Page 18 of Crossing Fire

Everyone resumed their seats.

“I’d like to start with a suggestion,” Helen began before we’d even settled in again. “I know you insisted on this geas for me,” she shook her wrist to illustrate, “but to put one on everyone on my half of the team seems excessive.”

Dom gave her a look so unfriendly it instantly brightened my mood. “It is not negotiable. Every single team member will have a geas. In fact, it’s a done deal. My second has been performing the ritual even as we speak. And there won’t be a your half of the team. It will be one team with one lead. If you can’t work with Jillian, Helen, you won’t be useful on this task force. She’s taking point on this one. Jillian’s in charge.”

Helen’s eyes widened in dismay. This was news to her. To me, too, for that matter. “Do you really think that’s wise, Dom? I have much more experience heading druid task forces. Have you led even one, Jillian?”

Dom spoke before I could give her my succinct answer. “Jillian knows the enemy in a way no one else could. She knows their names and faces. Their weaknesses and strengths,” I didn’t know about that one, but I wasn’t going to argue with him when he sounded like he was making such a good point on my behalf. “And she is the only dragon who has not gone actively rogue or been captured at this point in time. She is their leader, as far as the druids are concerned. So she is clearly the ranking member of the force. Not only is it a wise choice, Helen, it is the only choice I would consider. If you cannot accept this decision, I suggest you walk away now. A soldier who can’t follow orders in battle is useless.”

“Dom, you’re letting her lead you around by the—”

I stopped her, tired of the sound of her voice. “Have you ever killed one of my kind?”

Her eyes narrowed, and her mouth tightened with temper. “Not yet.”

I waved a hand at the men beside me. “Well, we have. We are the only ones to have successfully done so since ‘The Purging.’” At least, on this side of the world. I had no idea what had been going on with any of the dragons from the east, but adding that would sort of shit on my point, so I didn’t.

And of course that had gotten everyone’s attention. “What is ‘The Purging?’” Dom asked me.

My answer was interrupted by Dom’s intercom buzzing. “Sir, the other members of your meeting are all here.”

Dom ignored it. “Well?”

I shrugged. “It can wait. Show me our backup.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

SHADOW MAN’S TWIN

We stood and faced the door as Dom buzzed them in. Two druids filed in first, both of whom I recognized. They wore severe white ceremonial robes covered in embroidered druidic runes, which always meant serious magic.

I nodded politely at Collin. He nodded back with a small but friendly smile. He immediately moved to take a seat near his Arch, bowing his head to Dom in deference as he passed.

Sloan filed in next. I couldn’t help an outright grin at the sight of her. I was still so relieved that I hadn’t gotten her killed. Though I was surprised she had been assigned to this.

“I volunteered,” she said, as if she’d read my thoughts. She even gave me a tiny, bloodthirsty smile. “I have a score to settle with those Viking bastards.”

A thought struck me. “Does Cam know?”

She held up a hand, rolling her eyes as she went to the chair nearest to Dom. Of course, she bowed her head to her Arch before she sat. “Don’t even go there.”

She caught sight of my Caleb twin. She shot him a disgusted look. “You really love being Jillian, don’t you, you sick bastard?”

Caleb gave her a chilling little smile out of my face. It was a downright fond look, coming from him.

After a beat, two more white-robed druids I didn’t recognize came in and went to the chairs beside Collin. One was a tall man with the same coloring as Sloan. He had long black hair that fell down his back in a smooth cascade. He also shared Sloan’s beautiful, mixed heritage features. A mix of Asian and European features, if I had to guess. Like Sloan, he’d somehow managed to get the best of both. They could have been siblings with their tall, lean figures. They even had the same impeccable posture and steely silver eyes. I assumed they were relatives of some sort and made a note to ask her about it later.

This man bowed lower to his Arch than the two lieutenants had. A rank thing. The druids had a lot of respect for rank. And Dom had declared me the dragon leader. I could call myself the dragon queen.

Hmm, it had possibilities.

The other was a tall, slender man with dark red hair and alabaster skin. His eyes were a pale gold. His hair fanned to his shoulders in a way you usually only saw in anime. He bowed low to his Arch, his face solemn.

The next to walk in was a grinning Corbin, a vampire slayer that we’d met briefly but memorably. He took a seat on our side of the table, next to Christian.

I made a note to tell him later that he had horrible political instincts. He’d stepped onto the wrong side of the line on the sand. The crazy people on this side of the table only seemed to know how to make enemies.

“Barbie,” he said quietly, sending me an affable grin.