My stomach tightens as I try to understand what it means. Her coming here. Understanding those blades.

  She shoots a look at Klyn, who is still in wolf form. He’s managed to get to his feet, but he’s limping and bleeding from where Maricha’s wing cut him.

  “You okay?” she asks him.

  He huffs and comes forward, nudging Legion with his nose.

  “I’m okay,” Legion assures his friend.

  Klyn snarls and nods pointedly at the exit.

  “Yeah, I second that idea,” Legion tells him.

  But I can’t move. Not with so many questions swirling inside me. Kendall watches me as if she’s read my thoughts. I look at her, pride radiating from me at the skill of her gifts. And more than a little guilt for the way I doubted her.

  “You can really handle those blades?” I ask her.

  She swallows hard but says firmly, “They obey me now. You’re not in any danger.”

  “I don’t get it. You sound like you knew about them before you saw them.”

  “I’ve seen them in visions,” she says, which only gives me more questions. At my look, she sighs. “Death calls to death. These blades have been calling me for weeks now. I didn’t know how to explain it to you.”

  The truth of her words hits me—along with guilt. “I wouldn’t have listened.”

  She doesn’t answer, but her expression softens.

  Klyn whines.

  Kendall glances to him then back to me, brows raised. “Look, can we get the hell out of here? I promise to answer all your questions once we’re home. And when he’s not naked,” she adds, nodding at Legion.

  “Fair point,” he says.

  I shake my head. “Let’s go.”

  Legion holds me close as we make our way through the cavern. I notice Maricha’s evil rune still healing over his chest. Before I can ask if he’s really okay, awareness pours into me.

  I look up at him and find him watching me.

  The mate bond.

  He’s opened himself up again.

  Now, instead of torture, all I feel is love. Relief and so much love.

  It really is over.

  I press myself closer to him, relishing our skin-to-skin contact, and climb the stairs beside my mate.

  When we emerge from the cavern, I shake my head. “I can’t believe we were beneath this stupid club this whole time. Carving that prison down there must have taken him years.”

  Kendall’s expression hardens. “That’s why he wanted me to work for him. To help him attain power—and prevent his defeat.” She looks like she’d kill him all over again if possible. With her new blades, it just might be.

  I shudder, thinking of all the things those knives can probably do.

  “We should seal the doors,” I say.

  Legion nods knowingly. “Smart. Dead or not, what lies below deserves to be forgotten.”

  “Way ahead of you,” Kendall says, “Come on. We don’t want to be inside when this place goes down.”

  We follow her outside into what looks like a hurricane. I press myself against the wall of the club at my back, blinking into the sheets of rain that fall sideways thanks to the wind. Overhead, thunder rolls, and lightning cracks the gray skies.

  “How does this help seal the cavern?” I call out.

  Kendall nods at something. I follow the direction of her gaze and see a lone figure standing in the middle of the empty parking lot. Her clothes are plastered to her slight frame, the rain drenching every inch of her, but she doesn’t seem to notice as she remains attentive to the skies she commands.

  “Chaya?” I say.

  “We needed something to help keep any reinforcements from being called in,” Kendall explains. She grins. “Power’s out, by the way. Cell towers too. Hell of a storm blew in this morning. Too bad the rest of the Crimson Roses never got a call to come when the boss needed them.”

  I grin right back at her.

  Klyn trots out to where Chaya stands, nudging her hip with his snout. She looks down at him then over to where we’re all huddled in the doorway.

  “Now!” Kendall shouts to her.

  Chaya makes a motion with her arms. Thunder and lightning crack. A loud pop resonates as lightning strikes the club. The ground rumbles, and over the whistling wind, I hear a rumble that vibrates the ground beneath me.

  Legion, Kendall, and I step away from the building. I turn back in time to see the roof caving inward as the entire structure implodes on itself.

  “Lightning did all that?” I ask.

  “Klyn may have planted some explosives in strategic places,” Kendall says.

  Legion mutters his approval.

  Out in the parking lot, Chaya lowers her hands to her sides. All at once, the thunder and lightning cease.

  The rain slows then stops.

  Overhead, the clouds begin to break apart, revealing blue skies on the other side.

  Chaya and Klyn walk over to where we stand. “Are you okay?” she asks Legion worriedly.

  “We’re both fine,” he tells her, and she visibly relaxes.

  Then she throws herself against him in a tight hug. He catches her with one hand, the other still firmly holding mine. He smiles at me over her shoulder.

  “I’m okay,” he repeats. “I swear.”

  Chaya lets him go and then hugs me. I squeeze her right back, grateful for the ability to do so. When she steps back, Kendall’s eyes are watering, and she finally looks properly happy.

  I grab her hand and pull her in for a hug too.

  She laughs and hugs me back tighter than ever before. By the time we’re done squeezing each other, we’re both standing in a puddle of water up to our ankles. But it’s still the happiest I’ve felt in months. Maybe years. Maybe ever.

  When I finally let go of my sister, Legion is there, planting a kiss on my mouth. “I didn’t want to miss my chance to celebrate with you.”

  “Hells, there will be plenty of time for this shit later.”

  At Klyn’s voice, we all look over.

  He’s standing in the empty lot, naked and bloody and looking more like a wild man than I’ve ever seen with blood and dust streaked through his beard. “Can we fucking go already?”

  “Hey, we have a lot of time to make up for,” Legion says, grinning.

  Klyn looks at Kendall. “You and Chaya can stay with me for the next month if you want. Those castle walls are thinner than they look.”

  My sister snorts. “We might take you up on that.”

  I open my mouth to protest but then see the way Legion is looking at me and decide they’re probably right to put some distance between us and them for a while.

  Anticipation and pure happiness sing through the mate bond. I look up at Legion, smiling. “Take me home?”

  He kisses me thoroughly enough to draw more groans from the others. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Epilogue

  Tori

  Every day since returning to Tartarus feels like a vacation. Kendall keeps calling it retirement, at which point, I promptly remind her I’m way too young to be called retired. Besides, my new career is still young, but it’s promising. Selling herbs and potions at the farmers market has been more fulfilling than I expected. Mostly because Chaya does the selling while I spend my time experimenting with the best recipe for face cream or brewing salve for burns. But also because none of it involves killing people. It’s a nice change of pace, helping people rather than offing them.

  The greenhouse Legion built for me is already packed with more plants than it can hold. The walls are covered in dark vines and black roses—inside and out—but so far, none of them have proven harmful. Legion thinks they’re my magic’s response to Tartarus’ particular brand of shadow magic. As long as it doesn’t interfere with me getting my hands on him every night, I’m all for it.

  He’s promised to build me something bigger soon—and it’s not lost on me that we’re not just planning a future together.

  We’re living it.

  The Keep is feeling more like home every single day.

  And the death dragon that rules it feels more like mine every single night.

  Thanks to the mate bond, Legion’s presence is like a gravitational pull. It’s not only his location, either—it’s his mood. His intentions. His lust. I feel it all, and I can’t get enough. I’m not sure how I ever doubted our connection as mates, except that I know now how much my curse muted everything else in the beginning.

  Now, the only things muted are my screams as I come for him at night⁠—

  but only after the rest of the house insisted we keep it down.

  Standing in my bedroom, I assess my appearance in the mirror, wondering if I should change again. The black dress is tight around my hips and breasts, the straps thin, with a scandalously high slit up the side of the skirt. But trading my scarf and gloves for a slinky dress isn’t the only change. My green hair is brighter than ever—permanently so—and my emerald eyes gleam with a life force that grows stronger daily. Tartarus is changing me. Making me in its image. Powerful, magical—and immortal.

  Before I can move, strong hands land on my hips, and I watch through the reflection as Legion steps up behind me.

  “Beautiful,” he murmurs.

  He dips his head and drops a lingering kiss to my bared neck. His tongue darts out, licking the scar where he bit and claimed me. I shudder, my skin tingling and my body already thrumming for more.

  His hand slides lazily down the front of my dress, grabbing handfuls of fabric and pulling it up to gain access. I turn my head, and his mouth captures mine, his kiss possessive. Claiming. Promising a hell of a lot more where this came from.

  I pull back, sighing against his lips.

  “We can’t be late,” I tell him.

  “Sure we can,” he says. “They’re going to be too drunk to notice anyway.”

  I give him a withering look and, with a scowl, he releases my dress. He grabs my hips and spins me around to face him. “Fine, but I’m getting double the orgasms out of you later as compensation for my loss.”

  I laugh. “Deal.”

  He takes my hands and leads me from our bedroom.

  Downstairs, Kendall, Chaya, and Klyn are standing around chatting while they wait for us. Bron’s voice drifts out from down the hall, asking if he can add sprinkles to the pastries. Brigita answers him in a gentler voice than I’ve ever heard her use on anyone else.

  “Finally,” Kendall says when she sees us. “I thought we were going to have to send up a search party.”

  “Ugh, that kind of dirty work is far outside my scope as a soldier,” Klyn says, shaking his head disgustedly.

  “Oh, gross, now that you mention it, I take it back. No search parties.”

  “Maybe just a lightning storm and a mysterious roof leak right over the mattress,” Chaya says, eyes gleaming.

  “You wouldn’t,” I say.

  She laughs, and I realize she absolutely would.

  “Come on, we don’t want to be late,” Legion says, grabbing my hand and pushing past everyone on our way to the door.

  “Oh, now you want to be in a hurry,” Klyn teases, falling into step behind us.

  Our walk to town brings more laughter, and by the time we arrive at Osiris, my sides ache from listening to Legion and Klyn boast about whose team will win the next round of war games, which apparently involves laser tag with lasers that leave burns behind.

  Inside the bar, four others are already waiting. Legion explained the bar would be closed to everyone else for the night, which makes sense, given the guest list. My stomach flips a little with sudden nerves at meeting someone so important and legendary, but I focus first on the faces I do know.

  “Here they are,” Styx says.

  She and Reagan come forward, each of them grabbing me in a fierce hug.

  “Really glad to see you,” Reagan says to me, giving my hand a quick squeeze. “Without all the layers, I mean.”

  “Me too,” I agree.

  After that, it’s a chaos of voices for a moment as everyone is introduced to one another.

  “You must be Corvin,” I say, offering my hand to the male standing beside Styx. “I’m Tori. Nice to see you again.”

  “Ah, yes, the poisoner,” he says, but he shakes my hand with a knowing grin.

  “That’s me. Retired, thankfully. Nice paintball skills, by the way.”

  He grins as Legion claps him on the back. “Speaking of which, I owe you a victory drink. And then Klyn owes us all a round for losing.”

  The bartender slides full drinks down the bar toward us.

  “First round’s on me,” the male beside Reagan announces.

  He meets my eyes, and my stomach flutters with nerves again.

  “You must be Tori,” he says, shaking my hand.

  “And you’re King Caius. It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

  “Whoa,” Legion says, stepping up beside us. “It’s just Caius. We don’t want him getting a bigger ego than he already has.”

  Caius grins and punches Legion in the shoulder.

  “Too late,” Styx chimes in.

  Reagan laughs, and I feel my nerves lessen at the casual friendship between them all.

  “He’s right,” Caius tells me. “You can call me Caius. All my friends do.”

  “Thanks,” I tell him, feeling a wave of gratitude and happiness.

  “Chaya, nice to see you,” Caius says. “And you must be Tori’s sister, the Seer.”

  “Kendall.” My sister grips Caius’ hand with confidence that impresses me. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

  “Call me Caius,” he tells her. “Legion speaks highly of your talents. I’d be interested in hearing more.”

  “Sure, what do you want to know?”

  Kendall and Caius step away from the rest of us, locked in conversation.

  Legion catches my eye, winking at me as Styx hands out drinks to everyone.

  “Here,” she says, giving Legion a glass with liquid slightly darker than the rest of ours. She holds her matching drink up to his, and they clink glasses.

  “Is this…?” He sniffs it carefully.

  “No point in drinking anything less at this point,” she tells him.

  Legion glances at me questioningly. “Is hers⁠—?”

  “Are you insane?” she fires back at him. “It took us five thousand years to build up a tolerance to this insanity.” She clinks her glass with mine in a toast, telling me, “But hey, you can always catch up.”

  She grins at me and downs her glass, turning back to the bar and calling for another. I look over in time to see Legion gulp half of his own drink then wince.

  “What is it?” I ask him.

  “Magic infusion. Hell of a kick to it.” He empties the rest of the glass.

  “And mine?”

  “Just Whiskey. For now.” He offers a crooked smirk. “She’s right. You have the next five thousand years to catch up.”

  Curious, I lean over his glass and sniff. “Hmm.”

  “What is it?” he asks warily.

  “Smells a bit like opium. Mixed with…” I sniff again. “Ogre’s blood maybe?”

  I straighten and he stares back at me, horrified. “I’ve been drinking Meech’s blood?”

  “Who’s Meech?”

  He jerks a thumb at the bartender, and I bite my lip to keep from laughing.

  His eyes narrow. “You think this is funny?”

  “I think I can do better,” I say, nodding at the drink.

  His glare turns to an intrigued gleam. “How?”

  I shrug. “Not sure if you’ve heard, but I’m pretty good with poisons.”

  He grins. “Oh, I know all about you, little assassin. Tell you what, next time we drink with Styx, we’ll have a little taste test. You versus Meech.”

  “Challenge accepted,” I say and then tip my glass up with all the others.

  The next hour passes with toasts, jokes, and stories. The lifetime of memories shared between Legion and his friends only makes me feel closer to them all. It’s a beautiful reminder of what I’ve become a part of. And it makes me think of Juniper and my parents with just enough sadness that I decide to get some air.

  Slipping out the door into the darkness, I’m surprised to find Kendall outside.

  “Hey,” I say, “What are you doing out here?”

  “Needed some air,” she says.

  I nod, noting the blades she wears in the leather holsters strapped to her middle. She never goes anywhere without them. We haven’t talked about them since that day in the cavern below the club. Something tells me Kendall will talk when she’s ready. And I still have some making up to do on that front.

  “I’m glad you’re out here,” I tell her. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”

  “What’s wrong?” she asks. “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine.” I smile sadly as I realize it’s going to take some more time before she accepts we don’t live a life of constant danger anymore. It’s going to take time for me too. “But I owe you an apology.”

  “For what?”

  “Everything, really. For refusing to see how capable you were these last several years. For dismissing your visions. For going off without you to face Uziah and Maricha. I’m so sorry, Kendall. I hope you can forgive me.”

  “Of course I forgive you, Tor. You were being protective. You had to fill the role of a parent as well as a big sister. You raised me, and I’m so grateful for it, but it couldn’t have been easy.”

  “Thank you, but it hasn’t been easy on you either and that’s on me. I should have made you feel like you could talk to me.” I glance at the blades she wears. “You said you felt called to those things for a while. You should have been able to come to me.”

  “Don’t blame yourself for that. I mean it. I wasn’t ready to talk about it because I needed time to understand it for myself.”

  “Your gift is clearly more powerful than I realized. And the fighting?” I can’t help but lift my brows at that.

  She grins ruefully. “Yeah, my training with Natalia was a bit broader than I mentioned.”

  “She knew, didn’t she? Natalia. That’s why she wouldn’t let you stay with her when this all began.”