Page 63 of Dragon Compelled
I’ve touched the tattoo and tried to access the magic I can always feel simmering inside of me. And if it’s worked? Well, I have no clue. Because so far, no one has strolled through my door, claiming to have been chosen.
Ugh.
My office door opens, and I nearly shoot out of my chair in shock, but then Blossom comes into view. I sink back down.
“You look bummed to see me,” she says as she drops into the chair.
“Sorry. Thought you might be the new council member.”
She arches a brow then yawns. “No luck, then?” The dark circles beneath her eyes showcase her exhaustion. It’s more than just lack of sleep. Something I understand because we’re all dealing with it. Even the gnomes look like they’re barely hanging in there. They’ve all increased patrols, working double shifts to make sure nothing else can slip through without our knowing.
The sooner we get this new council member in, the better. Because then we can focus on the real threat: Constantine.
“Not so far.” I roll my shoulders. “I’ve tried everything I can think of.”
“We’ll get it figured out.” She narrows her gaze. “Something is different about you. What is it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You have this glow.” Her eyes widen. “Are you having a baby dragon?”
“What? No.” I pull the neckline of my shirt down to bare the bite on my shoulder.
Blossom’s eyes widen. “You and Aries got a little freaky? Go you.”
I laugh as she settles back in her chair. “He said I’m his mate, Blossom.”
Her eyes widen. “That’s some serious shit, Paige.”
“I know. I thought he might be wrong. That the stress here has him confused. But—”
“A mate bond is not something stress impacts,” she says softly. “Trust me. And fighting it doesn’t work, either.”
“How do you—”
The door opens, and Oliver steps in beside a man I don’t recognize. Hope warms in my chest. Did I do it? Is this Tawny’s replacement? He’s obviously human, that much I can sense immediately. The man’s blond hair is cut short on top of his head, threads of silver weaving through it. His eyes, a deep blue, are focused intently on me.
Blossom stands, her hand hovering over the hilt of the blade always sheathed at her side.
He smiles despite her reaching for a weapon. “So, this is the newest librarian.” He crosses over and holds out a hand to me. “It is quite an honor to meet you, Paige. I am Phillip, chosen council member to the Athenaeum.”
Phillip. Of course. My hope deflates, but I force a smile anyway. I need this man to like me if I’m to keep my memories. “It’s nice to meet you as well.” His hand is warm in mine, but the contact sends a shiver of awareness up my spine.
A warning that maybe I should be careful trusting anyone not in my circle. After all, he’s here to vote on my future. I pull my hand back. “Have you heard from Tawny?”
Both of their expressions betray disappointment. “No,” Phillip replies. “I’m afraid I haven’t spoken to her since she called me a couple nights ago and said I needed to make time to come in. Oliver filled me in on everything that has happened over the last several days. I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. Hoc was a good man.”
“He was,” I reply, my throat tightening. “We haven’t seen her either.”
The lie is vile on my tongue, even knowing I cannot speak the truth. But the fact that her body is rotting away in a tunnel right now bothers me more than I would have thought possible. I may not have liked her, but at the very least, she deserved a peaceful rest. Does she have a family? People who care for her?
Guilt is a heavy burden, and I’m carrying far more than I realized until this very moment.
“Her disappearance is troubling on a personal level,” Oliver says, “But professionally speaking, it does present a host of problems.”
“I’m afraid we need to consider the worst,” Phillip says as he removes thin-framed glasses and rubs his eyes. “We will need to choose another council member in her absence.”
“Choose another?” Blossom questions. “And if Tawny returns?”
