“One final toast.” Dusk spoke with sober grace as he lifted his glass, his sapphire eyes flashing diamond with the ready look of his drake. “Because I’m sure as hell not leaving this world without one last bombastic promise to you all.”
“What should we toast to?” Fury asked as he lifted a silver eyebrow. “Because I feel I could toast to many things tonight, and all of them would be worthy.”
“Then we should toast to many things.” Reginald answered as he looked at his twin, viciously elegant. “And let ourselves be bolstered in battle by what we have promised.”
“I’ll start.” Rhennic growled with a deep rumble like Dusk. Glancing around, Rhennic pinned Layla’s gaze last with his dark lavender eyes as a flash of lightning blitzed through them. “To glory. Because I sure as hell am not leaving this world without racking up a fuck-ton of it – a glory in battle that bards will sing about for ages.”
“To glory.” Everyone repeated as they all clinked and drank. Smiles lifted everyone’s faces after Rhennic’s badass opening, and Layla felt how her heart brightened for a fight, not about to back down tonight. Reaching out, she clasped Rhennic’s hand and he clasped hers, sharing a deep roil of their Dragons that brightened a fierce joy through them all.
“To confidence.” Fury spoke poetically next as he raised his glass and the rest of the Bind followed. “For I find I have become a new man since Binding all of you, and it has given me confidence. I used to doubt myself – and when I found out I was Hunter’s progeny, that doubt nearly crushed me. But now I know I am a good man, worthy to be here in this Bind. I am worthy of success tonight… and I have the confidence now to see it through.”
“To confidence.” Everyone repeated as they all clinked glasses and drank again. A far more sober energy roiled through the Bind now, though they were all feeling Fury’s strength. Layla trembled with fighting-energy as Fury’s massive Siren-drake swirled through the room. As he glanced to her, that sensual darkwater sensation coiled all around her, and they shared a moment as Fury’s eyes flashed a hot, battle-ready silver.
“To love.” Dusk spoke next as he raised his glass, glancing around. “I find that love empowers the world, and it certainly empowers me. Coming into this Bind has made me love you all in ways I never thought I could, and has made me a better man than I ever hoped. Love has made me a King and a champion for my people. And tonight, I will be a champion in love for all of you. Because Hunter doesn’t have that, and it makes him weak.”
“To love.” Everyone repeated as Layla felt a beautiful golden glow warm their Bind. It was the sensation of the Star Bind filling their hearts, and for a moment at Dusk’s words, Layla’s entire body filled with oneness as her eyes teared. But they weren’t shed as they clinked glasses and drank, and then Reginald was raising his glass.
“I would toast to passion tonight.” He spoke quietly as he surveyed them all with his stunning grey-gold eyes. “Passion inflames our hearts and gives us a time worth fighting for – the time where we can all be in each other’s arms again. For I intend to make that happen, over and over throughout our lives, if we make it through this battle. And I will make sure none of you live without passion ever again. Or without someone’s loving arms to come home to.”
“To passion.” The Bind spoke softly now as they all digested Reginald’s words. As they lifted glasses and drank, Layla felt an amazing passion and homecoming spill through the Bind, hot and fierce, protecting and loving. As she shared Reginald’s glance, he reached out, taking her hand as he gazed into her eyes.
Filling Layla deep with his oceanic Bind.
“While passion and love, confidence and glory are all good things,” Adrian spoke as Reginald and Layla’s hands came apart, “I would toast to the moment. Never before have I realized so deeply that timing is everything – and that one must seize a moment when it comes. I seized the moment when I walked in through that art gallery door a year ago and first Bound Layla. It was neither rational nor reasonable, but I understand now that that was the moment when Layla and I had to become Bound – and begin Binding all of you. My heart told me that moment was right. Now, my heart tells me this is our moment, to fight for what is ours. So what do you all say we go down and seize it – and that we go do it in style?”
“To the moment.” They all spoke with fierce smiles now as Adrian finished. As they drank back, Adrian held Layla’s gaze, a fiery heat swirling through his eyes as his vast desert magic careened through them all. Adrian’s Dragon roared, coiling around them as it breathed a fire of all their magics through the room, shimmering the air in waves. Gazing around as everyone came together under Adrian’s fierce Bind, Layla knew they were ready for whatever lay ahead.
And solemnly raised her glass.
“To all of you.” She spoke softly. “Because I couldn’t do any of this without you.”
“To all of us,” Adrian repeated as he held her gaze. “Because we’re all damn worth it.”
They drank, each of them feeling their true worth now in a cascade that razed through them like bonfires, ready to light up the night. Wrath and glory, passion and tender love seared through Layla as they all set their finished champagne flutes aside and made for the doors. Though the party tonight was one of the Grand Masquerades, there were no masks as Adrian opened Layla’s apartment doors, throwing them wide. Tonight, they would face Hunter as themselves; and as Layla took Adrian’s arm, she was glad he was at her side. The rest of the Bind moved out after Adrian and Layla into the hall as Dusk shut the apartment doors. Layla had one last glance into her rooms, wondering if she would ever see them again.
And then Adrian spoke, gazing around the group.
“We all know what’s ahead, and we’re ready for it. You’ve all heard Rhennic’s battle-plan for tonight and have the phases memorized. Stick to the plan; listen to Rhennic through the Bind for when he feels the battle turn. Things will go off the rails; Hunter will have maneuvers we don’t expect. Be flexible, regroup as soon as possible, look for weaknesses in Hunter and his army – and shout them through the Bind. We’ll get through this. And although the Red Letter Hotel Paris may not be standing by morning, my hope is that all of you will be.”
“And you, Adrian.” Dusk spoke as his eyes glowed a fierce sapphire-diamond.
“And me.” Adrian agreed with a soft smile, before looking around the group one last time. “Is everyone ready?”
“Ready.” Layla’s men responded as she took a deep inhalation.
“Layla?” Adrian asked as he watched her with his blazing Mediterranean-aqua eyes.
“Ready.” She spoke, drawing up tall and squaring her shoulders. Deep within, she felt her drakaina blaze all through her in a searing wash of star-bright power, all the magic of her mates in it. “Let’s go kick Hunter’s ass. And give him a night he’ll never forget.”
“If he lives long enough to have additional memories.” Dusk chuckled as the group turned and began moving off down the hall, Layla taking Adrian’s arm on her right and Dusk’s on her left. “Hopefully my crystal-plated fist finding his face will be his last memory.”
“I’d rather one of my water-lances get shoved up his rear,” Reginald chuckled with sharp wit now as he glanced at Dusk, his eyes on fire with golden-grey, “and come out his throat.”
“You could drown him from the inside out with your power, brother, either of us could.” Fury chuckled now as he, Reginald, and Rhennic fell into step behind Layla, Adrian, and Dusk.
“Or pull his blood out through every pore in his body.” Rhennic growled now with a searing light of battle in his lavender eyes. “I know that’s one of your powers, Aldo. And I will call upon you to use it when the battle hits its peak.”
As Rhennic spoke about what he would ask of them with their unique abilities during the battle, Layla suddenly recalled that each of her Royal Dragons was far more than they seemed. Suddenly, she was very much looking forward to the confrontation ahead, as a scalding heat rushed through her like her drakaina had beat wings of desert-fire and brimstone all through her veins. Whatever happened next, it would be a battle for the ages, she knew that much as they began heading down the curved staircase to the first floor.
