The Dragon Kings Book Twenty-One

Grace has a decision to make.

Tell Isa she’s a wizard or keep it a secret.

She should tell Isa. Liam and Drew are about to go out and fight the wizard and Grace knows they have no chance again him. Wizards can only be defeated by other wizards.

But if she tells Isa she risks Isa getting angry and throwing her out—

or worse, killing her.

Will she tell Isa and risk her own life, or will she keep it a secret and risk the lives of Drew and Liam?

Isa paced back and forth in her room while she waited for Liam. She had no idea how this would go. She didn’t even really want him here. Well, actually she did. But that was part of the problem, wasn’t it? She shouldn’t want him there at all.

If Liam tried to hurt her, she wouldn’t be able to protect herself. But Missy told her she needed him, so she’d figure this out.

The door creaked open, and she froze. Missy slipped through the door, and Liam followed. She loved the way his hair fell into his face and how he pushed it away, revealing his beautiful features. Even after all this time, her heart skipped a beat when she caught sight of him. His lips split into a smile. She desperately wanted to melt into his arms. All of her anxieties and fears would disappear if she did, but she couldn’t risk being hurt again.

So far, she’d avoided being in the same room with him alone, but she’d have to learn to work with him because Missy told her he was the only one she could trust. She really hoped Missy wasn’t deceiving her.

She had to concentrate. She’d just learned who was controlling her people and why the rebels had turned against her. She needed Liam’s help, and she had to stop thinking with her hormones—which made her just want to kiss him and forget about everything else going on.

“What’s up?” He gave Isa a smile she could never resist.

She pointed at the couch for him to sit. “We need to talk.”

He sank onto the couch, his gaze never leaving her body, and that made her feel all kinds of things she shouldn’t. She clenched her fists and dug her fingernails into her palms. Focus.

Missy jumped into his lap, and Liam scratched her behind the ears. Isa thought about sitting across from him, but she’d do better standing. If she sat, he might try to touch her. She might forget everything she needed to tell him, and they’d spend the whole night making out.

She didn’t know how to start this conversation, and Liam watched her walk back and forth. She met his eyes briefly, and he gave her one of his devastating smiles again. Her face flushed, and she dropped her eyes. Missy curled up and fell fast asleep. Isa supposed she could start there.

“Missy talks,” she said.

Liam stroked Missy’s ears. “I didn’t think she could talk to you.”

“She never has before tonight. She had a lot to say.”

“About?” He stared at her as if she was the most important person in the whole world. She had no idea how he managed to make her feel so desired. Her chest warmed.

Liam would probably do anything she asked of him, yet she still felt betrayed by him. She pinched her nose. That was a problem she’d have to work out another night.

She continued pacing.

“Grace said there is a wizard in Buidseach who is controlling the guardians. Pierre was apparently under his spell, and he muted Missy from speaking with me. This wizard is doing all kinds of horrible things in my name, and there is nothing I can do to stop him. Grace told me that the wizard is controlling several other guardians as well.”

Liam didn’t say anything for a long moment. “I told you all this. Well, I didn’t know it was a wizard, but I did tell you, and you didn’t believe me. What else did Grace tell you?” His voice was tentative like he wasn’t sure what to ask next.

She clenched her jaw. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.”

“So, what changed? Why do you trust me now?” He rested his hands on the back of his head. It irked Isa that he didn’t seem the least bit affected by her or the situation.

“Because Missy told me you were the only one in the castle who I could trust.”

“And you trust Missy?” There was relief in his voice. Like he was glad she finally believed him.

“Yes.” She couldn’t explain why. Maybe it was because, for the first time, everything made sense. All the pieces she’d been seeing finally fit together. And she had no reason not to trust Missy.

“What about Grace?”

“I’m pretty sure we can trust her. Missy hasn’t told me otherwise.”

Liam let out a breath and smiled, locking his gaze with hers. Isa stared at him and tried to remember all of the reasons why she couldn’t give into the urge to love him.

She very nearly sat next to him and told him she forgave him for everything.

But she didn’t.

Because she didn’t want to admit to him—or herself—that she had been wrong.