Page 8

SIX

MAC

I’m too dazed to even notice the transition back to the underworld, allowing Drax to guide me through the steamy halls of the compound.

When we arrive, I pause, standing in the center of a large open area, my brain desperately trying to slot the day’s events into spaces that make sense, but I come up empty.

“You must be exhausted,” Drax coos, wrapping his tail around my waist. “Let’s get you to bed.”

I nod, too tired and stunned to speak. Maybe sleep will help. Tomorrow I’ll wake up and deal with the task Auri gave me, then once that’s done, I’ll be able to go back to my realm. I’ll figure out what to do about this mate thing after that. Maybe there’s a mage or someone out there who can help.

My dragon reminds me that he’s not at all interested in that idea with a violent swish of his tail, which is immediately soothed by a warming pulse along the bond I currently share with the beautiful demon beside me.

Instead of taking me back to my room, Drax leads me to his.

I don’t bother to object. My body and spirit are weary and all I want to do is lie down.

Drax’s room is dark, as expected, but he snaps his fingers and a warm orange glow spreads through the space, illuminating walls lined with shelves containing a vast array of treasures, from vases to books to art. My dragon perks up as much as I do.

“What is this stuff?”

“My things,” Drax says causally, already dropping to his knees to help me out of my shoes.

“But where did you get them?”

“I’ve gathered them over the centuries through various means. A summoning, plundering dead civilizations, and online ordering, of course.”

“Online ordering?”

“Oh yes, there’s a vibrant demon market. I’ll show you sometime.”

I walk over to a shelf, running my finger over a jewel encrusted crown. “But why?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you want them for?”

“Status. Bargaining tools.” He presses his body against me from behind, his hot breath tickling my ear. “And I like pretty things. Like you, my finest treasure.”

The urge to stuff these things into my bag is strong, but stealing from Drax already made my life ten times more complicated, so I pull my hand away.

“It’s all yours,” Drax says.

“What?”

“My things. They’re yours now too.” He takes the crown I was just fondling off the shelf and places it gently on my head. “Ooh, you look incredible. Better than the eighth century Persian king who gave this to me.”

I turn to look at him, my dragon swooning. “This belonged to a king?”

“Mm-hmm. He summoned me—also by accident, as he was looking for a warrior demon. I helped him find the right demon, so he gave me a crown.”

“That’s incredible.”

“I suppose. I rarely get summoned intentionally. I have nothing to offer at my rank, which is one reason I joined up with Auri. He offered me a higher standard of living.”

“Are you happy here?”

“Happier now, mate.”

The word rolls off his tongue so easily, and my dragon reacts the way it should if this were at all real. I won’t waste my energy trying to convince the beast though. He’ll figure it out when the bond is broken.

That thought earns me a temper tantrum that sends me stumbling right into Drax’s arms.

“Are you alright?” He brushes his hand over my head. “Sweet dragon. Let’s get you to bed.”

Weaker now, thanks to a thrashing, pissed off dragon in my gut, I give in and let Drax lead me to his bedroom.

It’s a circular room carved into the stone, and perfectly warm.

A large platform bed dominates the space, covered with lush linens and a pile of pillows.

It looks indulgent and inviting and seems to call out to me.

I’m already climbing across it to the center when Drax joins me, peeling my clothes off and tucking me in. He hovers over me, brushing his warm fingers across my forehead and humming softly, lulling me to sleep.

I have so many problems to deal with, but I’ll tackle them tomorrow. For now, I’m going to enjoy this moment of calm.

I wake to silence and complete darkness. Disorientation seeps through me, but my dragon is calm, at least letting me know that no danger is lurking. It takes me a minute to remember where I am.

Drax’s room.

Pulling myself up, I scratch my head and blink to adjust to the darkness, startling when an even darker shadow appears.

“Hello, mate. Did you sleep well?”

“Drax. How long have I been asleep?”

“In human terms, you’ve been asleep for fourteen hours and thirty-six minutes.”

“What? Shit. I must have been tired.”

“You had an adventurous day. I saved some breakfast for you. Come eat.”

“Yeah.” I climb out of bed and shuffle to the main room, where Drax has a buffet of food laid out on the floor, nestled in a furry rug. He’s naked, as I’m coming to expect, and since I am too, it’s impossible to hide my obvious attraction to him.

His piercing blue eyes roam down my body and back up again. “You are such a handsome man.”

“Thank you.”

“I bet your dragon is magnificent. When can I see him?”

“Um, soon, probably. I have to get on this task from Auri.”

“Oh yes. You don’t want to keep him waiting too long. He can be quite a beast when his patience runs out.”

“He didn’t tell me what would happen if I didn’t complete the mission.”

Drax scrunches his nose, rubbing my arm and leading me over to the food. “Let’s not discuss such unpleasantries before breakfast.”

“Would he kill me?”

Drax shudders and I feel the distinct tinge of panic along the bond. “I would never allow that. You’re mine to protect and I will. I’ll help you with your task to make sure nothing bad happens.”

So that’s a yes. Awesome.

Following Drax’s advice, I settle on the floor and dig in, gorging myself on the delicious and miraculously still hot food.

“Who does the cooking in the underworld?”

“Demons.” He chomps on a sausage link.

“Well yeah, but, like… how?”

“What do you mean?”

“Where do they get the food, Drax? Is there a kitchen? Do they grow vegetables down here? How does it work?”

He tilts his head, his long locks draping around him like a cape. “I have no idea what you mean. When it’s time to eat, the food appears.”

Another underworld mystery, I guess.

“Yeah, okay.”

“You received your first task, yes?”

I nod, shoveling the best cheesy omelet I’ve ever had into my mouth before guzzling a glass of pomegranate juice.

“Some amulet thing.”

“There are a lot of amulets. Do you have the specifics?”

“Um, yeah, Belinda Legarr was the name.”

“Belinda Legarr,” he repeats. “One moment.”

He snaps his fingers and then appears to be flipping pages in the air, but I don’t see anything.

“Ah. Here we go.”

“What are you doing?”

“Reading the archives.”

“What archives?”

“History books, if you will. I called them up from the demonic libraries, but I’ll be honest, there’s nothing special about this Belinda Legarr person that I can see, though I do believe I know where the amulet might be.”

That’s interesting. “What did you find out about her?”

He pauses with his finger in the air, again like he’s stopped on a page. “Belinda Legarr is a sixteenth century witch who apparently unlocked the secret to immortality through a spell in her cursed amulet.”

“And you don’t find that special?”

“Cursed amulets are very common, as are sixteenth century witches.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I can’t imagine what Auri wants with it given he’s already immortal, but who am I to question? He has his ways.”

“Right. So, you think you know where the amulet is?”

“Yes.” Drax claps his hands. “There’s a ruined village tucked away in the French countryside where it’s said poor Belinda was dragged to the stake by an angry mob, and when she would not burn, they fled in terror.”

“It’s still standing?”

“One building is. Belinda Legarr’s stone house.”

“And she’s alive?”

He nods. “Alive, yes, and legend has it, rather protective of said amulet as it is the source of her breath. Many have tried to take it, as the witch is old and frail now, but no one has been successful. It’s likely a dangerous mission.”

“I’m a dragon. I can handle dangerous.”

He smiles wide at me. “Yes, you are worthy, and I’ll be right beside you. My mate will never do hard or dangerous things alone.”

I guess things could be worse. Without Drax’s help, who knows how long it would’ve taken me to find the location of this amulet.

Drax frowns as he makes a swiping motion with his hand. “Mac?”

“Yes?”

“Everyone who’s tried to take the amulet in the past has died.”

My dragon whimpers, and I feel the color drain from my face.

“But you have me.” Drax perks up. “I won’t let any harm come to you.”

The true gravity of the situation swirls around me. If I die, Drax dies. Dammit. He’s too good to be mated to a loser dragon like me, and now his life could be at stake.

Drax, likely sensing my angst, rubs my arm. “Don’t worry, mate. All will be well.”

I nod, forcing down the sense of foreboding I feel. Might as well get this over with. The sooner we do, the safer Drax will be, and I can get on with my stupid life.

DRAX

“How should we get to France?” I ask when Mac finishes putting clothes on over his lovely body.

“Let’s go your way. It’ll be faster.”

Bouncing on my toes, I nod and open my arms. “Perfect. Come to me, mate.”

“Maybe you want to wear some pants since we’ll be in the human realm again.”

I huff, scrunching my nose, but comply, snapping my fingers to call up a pair of jeans and a tank top. It’s the most I can be bothered with.

“Will this do?”

Mac licks his lips, nodding. “Yeah.”

I open my arms again. “Come on then.”

Mac steps into my arms, wrapping his around my waist, and I focus on our location, easily slipping into the void.

In the blink of an eye, our feet touch the crumbled ruins of the village.

It’s dark here, a concept that still messes with my head when I’m in the human realm.

I understand the movement of the planet and the star that warms it, but it’s still odd for it to be light in one area and dark in another. The underworld is always dark.