His expression…Hades. It was heartbreak carved in flesh.
“I don’t want your hate or fear…but I was willing to take anything you’d give me. A glance. A moment. A single touch. Anything was better than nothing. I’m not the good guy in your story, but I—”
The ground shuddered.
Luke caught both of my hands as the earth trembled beneath us. The quake lasted only seconds, but it was enough to steal the breath from my lungs.
We both turned toward the tree.
It had split down the middle like a wound, and from its core, a swirling black-and-grey vortex formed, sucking the light from the air itself.
Power drained from me like blood from a wound.
I was mortal again.
The reprieve was over.
The end didn’t whisper.
It roared.
???
The blade at my hip felt heavier than it ever had. I glanced at my mate, dread curdling in my gut. Was he mortal yet? And if he was… would I still hesitate?
Harvest, Nadine, and several dragons ported into Hell. Harvest’s head snapped toward the vortex forming in the tree first, then locked on Luke, glaring at the one who made him.
The dragons were a problem. I had no advantage against the beasts, and if Luke was mortal, neither did he. Luke tugged me behind him.
“Go now,” he ordered. “The vortex will pull you closer soon enough. For now, I want you out of sight.”
“Those dragons won’t let me go anywhere,” I muttered, pointing as they circled above us.
I gripped my blade, studying Luke’s back.Do it now.End him before he claimed the human world—even if Harvest killed me after. I hesitated. Too long.
Luke shoved me down and unsheathed his blade as the first dragon descended. In one strike, he gutted the beast. I gagged as black blood splattered across me, the stink unforgettable—like burnt rot and poison.
“Run!” Luke yelled.
A portal opened above the second dragon—and a massive, flaming beast tunneled through. Payne. He roared, tackling it midair. Fire scorched the trees, but I didn’t care. More portals opened.
They were coming.
Out of nowhere, a green wingless dragon launched from behind Harvest and Nadine. Joy. Nadine shrieked, shifting into dragon form, but Joy was already on her. Like a serpent, she wrapped around the larger dragon’s body and squeezed. The fight was over in seconds.
A roar from Payne met Joy’s scream. She answered with a hiss and launched skyward—twisting around him in midair. A laugh escaped me.
We might be mortal, but they were dragons.
And we were not out of the fight.
Then I caught Luke watching the sky—not me.
The laughter died in my throat. I stood unsheathing my dagger. I stepped into a fighting stance.
Luke turned. His body stilled.
“I can’t let you walk through,” I said.
