Thorn shrugged. “We’re assuming someone died.”

“I think you’re right. That’s the only explanation for her risking her life so.”

“She knows how close to death she came,” Thorn said. “I saw it in her eyes just now. She was scared.”

“Yet still stood against them. Brave girl.”

She certainly was. Thorn looked up at the gray skies as the rain fell faster. It was the perfect time for them to fly, but neither he nor Darius would risk it with so many Dark looking for them.

“She appears dead on her feet,” Darius said.

Thorn had noticed that as well. The dark circles under her bloodshot eyes were more pronounced than the day before. “Let’s clean this up.”

“I’ll clean it up. You follow her.”

Thorn nodded to Darius and started after the female. He wished he had thought to ask her name, but he doubted she would’ve given it to him. She didn’t trust him, and she was right to question everyone and everything.

The Dark Fae had changed things by coming to Edinburgh. Great Britain had always been off-limits to them, but they were blatantly showing themselves. They wanted war, and they wanted the humans to know what they were.

The Dragon Kings, however, preferred to keep the humans in the dark on all things magic. Mainly because the Kings knew exactly what would happen if the humans learned of them.

They had been through that once. The result was the Kings sending all of their dragons to another realm to stop the war while they remained behind.

The Dark would keep pushing. The war they wanted had been accepted by the Kings. The only difference this time was that the rules had changed—at least for the Kings.

The Dark Fae couldn’t care less who knew of their existence. They fed off humans.

The Kings might have taken a small lead, but soon they would have to decide to fight the Dark in their dragon forms, or give the realm over to them.

Neither possibility was a good one.

CHAPTER

SIX

Three hours later and Lexi couldn’t shake the chills. The rain had yet to stop, and by the looks of the dark gray sky, it wasn’t going to either. She went from store to store, anything to keep moving and stay warm. Though it didn’t help when she went back out into the rain each time.

The soup she ate helped to warm her, as did the tea, but the moment she saw a Red Eyes in the pub, she hurried out, leaving half of her soup uneaten.

Her stomach rumbled. Everywhere she looked there were Red Eyes. It was as if they had taken over the world like the aliens did in the sci-fi movies.

If it was all a dream, she wished she would wake up. But she knew it was real. Every deadly, gut-wrenching, heart-stopping moment of it was genuine.

Lexi stopped beneath the overhang of a shop and looked around at the city. Edinburgh hadn’t been on her wish list to see. It had been on Jessica’s, but Lexi found Scotland to be different than what she’d expected.

Though now, she was beginning to hate the city. She just wanted to be warm and dry beneath dozens of blankets so she could sleep.

She didn’t have the money to find another place to stay, but she couldn’t return to her flat with the Red Eyes there. She couldn’t sleep on the streets either.

Lexi bit back a sob. She was alone in a dangerous city full of killers. What had ever made her think she could do this on her own?

She wiped her sleeve across her face and huddled against the wind. God, she was so cold. She could no longer feel her toes, fingers, or her upper lip, and her nose was quickly following. Everything was numb—and wet.

A police vehicle drove by, and for just an instant Lexi thought about going to D.I. MacDonald. That thought was quickly forgotten since she knew MacDonald would just send her on her way or urge her to return home.

Lexi didn’t think she would ever crave the South Carolina heat and humidity, but she was longing for it now—including the giant mosquitoes that came with living there.

She closed her eyes to help relieve some of the pain. Almost instantly she jerked, snapping her head up as it fell forward as she dozed off.

Blinking several times to help wake herself, Lexi looked around and noticed a Red Eyes watching her across the street. Fortune was on her side when three women came out of the store. Lexi spoke to one of them and started walking with them.

It took everything she had not to turn and look at him over her shoulder. She stayed with the women for another two blocks before she ducked into a pub and went to stand by the fire.

*   *   *

Thorn ignored the rain as he watched the female through the window of the pub. To make matters worse, he wasn’t the only one. Dark Fae were everywhere and beginning to take notice of her.

He wanted to pull out his dagger and start killing the Fae, but in such a crowded place with so many humans, he couldn’t. Then there was the female. Not to mention with so many Dark around, one would get away and alert the others as to which Dragon King was in the city.

It was better if Thorn remained hidden and watchful. He had seen the female fall asleep on her feet twice now. She looked much worse than she had earlier in the day. He wasn’t sure how much longer she could go before her body simply gave out.

He felt a push in his head from Darius from the mental link shared by all Dragon Kings. He opened his mind to Darius and asked, “Everything taken care of?”

“Aye. As well as ten more kills between then and now.”

“There are too many humans around for us to fight now.”

“I know,” Darius said, his voice dripping with annoyance. “I thought the female would’ve returned home by now. She’s no’ tracking any Dark.”

“I followed her to her building, but there were Dark standing near the door. She took one look at them and turned around.”

“Perhaps she’s smarter than you realize.”

Thorn twisted his lips. “I never said she wasna smart. I said she’d be wise to leave well enough alone.”

“Would you?”

“Nay.”

Darius chuckled. “Me neither. She’s drenched.”

“She’s been walking the streets all day. Where are you?”

“Above you on the roof. There are Dark crawling everywhere. I think the female unintentionally led us to their main location.”

Thorn had taken notice of all the Dark as soon as they entered the area. “Aye.”

“I wonder how long until the woman notices?”

“No’ soon enough.”

“She looks … awful.”

Thorn drew in a deep breath. “Exhaustion. And … sickness.”

“Damn.”

Thorn felt the same way. He didn’t think the woman even knew she was sick yet. If only she would leave the area, but the pub was warm and dry.

Just as he expected, she found a table and ordered food. He blinked through the rain dropping from his eyelashes, trying to mentally hurry the woman to leave.

“It was a mistake to follow her,” Thorn said to Darius. “We’re supposed to be killing Dark.”

“We’re doing both. Besides, I’m no’ leaving. It’s going to take both of us to get the mortal out of this area.”

“She needs out of Edinburgh.”

“I’m in agreement, but she’s no’ going to leave on her own.”

“Darius,” Thorn said when a Dark walked to the woman’s table.

She didn’t even look up at him, but concentrated on her food. Her head nodded to whatever he said, and then he walked off. Thorn released a breath.

“What is it about her that draws their interest?” Darius asked.

Thorn shook his head and smiled. “Look around the pub. Look around the area. Anywhere there’s Dark, whether they’re wearing glamour or no’, the humans can no’ take their eyes off them.”

“And yet the female willna even look their way.”