“She’s right,” Shelly called out.

  “Totally broke the code,” Tara added her two cents.

  “See?” Rory flung out her arm toward the girls. “They know. They actually have friends. I’m sure they have a book with all the BFF rules just sitting at home on the bookshelf, and I bet they would be happy to let you borrow it.”

  “Now you’re just overestimating our organizational abilities,” Gabby said.

  “But we can definitely work on a book,” Shelly offered.

  Kimba turned to look at Rory, her large dragon eyes holding her friend’s gaze. Rory’s heart tightened in her chest because she saw Kimba’s kindness—the fierce protectiveness and love that Kimba had given freely to her since they became friends.

  “I couldn’t tell you, little witch,” Kimba said. “I didn’t remember because it wasn’t time.”

  “And now?” Rory asked.

  “Now the forgotten past is being made known,” Sepheron answered. The dragon king turned to Osiris. “You have a choice to make. Return to the underworld and face Lucifer. Or come to our realm, learn of your past, plan for your future, and join us in ridding the earth of the demons that have escaped hell.”

  Osiris’s eyes shifted to Kimba. And then he looked over at Shelly. The indecision was written on his face like neon lights on a massive sign in the middle of the dark.

  “Look away, fallen lord,” Ra said, his voice dark. His eyes were still black and dancing with flames. Rory wondered if they would always be that way.

  Kimba’s chest rumbled beside her, and Rory realized her dragon growled at him. “Make your decision. We don’t have time for you to act like a youngling who has had his toy taken away and doesn’t know how to deal with it.”

  “Burn,” Rory mumbled as she, like everyone else, stared at Osiris.

  After at least a minute, Osiris finally spoke again. “Fine. I will come and hear your so-called truth. But I make no promises about whether I will help.”

  “That is good enough for now,” Sepheron said.

  “You guys seriously need to up your standards on who you let onto Team Dragon,” Rory mumbled to Kimba.

  “You’re probably right,” Kimba said. “After all, we let you in.”

  Aston chuckled. “Now that was a burn.”

  Rory nudged him and smirked at her friend. “You’re still not funny, even if you did knock the king of hell off his high horse.”

  “Your soul bonded thinks so.”

  Rory rolled her eyes, then looked up at Aston. “You’re not supposed to laugh at her. It only encourages her.”

  Aston cupped her face and gazed at her as if she alone held the answers to all of life’s important questions. “She makes you smile. Therefore, I will wholeheartedly encourage her. And she protected you when I could not. She has earned my loyalty, even if she annoys you.”

  “You got yourself a keeper, little witch,” Kimba said. “Hold on to him with both hands.”

  Rory heard a hint of longing in the dragon’s voice. She looked up and found Kimba gazing at Osiris. He was staring back at her, but his eyes were leery.

  “This is going to be interesting.”

  Gabby stepped up beside them. “Glad you didn’t die, witch,” the redhead told her. “We need all the girl power we can get with these bossy males.”

  Rory nodded and swallowed back the lump in her throat. She’d never had friends, at least not before Kimba. The three girls who now stood before her looked at her with kindness, instead of the disdain she’d become accustomed to in her former life. The thought of friendships was a little scary, but it also brought her hope. Tara had an arm wrapped around Shelly’s waist, even though both their males looked ready to throw the girls over their shoulders and haul them off somewhere safer than a field littered with the corpses and ash piles from hundreds of dead demons.

  “I’m back,” Shelly said. Though her eyes looked a little haunted, the girl held it together. “And you are a dragon-riding badass,” she said to Rory, “which means you have to be our best friend. We don’t take no for an answer.”

  “She’s right. I was forced into it as well,” Gabby said. “But on the plus side, she’s only a little psycho, so it works.”

  “Sometimes a little psycho is necessary,” Rory said.

  “Yep, she’s a keeper.” Shelly and the other girls nodded.

  “Royals,” Sepheron called out. “Please get back to your prospective territories and prepare your people for the demon invasion. Soul bonded”—he glanced at each of them—”you will come into our realm for protection and to learn. Be ready. It will not be easy, and you must learn quickly.” He looked back at the royals. “Please pass on word that we need all the soul bonded to come. It is time to restore the balance of power.”

  He turned, and a large portal opened.

  “Stay with your friends, Rory,” Kimba said. “I will come check on you and assist with your training. But now I must deal with Osiris.”

  “Why do you need to deal with him?” Rory asked.

  “It’s a long story, but one I promise to share.”

  Rory gave her a thumbs-up. “If he hurts you, I will feed him to the wilder dragons among you.”

  “Still so bloodthirsty.” Kimba shook her head and then turned and paced toward the man who had recently been lord of the underworld.

  “Bloodthirsty is good,” Shelly said. “Keeps you from hesitating in the face of your enemy.”

  “Had many enemies?” Rory asked.

  Shelly snorted. “Are you kidding me? My high school was the worst. It was a breeding ground for enemies that would make these demons look like little kittens.”

  “Here she goes,” Tara muttered. She let Elias tug her toward the portal. The rest followed, including Aston, pulling Rory along with him.

  “What?” Shelly glanced over Ra’s shoulder from where he had an arm wrapped around her. “You can’t tell me hormonal, mean girls aren’t the worst.”

  “You’ve got to let it go, Shells,” Tara said.

  “Like you let your impenetrable hymen go?”

  “Bloody hell.” Elias groaned. “Not this again.”

  “This sounds interesting.” Rory sped up so she walked next to Ra and Shelly. “What about her hymen?”

  “Mery.” Ra’s voice was filled with warning.

  “I’m not sure how long I was trapped in hell, but, to me, it felt like a month. I was imprisoned with that … devil-not-devil lord of the underworld. So, I think I should get to talk about what I want to talk about.”

  “All those in favor of the hymen exploration conversation?” Gabby asked.

  “I’m in,” Liam called before anyone else could speak.

  “Not you.” Gabby quickly shot him down. “Only those with ovaries are allowed in on this conversation.”

  “No one is talking about anyone’s hymens, least of all Tara’s.” Elias growled.

  Shelly mouthed at Rory. “We’ll talk later.”

  Rory covered her laugh with a cough and gave Shelly a thumbs-up. As they crossed through the portal, she felt a violent shudder. She looked back into the Devil’s Heart and saw trees fall as a ferocious wind swept through them. The sky had grown dark with ominous clouds, and thunder boomed.

  “What’s happening?” Rory asked.

  “Lucifer no longer slumbers,” Sepheron answered. “If we fail to banish the demons to hell, the hate and chaos they will bring to the earth will feed his own evil. He will grow more powerful, and the chains that bind him to the underworld will break. He will, quite literally, bring hell on earth.”

  Epilogue

  “Everything I believed to be true is a lie. I am not sure if I am relieved or horrified. If I am not who I thought I was, then my transgressions are more than I can bear. If I am what I’ve believed I was, then the guilt that is beginning to gnaw at me will not take root.” ~Osiris

  “Are you my jailer?” Osiris asked the dragon, Kimba, who stood before him. They’d brought him to a cave at the bottom of a massive mountain. He’d managed to use his power to manifest some of his own things from the underworld. Osiris wasn’t sure how he’d been able to do this, considering his position was apparently still up in the air. But he’d brought himself a chair and a bed. Then he’d placed hellfire in a rock firepit that would never go out or need wood to keep burning. It would do for now. At the present, winter ruled over the dragon realm, and he found it a welcome break from the heat he was so accustomed to.

  “You came here of your own free will,” she said. “I am not your jailor, and you are not a prisoner.”

  “Has anyone else been given such a nice comfortable cave in which to sit and rot?” Osiris unbuttoned his suit jacket and took a seat in the chair, crossing one leg over the other. He attempted to look nonchalant, but he suspected his frazzled nerves showed clearly on his face.

  “Everyone has been provided places to rest. It has been a bit of an exhausting day, what with that fun little battle we had against the demons earlier.”

  “I’d offer you a seat, but you’re, well, you…” He motioned to her massive body. “And I don’t seem to have an extra chair.”

  “I do not require your hospitality, Osiris,” she said. Her voice was even, though her eyes held sadness. “I simply want to talk.”

  “What could you possibly have to say to me?” He wanted her to leave. Something about Kimba unsettled him, and he disliked it greatly. “I am no friend to the dragons.”

  “You are no friend to anyone,” she said. “That must be a lonely existence.”

  He snorted. “Are you some sort of dragon therapist? Are you going to try to understand me, help me get in touch with my emotions, or try to get me to admit all of my wrongs and embrace my guilt?”

  She tilted her head, as if she needed to see him from a different angle. “You are a shadow of the man you once were. I will not lie and say that I can forget all of your transgressions. But I hope I can move past it. Deep down”—she paused—“way, way, way down, you’re a good man. Even though you don’t remember.”

  Osiris wanted to lash out at her. He wanted to tell her to take a hike and take her opinion of him with her. But he refused to lose control in front of the dragon. Lack of control equated to weakness, and he loathed weakness. “I think you have me confused with someone else.”

  “I cannot lie, Osiris. No dragon can.”

  He curled his lip back. “There are ways around lies that still hold truth. Believe me, I know. Lies are my specialty. Now, if you don’t mind, I would like some of that rest you mentioned.” He motioned with his hand for her to leave. “I trust you know the way out. If not, it’s that big, gaping hole behind you.”

  “I will leave when I am done talking to you.” She watched him, her gaze challenging.

  Osiris stood slowly and straightened his jacket. He pulled on the ends of his sleeves beneath the suit. “Do not mistake my calm demeanor for kindness, dragon. I have no qualms about forcing you to leave. I hold loyalty to none, least of all the ones who opened the damn gate to hell and released my demons into the human realm.”

  “Once upon a time, I had your loyalty. I had your everything.” Kimba’s voice was soft and filled with pain.

  He started to speak but shut his mouth when her form shimmered and blurred. Osiris blinked several times, attempting to clear his eyesight, but she continued to shimmer, her body morphing. A bright light engulfed her, so bright he had to shield his eyes. When the light faded, he saw that the massive dragon was gone, and in its place stood a woman—a beautiful woman. She had long, white hair. Her face was smooth, free of any wrinkle or blemish. Her cheeks held a rosy glow, and her mouth formed a perfect bow. Large, pale blue eyes stared at him with something akin to desire, but the look was almost completely overshadowed by pain. She was petite, the top of her head only reaching Osiris’s shoulder. Frankly, she took his breath away. He’d never heard of a dragon being able to shape shift. There had to be some powerful witch magic in this.

  “Who are you?” He felt an incredible pull to run to her, to touch her and see if she was actually real. But he forced his feet to stay planted.

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I am Kimba, the light queen of the soul elementals, the fifth element lost to the memories of our people.” She paused, her brow furrowing. The woman looked hesitant to continue, but after a few seconds, her chin rose and she said, “And I am your mate.”

  “Shelly.” Ra watched his soul bonded wander around the cave, looking at the simple furniture and necessities the dragons had provided to them. She’d been avoiding him since their dragon host had left them to rest. He could feel Shelly’s anxiety through their bond, though she’d done a good job keeping it under wraps while they’d been in the Devil’s Heart and around their friends.

  “Hmm?” she answered absently, examining the blanket on the bed as if it was the finest cloth she’d ever laid eyes on.

  “Come here,” he said from where he sat in one of two chairs provided. His voice was deep with the need he felt down to his bones. He needed her close. He didn’t want to push her, but if she kept herself away from him, then he would most definitely push.

  Shelly slowly turned to face him. Her hands released the blanket, and she clasped them and began twisting her fingers. Her eyes dropped as she chewed on her bottom lip. “Ra.” She said his name so gently, with so much longing, that his own breath caught in his throat.

  “I felt you,” he said, hoping he could reassure her that nothing had changed between them. “When you called out to me, I felt it, and I couldn’t do anything to help you. It was worse than when I traveled through the seven levels of hell to get to you. At least then I knew I was making progress. I was doing something to help you. But”—he shook his head and balled his fists in his lap—“this time, I was just spinning my wheels. I had no clue how to make progress to get closer to you. It was the worst feeling I’ve ever experienced.”

  “I don’t feel I deserve that loyalty, Ra.” She shook her head. “Not now. Not after I actually felt… I don’t know what I felt. But it was not okay.”

  He held his hand out to her. “Look at me.” She raised her beautiful face to him. “Come here.” Still, she didn’t move. “Mery, you don’t get to decide for me how I feel about you or what you think you deserve from me. Those choices are for me alone. Now, please, put me out of my misery and come let me hold you. I just need you.”

  Tears streaked down her face, but she finally walked toward him. Ra let out the breath he’d been holding. He didn’t know what he would do if she didn’t allow his touch. He was starved for her, to feel the warmth of her flesh against his, to have her scent fill his lungs. And when he finally convinced Shelly he held nothing against her, he would have her taste again as well.

  As soon as she was close enough, he reached out and snagged her around the waist and pulled her down onto his lap. Shelly gasped and sat stiffly as he wrapped both arms around her. Ra pressed his face in between her shoulder and neck and nuzzled his nose against her skin, breathing deep. He fisted her shirt in his hands, wishing the material was gone. The man wanted all of her pressed against him. He needed the intimacy between them that belonged only to each other.

  “I love you, Shelly Nasir,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her neck. “There’s nothing I won’t do to keep you safe.” His gut twisted as he remembered his deal with Viscious. He wasn’t fool enough to think the dark fire king would let him off the hook, regardless of the fact that Ra hadn’t used his help to get into hell. Viscious would come, eventually, and he’d attempt to kill Ra or, worse, his Shelly.

  His soul mate turned her head toward him, her movements hesitant. Ra felt her need for him through their bond. He felt her fear that he would reject her. Ra lifted his hand to cup her face and raised her face further until their lips lined up. He could feel their breath mingle. He ran a finger down her cheek, across her jaw, and then over her lips. “I understand what you felt toward Osiris, Shelly. I can sense it through our bond.”

  She made a sound that broke his heart. Her voice quivered as she tried to drop her face, but Ra wouldn’t let her hide herself from him, not after being separated from her and wondering if he’d ever see her again. She shook her head and pushed at his chest.

  “I’m not letting you go, so you might as well stop fighting me.” He pulled her tighter against him. “All you felt was empathy, Mery. You experienced guilt for even feeling that, but there wasn’t any genuine attraction. Your soul, the part of me you share, called out for mine the entire time, even when you weren’t aware of it. I can also feel the distorted emotions he attempted to plant. Osiris was encouraged because he sensed your empathy as well. He tried to manipulate your caring nature into something more. But he failed, beloved. He failed because you belong to me. As I belong to you.”

  She finally looked at him. Her smaller hand lifted until she touched his face. Her fingertip ran across his cheek and up to his brow. “What happened to your eyes? I’ve wanted to ask, but honestly, I’ve been afraid to hear the answer.”

  “Because they look like demon eyes?”

  She shook her head. “Because despite being solid black, they look sad. I never want to be the cause of your sadness.”

  “At first I thought I knew why they turned black,” he admitted, though he wasn’t about to tell her his initial suspicion about her unfaithfulness. He should have never even given the thought a second of his time. But especially now, after feeling her emotions, Ra knew he could say nothing. If he told her it crossed his mind, even for only the briefest of moments, that she’d been unfaithful, it would crush her. Ra would never be the source of her pain. Not if he could prevent it.

  “And now?” She kept running her finger over his face, and it was beginning to drive him mad with desire.

  He took her hand in his and entwined their fingers. If she kept touching him so gently, he was going to wind up begging her to let him take her to the empty bed. “Now, I’m not sure. I need to do some research. The whole Osiris thing has thrown me for a loop and, considering my ancestors are tied to him, I need to know what that means for them, for me, and for us as well.”