“And so was Vera.”
I blinked. “Vera was…” My voice caught. His words slammed into me, my heart sinking at the look on his face.
I brought a shaking hand to my lips. “You saw her? Are yousure?”
He nodded stiffly. “It was her. She turned to look at me before—” Cutting himself off, he gripped his head in his hands. His fingers flickered between flesh and talon, and when I saw blood dripping from where he clawed his scalp, I lurched to my knees to stop him.
Pain shot up my left leg, but I ignored it. I grabbed both of his forearms. “Nox, please,” I begged. “You’re hurting yourself.”
“I killed her, Devora,” he rasped, eyes glowing silver. “I killed mysister.”
I shook my head. “No, you didn’t. Youdidn’t. Nox, look at me. She might’ve gotten out. Do you really think she and Scarven would’ve gone down there if he didn’t havemultiplebackup plans?” I tightened my grasp on his arms, even when the raw flesh on my left hand screamed at me. “She’spowerful, Nox. You can’t let yourself believe she’s gone. Youhaveto have faith.”
His eyes dimmed, fading back into their normal navy-blue. He took a ragged breath. “What if I can’t? What if she didn’t get out? How am I supposed to live with myself?”
My heart cracked wide open. I’d never seen him this unsure of himself. I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to be his rock, his support, his anchor when the storms were too fierce for even a dragon Shifter to navigate.
But I didn’t know how to make this better.
Wincing, I lowered myself back to his side, placing an arm behind his back. He instantly leaned his head on my good shoulder. I felt a single tear drip onto my arm, and my vision wavered with my own.
“It’s going to be okay, Nox. I’m here. I love you. She’s going to be okay.” I kept repeating the words as I stroked his head, running my fingers through his hair and down his neck.
I didn’t know if it was true. I didn’t know if Vera had gotten out of those caves. The explosion was fast and powerful, and if she wasn’t quick enough…
But Ihadto believe it. I had to have hope, for Nox’s sake. Otherwise…this would break him.
His temple rested on my shoulder, and I could tell when sleep finally took him. His breaths evened out as his full weight pressed down on me, soft snores filling the cave. I kept gently kissing the top of his head, my fingers wandering through his hair until I drifted off into my own restless dream.
Flames burst from the darkness,dancing and darting around the pitch-black space. I tried to run before they could engulf me, but my feet were rooted to the ground. A scream ripped from me as the fire jumped to my feet.
The pain was numb at first, like my mind was trying to catch up to my body, but then it ruptured. Both searing and cutting at the same time, making my skin bubble as the scent of burning flesh ignited in my nose.
But then, there was a different sort of pain.
A sharp sting broke through the blaze. This was concentrated. Focused. Precise. Not like the chaotic inferno that encompassed every inch of me.
My eyes slammed open as I gasped, nearly choking on my own tongue. My right leg—it felt like someone was cutting me open?—
Nox had fallen into my lap in his sleep, but he bolted awake when I jerked my leg. I let out a whimper and pawed at my leathers.
“What are you doing? What’s wrong?” He glanced in confusion between my face and my hands clawing at the fabric.
“Get them off, get themoff!” I cried. There was nothing there, but I could feel the tip of a dagger sinking into me, carving out my flesh.
Without question, he shifted a finger into a talon and used the tip to shred through the leg of my pants.
I slapped a handover my mouth to muffle my shriek.
On the bare skin of my upper thigh were jagged, bloody letters. It was like an invisible knife was slicing them into me, one by one, and I watched in horror as the last letter dug in deep, sending rivulets of blood down my leg.
A single word shone up at us, red blood glinting in the firelight.
Mine
64
Nox
