Smoke and Fire: Part 3 Read Online Free PDF Page B

mountain. It had been days since he’d been in his true form, and it was playing havoc with his mind. He dropped his boots and shirt inside the mountain.
    His strides were long as he walked the tunnel, but soon he was running. He’d prefer to be in his mountain where he was completely alone. The fact it was too far away kept him there, close to Kinsey should she need him.
    Ryder found the first cavern large enough to hold him, but he spotted white scales. Dmitri.
    The next cavern appeared to be empty until he heard a rumble and peered into the darkness to see mocha-colored scales. Anson.
    He skipped the next five and continued down until he was sure he was alone. There Ryder shifted, uncaring that he still wore his jeans.
    A calmness stole over him, easing the onslaught of emotions that battered him like a storm. No matter how much they looked like humans, they were and always would be dragons. He shook his great head and spread his wings before snapping them shut.
    He closed his eyes, imagining that he was soaring through the air, sweeping in and out of the clouds. The band of tightness that had constricted his chest since the moment Kinsey said she didn’t know if she could forgive him began to ease.
    If only he could be flying. Then he could remember who he really was—or rather who he’d once been. He’d be able to work out all the problems facing the Dragon Kings and Kinsey. Because in the air, everything came into focus with a clarity that always astounded him.
    “Of all the Kings, you’re one I never worried about.”
    Ryder snapped open his dragon eyes to find Con sitting on a boulder with one leg braced on the rock and the other on the ground. He twirled the gold dragon-head cuff link at his left wrist and glanced up at Ryder.
    “You look like hell, my friend.”
    Ryder briefly looked away. He felt like it too. Unwilling to return to human form, he opened his mental link to Con and said, “ I’ll be fine. ”
    “Hmm,” Con said after a moment. “I’m no’ so sure. Kinsey is messing with your head.”
    “ There’s a lot going on between Ulrik, the Dark, and now trying to clear her name. ”
    Con released the cuff link and leaned his forearm on his bent leg. “I trust your judgment, Ryder. You’ve never let me or any of the Kings down. It’s why I didna allow Rhys to interrupt you and Kinsey last night. Everyone deserves a night off here and there.”
    “ But? ” Ryder urged.
    “There was a breakthrough with Esther. She gave us a name.”
    This shocked Ryder so much he shifted into his human form. They should’ve told him immediately. When he thought of all the answers he could’ve learned from a single name, he wanted to shout his fury at losing those hours.
    Then he remembered who he’d been with.
    “You should’ve let me know,” he told Constantine.
    “I did a search of the name.”
    The thought of someone else messing with his equipment irritated and infuriated Ryder.
    “Ah,” Con said with a slight smile. “You doona like the idea that I was in your space?”
    “Nay.” No use beating around the bush. It was always best to be honest with Con, no matter the outcome.
    Con gave a little tilt of his head in acknowledgement. “I can understand that. We’ve all had our jobs for the last several hundred years.”
    “What did you find?”
    “Nothing.”
    Ryder walked to the corner where a notch was carved into rock where clothes were stashed for just such occurrences. He took a pair of jeans and a flannel plaid button-down and put them on. “How deep did you search?”
    “No’ as deep as you will. I wanted to see if anything would come up. There was nothing.”
    “Which means there’s definitely something.”
    Con nodded his blond head. “I agree. I’ve got a meeting in Paris tomorrow. I’ll be leaving later this afternoon.”
    “Since when do you tell me what you’re doing?”
    “Since all of you have been snooping into my life.”
    Ryder grinned. “We just want to know