Hadrian.
Relief hit me so fast, it was almost dizzying. He’d followed to help. Or to check on us. Or?—
Fire exploded from his throat.
There was no warning. Just heat and fury tearing through the air toward us in a blinding, roaring wave.
I didn’t think.
I moved.
The force of it drove us hard into the ground, my body curling around Artemis as the fire slammed overhead. I felt it rake across my back, brutal, scorching heat close enough to blister even through my scales as they surged instinctively to the surface. Stone cracked. The ground screamed. The world narrowed to pressure and sound and the absolute necessity of keeping her beneath me.
When it stopped, the silence was deafening.
I lifted my head, heart hammering, and found her face inches from mine. Soot-streaked, wide-eyed, but alive.
“Are you hurt?” I asked, my voice rough.
She shook her head.
Relief slammed through me so hard my elbows went numb.
I turned to rise, but she grabbed my collar.
“Arthur,” she said, sharp enough to cut through everything. When I looked back, she pulled me down and kissed me.
It was quick and desperate and searing.
“Don’t die,” she said.
Something in my chest cracked open.
I launched myself forward.
I didn’t have time to shift before Hadrian slammed into me. The impact drove me face-first into the stone. Breath left my lungs in a harsh rush. I fought uselessly as his weight pinned me, magic pressing down like a vise.
Around us, the smaller dragons landed and shifted mid-motion.
Human hands grabbed Artemis.
“No,” I snarled, twisting, fighting the hold on my neck. My gaze locked on her as she struggled against the three men restraining her. She fought like hell, refusing to surrender.
“Easy,” one of them said calmly toward me. “Do anything stupid and your little human pet gets hurt.”
Pet.
The world went red-hot behind my eyes.
Hadrian released me and shifted. Scales gave way to skin, wings collapsing into nothing. He stood tall and composed, clothes pristine, expression almost amused.
“Arthur,” he said pleasantly. “You’ve done something remarkable.”
I dragged myself upright, shaking with rage and disbelief. “What is this?”
He flashed a smile that was pure satisfaction. “You finally foundthe last piece.”
My thoughts skidded along uselessly. “You’ve been playing me this whole time,” I said hoarsely.
