave that task to me, because I knew how fond she was of Phelan. I was afraid my father's decision to disinherit Phelan would drive them apart just when they had reunited happily."
"Nigel never explained himself to anyone," Rafferty said with a shake of his head. "He was so certain that he was right, that his logic was infallible, that he would never trouble himself to justify his choices to anyone."
"Not even his wife?" Rox asked, her astonishment clear.
Rafferty shrugged and smiled. "It was a different time."
"King of his castle," Sloane murmured.
"He was inflexible," Niall said. "But I didn't go immediately to my mother. I put off what I feared would be an unhappy exchange, even though I had volunteered for the job."
"You tried to protect her from the truth," Sloane said.
"And Phelan took advantage of that. He went to her immediately and persuaded her to go with him."
"He escorted her out of that party," Rox said. "I saw it in my dream."
"What?" Niall asked.
"I had a dream tonight. I was in a ballroom. I saw your parents, I think." She pointed to Rafferty. "You were there. You told him he was wasting the opportunity of a firestorm."
They all smiled at that.
"That is a recurrent theme in my comments and advice," Rafferty acknowledged.
Rox frowned and introduced an idea Niall had never considered. "Maybe Phelan beguiled her. Maybe that's why she didn't realize there was anything wrong with him. She would have noticed his eyes, otherwise. I could see in my dream that they had started to go black."
Niall shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I still didn't do what I should have done."
Rox stood up and came to him. To his amazement, there was compassion in her expression. She put her fingertips on his arm and a golden heat touched Niall's heart. "What did Phelan do to her?"
Niall was grim. "Nothing, because he had no chance. He threatened to kill her, sending a taunt to my father in old-speak demanding a return to his former status."
"Bad choice," Sloane said, and rubbed his forehead.
"Truly bad," Rafferty agreed. "Nigel would never have negotiated over the survival of his mate. He would simply have gone for blood."
Niall nodded. "That's pretty much how it shook out."
"Nigel killed Phelan?" Rox asked.
"It was savage," Rafferty said with a nod.
"Yet I was dancing, avoiding the job I'd promised to do," Niall said bitterly. "I arrived far too late to intervene on my brother's behalf, thought my mother was chatting with friends, and danced while I awaited her return."
"A flock of shadow dragons couldn't have stopped your father," Rafferty said. He stood and came to Niall's side, putting a hand on Niall's shoulder in consolation.
Niall wasn't consoled. "I should have stopped it. I should have talked to him. I should have given Phelan a second chance when it would have made a difference," he said stubbornly, then looked at Sloane. "There is no way back for a Slayer who has no glimmer of the divine spark left in his heart, but I'm not convinced that my brother is in that company. Until I'm sure, I can't destroy him." He heaved a sigh. "His death shattered what was left of our family. I couldn't stay near my parents after my brother's death because I reminded them of the son they'd lost. I never saw them again. I left for good."
"You were identical twins," Rafferty said with understanding.
"And I couldn't look at my father without remembering the sight of him killing Phelan." He met Rox's gaze briefly, not wanting to see the disappointment in her eyes. "There's your story." Then he turned away, fully expecting her to condemn him for not helping his brother more.
"I think you have to finish him off," Sloane said.
"Even though he seems to have his old spark back?" Niall challenged.
"There's a slim chance, but it's slim," Sloane acknowledged. "But I'll double-check my references tonight."
"Be quick about it," Rafferty advised softly, and Sloane nodded.
"Phelan already attacked Rox," Thorolf said with some agitation. "And we know that shadow dragons don't stop until they've finished what they've started."
Niall's lips set. "I'm not afraid to do what needs to be done--I just need to be sure."
"The trick is whether you can be in time," Sloane said quietly.
The Pyr fell into an uneasy silence at that.
Chapter 14
Rox understood that it wasn't just Phelan who was getting lots of chances. When Niall was intent upon her, when he wasn't judging her, that was when he was her, when he wasn't judging her, that was when he was most dangerous.
At least to her own conviction that she needed to remain alone and self- reliant, shields up, and barriers intact.
It was Niall's determination, not just the possessiveness of his kiss, that weakened her knees--the way he kissed as if he had invented it. His kisses were like molten chocolate, luxurious and languid, and utterly fabulous. Addictive. They left Rox's toes curled and her body humming. They reminded her of the very best chocolate, too, in that one taste just left her wanting more.
She knew he was seducing her on purpose, that he was trying to wear down her resistance, and she also knew that his ploy was working like a charm. Niall had too many advantages on his side.
He was noble. He was smart and resilient. He cared about the earth and the future. He defended her and listened to her.
And he was a dragon.
Rox's defenses were burning fast, like wooden palisades burning around a medieval fortress.
His story caught at her heart. Rox knew what it was like to have a broken family. She knew how it could leave you rootless, how it could make you yearn for something you'd never had and knew you'd never find. She knew, too, what it was like to be mistaken for a sibling and to leave everything you knew, despite the risk that you might not find anything better.
Her chest tight, she slid her hand up Niall's arm.
The firestorm flickered and burned with a brilliance that sent a trickle of sweat down her back. She was instantly warm and filled with desire, wanting to drag Niall back to her bedroom and make him smile.
No, first she had to be sure he'd stay.
She couldn't think about Niall's coming too close to being marked by this Slayer Chen.
There were other things she didn't want to think about, too, such as how she should seize the day to make love to a dragon while she could, lest she regret it forever.
Rox didn't want to make that decision on impulse.
All the same, she stood and stared into his eyes, seduced by the heat of the firestorm and her understanding of what he was. She knew she should step away, that she was mostly sure but not quite, but couldn't bring herself to do it.
To her surprise, Niall provided the impetus she needed to get her shields back in place. "You've heard my story," he murmured. "Now how about yours?"
Rox was confused, but wary. "What do you mean?"
"What made you cry in the dark when you were younger?"
Rox took a step back in her alarm. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do," Niall insisted. "I dreamed it, earlier tonight, just as you dreamed of my mother."
"The new Wyvern stirs," Rafferty
said quietly, but neither Niall nor Rox paid any attention to him.
"Do you think Erik is right?" Sloane asked quietly in old-speak, and Rafferty shrugged, even as Niall turned to Rox.
"Something or someone made you cry," Niall said to his mate with resolve. "I saw you. You were crying. You were wearing a flannel nightgown with pink roses on it, and you had folded it tightly around your feet."
Rox knew that nightgown; she remembered that night. She backed away in alarm.
Niall didn't give it up, but his voice softened. "What is it really that you're afraid of, Rox?"
She stared at him, knowing he wouldn't take less than the truth for an answer. The Pyr averted their gazes from the conversation, but Rox knew they could hear her.
Although the real issue was confiding this one story in Niall.
"I don't know what you mean," she lied, then pivoted before he could challenge her. "I need some sleep." She headed for the bedroom without waiting for a reply. She wasn't entirely disappointed when Niall followed right behind her. He caught the door to her bedroom with his fingertips, then followed her into the room before shutting it behind them.
The room was filled with potent silence.
And the persistent glow of the firestorm.
Shimmering, illuminating, intoxicating.
Rox stared at Niall and swallowed. He looked disheveled and grim, tired and determined. She didn't need the firestorm to want him with every fiber of her being.
If he touched her, her reservations would be toast.
"I can't leave you alone," he said, his voice rough. "There's too much risk."
Rox chose to take that at face value.
"I hear you," she agreed, glancing around the room. One look at the bed and she remembered his potent kiss of less than an hour before. The memory made her yearn for more. "And I don't really want to be alone so long as Phelan's around." She swallowed. "You shouldn't be alone, either, if Chen wants you in his gang."
Niall frowned and surveyed the room for a moment. Rox took advantage of the opportunity to check him out, then jumped when he suddenly looked back at her. The firestorm's sparks snapped and danced between them, gaining in brightness, as they stared into each other's eyes.
"I won't talk about that," she said, establishing her line in the sand.
It was shifting sand and Rox knew it, but she'd share her story on her schedule.
If at all.
Niall's gaze swept over her, leaving Rox feeling hot and flushed. How could the man have such an effect upon her, just with his glance? He had to be six feet away from her and she was melting.
Burning.
Falling hard.
And the scariest part was that it felt good.
She also knew that it was only a matter of time before Niall knew every single thing about her. Her heart would be completely exposed. Would he abandon her then, once all her secrets were unraveled? Was that what interested him?
Or would he give up before that?
Would he be taken by Chen before that?
The possibility made Rox's heart clench.
"I think Rafferty has some ideas of how humans can defend themselves against beguiling," he said quickly. "We can ask him more in the morning."
"Right," Rox said, still not moving.
Niall exhaled. He walked to the window, keeping his back to her. He pushed his hands through his hair and stared into the rainy night.
Their gazes met in the reflection and Rox's mouth went dry. The silence hung between them for a long moment, seeming to be electrically charged.
Then Niall pivoted to face her. "We should get some sleep."
Rox got the message. And really, any decision she made to be with Niall was one she wanted to make with her thoughts clear.
And her body well rested.
"You're right." She nodded and slipped into bed, pulling up the blankets with a sigh of relief. She wondered what Niall would do, where he would choose to sleep, and she had goose pimples of anticipation. She closed her eyes, feeling Niall looking at her, then heard him stretch out on the floor beneath the window.
"You'll be cold," she whispered, both disappointed and relieved.
"Discomfort might clear my thoughts," he replied, a smile in his voice. Rox smiled into her pillow, liking that her dragon was sticking close in her defense.
"I'm skeptical," she teased.
Niall chuckled softly. When he spoke, though, his tone was sober. "No accidents, Rox," he murmured. "We'll choose our path together deliberately or not at all."
Rox looked in his direction to see the bright blue gleam of his eyes, his lids only partly closed. She heard his slow breathing and felt the warmth of his presence in her room.
Protective.
Vigilant.
Her destined mate.
She could get used to this.
Niall slept poorly and awakened early. He got his laptop and checked on his tours again, maintaining contact with his tour operators and managing the details. It wasn't bad, managing his business on the run, but he needed an office.
And an employee.
But first things first.
Rox slept deeply, to his relief. He enjoyed the warmth of the firestorm, the sound of her breathing, the scent of her skin. It felt cozy to be in her bedroom, although he was there to defend her. It made him think of spending many nights and mornings together.
Without the threat of Chen and the shadow dragons to haunt them. Niall wanted that future; he wanted it enough to do whatever needed to be done to ensure it.
He knew the instant that Rox awakened. She rolled over to face Niall and he felt her gaze as surely as if she had touched him.
"Where did Chen go after he attacked you?" she asked.
Niall looked up in surprise. "He shifted into a salamander and disappeared into the rubble of my old building."
"That's it," Rox said, throwing back the covers and swinging her feet out of bed with purpose. "I know where the shadow dragons are."
Niall stared at her in astonishment. Once again, Rox surprised him. He supposed he should be getting used to that, but he hadn't managed it yet. "Where?"
"Let's talk about it with everyone," she said, and headed for the door. Niall shut down his laptop and followed. Thorolf was in the kitchen, judging from the sounds of food preparation. Sloane was watching the rain, keeping vigil. Rafferty emerged from the kitchen with a fresh pot of tea.
"Heard you waking up," he murmured to Rox, and she flushed.
"Rox thinks she knows where the shadow dragons are," Niall said, immediately capturing the attention of the Pyr.
"There's a network under the city of abandoned tunnels," she said, taking a gulp of hot tea. "Their refuge must be there."
"A network from subways?" Rafferty asked.
"And trains and other underground ventures," Rox said. "There are secret rooms, abandoned subway stations, service tunnels, and hidden basements."
"How do you know?" Niall asked.
"I go down there," she said to Niall's surprise. "Neo took me the first time, and it's kind of addictive."
"It can't be legal," Sloane said.
Rox shrugged, as uninterested in this perspective as Niall might have expected. "Some areas are privately owned, but a lot of it is just a forgotten part of the city. If you enter by an access point that's open or untended, I don't think it's wrong." She lifted her chin. "I think citizens have a right to know how their city works. It's an adventure."
Adventure. It was characteristic of Rox to head right into the fray, that much Niall knew, and he wasn't surprised that she was bold enough to explore uncharted terrain.
But was she right?
Even disheveled and straight out of bed, she looked tough and defiant, and Niall sensed he would have a battle on his hands shortly. Why? He guessed immediately. They would, of course, check out her idea. He would, of course, want her to remain safe, given that Phelan kept trying to capture her. Niall saw the glint in Rox's eyes and guessed what deal she'
d want to make.
There was no way she was coming along. Rox met his gaze resolutely, he folded his arms across his chest, and the argument began before the terms were even stated.
"How do you get in?" Thorolf asked.
"I can't tell you how to get there, but I can show you," Rox said.
Niall shook his head.
Rox ignored him, but she lifted her chin a bit higher.
"Most cities have conduits underground," Rafferty said, "and subway stations that are no longer in use."
"It's huge here, though," Rox insisted. "There are lots of abandoned passages here. Layers and layers of them. There are rumored to be anywhere from eight to fifteen stories under Grand Central Station, for example."
"Well, how many are there?" Sloane asked.
Rox smiled. "Depends who you ask. I've seen only five."
"We need a map," Niall said with resolve.
"There is no map." Rox tapped her temple. "Just a lot of travelers who remember. I've visited only a small percentage of it, but I can get us in." She frowned. "It's harder now, since the security is better, but the passages are still there."
"That's an intriguing possibility," Rafferty said, as if he intended to take her idea under consideration.
Rox eyed Niall. "Even more interesting, the most tangled network is supposed to be under Chinatown."
Niall caught his breath. "If the refuge was there, that would explain how they could surprise me so easily and so often."
"It's where they're hiding," Rox said. "I'm sure of it."
"We need to gather more information," Sloane said. "We need to be sure. . . ."
"We need to go down there, right now," Rox said. "The only reliable data you can gather is what you collect yourself."
"The longer we wait, the better the chance of a shadow dragon attack," Rafferty ceded, and that decided it for Niall.
Sooner was better.
Niall nodded, decisive. "Rox is right. We need to check it out. We'll be able to follow our noses to the shadow dragons' lair, once we're into the network. We can check it out, then plan for an attack later."