Dragon Blood

Chapter 41

"Fascinating." Constantine breathed, leaning forward and resting his chin on his fingers laced together. "I was not expecting that."

Nolan sat perfectly still, not letting himself react. The whole Counsel was still and quiet as the Midground representative read from Ian's statement. Ian McSorley sat in the visitor's chair off to the side. He stared silently at his feet. He was pale and there were shadows under his eyes. He hadn't slept in a while or wasn't sleeping well at the bare minimum. He looked like shit.

"No one saw this coming." Nolan whispered back, keeping his voice blank and completely without emotion. "The dragonkin didn't even know about her."

"The dragonkin, maybe. Luna, on the other hand..."

He looked at Nolan from the corner of his eye. Bright red pupils burned with curiosity. Nolan couldn't give him anything. There wasn't anything to give, anyway. "Rhia's never met Luna." He hissed. "I haven't spoken to her since she got into town."

"Really?" that same, irritatingly curious voice never changed. "Strange. She was so insistent that I leave her alone. Makes me wonder why."

Nolan finally looked at his king. "Are you telling me," he said in a deadly quiet tone. "That Luna herself told you to stay away from Rhia, and instead you stalk her to her work and offer to turn her?"

"No, no, no. First I sent three of my messengers to deliver the offer for me. She didn't tell you? Kaila had a grand time getting to know your little dragonkin."

Nolan let a part of his anger slip and show in his eyes. "Do you ever get tired of playing this game, Constantine?" he snarled. "Do you ever get tired of seeing how far you can push me and Luna and the other dragons before one of us snaps?"

Constantine leaned in uncomfortably close. "Why would I stop playing a game that is leaning so heavily in my favor? They did nothing when I turned you, their yfeerie, their most trusted outside their own kind. Rhia Kincaid, on the other hand, is a nobody to them. An orphaned half-blood they never would have noticed if it weren't for you. And yet Luna was so worried that I would try to turn her. Makes me wonder what's so special about her. Makes me wonder what just might happen if you mix a little vampire blood and venom in a dragonkin's system."

Nolan forced himself to look back at the fae finishing his speech. How, after twenty thousand years, did he still let Constantine get under his skin? 

The midground representative sat back down, leaving the hall in a stunned silence. The first person to move was Arkil, who slowly rose to his feet. He looked up to Nolan. "Did you know?" he asked hesitantly. There was no trace of his usual arrogance. He, like everyone else, was in shock.

"I am afraid you will need to be a bit more specific, Lord Serirnil." Nolan answered unhelpfully. He could only hope that they were too in shock to ask the really dangerous questions.

"That... That there were... that your..."

"I do believe he is lost for words." Constantine chuckled quiet enough for only Nolan to hear. "Incredible."

"Did you know there were half blood dragonkin?" Arkil finally spat out the words.

"Yes."

"And you did not think that this Counsel would need to know about that?"

"The Counsel did not ask."

"This is not the sort of information we should need to ask, Lord Wes!"

His anger roused the other members of the counsel until there was a steady ripple of noise resonating through the room. Nolan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What will you do now, old friend?" Came the amused hiss of Constantine's voice.