Page 31

Aurora

T he crimson-scaled dragon spread its wings and leaped into the sky, gaining altitude and speed as it swiftly left us behind, heading back in the direction from which we’d arrived.

“Are you okay?”

Damian had that look in his face, the one where his features didn’t move as he fought to keep everything stiff and nonreactionary. It usually meant he was experiencing a very strong emotion. He didn’t seem to be aware that he gave himself away like that, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him either.

“Fine. Why?” he grumped, heading for the recessed doorway that led inside.

“No reason. I just thought maybe I could help take that off.”

He frowned. “Take what off?”

“The giant sign on your forehead that says ‘Fuck You’ to whoever that was who just left. Did you not realize you left it on?”

Damian’s neck muscles flexed, swiveling his head in my direction, his silvery-gray eyes finding me and pinning me in place with their weight.

My breath caught in my chest.

“No,” he said slowly, much of the tension in his shoulders dissipating. “I must’ve forgotten it was there. How clumsy of me. Do you think he was offended?”

“Probably,” I said, hating how squeaky my voice sounded.

“Gee. What a shame.” Humor tickled the corners of his mouth.

“Do I need to worry about him coming back?”

“Who, Damon?” he snorted. “No. Much as I dislike the sovereign’s Shadow, it is the position, not the person, I disapprove of.”

I looked up into the night sky where the dragon had long since disappeared, blending in as nothing more than a shadow to the glittering skyscape beyond. “That was her shadow?”

The Shadow was the yin to the magistrate’s yang. Equal but opposite. I found it oddly appropriate that their names were so similar. I doubted it was a coincidence, knowing what little I did about the sovereign.

“Yes.” There was no elaboration.

I followed Damian inside. “She sent him here to guard this scepter?”

“Yes.” He grabbed the handle and pulled the heavy brass door open, holding it wide for me.

“Thank you,” I said, adding a hint of extra sway to my hips as I passed.

A gravelly rumble echoed in the night, a surefire sign of Damian’s approval.

“What is this place? It looks kind of like a temple from the outside.”

“In a way, I suppose it could be. It was built specifically for the scepter that resides here. Although we don’t worship them, they’re incredibly important to all dragons.”

“How many scepters are there? Or is that classified?”

Damian thought about it. “I suppose not. There are five in total.”

My eyebrows shot up. That was way fewer than I’d thought. “And two have already been stolen? Shit.”

The curse word seemed to work for Damian because he only nodded in agreement.

“But I don’t get it. You got sent here to relieve the Shadow. Well, we got sent here. But didn’t the sovereign put you in charge of finding out who stole the others?”

“Yes, she did,” Damian said as we paused under a ten-foot-tall archway leading into the center circular chamber where the scepter sat, a golden rod with a multi-hued gemstone at its end, held in place by five dragon claws. Other than that, the rest of the scepter was devoid of anything but markings and inscriptions. I’d expected them to be covered in precious gems, but besides being made from solid gold and topped with the one gem, it was quite unremarkable in appearance.

However, there was no mistaking the power it held, despite its lack of adornment. Even from thirty feet away, the scepter radiated a subtle energy. It was unlike anything I’d experienced, the pressure of its power pulsating against my chest. There was nothing ominous or intimidating about it. In fact, it was more akin to a warm welcome, a reassurance without words.

“How are you supposed to find the others if you’re not able to leave here?” I asked, staring mesmerized into the oscillating colors at the heart of the gem, watching them turn from blue to red to green to purple and gold and then orange and silver and back again.

“I asked myself the same question.”

“Is she mad at you?”

Another guard came walking by on patrol, nodding respectfully to Damian as he passed. His eyes didn’t even flicker to me, and I suppressed a sigh. They weren’t happy about my presence. I hoped it was because I wasn’t a guard and that they didn’t think there should be any distractions, rather than a sign of anti-human hatred among the guards sent with us.

“I don’t believe so,” Damian said once we were alone again. “She’s always been upfront about those things. No, I think she simply needed to relieve Damon, and I was the only choice. She needed to send those she trusts, and with the need to guard all three scepters equally, those resources are stretched thin.”

It made sense. Someone was making a huge play against their own kind. Until more was known, it was impossible to know who to trust. The sovereign was working with what she had.

That was why we and a dozen palace guards had flown out to act as guards, relieving those already in place. So many, and all of them on high alert.

“She thinks an attack is coming, doesn’t she?”

He grunted agreement. “It’s been over a week, and nothing has happened. No more attacks, no further threats to the barrier. As it stands right now, our mysterious enemies have no leverage. They need another scepter. At some point, they must attack again. It’s inevitable.”

The logic was sound. I couldn’t fault it.

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Damian said, draping an arm over my shoulder. “Let me take you to your room. I’m sure you could use some sleep. Besides, I should check the perimeter one more time.”

I wasn’t tired, but I let him take me up to the fourth level anyway, where he and I shared a room. There were rooms to house many more than just the fourteen of us, so each guard also got their own room. The circular building was set atop a hill, affording each room a stunning view of the rest of the isle.

Even now, with only the light of the moon and the stars to see, it was beautifully lit in a silvery glow.

“Sleep well. Shift change is at six. I’ll join you then.” There was a promise in his voice that twisted my stomach into knots.

“Okay,” I whispered, tilting my head back to accept his kiss, forcing my wobbly knees to stay straight until he was gone and I could slump back against the windowsill, breathing heavily.

He was good. Really, really good. Each time he kissed me, it stole my breath. I touched my lips, remembering the warm firmness of his mouth. There was something dominant about the way he kissed me. Like each time he did, it was his way of reminding me I was his.

Warmth curled deeper between my legs. Chewing on my lower lip, I leaned against the wall next to the window, staring unseeing into the skies. My left hand slid across my stomach and between my legs as I thought about his hard body against mine. Tiny tingles skittered across my crotch, pleasant shivers as my pinky tried to scratch that itch.

A little gasp fled out the window as my mind’s eye pictured Damian coming back through the door in the morning, purposeful strides carrying him to the edge of the bed. With one huge sweep of his arm, the covers would be torn from my sleeping body. I’d wake to the crush of his lips against mine. The weight of his body over me, holding me down, the promise of what was to come a hard bulge between his legs. Outside the window, figures would dance and sing— wait .

Figures outside the window?

Jerking out of my aroused dream, I stared down the hillside as shadows moved toward the perimeter of the temple.

Fear gripped my lungs, squeezing hard. I gasped for air. I tried to run for the door, but I slipped and fell, slamming a knee on the floor. I had to go, had to get out and warn Damian, warn the guards.

The attack isn’t coming.

It was already here.

As I scrambled to my feet, there was a brief flicker of light from the window that caught my eye. I paused, seeing a figure in the distance. Waiting idly, their body language tense, screaming impatience.

They were doing something most peculiar while they waited...