Read Online Smoke and Fire: Part 3 by Donna Grant - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Donna Grant
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her …
“Where’s Esther?”
Ryder put his hand on her back as they descended the stairs. “Still being kept isolated for the time being. She gave up a name, and though I think it’s relevant, we need proof.”
Kinsey heard the sound of voices before they reached the bottom. She slowed, her heart beating fast. Then she halted altogether.
“It’s going to be okay,” Ryder assured her. “You’ve already met several of us.”
“Why now?”
Ryder waved to a man with long black hair and the most amazing pale blue eyes she’d ever seen. The man gave her a nod and kept walking.
“This occurs most nights. I didna want to force everyone on you your first or second night.”
“But my third sounded good?” she asked with a knowing grin.
Ryder lifted one shoulder. “I couldna put it off any longer. Several of the mates have already talked to you. Everyone else wants to meet you.”
“And how is Con with this?”
Ryder laughed before he gave her a slight push to get her moving again. “Con is Con.”
As if that explained everything. And in a way, perhaps it did. Kinsey decided to go with the flow, even as her stomach felt as if a flock of birds had taken up residence.
Each time she walked through the manor, Kinsey took in as much as she could. It had an understated elegance. You knew whoever lived there had money, but it wasn’t the gaudy extravagant décor some people decorated with.
Dreagan felt homey—despite its size, location, wealth, and the fact it was home to Dragon Kings.
She gawked at the glimpse of a library as they walked down a wide hallway. From what she saw with one peek, wealth lined every bookshelf. But it was the kind of wealth she could appreciate.
The paintings, some well over seven feet in height and ten feet wide, were placed periodically throughout the manor. They passed one such piece with a gold dragon that had a row of quills running down its back and tail. The dragon had two horns extending forward from its forehead. Royal purple eyes seemed to pierce her as it flew from the sky right toward her.
The sight of the dragon nearly made her miss the backdrop of the mountains and the sun breaking through the clouds. It was obvious that whoever painted this wanted the viewer to see the dragon first and foremost.
“What do you think?” Con asked as he came to stand beside her.
Kinsey hadn’t realized she’d stopped until that moment. Ryder was silent beside her, letting her take it all in. She returned her attention to the gold dragon. “He looks aggressive.”
“Most would believe all dragons look that way,” Con said.
She tilted her head to the side. “I’m not an art enthusiast, so I don’t know the correct words.”
“Just say how the painting makes you feel,” Ryder urged.
That she could do. Kinsey took a deep breath and released it. “I get the sense the artist wanted me to feel the dragon’s power, his might. The intensity of the dragon’s gaze is undeniable. It’s as if he’s homed in on a target. His supremacy is unquestionable.”
“Does this frighten you?” Con asked.
“Yes, but not as before.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Con turn his head toward her. “Meaning?”
“I no longer fear that a dragon is coming for me.”
“But,” Con urged.
She licked her lips and moved closer to the painting. “What scares me is that all of you are like caged animals. You have sixty thousand acres, but it’s still a cage. Now MI5 has closed you in even more.”
Kinsey started to touch the dragon, but stopped herself before she did. She turned to face Ryder and Con. “When cornered, animals lash out. It’s simply a matter of time before the Dark, Ulrik, MI5, or even humans force such a situation.”
“And you doona think we can control ourselves?” Ryder questioned her.
She shook her head, trying to think of a way to reword her thoughts. “Not at all. You could’ve wiped us out thousands of years ago. You didn’t.”
“You worry
“Where’s Esther?”
Ryder put his hand on her back as they descended the stairs. “Still being kept isolated for the time being. She gave up a name, and though I think it’s relevant, we need proof.”
Kinsey heard the sound of voices before they reached the bottom. She slowed, her heart beating fast. Then she halted altogether.
“It’s going to be okay,” Ryder assured her. “You’ve already met several of us.”
“Why now?”
Ryder waved to a man with long black hair and the most amazing pale blue eyes she’d ever seen. The man gave her a nod and kept walking.
“This occurs most nights. I didna want to force everyone on you your first or second night.”
“But my third sounded good?” she asked with a knowing grin.
Ryder lifted one shoulder. “I couldna put it off any longer. Several of the mates have already talked to you. Everyone else wants to meet you.”
“And how is Con with this?”
Ryder laughed before he gave her a slight push to get her moving again. “Con is Con.”
As if that explained everything. And in a way, perhaps it did. Kinsey decided to go with the flow, even as her stomach felt as if a flock of birds had taken up residence.
Each time she walked through the manor, Kinsey took in as much as she could. It had an understated elegance. You knew whoever lived there had money, but it wasn’t the gaudy extravagant décor some people decorated with.
Dreagan felt homey—despite its size, location, wealth, and the fact it was home to Dragon Kings.
She gawked at the glimpse of a library as they walked down a wide hallway. From what she saw with one peek, wealth lined every bookshelf. But it was the kind of wealth she could appreciate.
The paintings, some well over seven feet in height and ten feet wide, were placed periodically throughout the manor. They passed one such piece with a gold dragon that had a row of quills running down its back and tail. The dragon had two horns extending forward from its forehead. Royal purple eyes seemed to pierce her as it flew from the sky right toward her.
The sight of the dragon nearly made her miss the backdrop of the mountains and the sun breaking through the clouds. It was obvious that whoever painted this wanted the viewer to see the dragon first and foremost.
“What do you think?” Con asked as he came to stand beside her.
Kinsey hadn’t realized she’d stopped until that moment. Ryder was silent beside her, letting her take it all in. She returned her attention to the gold dragon. “He looks aggressive.”
“Most would believe all dragons look that way,” Con said.
She tilted her head to the side. “I’m not an art enthusiast, so I don’t know the correct words.”
“Just say how the painting makes you feel,” Ryder urged.
That she could do. Kinsey took a deep breath and released it. “I get the sense the artist wanted me to feel the dragon’s power, his might. The intensity of the dragon’s gaze is undeniable. It’s as if he’s homed in on a target. His supremacy is unquestionable.”
“Does this frighten you?” Con asked.
“Yes, but not as before.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Con turn his head toward her. “Meaning?”
“I no longer fear that a dragon is coming for me.”
“But,” Con urged.
She licked her lips and moved closer to the painting. “What scares me is that all of you are like caged animals. You have sixty thousand acres, but it’s still a cage. Now MI5 has closed you in even more.”
Kinsey started to touch the dragon, but stopped herself before she did. She turned to face Ryder and Con. “When cornered, animals lash out. It’s simply a matter of time before the Dark, Ulrik, MI5, or even humans force such a situation.”
“And you doona think we can control ourselves?” Ryder questioned her.
She shook her head, trying to think of a way to reword her thoughts. “Not at all. You could’ve wiped us out thousands of years ago. You didn’t.”
“You worry
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