I needed to talk to Harriette. The light fae was cagey as hell, but she’d once been my mom’s closest friend. There was a chance she would know what was in Evie’s neck. If my mom had told anyone, she would have told her.
In the meantime, I was standing in a robe next to the demon, who had a hungry spark in his eyes. I peered up at him from beneath my lashes. “You said you had a surprise.”
“I do. You’re going to like it.”
“What is it?”
He merely grinned, and I blinked. It wasn’t often that Samael smiled, but when he did, it lit up the room.
“Come on,” I wheedled. “Tell me.”
“Syclla’s egg has hatched.”
I squealed. There was no other word for it. Samael threw his head back and laughed as I elbowed past him, hurrying into his bedroom and throwing open my suitcase.
I was going to see a baby dragon.
A. Baby. Dragon.
Samael watched as I got changed, his wings rustling. He still hadn’t hidden them away, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was because he wanted me to see. Wanted me to accept who and what he was.
His eyes were liquid silver as I pulled a t-shirt over my support tank.
“I’ve never before found it particularly arousing to watch a woman dress.”
“Yeah, I’m full of surprises. What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”
He raised one eyebrow and dropped his gaze to my bare feet. I scowled and reached for socks and boots.
A few minutes later I was pushing my hair out of my face as Samael soared through the air. We were headed toward the portal located behind what was once a human university.
The plethora of portals dotted throughout the Triangle had attracted many of the paranormals who made their homes here. While most of them could only be used by the most powerful paranormals around, that didn’t stop even the most magically dead human from occasionally attempting to cross through a portal or using it as a quick way to take their own lives.
The Mage Council had made noises about setting guards on all of the known portals in an attempt to dissuade the kind of people who were fascinated by paranormals. This idea was quickly shot down by every paranormal in the triangle with enough power to cross over.
No one wanted the Mage Council knowing exactly which portals they were using and when.
The portal was beautiful. I could almost understand the humans who were drawn to it even if they had no power. The center was a blue so light it was almost white, darkening to azure, sapphire, and finally, a blue so deep, it reminded me of the night sky. The portal hummed, shimmering as if it was alive.
The first time I’d thrown myself through this portal, I’d been looking for the Dagger of Truth on my hip. It had felt like my limbs were being dunked in acid, my every nerve exposed and set on fire.
The last time had been much easier in comparison. Sure, the pain had ripped into me, but it had been over quickly.
This time, Samael didn’t hesitate. He knew I hated traveling by portals, so he merely tightened his hold on me and flew straight through.
It hurt, but it was over in a few seconds. I opened my eyes to find Samael watching me. He smiled.
“As the suppression spell crumbles, your power can finally protect you the way it should.”
Pure, unrelenting wrath danced in his eyes for a single moment at the reminder of the suppression spell and I tensed.
I hadn’t told Samael exactly who had put that suppression spell on me. The demon waspissedthat anyone would dare magically neuter one of his demons, especially since it had meant he hadn’t known exactly what I was for a while. As much as Harriette annoyed me, I wouldn’t be letting Samael know she’d had anything to do with the suppression spell.
I shivered as we flew toward the cave entrance. The sun was high in the rust-colored sky, but it was still cooler in this realm. Samael clutched me closer, and I shivered for a different reason as he nuzzled my neck.
“Wait here,” he said as he landed. “I’ll check that Syclla is in the mood for visitors.”
Good plan. The dragon didn’t like me, mostly because I’d snuck into her cave and stolen Misty from her. It offended Syclla’s dragon sensibilities that Samael had let me keep it. But sheadoredthe demon.
