“Perhaps I can be of assistance,” boring coat-taker dude suggested as he valiantly tried not to stare at my chest.
Dwayne was a dead man. No wait, he was already dead. I had no one to blame but myself. I’d let the Vamp choose the scraps of material that somewhat covered my body. He’d insisted that all eyes would be on my chest and if I needed to make a quick get away my boobs would be an outstanding distraction. An hour ago it had made sense. Now…not so much.
Note to self—never take fashion from a Vampyre who moonlights as a drag queen.
Seth was nowhere to be found. This was not at all like him. I inhaled slowly through my nose and exhaled quietly through my mouth tamping down my anxiety. Pink and gold smoke wafted in thin delicate tendrils from my nose, but there was little I could do about it.
Why was I so nervous? I was a freaking killing machine. I could shift in a heartbeat and probably take out half of the room before they knew what hit them. Poison laced daggers were strapped to my inner thighs. In my clutch I had a squirt gun filled with solution that could prohibit a Dragon shift and according to Dwayne, my boobs were freakin’ weapons.
However, boobs were not going to save me tonight.
This was a grave error on every level. I could feel it in my bones. I didn’t need these Dragons to remove my father from power. I was certain their correctly placed hatred of my father would transfer directly to me. I didn’t have time to die at the moment. I had to kill him before death caught up with me.
Seth was wrong about me coming here. He was convinced that the leader of the Dragon resistance would welcome me. I now heartily disagreed. The leader, Nicolai was a notoriously egotistical, womanizing, hard-ass. Surprisingly, I’d never met him, but I’d heard stories about him for the last several hundred years.
I’d already met one handsome deadly idiot in the crumbling parking lot. I wasn’t sure how polite I could be if I met another.
“You must be new,” a delicate and lovely female Dragon said with a giggle as she took my hand in hers and led me into the room. “My my, you are just gorgeous! The men are going to want to eat you up! No worries, I’ll protect you.”
WTH? I followed because I was certain I’d cause more of a scene by resisting the nutty chatterbox.
“Um, okay,” I muttered as she pulled me along behind her.
Dragons in human form wearing their finest eveningwear parted for her and nodded with respect. Some glanced at me curiously while others ignored me completely. Who was she? The woman didn’t seem very powerful, but older Dragons could mask that. I certainly did. It was never wise to show your hand. Dragons loved a challenge almost as much as sex. I hated having to kill those who wanted to see if they could best me.
Was she the consort or mate of Nicolai the leader? I could tell she was mated by her scent, but it was faded—as if her partner might be dead. Her beauty was absurd, but I guessed she was a very old Dragon by the way she was treated. I said a quick thanks to the man upstairs that she’d been the one to grab me first. Without Seth, I was a lone female Dragon in a lair that wasn’t mine. This silly woman was a lifesaver. I was beginning to think she was far older than I’d assumed.
We stopped aging in our mid thirties, but it was always obvious who our elders were.
“You can sit at my table,” she went on as she greeted Dragons left and right.
“I’m actually meeting someone here,” I told her as I was shoved unceremoniously into a seat at a large beautifully appointed table.
“Oh really?” she asked with raised brows and a kind smile. “Who?”
“Seth. Do you know him?” I asked cautiously. Dragons were quite unpredictable. The wrong name or expression could set off a three-alarm fire. I adored Seth, but maybe he was out of favor. I was certain he would become unpopular after his weyr found out who I was.
My crazy new friend clapped with glee and then placed her slim, well-manicured hands on either side of my face. “You’re in luck! He’s at this exact table. What a wonderful coincidence.”
Her smile was contagious and she almost made me comfortable. Again I reminded myself, looks were deceiving. Trusting strangers made you sloppy. I had no time to be careless—there was too much at stake. This silly woman might seem kind, but in reality it could be a façade.
“I don’t believe in coincidences,” I said as I gently removed her hands and moved to a seat with my back against the wall.
“Neither do I,” she admitted as she joined me and scooted close. “What do you think of some of the dresses here tonight?”
Her nose was scrunched, but her eyes twinkled with naughty delight.
“Well, um…I just got here and…” I started, not sure how to respond. My dress was scandalous. Where were we going with this?
“This is a party,” she huffed. “Half of the women here looked like they walked out of a Victorian painting. I mean I loved living in the Victorian era, but come on that was centuries ago.”
I was correct about her age.
“Well,” I said as diplomatically as I could. “Some of the gals could have checked the calendar year as a style guide.”
“Agreed.” My benefactor nodded curtly and then turned her focus on me. “It’s wonderful to see a new face. I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Elaina. Welcome to the Resistance.”
“Thank you and, um…I’m a friend of Seth’s,” I replied with a wince of embarrassment at my lack of manners. Telling her my name could end the evening quickly. I needed Seth here for back up and to vouch for my character. Shit. Where was he?