Page 40 of Dragon Compelled
He scowls. “Why didn’t you tell me before? I’ve been losing sleep over the idea that we might have missed something in the books we’ve searched in the past.”
I smirk at him, feeling a bit of satisfaction as I say, “I guess it’s like the library protocols you never told me about. It didn’t matter until now.”
Mag mutters curses to himself that blend right into the foreign words he utters to take us home.
At our backs, I can feel the two men watching us, but I don’t turn around as Mag conjures our portal and we step through it, leaving the world of Indigo Hills and its secrets behind.
Chapter11
Paige
Islam the leather-bound book closed and mutter a curse. I’ve been scanning it for the past few hours to no avail. Yet again, I’ve got nothing. Since the Vetus collection is gone, I’ve spent what little free time I have scouring the rest of the Alchemy section for clues about how to utilize my mysterious brand of magic.
The Alchemy section is notorious for the magical history it contains, and it’s also the portion of the library that Constantine spent the most time in. Both of these facts should have made it a potential lead for swift answers.
Yet, the stack of useless tomes on my desk would say otherwise. Ten down, and so far,noneof them have given me any insight at all into how to get my magic to actually work when I want it to, much less what its true purpose really is.
I groan as I calculate how many books are left to search against how much time I really have left. I’m outnumbered by the minutes steadily ticking by.
My office door opens, and Aries steps in, a paper cup and small gift bag in his hand. I narrow my gaze. We haven’t spoken since our fight last night, and honestly, I’m not even mad anymore. To be honest, I get his distrust of Oliver. It’s his lack of faith in me that annoys me. The fact that he doesn’t think I can take care of myself is a scrape to my pride.
Then again, it’s not like I have the greatest track record when it comes to avoiding danger.
“Paige,” he greets, my name sounding all too perfect on those talented lips.
“Aries.” I cross my arms. “What is it?”
“I brought you these.” He sets the paper cup down on my desk, the small gift bag beside it.
I eye them both with interest even as I try to keep a mask of irritation in place. I can’t have him acting a fool and risk the council members truly discovering why he’s here. Which they will if they decide they can’t trust him. “What are those?”
“Mag said it’s your favorite. A Pumpkin Spice Latte?”
I practically groan even as a smile tugs my lips up. A PSL is exactly what brought Aries and me together in the first place. Or, rather, it had a part in it anyway. The first time I ever saw him, he’d been standing in a puddle of spilled latte, gloriously naked. Proof that dragons really are bigger everywhere.
Heat climbs up the back of my neck as I remember what it had been like to lay eyes on him that first time. “It is my favorite.” I lift the cup and take a drink, the comforting spices dancing on my tongue. “That is so good.”
Aries smiles victoriously.
“What is this?” I lift the gift bag.
“Something I found. I thought it fit you.”
I reach in and pull out a shiny, silver glitter pen. Aries is watching me carefully now, likely making sure I love the gift. But he doesn’t have to worry because the gesture is perfect. My dragon brought me something shiny. Instant forgiveness.
All anger melts away, and I stand, walking around the desk and wrapping my arms around his waist. “Thank you. I love them both.”
His arms come around me, and he holds me. We stand like this, wrapped in each other, for longer than I probably have time for. But the feel of his arms around me and the steady thumping of his heart ease the constant anxiety I carry with me these days.
“I’m glad you like them.” He releases me, and I pull away. “I apologize if I came across as jealous last night or gave you the impression that I do not trust you. I hope you know I am not jealous, and I do trust you. With everything I am.”
I don’t miss the fact that he does not apologize for accusing Oliver. Which means he still stands by his statement. “Thank you. We’re already stretched so thin; it just seems foolish to start voting people off the island now.”
His brows draw together, but the confusion doesn’t last long. “Survivor.”
“You got it.” I smile and sit back down behind my desk, wishing we had more time to curl up and do something as simple and mindless as watching TV together and less time worrying about our own survival.
Aries’s gaze lands on the book. “Anything useful in there?”
