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“Your face betrays your thoughts like an open book,” he teased as he buttoned up his shirt.
A blush accented my cheeks as I hurried on with my dress, or tried to. The front buttons were still a hassle for me. “I’ll have to remember to close the book sometime.”
He gently waved away my fumbling fingers and finished the buttoning himself. I looked up at him and found him smiling down at me. “Please don’t. I want nothing closed between us.”
I grinned as I toyed with one of his buttons. “Ditto.”
He chuckled as he offered me his arm. “Then shall we?”
I accepted his limb and nodded. “Let’s.”
We ventured downstairs and found a fresh breakfast waiting for us in the large hall, along with our hosts. We took our seats with Will on Torch’s right and me beside my dragon.
Helen smiled at me from across the table. “You have a very becoming glow about you this morning, Rose.”
I blushed a little and fumbled with my napkin. “I slept really well.”
Her eyes twinkled. “I’m sure that is it.”
“What do you propose to do today?” Torch asked my dragon husband.
Will leaned back in his seat and folded his arms over his chest. “I thought to take Rose on a tour of the city, and should anything arise from that we will follow it. Tomorrow we will begin the search in earnest.”
“Would you not rather keep Rose here during that search?” Torch proposed as he nodded at me. “She would be safest here than anywhere.”
Will shook his head. “I would rather keep her by my side.”
I sheepishly smiled at our host. “I have a bad habit of being kidnapped when Will isn’t around.”
“Would you both like to come with us on the tour this day?” Will offered our hosts.
The corners of Torch’s lips drooped and a dark cloud settled on his brow. “That would. . .that is, perhaps another time.” Helen’s shoulders sagged and she bowed her head. Torch reached over and grasped one of her hands in his. “Another day, my love.”
She managed a small smile. “Of course, dearest.”
Food was brought from the kitchen and was eagerly devoured. Within half an hour Will stood and looked down at me. “Are you ready?”
I scarfed down what remained on my plate and smiled up at him with more food in my teeth than I intended. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He chuckled as I stood, and even Helen showed signs of amusement as our hosts rose to their feet. They followed us to the front door where Helen set her hand on my arm. “May I speak with you a moment?”
I blinked at her and cast an uncertain look at Will. He nodded, and I returned my attention to Helen. “Sure.”
Helen guided me into a small study off the main hall and close to the front door. She closed the door behind us and turned to face me with her gentle smile. “I thought perhaps I shouldwarn you about your nascent power before it surprises you at a most inopportune moment.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Is that how it always works?”
She chuckled. “That is how it worked for me. My power manifested itself at a ball Alex held to celebrate our union. I was in the midst of a dance when suddenly all the people around me began to glow. Being unaware of auras, I thought perhaps they had all been possessed by some dark magic.”
My eyebrows shot up. “What did you do?”
She sauntered over to a high-backed leather chair and set her hands on the top. A soft smile graced her lips as she stared down with unfocused eyes. “I panicked and fled the ball.” She set a hand on her chest and closed her eyes. “Fortunately, our connection meant that Alex soon found me and carried me home. The next day he took me to the Arbiter and she explained what I was seeing.”
Something she mentioned caught my attention. “Your connection?”
“Yes,” Helen replied as she raised one of her arms and turned the limb upside down. She traced one finger up a vein to her wrist. “The blood our dragon offers to us allows them to sense where we are, and the same is true for us after we have mastered our power. All this the Arbiter told me.”
I cocked my head to one side. “What is this Arbiter?”
