Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“What did he do?”
A wide grin flashed across Dimitri’s face. “He rented office space in downtown Rio de Janeiro and hired people to man the office. They make appointments and collect data for us in the hopes of locating other missing mage clans. Then, twice a week, a couple of our mages report to the office space and run the tests.”
“Have you discovered any mages that way?”
“A handful. Not as many as we’d hoped. Once people discovered that they weren’t getting on our clan grounds and had few chances of seeing a dragon in the scales, the lookie-loos lost interest. The important thing is that this way is much safer for our mages, and that’s all that matters to us.”
It was on the tip of Samuel’s tongue to continue this line of questioning, but the words were lost when a sprawling mansion made of glistening white stone came into view. It wasn’t even that tall—only two stories—and shaped in a giant U with a courtyard in the middle. The place showcased Brazilian architecture with all the glass and open doors, the trees and flowers softening the harsh lines of the building.
A beautiful place indeed, especially with the beach mere yards away.
Dimitri pulled into a shady parking spot and hopped lightly out, grabbing Samuel’s backpack and duffel from the rear seat before he could do so. The dragon was insistent on carrying his luggage for some reason. Samuel decided to let it pass. He had bigger fish to fry.
He stepped out, taking the place in. It wasn’t just beautiful but aromatic. The scent of flowers filled the air and mixed with something like baking bread…or perhaps that was cookies? Something delicious, at any rate. He’d expected it to feel formal and cold, like a mansion, but the impression didn’t even get a chance to form.
A woman with pale blonde hair and fair skin darted out of the building and headed for the pool, shrieking with laughter as she went. She barely got to the pool’s edge when a larger man snatched her up, hauling her into a hug and mock growling into her neck.
“You can’t outrun me, wifey,” the man threatened teasingly.
The woman giggled wildly. “I almost managed it. I’ll find a spell that will boost my speed, just watch, and then you’ll start losing some of these bets.”
“My eyes, my eyes!” Dimitri threw up a hand, staggering backward in a teasing manner. “It’s blinding!”
“Oh, stop,” the man growled, but he did put the woman down. “Like you won’t be as bad once you find your mage.”
“I guess we’ll see, eventually.” Dimitri turned and gestured toward Samuel. “Let me introduce you. Ilya and his mage, Sofi.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Sofi said, her accent thick with something other than Portuguese. Samuel couldn’t place it.
“Sofi was originally a member of the Finnish Taavi Clan, but she chose to join the Valerii a little more than a year ago,” Dimitri filled in.
“And she was lucky enough to find her mate here,” Ilya boasted. He grinned from ear to ear, blue eyes sparkling, as he turned his attention to Samuel. “Hello, mage.”
Samuel threw up a hand immediately. “Not a mage, thank you. I’m Dr. Samuel Hunter. I’m here for research. Nice to meet you both.”
Ilya seemed puzzled by this response, brows twitching together in a brief frown. “You’re here to research?”
Samuel nodded, straightening his back and lifting his head a notch. Why were all these damn dragons so freaking tall? It was starting to give him a complex. “Yes, there’s something in this area I would like to study, if I can find it. I hired your clan as a guide.”
“Oh?” Ilya’s eyes darted between Samuel and Dimitri, the confusion still clouding his face.
“Ilya is one of the people who might be able to answer questions for you. He’s been through the mountains many times. The only reason he isn’t doing it this time is that he’ll keel over from a heart attack if he’s away from his wife for more than five minutes,” Dimitri explained, though his smile seemed a touch stiffer now. “I’ll take Sam to the king first.”
Samuel followed but couldn’t help a glance back. Was it wrong to feel envious of that kind of happiness? To tease and laugh like that as a couple was something he’d tried with Kevin when they’d first started dating, but had never quite managed.
He shook the thought off. It had no business here, anyway. His ex was in the past. He had to focus on the here and now.
The trip was short, a little farther up the courtyard and through an open door into what looked like an office. Dimitri set down both bags right inside the entrance.
“Ho, Dimitri, who’s this?” the man behind the desk greeted with curiosity as he rose to come around it.