He glances back, sees me coming, and makes space for me to pass.
I tip my chin at him. He knows what to do.
As soon as the women emerge, he and his crew will disappear inside the room. It will be completely clean in the space of an hour. Possibly cleaner than it’s ever been.
I stride away into the thumping music, exhaling the scent of captivity and the memories that return to me. I push them away,as I’ve learned to do, and by the time I reach the dance floor, I’ve refocused myself.
Dealing with a demon is nothing compared to what I’ll face tomorrow.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
My bare feet settle onto sand for the first time in over a year.
I stand at the edge of a pristine beach, the salty air making my hair clump in all its old ways as I take in the vast ocean I wasn’t sure I’d see again.
Behind me is the long hut where Anarchy trained me and behind that is the vast jungle that makes up most of the island controlled by the dragon master, Ryuji.
The dark elves fan out around me on the beach, my constant shadows.
The warlock who brought us here departed immediately, just as I instructed him to do. I no longer need to rely on Orlan to transport me around. I have my own team of warlocks for that.
I debated long and hard about whom I should bring with me. I wanted Lucian to be here, too, but approaching this meeting with a larger-than-necessary entourage could be considered a threat.
I also debated coming alone, but Anarchy wouldn’t allow it.
“Not against those beings,” she said firmly. “You need us there.”
“They have more to fear from me than I do from them,” I pointed out.
She was quiet at that.
It’s a hard truth that sets me apart, even from the ones I love.
Now, I wait at the edge of the beach for the arrival of the dragon masters and the other powerful beings they’ve invited to this island.
It’s neutral territory. An act of pure trust for all involved.
Soon enough, a high-pitched shriek breaks the air. The dragon masters move so fast that it causes the air pressure to change and my ears topop, but I’m prepared for it, quickly swallowing to alleviate my discomfort.
The wind billows around me as five air dragons come to an abrupt halt in the sky above the beach—an equal number to me and my four dark elves. Just as Ryuji and I discussed.
He is the first to drop to the beach.
He slows down as he approaches me, a little more wariness entering his approach the closer he gets.
He has jagged, black hair and fierce, dark-brown eyes while his skin is dusted in silver scales and his wings are so silvery bright that they reflect the afternoon sunlight.
He folds his wings away as the other dragons land.
I look for Ryuji’s sister, Miku, who bonded with Riot. She lands to the far left of the group and stays well back. Her scales are pale teal while her wings are dark teal at the top, merging with ivory at the tips. Like Ryuji, her hair is inky black, but she has bright teal streaks running through it.
She scans our group and instantly spots Riot, who has taken a step forward. He stops himself, and it looks as if she’s digging in her heels, too. It’s clear to me that time and distance haven’t broken the mate bond they formed, but they’ll have to resist it for now.
I greet Ryuji formally, lowering my gaze when I bow to him in another gesture of trust. “Kaito Ryuji, son of Rin and Yuma, alpha of the Kaito Dragon Family. It’s good to see you.”
“Ultima Nostra,” he says, returning my bow.
I wait for more, but that’s all he says as he squints at me, studying my eyes and face.
