“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong, professor,” Mr. Fuentes replied. “Dragons do exist. They ruled every continent on Earth, and there’s a story that three brothers lived in Iceland, on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.” Fuentes looked at Balthazar. “Mr. Andal, why don’t you enlighten our little group about the dragons Miss Haraldsdóttir has talked about?”
Everyone turned to stare at him. “Do you know the legend, Mr. Andal?” Eva asked, her expression incredulous. “It would definitely help me place the period when the vase was made.”
Balthazar tried not to squirm in his seat. The shifter had neatly placed him in a tight spot. Dragons followed an instinctive set of manners, and one of them was not to lie. He had no idea which scaly-covered idiot had come up with that rule. “It is said that Lysuhóll Volcano on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula contained a dragon treasure horde. When the two eldest brothers came of age, there was a battle to see who would rule. Bal Anda should have won the fight, except his brother Ti dislodged one of Bal’s scales. This left him vulnerable to certain death. If the younger brother Lan had not stepped in to chase Ti away, Bal Anda would have died.” He remembered that fight as if it only happened a few days ago instead of centuries.
Eva’s eyes were wide in wonder. “That’s a wonderful story.”
“And how do you know of the story, Mr. Fuentes?” Balthazar asked. “It’s not a well-known tale in Iceland. How did you find out about it?”
The grin on the shifter’s face faded. “I had done research.”
“And what did your research consist of? How does a South American history buff know about a myth that’s hardly mentioned in Iceland?”
Fuentes cleared his throat. “I talked to someone who knew of the tale.”
Which meant the teller was Ti or a descendent of one of the Vikings who witnessed the battle. “Who?”
“Hang on a second. Why is this so important?” Eva demanded. “And if it is, then how do you know the story, Mr. Andal?”
Shit, Eva, bad timing. “Family.” It was a curt answer, and not a lie, but she didn’t need to know more than that. “Well, Mr. Fuentes?”
The shifter pursed his lips as if thinking, then heaved a sigh. “Your brother.”
His mind whirled. Ti was in South America and sent his subordinate here to—do what exactly? “Why are you here, Mr. Fuentes?”
“Mr. Andal, Emilio works for me,” Professor Jimenez replied. “There’s no hidden agenda.”
Balthazar heard him but kept his gaze on the shifter.
“It is as Professor Jimenez said,” Fuentes added. “I assisted the team in identifying artifacts they found in South America.”
Fuentes had dodged the direct question, and Balthazar remained silent—he didn’t want to discuss his brother in front of strangers. Mr. Fuentes knew Ti, knew about his missing scale, and had traveled with Professor Jimenez to the charity event. Balthazar didn’t like it. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, he and Lancelot would have a private discussion with the shifter.
“It doesn’t matter, does it?” Eva asked. “It’s not like dragons are real anyways.”
“Oh, but they are,” Mr. Fuentes said before Balthazar could reply. “You just can’t see them.”
Eva made an inelegant sound.
He smiled widely. “I know that Mr. Andal believes in dragons.”
She gave Balthazar a look. “Do you?”
He glanced at the guests before settling his gaze again on Mr. Fuentes. “Yes.”
“I also learned from your brother that dragons have proper names,” Mr. Fuentes stared back at him, his expression arrogant.
“Wait a minute,” Eva interrupted. “You said the dragon’s name was Bal Anda. The name is awfully close in spelling to yours.” She smiled. “Maybe this dragon is an ancestor?”
He couldn’t blame her for laughing at him, but Mr. Fuentes had encouraged it. The urge to sink his talons into the shifter’s neck was almost indescribable. He looked at her. “Maybe.”
“Emilio, you need to stop talking this nonsense,” Professor Jimenez scolded. “No one is impressed with your garbled myths about dragons.”
“It’s not a myth, professor, I can assure you.”
“I want to ask a question,” Eva demanded. “I’ve read in fairy tales,” she emphasized the words, “that dragons can live for centuries. If you really believe they existed, what do you think happened to them? The battle occurred during the Viking era. That was a very long time ago.”