Page 33

Talon

Sunlight warms the bed, turning everything gold. I watch Lila beside me, her breathing steady, at ease. Her scent has changed, now carrying traces of mine beneath her own. Any dragon who encounters her will know. She is claimed. Protected. Loved.

The mark on her neck—the place where my teeth pierced her flesh—stands out against her pale skin. Already healed, it’s not a bruise or a scar, but something else. Something magical. A visible sign of an invisible connection.

“We should join the others,” I murmur, though every part of me wants to keep her here, safe in my arms.

She sighs, her breath warm against my skin. “I know. Elena’s waiting.” Her voice softens on her daughter’s name, longing evident in those two syllables.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I remind her, sensing her reluctance to leave the sanctuary we’ve created. “We have time.”

A smile blooms on her face, lighting her eyes in a way I’ve never seen before.

“Time,” she repeats, like it’s a gift she never expected to receive. “What a concept.”

We dress in borrowed clothes—mine from Caleb, hers from Elena, both ill-fitting. The humor of it breaks some tension, and her laugh—rare and precious—fills the room.

“Ready to face our strange new world?” I ask, offering my hand.

She takes it, fingers lacing through mine. “As I’ll ever be.”

The penthouse beyond our bedroom door hums with activity. Morning light pours through expansive windows, illuminating a scene of casual domesticity I never imagined finding myself part of. The Craven brothers, Elena, Juno, and Hargen cluster around the kitchen island, coffee mugs in hand, plates of pastries scattered between them.

Dorian notices us first, a smirk lifting one corner of his mouth. “Well, well. The dead rise again.” His gaze flicks to the mark on Lila’s neck, then to me, understanding dawning in his eyes. “And apparently with enough energy for other activities.”

Caleb elbows his brother, but his own eyes hold the same knowing look. Dragon to dragon, they recognize what transpired between Lila and me.

Elena turns, coffee mug pausing halfway to her lips. Her silvery eyes widen, then soften as she takes in the sight of us. Of Lila. Of her mother, hand in mine.

“Mom,” she says, setting down her mug and crossing to us. “How are you feeling?”

The word Mom seems to hit Lila physically. I feel her grip tighten on my hand, emotion threatening to overwhelm her. Years of sacrifice, of longing, all for this moment. This woman. This reunion.

“I’m good.” Lila’s voice breaks slightly. “Better than good.”

Elena’s gaze shifts to me, assessing. “And you. You should be dead after what I saw last night.”

“Your phoenix is a miracle worker,” I answer, inclining my head toward Juno, who watches with quiet interest from her place beside Dorian.

“Not mine,” Elena corrects with a small smile. “His.” She gestures to Dorian, whose arm circles Juno’s waist possessively. “But yes, she is.”

Hargen approaches, his movements still stiff from the previous day’s injury. He may be part witch, but he’s still largely human. He nods to me, then focuses on Lila with genuine care in his eyes.

“Looks like congratulations are in order,” he says, warmth in his voice.

Lila disentangles from me, moving to embrace him. “Thank you,” she says, just loud enough for me to hear. “For everything. For helping me find her. Find them.”

“Don’t make it weird, Lila,” he mutters, but his arms close around her briefly before he steps back, emotion flickering behind his composure.

“Hargen’s our uncle,” she announces to the group, her hand finding mine again as she returns to my side. “Well, distant cousin, technically. But at this point, ‘uncle’ feels right. He’s the only family I have left.” Her eyes find Elena. “Besides you.”

Hargen laughs, the sound surprisingly light. “Uncle makes me sound ancient. Let’s stick with cousin before you ruin my reputation.”

“Uncle Hargen,” Elena repeats with a mischievous grin. “I like it.”

“Perfect,” he groans, but there’s humor in his eyes.

Caleb clears his throat, coffee pot in hand. “Coffee? There’s food too. Pastries. Fruit. Whatever you need.”

The normalcy of the offer strikes me as absurd after everything we’ve been through. Hours ago, we were fighting for our lives on a warehouse rooftop. Now we’re being offered Danishes and coffee like it’s any ordinary morning.

“Coffee would be amazing,” I say, because what else is there to say?

We settle around the kitchen island; me beside Lila, who positions herself next to Elena. I notice how she leans slightly toward her daughter, as if drawn magnetically. The bond between them, I realize, is as powerful in its way as the mate bond between us.

My dragon bristles at first, possessive instinct flaring at sharing her attention. But I tamp it down, knowing this reunion is what she’s given everything for. What she deserves more than anything.

“So,” Dorian says, breaking the awkward silence that has fallen. “Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?”

“Which one?” Juno asks dryly. “The dragon-witch mate bond, the phoenix healing, the Circle attack, or the fact that we’re all sitting here eating pastries while two enemy factions are actively hunting us?”

“All of the above,” Dorian replies with a grin that warms his eyes. I get the sense that smiling comes easily to this man.

“Viktor’s probably having an aneurysm right about now,” I say, thinking of the Aurora leader’s likely reaction to our unplanned departure.

“Viktor?” Elena asks, her head tilted slightly in a gesture so like Lila’s that I wonder if the expression could be written in their genes.

“The leader of the Aurora Collective,” I explain. “They’re the ones who extracted your mother from the Syndicate. They want an alliance with the Cravens.”

“Not that they get to decide what I do now,” Lila adds, a steel edge to her voice. “I’ve had enough of being told where to go and what to do.”

I squeeze her hand, proud of her fierce independence. “I’ve got your back, whatever you decide.”

Elena looks between us, brow furrowed. “So this Aurora Collective… they’re what, exactly? Another dragon faction?”

“More like a coalition,” I explain. “Dragons, witches, others with abilities. All united against the Syndicate’s vision of dragon superiority.”

“And you’re part of it?” Elena directs the question at me.

“I was,” I admit. “Now… It’s complicated.” I glance at Lila.

“Like Caleb and me,” Elena says with understanding, her hand finding his across the counter.

“Similar,” Lila agrees. “Though your situation seems more established.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Dorian interjects with a smirk. “Life-or-death situations, magical connections, overprotective dragons who’d burn the world down for their witches… Seems pretty identical to me.”

Caleb glares at his brother, but I don’t get a sense that there’s any malice between them. “Speaking of overprotective dragons,” he says pointedly, “you’re one to talk.”

Dorian’s arm tightens around Juno, who rolls her eyes but leans into him.

“I died once,” she explains to Lila and me. “He’s still processing it.”

“You what?” Lila’s shock is evident in her voice.

“Phoenix,” Juno says, as if that explains everything. And maybe it does. “I came back. Different. Stronger.” She glances up at Dorian. “But he still acts like I’ll shatter if he breathes too hard.”

“You did shatter,” Dorian growls, the dragon rumbling beneath his human voice. “I watched it happen.”

Juno’s face softens. She touches his cheek, a gesture so tender it feels almost intrusive to witness. “And now you’ll never have to again.”

The moment stretches, heavy with emotion I don’t fully understand but recognize, nonetheless. Loss. Rebirth. Love that transcends death.

“The Heartstone,” Lila says suddenly, breaking the silence. “I can feel it. It’s here, isn’t it?” Her fingers drift to the Shard hanging at her throat.

Elena nods. “We keep it close now, after Malakai tried to steal it.” She exchanges a look with Caleb. “We learned that lesson the hard way.”

Lila nods slowly, as if mulling this over, then suddenly turns to Juno. “You use it too. I felt it mingling with your power last night. When you brought Talon back from the brink.”

“I do,” Juno acknowledges. “It responds to me. Like it recognizes me somehow.”

“It does,” Lila says with certainty. “I’ve seen it in the Shard’s memories. The Heartstone wasn’t just a dragon artifact. It’s connected to phoenix fire somehow. To rebirth.”

Juno’s eyes widen. “That explains… a lot, actually.”

“It’s more than that,” Elena adds, excitement coloring her voice. “When I touch it, I can see things. Feel things. It’s like it holds memories, but not mine. Ancient ones.”

“Blood memory,” Lila explains. “Rossewyn witches carry our ancestors’ experiences in our blood. The Heartstone—and the Shard—amplify it.”

“You’re right.” Juno is nodding quickly. “I’ve been feeling all of that. I just don’t know how… to describe it.”

“We’ll figure it out,” says Elena. “Especially now that we’re all here together.” She smiles at her mother, whose answering smile is radiant. It’s an expression I love on her, but there’s something else that’s bothering me.

“You realize that having you both here makes you targets,” I say, seeing the bigger picture. “Together, with both pieces of the Heartstone… the power would be unprecedented. And adding Juno to the mix…”

A silence falls as the implications settle over us. Mother and daughter, each with access to a piece of an ancient artifact that magnifies power beyond comprehension. No wonder Creed is desperate to reclaim Lila. No wonder Malakai hunts Elena. No wonder they’d both sell their souls to get their hands on this trio.

“We need to contact Viktor,” I say finally. “Let him know we’re alive, at least.”

Lila’s expression hardens slightly. “On my terms,” she says firmly. “I’m not jumping back into another cage, no matter how gilded.”

“Of course,” I say firmly, knowing she’s going to need reminders of this for a while to come.

“Maybe we should—” Elena begins, but she’s cut off by the penthouse door flying open with a bang.

A woman with dark hair streaked with fading blue storms in, tablet in hand, face thunderous with irritation.

“Seriously, Lennie?” she demands, zeroing in on Elena. “ Again with the dragons in public? Do you have any idea how hard it is to cover this shit up?”

Elena’s face breaks into a grin. “Hi, Mara. Nice to see you, too.”

Mara marches toward us, apparently unfazed by the odd gathering in the kitchen. “Three separate videos already trending. A helicopter crash. Reports of—” She stops abruptly, finally noticing Lila. Her eyes widen. “Holy shit. You found her.”

“Mara, this is my mother,” Elena says, pride evident in her voice. “Mom, this is Mara. My best friend and the reason half of Seattle doesn’t believe they saw actual dragons fighting last month.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Lila says, amusement flickering across her face.

“Likewise.” Mara’s gaze sweeps over me, then back to Lila. “Well, that’s one mystery solved.” She turns back to Elena. “So, the ‘movie promotional stunt’ angle is getting thin, but we can still work with it. Luke says if we’re going this route again, he needs advance notice. Preferably no actual property damage or deaths.”

“Luke’s finally on board?” Elena sounds surprised.

“Hardly.” She rolls her eyes. “He’s having kittens. Although that might also be because I put him in charge of designing concepts for fake movie posters. The best he could come up with was ‘Dragon’s Fury’ or some equally cheesy title.”

She drops onto an empty barstool, helping herself to coffee. “The good news is, people want to believe it’s fake. Nobody wants to accept that actual dragons are duking it out over Seattle. The bad news? Each incident gets harder to explain away, Lennie. We need a better—”

Hargen’s phone chimes, cutting through Mara’s animated chatter. He pulls it from his pocket, frowning as he reads whatever message appears on the screen. The color drains from his face, leaving him ashen.

“Hargen?” Lila straightens, concern etched in her features. “What is it?”

He looks up, his expression hollow with shock. “I have to go back,” he says, his voice oddly strained.

“Back where?” I ask, though I already know the answer, dread pooling in my gut.

“To the Syndicate.”

The room goes silent, tension thick enough to choke on.

“What? That’s fucking suicide,” Dorian says flatly.

“You can’t,” Lila insists, moving toward him. “After everything—they’ll kill you on sight.”

Hargen’s eyes meet hers, something resolute settling into his expression. “I don’t have a choice.”

“Of course you do,” she argues, her hand finding the Shard at her throat. “Whatever they have on you—”

“It’s not about me.” His voice cuts through her protest, quiet but firm. “It’s about something bigger. Something I can’t explain yet.”

I watch them, this strange family unit—Lila and the man who was both her jailer and her protector for years.

“Then I’m coming with you,” Lila declares.

“No.” The word comes from multiple voices at once—mine, Elena’s, Hargen’s.

“You just got free,” I remind her, moving to her side. “You can’t go back there.”

“And I just found you,” Elena adds, taking her other arm. “I’m not losing you again.”

Hargen’s expression softens slightly. “They’re right, Lila. This is something I have to do alone.”

“Why?” she demands, frustration coloring her voice. “At least tell me why.”

He hesitates, conflict evident in his face. Finally, he sighs. “Because someone I thought was dead… isn’t.”

The cryptic answer hangs in the air between them. Lila stares at him, confusion giving way to something else—understanding, perhaps. Or recognition.

“Who?” she asks, her brow furrowed.

But Hargen just shakes his head, already moving toward the door.

“I’ll be in touch when I can,” he says, not answering her question. “Stay safe. Stay together.”

He pauses at the threshold, looking back at all of us gathered in this strange moment of crisis and connection. His eyes find mine last, holding my gaze with an intensity that speaks louder than words.

Take care of her.

I nod once, the message received. Dragon to human. Mate to family.

Then he’s gone, the door closing behind him with quiet finality, leaving us with more questions than answers and the certainty that whatever comes next, nothing will be the same again.

Read Hargen’s story in " Lost in Fire. "