Fire Rising

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Rhys prowled through the mountain in a fury. Tristan’s plan had merit, but not when he was facing Ulrik alone. Especially after Ulrik had tried to recruit him.

Whether Tristan wanted to admit it or not, Sammi was important to him. It was just like Tristan to be honorable and sacrifice his freedom for Sammi.

Or worse—join Ulrik.

“Fuck!”

“I’ve never seen you at such a loss for words.”

Rhys whirled around to find Phelan leaning against the entrance to the mountain. “Sod off, Warrior.”

Phelan waited until Rhys walked past him before he fell into step. “You doona think Tristan’s plan will work?”

“It might.”

“Then what’s got your knickers in a knot?”

Rhys stopped and glowered at the Warrior. “I counted on Con to put a stop to Tristan’s plan.”

“Ah,” Phelan said, understanding dawning. “But Con isna.”

“Nay. It defies reasoning. Con has never wanted any of us to contact Ulrik. He about busted his scales when he learned Banan went to see him. Now he wants to do nothing when Tristan is doing the same?”

Phelan shrugged as they began to walk to the manor. “Who knows what’s going on in that warped mind of Con’s.”

“If I have to, I’ll go into the world of the Dark to find Tristan.”

“And I’ll go with you,” Phelan said. “However, you’re forgetting one important fact.”

“What?”

“Tristan may join Ulrik.”

After the way Tristan had spoken of Ulrik it was a distinct possibility, and that was why Rhys was so upset. He liked Tristan, not to mention he made one hell of a Dragon King.

If Ulrik managed to woo Tristan to his side, then Tristan would do in one fell swoop what Ulrik had been unable to do for thousands of millennia—undermine Con.

Was that why Con had let Tristan go?

“I see you’ve considered that,” Phelan said.

“Aye.”

Rhys stopped outside the manor and looked to the sky to see dragons circling. There were no visitors to Dreagan, and all mortal workers had been given the day off. But it wasn’t a celebration they planned.

It was a battle that could be the beginning of the end of Dreagan.

“Deirdre, Declan, and Jason all tried to tear us apart from within,” Phelan said. “We survived it all, and we were no’ together nearly as long as you Kings.”

Rhys looked into Phelan’s blue-gray eyes. “Ulrik’s banishment nearly tore us apart. I can no’ see any meddling he does no’ harming us in some way.”

“Then let’s no’ let him meddle.”

Rhys found a reason to smile as they entered the manor.

Tristan stood across the street from The Silver Dragon antiques shop and considered his plan. It was the only move he had, and yet he couldn’t get the taste of Sammi’s kiss out of his mind.

If only there had been time to strip off her clothes and make slow, sweet love to her. Her image was burned into his mind, as was the first time they had made love.

He couldn’t keep his hands off her. It was a problem because Ulrik and the Dark would use her against him if his plan didn’t work.

Kellan might have withstood the Dark as they threatened and harmed Denae, but Tristan wasn’t so sure he could do the same. He had failed at being a Warrior, and somehow had been given a second chance as a Dragon King.

Was he going to screw that up as well?

Tristan pushed away from the building and ran across the street, dodging an oncoming car. Charon had loaned him a shirt and shoes, so it saved him from having to return to Dreagan.

He pushed open the door, and the tinkling of a bell sounded above him, announcing his arrival. He glanced around the shop for Ulrik.

It wasn’t until his gaze lifted to the second floor that he spotted his target. Ulrik stood staring down at him with a bored expression. His long hair was loose, a contrast to the tailored suit he wore.

“Wipe your feet. I doona want my floors ruined.”

As far as first words went, they couldn’t have been further from what he expected. Tristan complied and wiped his feet on the rug while Ulrik closed the book in his hand and shelved it.

Tristan grew impatient as Ulrik continued to peruse the bookshelf that housed first editions and books dating back centuries.

“Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to tell me what you want?” Ulrik asked.

Tristan held back his retort and took a deep breath. “You’re the one who contacted me, offering to stop the attack on Sammi if I joined you.”

For several seconds Ulrik didn’t move. Then he slowly turned to face him. “You want to take me up on that offer now, I suppose.”

“And if I did? Does the offer still stand?”

Ulrik leaned on the railing and regarded him. “Sammi means that much to you that you would turn your back on Dreagan?”

“She does.”

“A curious name for a female, do you no’ think?”

“Samantha is her name. She goes by Sammi.” Tristan cut his arm through the air. “What difference does her name make? Does the offer still stand?”

Ulrik bent farther and rested his forearms on the railing. “You didna answer my question, Dragon King.”

“She’s an innocent. You’re using her to get to Banan.”

“And yet you’re the one standing before me.”

Tristan clenched his jaw. “Because you offered me a deal.”

“She’s just a mortal. Why would you give up everything for her?”

“Does it matter?” he countered. Tristan wasn’t sure why Ulrik was asking all these questions, but he was damned tired of it.

“A King turning his back on Dreagan for a mortal. Con must be seething. I’m surprised he didna try and lock you up. Or kill you.” Ulrik straightened and started down the stairs. “He’s watching you even now with one of his many spies.”

Tristan wondered if Sammi was talking to Jane or thinking of him as he was her. “I know.”

“You believe I’ll honor my offer?” Ulrik asked as he reached the bottom step. He made his way to Tristan and stopped before him. “After what I know Con has told you about me, you trust me?”

“I’m here, am I no’?”

Ulrik’s gold eyes narrowed for a moment. “That you are. Did Constantine actually let you read the accounting of what happened? Or did he prefer to tell you what occurred himself?”

“He told me.”

“As I figured.” He put one hand in the pockets of his slacks and turned to walk behind the Louis XIV desk he used as his own.

Tristan reined in his temper when Ulrik picked up some papers and began to read through them. On his desk were several mobile phones stacked neatly beside each other. “Are you going to honor your offer?”

Without looking up, Ulrik said, “If you think I can save Sammi from the Dark, you’re mistaken.”

For a moment Tristan seriously considered reaching across the desk and wrapping his hands around Ulrik’s throat. Instead, he threw open the door and stalked out. He had hoped Ulrik would keep his word, but Tristan hadn’t expected it. It would have been easier, but there was a contingency plan in place.

He walked down the street and cut through an alley to get to the next street. Tristan continued to zigzag through the streets until he found Fallon.

“It didna work,” he stated as he walked up.

Fallon straightened from lounging against the building. “You knew it might no’. Back to Dreagan then?”

“Back to Dreagan.”

Ulrik straightened from his crouching position atop the building where Tristan had met up with none other than a Warrior, Fallon MacLeod. Interesting.

He didn’t notice the rain as it began to drizzle, soaking his clothes. It appeared Tristan was set to go to any extremes to save Sammi.

“A mortal,” he said aloud.

That must be a thorn in Con’s side. Four of his Kings already mated to humans.

Ulrik’s smile was cold and calculating. Everything Con had built would be destroyed. Ulrik would see to it himself. After all, he owed Constantine.

He turned and jumped from building to building, making his way back to The Silver Dragon. There was much Con didn’t know about, no matter how many spies he put on Ulrik.

“Soon, old friend. Soon, you will feel my wrath. I’ve thousands of years of revenge to pay you back for.”

Sammi tried to sit, but every time she did, she would jump back up.

“You’re making me dizzy with your pacing,” Ian said from the window with his back to her.

She threw her hands up. “I can’t help it. Why did you agree to this? Why is Dani all right with you putting your life on the line?”

“Because it’s for Dunc … Tristan. He asked it of me.”

Sammi shook her head and wished for a very tall glass of wine, whisky, or anything to calm her nerves. Ever since Tristan had laid out his plan, she had been a mess, a complete bundle of nerves that got worse as the hours ticked by.

It didn’t help that they were once more back at the cottage. The same cottage where she had spent a glorious night in his arms and woke to find him gone the next morning.

She couldn’t even go into the bedroom. It was too painful to see the bed with sheets still rumpled from their passion-filled night.

Ian turned his head to her. “It’s a good plan.”

“A plan that uses you for bait.”

“Only if Ulrik doesna accept him.”

Rhys had related the entire story of how Ulrik’s lover, a human, had betrayed him and led her people to kill dragons. The Kings had responded quickly and killed her, but without telling Ulrik what they were doing.

According to Rhys, Ulrik had gone a little insane. No one was sure if it was because his lover had been murdered or that she’d betrayed him.

Either way, Ulrik began to send his Silvers to kill humans, and not just the ones hunting dragons. The Silvers killed all humans.

That’s when Con and the rest of the Dragon Kings had united their magic and taken away Ulrik’s. He was doomed to walk the earth as an immortal, but without any of the benefits of being a Dragon King.

It was a sad story really. In some ways she could completely understand why Ulrik wanted retribution against the humans as well as Con.

Then she remembered he was the one who’d sent someone to murder Daniel, destroy her pub, and kill her. The idea that he was also in league with the Dark was mind-numbing.

Now she knew why the Dark wanted a Dragon King. It was for Ulrik.

And Tristan had just served himself—and Ian—up on a platter.