Page 7

Aurora

T he hand spun me like a top in a terrifying use of power. Rarely had I been so bodily controlled by another and never in such an aggressive manner. Panic spiked a rush of adrenaline through me while simultaneously blasting my heartrate to the moon.

All of which came to a sudden, screeching halt as I looked up into the sexiest pair of gray eyes I’d ever seen.

Eyes that were cold and hostile as they stared down at me.

I took in a breath, relief flowing through me as I realized who it was. My mouth opened to say hello, to tell him that “it was me” and remind him of the hallway encounter from earlier.

“You don’t belong down here.”

The words blasted all that free-flowing relief into orbit, the icy harsh delivery a reminder that I very much had no idea where I was, what I was doing, or what any of it meant.

“I-I-I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

“This area is off limits. Being here is against the rules, especially for a human.”

Great. Gray Eyes did recognize me since he knew I was one of the humans, but apparently, the shared look in the hallway earlier hadn’t had the same effect on him as it did me.

“I’m sorry. I promise—”

“Enough,” he said, again cutting me off. “Being down here is a reckless endangerment of your well-being, not to mention a flagrant breaking of the laws. Excuses don’t matter. What are you doing down here? Why this floor?”

Crap. What do I say?

Telling him I was trying to escape and get back to human civilization wasn’t an option. Although nobody had told me, I was fairly certain that was against the rules, too. What wasn’t in this crappy place?

“Well? Answer me!” he snapped.

At that moment, I decided anger didn’t suit his face. It twisted features that were so pleasant to look at into a caricatures of themselves. Even the way his eyes blazed with a fury to match made them look less intriguing.

“I got lost,” I finally said, deciding to try to play the pity card.

“You got lost,” he repeated in a much calmer voice this time.

“Yes. There are no signs anywhere here. Do you have any idea how easy it is to get lost for someone new?”

Gray Eyes was having none of it. He snorted. “I’m well aware. I also know that you didn’t take a wrong turn.”

“I did, too!” I exclaimed. “Three or four of them at least. How else do you think I ended up down here?”

Black hair fell over his shoulders as he shook his head in disdain. Now free from the red clasp he’d worn earlier, it framed his face perfectly. It was mostly straight yet wild and untamed.

“Do you actually think I’m going to believe that?” he growled, some of his earlier ire returning.

“Well, it’s the truth, so—”

“Do not lie to me!”

I stepped backward at the sudden outburst, and a tiny cry of alarm slipped out.

In a surprise move, he took a half-step back while blinking rapidly as if he were confused. But why would he be shocked about anything?

The look faded almost as swiftly as it came, replaced once more with the cold, marble features of the magistrate.

“You are lying,” he said, once again calm and collected. “And it’s blatant, so don’t try to pretend otherwise.”

I stared at him but didn’t repeat the claim.

“Better.” His eyes looked me over quickly and analytically, without any of the intrigue I’d seen the first time. Then he looked beyond me down the hallway. “What are you doing down here, human?”

“My name is Aurora,” I said, sticking my chin up at him.

“I don’t care. Tell me what you were doing down here. Lying won’t help you. You didn’t ‘take a wrong turn’ because you’re five levels below where you should be. That doesn’t happen by accident, so save the woe-is-me attitude I can see you trying to mimic.”

The callous dismissal was too much.

“There’s no need to be an asshole about it,” I said, done with being belittled. “I get you’re trying to control me, just like Janus, because apparently that’s what all you dragons are like. But I did not know I was in a restricted area. I wasn’t trying to be in one.”

I just wanted to get out of here and find a way home.

“This isn’t about control.”

I let my face do all the talking, showing him just how little I believed him.

“It’s about the law. Which you have broken by being down here. Why did you leave Janus anyway?”

“None of your business.”

He looked me up and down, then shrugged. “Very well. But you were entrusted into his care. So, you need to stay there. Come.”

I shook my head, taking a step back. “Where are you taking me?”

“Back to Janus,” he growled, fingers closing on my upper arm, propelling me alongside him. “Where you belong.”

“Wait!” I protested, trying to stop, to dig my heels in.

It was no use. He was too strong.

“Please don’t take me back there,” I said, trying to plead with him.

“You were entrusted to him,” he said, guiding me easily through the maze of hallways back to a set of stairs. “You are his responsibility. Those are the rules.”

“So much for looking out for my well-being,” I muttered under my breath. “I should have known you were just lording your power over anyone you could. It’s just like you. All of you.”

The magistrate was silent as we ascended, not replying to my comments or any further pleas. I eventually fell silent. What use was there in trying to convince him that Janus didn’t want me around either and I didn’t want to be there? That I’d been forced against my will.

Clearly, he didn’t care about me or about humans. Just a cold, hard face of authority. Nothing more. Typical cop wanting the power but not the responsibility.

What are you hiding behind that facade, I wonder? Those gray eyes mask much, but not all, Mr. Magistrate. Nobody is a fanatic for the rules like this. Not unless something happened to make them that way. So, what happened to you? How did you get hurt?

His fist rose and fell, banging on the door to Janus’ quarters.

“What the hell is going on?” a sleepy voice demanded as the door swung open, revealing my … whatever he was. Escort? Guard? Handler?

“You lost something,” the magistrate said, pushing me forward. “I brought it back.”

Janus blinked, looking back and forth between us. Then his eyes widened as comprehension made its way through his drowsiness. “Oh. Okay. Uh. Thanks, Damian. I appreciate you looking out for me like that.”

Damian. So, that was his name. I looked at his face, nodding slowly. It suited him. Strong and powerful, just like him.

“Do a better job of keeping an eye on her,” Damian said, thrusting me toward Janus.

I turned to say something harsh, but by the time I did, Damian was already gone. Yelling at his back as he strode away seemed a bit too childish, even for me.

But I wanted to.

I slipped past Janus, ignoring the beefy dragon shifter as he tried to talk to me. My mind was focused elsewhere.

On Damian.

Earlier that day in the hallway, we’d exchanged a look . There was something there. I knew it. I’d daydreamed about it.

So, where the hell had it gone?

Frustrated, I went to “my” bed, closing the door behind me in Janus’ face and flopping down on my back to stare at the ceiling.

Had I been wrong? Who knew.

Sighing, I rolled onto my side.

Well, today really sucked. At least tomorrow can’t get any worse.

How wrong I was.