Hidden Dragon (The Treasure of Paragon Book 7) by Genevieve Jack (best book club books .txt) 📕

The vampire blinked at her sleepily.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you anyway.”

“Likewise.” She closed her eyes again.

She sat in silence for a few minutes until Tobias stepped onto the boat wearing a strange pair of shorts with large pockets and a short-sleeved shirt with a collar. He looked very human for a dragon.

“Dianthe.” He extended his hand. She grabbed it and he pumped her arm twice. “Nice to meet you. I’m Tobias. Have you met Sabrina?”

“We’ve met.” A hint of annoyance peppered Sabrina’s tone. She didn’t bother opening her eyes again.

“She’s, uh, actually very personable,” Tobias said. “It’s just that yesterday she was up during the day, facing the sea monster and helping people to shore, in full sun I might add. I helped her heal that sunburn, but then she had trouble sleeping last night because that’s when she’d usually be up. Plus she’s überworried about her coven because she’s left them in the hands of her father, who is, if I may say, way scarier than any vampire you’ve ever met—”

“Tobias,” Sabrina said flatly. “She doesn’t need our life story.”

The blond dragon smiled down at her, awkwardly nodding his head. “Well… okay.”

Sylas arrived then, carrying his bag and looking flustered. He stared at Dianthe and Tobias, then at her bag peeking through the cargo net. “You could have told me you were taking your pack, Dianthe. I was looking all over for it to carry it down for you.”

He climbed on board, stowed his luggage, and gestured to Indigo that they were ready to go.

“I carried it myself.”

“I see that.” His lips pressed into a flat line.

His shadow stretched over her, blocking out the sun, but the aura he was putting off made her far more uncomfortable than the shade. Tension coiled in the pit of her belly, cranked tight by the look of annoyance and disappointment on his face. It made her breath halt in her throat.

“This is happening, Sylas,” she said softly. “Accept it.”

He scoffed. “I hope we all live long enough for me to have the opportunity.” He crossed the deck to take a seat next to Tobias.

It wasn’t the conversation she’d hoped for, but at least she could feel the sun on her face again.

Sylas sat beside Tobias, only half listening to his brother’s story about how he met Sabrina. There was something about coffee and a hospital. Okay, he wasn’t listening at all. His mind was completely preoccupied with not staring at his mate, who was sunning herself on the bench where he’d left her. His eyes kept darting back to her. The light made her skin shimmer like chestnut-colored silk. He looked away, wishing he had a pair of dark glasses like Sabrina’s so that he could stare at Dianthe without her knowing.

Grumbling, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Fuck. He was acting like a schoolboy. If he wanted to stare at his own mate, he should just do it. And for that matter, if he had something to say to her, he should just say it. His eyes drifted to his toes.

“Sylas?” Tobias elbowed him in the side.

“What?”

“I asked you if you thought we should make the boat invisible. We’re approaching Serenity Harbor. Do you think Mother will have guards watching Aeaea? She knows we’re staying there.”

“It’s possible.” Sylas’s stomach filled with lead at the thought of battling Eleanor again with his mate in tow. “But if we make the entire ship invisible, we’ll drain ourselves. We’re going to need that strength if we run into trouble. Better we use it on ourselves and our mates.”

“An oread driving an empty boat into port… that’s not suspicious?” Tobias laughed.

“What do you suggest?”

Tobias’s blue eyes morphed to green, his platinum hair to dark amber, and his face elongated in shape. Two gossamer wings unraveled from his back. “I think disguise is in order. Eleanor has never met Sabrina. I’m betting by what you’ve said she has no idea who Dianthe is either.”

“She might now, because of Aborella.”

“We can put her in a cloak. Cover her face.”

Sylas concentrated, changing his appearance to a black-haired native of Everfield with purple wings and a square jaw. “How do I look?”

“Too attractive. You don’t want to draw attention.”

He added a few pounds around the gut and made his face rounder.

“Perfect. Now, do you want to tell Dianthe the plan or should I?”

“I’ll do it. Why wouldn’t I do it?”

“Because you two have been in some kind of cold war from minute one. I don’t know what is going on, but a cold breeze blows my way every time your eyes meet.” Tobias’s strange face slanted a quirky smile.

“I’ll do it, all right?” Sylas stood and crossed to the other side of the boat again.

Dianthe’s eyes were shut, but they opened when his shadow passed over her. At first she looked startled, but then noticed his clothes and realized it was him. “Why do you look like that?”

“You need to put on your cloak. We’ve got to disguise ourselves before we reach port in case Eleanor has people watching the coast.”

“Okay.” She didn’t move.

“Do you need my help with the bag?”

“No. I’m perfectly capable of getting my own cloak out of my own bag. I’m simply waiting for you to move out of my way.” She pointed to the bag in the cargo net directly behind him.

Without another word, he returned to Tobias’s side.

His brother shivered. “Cold as ice.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Serenity Harbor came into view, and Sylas stood and walked to the front of the boat.

Dressed in her black hooded cloak and a pair of dark gloves, Dianthe sidled up beside him. “Oh my goddess.”

That was an understatement. Everfield’s largest beach was covered in ramshackle housing. Everything from burnt logs to woven grasses had been stitched together to form the most rudimentary of shelters. As they came closer, they could see fairies, dirty and haggard, huddled together around a fire. Behind them, the Empyrean Wood,