Mel allowed her mate to put an arm around her waist as she said, “Then tell us, already.”
“The Carlisle dragon hunters are managed by Simon Bourne. That man has been under investigation for years for various accusations, although nothing has stuck. While I have no proof to back-up my claim, Bourne has the patience, resources, and intellect to implement long term plans.”
Tristan grunted, “Get to the point.”
She raised an eyebrow but it wasn’t the time to challenge the dragonman. “If Bourne started collecting children now, then in ten or twenty years he could have his own supply of dragon blood to sell. The money he earned over time would give him tremendous amounts of power.”
Liam interjected, “But given what I know, the dragon hun
ter we captured yesterday wants you. That makes little sense with your theory. Why mention your name if they’re after the children? You might be Bram’s mate-to-be now, but you weren’t when you first stepped on this land.”
It was hard to believe she’d only arrived yesterday. “Bram and I discussed this last night. If the hunters scare away people from applying to work for the DDA, the sacrifice system would crumble. Your numbers would dwindle, which would eventually lead to the loss of any power over the human governments.”
Melanie finished her thought. “But if someone like Simon Bourne had a steady supply, he would have the power to ask for what he wanted from either the wealthy and desperate or the government.”
“Exactly. Murray’s kidnapping could’ve been in the works for a while. Bourne no doubt has spies everywhere and a parentless dragon-shifter baby would be easy pickings for him.”
Arabella, who had been unusually quiet, spoke up, “Tell us what you know of Simon Bourne, Evie. We might be able to find a weakness to pass on to Bram.”
“First, someone needs to fetch a laptop so I can access the DDA database and then let’s all sit down. If Murray’s kidnapping is just the first wave of trouble tonight, then we need to save our energy. Standing around is an unnecessary waste.”
A cry sounded from upstairs. Melanie looked up and said, “I need to check on my babies.” Looking back at Evie, she continued, “I’m bringing them downstairs, too, just to be safe. Tristan can find the laptop and get you settled in.”
Melanie rushed up the stairs. As the group moved to Mel and Tristan’s living room, Evie took a deep breath. If Bram hadn’t found something during his own investigation on the attack, taking down Simon Bourne might very well fall to her. She only hoped she could still log into the DDA information database. Unless someone had tipped them off, it shouldn’t be a problem. If her access had been revoked, however, Bram’s clan might very well depend on her memory.
Talk about pressure.
~~~
Thanks to Evie’s information about the periwinkle and mandrake root, Sid had been able to revive Quinn after a few different shots to balance out the hormones in his body. Bram was patiently waiting for the dragonman to wake up enough to talk.
Kai and Finn were checking the perimeter for clues. The darkness was no match for dragon-shifter eyesight and they hoped to find something, especially if the attacker had been human. Even if they’d had a flashlight, without ample lighting to guide them, they could easily trip and drop something without realizing it.
While bleary-eyed, Quinn took one last sip of water from his mate and said, “I don’t remember much, except that there had been two figures before Vivian rushed in to investigate the door being kicked in.”
Bram looked to Vivian. He’d waited to ask some of his questions until he could question them together in case one of their answers spurred the memory of the other. “You had been in the nursery. Do you remember hearing any sounds near the window or the room?”
Vivian brushed her mate’s forehead as she shook her head. “No. Murray’s room was the most secure place in the cottage. The room only had two small windows that no adult could fit through. Being on the second floor added another layer of protection.”
“Quinn, can you remember anything about their appearance? Or even their accents?”
The male shook his head. “Nothing except that the first person had been female. Then something pricked my side, and the world went black.”
Vivian added, “That’s right. When I came downstairs to find Quinn unconscious, the woman ran just as I heard the loud noise upstairs, the one we later found out was the result of them blowing a hole in the wall farthest away from the baby.” She swallowed. “To think, one wrong calculation and they could’ve killed Murray…”
Quinn gave his mate’s hand a weak squeeze just as Sid stepped from the side of the room. “Bram, wrap it up. The injection was a temporary fix. He’ll be out again soon. I need him to sleep so I can run some more tests.”
He wanted to argue, but Sid crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. Bram knew that look—she’d find someone to drag him out of the cottage if need be. As the clan’s head doctor, she was one of the few who could do so when his presence or actions risked a patient’s life.
“I’m done for now, but keep me updated on Quinn’s status.” He looked to the couple. “And if you remember anything, let Sid, Kai, or me know, but no one else. I don’t want the information to fall into the wrong hands.”
Both Quinn and Vivian nodded. Bram stood up, squeezed Sid’s shoulder in gratitude, and went outside. He had hoped for more information, but Quinn was exhausted and pumped full of drugs. He would have to question them again later.
He found Kai and Finn squatting on the ground near the rear of the cottage. He joined them and said, “Shoe prints. It looks like there were three people total.”
Finn nodded as he pointed to the smaller set. “This is the female’s.” He motioned toward the other two. “And two males.”
Bram looked to Kai. “Did you find anything else? While knowing there were three people is a start, I’d like something more concrete.”