Page 51 of Feathers and Scales

“What makes you say that?” he asked.

Before she answered, his phone chimed. She glanced at him with a downcast gaze. He froze. The link between them iced over with sadness. He stared at her as his phone continued to ring.

Mrs. Renly came back into the room. “Did I miss something?” The Pomeranian in her arms stood stock still, alert.

His dragon pushed against the block of bitter cold between him and Izzy.

“Tell me,” Daxton said.

Izzy pointed toward the clock on the wall. “It’s eight o’clock on a Monday in New Hampshire, prime business hours. By chasing me, you’ve been neglecting your work. You’re a businessman. I know what to expect.”

The thick tone in her words betrayed far more than her expression. She was disappointed that she had been correct. The crack in her seemingly emotionless facade tore at him. What would it have been like to have parents who worked all hours instead of raising their child? It seemed Izzy suffered from abandonment far more than she let on.

As his phone stopped ringing, Mrs. Renly brought the little orange fur ball to Izzy. The Pomeranian wagged its tail and licked her chin. Daxton scowled when his device chimed again.I’ve been neglecting my duties for too long.He was a chief and the majority shareholder of a company that was under heat for his alias’s part in Izzy’s disappearance.

“Go answer your damn phone, Daxton.” Keiran waved dismissively. “She said she doesn’t need brooding males watching over her anyway.”

You always know what to say.Daxton headed toward the door for privacy.

Izzy pressed her forehead into the dog’s fur. Her seeking comfort undid something in him, melting him from the inside out. He wanted to touch her—to offer his own reassurance.

The link flared, undulating between them, and he caressed the soft skin of her cheek with his mind. The impression he wanted came to life. She jumped, and her eyes blazed when they met his. He smiled.

Now, that is handy.

The call took longer than Daxton wanted. It was difficult to listen to the CEO on the phone when Izzy’s abandoned expression made him want to drop everything and stay with her. As he walked back through the greenhouse, Keiran was walking back from the library.

“Is she settling in?” Daxton asked, stopping at the front desk.

“She has Mrs. Renly running in circles.”

Daxton intended to make it up to Izzy for leaving her alone, but if she’d immersed herself in learning already, she might not appreciate the interruption.

The entrance door slammed shut. A hunched Serephina, in unkempt clothing, moped into the room and headed for the coffee machine. Long, blazing-red hair lay in a mass of curls down her leather jacket. She hummed as she poured herself a mug of coffee.

Daxton smiled.Still a night owl.

“You’re late, Serephina,” Keiran said, authority deepening his tone.

Serephina sighed. “I wanted to grab breakfast first. Where’s this person I’m supposed to watch?” she asked in a raspy voice.

Keiran’s setting up a guard for Izzy rubbed his scales raw. He understood Keiran didn’t trust her, but it also felt like a distrust of Daxton’s judgment.At least it’s Serephina.

“Hey there, Blaze,” Daxton said.

Her hand stilled above her cup. She whirled around. With a blast of energy, she ran into his open arms. “Daxton.”

Blaze appeared in her midtwenties, even though she was a century old. She was still young among the dragons but had wormed her way onto Daxton’s likable list. As older dragons weren’t accustomed to touching, she’d trained him and others to accept hugs by persistent repetition, so he expected the embrace. He wrapped his arms around her.

“I hear you gave Percy a headache.” Her auburn eyes twinkled as she released him.

Keiran shook his head and spoke with his dragon deep in his voice. “You’re a bad influence, Serephina. Why don’t you tell Daxton why you’re on guard duty?”

She bristled, avoiding their gazes. “Where is this chick anyway?”

Keiran sighed. “She’s with the Archives.”

“Why?”