Free The Jade Dragon by Rowena May O'Sullivan Page A

felt Lyzander’s despair and it made him sad, too.
    Albert checked all the corners of the lair before moving down to the next floor to the private rooms of Anton and Eleisha. He hid in a corner even though no one could see him and listened. The doors were closed. No sounds. He would have to wink in and out of each room very, very quietly and very, very quickly. Eleisha was smart and she had a dragon, too. So did Anton.
    Carefully, he began his search and it didn’t take long to find Anton, sound asleep in his dressing room chair. Mistletoe wasn’t there. Albert sidled up as close as possible and inspected Anton. His chest rose up and down. He breathed in and out. Albert sighed with relief. He sent an immediate message to Aden.
    â€¢ • •
    Aden laughed so hard his belly ached. “He got the better of you. Admit it.”
    Anton sat, fuming with indignation from his chair by the fireplace. Eleisha sat beside him, her hand in his. “I admit nothing. That no-good brother-in-law wasn’t playing fair.”
    â€œI’d say it wasn’t fair to encase him in stone in the first place,” Aden said. “You could have told me. I was shocked when I first discovered him in the Gallery and nearly ruined everything when I attempted to investigate the spells. It knocked Rosa unconscious in the process.” Aden spoke of the very first time he’d visited the Greenwood Gallery and discovered the famed jade dragon that many came to see housed none other than Gregori.
    â€œThe fewer who knew the better,” Anton said in a grumpy tone. “Eleisha was there. And Zelda knows.” He shuddered. “I guess Zelda also knows he’s escaped. She’s sure to involve herself somehow.”
    Eleisha kissed Anton’s forehead and brushed a stray length of graying hair from his cheek. “Anton believes Gregori is correct. The death of Alice and Jack Greenwood wasn’t accidental. Their vehicle was protected by an anti-crash spell. We’ve quietly investigated all avenues and Zelda has never stopped looking, either. We’ve come up with nothing.”
    â€œRosa’s going to be furious that we’ve kept this from her. They all will.” Aden’s dark eyes sparked into a fiery glow. “What point is my role as Dragon if you don’t give me all the tools, including the information, to do my job?” He thought for a moment. There was something else. There had to be. “What aren’t you telling me?”
    Anton glanced to Eleisha before returning his gaze to Aden’s. “Gregori is destined to be Alanna’s mate. Except the bells tolled for him when she was but fourteen. That’s why we ensorcelled him. Not because we believe he hurt her parents. We don’t believe that for an instant.”
    Aden blew out a long slow breath of air. “Does she know this?”
    â€œShe has an inkling.”
    â€œSo what do we do now?”
    â€œWe utilize you and Albert. Perhaps Rosa as well, to keep an eye on Gregori while he’s free.”
    â€œNo. Rosa is too emotionally involved, as you so succinctly put it only seconds ago. Plus, I’m not even sure if she’ll talk to me when she learns I’ve been hiding information about her parents’ death from them all. They think it was an accident.”
    Anton acknowledged his comment with a nod. “She loves you. But she also loves her sisters and has fought to keep them together all these years. She will want to help her sister. But — ” He paused and steepled his fingers, resting the index fingers against his mouth in thought. Reaching a decision, he lowered his hands. “There is one avenue we’ve never covered and I believe the trail of Gregori’s hunt will lead him directly to it.”
    â€œAnd that is?”
    â€œAlanna herself. She was in the vehicle at the time of the accident. She’s never spoken a word about it. Ever. If anyone knows