Okay, so he’d thought there was no one around to answer him. He rolled over and found Elias, Tara, Liam, and Gabby standing next to an open portal.

  “Although I imagine it wouldn’t do a lot of good,” Tara said. “I’ve experienced what it’s like to be separated from your soul bonded, Aston. I get it. We will help you in any way we can.”

  “We’ve been working on a plan to get you two out of the dragon realm,” Liam said, his lips turning up in one of his cheeky smiles. “Looks like at least half of our problem is solved. Though Gabs was convinced that your dragon woman was holding you captive and doing wicked things to you.”

  “I wish.” Aston coughed as he tried to breathe through another wave of pain.

  They walked over to him, and Elias held out his hand. Aston grabbed it and let Elias help him to his feet. He put his hands on Aston’s shoulder, pulling him into a tight hug. “Bloody hell, mate. It’s good to see you.” His British brother’s accent was thick with emotion, and Aston couldn’t help choking up as he hugged Elias back.

  He didn’t know when he’d started crying, but Aston didn’t care if everyone saw the tears streaking down his face. He’d missed his family. He knew they’d support him and be willing to help him. Aston had just needed to see them again to be reminded of that.

  When Elias released him, Liam was there next and also drew him into a hug, giving him a hard pat on the back. “You scared the shit out of us. Don’t do that again.”

  “I’d give anything to be snatched up by a dragon at the moment,” Aston told him as he released Liam and then looked to both the females. He didn’t offer to hug them. There was only one female’s touch he wanted.

  “It’s good to see you, Aston.” Tara’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. Elias took her hand and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. No doubt his need to comfort his mate was an overwhelming need. Aston couldn’t stop the jealousy he felt.

  “I’m glad you didn’t become ash,” Gabby added, though her eyes held a softness he’d only seen a few times since knowing her. She wasn’t one to give out her emotions freely, but he could see she cared.

  “Where is Ra?” Aston asked. Keeping his mind busy was going to be the only thing that would keep Aston from doing what his soul had warned against—curling up on the ground like a pile of crap.

  “He’s working on figuring out a way to get Shelly back,” Elias answered.

  “Shelly’s gone?” Aston frowned. What had he missed after Rory had taken him?

  “We have some catching up to do,” Liam said. “But I think we can do it somewhere other than the grounds of Tempest Academy.”

  Elias nodded and opened a portal. Aston could see it was Elias’s room. “We will do everything we can to help you get your female. You’re not the only one who needs her.”

  Aston’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

  Elias motioned toward the portal. “Let’s talk, brother.”

  Chapter

  Six

  “There’s a saying: evil never rests. And for the most part, I agree. However, they might add to the saying that some evil never rests because it is so dumb that it continually makes mistakes. Evil cannot rest because it is constantly trying to fix its own screwups. Otherwise, it would be easily destroyed by its enemies. Being dumb takes up a lot of time. Unfortunately that saying, though more accurate, doesn’t sound quite so sinister … which is a pity.” ~Viscious

  “You all are acting like a bunch of whipped pups.” Viscious, the dark fire king, snarled as he stared out of the window. Hundreds of feet above the city of sin, he stared down at the humans that scuttled about as if they had somewhere important to be. Their lives were pathetic. He couldn’t understand why they’d be in such a rush to perform such insignificant tasks. He turned his gaze back to the other royals in his office, dark ones he thought were powerful. Looking at them now, he didn’t see power. He saw defeat.

  “What would you like us to do?” Lamia, the dark air queen, asked. “We had our asses handed to us by the light ones. And we had a powerful demon, a coven of witches, and all our acolytes working with us.”

  “Viscious is right,” Nimue said. The dark earth queen, Viscious noted, was looking especially irritated since the battle. Her brow was constantly furrowed, and her lips were drawn tightly across her face, giving her features a harsh quality.

  Radagast, the dark water king, leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on the mahogany table. His hands steepled in front of him as he chewed on his bottom lip. It was an annoyingly human behavior that Viscious wanted to burn out of him. But, alas, he had to play nice … for now.

  “I think it pertinent that we continue to monitor what the light royals are doing,” Radagast offered. “So far, they seem to be lying low.”

  “Fine,” Viscious bit out through clenched teeth. “For now, we will wait and see what they do.” He turned his back on them and again stared out the window, making it clear the conversation was over. After the battle, he’d decided it might be good to blend into the human population for a while, so he’d left his comfortable home in the mountains, and he’d taken up residence in a Las Vegas penthouse. The heat suited him, and many of the humans that occupied the city had questionable moral compasses, which he, of course, appreciated. Though he still needed breaks from the constant noise and did retreat back to his home from time to time. Viscious heard movement behind him and saw the other royals’ reflections as they opened portals.

  When he was alone in the room, Viscious pulled out his cell phone. At least the humans were good for some things, like this nifty time-saving invention. It kept him from having to send his minions out to summon the acolyte he needed to speak with. He scrolled through his contacts and tapped the one marked “Tucker.”

  “Sir?” The boy picked up after one ring.

  “Tucker,” Viscious said, “I’ve received news that the elementalist you saw taken into the dragon realm during the battle has since exited. But the female who rode the dragon has not. You are to go to the Devil's Heart and watch for her. Report to me immediately if she emerges. If she doesn’t appear, continue watching and text me an update every twenty-four hours.”

  “Can I take her if she does come out?” Tucker asked, his voice raising an octave as he leaned forward.

  “No,” he said coolly. “You will gain her trust. She’s a witch, so we need to know how powerful she is. Then we can figure out how to best utilize her.”

  “On it.”

  “Very good. Do not fail me—again.” Viscious hung up without waiting for a response.

  He slipped his hands into his pocket and continued to watch the people below him. Viscious loathed being stagnant, especially when they’d made such progress in their fight against the light royals. Now, three hundred years of planning and progress had been erased. But Viscious could be patient again. It’s not like he had to worry about time running out. He was immortal, after all. Though there were times when death seemed preferable to dealing with the incompetent idiots that surrounded him.

  “Patience,” he told himself softly, and Viscious knew he’d have to repeat that mantra often while planning his next move. He wasn’t yet certain whether the plan would happen with the cooperation of the other dark royals, and he wasn’t sure he cared.

  Chapter

  Seven

  “Apparently, stupidity is a disease. And one that we humans seem to enjoy having. Maybe we don’t enjoy it, exactly, but having it must not bother us enough to come up with a cure. And I’ve discovered there are exacerbating circumstances, not the least of which is having a soul bonded. One minute, you think you’re a reasonable, intelligent witch, and the next minute, you meet your soul bonded. Suddenly, you realize you’re an idiot. From then on, every decision you make becomes dumber and dumber.” ~Rory

  “For what it’s worth, I think you’re being very brave, Rory.” Kimba stood beside Rory at the portal to the dragon realm. “It takes a very–”

  Rory held up a hand, interrupting the dragon. “Can it, fire-breather. I’ve heard your pep talks, and they leave much to be desired.”

  Kimba rumbled next to her, and Rory knew the damn dragon was laughing. Rory wouldn’t trade her beast of a best friend for anything, but sometimes Kimba drove her insane.

  “What are you going to say to him?” Kimba’s massive bulk shifted as if the dragon was anxious. Rory wondered why she would be anxious when it was Rory who would be traveling to the human realm. It was Rory who had to search for her soul bonded. It was Rory who had pushed him away and then attempted to prevent him from leaving by bringing down a mountain on top of him. She would be lucky if he would even look at her, let alone accept her apology.

  “I don’t know,” Rory admitted.

  “I’m sorry is a good place to start.”

  “If you weren’t a dragon, I’d punch you in the face,” Rory said, without taking her eyes from the portal. Her stomach churned at the thought of going back into the realm where she’d lived as a member of a witches’ coven. She couldn’t fight back thoughts of the woman who she’d thought was her mother. The possibility that any witches might be left alive filled her with dread. She didn’t want to be associated with people who would do such vile acts. And yet … there was a part of her that was drawn to that darkness. That part was locked away deep inside, but lately it was trying to rise to the surface. She knew it was a desire to have the same kind of power that Danni had possessed. “No,” Rory said firmly under her breath. That was not who she was, and it would not be who she became.

  “Rory,” Kimba said gently. “Look at me.”

  She turned to look up at the closest friend she’d ever had. Kimba’s eyes were so expressive, and Rory could see love and concern in them. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and blinked back tears before taking a steadying breath.

  “Your future is not set in stone,” the dragon said. “The path you once walked does not dictate where your feet move now.” Kimba lowered her head and carefully pressed the front of her muzzle to Rory’s forehead. The dragon breathed out a puff of air that smelled like smoke. “From here on out, you must really think before you make a choice, because the darkness inside of you wants dominion. Do you understand?”

  The tears Rory had tried to hold back fell down her cheeks. She nodded her head against Kimba’s muzzle.

  “You cannot let the darkness win,” Kimba continued. “You have everything to gain and everything to lose, depending on what rules you. Find your soul bonded. Together, you both need to make this right. And if you need me for anything, all you need to do is say my name. I will hear you.”

  Rory frowned and pulled back to look at Kimba. “How?”

  The dragon’s lips drew back in that weird dragon smile. “Dragon’s bond. Don’t you know?”

  Rory shook her head. “No. In many ways, I’m still dragon illiterate.”

  Kimba chuckled, her massive chest making a rumbling sound. “I’ve been trying to educate you, but sometimes you have selective hearing.”

  Rory rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t dodge the question. What do you mean, dragon’s bond?”

  “The dragon’s bond happens when a dragon’s spirit recognizes another kindred spirit. It usually only happens between dragons but has been known to occur on very rare occasions with those outside our race. The bond can form in many ways. With us, we’ve both experienced terrible loss that has left empty places in our hearts. Wounds. The magic in my spirit has bound itself to the wounds in your heart.” Kimba paused. She stared at Rory with her large, golden eyes. A single tear rolled down her scaly face. “It has done this in an effort to help heal those wounds. We will forever be kindred spirits, Rory, bound by those wounds and held together by my magic. I can find you anywhere. I will always be able to hear you through our bond. That is the power of being bound to a dragon. My fire is yours, my wings are yours, and my protection is yours.”

  “And because of your bond with Kimba, you have the loyalty of all of us, Rory, Dragon Rider.”

  Rory turned to see Sepheron, the leader of the dragon race. More than two dozen dragons stood behind him.

  Even having lived among them for so long, the sight of seeing so many of the beasts arrayed in front of her was almost enough to make Rory turn and run. Her heart pounded in her chest. She looked from Kimba back to Sepheron. “Thank you,” she finally managed to sputter, though the words felt incredibly inadequate.

  “It is us who should thank you,” the leader replied. “One day, Kimba will tell you how you have saved her as much as she saved you.”

  Rory’s head whipped around to look at her dragon friend. “What’s he talking about?”

  Kimba’s muzzle rose into the air. “Now is not the time for that tale. You have business elsewhere, and time is fleeting. You must find Aston as quickly as possible. But I will explain everything when the time is right.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that,” Rory said, pointing a finger at the dragon.

  Kimba bowed her head. “I’ve no doubt you will.” Then Kimba looked at her king. “Thank you, Sepheron.”

  Rory didn’t hear his response. She felt a tremendous gust of wind behind her and spun to see the thunder of dragons leap into the air. They hovered for a moment in the sky, their massive wings flapping, sending gusts of wind down that buffeted Rory’s body. The leader tilted his long neck back and roared, the sound vibrating Rory to her bones. Then, he turned and shot up straight into the sky as gracefully as a fish would move through water. Rory stumbled as the rest of the dragons followed suit, and she felt Kimba’s head pressed against her, steadying her before she fell.

  When the beasts were merely specks on the horizon, Rory let out the breath she’d been holding. She straightened her black sweater and shifted the pack on her back. It held the rest of her clothes, along with some food and water. She’d not brought much into the dragon realm and was leaving with just as little. “Okay. I have no words for what just happened. And I have no time to digest the fact that you and the dragon race have just become my official sponsors.”

  “We should get shirts made,” Kimba said.

  “You’d look ridiculous in a shirt.”

  “I think the right color would go nicely with my scales.”

  Rory laughed. “Last time I checked, T-shirts don’t come in XXXXXXXL.”

  Kimba’s massive tail came around and nudged Rory on the back and toward the portal. “Quit stalling and go get your male.”

  Rory stepped toward the portal and huffed. “Bossy,” she muttered. She took a few more slow steps, then hesitated at the boundary that would take her to the human realm. She tried to muster the courage to step through, but found her feet wouldn’t move. Seconds ticked by. I cannot do this. Rory wasn’t sure if she was more scared of never seeing Aston again, or actually finding him on the other side. After a minute passed, she heard a sound behind her like the clearing of a throat … if the throat was contained within a huge scaly neck. Rory turned and sprinted back to Kimba. The dragon lowered her head, and the witch wrapped her arms around Kimba’s neck. She squeezed and held on tight. Her voice shook. “Thank you, Kimba. Thank you for everything.” Her tears fell and glistened on the dragon’s scales, the sunlight making them sparkle.

  “Go, little witch,” said Kimba. Rory nodded and released the dragon. She drew in a deep breath. Then, without another word, without thinking—because Rory knew if she thought about what she had to do, then she would never have the strength to do it—she released Kimba and charged toward the portal. With a cry, Rory leaped and flew through the air. The safety represented by the dragon realm, and the security and love given by Rory’s only friend, disappeared behind her.

  “URGH.” Rory bellowed as her feet connected with the ground—the ground of the human realm. Something inside of her tore, like a seam being ripped in half. She swallowed and forced her lips closed. The sensation was like flames burning down her throat and into her stomach. She took a deep breath as anger boiled up within her, threatening to burst out of her in a roar. Every hopeful feeling she’d just experienced was burnt to a pile of ash in her mind.

  “What the actual hell?” she bit out through clenched teeth. “The darkness inside of you wants dominion.” Rory closed her eyes as Kimba’s words filled her head. Rory saw the darkness advancing on her, threatening to engulf her like a black hole. “No!” She clenched her fists at her sides. “Think, Rory. Think, dammit!” She brought up Aston’s face in her mind and latched onto his features. She grabbed hold of the feelings from their soul bond that had so often wrapped her in warmth. “This is what you want,” she told herself. “Not the darkness. You want this feeling—this and nothing else.”

  “Do you always talk to yourself?”

  Rory’s eyes snapped open. She heard a male’s voice, and it wasn’t Aston’s. She turned her head slowly until the owner of the voice came into view. “Who the hell are you?” Perhaps she should have been nicer to the stranger, but an epic battle between good and evil was waging inside of her. It would be a miracle if she didn’t come across as a psychopath. Judging by the look on the dude’s face, she was failing epically.

  “I’m Tucker.” He stepped toward her.

  She held up her hand. “You can stop right there, Tucker.” She said his name sharply and narrowed her eyes at him.

  He held up his hands. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  She snorted. “I’m not worried about that. But you better explain what you’re doing in Devil’s Heart.”

  He smiled, and she had to admit he was handsome. “Would you believe me if I said I was picking flowers?”

  Rory didn’t take her eyes off of him. “There are no flowers to pick. Try again.”

  “Out for a relaxing stroll?”

  “In the middle of nowhere? Not buying it. Next.”

  “I’m hunting wood pixies. I heard there was an abundance of them in this part of the world, and I’m fascinated by them.”