Page 28

TWENTY-TWO

MAC

Armed with Jareth’s illusion magic and following the scent locked in Atlas’s nose, I cling to Drax as we travel through the void to the mage’s hideout. At least, that’s where I hope we’re going. Only time will tell if Rune figured out a way to ditch us now that he knows we’re pursuing him.

When my feet touch solid ground again, I exhale, glancing around at our surroundings as cold rain pelts my skin.

“I hate rain,” Cassius grumbles, folding his arms across his chest. “Where is the mage?”

“Where are we ?” I ask. “This doesn’t look like Tokyo or Scotland.”

“It’s not,” Atlas says, his head tilted up to the falling rain. “It’s France.”

“France.” I blink several times to focus on the field of wildflowers we’re standing in. That’s when I finally get that sense of home that happens whenever I’m back in my birthplace. “There it is.”

“What?” Drax asks.

“The scent of my parents’ home. It took a second to find it.” That thought is jarring. I can always sense home, but just now my mind framed it as where my parents live. This isn’t my home anymore. My home is…

“Are you okay, mate?”

I turn my gaze to Drax, my beautiful demon mate, and nod. “Yeah. I’m good.”

“Any idea where to go from here?” Roman runs his large hand through his damp hair.

“I think so,” Atlas says. “Follow me.”

We trudge through the wet landscape together until we arrive at a small clearing under a canopy of trees. It’s completely dry here and that’s a sign that the mage is close.

“There,” Atlas says, pointing to a large tree.

“That’s just a tree—oh.”

The air around the tree shimmers, and I realize it’s another one of Rune’s illusions. We continue our approach, but I whisper, “Everyone, get ready.”

Each of us pulls one of Jareth’s illusion bombs out of our pockets and prepares to use it when Rune is close. Atlas is the first to see the actual door, and as he pulls it open, it creaks, making me cringe. I don’t know if it’s possible to sneak up on Rune, but that certainly didn’t help.

As soon as we’re inside, we’re faced with a growling dog much larger than anything nature could produce. Roman springs into action, fur rippling across his flesh as he bares his teeth, but before he shifts completely, Atlas is there with a steady hand on his shoulder.

“It’s an illusion.”

Roman looks confused for a second before he nods. “Oh. Right.”

We walk right past the growling beast, only to be met by a swirling whirlpool of hissing liquid. Atlas kneels down and drags his finger through the liquid, shivering but otherwise unaffected.

“Just cold water,” he says.

We continue down the dark hallway, on alert for whatever magic may appear. An eerie looking old man dressed as a priest and brandishing a silver crucifix darts out from the shadows, heading straight for Cassius.

The vampire looks amused, then bored, simply shoving the religious artifact out of his face. “Your boy Rune needs to update his knowledge of the lore,” Cassius snips. “Everyone knows crucifixes don’t scare vampires.”

The priest dissipates into the air, but I prepare myself for what Rune may think is my weakness. He knows I’m a dragon, but what could he try to scare me with?

We finally reach a door and Atlas nods at it. He pulls it open and enters first, but we all pile in quickly behind him. I was expecting more obstacles, but I’m surprised to find Rune, just sitting behind a table, looking up at us with startled eyes.

“For the love of magic, you guys are so annoying.”

Rune raises his hand and throws a ball of fire at us, but Drax steps in front of it and it fizzles to steam before it can reach anyone else.

I glance down at the illusion bomb in my hand, then shout, “Now, guys. Now.”

Roman throws his first, just as Rune makes a run for the door, startled by the appearance of a pool of water.

He stumbles backward, lifting his hand to throw more magic.

I’m astonished when he gets to his feet and easily darts around the make believe pool.

At least the illusions must be strong enough to confuse him into thinking it’s real.

“Drax.”

He nods at me, tossing his bomb at the mage, producing a cloud of black smoke and a beast that looks like some kind of nightmare. Rune swats at the beast, slowly backing into a corner.

“You won’t catch me with your silly magic,” Rune says, but there’s fear in his voice.

Atlas steps forward, a frown etched into his handsome features. “Sorry about all this.” He says it softly, but I hear it. Then he throws his bomb and unleashes a gaggle of geese.

Rune screams, nearly climbing the wall. “Oh my gods. Murder ducks. Get them away from me.” He mumbles a few words and waves his hands, casting magic that doesn’t seem to land.

It’s my turn to throw my bomb, and I hope this is enough, because it’s all we’ve got.

We should’ve had Cassius come with us to Jareth’s to get one more bomb.

I toss mine in the mage’s direction, hoping with all my might that this works.

My eyes open wide and a smile tugs at my lips when a set of steel bars wrap around the man as he cowers in the corner.

He lifts his hand and produces only a few weak sparks of light. He sighs. “Fine, fine. Just stop. You win. You want to kill yourself with the amulet, then do it.”

I step closer. “You’ll give it to me?”

Rune glares at me. “Where did you get that magic? Those illusions are formidable.”

“I have my sources.” A pang of guilt tugs at my chest. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

Rune’s expression softens and he shakes his head. “No. Just drained.”

That’s a relief. “Listen, Rune, I know you don’t understand why I need the amulet, and I can’t tell you, but I really do need it.”

“Obviously.” Rune slowly pulls himself up to his feet, rubbing the middle of his left hand. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

As the bars around him dissipate, he walks to a cabinet and whispers some words. The doors slide open, revealing all kinds of interesting things. My dragon perks up, but I remind myself that I’m on a specific mission.

Rune turns to me, his face filled with an emotion that almost looks like pity, as he tosses a velvet bag in my direction.

I grab it, quickly opening it to finally set eyes on this powerful gem. What’s inside is far from what I expected though.

Rune watches warily, as do the others, but nothing happens. Literally nothing. It doesn’t light up or spark or hiss. It’s just an old piece of jewelry.

“Why…” Rune puts his hands on his hips. “Why isn’t it killing you? I mean, I didn’t want you to die, but that’s usually what happens.”

“I remember reading something,” Drax says, gazing over my shoulder at the necklace. “The magic works on intention. Perhaps the others who have coveted the amulet wanted it for nefarious reasons. Mac doesn’t have any intention of using it or its powers, so therefore, he’s immune to the curse.”

Rune narrows his eyes. “How did you learn that? It took me years to discover that knowledge.”

“I’m a demon. We know things.”

Rune huffs, glancing quickly at Atlas before leveling his intense gaze on me. “If you think this is the last time our paths will cross, dragon, you’re wrong.”

“I look forward to it, mage.”

Rune flicks his wrist, and right before our eyes, he’s gone again. I definitely notice how Atlas deflates as he peers at the space where the mage once was.

“Well, that was fun.” Cassius tugs on his cuffs. “Shall we get out of here and deliver this to the boss?”

“Let’s do it,” Roman says.

“Thanks for all the help, guys.”

“Thanks aren’t necessary,” Atlas says. “It’s what we do. You’ll do it for us someday too. If you stick around.”

His words are sobering, reminding me that as soon as I deliver this amulet to Auri, I might get the chance to leave. But to go where? Back to my shithole apartment to chase artifacts that make no sense? Back to somewhere Drax isn’t?

I clutch the velvet bag as Drax wraps his arms around my waist, smiling and searching my eyes. My dragon surges forward, purring with contentment, and I know that me leaving would devastate the beast, but staying in the underworld is a big decision. A life-changing one.

“Let’s get you home,” Drax says sweetly, unaware of my internal conflict.

I nod, clinging to him. I have a big decision to make, and I’ll have to make it soon. Both our eternities depend on it.

DRAX

I think I expected Mac’s mood to be better once he got his hands on the amulet, but he seems sad as we materialize inside Auri’s compound.

“Are you okay?”

Mac nods. “I am. It’s surreal, I guess, that I actually have the amulet.”

“It’s a bit anticlimactic, isn’t it? I remember my first hunt. I was brimming with excitement, but it wasn’t hard to get, and when I did, it was…” I shrug. “Not as exciting as I hoped. I look at it differently now.”

“How?”

“The journey to get to the object is more fun than obtaining it. Look at the adventure we had chasing Rune and the amulet across the globe. We had new experiences, we played with magic, we saw things we never would have otherwise. That’s where the excitement lies.”

Mac nods, searching my eyes for a second before wrapping his arms around me and kissing me hard on the lips.

“What’s that for?”

“You’re amazing, Drax. Everything about you is cool.”

I preen a bit, happy that my mate is pleased. “Thank you.”

“Can we hang out in your place for a while before I go see Auri?”

“Of course.”

I take his hand, leading him down the hall to my room. I have every intention of asking for an upgraded unit so there’s plenty of room for Mac too, although I suppose there’s still a chance that he’ll leave. I never did get to properly court him, but surely he’s warmed up to me by now?

“Hey,” he whispers, rubbing the space between my shoulder blades. “You’re worried.”

“You felt my emotions through the bond.”

He nods, leaning in to kiss my cheek just as I reach for the door to my unit. “Auri will be happy, right?”

“Very.”

We enter my apartment and Mac plops down on a chair, kicking his feet up to rest them on the coffee table.

I’ve never understood my desire to decorate the way humans do since I have almost no use for anything but my bed, but it was my natural instinct when I joined Auri’s group and got my own private space. Mac looks good here.

“I’m a little worried too,” Mac says. “About Auri’s intentions.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, sitting next to his propped up feet.

“Rune went to great lengths to hide this thing away, and we saw firsthand what it did to Belinda.”

I nod.

“It would have killed me if I’d had any plans to use it.”

“It won’t kill Auri. He’s a master demon.”

“I’m not worried that he’ll die, I’m worried about why he wants it. What’s he gonna do with it? Will he use it to harm someone? I’m not sure I could live with that.”

“Oh, I understand now. You don’t know Auri like the rest of us do.

” I shift so that I’m next to him. “Mac, you have to trust Auri. He’s not as evil as he likes to portray himself.

In fact, he’s been nothing but kind and generous to me.

Why do you think we all stay? We have an amazing home, anything we could wish for, plenty of freedom, and a pretty posh job.

I don’t know why Auri wants the amulet, but I’m positive he won’t hurt anyone with it…

at least, no one who wouldn’t deserve it. ”

Mac exhales slowly, scratching the dark stubble on his chin. “You’re absolutely positive?”

“I’m absolutely positive.”

Mac nods, reaching for my hand and playing with my fingers. “I trust you.”

Warmth and affection flood the bond between us, and my breath catches.

“I can’t believe all of you did so much to help me. Especially the others. They don’t even know me.”

“That doesn’t matter. You’re one of us. Besides, we’re all supes. We can read intentions and yours are good.”

Mac smiles. “Good point. Even Cassius has a soft spot he doesn’t like showing.”

“The softest, if you ask me.”

We both laugh as I cuddle up next to Mac. He wraps his arm around me, nuzzling his face into my hair, then kissing one of my horns.

“How often do you get assignments?”

I shrug. “Time is so hard to describe, but I’ve had three since I joined. I don’t know how long that is.”

“Right.”

“Sometimes they take a long time. Roman was gone for two years on a mission once. Auri told us it was that long. All I knew was that I hadn’t seen him in ages, but I was sure he was okay.”

“How?”

“I’m not really sure. It’s like a sense, I guess. A tie between us that Auri put there.”

“Like a bond?”

I lift my head to meet his gaze. “Not like our bond.”

“Nothing is like that.”

“No. I imagine the longer you’re here, the more you’ll feel it between the others too.”

I feel the ping of his insecurity and nerves, but it’s gone quickly, replaced by his dragon’s purring affection. I place my hand in the center of his chest, smiling when I feel the vibration.

“I know the way you got here and the way we mated wasn’t exactly what you had planned, but I’m glad it all happened. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Mac’s gaze softens and he brushes his thumb across my cheek. “I’m glad we met too.”

Could he learn to love me? I think he could. If he decides to leave, well, I guess I’ll have to leave too. Wherever Mac goes, I’m going too. I hope he knows that.

“As much as I’d love to spend the evening cuddling on the couch, I think I should go see Auri and hand this over. The sooner it’s out of my possession, the better.”

“Good idea. Do you want me to come?”

“No, I have to deal with this on my own.” He sits up, glancing at his hands before turning to me. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Everything. I said it before, but I’m saying it again. You’re amazing, Drax.”

Why does this feel like some kind of goodbye?

“Come back soon.”

He nods. “I will.”

Mac gets to his feet, gathers the velvet bag with the amulet in it, and walks toward the door, turning back to smile and wave at me before exiting. I rub the center of my chest, soothed by the ever-present bond between us.

I know there’s a chance Auri will release him from his contract and Mac will go back to the human realm.

I don’t know how to live up there, but I’ll figure it out if I have to.

Whatever makes my mate happy is what I’ll do, but I hope he chooses to stay here with us.

I can make him happy here. That much I’m sure of.

For now, all I can do is wait for him to come back.