Persuading the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons 9)

His dragon hummed but didn't say anything. Zain already knew his beast liked that the female had their blood in her veins.

He tried not to think of why.

Ignoring his dragon, Zain answered Ivy, "I could say I br

ought them because Daisy kept asking to see you."

"You could, but that's not it entirely. What's the full truth?"

"The full truth?" He took a step closer to the bed. "I thought maybe you'd believe her over me. Daisy loves dragon-shifters almost more than any other human I've ever met. And even though it's cost her and her mother quite a bit back in their city—both with friends and neighbors—Daisy keeps coming back with her mother's blessing. I figure if a little girl could sacrifice so much and still want to see us, you might believe her over books and videos."

Ivy silently stared down at the scrapbook for a few beats before speaking again. "I-I don't know what to think anymore."

Maybe some of the other Protectors would step back when seeing the human so unsure and fragile.

But not Zain. He'd given her a week to regain enough strength to face his questions. Mostly because of Trahern's orders, but also because Zain hadn't wanted to fight the Welsh dragon doctor on the issue.

And after waiting—always the bloody waiting—it was finally time to find out the answers he needed. "Then tell me why you came to Stonefire. Was it only because the Knights killed your brother, Richard, and you wanted revenge? Or, is there more to it?"

One second ticked by, and then another. Even knowing that Serafina was watching them via the video feed didn't make Zain rush the human. With the doctors attending a meeting with Stonefire's clan leader, there was no one to barge in and tell him to leave. And Zain wasn't going anywhere until she answered him.

At the mention of Richard's death, Ivy kept her gaze trained on the scrapbook in her arms and willed for her tears not to fall.

She'd done her best to face her grief, but hearing Richard's name had tumbled most of the walls she'd built around her pain.

Playing with the side of the scrapbook, running her nail back and forth, Ivy took a deep breath and slowly pushed away the grief. It would come back later, but she only needed to keep it away long enough to get Zain to leave her alone.

When she was fairly sure she could meet his gaze without breaking down, Ivy lifted her head and looked the dragonman in the eyes. Eyes that were neutral, free of any emotion. After another few seconds, she asked, "Why are you asking me that?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "Because it's my job to do so."

She stared at the dragon-shifter. Ivy should be angry at him for poking her still grieving heart. And yet, his straightforwardness was refreshing. Unlike the medical staff, he didn't try to ignore her or ask the bare minimum. No, Zain wanted to know more about her.

Sure, it was for his own ends and would probably determine her eventual fate, but after abandoning the life she'd known for years and losing her brother and his partner on top of it, Ivy desperately needed someone to treat her as more than some hated enemy.

Besides, it wasn't as if she had anything to lose by telling him about Richard's murder. If anything, he might be more open to the request she needed to make.

Putting aside the scrapbook, she answered, "My brother and his partner were killed by the Dragon Knights. And whilst I have no hard evidence beyond a symbol drawn on the wall, I know they did it because my brother took me in after I ran away from the Knights."

"So he was murdered, then."

Ivy tried not to read too much into how Zain's voice was a little softer than before. "Yes." Not wanting to cry again, she looked down toward the blanket and picked at it. "I'm the one that found them. But I couldn't tell the police everything, even though I burned to."

"Why?"

There was zero reason to reveal how the police had moles inside their organization, ones that would pass on any information to the Knights.

And yet, what good was keeping the information to herself now? So she explained it and added, "That's why I reported it but didn't reveal how it was my fault they'd been killed. The thumb drive full of information had been my insurance against the Knights coming after me. But in the end, it wasn't enough to protect the ones I loved."

Tears prickled her eyes and she took a few deep breaths to hold them back. She wouldn't—couldn't—cry in front of this dragonman.

After a few seconds, Zain's voice filled the room again. "Is there information on the thumb drive about the spies inside the police?"

She blinked and met his gaze again. "You believe me?"

He grunted noncommittally. "Maybe. However, if there's detailed information we can use, then tell me how to access it."

Here it was—her chance to ask for a meeting with the IT people. "I could, or you could bring the men or women working on decrypting the data, and I could tell them how to do it."