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I begin to lower myself to the ground, the heat and smoke of the inferno suffocating.

Callie. I sense more than hear Des’s voice in the sky above me. I glance up at him from where he and his men linger several dozen feet away.

His expression says it all. He’s not okay with me getting closer. Not one bit, and he’s getting ready to intervene.

I turn away from him. Temper is my biggest concern.

She watches me the entire time I descend, the fairy she holds struggling to get away even though he’s definitely not going anywhere.

I land on the smoldering ground, the heat like an oven around us.

“You grew wings,” she says, her voice toneless.

Nothi, nothow are you?orwhy haven’t you called?Justyou grew wings. Temper’s as far gone as I’ve ever seen her.

“That bastard made you grow wings,” she says, the heat around me rising with her voice. Her gaze moves from me to Des.

She shoves the fairy she’s holding away from her, nearly managing to chuck him into the fire. He staggers away from the blaze just in time, and then he’s bolting, taking to the sky, muttering all sorts of obscenities that Temper doesn’t hear. Her wrath is focused on my mate.

“Whatever you’re thinking Temper,don’t,” I say, my voice low.

If she touches a hair on Des’s head, then friend or not, I’m taking her down.

Temper’s attention swings back to me, her eyes thinning menacingly. She tilts her head, trying to figure me out. “What has he done to you?”

It’s obvious she thinks I’m the crazy one.

On a whim, I take a step forward. “Put out the flames, release your magic, and I’ll explain everything.”

Her eyes still look as haunted as ever, and those little bolts of lightning are still jumping from her skin, but I swear I’m getting through to her.

But then she smiles at me, and it’s positively sinister. “What if I don’t want to?”

There it is, the monster that consumes Temper.

My siren surfaces, illuminating my skin. “Don’t make me glamour you,” I state, my voice menacing.

“You wouldn’tdare,” she says.

She’s right. In any other situation, I wouldn’t. But right now, things are different.

“He’s not my betrothed, Temper. He’s my soul mate.” I never had the chance to tell her.

It’s an explanation of sorts—that I’m not being held here against my will and that I will stop her if she tries to hurt my mate.

For one long moment, Temper doesn’t react at all. Then, slowly, her eyes drift up to the Bargainer, her face expressionless.

In the sky, more fairies have joined him, not all from his kingdom by the looks of them. Temper’s gathering a crowd, and if this doesn’t end soon, either my friend is going to get hurt or a bunch of innocents are.

Temper’s gaze returns to me. “He’s your soul mate,” she states, her voice almost trancelike.

I nod, my skin still bright.Protect our mate, my siren whispers, cajoling me to glamour my friend.

I keep my mouth adamantly shut.

Temper closes her eyes, and I tense. For all I know, she’s about to ignite the skies and every fairy in them.

I could stop her right now. All it would take is a little of my own magic. I have every reason to do so, and my siren wants it badly.