“Fabulous,” his bonded muttered.

  Aston wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest. He leaned down until his mouth was next to her ear, close enough that his lips touched her skin as he spoke. “I personally think it was time well spent.”

  She shivered against him and pressed closer. “Of course you do. Though I won’t disagree.”

  “I heard that.” Kimba pushed off from the ledge and rose into the sky.

  Rory sighed. “Stupid dragon hearing.” Then she added, “It’s a little chilly back here. Could you help a girl out?”

  Aston felt heat radiate from where he sat on Kimba’s back. He laughed. “Heated seats.”

  “She has her perks, even if she is a smart ass,” Rory said, and then yelped when the “heated seats” suddenly got a little too hot. Thankfully the sensation only lasted a second. Aston was pretty sure if it had lasted longer, they would’ve gotten some first-degree burns on their butts.

  The dragon’s body rumbled beneath them, and Aston decided it must be Kimba laughing at Rory. Then Kimba shot quickly up into the sky, only to arch her body downward, bringing them into a straightforward dive. Aston used the surrounding air to clench them into their seats.

  “Dammit, Kimba!” Rory yelled, earning them another rumble from the dragon. “You better not kill us before we at least get to tell Sepheron what we need.

  “Noted,” Kimba called back. “I will plan your demise accordingly.”

  “She’s all sorts of funny,” Aston said, leaning close to his soul bonded’s ear.

  “Don’t encourage her.”

  Rory saw a large clearing in the forest ahead of her and realized that was their destination. Kimba circled it once. A crowd of dragons were already assembled. Rory swallowed hard and tried to order her thoughts. She wasn’t sure how to make her request to Sepheron, the dragon king.

  Kimba brought them down slowly and landed with the grace of a much smaller creature. Rory scrambled off before Aston could use the wind to set them off the dragon’s back. She wasn’t sure why, but Rory thought it best to appear as humble as possible. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she heard the dragon king’s voice.

  “Dragon rider.” Sepheron’s rumble easily carried through the large clearing. Now that Rory could see it from ground level, she noticed the massive circle of trees was big enough that twenty dragons could stand comfortably and move without bumping into one another. The trees grew tall and arched up over the clearing, creating a canopy that gave the entire space the feel of an enormous outdoor great hall with a hole in its roof. According to Kimba, the gathering spot was called the Knowing Place.

  “Come here, dragon rider,” Sepheron continued. “Step in and make your request known.”

  Guess that’s why it’s called the Knowing Place. Rory started forward. Aston put his hand in hers and entwined their fingers as they walked side by side. Rory saw Kimba out of the corner of her eye, following a step behind. She was just as graceful slithering along beside them as she was in the air. The dragon had promised Rory she’d stand by her side, no matter what. Rory hoped that promise extended to a journey into hell. She was pretty sure asking your BFF to go to hell with you tested the bonds of even the strongest friendship.

  One foot in front of the other. Rory repeated to herself. Just don’t trip, whatever you do. Rory was only vaguely aware of the assembly of dragons watching them, but she knew every vertically slitted pupil watched her closely. Her eyes darted from the ground in front of her to Sepheron’s massive form, waiting for her on the other side of the clearing. “Why the hell couldn’t you have landed me a little closer?” Rory muttered to Kimba out of the side of her mouth. Surprisingly, Rory didn’t hear her dragon friend’s usual trademark chuckle in response. Rory’s hands began to sweat, and perspiration gathered at the nape of her neck.

  “It’s going to be fine.” Aston’s voice came through loud and clear in her mind. They’d tested the mental bond between them before calling on Kimba and found they were able to speak to one another when touching. They were both surprised that the communication wasn’t terribly difficult. It was essentially as simple as Rory aiming her thoughts in Aston’s direction.

  “Maybe don’t talk to me in my head while I’m trying to ask the dragons for a massive favor. I might make a weird face and offend them,” Rory said. Aston nodded and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

  Thank you. She let out a quick breath and looked up at Sepheron. “Sepheron, your kindness to one so undeserving is humbling. During my stay here, your people were more than welcoming. Your hospitality is admirable and fitting for so noble a species.”

  The king inclined his head. “There is no need for such flattery, little one. I told you when you left that if you required our aid, you need only return and let me know. Kimba is your bonded dragon. That makes you one of us.”

  “Bonded?” Aston suddenly blurted out. He looked at Kimba and then down at Rory.

  “The bond between human and dragon is much different than the one you share with your soul bonded, air tamer,” Sepheron said, his large eyes fixed on Aston. “But it is precious and rare.”

  Rory looked at Aston and started babbling. “Sorry. I planned to tell you, but things got a little crazy with Tucker, and then he got incinerated—that really threw me off—and then the burning house was completely fine and not burning anymore, and then we went to the witches, and all the demon talk, and then bam, you were all up in my business distracting me in the best way possible…” She shrugged. “See? No time to talk about the whole dragon-bonding stuff.”

  “Did she smoke something while she was in the human realm?” Kimba asked from beside her.

  “There’s only room enough for one smoke breather in this relationship, Kimba,” Rory said, her eyes still on Aston. She could tell from the softness in his eyes he wasn’t upset she hadn’t told him about the dragon bond. She also felt his comforting emotions coming to her through their bond. The main thing Rory felt from Aston was amusement. She rolled her eyes at him, and his lips turned up into a crooked smile.

  Kimba cleared her throat. “Okay. Then you just got weirder while you were away for no apparent reason. Fabulous. You told me you needed to talk to the king—like yesterday. Your words. And now we are here. Quit stalling and be known.”

  Rory turned back to Sepheron and blurted, “We need to get into hell so we can rescue a human girl who is the soul mate of a human guy named Ra who is a descendant of Ramses the Great, as in pyramids-walk-like-an-Egyptian-and-the-Nile-River-Ramses. Apparently, he’s the last pure blood of that lineage.” Aston gave her hand a tug, but Rory didn’t slow down. “But that’s not what’s important,” she added quickly. “What’s important is the girl we need to rescue. She was taken hostage by Osiris after the battle at Devil’s Heart because he’s decided he wants her to be the Cruella to his Deville, his baby mamma, his bride of Frankenstein, the boil and bubble to his toil and trouble—”

  “Please tell me you found an off switch while you were doing all that bonding,” Kimba muttered. Still, Rory didn’t pause.

  “Basically, he really, really wants her. So he took her. Buuuuut, that ain’t cool with her main man, Ra, nor is it cool with her friends. And she’s not dead, so she doesn’t belong in the underworld. The sad thing is this isn’t even her first trip. The poor girl has already been rescued from hell once. What are the chances?” Rory tapped her lip.

  “Sweets, I think you should focus.” Aston nudged her arm.

  She dropped her hand and shook her head. “Right, my bad. So, as I’m sure you know, Sepheron, fire elementals are the only ones who can enter the underworld without getting crispy-fried-crispy, and when Aston’s friends mentioned they needed help, the dragons are the first thing that popped into my head.” She blinked several times and rocked back and forth on her feet, staring up at the dragon king.

  Sepheron said nothing; he simply stared at her. Sunlight trickled through the trees, causing his red scales to shimmer. His large, gold eyes held her gaze without blinking, and steam wafted from his nostrils. Rory tried not to fidget but realized it’s impossible to stand face-to-face with a dragon and not fidget.

  “The young female’s soul mate… Ra.” Sepheron finally spoke. “He is a fire elementalist?”

  Rory glanced at Aston, and he gave a sharp nod. Though Rory knew the answer, she wanted Aston’s confirmation before she replied. She didn’t seem to be sure of anything at the moment. “Yes.”

  The dragon gave a rumble, which Rory thought sounded a lot like a human hmmm. “I have heard of this fire elementalist,” the king said. The beast settled back on his haunches. “He is a pharaoh with no people to lead, born to a lineage that bears a dark curse … or so the story goes.”

  Aston shifted beside her, and Rory glanced up at him. She saw him frown, and his brow drooped. Something about the king’s words bothered him.

  “This Ra must be a powerful wielder of fire,” Sepheron said. “Why, then, does he request the aid of the dragons?”

  Rory hesitated. “He is prevented from entering the underworld, my Lord,” Aston answered. “Aviur, the king of fire, has bound Ra to the human realm. Though Ra is powerful, the lord of the underworld is certainly his equal, if not more so. As you know, a strong ruler entrenched in his own territory isn’t easily bested. Aviur was worried Ra would get himself killed attempting to rescue Shelly.”

  “Fools in love,” Sepheron murmured. “But Aviur was wise in his actions. Assaulting Osiris without an army at your back would be akin to suicide. I can only assume Ra does not fare well with his soul mate missing.” The dragon king’s eyes turned to Kimba. “Soul bonded that are separated from their mates never handle it well.”

  Aston cleared his throat. “You are not wrong, King. Ra is suffering. He’s desperate to get her back.”

  Sepheron went quiet again, and his eyes appeared to become unfocused. Rory noticed the longer the silence stretched, the stronger her desire to fidget became. She glanced at Aston but couldn’t read any expression on his face. She was too nervous to try any mental communication. And she was only vaguely aware of a chorus of rumblings and mutterings coming from the throats of the dragons surrounding her.

  Finally, the king nodded his colossal head, and the steam issuing from his snout billowed when he let out a deep sigh. “Osiris,” he said, drawing out the name. “I wondered when the day would come.” Still, the dragon remained unfocused, and Rory realized he was thinking out loud. She turned to look at Kimba, but her friend, too, was staring into the distance. Rory couldn’t figure out what was happening, but a sinking feeling grew in her stomach.

  “Kimba?” Rory reached out a hand and placed it on the dragon’s leg. “Are you all right?”

  Kimba shook her head and blinked, then turned her golden eyes on Rory. “Yes. Absolutely. Of course.” The dragon looked at her king. “I will go in after the girl.”

  Rory’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. To this point, she hadn’t entirely considered the details of their plan. Rory hadn’t thought much past the issue of getting the dragons’ help. She certainly hadn’t considered who would actually be leading the charge into hell on Shelly’s behalf. Even if she had, Rory sure as heck hadn’t pictured her dragon as the one going toe-to-toe with the lord of the underworld. She started to speak. “That’s not … um … I mean…” Rory growled, then bit out her friend’s name. “Kimba, no!”

  “Sorry, little witch,” Kimba said. “My ass writes my own paychecks.”

  “What the… That’s not… That doesn’t even make sense.” Rory hissed. “You can’t even hold a pen, much less write a check.”

  “You know what I mean.” Kimba’s eyes were still on Sepheron.

  “I don’t care what you meant.” Rory stomped her foot. Childish? Perhaps, but then she was desperate to make her best friend understand how bad of an idea this was. “You can’t. Mainly because I can’t go with you. I’m your rider, Kimba. I’m your bonded BFF, dammit. You don’t get to put yourself in danger without me there to save your scaly ass.”

  “Okay, first, there’s no need for pointing out how scaly my ass is. It’s a hazard of my kind. I don’t go around pointing out how funny looking your ears are.” Kimba turned her full attention to Rory. “Second, little witch, it is not your job to protect me. I am your protector. You are much more fragile than me. I will never allow you to put yourself in danger where I do not believe I can keep you from harm, not the other way around.”

  Rory’s chest tightened. Kimba was the first friend she’d ever had. This was the only relationship she’d ever experienced where the other person expected nothing from her. Kimba only wanted to be there for Rory. If anything happened to the dragon, Rory would not be okay. She would never be the same. Aston released her hand and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to his body. She felt his concern and pain for her through their bond.

  “Sepheron”—Rory still looked at Kimba—“please don’t let her do this.”

  “It is her destiny, dragon rider.” The king’s deep voice was gentle. “This task has been hers long before you two ever met. Kimba must face Osiris.”

  Rory’s head whipped around to Sepheron, her lips tight. Rage boiled her blood. “What?” she snapped. Apparently pissed-off-Rory wasn’t concerned the dragon standing before her could smite her where she stood. Or worse, eat her. “What the hell does that mean? Does Kimba have some sort of beef with Osiris? Did she set his devil ass on fire a couple of centuries ago, and he’s still holding a grudge?”

  “I don’t think the lord of the underworld’s ass could be burned by any sort of fire, sweets, even Kimba’s,” Aston murmured.

  “Not the point,” Rory said through clenched teeth. She fought hard to keep her volatile temper from erupting. Despite Aston’s removal of the darkness within her, Rory clearly still had anger issues. Good to know. “Why does Kimba have to face Osiris?” she asked the dragon king again. Then she looked back at Kimba. “Do you know? What did you do?”

  “Everything will be made known in time, Rory,” Sepheron said.

  “Uh, look around you. We are literally standing in the Knowing Place,” she practically shouted. “What better place to make this shocking revelation than right here? I mean, what’s the point of this place if secrets are going to be kept? We’re all hanging around here trying to make crap known!”

  “Rory, enough,” Kimba said sharply.

  “No.” Rory growled. “It is not enough. I’m just getting started. If it means keeping you from getting your smart ass handed to you by a psychotic, narcissistic, woman-stealing, soul-torturing lunatic, then I will keep going as long as I need to. I will not stand by and just let you go—” Rory’s voice wavered as the fear of losing Kimba overwhelmed her. “You wouldn’t allow me to do something crazy like that. Why would you think I could ever be okay with it?”

  “You cannot change my destiny, friend.” Kimba lowered her head until she was eye level with Rory. “You cannot stop what must happen. No matter what we want, what we need must take precedence. Everything, little witch, happens for a reason. You came to me because you were supposed to.” Kimba nudged her gently with her snout. “I didn’t know that something was missing from my life until this spunky, temperamental witch came along and gave me her friendship and trust.”

  Rory gave up the battle to hold back her tears. The effort was futile. She loved Kimba. The dragon had become her family. It didn’t matter that they weren’t the same species. The creature before her had become the most important being in her life. At least until Aston. But having him by her side didn’t diminish the feelings Rory felt for her BFF. She leaned down and rested her forehead against the top of Kimba’s snout. The heat radiating from the dragon flowed into Rory, running all the way to her toes.

  “All will be revealed, Rory,” Kimba said softly. “Trust that Mother Gaia has a plan for both of us. And if our time in this life is over, we will see each other again in the afterlife.”

  Rory shook her head. “No,” she said, just as softly as Kimba spoke. “I will never accept that. Nothing you can say will change how I feel. You’re my ride or die, you damn dragon.”

  “As you are mine, little witch.”

  Aston’s heart broke for his soul bonded. He could feel the devastation crushing her inside, and there was nothing he could do to ease her pain. He pulled out the cell phone Elias gave him and picked his brother’s name from the contact list. Placing it to his ear, he kept his eyes on Rory.

  Elias picked up on the first ring. “Give me good news, mate,” he said without preamble.

  “Well, the dragons have agreed to help,” Aston said, his voice hoarse with emotion.

  “Okay, then why do you sound like your female just fell off a cliff?”

  “Let’s just say falling off a cliff might be easier than what is about to happen.”

  “Tell me,” said Elias.

  Rory pulled away from Aston and draped herself over the dragon’s face as if she could hold the beast in place. Aston stared after her. I will catch you, my wild Rory. He wished she could hear him now, even though they weren’t touching. “The dragons have their own problems with Osiris,” he told Elias. “And apparently my soul bonded’s dragon is the one to solve them. Rory is not handling it well.”

  “I’m sorry, mate.”

  “It’s not your fault. The blame lies solely with Osiris,” Aston bit out. His anger surged at the man—if you could even call him that—responsible for putting Rory and Kimba in this position.

  “We will do whatever we can to help,” said Elias. “The rest of us will be waiting in the Devil’s Heart clearing when you lot are ready.”

  “Thank you.” Aston ended the call. He watched Rory’s body shake while the emotions overwhelmed her. He turned to look at the dragon king. “Is there any other way? If anything happens to Kimba, Rory will not recover. Are you okay with that on your conscience?”

  “Kimba doesn’t just belong solely to the dragon rider,” Sepheron replied. “She has been ours for a very long time. But her time with the dragons has now come to an end. Her presence in this realm was never meant to be permanent. It was necessary to protect her.”