Free Hot Blooded by Donna Grant Page B

the knife’s edge she walked upon.
    Laith lifted his head when he heard the pub door open and saw Sammi and Iona rush out.
    Sammi was the first to him. She looked around expectantly. “Where is she?”
    Laith dropped his arms and sighed. “Gone.”
    â€œGone?”
    â€œShe needs more time.”
    Iona finally reached them. “Rhi needs time for what?”
    â€œUm…” Sammi hesitated, glancing at him. “She was recently kidnapped. She’s still dealing with all of it.”
    Iona looked down as she kicked the toe of her hiking boot against the rocks. “I didn’t know. I feel bad for giving her attitude.”
    â€œTrust me, Rhi didn’t mind that,” Laith said.
    Sammi blew out a breath. “I guess we better return for our food.”
    â€œYeah,” Iona said.
    Yet she delayed even as Sammi went back inside. Laith faced Iona, wondering what would keep her outside with him. It was the first time they had been alone, and in the cool night air under the stars, he was having a hard time thinking of anything other than tasting her lips.
    â€œDid you and Rhi date?” Iona asked.
    â€œDate?” he repeated in shock. “Nay.”
    Iona smiled. “Good,” she said and pivoted to go back into the pub.

 
    CHAPTER
NINE
    Laith waited until Iona was back inside the pub before he peered into the shadows and saw a shape. It shifted and walked out from the tree line. He sighed when he recognized Rhys.
    â€œHow long have you been there?” Laith asked.
    Rhys shrugged. “Long enough.”
    In other words, he had seen Rhi. “What’s your take on Rhi?”
    Rhys was quiet for a long moment before he said, “She’s trying to be what she was before, but something has changed her.”
    Laith glanced at the ground, because he knew Rhys was also talking about himself. Ever since the wound he received while fighting the Dark Ones in Ireland, he hadn’t been the same. No one had.
    Because his wound had been delivered by a Dragon King.
    They had yet to determine who it was, but no one was more aware of it than Rhys. Though he pretended everything was fine, it wasn’t even close.
    Laith let him lie. He wanted to push Rhys to talk, but if Rhys was going to talk to anyone, it was Kiril.
    â€œAye. You’ve the right of it,” Laith said. “I’m happy she’s back.”
    â€œThe question is: how long was she with Ulrik?”
    â€œIt couldna have been for long. Con has him under surveillance.”
    Rhys snorted derisively. “As if that makes a difference. He’s the one who took Rhi out of that hell.”
    â€œAre you saying you believe Rhi might have turned against us?”
    â€œRhi has never let us down. We really can no’ trust anyone else.”
    Laith frowned and took a step toward Rhys. “You can trust us. We’re your brothers.”
    â€œReally? It was a King who sent that blast of magic toward me.”
    â€œThis is what our enemies want, Rhys. They want us fractured from within.”
    Rhys looked at the pub. “Are you returning to woo the lovely Iona, or are you taking to the skies?”
    â€œIona is here. I’ll meet up with you later.”
    Rhys turned on his heel and faded back into the shadows. Laith remained where he was for a time thinking over Rhys’s words. It was true that Rhys’s wound had been dealt by a Dragon King. Dragon magic was recognizable by a King, but Laith couldn’t believe it was anyone at Dreagan.
    Which left Ulrik. He was the likely culprit, and yet his magic—as well as his ability to shift into dragon form—had been taken when he was banished from Dreagan. Ulrik let everyone know he would come for Con one day to exact his revenge, and yet Laith couldn’t imagine Ulrik attacking anyone else but Con.
    Ulrik might have escalated the war with the humans, but he was honorable. Or was he? For thousands of millennia,