She clung to her wrist hard enough that I feared she’d snap the bone.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” I said with a sigh. “He’s not actually angry. He’s drawing my attention away from you. He doesn’t want to see me hurt.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.” Worry brimmed behind her eyes, quickly flashing to that all-encompassing white before they returned to their natural, radiant color.
“I know. I don’t want to hurt you either.” I paused to run a hand over Hoshiko’s side, so incredibly grateful for his friendship. “It seems that’s what we’re best at, though. Right?”
“I guess.” She nibbled her bottom lip. “What if. .. being with you always feels right? What if we chase that feeling? While we’re here.”
I didn’t know how many ways a single heart could break. How many times could the already shattered pieces fragment further? But her words speared through me, like daggers piercing my soul and turning the remains of my heart to dust.
A growl ripped out of me, our bond tearing through my control. “I won’t warm your bed while we’re here simply so you can run back to Etienne. Don’t cheapen what I feel for you as some temporary fling.” Fury scorched my throat, too sharp, too raw. I dragged in a ragged breath, tempering that fury before I hurt her with words I couldn’t take back. “And what of Etienne? What about the love you tore through the human realm to save?”
Her lips parted. “I didn’t mean?—”
“I know what you meant.” My jaw tightened, but the fight fled out of me as quickly as it came. “Last year, I gave you bits and pieces of myself, and I never got them back. They’re yours, Lolli. But that’s all you’re taking from me. I can’t survive repeating what we almost had.” My voice cracked. “I want forever with you. Nothing less.”
The way her features fell tore through our bond in vicious swipes. She quickly concealed her emotions, her eyes fanning over me before she gave me a tight-lipped smile. I didn’t know what that smile meant, nor did I have time to try to decipher it.
We both turned at the sound of thundering footsteps that made the green earth beneath my feet tremble. Two largedragons walked out of the cave while another flew inches above their heads. From the sky, a deafening roar sounded. When Finley drew closer to me, I fought my feet from moving.
She hadn’t simply stepped closer to me but also in front of me. It was as if she wanted to guard me from the dragons who might pose a threat to us.
Three dragons landed in front of us, and she edged forward, angling her body in front of me. My warrior mate, ready to take on these beasts as if I were some damsel in distress.
Each dragon was unique, varying in size and color. But the figures atop their backs were what held my attention.
Humans.
Not fae. Not some ancient dragon-kin I’d never heard of.
Humans.
A ripple of unease passed through our group. I felt it in the subtle shift of weight around me. Elias’s shoulders squared. Everly’s breath tightened. Finley’s magic drew tight beneath her skin.
From what we’d seen of the realms, humans were capable, but they weren’t stronger than fae. Not in magic. Not in endurance. Not in lifespan.
Yet here they sat astride dragons.
Like Javier, their dragons were fastened with saddles. Unlike him, the humans wore a helmet fashioned with sleek visors shielding their faces. Not battle helms, but flight helms.
My gaze slid to Javier. He didn’t look surprised like the rest of us. If anything, there was a quiet confirmation in his expression.
But then again, Sama seemed to whisper secrets to him that the rest of us weren’t privy to. Whatever lay in Vistos, Javier had been walking toward it long before the rest of us realized it even existed.
Still. If dragons were the oldest, most powerful creatures we knew . . . Wouldn’t it make more sense for their chosen riders to be fae?
The first dragon rider leaped off her dragon’s back, landing with an ease that must’ve taken years to perfect. When she lifted her helmet, she turned her glowering expression to us. Elias was the first to step forward, extending his hand in greeting.
“Thank you for welcoming us into your realm,” Elias said.
The female studied Elias’s outstretched hand for a few beats before she shook it, her leather gloves meeting Elias’s bare hand.
“Welcome is premature,” she said. “You’re here because the dragons asked it. I am still undecided.” Her attention shifted to the rest of us. “If any of you give me a reason to regret this, we’ll have another conversation.”
The riders behind her nodded, affirming her authority. She turned to them, her head tilting toward us.
While the remainder of our group hung back, I stepped forward as the humans approached. Javier fell in beside me, and together we faced the dragon riders. Unease rippled through each handshake.
