Page 81

“Do you remember that first time we met?” I murmured, my fingers tracing patterns over his chest.

Damien chuckled softly. “How could I forget? You were at Claire’s; you had that lost puppy look about you. And then the next minute, you were being chased by vamps.”

I laughed, looking up at the clean white ceiling. “And you, being all mysterious, tall, dark, and brooding. I think you were trying to do your best ‘I’m a powerful fire-breathing dragon with a huge dick’ impression.”

Damien smirked. “Was it that obvious? And is it that big?”

“To me, it was. And to me, it is. But then you really showed off when you rescued me down in the snake-way.”

“You did well that day,” he said. “For someone thrown into this mess from one day to the next, you’ve handled it all very well. Way better than most people would have handled it.”

I sighed, resting my head on his chest, the soft ruby scales warm against my cheek. “I had you by my side. I knew I’d be okay.”

I thought back to that day. The fear I felt when the vampires stormed the snake-way, the responsibility I felt at having to take care of that beagle shifter, the admiration I experienced when Damien stepped in front of me and took most of the vamps with ease. And of course, there was the basilisk, which…

Wait a minute.

The basilisk. The vampires. Stone and ash…

I snapped upright, startling Damien. “The basilisk!” I blurted out.

Damien looked at me, confused. “What about it?”

“The vampires—they weren’t immune to the basilisk’s gaze. Do you remember? They turned to stone and then dust when they looked into its eyes.”

Realization dawned on Damien’s handsome, glowing face. “Holy shit, you’re right. The basilisk’s gaze had an effect on them.”

A spark of hope ignited within me. “Could that be how we defeat the Matriarch?”

Damien’s expression turned thoughtful, an arm supporting his head on one of the fluffy pillows. “It’s a possibility. But we can’t bring an actual basilisk. It’s too risky, and controlling one is next to impossible unless you’re a trained Marvel specializing in basilisks.”

I chewed on my lower lip, thinking. I felt like I was on the edge of something big; I just had to reach a little harder for it. “What if we didn’t need the actual creature? What if we could somehow harness its power or recreate its gaze?”

“It’s an ambitious idea. If we could replicate the basilisk’s effect without the beast itself… it could be our secret weapon against Helstriva.”

“But how?” I pondered aloud.

“We’d need research,” Damien said. “Old tomes, old artifacts, something that could help us understand the power of the basilisk and how to channel it.”

My eyes darted around the room, landing on the door that led to Damien’s hoard. “You have a collection of rare books. Maybe something in there can help?”

Damien nodded, determination setting in his eyes. “Guess we know how we’re spending the rest of our day.”

“Fucking each other senseless?” I teased him, kissing him again. “You had me rah-rah’ing there at one point. Like a broken record, I couldn’t form any actual words.”

Damien laughed at that, the bed rumbling with the sound. I crossed my leg with his, rubbing his foot with mine.

“I’ve never come twice in a row before either,” I admitted.

“Neither have I,” he said with a slight rumble in his voice. I smiled, nuzzling my face against his neck, taking in a deep breath of him. “Maybe we should try for three next time.”

Damien laughed and pulled me in tighter, kissing the top of my head. “What an overachiever.”

“I think the proper term you’re looking for is ‘overass-chiever.‘”

More laughter from the both of us, easy and carefree. This moment felt like the most precious gem, shining as bright as the sun itself, and all I wanted to do was guard it. Keep it hidden, tucked away from anyone who could tarnish it.

Because I knew that even though today may be easy, what was ahead carried enough pressure to crush a barrel full of diamonds, and I wasn’t entirely sure how we were going to handle it.

Or how we would even make it through alive.

“Yeah, I’ve got no idea how we’re getting out alive,” Warrick said, leaning forward in his chair and furiously pressing the controller in his hand. “Oh, oh! Shit.” He dropped the controller on the carpet by his feet.

We were in his room, playing a game after I had spent all evening researching with Damien (and getting in a few more orgasms). We still hadn’t found anything, and I was getting frustrated, so I decided to walk aimlessly around the castle. That’s when I bumped into War, who was extremely excited about a new video game he’d just bought and wanted me to come play it with him.

I watched as my character was mobbed by a group of zombies, the screen flashing red and the words “GAME OVER” scrolling over the scene.