Page 55 of Dragon Tempted

“You think they recruited her?” John asked.

Jonas nodded. “That would make sense, right? If you’re an organization bent on destroying magic, wouldn’t you want to recruit the best and brightest to help you do it?”

“Mia is brilliant. Even in high school, she published papers that caught people’s attention. Her true passion was dragons, magic, and mythology. She would have been the poster child for them to entice into their organization.” Megan frowned. “But it’s hard for me to reconcile the person I knew as someone who would want to destroy the very thing she loved.”

“Except we don’t know if something happened to convince her to help them,” Tessa added. “Her husband died. And when Adam and I were looking for her last year, we talked to her coworker. She said that Mia blamed herself for his accidental death at the house they were restoring. And then she went off the grid. Everyone thought it was because she was grieving. Maybe it was, or maybe she went to work for the Templars.”

“I think Mia is trying to tell us that not everything is as it seems,” Sienna said.

“I know what I’m going to send her,” Megan said. “It’s a quote from Aristotle. ‘The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.’ And then I am going to ask her to lead us to what is significant.”

John kept quiet. As much as the quotes irritated him, if they worked to bring Mia out into the open, he was more than willing to play along for a bit to see if they had truly found a new avenue to breaking this curse. He looked around the room at all the determined faces before stopping on Sienna. Her brown eyes held a fire that was hard to ignore. She wanted to protect her family and clan from this threat. And he would do anything to make that happen.

Chapter 20

Sienna watched out the passenger window as Ryan maneuvered through Nashville traffic. Tourists walked along the main drag, pointing excitedly at the various hot spots before stopping to take selfies. Sienna wished she could be that carefree. When was the last time she just enjoyed herself? It had been two days since Megan sent her response to Mia. But unlike the first time, Mia hadn’t answered back yet. And sitting around waiting for a response was not going to get all the clan work done. Worrying wouldn’t help either, even though the longer they waited, the more she feared John would start talking about leaving or offering himself as bait again. Since he had dinner with her and the girls, he’d gone back to his cold and grumpy self.

“You okay?” Ryan asked.

“Yes. Just have a lot going through my head.”

He stopped at a light. “Does the ‘a lot’ you’re referring to have a perpetual scowl and want to be left alone except when it comes to you?”

“Ry—”

He smirked. “I mean, from what I hear, you two were quite the dancing duo the other night.”

“‘Dancing duo’? Are you serious right now? How could you not let me know that John was coming to the house for dinner?”

“I texted you.”

And she’d missed it. “You should have called me. And then you let him in the house and just left without letting me know?”

He shrugged. “Enchiladas were calling my name.”

She growled at him.

“Apparently shaking your groove thing was enough to get the hermit to lighten up.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

“You are no longer my best friend. I disinfriend you.”

The light turned green and he started driving. “That’s not a thing.”

“It is now.”

Ryan chuckled. “Okay. I’m sorry. I should have made sure you knew he was coming so you could have holstered that booty of yours.”

“I’m done with you. Drop me off on the corner.”

“Nope. I might no longer be your friend, but I’m still your guard. No can do. And stop glaring at me. You should be excited. Today’s meeting is a good thing.”

Sienna sighed. “I know. But it’s only the first step.”

Ryan looked at her. “And you’re the one taking it. Your mom would be so proud of you.”

Sienna swallowed back the lump that began to form in her throat. Her mom had started working on a clan initiative to create a safe place for all children, from babies to teens, to learn, grow, and be loved and accepted. But she hadn’t had a chance to finish it. That’s where Sienna came in. She’d found her mother’s notes and had made it one of her priorities as clan leader. She’d worked with Ryan to scope out the right clan members who would be willing to help.

Today Sienna was meeting with Colleen Crenshaw. Colleen owned several event spaces that hosted anything from weddings, parties, and small concerts. She was very successful and knew the ins and outs of working with the city for permits and building specs in Nashville. She had invited her close friend Amanda Cummings, a former teacher who would be invaluable as well to determine what would be good to have for the kids in the space. And Sienna had rounded out the group by inviting Susanna Dawson, who was a real estate agent. A group of powerful women working to uplift the children in their clan. Sienna hoped this would be the first of many successful meetings.