“Fine.”
It felt wrong to fly with someone who wasn’t Danica in my arms, but the witch was quiet, leaving me to my thoughts.
“Wait here,” I ordered when I landed outside the cave. Scylla would pick up on my mood, so I needed to gentle her before allowing the witch to meet her.
The dragon’s eyes met mine as I walked into the dim light of the cave. Nuri folded her wings and charged toward me. I had a single moment to shoot into the air before she hit, and I directed a jolt of power toward the cave wall, ensuring it was as soft as a mattress before she slammed into it.
Confusion sparked in her eyes. My insides twisted into a ball of longing as I imagined Danica’s reaction to Nuri’s antics.
Scylla gave a long-suffering sigh, using her head to nudge her daughter away from the wall as she fixed her gaze on me.
“War,” I told her hoarsely. “It is time for us to go to war, old friend.”
A savage excitement glittered in her eyes. Scylla may be a mother now, but she missed the battlefield. The images she sent into my mind more than proved that.
“Yes, we will fight Lucifer. Yes, there will be werewolves. No, you’re not to eat them.”
She snarled, and my lips twitched. “I need you to pass on the message. Any dragons who are unbonded are invited to fight with us. All will be rewarded with more territory and additions to their hoards.”
A face appeared in my mind. Danica. Scylla’s gold eyes burned into me, and my lips twitched.
“Yes. We’re going to save my bondmate.”
Scylla glanced at Nuri and heaved another sigh. The dragon knew what it was to love someone enough that you would do anything for them. She lowered her head, and I stroked her snout.
“There’s someone who would like to meet you.”
The witch was waiting patiently outside the cave, her gaze on the sky. I gestured for her to follow me, and she inhaled sharply as Nuri gamboled toward her like an overgrown puppy.
“My god,” she murmured. “I knew they existed, but…”
“Danica had the same reaction.” I didn’t know why I was telling the witch such things. Perhaps part of her power was to make others let down their guards.
“I bet she did,” Selina laughed. Then her eyes met Scylla’s, and she looked at the dragon for a long time. The dragon looked back.
Finally, Selina nodded. “Thank you,” she said to me as she gave Nuri one last pet and we walked out of the cave.
“Why did you want to speak to me?”
“Danica would want me to check on you,” she said gently. “She has become one of my closest friends. And even if this wasn’t the case, I had a vision.”
I tensed as I lifted her into my arms and flew back toward the portal. “What kind of vision?”
“It was blurred. People were dying, and yet I couldn’t see their faces.”
“Danica?” My throat was so tight I could barely speak the word.
Selina shook her head. “I can’t see her,” and for the first time, her voice shook. “That’s why I wanted to come here today. I thought maybe if I spent some time with you, I could open myself to the visions once more. Try again.”
I thought about it as we flew through the portal, and I landed on the other side. “What do you need?”
“Give me your hand.”
The witch sucked in a breath as she took it.
“Blood and death and loss,” her voice was distant. “No one escapes war without all of these things, but you will need to prepare yourself to lose more than you can imagine.”
My mouth was so dry I could barely speak. “Danica?”
