Not vaporous, not intangible. A solidified menace that now stands even taller and more monstrous than it was when its splintered form streaked over the skies of Sixth Kingdom.
It stretches taller than the steepled buildings along the street, its spiked body and coiled tail barely fitting. Then it opens its mouth, showing off its wicked sharp teeth, and breathes fire of black rot, taking out what’s left of the soldiers.
Panic decimates the street.
The gathered crowd bolts. Abandoning their tightly packed positions from where they were trying to get closer to the square, they now turn and flee. The grieving fae whose body is draped over the boy shakes in fear, tears caught in every crevice of his face. “Don’t destroy him, please!” he cries as he clutches at the body.
I shake my head. “You have nothing to fear from us.”
Then I turn and start walking, and people scatter as fast as they can while the dragon stomps behind me, every step shaking the street.
Hare appears at my side out of nowhere. “Adragon?” he shouts, shock dripping off his face like drool as he stares at the creature. “You can manifest a dragon? I thought that magic died out in your family generations ago!”
“It did.”
He clamps his mouth shut after that, staying behind as I make my way down the street. The weight of the dragon snaps the stone as it walks, tail whipping, eyes flashing.
People run past us screaming, but my attention is locked on the blinding aura ahead. Anxiety rises up like acid at the back of my throat, because my bond isn’t singing, it isn’t even blaring. It’s fucking hammering against my chest, demanding with ferocity.
GO GO GO GO GO GO
As soon as the last of the people flee in the face of my dragon, leaving the way clear, I start tosprint. My heart pounds hard in my chest as that aura glows up from the ground like a fallen star, streaked with darkness that flares like a pulse.
I’m getting closer,closer, so fucking close after weeks and weeks of pure darkness, pure agony.
And then, I reach the end of the street, and I see a golden figure running toward me. My heart breaks open.
Auren.
CHAPTER 32
SLADE
She’s a vision.
Auren gleams in the sunlight, dressed head to toe in armor that melds against her body. She’s so fucking beautiful, so fucking strong.
Andhere.After all this time, after walking from one world to the next, she’s finally here, right in front of me.
The sight of her takes my breath away.
I edge around a fountain, see her eyes widen at the looming dragon behind me, her steps slowing.
“It’s okay,” I reassure her, my eyes delving into hers, my throat closing from joy and emotion. “I—”
Liquid gold suddenly slams into my chest.
It’s so unexpected that it staggers me. I manage to stay on my feet, but just barely. She stops, leaving distance between us, just as that gold partially solidifies to slide down my torso and wrap around me like ropes. It binds my arms behind my back and hardens around my boots.
I look down at the gold holding me in place and then back at her with a smirk. “If you wanted to tie me up, then may I suggest we do so in private?”
It doesn’t escape me that her gold is riddled with roots of rot—myrot.
Pure male satisfaction surges through me.
Her expression is unreadable. “You’re not The Breaker. Who are you?”
I blink, thoughts cutting off as I replay her words. “What?”
