Hidden Dragon (The Treasure of Paragon Book 7) by Genevieve Jack (best ereader for manga txt) 📗

stay with Raven, and Raven has to stay with Clarissa and Avery. The three sisters cannot be separated. Their power derives from one another. It’s too dangerous. Plus there is Charlie to think about.”

“Which means Xavier and Nathaniel are out of the picture. They won’t leave their mates.” Dianthe crossed her arms and drummed her fingers on her bicep.

Colin tipped his head. “Maiara and Nick are human. Neither of them knows Everfield, and the vampires in Nochtbend will smell them coming a mile away. Plus Rowan’s wing is still healing.”

“That leaves only Tobias,” Sylas said gruffly. Their brother was a talented healer and the smartest among them when it came to history and culture, but as a warrior his skills were lacking, especially now that he hadn’t had to fight in a number of years.

Colin leaned back on his heels. “Exactly. You, Dianthe, Tobias, and Sabrina will go. Sabrina is a vampire—”

“From Earth!” All of Sylas’s muscles clenched at the idea. It was a recipe for disaster.

“But still a vampire. Vampires notoriously hate dragons and witches and share an uneasy peace with the fairies of Everfield. You’ve made progress in Nochtbend, but as one of their kind, she’s our best bet of convincing them to help us find the orb. When I spoke to her last night, she was pretty confident that vampires, by their nature, are the same everywhere.”

“In your own words, vampires have an uneasy peace with fairies. Exactly why Dianthe should not go,” Sylas grumbled.

Colin ignored him and continued. “The four of you will go to Everfield to retrieve the green orb Dianthe saw; then you will journey into Nochtbend and search for the one hidden there. Sabrina thinks she’ll be able to find it.”

“Absolutely not! The very idea!” Sylas wanted to punch his brother in the face for even suggesting such a thing. Had Colin forgotten that Grimtwist Forest was inhabited by carnivorous monsters?

A muscle in Colin’s jaw jumped, and he pursed his lips. “I get that you fear for your mate, Sylas, but it’s not like we’re sending her alone. You’ll be with her. This is the perfect team to get this done. Use her second sight. Lean on Tobias and Sabrina. I know you can do this.”

He clenched his teeth and stepped closer to his twin until their chests were almost touching. “Over my dead body.”

Colin shook his head. “I didn’t want to have to do this, but with my return to Aeaea, I officially take over the role I left to you. I’m the leader of the rebellion again, brother. Don’t make me pull rank on you. I’ll go to the others if I have to.”

Sylas shook his head. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Colin narrowed his eyes as if to say try me. “We need you to do this. This is your team. Make the most of it.”

Chapter Nine

Dianthe wanted to hug Colin for standing up for her. Although Sylas’s bright red face warned that he might explode at any moment, she proudly soldiered on, talking detailed plans with Colin beside her seething mate. She’d won this round and it mattered.

In the past, Sylas had always respected her contributions to the Defenders of the Goddess. He’d always had reverence for her gift. But since she’d healed Aborella, he’d treated her like she was a child—inconsequential—or worse, a liability. Not only did it make her feel inferior, it made her question her own abilities. She’d caught herself fighting her intuition and doubting her second sight, that thing that had been with her for as long as she could remember.

If she was going to forgive herself for any role she’d played in what happened in Everfield and regain her confidence, she had to go on this mission. With Sylas there, it would be the perfect opportunity to prove to him she was the same woman he married. She’d earn his trust in her abilities and his respect again. Oh, she knew he loved her. He’d always love her. But love wasn’t enough. She wanted him to see her as an equal—like he used to see her.

Her bag was already packed—she’d never had a chance to unpack it—but she moved it to her own tent. Her gut told her that if she gave him the opportunity, Sylas would try to talk her out of this mission or sabotage her involvement. So she did her best to avoid him until it was time to leave.

Mercifully, he wasn’t on the boat when she arrived. Neither was Tobias. But she was not alone. A willowy and shockingly pale woman with bright red hair lay in the shade of the sail, a hooded cloak pulled high over her head and a pair of dark sunglasses shading her eyes, which presently appeared closed as if she were napping. Sabrina the vampire. They’d never been formally introduced. Now did not seem like the time.

As quietly as possible, Dianthe stepped on board and stowed her pack in the cargo hold. She took a seat in the sun.

“You must be Dianthe.” Sabrina opened her eyes and sat up, adjusting the dark shades. “You’ll have to excuse me. I’m usually sleeping at this time of day, and direct sun is quite uncomfortable for my kind.”

“Sabrina, right? It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The vampire gave a small nod, then leaned her head against the hull and closed her eyes again.

“It’s funny about fairies and vampires,” Dianthe said cheerfully. “Fairies derive strength from the sun. Really anything celestial. The moon and stars as well. We celebrate many celestial events in our culture, but the sun is the most beneficial to our kind. Our kingdom butts up to Nochtbend, which is the land of the vampires. They live underground and only come out at night when they are the strongest.”

Sabrina lifted her head and stared at her over her shades. “So I’ve heard.”

“I’ve always thought we made perfect neighbors,” Dianthe continued. “Everfield sleeps at night and Nochtbend sleeps during the day. If you didn’t know the