Persuading the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 12) Read online

  He shrugged one shoulder. "Because it's my job to do so."

  She stared at the dragon-shifter. Ivy should be angry at him for poking her still grieving heart. And yet, his straightforwardness was refreshing. Unlike the medical staff, he didn't try to ignore her or ask the bare minimum. No, Zain wanted to know more about her.

  Sure, it was for his own ends and would probably determine her eventual fate, but after abandoning the life she'd known for years and losing her brother and his partner on top of it, Ivy desperately needed someone to treat her as more than some hated enemy.

  Besides, it wasn't as if she had anything to lose by telling him about Richard's murder. If anything, he might be more open to the request she needed to make.

  Putting aside the scrapbook, she answered, "My brother and his partner were killed by the Dragon Knights. And whilst I have no hard evidence beyond a symbol drawn on the wall, I know they did it because my brother took me in after I ran away from the Knights."

  "So he was murdered, then."

  Ivy tried not to read too much into how Zain's voice was a little softer than before. "Yes." Not wanting to cry again, she looked down toward the blanket and picked at it. "I'm the one that found them. But I couldn't tell the police everything, even though I burned to."

  "Why?"

  There was zero reason to reveal how the police had moles inside their organization, ones that would pass on any information to the Knights.

  And yet, what good was keeping the information to herself now? So she explained it and added, "That's why I reported it but didn't reveal how it was my fault they'd been killed. The thumb drive full of information had been my insurance against the Knights coming after me. But in the end, it wasn't enough to protect the ones I loved."

  Tears prickled her eyes and she took a few deep breaths to hold them back. She wouldn't—couldn't—cry in front of this dragonman.

  After a few seconds, Zain's voice filled the room again. "Is there information on the thumb drive about the spies inside the police?"

  She blinked and met his gaze again. "You believe me?"

  He grunted noncommittally. "Maybe. However, if there's detailed information we can use, then tell me how to access it."

  Here it was—her chance to ask for a meeting with the IT people. "I could, or you could bring the men or women working on decrypting the data, and I could tell them how to do it."

  Zain shook his head, and her hope vanished. He replied, "No, not yet. Whilst Daisy may be overly forgiving and see the good in you without batting an eyelash, it's not the same with the adults. It's better if you go through me for now."

  She suspected he wanted to be the only main contact she had within the dragon clan. While she wasn't trying to deceive anyone, no doubt the dragons were still on alert regarding anything to do with her.

  However, Ivy wanted more than just talking with an interrogator. She yearned for some kind of contact, to remind her that she was alive and might, just might, find a way to avenge her brother and do some good instead of harm in the world.

  Yes, Richard deserved justice. It was the very least she could do considering his patience and accepting her back without a word. It was partly because of his suggestion to ask the dragon-shifters for help that she’d gathered the courage to venture north to Stonefire.

  Using her brother’s memory for courage, Ivy blurted, "Then let the children visit me again. Agree to that, and I'll dictate the step-by-step instructions on how to access the police-related files."

  Zain raised his brows. "That's not what I thought you'd ask for. But all the same, it's up to their parents. If they agree, I'll bring them. If not, I won't force them."

  She bobbed her head. "I'll take what I can get."

  Zain took out his mobile phone, tapped it a few times, and moved closer to her bed. While she knew he was standing, which of course, made him taller, she had to strain her neck to look at his face.

  And as he leaned over, his heat and scent washed over her. She should be bothered about his nearness, but his closeness just felt…right. As if he should be by her side as often as possible.

  What? He's a dragon. That's crazy. The comfort vanished, replaced with the desire to race to the other side of the room. Just because a few kids had made her at least question some of her beliefs surrounding dragon-shifters, she wasn't about to jump into bed with one.

  Not that she would be sleeping with anyone for quite a while, if ever. But a dragon-shifter would be at the bottom of that list.

  Zain grunted. "I'm going to record you. Are you ready?"

  She finally met his gaze again and did her best not to gasp at his flashing pupils.

  The slits gave him a reptilian appearance, and at one time the sight would've stirred a mixture of fear and hatred.

  But now, she watched the change with curiosity. Inner dragons were supposed to speak to their human halves. However, she had no idea what they talked about. The Knights have always said it was instructions for the human halves to find women to impregnate or to kill any human who challenged them.

  Given how the dragonman stood next to her bed, holding his phone out and waiting to record her voice, she had a hard time believing that was the truth.

  Without thinking, she asked, "What is your dragon saying?"

  He frowned, and his pupils turned round and remained that way. "Nothing of importance. I don't know how long I have before the medical staff return, so tell our team how to access the files."

  So much for finding out more concerning inner dragons. Maybe the kids would tell her more, if they ever came to visit again.

  And while she was ready to give Zain the instructions, there was one more thing they all needed to be careful of. "Just don't share this information with the DDA, okay? They aren't as trustworthy as you think they are."

  His eyes flashed again before he grunted. "Fine. Just hurry up and tell me what I need to know."

  Her instinct was to dig in her heels and say nothing. However, Ivy forced herself to give the instructions on how to decrypt and read the police-related files.

  Once she finished, Zain tapped his phone a few times and left without another word.

  All she could do now was wait and hope Zain shared the information right away. Both she and the dragon-shifters would benefit if he did so.

  Not that she could order the man to do anything. So she leaned back against her pillows and exhaustion set in, making it hard to sit upright.

  However, Ivy hated going to sleep and tried to fight the heaviness of her eyelids. Even now, after how many days of waking up without a problem, she worried about falling into a coma again. One she might not shake off the next time.

  And given everything the doctors had shared with her about being poisoned by the Knights and how fragile her health was, she didn’t take being awake lightly.

  Fighting the heaviness of her limbs, she managed to reach for the scrapbook and opened it. There was a picture of Freddie, Daisy, and another little girl holding up their paintings. While none of them were very talented, Ivy could tell they were paintings of dragons.

  But the art wasn't what caught her eye. No, she focused on their smiles. They were so happy.

  Would she ever achieve that sort of easy happiness again? To have fun and not worry about the next deadline or risk being put into isolation until she met it.

  With a little bit of distance, Ivy wondered why she'd ever fallen in line within the Knights. There'd been no happiness, no celebrations, nothing but deadlines and fear.

  Sure, a small sense of purpose and belonging, but that didn't outweigh the bad.

  Stop thinking about the past, Ivy. She couldn't change it, but maybe her future would be better.

  She touched the picture of the three kids. While it wasn't a guarantee, if the kids visited again, then it'd be nice to spend some time with people who didn't hate her entire existence for once. And maybe, she could finally smile for a little while, too.

  Chapter Seven

  Zain laid down
the printed documents on the table and curled his fingers into a fist. To his boss, Kai, he muttered, "The fucking Knights have infiltrated the Cumbria police, too."

  Cumbria was the county where the Lake District, which included Stonefire, was located in England. Although they were far from the only constabulary with dragon-hating sympathies. The list was longer than Zain liked, by quite a bit.

  One of the other Protectors in the room—Nikki Gray, who was Kai's second-in-command—huffed. "I suspected one or two of them didn't like us. At least, in my experience, they were dismissive and condescending, as if talking with me was a waste of time. But I didn't think they'd be full-on working with a group out to eradicate us. It feels wrong keeping this knowledge in-house."

  Zain stated, "But we can't tell the DDA, at least not until we know for sure if Ivy's warning is true or not."

  Nikki tapped her chin. "Maybe we can't tell someone at random, but I'm sure Evie knows a few people we can trust. And Bram could probably reach out to the DDA Director. I can't imagine Rosalind Abbott being in league with the Knights, not given how hard she's been fighting for our rights and acceptance."

  Kai finally raised a hand to stop their conversation and spoke. "Right now, we're not reaching out to anybody." He met Zain's gaze. "Whilst we verify some of the contents of the files, I want you to spend more time with the human. It's entirely possible she's the best actor in the world and is feeding us the information we want to hear."

  It was a possibility, certainly, although both Zain's gut and dragon said she wasn't that nefarious. Still, he asked, "What about her brother's murder? Do you think she would be part of that, too?"

  Kai raised his blond eyebrows. "It wouldn't surprise me if some of the Knights would sacrifice their family members for a greater cause."

  Zain tried to imagine Ivy suggesting they murder her brother so that the dragon-shifters would believe her.

  But then he remembered the tears in her eyes, the defeated slump of her shoulders, and the hovering regret that flashed in her eyes when she thought no one was looking. He never would've believed he'd defend the human, but Zain said, "I don't think she suggested or agreed with that plan. I've been watching her on the video feed for nearly two weeks, and when she's alone, she always looks sad. Considering she has no idea we have a camera inside her room, you would think that she'd lower her guard when she's alone."

  Leaning back in his chair, Kai's pupils flashed before he replied, "Watching from a video feed might not be enough. Especially since there have been plenty of human spies who've lived a life of lies for decades, never letting down their facades. It's entirely possible she's doing that, too, with a highly developed persona." Kai paused a second before adding, "However, there's a better way to determine if she's telling the truth or merely acting."

  Zain didn't like the glint in Kai's eyes. "I know you have a plan, so just tell us what it is already."

  Kai tapped his fingers on the table. "Take her as your mate, live with her, and figure out the truth."

  Zain's mouth dropped open as he tried to process Kai's words. Dragon-shifters took matings seriously, and divorce was difficult. Not to mention if he aligned himself with Ivy, a good portion of the clan would probably turn their backs on him.

  It was a hell of a lot to ask of him for an assignment that might not give them the answers or proof they needed.

  When he finally made his mouth work again, Zain growled, "I know you and Jane have made comments about me finding a mate of my own, but this is fucking ridiculous."

  Nikki leaned forward and said, "It's a brilliant idea, though. You could find out all she knows, watch her closely to see if she's being genuine or not, and not even Dr. Sid could limit your time at her side like she can now. Unless your reputation and popularity are more important to you than discovering the key to take down one of our enemies?"

  Zain narrowed his eyes at Nikki. The female could lay it on thick when she tried. "Would you mate a former Dragon Knight or dragon hunter just to get information?"

  She waved a hand in dismissal. "That's a moot point, isn't it? I'm already mated and have a daughter to boot. I'm most definitely off the market."

  He was tempted to challenge Nikki to a set of grueling flight routines so he could kick her arse in the only way her human mate would allow.

  Kai rapped the table with his knuckles. "This isn't about Nikki. I could ask one of the other Protectors, but you're the most skilled at reading body language, not to mention my top interrogator. And the human is getting more comfortable around you, too. Face it—this is the best option, and you know it. Besides, it's not like you'd have to fuck her, just live with her."

  His dragon perked up. Why wouldn't we fuck her? That's the best part of mating—to always have a sex partner.

  Whilst you may be on board to sleep with anything that has a vagina, I have some standards. Murderous zealots are most definitely not part of them.

  Kai's voice prevented Zain's dragon from replying. "Just think about it. I'll ask you again tomorrow and make plans from there."

  Would a day really change his reaction and heart? Not really.

  However, while he'd like to deny it with all he had, the plan was his best chance at finding out everything concerning Ivy Passmore.

  And the sooner he did that, the sooner his clan could plan to dismantle and destroy the Dragon Knights once and for all.

  In other words, to complete his mission, he'd have to sacrifice his own wishes for a little while. And it wasn't as if it was permanent. He could eventually obtain a divorce.

  As for being shunned, once he could reveal his role and the reason for doing it—to take down and end the fear surrounding one of their enemies—the clan members who ostracized him would welcome him back again.

  His dragon grunted. If they don't stand by us during the tough times, then why bother with them later?

  So I tell Kai no then? Being shunned isn't the easiest thing to endure when you're supposed to protect the entire clan.

  We can still do our job. And it's not as if you are Mister Social Butterfly to begin with.

  Zain mentally sighed. You're going to keep going until I agree to this, aren't you?

  Of course. Besides, think of it this way—having Ivy around is one step closer to sleeping with a female than where we are now.

  And people thought human males thought about sex all the time. Inner dragons were so much worse.

  Before his beast could say a word—let alone before Zain lost his resolve—he blurted, "I'll do it. Although I have a few conditions."

  Kai bobbed his head. "Then let's hear them."

  As Zain ran through what he wanted, he tried to ignore the small ball of anticipation buzzing around his stomach.

  Not because he was looking forward to mating the female. No, that was bloody ridiculous. It was for the ultimate goal of taking down a long-time enemy, and nothing more.

  Ivy had just finished her lunch—what she wouldn't give to have a pizza or curry again instead of the soft, bland cuisine they fed her—when someone knocked on the door. Fully expecting Dr. Sid or Dr. Innes, she said, "Come in."

  The door opened, revealing a tall woman with olive skin, brown eyes, and black hair down to her waist. A slightly different but familiar style of tattoo peeked out from her short-sleeved top. Before she could stop herself, Ivy asked, "Are you a dragon-shifter?"

  The woman smiled, nodded, and shut the door behind her. "Yes, I am. My name is Dr. Serafina Rossi."

  Her English was perfect but slightly accented. Combined with her name and looks, Ivy guessed she was from Italy. "Another doctor? Well, what are you here for then? I don't think there's much more blood left in me to draw."

  "No, I'm not that kind of doctor." She took a step closer to Ivy's bed. "I'm a psychologist."

  Ivy had never really thought much about shrinks before she'd been lured in by the Friends of the World. But given those therapists had brainwashed her into joining the Dragon Knights, Ivy assessed the woman warily
. "I don't need your help."

  Serafina tilted her head. "I expected you to say that."

  She studied the other woman. "Then why are you here?"

  The dragonwoman shrugged. "I've been working with Zain on your case and felt it was time for me to talk with you."

  She'd suspected people talked about her behind her back, but it appeared people were doing more than merely gossiping. Ivy asked, "Why now? I've been awake for nearly two weeks."

  Serafina raised her dark brows. "Would you have listened to me during the first few days?"

  "No," she mumbled.

  "Right, so I waited, watched, and listened. You've come far in such a short time, but your life will have many more changes soon, so I thought we should chat."

  She searched the dragonwoman's gaze. "What changes?"

  Serafina waved around the room. "You won't be in this hospital bed forever, right? Once you can walk again, what will you do? Where will you go? Unless the Knights are defeated, the second you step off of Stonefire, they'll find you and eradicate one of their weaknesses."

  Ivy had never thought of herself as one of the Knights' weaknesses, but given the data she'd stolen, she probably was a bigger threat than she'd realized. Back when she'd stolen it, the data had only been a means of securing safety.

  Which had failed.

  Richard. Images of her older brother laughing, his partner teasing Ivy, and the three of them enjoying some time on the Brighton Pier in the summer came rushing back.

  Serafina's soft voice broke through her memories. "You're thinking of your brother, aren't you?"

  Her gaze shot to the dragonwoman's. "Why would you say that?"

  "Given everything I've read, he and his partner were your only family, your only weaknesses. Well, unless you're secretly pining to return to the Knights."

  "Never," she growled, the intensity surprising even herself.