Page 43

Rowen

M y heart thundered against my ribcage like a war drum, each beat pounding with primal fear that I hadn't felt in millennia.

The sensation was foreign, unwelcome—rulers of the underworld weren't supposed to feel terror.

And yet there it was, clawing through my chest as I clutched Sierra's trembling form against me.

She could have died. The thought ripped through me with devastating clarity. She would have died.

I tightened my grip on her, feeling her soft curves press against the hard planes of my chest. The memory of what had just happened replayed in my mind with horrifying precision—Sierra walking trance-like toward the balcony, her silver hair flowing behind her like a ghostly trail.

Her face had been blank, eyes unseeing as she moved with slow, deliberate steps.

"You're holding me too tight," Sierra gasped, her voice still raw from screaming.

I loosened my grip marginally but couldn't bring myself to truly let go. My wings beat steadily, keeping us aloft as I stared down at her face, drinking in every detail as if to reassure myself she was really here, alive in my arms.

"You walked off the fucking balcony," I growled, unable to keep the tremor from my voice. "Right off the edge, Sierra. No hesitation. Nothing."

Her eyes widened, pupils still dilated with fear. "I... I don't remember that part."

The scent of her fear-sweat clung to her skin, mingling with the natural sweetness that was uniquely hers. I breathed it in, using it to ground myself even as my demonic instincts surged protectively, urging me to take her far away from whatever threatened her.

"I was asleep beside you," I said, my voice low and tight. "We all were. Then you started thrashing, screaming." I swallowed hard, the memory too fresh. "By the time we fully woke, you were already walking toward the balcony doors. Callum tried to grab you, but it was like you couldn't hear us."

I gazed down at the balcony where Callum and Archer stood, their faces turned upward, tense with concern. Without another word, I angled my wings and began our descent, holding Sierra tightly against me.

"I would have been too late if I hadn't transformed," I admitted, more to myself than to her. The truth in those words sent another spike of fear through me. "If I hadn't been able to fly..."

I didn't finish the sentence. I didn't need to. The sixty-foot drop from our balcony to the jagged rocks below would have killed even someone with Sierra's unique constitution. The image of her broken body on those rocks would haunt me for eternity.

My feet touched down on the balcony with a gentle thud.

Callum and Archer immediately rushed forward, their hands reaching for Sierra.

A possessive growl rumbled in my chest before I could stop it.

My tail lashed behind me in agitation, the pointed tip slashing through the air with deadly precision.

"Give her to us," Callum demanded, his pale green eyes fierce in the moonlight. "You're still in demon form, Rowen. Your claws?—"

"I'm not hurting her," I snarled, clutching Sierra closer.

The rational part of my brain understood their concern—my black talons were currently curved around Sierra's bare thigh, my other arm supporting her back.

One wrong move could slice her skin open.

But the primal part of me, the part that had just watched one of my mates nearly plummet to her death, refused to relinquish her.

"Rowen," Archer's voice was calm but firm as he reached for Sierra. "Let us check her over. You're still in shock."

I bared my fangs at him, hating myself even as I did it. These were my brothers, my fellow mates to Sierra. But right now, they were threats trying to take her from me.

"Please," Sierra whispered against my neck, her breath warm and blessedly alive against my skin. "I'm okay. Let them help."

Her voice penetrated the fog of protective rage.

With tremendous effort, I forced my demonic aspect to recede.

The wings folded into my back, disappearing beneath my skin.

The horns retracted, and I felt my claws shorten to human nails.

Only my tail remained, still twitching with residual agitation.

Without speaking, I carried Sierra through the balcony doors and into our bedroom, ignoring Callum and Archer's outstretched arms. I sat on the edge of the bed, Sierra still cradled in my lap.

Her nightgown was hiked up around her thighs, the thin material doing little to conceal the curves beneath.

Under any other circumstances, I would have been distracted by the softness of her skin against mine, but right now, all I could focus on was her safety.

"What happened?" Archer asked, crouching before us. His blue eyes studied Sierra intently, searching for signs of injury or possession. "You were screaming in your sleep, calling for us."

Callum sat beside us, his hand finding Sierra's, fingers intertwining with hers. "You weren't responding to any of us," he added, voice tight. "It was like you were somewhere else entirely."

Sierra's breathing had started to even out, but I could still feel tremors running through her body. She leaned her head against my shoulder, seeking comfort. I pressed my lips to her temple, inhaling her scent.

"I was dreaming," she began, her voice small and uncertain. "At least, I think it was a dream. But it felt so real."

"Tell us everything," I commanded softly, my thumb tracing circles on her hip in what I hoped was a soothing gesture.

Sierra took a deep breath, and I felt her gather her strength. "It was the darkness again. The same black sludge from before, but... different somehow."

My jaw clenched at the mention of the shadow beast. That ancient evil had been hunting Sierra since before she'd come to us, growing bolder with each encounter. Callum's eyes met mine briefly over Sierra's head, his expression mirroring my concern.

"Different how?" Archer prompted gently.

Sierra shivered against me. "It was... weaker, maybe? But still so strong. It was consuming me, inch by inch. Burning and freezing at the same time." Her voice broke slightly. "It kept whispering to me, telling me what it was going to do once it had taken over my body."

My tail lashed violently at her words, the pointed tip cracking against the wooden floor. The thought of anything violating Sierra, taking her body as a vessel, made murderous rage bubble up inside me.

"What exactly did it say?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice steady.

She closed her eyes, as if trying to block out the memory. "It said it would devour me from the inside out. Wear my skin and walk among you all." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "It said it would feast on you while you thought you were kissing me."

A rumble of fury built in my chest. Callum's features had gone harsh with anger, and Archer's normally calm demeanor had darkened dangerously.

"I tried to fight it," Sierra continued. "I remembered what Gran taught me—about calling light in darkness." A flicker of pride settled on her face. "I managed to create a light, a small orb. It hurt the shadow, made it retreat, but only for a moment."

My heart swelled with pride at her strength, even as fear continued to gnaw at me. Sierra was powerful, yes, but she was still learning to control her abilities. Against an ancient evil like the shadow beast, would it be enough?

"Then what happened?" Archer asked.

"I ran," Sierra said simply. "I ran through the darkness, looking for a way out.

I could hear your voices, all of you, calling for me.

" She turned her face into my neck, her lips brushing against my skin as she spoke.

"I tried to reach you, but then... there was nothing beneath my feet. I was falling."

The memory of her body plummeting through the night air made my arms tighten around her again. If I'd been even a second slower...

"That must have been when you walked off the balcony," Callum said, his face grim. "Your body was acting out what you were experiencing in the dream."

Sierra's eyes widened in horror. "I could have killed myself without even knowing it."

"But you didn't," I said firmly, needing to hear the words as much as she needed to. "I caught you. You're safe."

She nodded, but the fear hadn't left her eyes. "What does it want from me?"

The question hung heavy in the air between us. What indeed? I had my suspicions—Sierra's power was unique, unlike anything I'd seen in millennia of ruling the underworld. A power like hers would be irresistible to a creature of darkness.

"Did it say anything else?" Archer asked, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Anything that might give us a clue about its intentions or weaknesses?"

Sierra shook her head, then paused. "Wait. There was something... when I created the light." Her eyes narrowed in concentration. "It screamed. Not just in pain, but... like it was afraid. And there was a word, repeating in the darkness, but I couldn't quite hear it."

"Try to remember," I urged, running my hand soothingly up and down her back. "Even the smallest detail could help us."

She closed her eyes, her face scrunching in concentration. "Light... something about light. And a name, maybe?" Her eyes flew open suddenly. "Lightbringer! That's what it was. The word 'Lightbringer' was echoing in the darkness."

The word struck me like a physical blow. Beside us, Callum inhaled sharply, and Archer went completely still.

"Lightbringer," Archer repeated, his voice hollow. "You're sure that's what you heard?"

Sierra nodded, looking between us with growing concern. "What does it mean? Do you know something?"

I exchanged a long look with Callum and Archer, a silent communication born of centuries together. Lightbringer was not just a word—it was a weapon. A legendary blade forged to combat the darkest of evils, believed lost for millennia.

"It's a sword," Archer finally said, running his hand through his dark hair. "A weapon from ancient times, said to be capable of destroying even the most powerful darkness."

"Like the shadow beast," Sierra whispered, understanding dawning in her eyes.

"Exactly like the shadow beast," I confirmed grimly. "But the sword has been lost for thousands of years. If the beast fears it enough to let the name slip in your presence, then it must truly be vulnerable to it."

Callum's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "My ancestral sword has some similar properties. Even the name is similar. Perhaps there's a connection we haven't seen before. Didn't you say it looked similar when I showed you after I shared the nightmare with Sierra and was able to force it back?"

Archer stood abruptly, pacing the room with tightly-controlled energy.

His daggers appeared in his hands—a nervous habit I'd observed countless times over the centuries.

He twirled them expertly between his fingers as he thought.

His blue eyes were intense as he looked at us.

"I dismissed Lightbringer at the time, thought it was just another legend, but now. .."

"We need to be sure," I said firmly. "If Lightbringer is our only hope of destroying the shadow beast permanently, we need to find it—or find out if Callum's sword is connected to it somehow."

Sierra shifted in my lap, her hand reaching up to cup my jaw. "You think this sword can really destroy it? End this nightmare for good?"

I leaned into her touch, allowing myself this small comfort. "If the beast fears it, then yes, I believe it can. You said that it was what was able to banish it before, so it stands to reason it has some connection."

Archer pulled at his hair in frustration, his daggers disappearing as quickly as they had appeared.

"I'll go back to my quarters and consult the book again," he said, determination hardening his features.

"I'll study the differences between Callum's sword and the depiction in the pages. There might be clues we missed before."

Callum nodded, rising to his feet. "I'll consult the books we have on hand. Perhaps handling it directly while comparing to the book will reveal something."

As they moved with purpose, I caught their eyes one final time.

In that look, we shared an unspoken vow: the beast needed to die.

Sierra would not spend another night in terror, would not come so close to death again.

Whatever it took, whatever sacrifices were required, we would end this threat to our mate.

The beast had made its intentions clear. Now it was time for us to make ours equally clear.

It would die screaming.