“Mac did it.”
Auri chuckles. “So he did. It seems I’ve got my hands full with that one. I always wanted a dragon, especially one so full of spiritand a taste for beauty. I should have expected that he would choose my prettiest pet as his own.”
I keep my eyes down until Auri lifts my chin with a finger.
“Let’s make a deal, shall we, Drax?”
“You already have my servitude. What else could I give you?”
“This one is more fun. I’m feeling generous, but to be honest, I’m curious what the dragon will do once he’s freed from his captor.”
Auri waves a hand, revealing a shelf of trinkets behind a hidden wall. I’ve never seen them before. Each is a glittering gem or stone of some kind. He lifts an emerald from the shelf and tosses it in his hand before giving it to me.
“The Emerald of Castle Bainswan,” he says. “Anyone in possession of it can manipulate time once they learn to harness its power.” Auri closes my fingers around it. “Take this to your mage for release of my pet.”
I frown. Why is he being so agreeable? “Really?”
“Yes. I’m curious about this mage who is so brazen as to steal the Legarr amulet. Get Mac out and he can resume his attempt to obtain the amulet. But be warned, dear Drax, it is Mac who must retrieve the amulet for the deal to be done. If you do it, or I, no deal.”
“You won’t hurt him, Master. He’s my mate.”
Auri smiles. “I’ll do as I like, pet.”
I straighten my shoulders and hold his gaze. “And I will protect my mate. No matter what.”
Auri cups my chin. “I know you will. I chose you for your strength, your loyalty, your sense of rightness. Tell me, Drax, if I were to release your mate, what would you do? Where do your loyalties lie now?”
The question pokes at my brain, but as warmth radiates in the center of my chest, I’m positive we both know the answer.
“I’m still loyal to you, Master. There’s a solution to every challenge.”
He nods. “Very true.” He turns and walks behind his desk again. “Go now, pet.”
He waves me away, and I slip from his office to find the guys waiting for me on the other side of the door.
I open my hand to show them the emerald. “We have a plan.”
MAC
It feelslike I’ve been locked up in my prison for days. The magic flickers occasionally, reminding me that I’m very far from Paris, but through it all there’s been the steady presence of Drax on the other side of the bond. I can sense his emotions, ranging from determination to missing me, and it’s given me a sense of peace that somehow, I’ll get out of this mess.
Earlier, I heard Rune in his workshop, but when I tried the door, it was locked. I want to know what he’s up to, but mostly I want to know where the damn amulet is. Probably in that room of treasures he refuses to call a hoard. If I could just get some time alone in there, maybe I could find it by the time Drax gets here. I could solve two problems at once.
The door opens and Rune enters carrying a tray. He actually smiles at me as if I’m a wanted guest as he places the tray down on a small bedside table.
“Bored with Paris yet? I’ve always been fond of a rooftop deck in Rome.” He snaps his fingers and the illusion around us flickers until I’m staring at terracotta rooftops draped in ivy, the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica looming in the background. “Pretty, isn’t it?”
“How about you let me leave and see it for myself?”
He chuckles, sitting on a chair and crossing one elegant leg over the other. “I brought you a pastry and some coffee.”
“No meat?”
He scrunches his nose. “Sorry. I’m a vegetarian.”
I huff but lift the coffee cup and take a sip of the potent black liquid. “How long do you plan to keep me here?”
“I haven’t decided yet. I’ve been doing my research, but there isn’t a lot of information about you. I can’t even find your family name.”
