Aston frowned. “No offense, but has anyone told you that you talk in circles, and it is quite frustrating?”

  Sepheron inclined his massive head. “Being a leader comes with responsibilities. I am burdened with certain knowledge that I alone can bear. This is not something I would wish on anyone. There are things I cannot divulge—rules that even I must follow—no matter how much it angers those who do not understand it.”

  Aston could hear the sadness in the king’s voice and see it in the golden eyes. He could also see there was nothing he could say that would change Sepheron’s mind.

  “Your comrades are waiting,” the dragon king said. “I can feel their presence. And you are correct. Ra suffers greatly. But I’m sure his suffering is borne of more than just the pain of losing his soul mate. He carries guilt and shame. The weight he bears on his shoulders is too much for someone so young.”

  “Rory,” Kimba spoke to his soul bonded. Her voice was stronger than it had been moments ago. “We must go. We cannot leave the female to her fate in the underworld.”

  She released the dragon and moved to Kimba’s side. Rory looked over her shoulder, and the pain in her eyes nearly pushed Aston to his knees. He walked to her. Instead of using his power, he watched as Kimba lowered her wing enough that Rory could climb up. He followed his soul bonded and settled behind her. Rory’s body was stiff, her back ramrod straight. Aston rested his hands on her hips. As soon as he touched her, he could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Her emotions hit him like a tidal wave, and he squeezed her tighter, steadying himself. Leaning forward, he pressed his chest to her back and kissed her hair before laying his forehead on her shoulder and pushing his power into her, hoping to give her strength to face what was coming.

  Kimba took two steps and pushed off with her powerful legs. A moment later, all the dragons, twenty strong including the king, flew next to them, bearing straight for the portal.

  Aston saw the swirling vortex grow, becoming large enough for the enormous beasts to pass through with ease. As soon as they entered the human realm, Aston saw his friends standing on the ground, their heads turned up to watch the dragons flying out of the portal. The winged creatures circled around the clearing once before lowering to the ground and landing with surprising grace. Rory made no move to climb down. She sat on the dragon’s back, staring straight ahead. Aston stayed with her, waiting, allowing his soul bonded to gather herself before facing the others.

  “Be strong, my friend,” Kimba said. “For me, for your mate, for the girl who needs our help. Be strong.”

  “I am not happy with you right now.” Rory’s voice held no anger, only sadness. She let Aston help them down with his power. When their feet touched the ground, she grabbed his hand and looked up at him.

  Aston cupped her cheek and gazed into her light grey eyes. I will do whatever you need. I’m here, wild Rory. I’m not going anywhere. The words flowed from his mind into hers.

  She nodded and squeezed his hand tightly.

  Suddenly a blast of heat filled the clearing. Aston whipped around to see Sepheron shooting flames from his gaping mouth into the surrounding forest. But the trees didn’t ignite. Instead, they separated, revealing a massive stone. The dragon king continued to blast fire at the stone, and soon the other dragons joined him. The heat bouncing from the stone became painful. Aston raised his free hand and called upon the wind. He brought down cold air from high in the atmosphere and swirled it around them. The heat dissipated enough to become bearable, but they still sweated heavily.

  A crack formed in the center of the stone. Now the heat grew again, as if the rock itself had released its own energy. Sepheron closed his mouth, but the other dragons continued to bear down on the giant rock with their flames. He turned to look at their group.

  “Soul-bonded humans,” the dragon said. His voice was firm, and his eyes bored into them. “The underworld will attempt to release a surge of darkness when its gates open. It is your job to keep that darkness at bay.” There was a crack, and the gap widened, but Aston could only see blackness beyond. “Females, you must gather in a circle and join hands. Your bonded will stand behind you. They must touch you so they can lend you their power. Each of you must focus only on the light that your bond creates. You must push that light forward. Direct it at the gate.” He motioned his head toward the stone. “Your light will prevent the demons from crossing into the human realm.”

  “Whoa,” Gabby said. “You want us”—she motioned to their group—“a group of newly bonded, baby elementalists to hold back a horde of demons?”

  “Yes,” Sepheron answered flatly.

  “Are you sure that’s the best job for us?” Tara asked, her words hesitant. “I don’t remember seeing that in the soul-bonded handbook.”

  “Told you there was a handbook,” Liam muttered.

  Gabby groaned. “Not helping, water boy.”

  “How do you know we can do this?” Elias asked.

  “I never said you could,” the king answered. “But a dragon’s memory is long, and our knowledge of the supernatural world is extensive.”

  “That doesn’t answer the question at all,” Tara said.

  “They can’t lie,” Rory said from beside Aston. “If he’s telling us this, then it’s the truth.”

  “Truth or not,” Gabby said, “he didn’t say we could do it!”

  “We must try,” Ra spoke up. “Do as he has instructed.” He made a circle motion with his hand.

  “Ra, if I could kick your royal arse right now, I totally would.” Liam huffed and moved with the others to form the circle. Aston walked to them, gently pulling Rory with him. She followed without a fight, though he could still feel her frustration and fear. Aston glanced at the stone, the flames still licking at it. The gap was growing ever larger.

  “Hurry,” Sepheron urged.

  The girls quickly grabbed one another’s hands while the guys stood behind their soul bonded and rested their hands on their shoulders. Aston began gathering his power. He pictured it starting in his feet and rising like pouring water into a glass, filling up inside his body. When it reached his hands, he pictured it flowing into Rory. He heard her gasp, so he squeezed her gently.

  “Females, gather the power from your mates. Let it merge with your own,” the dragon king said. “Imagine your magic gathering in a ball of light in the center of the circle. Push more,” he pressed. “Make it big—bright like the sun. Good. Now with everything you have, push with your will straight at the stone. Do it. Now!”

  Aston watched as the ball of white power flew at the now wide-open stone. With a start, he saw red eyes glowing in the darkness beyond the gaping maw in the stone. The light hit the entrance, and screeching filled the air. The glowing eyes retreated.

  “Hold the power at the entrance,” Sepheron told them. “Do not let up, and do not release one another.” His head turned, and he looked past their circle. “Kimba, ten of our warriors will join you. The others will remain with me in case the soul bonded fail and the demons pass through.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Gabby said through gritted teeth and a tightly clenched jaw. Her face looked pained, but her eyes glowed with a white light. Aston glanced at Tara and saw that hers did as well. Ten dragons separated themselves from the group and moved closer to the stone. Kimba joined them and marched to the front, posting herself directly in front of the opening.

  “Ra,” Sepheron said, “stand before me.”

  The pharaoh walked over without question. His face was blank, though flames danced in his black eyes. He held his weapons of choice—two short swords—in each hand. Ra’s knuckles were white from clenching the handles so tightly.

  “Dragon fire is a separate form of power than that wielded by the royal fire king. I can burn away the runes, but I must warn you. The process will not be without pain.”

  Ra immediately held out his arms. “It cannot be more painful than what I am already enduring.”

  The dragon king nodded in understanding. He looked back at their group. “Do not move. No matter what.” Then he opened his mouth and blew flames onto the pharaoh until Ra was completely engulfed.

  Aston watched as his brother’s mouth opened, and his eyes squeezed closed tightly. Ra made no sound, but it was clear from his face the pain was horrendous. The runes began to fade. Seconds that felt like minutes ticked by. Finally, the runes disappeared completely. Sepheron closed his mouth with a snap, and the fire stopped. Ra’s skin appeared angry and red, but he made no mention of it. He opened his eyes and turned toward the gate to hell, as if he might sprint to it.

  Aston made to call out to him, but all of a sudden, he felt Rory’s power weaken. She still held Gabby and Tara’s hands, but her body turned toward the gate where Kimba stood. “Focus, wild Rory,” Aston said and leaned down close to her ear.

  Rory heard Aston’s words, but she’d already made up her mind. She could no more change her decision than she could change the tide. Her eyes followed Kimba, watching as the dragon marched closer to the gateway leading into the underworld. All Rory could picture were demons overwhelming Kimba, bringing her down, their terrible claws ripping at her friend’s underbelly, or maybe Osiris using hell fire to blacken her beautiful scales. Rory couldn’t let that happen. She released Gabby and Tara’s hands.

  “Rory!” Gabby yelled. She tightened her grasp on Rory’s slackened hand. Tara did the same on the other side. Both girls stared at her, their eyes pleading with Rory to return the grip on their hands. She gave a subtle shake of her head. “I’m sorry,” she whispered and then shot a jolt of power through her hands toward them. The shock was enough to make them release her. As soon as they did, Rory jerked away from Aston’s hold and sprinted toward Kimba.

  “Rory!” Sepheron’s powerful voice rumbled through the clearing, but she didn’t even slow her pace. She focused on reaching Kimba before the crazy beast launched herself into the underworld without her.

  She saw Kimba lower herself, preparing to use her powerful legs to thrust herself up and forward. Rory wasn’t going to make it in time.

  “ASTON!” Rory screamed with all she had in her and prayed to Mother Gaia he would hear her through their bond. “Please, help me.” She felt his surprise, and then his fear, but most of all, she felt his love. He didn’t want her to go into the underworld. He was terrified she would die the instant she entered, but neither did he want to prevent Rory from helping her friend.

  “If I stop you, I will be making you choose between me and your friend. I wouldn’t do that to you, Rory. And you might never forgive me.” She heard him loud and clear in her mind, as if they were touching. “I should have said it sooner, but I was a fool. I love you, my wild Rory.”

  A powerful rush of air lifted her from the ground. Rory flew so fast at Kimba she thought she might vault right over the dragon. “Kimba.” Rory called out at the same time the dragon launched herself into the air. The air pushed Rory faster, and she saw Kimba turn. The dragon’s massive wings began to beat, raising her into the air. Her eyes widened briefly and then took on the determined gleam that Rory had become accustomed to over the course of their time together. Just as Kimba reached the gate, Rory landed on Kimba’s back. The landing was surprisingly gentle, considering the speed at which she’d been moving. “Don’t even think of trying to knock me off.” Rory growled.

  Kimba raised her wings, the massive appendages catching the wind, stopping their forward motion until they hovered. “You cannot go into the underworld, Rory,” Kimba said. “You will not survive.”

  “Yes, I will. I’ve got too much to live for.” She clamped her legs down tightly. “Hell hath no fury like a woman pissed off her BFF was leaving her behind.”

  “Did you just think of that all by yourself?” Kimba sounded less worried and more like her usual self.

  “I promise, Kimba,” Rory said, her voice full of the urgency that radiated through her body. “I will be fine.”

  “Until a demon eats you or you fall into a lake of fire,” Kimba muttered.

  “Kimba,” Sepheron called out, and both Rory and Kimba whipped their heads around to look at him. “Go. Trust that your rider will have the protection of your magic.”

  “Why the hell didn’t you tell me that to begin with?” Rory narrowed her eyes at the king.

  “No protection is absolute. And because Kimba would not want you to go with her, protection or not. Just as you do not want her going into danger.” He sounded much too reasonable. Rory had the urge to stick her tongue out at him but managed to refrain. “You must go,” Sepheron continued. “Your rider broke the power circle. Holding back the demons now will be difficult.”

  Kimba turned back toward the gaping dark hole. Rory tried to focus on whatever moved just past the entrance into the underworld. Every now and again, she would catch a glimpse of red. Rory held up her palms and called on the power that was a part of her. She no longer knew if it was her witch magic or the elemental magic she was supposed to have. Lightning danced in her palms, across her fingers, expressing her eagerness to take on whatever threat would come their way.

  “We’ve got a woman to save and a devil to defeat,” Rory said. “Let’s get this done so we can get back to roasting each other, pun intended.”

  She felt Kimba’s ire through the bond they shared. Though somewhat similar to the one she shared with Aston, the connection with Kimba wasn’t as all-consuming as Rory’s soul bond with her mate. “If you fall off, I’m leaving you.”

  “Whatever you say. Quit stalling.” Rory scoffed.

  The ten dragons, five on each side, rose into the air around them. Their wings buffeted the air, causing Rory’s hair to whip around her face. She shook her head to get the strands out of her eyes and then released her magic in order to grab onto Kimba’s neck as the dragon suddenly spurred forward.

  “Fly as fast and as high as you can,” Kimba told the other warriors. “Obliterate any demon you see. Do not hesitate.”

  They plunged into the darkness. Though heat surrounded Rory’s flesh, a bone-deep cold settled inside of her. It was a chill that robbed her of hope, joy, comfort, and peace. Sorrow, despair, and helplessness settled over her like a heavy blanket, threatening to throw her from Kimba’s back. Rory’s physical reaction to the darkness caused her balance to waver.

  “DO NOT FALL OFF,” Kimba bellowed at her.

  The other dragon warriors began to spew fire from their mouths. Rory almost wished they hadn’t, because the light from the flames allowed her to see exactly what filled the space below them. Demons. Hundreds of them in all shapes and sizes. Some had ragged, leathery wings, while others sported slithery tails with barbed ends. Still others showed gaping jaws that couldn’t close because of their massive, razor-sharp teeth. “Holy dragon eggs.” Rory breathed out as she took in the sight. She heard a mighty roar and glanced over her shoulder to see Ra covered in flames. Surprisingly, he rode on the back of one of the dragons. The flames seemed to be a part of him, moving with him and attacking anything that came too close. The two swords he held also burned furiously. He wielded them with a grace that spoke of hours and hours of practice. Demons leapt at him, and each one came away screaming, missing appendages or sporting oozing slash wounds in their bellies. Some even fell to the ground as ash. He fought with the reckless ferocity of a man with nothing to lose. Rory’s heart clenched painfully for him. His eyes were black, and flames danced within them. His lips drew tight across his face, and his jaw clenched as he cut down another demon.

  Kimba suddenly dove toward the ground. Rory turned back to see what would cause the dragon to lose altitude, bringing them nearer to the inhabitants of hell. Her eyes widened when she saw a group of winged demons rising into the air, heading straight for them. Kimba’s jaws opened wide, and flames burst forth. The fire hit the attacking demons, and the front-most denizens of hell liquified in an explosion of goo. The smell of sulfur made Rory gag, and the cocktail of showering body parts and black ichor nearly made her vomit. Realizing she wasn’t doing anyone any good by merely spectating, Rory called on her power and reached for the bond between her and Aston. The bond filled her, giving her magic so much more strength. Rory raised her arms, and lightning flowed down into her palms. She let it dance and crackle from finger to finger like a mini thunderstorm. Then she held her hands in front of her and willed the power outward. It shot toward the oncoming demons. Many spasmed and fell. But still more came. When one demon fell from her magic or Kimba’s fire, it seemed two more rose to take its place.

  Rory turned her eyes down and focused on hitting the ones that attempted to lift themselves into the air, stopping them before they could take flight. The sound of the disgusting demon’s screeches was music to her ears.

  She faced forward again and saw they were approaching a vast chamber. When they flew into it, Rory looked up and saw that there was no ceiling, at least not one she could see. The empty air seemed to go on forever, and darkness stretched far beyond the illumination provided by the dragons’ fires. Kimba raised her neck and lifted her body back until she flew at a vertical climb. Rory laid her chest flat against the dragon and grabbed onto the scales, squeezing her legs as tightly as possible.

  A dragon flew past them, and Rory saw Ra on its back, still wielding his swords of fire, his body continuing to glow like a human torch. As they flew higher, Rory noticed what looked like open-air levels of some humongous subterranean building. The seven levels of hell. She tried to get glimpses of each landscape as they were briefly illuminated from the dragons’ fires, but she wasn’t able to see much other than glowing eyes watching from hidden places.

  Demons chased them and dive-bombed the dragons. Rory wasn’t much help in the fight because she couldn’t let go of Kimba. Climbing as they were, she might fall if she tried to get off a spell. “Do you know how far up this thing goes?” Rory asked.