Page 107 of Jay's Silence

Jay held up her hand. “I’m not getting into the ‘what ifs.’ The only reason we were looking for a man meeting his description was because of the first video we saw in Ireland, which led us to London, where we saved Caoimhe. Malta had a Drukpa problem which needed sorting. Given, it didn’t need to be us who fixed it, but it was. Life can be unexpected.” Jay chewed on her bottom lip, and her eyes were unfocused as if she were talking to herself.

“Fine. I’ll give it to you.” I stepped forward and brushed her shoulder to keep her present. “So where do we go from here?”

Jay caught my hand and held it. “We figure out how Bradly Cooper fits into this mess, and we get into that vault to see if Drukpa’s collection includes anything helpful.”

Tyson whined like a begging dog. Literal piles of gold sparkled in my memory, and it took all of my self-control not to make the same noises.

Jay cocked her head to the side. Her gaze twinkled as she studied each of us. “For once, I think all of you might be excited to follow my instructions.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

JAIYANA

To search the giant fort, we divided it into three quadrants, leaving Tyson free to scour the computer systems for anything Gorm's Casket related and the name Bradly Cooper. Lux pulled me to his side, and I followed him like an excited puppy. The second room we explored turned out to be a small library with dusty books clearly never even opened by Drukpa. A sly grin curled Lux's lips before he pinned me to the nearest shelf. My back pressed against his chest, exactly mimicking our first evening together. This time, no layers of priestess white came between us.

"I was glad you couldn't see my face," Lux admitted. "It took all my self-control not to kiss your neck as I inhaled the scent of you."

"Even though I kicked your ass at your own game?" I fingered the binding of a book.

Lux snorted. "Because you kicked my ass at my own game."

I twisted to face him. His arms still trapped me against the bookcase. He looked at me as if nothing else in the world mattered. Regret pinched not just my heart but my very being. I’d known this shifter for less than a week before I decidedavoidance was the best path. I hadn’t taken a single moment for us. "I'm sorry."

Lux shook his head. "You don't need to be. I get it." He swallowed. "Og's a warlock. His magic and love of it define him. Rehan's a leader. His unwavering belief and drive to make the world a better place define him. Tyson," Lux quirked his lips. "Tyson doesn't let anything define him. Power and action supercharge his brain, which I honestly believe is half fire."

I chuckled, not willing to even argue semantics.

"I would honestly kill to have a fraction of his confidence." Lux took a deep breath. "But I don't know what defines me… and I think you don't know what defines you either."

My reflection in Lux's gaze wavered as my eyes misted over. I didn't. So far, I failed to recreate the brief moment I experienced with my magic during the fight with Drukpa. My gut twisted. The curse needed something from me, something more than just banging dragons.

Lux pulled me into his chest, and I wrapped my arms around him. The possibility of a curse never mattered to my air dragon. He wanted to be happy… and when I simplified everything, so did I.

Too bad nothing's simple.

Shut it, brain.

"I can't take you on an actual date." Lux loosened his arms and let them fall to my hips. "Even if I could, I googled date conversation topics, and I don't have much to say. Everything's on my bucket list. I don't have a typical workday to discuss. My childhood definitely isn't something fun to bring up…"

I kissed Lux's cheek. "Relax. A spontaneous date searching the fortress of a crime lord's family sounds amazing."

"A date needs something special." He bit the inside of his cheek and huffed.

Before I contradicted him, Lux straightened and grinned. "I've got it. I'll be right back." He put a hand on each of my shoulders. "Don't move."

I raised an eyebrow and made a show of planting my feet. He gave me a final squeeze before rushing out of the room.

We’d technically been in the fort for a little over sixteen hours. Although Og had slept for most of that while the rest of us did some essential exploration to secure our location. After a solid, more normal, eightish hours rest, I gave my not-slumbering dragons a crash course in teamwork.

"You've all seen me combine elements, right?" I asked.

We stood in the debris-strewn center of the room where Drukpa almost handed us our asses.

"Your globe at the elemental meeting." Lux pointed out. "And the unnaturally warm air current which took us to Dublin."

I nodded. "I've combined during our fights, too, but it might have been a bit chaotic for anyone to observe."

Tyson puffed out his chest. "Fire is the strongest. Why would I taint it with another element?"

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