Page 54 of Thorulf

Dagr didn’t like it, but he listened, releasing his godly roar as Maya’s golden fire lit up the sky ahead. Then, dropping altitude quickly, he shot down, and Maya shot up. Moments later, the purple dragon passed just above and a monstrous black dragon below. Both tried to roar fire, but it was blocked by the sheer volume of Helheim flames gusting back at them.

“Holy hell,”Jade gasped, looking back at the male that had passed.“I know that dragon.”

“Because both are Evil,”Thor revealed.“Both manifested from the same dark god.”

Not all that far from the Fortress, Dagr broke free of the godly black cloud, his fear for Maya’s safety at the forefront as they dropped quickly.“I’m going to drop you and head back up.”

“No,”Thor countered.“You’re going to stay with them until they reach the Fortress safely.”

“Screw that.”Jade shaded her eyes against the rain and tried to locate her sister beyond the godly storm.“I’m not running for safety and leaving my sister up there alone. Go back, Dagr, or I’ll shift and go myself.”

“The best way to help her is to help yourself,”Thor warned.“If you go back, you will die. You’re not nearly strong enough yet to fight what’s coming for you.”

“Then I die,”she returned, patting Dagr with thanks when he swung around and started climbing again.

Or tried to.

“Damn it,”Jade cursed when Thor created a strong downward wind shear that made Dagr’s dragon seem like it was swimming upstream. When Maya’s golden fire exploded out of another black cloud, Jade screamed at Thor to let them go to her rescue. When he didn’t respond, her skin sheened.

She was getting ready to shift.

“No,”Thorulf warned.“Don’t shift. It’s too dangerous.”For her anyway. Not necessarily for him. And he wanted Maya saved every bit as much as they did. She was his new sister, and he wouldn’t see her harmed. He pressed Loki’s Dagger into Jade’s hand.“I’ll get her. You stay with Dagr.”

“Absolutely not,”she started, but he tilted her head until their eyes were aligned and cut her off.

“Something’s changed in me since you traveled back in time,”he revealed. “I’ve grown stronger. Then stronger still when we lay together. You saw it at the Keep, and I’m sure you can feel it now. My godly Celtic magic is sharper. Sharp enough that I should be able to push past Thor’s defenses and hold my ground against the enemy.”

Not just worry but fear flashed in her eyes.“But—”

“I’m going.”He pressed the blade more firmly into her hand and made her see reason.“If I fail and something happens to Maya, you need to be alive, Jade. You need to see your sisters through the rest of this.”

Though tempted to brush his lips across hers before he left, there was no time. Maya needed help. So he leapt off and shifted. Then, because he wouldn’t take any chances, he did something he knew would make his future mate madder than ever.

Showed her what might be at stake if she was foolish enough to follow him.