“Back the fuck up or I’ll⁠—”

  At the far end of the house, the back door opens. “Girls⁠—”

  Juniper’s voice is pitched high with urgency and fear.

  “Run,” I scream at her.

  The back door slams shut again.

  The vamp holding Kendall at knife-point snarls, and I can see in his eyes that he’s done waiting. The blade presses into her throat, drawing the first sign of blood.

  I scramble to my feet, but my mate is faster. Moving so quickly I can barely track it, he closes the distance and slams the second attacker backward away from Kendall. The moment she’s free, she launches herself toward me.

  I scramble back. “My scarf,” I say, reminding her. “Don’t come closer.”

  She grabs my scarf, tossing it to me. By the time I catch it, the second vamp is dead just like the first one, his heart fully removed from his body.

  “Juniper,” I tell Kendall, breathless. “Come on.”

  We head through the back door where my mate has already disappeared.

  In the backyard, I count three more Crimson Roses. Two are already dead with their chests exposed and hearts lying in the bloodied grass nearby. The third is about to meet the same fate as Legion stalks him.

  On the other side of the yard, a figure bends over something half-buried in a pile of leaves. It looks like a body.

  “Stay close to me,” I tell Kendall.

  For once, she doesn’t argue.

  The figure stands, its red eyes narrowed on me as we get closer. It raises a knife, aiming it for my chest. I stop, frozen in the line of fire as I realize any attempt I make at getting away will only put Kendall more at risk.

  “Down,” I hiss at her at the same time I start to duck.

  But the Crimson Rose thug is struck by a ball of fire. He screams, and the knife falls as the asshole stumbles away, body burning. I watch as Legion tracks him with murderous calm.

  When he’s out of the way, I hurry toward the pile of leaves, assuming it’s another gang member lying in wait. But when I get close, I stop and cover my mouth with my hand. Behind me, Kendall presses closer.

  “What is it?” she asks.

  “Nothing.” I swallow hard. “Go back inside.”

  “Is it another one?” she asks, ignoring my order.

  Footsteps crunch over leaves, and I whirl, ready to fight again, but it’s him. My mate. Behind him, the rest of the gang is dead. Relieved of their hearts. Too late.

  “Tori,” Kendall breathes, eyeing him.

  “He won’t hurt you,” I tell her, tearing my gaze from his. Despite the way he seems to fill the empty space between us, I know in my heart that much is true. If he were here to hurt me, he would have done it.

  Instead, he saved us.

  I have no idea why, but none of that matters, considering what I’ve just lost.

  Juniper.

  My breath catches.

  A sob builds in my throat.

  I look down at the body in the leaves and find myself darkly jealous of the dead men. At least, without a heart, I wouldn’t feel mine breaking into a thousand pieces.

  “Oh gods,” Kendall says, stepping around me so that she finally gets a good look at the body in the leaves. “Is that⁠—?”

  She covers her mouth, her eyes filling with tears.

  I say the words that make it real, mostly so she won’t have to. “It’s Juniper.”

  Chapter 10

  Legion

  Fury and fire burn in my veins. Their deaths were too fast. The beast inside me isn’t ready to rest. Not yet. Not when our mate was harmed by their hands. But it’s done now, and I find myself drawn to her side if only to reassure myself she is safe. My dragon craves her gratitude. He wants her to need him. But the moment I see the older female dead among the leaves, I realize I don’t deserve gratitude at all.

  Torissa turns to me, grief and pain swimming in her eyes, and I see her devastation. Whoever this woman was to her, the loss is a blow I can’t block for her. I didn’t protect her at all. I have only allowed her to be hurt in a different way.

  “We have to help her.” The younger female crouches over the dead woman.

  Torissa looks down at her, sorrow in her eyes. “She’s gone, Kendall.”

  “No. She can’t be.” The younger one, Kendall, reaches for the dead woman, but the leaves tremble, and she yanks her hand away.

  I tense, sensing for the threat, but Torissa says, “It’s all right.”

  “Tor.” Kendall stands and backs away. “What’s happening?”

  “She is returning to the Earth,” Torissa says quietly. “It’s part of the process of dying for her kind.”

  Kendall looks at her, eyes wide and already red-rimmed. “The trees are coming for her, aren’t they? Like she always said they would at the…at the end. Like they did for Mom.”

  Torissa nods, and the branches above our heads begin to tremble, shaking and creaking as they bend. Slowly, the leaves coating the woman’s body cover it completely, shifting and spreading until they’ve formed a blanket. The tree sways, gathering momentum. Around us, all the trees nearby do the same.

  The wind whistles around us.

  I step closer to my mate, my dragon still on edge from the fight. We’re exposed out here. There could be more of them coming. But I don’t rush this. I know it won’t work to try.

  Around the woman’s body, the leaves rustle, and the earth beneath gives way. A moment later, the woman’s body is gone—swallowed by the ground and ushered into her afterlife by the trees.

  In the silence, Kendall sniffles as tears track down her face. My mate, however, is dry-eyed and stone-faced. Her shoulders are rigid, and I can sense the grief she’s holding in.

  My dragon strains to do something—anything—to help her.

  “What was her name?” I ask.

  “Juniper.” Her expression is slack with shock.

  “She was important to you,” I say quietly.

  “She was like a mother.” Her voice is laced with pain.

  “I should have been faster,” I say.

  At my words, the younger one, Kendall, turns to me. “You’re him, aren’t you? Her mate.”

  I cast a glance at Torissa, but she yields nothing.

  “I am Legion Razginath.”

  “I’m Tori’s sister, Kendall Sage.” She gives me a once-over that’s more shrewd than I might have expected, considering her fresh grief and her young age.

  “Tori,” I say, testing out the nickname.

  She shudders but refuses to meet my gaze. I tuck the reaction away for later.

  “You saved us,” Kendall adds.

  “Not all of you,” I say, glancing at the place where Juniper’s body disappeared. “I should have been here faster.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Kendall says.

  “Are we sure about that?” Tori puts in.

  Some of her color has returned—and a look of accusation along with it.

  Kendall gives her sister a withering look. “He saved us, Tor. Do you really think he’s the enemy?”

  “I think we can’t know anything for sure right now.”

  “Who were these men?” I cut in.

  “Crimson Roses,” Kendall says. “They blame Tori for killing one of their own.”

  “Is this all of them?” I ask.

  Tori snorts. “Not even close.”

  “We can’t stay here,” I say, turning to scan the yard. “There will be more of them.”

  “Where are we supposed to go?” Kendall asks.

  Tori closes her eyes. When she opens them again, I can see her struggle to bury the worry away from her sister’s awareness. “Maybe Uziah will⁠—”

  “No fucking way,” Kendall cuts in.

  “Who’s Uziah?” I demand, jealousy already a hot streak in my veins.

  “Not someone we can trust,” Kendall says with a pointed look at Tori.

  “He’s the only resource we have,” Tori says.

  “Then we have nothing,” Kendall snaps.

  “Have you seen something?” Tori asks worriedly.

  Kendall doesn’t answer.

  I want to ask what she’s talking about, but I know better than to get in the middle of a sibling argument.

  “You’ll stay with me,” I say into the silence.

  Tori turns to me, eyes widening. “Absolutely not.”

  “Don’t you live in Tartarus?” Kendall asks.

  “Yes.”

  “Hell, you mean,” Tori says to her sister. And then to me, “Not a fucking chance.”

  “Actually,” Kendall says, “It’s not a bad idea.”

  “You can’t be serious.” Tori looks incredulous. “You do know he’s called the death dragon, right? He’s killed more people than all of the Crimson Roses put together. And Tartarus is full of monsters just like him.”

  “Which makes it the perfect place to hide,” she says.

  “It’s dangerous there,” Tori argues.

  Kendall rolls her eyes. “And it’s so safe here.”

  Tori shoots me a withering look as if to say I should side with her. Instead, I flash her a thin smile. “It’s the one place these Crimson Roses can’t go.”

  Tori looks like she wants to strangle me.

  Kendall winks at me as if we’re co-conspirators.

  Despite everything, my lips twitch. The sisters are interesting. No, watching Tori’s reactions to Kendall is interesting. Apparently, I’m not the only one she likes to argue with.

  “Listen,” Kendall says, “if you have a better idea, I’m all ears. If not…” She shrugs.

  “I can’t trade one killer for another. How do we know he won’t kill us the moment we get there?”

  Kendall sighs. “Fine. We’ll do this officially.” She steps forward and holds her hand out for me.

  “What is this?” I ask.

  “I’d like to read you if that’s okay.”

  “Read me?”

  Tori mutters something, which Kendall ignores.

  “I have sight,” Kendall explains. “Mostly about death. So, if you’re planning to kill us, I’ll see it.”

  I hesitate. “And is your gift only focused on the future? Or do you also see the past?”

  “Future,” she says. “Why?”

  “No reason.” I glance at Tori, who looks impatient, and then place my hand in Kendall’s.

  A surge of jealousy slams into me, and I look over to find my mate staring at my hand resting on her sister’s. Enjoying her reaction way too much, I wait until she glances up at me again and smirk. Her eyes narrow, and she holds my gaze almost defiantly until Kendall releases me and steps back.

  “He’s not a threat,” Kendall tells her sister.

  “You can’t know that. It’s too broad of a⁠—”

  “He is responsible for your curse, though,” Kendall adds.

  “What?” I demand at the same time Torissa says, “I fucking knew it.”

  “Sorry,” Kendall shrugs at me. “But you are. Which means you should really help her break it, you know. It’s the right thing to do.”

  I shake my head.

  Releasing myself from Caius in order to protect Tori was supposed to be temporary. A quick good deed—and a chance to get up close with the mate bond to decipher how in the hell this is even possible—and then we’d part ways forever. But now that I’ve met her, I can’t imagine walking away. Something I know she’d gladly do. If helping her break this curse keeps her close, I’ll take it.

  “I agree,” I say, “But in order to do that, I have to take you to Tartarus. It’s the only magic that could have done this, which means we’ll need⁠—”

  “No way,” Tori says. “Tartarus is a horrible place. I’m not⁠—”

  Behind Tori, a black-clad figure emerges from the woods. He sprints toward us, an axe gripped in his raised hand. He rears back, ready to throw it right at her head. With a snarl, I step in front of her and catch the axe mid-air. Then I hurl it back at him.

  It lands, splitting his forehead in two.

  Another figure appears behind him, then another, then another.

  My beast strains to be let free, to raze this place to the ground with every threat incinerated to ash. But a glance behind me reveals four more vampires charging at us from the opposite direction.

  There’s no time to isolate the enemy from the ones I want to save.

  The need to protect my mate is consuming. It outweighs even my instinct to stay and fight.

  “Put your scarf on,” I tell my mate.

  “What?”

  “Do it,” I snarl.

  Without waiting for an answer, I shift, shredding my clothes and gritting my teeth against the pressure that compresses in on me from the inside out. Black scales replace my flesh, my wings unfurling so quickly that one of the attackers is knocked off his feet, his flesh instantly shredding thanks to the razor-sharp scales that slice through him.

  Kendall screams as one of them tries to grab her. Tori races over to put herself between her sister and the threat. I slam my wings downward and lift myself airborne, scorching hellfire building in my throat and begging to be freed.

  Wind whipping thanks to my wings, I angle myself toward Tori and Kendall, capturing them in my clawed hands. Then I swoop upward, breathing hellfire as I go. Below me, bright flames cascade to the ground like water, burning everything they touch to ash.

  Chapter 11

  Tori

  Legion Razginath’s dragon is a thing of nightmares. He is bigger than any creature I’ve ever seen with black, spiky scales that look sharp enough to slice flesh to the bone. Not that he needs those particular weapons, considering the lava-like flames he conjures on a simple exhale. My shock at being snatched into his claws and lifted off my feet is surpassed by the sight of the bodies in our yard burning to ash.

  The wind burns my cheeks, my tears turning to ice against my skin as Kendall and I are lifted away from the charred vampires still screaming even as they burn alive—and from the remains of the only life I ever knew.

  I assume Legion intends to find a suitable hiding spot outside the city. To my horror, he heads straight for the city center. I realize with agonizing clarity where he’s headed just as the arch comes into view.

  He dives sharply, ripping a scream from my throat.

  Still, he doesn’t stop. If anything, he speeds faster.

  The fact that he manages to glide along so close to the ground in order to fly through the portal still in dragon form is kind of impressive—if it wasn’t also terrifying. There aren’t many things that truly scare me, but watching the pavement race by mere inches below my face leaves me dizzy and trembling. The portal guards are nothing more than a blur as we zoom past them, one of them waving a hand in greeting to the dragon.

  The moment we’re on the other side, he lurches to a stop and sets Kendall and me on our feet. The whole thing happens so fast, I lose my balance and fall to my knees, bracing my palms on the floor. Kendall does the same.

  At the sound of voices, I look up to see a guard approaching. Legion snorts at him which is apparently all the communication necessary because the guard waves us onward. Legion nudges Kendall and me both to our feet.

  I manage to stand and, pulling Kendall along with me, we make our way out of a large atrium and through a set of doors that Legion’s dragon only barely fits through.

  Once we’re outside, Legion’s wings beat furiously, lifting him off the ground. Just like before, he grabs Kendall and me in his powerful claws and then angles upward.

  Our entrance into hell lasts all of thirty seconds before we’re once again airborne. As the ground drops away, we soar high into Tartarus’ night sky so quickly that I’m positive I’ve left my stomach behind.

  Doing my best not to throw up, I study the landscape below me, fully expecting a hellscape complete with eternal fire and tortured souls. Instead, a city is sprawled around a castle on a hill, their twinkling lights almost peaceful and serene. Beyond the city limits, a thick forest spreads far and wide with a narrow ribbon of a road that cuts through it.

  As far as I can see, there’s nothing burning and no souls screaming out from eternal torture. In fact, it’s peaceful. And so much more beautiful than I imagined it would be.

  Soon, the forest below gives way to a mountain—the first of several in a long, unending ridgeline. At the top of the first peak, a gothic castle looms out of the rock, looking as if it were carved into the mountain itself. Halfway down the cliffside, a large waterfall sprays mist into the air where the rushing water freefalls before disappearing into a layer of clouds.

  It looks like something right out of a dark fairy tale.

  Legion aims straight for a grassy courtyard nestled between the castle entrance and a high stone wall that surrounds the estate. Between the view and the adrenaline, my energy is zapped. By the time he finally sets us down—much more gently this time thankfully—my knees are so weak I can barely stand. Next to me, Kendall is sucking in deep breaths.

  “You okay?” I ask Kendall.

  “Yeah. You?”

  “I might vomit,” I admit, and she laughs then winces, clutching her own stomach.

  “Ugh. Do not make me laugh right now,” she groans.

  Drawing in deep breaths, I look around to get my bearings. Behind me, a stone wall encircles the courtyard where we stand, broken up by a wrought-iron gate fashioned in the shape of a dragon with wings spread wide. The large lock holding it closed is both a sign of protection and a prison sentence, so I turn away from it and stare up at the castle before me.

  It’s at least four stories high with slate gray stone walls and a black roof complete with spires, turrets, and a widows’ walk. From this angle, I can’t see the sheer drop I glimpsed from above, but I know it’s there, making this the only way in or out.

  “Wow,” Kendall breathes, staring up at it. “This is where he lives?”

  I cock my head, assessing. “A bit cliché if you ask me. Like he’s overcompensating for something.”

  She shoots me a look.