Page 3 of Vex (Dragon Brides #12)

They met where the Veil met the true edge of the city two hours later. Luisa had her supplies: a backpack full of computer equipment and one change of clothes. From experience, she knew that clothes for Luisa the Mistress would be waiting for them when they arrived.

The edge of the city was crumbling to nothing.

Buildings stood like broken teeth, their facades decayed and windows dark.

Beyond the final row of ramshackle shelters lay nothing but empty lots scattered with rusted metal and pools of chemical runoff that gleamed with an oily sheen.

Only the most desperate scraped out a living in this forgotten zone, and they rarely survived long enough to make a true home.

Vex had changed clothes. If anything, he looked more expensive than before. His suit's edges were crisper. It had cuff links that winked with diamonds. And there was just an air of money she couldn't quite describe.

The fabric had to cost more than her rent for a year. Every line was perfectly tailored, every detail screaming wealth so loudly it was almost vulgar. This wasn't just expensive clothing. This was armor made of credits and status.

Okay, maybe he had some idea about what he was doing.

"Where's our ride?" she asked. She'd expected some kind of sleek little transport, expensive, impractical, and perfect for their cover. And she'd already been thinking up excuses for why she should be the one to drive.

Not that she didn't trust Vex.

She just really loved sporty vehicles.

"I thought we'd make a statement," he said blandly. "You'll want to put on something warmer."

Something in the air changed. The atmosphere seemed to thicken, pressing against her eardrums until they popped.

Heat shimmered around Vex like a mirage, distorting his outline.

Luisa felt a shift and blinked, her ears popping.

Then Vex was surrounded by light and color, and after a moment, there was a freaking dragon left in his place.

She scrambled back, mouth open wide. "What—how? Wha—" No one told her she was working with … this!

Luisa knew about dragons, sure. Vemion wasn't that far, and dragon lords slummed it on Aetis from time to time. But she'd never seen one transform. She'd never thought she'd get up close to one.

Vex was gorgeous. Sleek black scales covered his massive form.

Veins of gold ran through the darkness, threading across his hide.

The metallic tracery followed the powerful lines of his body, highlighting the corded muscle beneath.

Up close, she could make out individual scales, each one perfectly formed and fitted to its neighbors like armor.

Professional curiosity warred with something deeper. Her fingers twitched with the urge to reach out, to see if those scales were as smooth as they looked. She almost reached out but pulled her hand back.

Would he be cool with that? It seemed too personal, and she just met the man.

"Wait, are you … are we … do you want to fly up there with … me?" She stared at the dragon and waited for an answer.

And waited.

Right. He wasn't going to talk when he looked like that. Did he even have vocal cords?

But she could have sworn she almost heard, or maybe it was better to say felt, something coming from him.

Were dragons psychic?

Yeah, no way in hell was she voicing that question.

She pulled a jacket out of her pack and hoped it would do. The Mountain was called that for a reason—it was high in a range that couldn't be undertaken by foot and full of ice and snow and all that fun stuff.

Vex extended his leg and wing to make a sort of ramp up to his back.

He wanted her to climb on.

"I don't suppose there's a saddle?" she asked.

This time, she was almost certain she felt laughter in her mind.

No saddle.

Luisa climbed on and was surprised by how sturdy the dragon was. His body was solid muscle beneath her palms, warm and impossibly strong.

At first, she felt stable, like maybe this would work.

Then Vex shifted his weight, and she nearly bucked off. She threw herself down on his back, lying flat, trying to fling her legs on either side of him and grip with her thighs like he was a giant horse. Her legs barely reached halfway around his torso.

But he was way gianter than a horse.

I won't drop you. She had to be hallucinating out of fear because that was definitely her partner's voice in her head.

And why did it sound sexy?

The mental voice carried the same controlled confidence as his speaking voice, but there was something intimate about hearing it directly in her thoughts. Heat coiled low in her stomach, completely inappropriate and utterly unwelcome.

Fear and wonder. Or something. Luisa did not have time for attraction.

Or hallucinations.

The ground fell away beneath them with a rush of displaced air. Wind battered her face, stealing her breath and making her eyes water. Her hands cramped from gripping his scales so tightly, but she didn't dare loosen her hold. The city shrank below them at an alarming rate.

He eventually evened out in altitude, and Luisa started to relax a little.

Curiosity finally overcame terror. She opened her eyes and gasped in wonder.

From this height, even the squalor of the undercity looked almost beautiful, the neon signs creating rivers of colorful light that flowed between the buildings like magic.

But they quickly passed the city and turned for the mountains.

The temperature dropped noticeably as they gained altitude, and she shivered despite her jacket.

Then, as if responding to her discomfort, Vex's body temperature seemed to increase, warmth radiating through his scales like a living heating system.

Was that a dragon thing? she wondered. Or was she just imagining things again?

The view was spectacular. Jagged peaks stretched out in all directions, their snow-covered summits gleaming under the moonlight. The silence was profound, broken only by the steady rhythm of Vex's wingbeats and the whisper of wind over scales. She took in the view and relaxed some more.

It really was quite wonderful.

And just as she was beginning to think she could get used to that, Vex folded his wings and dove.

"What the hell?" It was half-shriek, half-yell. "Are you trying to get me killed?" She clung to him tighter.

There was more of that impossible laughter in her mind.

After an hour or so, she saw the lights of the Mountain in the distance. The casino resort grew larger with startling speed, its impossible architecture becoming clear as they approached. Glass and steel jutted from the sheer rock face, defying gravity and common sense.

Vex's landing was pure showmanship, a spiraling descent that ended with a flourish of wings and a perfect touchdown on the resort's private landing pad. Her legs shook as she slid down from his back. She did her best to maintain her dignity. She was on the job now and had a part to play.

The transformation from dragon to man seemed to happen faster than the other way. One second he was the glorious black beast, the next he was … a different man entirely.

Gone was the composed, controlled professional from the bar. This version of Vex moved with a predator's agility, his smile sharp and knowing. He leered at her and swaggered, throwing his arm negligently around her shoulder. Then he leaned in and nuzzled her neck, hot breath ghosting over her skin.

The contact sent an unwelcome shiver through her. His touch was confident, possessive, and completely at odds with the reserved man she'd met hours earlier. When had Vex transformed from uptight rich guy into this peacocking playboy?

It was kind of hot and also off-putting.

"My lord!" exclaimed a voice from the entranceway. A man in a suit with a nametag she couldn't make out on one lapel rushed forward. "We weren't expecting you tonight."

Luisa jolted for a moment before remembering their covers. Vex was here as a dissolute dragon lord from Vemion. Well, the dragon part was certainly right. She doubted they'd waste a real lord on this job, though.

He was certainly acting like every lord she'd ever met.

He smacked her ass. "Plans change. We'll need our room now."

Okay, this persona wasn't cute.

The casual disrespect made her jaw clench. She forced herself to lean into his side, playing the part of the devoted mistress even as she mentally catalogued all the ways she could make him pay for that later.

"Of course, of course," said the man. "My name is Jaekob Kaur. I'm the concierge here. If there's anything at all that you need, please ask."

Vex sneered, eyes flicking up and down, judging and dismissing the man.

The arrogance in his expression was so complete, so natural, that a chill ran down her spine.

It felt so natural she had to wonder … who really was this guy?

And as she followed him into the casino, she had no idea what she'd gotten herself into.