For the very first time in nearly four years, every part of my body, from my toes to my head, every muscle, and every inch of my skin, is pain-free.
I take a breath of shocked surprise before I discover I’m not alone.
A man with a shaved head and a pushed-around nose sits on a chair at the table positioned on my right. I’m astonished to see that he’s reading a book. A jet-black ring with three chunky rubies set into it catches the light as he snaps the book shut.
“About time,” he grumbles.
“Where the hell am I?” I demand to know, trying to figure out if my arms and legs are functioning.
I seek my beast, finding him a faint murmur at the back of my mind.
A broad smile breaks across the man’s face, but it’s the kind that should make me afraid.
He stands up slowly, rising up… and up…
Holy hell.He must be the tallest, most solidly built guy I’ve ever encountered, and that includes when I’ve looked in the mirror.
“Where the hell is Peyton?” I shove back the blanket and try to get to my feet, but my legs wobble as if I haven’t used them for a while, and I end up embarrassingly on my knees at the side of the bed.
“Take it easy, hellhound,” the man says, his voice calm. “You’re inside the Legion. We thought it best to keep you here while you healed. I’ll let Slade know you’ve regained consciousness.”
My survival instincts kick in, and I lurch to my feet, finding the strength to stumble to the door.
The man doesn’t try to stop me before I enter a corridor and peer through the windows opposite to discover that I’m several levels up in a building that overlooks a courtyard.
In the distance, a structure that resembles a cathedral is surrounded by smaller buildings, some more modern than others.
As I watch, a group of men and women in navy blue clothing jog around the perimeter in disciplined lines, a man at their head shouting orders at them.
This must be the Legion’s Realm, hidden from humans like the Academy was.
“I’m Alexei. Perhaps you’ve heard of me.” The big guy strides past me with another grim smile. He carries a gun in a holster at his waist, but he doesn’t seem worried that I’ll try to take it. “You aren’t a prisoner, but you have choices to make, Striker Draven. Come with me.”
You must choose.
Peyton’s fierce face flashes into my vision, reminding me of the snakes that circled around her as she forced me to take the wand.
I did the only thing I could do with it. What I do with everything.
I destroyed it.
Even now, I remember the way it had disintegrated in the fire I carry within me.
I prowl after Alexei, following him carefully down the stairs and through opulent corridors before we exit the building and begin to cross the courtyard.
“Wait here,” he says, planting a big hand on my chest to stop me in the middle of the courtyard before he strides away from me to disappear into the building that looks like a cathedral.
Within moments, he returns with two other men, both massive, imposing forms, but they, at least, aren’t taller than me.
“I’m Slade Baines,” says the first man. “This is my Legion. You’ve met Alexei Mason, Master of the Dominion.” He turns to the man with the pushed-around nose, who now stands a step behind him before he gestures to the other man who exited the cathedral. “This is Cain Carter, Master of the Horde. You won’t remember, but you’ve also met my wife, Hunter Cassidy, and Cain’s wife, Archer Ryan. They helped take care of you while you healed.”
My surroundings are clear and open. It feels like the assassins have chosen this spot for that reason. Alexei told me I’m not a prisoner, and it certainly feels like I could turn and walk away, but at the same time… I feel like I can’t.
“Why am I here? Why didn’t Hunter kill me?” I take a step toward Slade, my anger rising. “I was prepared to die.”
Vulture’s daughter, Kaitlyn, had written my name in Hunter Cassidy’s ledger. Kaitlyn wanted me dead because she was led to believe that I had killed the man she loved—a panther shifternamed Jesse. Jesse was, in fact, trapped in the forest outside the Academy. I freed him, and then I helped Kaitlyn escape with him.
I don’t know where Kaitlyn is now.
