Legion clears his throat, and I realize belatedly what he must be sensing through the mate bond.

  “Are you free right now?” he asks.

  “Depends on why you’re asking.”

  “Don’t look so worried.” He grins. “I have a surprise for you.”

  “Now, I’m definitely worried.”

  “Come on. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

  I follow him out and through the halls until we arrive at the back doors. He holds the door for me to follow him out then pauses at the bottom of the steps.

  “Close your eyes.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “You don’t trust me?”

  “Not as far as I can throw you.”

  “That hurts. Didn’t I promise to keep you safe and I have?”

  “So far,” I allow.

  “And Kendall?”

  “Maybe. But I’m not sure I can handle any more surprises for a while.”

  His teasing vanishes, and he says, “I would never let anything happen to you.”

  I don’t answer. It’s too much of a reminder of what kept me awake last night. I have no doubt Legion will protect me—but I’m not ready for what that might cost him.

  “Close your eyes, little assassin.”

  This time, I do as he asks.

  “Good girl. Now, give me your hand.” My eyes fly open. His lips twitch. “Your gloved hand,” he adds pointedly.

  I shake my head but offer him my hand anyway.

  “Eyes,” he reminds me.

  I shut them and am immediately enveloped in darkness. All I know is the sensation of his hand wrapped tightly around mine, and my entire body warms to it. He’s right, he would never let anything happen to me. So, one foot in front of the other, I let him lead me … wherever it is he’s taking me.

  “Now, walk this way,” he says, using our joined hands to lead me into the gardens. After what feels like forever, he says, “Stop here.”

  I do as he asks and wait, listening to a series of creaks and rustles that suggest something other than rosebushes and ferns.

  “Are you leading me into some torture chamber?” I joke.

  “I guess some might call it a torture chamber,” he says.

  At that, nerves dance in my belly, but he never once lets go of my hand. I hear a click then another creak.

  Finally, he says, “Open your eyes.”

  With a steadying breath, I do.

  The first thing I see is a doorway pushed open as if beckoning me inside whatever structure stands before me. I look around, noting we’re in the very back of the gardens just before the forest encroaches. Dark, poisoned vines crawl over the plant life, but right here where I stand, they’ve been cut back, and in the clearing stands a wooden structure I’ve never seen before.

  “What is this?” I ask.

  “Go inside and see for yourself.”

  I take a tentative step through the door he’s pushed open, and my eyes widen at the number of plants that have been packed into the space. Not just any plants either. Recognition hits me as my eyes land on a familiar pot of wolfsbane. Juniper gave it to me for my birthday two years ago. Beside it is potted hemlock my father and I planted as seeds, and beyond that, several pots of brightly colored oleander that my mother got for me the last time we went shopping together.

  I take another step then another until I reach the back of the greenhouse and spot the stack of notebooks and journals set out on the small desk in the corner. My eyes well with tears at the unexpected gesture that speaks volumes in so many ways.

  I whirl and find Legion standing in the doorway.

  “These are my father’s journals,” I say.

  “Yes.”

  “And my plants.”

  “Yes.”

  “How?”

  “I brought them here.”

  “You left? But you promised⁠—”

  “I didn’t seek out a single Crimson Rose. I kept my promise.”

  “You could have been captured,” I say.

  “But I wasn’t.”

  I want to argue, to unleash the mountain of fear at the idea of him being in the Earth realm alone. In my backyard, no less. But the magnitude of the gesture makes it hard to hold onto my anger.

  “I know it’s not the same as being at home in your workshop, but hopefully it helps.”

  I stare at him, not even sure he’s the same person as the smug as hell, self-centered dragon who first came to my backyard and demanded I tell him how desperate I was for him.

  “Is it okay?” he asks when I don’t say anything.

  I swallow hard against the lump in my throat. “Yes,” I somehow manage to say without crying. “It’s very much okay.”

  He exhales, suddenly looking far less tense than before.

  I offer him a small smile, my heart pounding even though he’s standing well out of reach. “This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

  His mouth quirks. “I see. Saving your life is insignificant compared to gifting you with a greenhouse full of potted poisons.”

  “Funny. But yes. I guess that’s how I rank kindness.”

  His dark gaze glitters. “And how do you reward such kindness?”

  He hasn’t made a single move toward me, yet I feel him intensely as if he were standing in my personal space. The reality that this is as close as we can ever be is like a bucket of cold water.

  I blink, hope draining away like the tide. “I guess we’ll never know.”

  Chapter 27

  Legion

  In the small hours of the morning, I stalk through my quiet house like an angry shadow. Sleepless hours passed with me lying in bed, but when my erection became too painful with no satisfying release in sight, I got up and wandered. Thoughts of Tori have me on edge. The memory of her expression, when I showed her the greenhouse yesterday, is an image that will forever be etched into my mind.

  Her emotional reaction drove my beast to near-madness. I left her alone under the guise of letting her work and spent the day hiding in my study. I’m caught between needing to flee her presence and refusing to leave her alone.

  It’s nearly dawn now, and there is not a room in this house where I don’t feel her presence. Somewhere along the way, I stopped hating the bond. I stopped hating her.

  What I feel… Even if I could put it into words, I don’t know how to tell her. Not without admitting this last secret I’ve kept. The one that would ruin her toward me forever. Giving her that greenhouse full of poisons was the only way I could think of to show her how much she means to me. But even that ended on a sour note.

  I’ve never wanted a thing I couldn’t have before.

  And I’ve never wanted anything more than I want her.

  But having her is impossible.

  Even if we found a way to break the curse, it would undoubtedly involve telling her where the thing came from in the first place. And I know Tori well enough by now to know that kind of betrayal would break us… irreparably.

  Keeping her here with me—and keeping her cursed—is the most selfish thing I’ve ever done. But the guilt has never been so heavy as when she looked at me in that greenhouse and wanted me. In that moment, without the curse, she would have been mine.

  Instead, I’m here, in my study, drinking whiskey at five in the morning, and daydreaming about killing things just to cheer myself up. But maybe it doesn’t have to remain a daydream. The Crimson Roses are still out there, which means they are still a threat to my mate.

  Klyn’s tracker has yet to return with useful intel, but I’m done waiting. My shadow beast needs an outlet. Maybe when Tori is safe, the madness will be bearable. Or maybe it’s the madness that drives me to decide.

  I down the last of the whiskey I’d poured and set the glass aside, heading for the launch pad. My thoughts drift to Klyn. He’ll want to know I’ve left, but now that I’m on the move, I can’t bring myself to delay long enough to tell him.

  My shadow beast drives me onward, and I let him.

  Outside, the morning air bites my cheeks, but the chill is refreshing to my senses. It’ll feel even better against my scales.

  I’m nearly through the gardens when I see the familiar silhouette. Still, even though I recognize Tori immediately, I falter in confusion at seeing her out here so early. She’s wrapped in a thick cloak that clings to her curves despite its bulk. My heart lurches at the sight of her, my feelings even stronger than my physical desire. I shove them all aside as I approach.

  “I didn’t realize you were awake.”

  She crosses her arms, looking defiant. “You thought you could sneak out before I woke up?”

  “I’m not sneaking anywhere,” I say. “This is my house.”

  “In that case, you don’t mind me tagging along.”

  I frown. “You don’t even know where I’m going.”

  “Then why don’t you tell me?” she asks.

  Her expression makes it clear she’s already guessed. It takes me a moment to figure out how she knows.

  The mate bond.

  Fuck.

  “You’re staying here,” I tell her firmly.

  Her eyes flash with fury though it doesn’t surprise me. “You promised me you’d let me come.”

  “I also promised to keep you safe. That promise is more important.”

  “No. You don’t get to justify this. And you don’t get to break your vow to me.”

  Any other day, her temper would turn me on. Today, it only feeds my determination. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “But not for you?” I start to reply, but she cuts me off. “Kendall had a vision about you.” She pauses and then adds, “She saw you go alone, and it ends in you losing.”

  “Those visions are subjective of a thousand different choices along the way.”

  “Fuck, Legion.” She throws up her hands. “If you aren’t going to care about living through this, at least care what your death would do to me. We might not be claimed mates yet, but if you died, I probably would too.”

  If she’d yelled it, the words would have cut less than they do as she delivers them quietly.

  I hate the pain in her eyes that goes with them.

  Seeing it weakens my resolve. She’s right. I wouldn’t survive losing her either. I’m barely surviving resisting her, and I’m only doing that because touching her would kill me. Otherwise, I would have claimed her as mine long before this moment.

  “I don’t plan to die for you,” I tell her. “Not unless there’s no other choice left for me. Believe me, little assassin, I want very much to live for you instead. To find a way to touch you. And claim you. And make you mine like I’m already yours. That is why I’m going to end this today.”

  She exhales, her expression softening at my words. “I want a mate who lets me fight beside him.” Her mouth curves in a devious smile. “I also want to fight you but only because I love when we make up.”

  I flash a small smile at that but shake my head. “Using your gift causes you pain, remember?”

  “Then I won’t use it.”

  My brows lift at that.

  She rolls her eyes. “Fine. I might. But I’ll try not to. Look.” She holds up her hands to show the gloves covering every inch of skin.

  “Your face,” I say.

  She pulls something out of her pocket. When she pulls it over her head, I see that it’s not a scarf but a sheer mask shaped perfectly to her face.

  “Where did you get that?” I ask.

  “Chaya got it for me. Apparently, she understands I should be part of this.”

  I ignore her attempt to bait me. Instead, I focus on the mask that will only make her more vulnerable. The damned thing covers every inch of her face, including her eyes.

  “You’re willing to fight blind?” I ask.

  She shoves her gloved hand out, driving a punch straight into my gut.

  I grunt, my muscles tensing too late. It doesn’t hurt exactly, but she makes her point anyway. “Not blind, apparently.”

  “Not blind,” she confirms, stepping back.

  I can hear the smugness in her tone.

  She crosses her arms again, feet planted as if she’s bracing for a fight.

  “If you say no, I’ll find my own way,” she adds.

  “Yes, I have no doubt about that.” I shake my head. Short of tying her up, I can’t make her stay put. And letting her face the Crimson Roses alone is not something I’m willing to do.

  “All right, little assassin. But I won’t carry you like prey this time.”

  She eyes me warily. “What does that mean?”

  “It means, this time, you’ll ride on my back.” I can’t help the darkly delicious thoughts that follow my statement. Or the wink I give her when I add, “Until such time you can ride my front, that is. Now, come on. Daybreak is here, and I intend to hunt a Crimson Rose for breakfast.”

  She shudders at my words, though I don’t know if it’s my promise to let her ride my cock someday or my vow to kill her enemies that’s caused her blood to stir. Either way, I strip, dropping my clothes to the ground at my feet and calling my beast to the surface before I can distract us both with any more empty words.

  Chapter 28

  Tori

  Being airborne is not an experience I want to repeat, but I’m done sitting around. So, I spent all night making my peace with the necessary evil of being carried through the skies like a sack of potatoes, only to be faced with the idea of riding on his back instead. Even the sight of Legion shifting and becoming a giant black-scaled dragon isn’t enough to distract me from the mental image of me riding him… in every way imaginable.

  By the time he looks down at me with those glowing orange eyes, I know my face is flushed, and my core aches with a need that’s been unfulfilled for way too long. His nostrils flare, and I realize he’s scented my desire.

  Ugh.

  I am instantly grateful for the mask I’m forced to wear. That’s a first.

  “Let’s hurry up and get this over with,” I say.

  The dragon snorts, and hot air washes over me. His size and sense of power are intimidating, but I know with absolute certainty Legion would never hurt me. When he responds by lowering himself to his belly so I can climb on, the gesture alone earns a new level of trust. He’s willing to make himself vulnerable. That means something.

  His scales are smooth beneath my hands, but I’m careful to avoid the row of spikes as I climb up to his back and settle there. With gloved hands, I grab onto the raised row of scales behind his head and call out, “Ready.”

  Only then does he slowly push to his feet.

  I look down at the ground, already feeling a little unsteady at how far up I am. But then his large wings spread, beating downward to create a powerful draft of air. Then he walks over to the cliff’s edge—and steps off it.

  For a harrowing moment, my stomach lurches into my throat, and a silent scream sticks in my open mouth as we freefall. Slowly, I realize we’re not falling exactly as Legion angles us so that we’re coasting slowly downward.

  Semantics.

  The effect on my stomach is the same either way.

  My hands grip tightly to the raised scales as I try very hard not to throw up. My body tilts as his scales suddenly become slick with the moisture in the air. Panic slams into me as I imagine myself sliding right off his back and plummeting to the ground.

  In the midst of my panic, he levels out his body, pointing his nose straight ahead. On either side, his wings beat powerfully once, twice, and then we’re soaring. As the minutes tick by, thrill replaces fear, though I’m not sure I’m ready to admit, even to myself, that I might actually like flying.

  And I certainly don’t plan to admit it to him.

  Sooner than I expect, he banks gently as we near the ground again. Up ahead, is an open hillside that slopes up toward a castle that’s even larger than Legion’s estate. A wall wraps around it, but the gate in the front stands open, and even from here, I can see a small amount of foot traffic passing in and out of the gate.

  On the left, a small portion of the wall has been demolished. I realize this must be Caius’ castle. The explosion Reagan mentioned left its mark.

  Legion lands on the hillside with surprising grace. I do my best to match that grace as I climb down, but in the end, I’m just lucky not to fall on my ass. My knees are a bit weak from the adrenaline, so I’m glad for the moment to collect myself as Legion wanders off to shift again.

  When I look up, he’s pulling on a pair of pants I didn’t even know he had. My gaze snags on the perfect V of his hips just before he pulls the waist up and buttons them. I look up and find him watching me. Again, thank the gods for this stupid mask. And the wind for carrying off my scent, hopefully.

  “You okay?” he asks, infuriatingly smug.

  “Where did you get the clothes?” I can’t help but ask.

  “I carried them in my teeth. You were probably too distracted by me taking them off in the first place to notice.”

  I do my best not to react to how right he is. “Let’s go.”

  I stalk off down the hill, but Legion’s large hand wraps around my arm, and he pulls me to the left, chuckling.

  “This way.”

  “The portal is over there,” I say. “I remember coming through it when we arrived.”

  “Yes, but we’re going to make a stop first.”

  “What kind of stop?”

  “You’ll see.”

  I have no choice but to keep up with his brisk pace. By the time we reach the bottom of the hill, the people nearby begin to notice us. Soldiers mostly. Some in uniform, some not—but they all pause to salute Legion.

  I get several weird looks thanks to my face covering, but I don’t dare take it off with so many others around. The closer we get to the large building looming ahead, the more nervous I become at the idea of a crowded space.

  When Legion holds open the door for me to enter, I hesitate.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks.

  “Everyone will stare,” I whisper.

  He pins me with a look that’s both fierce and comforting as he says, “Let them.”