Page 57 of Dragon Blood

And after that vision, she was determined more than ever to do things her way. Not the Council’s way. Regina had put in her time to keep them happy.

No longer.

While nothing had changed regarding the vital need to protect the Mother and their borders, Astred would ensure the dragons would work together.

Everything, indeed, was about to change.

Princess Astred Arakkil was at the helm in her mother’s absence, and she had no intention of letting her ass get chapped on the queen’s throne.

No.

Resolved in her earlier decision, they would meet with Bayn Long, one of the Eastern tribe princes, while Odson headed for Jori Mountainside & Kymri Steelscale’s mountain. He needed to report Astred’s vision to Elora. Her wisdom and knowledge was vital to help guide Katoa Koro in the coming times.

Everyone needed to be ready.

KaiglancedattheGPS as he eased their rental off the Don Valley Parkway exit and onto the Bloor Street ramp headed for downtown Toronto.

The intensity of the journey and their shared visions, and the remnant’s sudden appearance and attack on Astred, left him unsettled.

Astred gazed out her window as she chewed her lip in silence, only grunting when Kai hit the brake to avoid a crazy delivery cyclist veering in and out of traffic.

Throughout the long drive, he’d felt her assessing gaze on his profile. She hadn’t asked about his ability with the shadows, and he wasn’t about to volunteer anything about it. Not yet.

“I hate cities,” she muttered. “I remember when this backwoods mud-hill was almost quaint. Great harbor, though.” She sighed, rubbing her downward thoughts from her face. “We’re going to Bayn’s office?”

Kai shook his head, checking the GPS again, turning onto Spadina Avenue, toward Chinatown. “Change of plans. He wants us to go to his place.”

Astred lifted a brow.

“Wants to cook us dinner.”

Her other brow lifted.

Kai shrugged, at a loss for further explanation.

“Should have brought a bottle of my mother’s wine.”

“Aaron will have that covered.”

If she’d had a third eyebrow, Kai was sure that’d gone up to her hairline too.

“My cousin, Aaron Connor, works for Joey Kane. He’s going to tap Kane in through a secure line once she deals with her board members and gets her team leads up to speed on their current missions. After dinner, he’s flying out to meet up with the team to get his claws dirty.”

“My mother speaks highly of Joey and her agents.”

“I never would have pictured Aaron going into that sort of career path.” Kai gave a short laugh. “Scratch that. Maybe he was destined for it. He always did love the old Bond books and movies. A little too much.”

Astred grunted again. “I remember the sixties. A few too many Bond fans interrupted my shore leave with those pickup lines in the bars. It was a little harder to get suits to back off in those days—not without a well-aimed ‘no thank you.’” She rolled her eyes with a laugh. “That’s what I liked about you. No bullshit.”

“Waste of time. Besides, I’m not one to enjoy a knee to the balls or a fist to the larynx.”

They turned onto a narrow avenue of century old three-story red brick houses with bay windows, and miraculously found a parking spot along Bayn’s block.

Outside the car, myriad scents and odors filled the narrow street, both from the nearby restaurants and surrounding houses. Cooking meat and vegetables, spices, dumpsters and vehicular exhaust.

Kai found the right house, opened the front gate for Astred to pass through, then followed her up the steps.

An uncomfortable ripple rolled up his body, prickling his dragon senses, but left his tiger napping. Astred paused with a shiver before pressing the doorbell.

---