Free Firestorm Forever: A Dragonfire Novel by Deborah Cooke

just Jorge. I knew he wouldn’t just sit back and let us win.”
    “Where is Jorge?” Eileen asked as she returned to the main room. The three Pyr shook their heads as one.
    “We never know, not since he drank the Elixir and learned to disguise his scent,” Erik said. “Never mind his ability to spontaneously manifest elsewhere. He could be anywhere.”
    “Especially as he got another infusion of the Elixir when he devoured Chen’s corpse,” Delaney said with a grimace.
    “It’s disgusting,” Ginger said.
    “He’s addicted to it,” Delaney explained, closing his hand over hers. “He’ll do anything to get more, at this point, and there aren’t many options left.” He shuddered visibly and concern lit Ginger’s eyes.
    “You said it was Sigmund who spoke in your dream,” Delaney said, and Erik nodded agreement. “Whatever happened to the book he wrote. What was it called?”
    “ Habits and Habitats of Dragons: The Compleat Guide for Slayers .” Eileen smiled at their surprise. “I never forget a title or an attribution.”
    “It’s in the hoard,” Erik said. “Maybe there’s an explanation for those eggs in there.” He left them, purpose in his stride as he went to retrieve the book. Eileen knew better than to ask if she could get the book for him.
    The hoard was a Pyr ’s most private sanctuary.
    Eileen was amused by the way Donovan and Delaney strove to appear disinterested. They cleared their throats and made small talk about the battle. It was beyond rude for a Pyr to eavesdrop on any details of another Pyr ’s hoard, but their hearing was so keen that they had to know exactly where Erik’s was secured.
    They probably could hear every sound of him moving an item aside, and identify the item in question, without even trying.
    “It could be that Jorge has formulated the Elixir again,” Delaney said with obvious distaste. “That second Slayer did appear out of nowhere.”
    “And they disappeared right before my eyes,” Donovan said.
    “The Elixir does allow any Slayer who’s consumed it to heal very quickly, even form the worst injuries,” Ginger contributed. “But Jorge wouldn’t share, would he?”
    “Not unless he wanted to enslave the others, just the way Magnus did, and end up with some new version of shadow dragons,” Delaney said.
    “But where did these dragons come from?” Alex asked. “Are there any Pyr missing, who could have been switched sides?”
    “Wait a minute.” Donovan frowned in sudden thought. “Did you get a good look at the second one?” he asked Delaney.
    “He was garnet and gold,” Delaney said. “With long streaming red feathers.”
    “Exactly.” Donovan’s manner was intent. “What if he was ruby and brass?”
    Delaney inhaled sharply, but Eileen didn’t follow.
    “ Boris was ruby and brass,” she said, confused.
    “Exactly!” Donovan said. “The second Slayer looked so much like Boris that he could have been his twin brother.”
    “They could have been long-lost siblings taking vengeance for their brother’s death,” Alex suggested.
    “But how could we not have known anything about them until now?” Delaney demanded. “Where were they hidden?”
    The possibility of hidden Slayers wasn’t a good one, in Eileen’s view, especially if they were going to reveal themselves now and be fueled by the Elixir.
    Eileen heard Erik’s footsteps as he returned. “Did Boris have a brother?” she demanded of him.
    “Boris?” Erik frowned. “No. he was an only son, just like me.”
    “Well, that’s really weird,” Donovan said. “How could there have been two Slayers here at the same time who look exactly like Boris?”
    “When Boris is dead,” Alex added. “Two Slayers we knew nothing about.”
    “The Elixir,” Ginger said, with obvious discouragement.
    “I’m healed,” Delaney murmured to her and caught her in a tight hug.
    “But the book is gone,” Erik said, propping his hands on his hips. Before any of them could ask,