Shadowed Lies Read online

  “I don’t know,” he said. He brought her to the steps of their home and folded his wings in. Icicles had formed on their balcony, casting sharp points down toward them. She let herself down from his arms, but he continued to hold her in an embrace. “I don’t like how it sounded. Someone is targeting you.”

  “We’re not certain of that.”

  “Why else would that magic user send an image of you to Karona?” He paused. “Or was it an image? Tell me truthfully, little fire. Are you hiding something from me?” He scanned her caramel eyes for a hint of deception, not expecting anything. But there it was. A flicker that lasted no more than half a second.

  Her gaze shot down to the ground, then back up to him. “No.”

  His mouth went dry. “Constance, you can share anything with me.”

  “I am. I’m not involved in the murder.” She drew him in and smoothed her hands over his. “You can trust me.”

  His doubts were rising, but he didn’t press. He believed she wouldn’t be so terrible as to kill Karona’s wife herself. “If you are keeping secrets, know that you shouldn’t have to. But I won’t force you to tell me.”

  “There is something,” she said, her breath quickening.

  He raised a brow.

  “It’s not important.” She bit her lower lip and hastily added, “I think that the wife killings are related to Eduard’s death.”

  He frowned. “What makes you say that?”

  “The spells involved are too strong. If what Karona said is true, then this witch or wizard can control illusions. That’s the magic of the old. Perhaps only the water witches can manage something like that. But why would they come all the way over here? And these two incidents… they both seem to be targeting me somehow. Someone’s got a vendetta and I don’t know why.”

  “Constance, love? Are you overthinking this? We can’t even be sure if this is due to magic.” Even with all this talk, he couldn’t stop thinking about how silky her skin felt to his touch.

  The power to twist true love…

  Then his instincts flared. The sight of Karona so beaten down served as a nightmare. Rayse could be the one faced with the spell next.

  The thought of his claws plunging into her flesh flashed through his mind. The sickening image made him want to pull away.

  She pressed her glistening pink lips together. “It has to be related to Papa’s death. I don’t see what else it could be.”

  “That’s because that’s all you can focus on.” He was certain she was fixated on the killings because she hadn’t gotten any leads for the case. “Karona’s outburst could be a due to sickness.” He hoped it was that and not vile magic.

  “In all my years of being a healer, I haven’t seen any such illnesses.”

  He considered living separately from Constance until everything was settled, to keep her safe from him. He almost laughed at the idea. His dragon was overreacting at the possibility. Living away wouldn’t be the least bit pleasant. The best part of his nights was wrapping himself around her gentle frame, and to breathe in her flowery scent. He pressed his lips on hers lightly. “I love you, Constance. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “Nothing will. If we keep our wits about us, we’ll be all right. Murders happening in the clan isn’t something to sneeze at. And I need to find Eduard’s killer soon.”

  He hated seeing her so stressed out. He wanted to keep her in a safe bubble, where he could take care of everything for her. Constance wouldn’t have a single care in the world. She could just live her life in bliss—with him.

  “I promise to get to the bottom of this.” He rested his chin on her head and caressed her face with his palm. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll settle this. I’ll give you the justice Eduard deserves.” He would make everything better. That was what he always did as clan leader. His job was to make the problems go away. He did that for his clan, so why not his mate?

  “I want to be involved,” she said.

  He recognized that look on her face—the determined, resolute expression was part of why he loved her so much. Her tenacity served as a double-edged sword. He wanted her idle so she wouldn’t put herself in danger—this thing was already out there to get her. But if she decided to let go, she would also lose the trait that he loved the most—her tenacity. He wanted to stop her, and she wouldn’t be pleased about it. “The answer might be simpler than you think. I’d rather we see how it goes before we involve you.”

  “You know I hate waiting for results.”

  He wanted to ban her from getting herself too involved, but he couldn’t. “I have my conditions.”

  She agreed with a slight nod.

  “Make sure you don’t get yourself in harm’s way? If you’re going to do anything dangerous, I want to be the first to know. I’ll have to be there.”

  “I’ve always had that in mind.” She smiled. “I promise, I won’t do anything stupid.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and rested his nose in the crook of her neck. “It’d be nice if we could stay like this forever.”

  “Wouldn’t it be boring?” she said. He heard the grin in her sweet voice.

  “With you? Never. I could stare at those rosy cheeks of yours all day.”

  “You flatter me.” She reached up and buried her hands in his hair. “Sometimes I wonder how I ended up with the most wondrous man in the whole of Gaia. I’m the luckiest woman alive.”

  When she peered into his eyes like that, it made him want her so badly. But what was she hiding?

  They were standing outside of their home, the ground cold. He swore if he let his control go, even for just a bit, he’d have her pinned beneath him, with his member rubbing between her thighs.

  “And you must be the most powerful witch in the whole of Gaia,” he said, locking his fingers with hers and dragging her inside. He shut the door behind them.

  “And why is that so?” she asked. She only showed that feminine side of hers to him, and he thanked the Dragon Mother for that luxury. He’d kill any other man who dared witness this side of her.

  “You have to be pretty adept at magic to make me feel so tortured without lifting a finger.” He was trying to joke with her, but the dragon in him was going mad with need. His breathing had become more labored. His erection strained in his pants. He needed Constance.

  “Tortured?” she said, with feigned shock. “I didn’t use a spell. That must be because of my charms.” She licked her lips, making her already too-tempting mouth arouse him more. She was wet for him. He could tell by the hot blush in her cheeks and her scent. He didn’t have to rip her panties off to know, as much as he wanted to.

  Then an image came to him—Constance bloody on the floor. Him failing to protect her, harming her. His claws covered with blood. His face wretched with horror and hate for himself, as Karona had experienced.

  Why was he getting these premonitions?

  “Rayse, what’s wrong?” his mate asked, running kisses down his neck.

  It felt so good. He wanted to pleasure her. Make her enjoy their mating.

  The fear took over again, distracting him from his lust. His jaw tightened.

  Destroy the threat.

  He might be the danger…

  He was being paranoid. There wasn’t enough proof to raise his suspicions.

  Knocking sounded on the door. “Constance, please,” a woman said. He could hear her easily because of his dragon ears. “Please answer. I don’t know what to do. Constance!”

  The dragon in him struggled in a fire of conflict. The beast wanted to claim their mate, but it also experienced fright like never before. Constance had brought happiness and stability to his life. Before her, all he ever did was rule the clan and keep vigilant as a protector—he worked for the sake of ambition. He had passed his days wearily in a buzzing gray, doing everything to make up for failing the humans who took him in.

  Constance was the light in his life. Finally, protecting someone had meaning. And danger wanted to rip
that happiness away.

  The knocking sounded again, louder this time.

  “Do you hear that?” Constance asked, her voice breathy and eyes dazed.

  “It’s nothing,” he said, his mind still spinning. Your dragon is overreacting. Ignore it.

  “Please! I need your help!” the woman continued shouting. He recognized that voice.

  “I think it’s Marzia,” Constance said, pulling away. He didn’t want her touch to leave. He grabbed her hand, not letting go. The need raged in him. This emotion was foreign. The irrational part of him made him feel like his time with Constance would end soon.

  “Rayse, what’s wrong?”

  He was terrified. It had been centuries since he’d felt this afraid. Not even an army of dragons could make him this scared.

  If it were another dragon threatening her life, or a storm—something tangible—he knew he could stop it.

  But this time, the threat was unexplained. It seemed like darkness would appear out of nowhere and consume Constance and him.

  “I’m fine,” he said.

  “You’re not. You’re sweating.”

  “Let me take you away. Back home to the humans, maybe? You can live with the villagers in Evernbrook and I’ll deal with everything here in Dragon Keep.”

  Disbelief shot through her expression. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

  “You’re not safe here. How about in the cities, where you’ll be hidden?”

  “It’s not particularly safe in Everndale either. I hated that place. What’s the matter with you? Do you really want to be separated from me?” A flash of doubt showed in her eyes. “You really are suspicious of me, aren’t you?”

  He shook his head. “Never.” He kissed the back of her hand.

  “Then why?”

  The rapping on the door continued.

  “For once, I’m not sure what’s going on,” he said. “I don’t want you vulnerable.”

  “This is about what Karona said, isn’t it?”

  “I’ve thought about this for a long time.”

  She pressed her lips into a tight line. “No, you haven’t,” she said, seeing through his lie. “You’ve only started acting strangely this afternoon. Remember, I’m your femriahl. We promised we’re going to get through this together. You have to trust me, Rayse.” The flame within her wouldn’t die. He didn’t want to be the one to snuff it out. With anyone else, he could exert his authority. He could order her to leave and not allow her return, and she wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

  But if Constance hated him for taking away her freedom of choice, he would be miserable. He couldn’t do that to her.

  “Think about it,” he said. “We have five more centuries ahead of us. It’ll only be a short while.”

  She cocked a brow. “What? Five centuries of running from the clan’s problems? You can’t fly me away whenever there’s the slightest hint of danger around.” She cupped his cheek.

  “What’s wrong with running?” he said.

  “The Rayse I know wouldn’t throw all he’s built away for some paranoia.”

  He sighed. “No, I won’t. Looking at Karona got to me. Fraser’s got the same fear, too. I saw it in his eyes.”

  “Constance!” Marzia shouted. More knocking.

  “We’ll talk about this later,” Constance said, then ran to answer the door.

  Constance rushed to answer Marzia’s frantic shouting. Rayse’s worried look was uncharacteristic of him. She tried to focus on her friend instead. The arrhythmic banging continued to echo through their living room. Rayse had doubts about her. She could see it in his eyes. She had to spill the truth soon. Her time for secrets was running out. Dread inched its way up her chest as she thought about what she had to do. He would get angry with her. She knew he would. He had spent the last few months treating their bond as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

  She had to trust that he wouldn’t leave her over a lie. They were stronger than that. She pushed the matter from her mind. Later, she thought. Her friend needed her.

  The door creaked as she pulled it open. Marzia almost slammed her fist into Constance’s face. She dodged just in time.

  “Constance, please ans—”

  Streaks of tears painted Marzia’s cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy from all that crying, and her hair was bunched up in a tangled, uncombed mess. The redhead was a wreck of emotions.

  “What happened?” Constance asked.

  Marzia’s lower lip quivered. “Fra…ser, Fraser, he, he—” Her stutters were stopping her from being able to speak clearly. “He’s gone. He’s gone, Constance. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Gone? What do you mean?” Instinctively, Constance reached out and hugged her friend. She made a shushing noise to calm Marzia down. It did little to soothe the sobbing. Marzia was quaking. Constance could almost smell the saltiness of the tears gushing onto Marzia’s cheeks.

  “He-he’s… I don’t know what to do. I can’t even think about it. What if he doesn’t come back alive?”

  “It’s going to be okay,” Constance said, utterly confused.

  “This feeling. I can’t stand it. I need to know—” Before Marzia could finish her sentence, she burst into a wail.

  “Try and contain yourself for a moment,” Constance said. She gripped her friend’s arms tightly and bent down so they were at eye level. “You need to take a deep breath and slowly tell me what happened. You need a calm mind. We’ll be able to fix this.”

  Marzia continued to sob for a long while before she finally managed to get herself in check. As she hugged herself, she said in a soft voice, “I went to Dragon Keep to greet him. I’m always there when he arrives, you see. But he wasn’t there with his team. They returned all bloody, and he was the only one missing.”

  Constance had not needed to deal with serious casualties in Dragon Keep these days. The Dragon Mother’s visits were over, and most of the dragons had stopped feeling the need to fight. She made a mental note to check up on those wounded men. It was her job. She should be at the clinic right then.

  “So, I ran up to them to ask what went wrong,” Marzia continued. “Some of them were too injured to speak.” She looked away, her lower lip quivering. Marzia took slow breaths, but that didn’t stop the turbulence shaking her body.

  “Were they in a fight?” Constance asked.

  “I asked them that, too. They said it was hardly a fight. Many of the group looked stunned. They described the incident as facing a force of nature. They fear they might have angered the goddess, which resulted in this. Fraser was taken away by it.”

  “It? What is ‘it’?”

  “The other dragons described it as a black, wraithlike entity. The smoke could hurt them. But they couldn’t do anything against it—”

  “A wraith?” Constance cut in, too shocked to keep her surprise to herself. It sounded exactly like what killed Eduard. Eduard was murdered last year, right after she dropped by for a visit, by something that resembled smoke.

  “Yes,” Marzia said. “It chased after them. They couldn’t out-fly it. It injured the entire group, and only relented after it scooped Fraser up, and… Oh, I can’t even imagine it. I think he’s dead. Honestly, you should look at those men. They’re in such horrible condition, and one of them said that Fraser was completely encapsulated by that smoke.”

  “I’m sure he’s all right,” Constance lied, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

  Marzia lifted her head and stared straight at Constance. “You know what’s the oddest thing about this? One of them said that they saw your face in the smoke.”

  The same uneasiness she’d felt in the dungeons shook through Constance.

  “Do you have anything to do with this?” Marzia asked.

  “No. I’ve been here with Rayse this entire morning. He can testify to that. And why would I hurt Fraser? You know me.” She turned around to look at Rayse, who was listening. She caught the flicker of doubt in his expre
ssion again, and it made her chest clench.

  “It might be one of the men’s imaginings,” Marzia said. “One’s mind can concoct strange things when feeling fear.”

  “Just imagination,” Constance said, nodding. This was the second time today a victim had mentioned her. What if… she’d been doing things in her sleep? She swatted that silly notion from her mind.

  Marzia shivered. “What in the Dragon Mother’s name is going on?”

  Constance clenched her jaw. “That’s what I’m hoping to find out. Let’s bring you in and clean you up.” She led Marzia into her house, as much as she wanted to run to the clinic and ask more questions. “I have a few spare rooms in this place. It’s a big house. You can stay here in the meanwhile. I don’t think you should be left alone.”

  “Thank you,” Marzia muttered.

  “I’ll talk to Rayse about this. This isn’t the first time such a thing has happened.” Her thoughts darted to Eduard’s death. “We’ll find Fraser, so you don’t have to cry anymore.”

  Marzia looked like she’d just run out of tears. “I’ll try. I just hope that he’s safe.” Marzia’s face was drying, but her nose and ears were still stained red from the sobbing.

  “I’ve been studying magic. We could try some location spells.”

  “That’ll be good.” Marzia nodded.

  Constance led Marzia past Rayse to the shower room, and left Nanili with her. She instructed the mishram to prepare a warm bath.

  Kneading her forehead, she walked back to her mate.

  “You heard her,” Constance said.

  “Fraser was taken away by the same thing that killed your father.”

  “Yes.”

  “I think it’s coming for you, little fire. What if I can’t stop it?”

  “Then I will. We need to check up on those men as soon as we can.”

  Suddenly, he rushed to her and crashed his lips on hers. The action was so abrupt that she stopped breathing. Her body sank into his. As they parted, he said, “I love you. You know that, right?”

  “I love you too, Rayse Everstone.”

  He rested his forehead on hers. “If anything happened to you, I would never be able to forgive myself. Reconsider my suggestion. Don’t make me go through having to lose a loved one again.” His voice was husky and velvety. Something about seeing the Black Menace fearful for her made her heart clench. “Tell me what you know, little fire. There has to be a reason why the victims are seeing you.”