I inched a little higher, then spotted something that stole my breath.
There at the back of the camp, closest to the wall below us, sat two gigantic cages. One was empty. The other held a dragon.
“Shit,” I muttered.
So Lucifer had bred more than one then. Not surprising. But I didn’t appreciate the sight.
“Well,” Calyx muttered next to me, his gaze also locked on the dragon. "That's inconvenient.”
I didn’t answer, too busy taking stock of the outpost. I wanted to know what we were facing. Was this dragon identical to the one we’d just faced, or had my father taken creative liberties and designed them differently?
Calyx shifted his weight, his wing bumping my side. “So. Care to chat about what happened back there?”
“Nope,” was all I said.
He, of course, ignored me. “Well, too bad. Listen, I get it, you’re pissed. And I completely understand why. You fucked up.”
I shot him a blistering glare. One that only had him grinning.
“But don’t you think you were a bit hard on ole Rath?”
“I call him Rath. You don’t,” I muttered.
“Ah, possessiveness. A good sign. For a second there, I thought you were planning to break the old demon’s heart.”
“This really isn’t any of your business, Calyx,” I warned.
“Well, see, that’s where you’re wrong. Here’s the thing. You’re the leader of our group, a title you so humbly appointed yourself earlier. And if you’re the leader, that meansanythingthat involves you is the business ofeveryonewho follows you.”
I simply sighed.
“See, when people follow you, it opens you up to scrutiny and opinions, and all that not-so-fun stuff. We get to analyze everything you do, pick it apart to make sure you’re the right leader for us. It sucks, I know. But it’s just what happens when someone is the leader.”
“Do you have a point to make?” I hissed.
“Oh, I’m sure it’s somewhere.” He hummed under his breath for a moment, then said, “Aha!” Like he was freaking Thomas Edison discovering the lightbulb. “I remember now. Your relationship is all of our business. That’s a fact. Accept it. And that also means I get to give unsolicited advice.”
“Yay me,” I drawled.
Calyx chuckled. “You know, I like you better when we’re alone. I get to see the real you a bit more. She’s…fun.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Anyway, my advice is to ease up on Rathiel. As much as it disgusts me to even think about you two doing the nasty deed”—he faked a choking sound—“you two care for each other. That tends to lead to moments like last night. You didn'tabandonanyone. We're all capable fighters and can take care of ourselves. It was just a shitty situation, one we were wholly unprepared for. And Rathiel was right, we have no way of knowing how things would have gone down if youhadstayed behind. It could have resulted in even more death. Losing Sable is a tragedy. Mournher. But don’t destroy your relationships with everyone else in the meantime.”
I finally turned my head to glare at him. I couldn’t remember ever hearing him talk so much before, and I had no inclination to experience it again.
Calyx offered a toothy grin. “There she is. I was starting to miss your sunny disposition.”
“Why are you even talking to me about this?” I asked. “You don’t give a damn about anyone but yourself.”
His grin faltered for a second, then came back even sharper. “Normally, you’d be right. And while I usually enjoy watching—and causing—people’s misery, even I’m not enjoying watching you shame-spiral.” He flicked a finger toward the camp. “You think chewing out Rathiel and flying off with yours truly was a great plan? Sure, I’m flattered. But he looked like you’d just ripped out his spine and handed it to him.”
Okay, that made me wince.
“He loves you”—Calyx made another disgusted noise—“ugh, can’t believe I said that out loud. And yes, I know you have a saviour complex. But don’t push him away. Lean into him. He’ll be there to support you in any way he can.”
“Are you done?” I asked dryly.
