Page 102 of Visions of You

Keegan loved him for that, but he also needed him to understand this. He grabbed Jaron's shoulders and rested his forehead against the dragon's, feeling the tension in his mate's body. "No matter what happens," Keegan said, "I won't blame you. Even if we can't be together after this, I want you to live your best life, free of guilt."

Jaron shook his head. "I won't hurt you. Not ever."

Before Keegan could respond, one of the mages raised their voice above the hum of magical energy. "The wards are sufficiently weakened! We can enter now!"

The atmosphere shifted abruptly. Tension thickened, an electric charge sparked between everyone present as they readied themselves for action.

Keegan exchanged another look with Jaron.

It was time to go in and face whatever was coming at them.

The air inside felt thick, almost tangible, and the scent of mold mingled with something more acrid, like burning rubber.

Jaron didn't let the stench stop him.

He was going to protect Keegan and stop Malkira. Failure wasn't an option.

Keegan moved beside him, eyes distant and glazed as he tapped into his foresight. Jaron's frustration bubbled beneath the surface—if only he could breathe fire like a true dragon-shifter, he could be useful too.

Except that it would be a really dumb idea to breathe fire in an enclosed building, of course.

A couple of mages walked ahead of him and Keegan. Jaron wondered what they planned to do when suddenly, the building erupted into chaos. Spells zipped through the air like angry hornets, leaving trails of sizzling energy in their wake.

Keegan stumbled as a spell exploded near them, and Jaron's arm shot out instinctively to steady him. "Stay close," he urged, raising his voice to be heard.

The cacophony of magic crackling and clashing around them was nearly deafening.

"That way," Keegan pulled Jaron to the left, down an empty corridor. They were splitting from the main group, but Jaron trusted that Keegan knew what he was doing. "I can find us a safe way," he said. "Down the stairs here, quick." He opened a door and shoved Jaron through it just before a part of the ceiling came down behind them.

"Fuck," Jaron cursed. "That could have…"

Keegan shook his head. "Stay focused."

They could still hear the sounds of battle not too distant from them.

"There'll be mages on the lower levels too," Keegan said. "I'll try to avoid them, but I think we need to go all the way down."

"Why are all these people helping Malkira if she's trying to end the world?"

"I don't know," Keegan said, taking Jaron's hand and guiding him onward.

Jaron followed Keegan around another corner, his senses on high alert. The sounds of battle echoed through the building, reminding him that they couldn't be taking their time about this.

Keegan held up a hand, signaling for Jaron to wait. "I need to check where we should go from here," he said, and his eyes glowed a beautiful shade of red as he delved into his visions.

Jaron nodded, taking up a defensive stance. He scanned their surroundings, poised for action.

While Keegan was figuring out where they had to go, it was on Jaron to protect his mate.

A flicker of movement caught his eye.

One of the mages, a small man, emerged from the shadows, hands already weaving a spell. Jaron didn't hesitate. He leaped forward, placing himself between the attacker and Keegan.

The mage snarled, hurling the spell at Jaron. Magic sizzled past him, cutting into his skin on its path, but Jaron didn't let that stop him. With a roar that was more dragon than human, he tackled the mage to the ground.

They grappled, rolling across the floor in a tangle of limbs. The mage was skilled, but Jaron had raw draconic strength on his side. He pinned the mage down, his grip unbreakable.

"Why are you doing this?" Jaron demanded, his voice a low growl. "What's Malkira planning?"