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Dammit, with the creature’s disappearance, wherever it came from wants something of equal value and power. Plumes of smoke and flames spiral out of the portal now, engulfing the closest council members in its wild embrace. The fire feels sentient, as if these are tentacles of a larger being searching for something.
My mother screams at me to run away even as she claws for a foothold to keep from falling into the growing abyss.
I tug at the bonds within my heart. The grassy scent of Owain’s skin floods my senses. He’s near. They all are. They were waiting for me to finish my ordeal and lingered nearby to take me away as soon as possible.
Doyle crashes through the ornate stained glass. The others come in afterward. Thorn and Logan hold on to my mother, and take her to safety while Doyle and Mordred fly around dodging smoke and pillars of flame to get to me.
While Doyle and Mordred distract the smoke tentacles, Owain lifts me up and leaps out of the window, the others close behind.
A moment after, we land on my front lawn, taking cover as a magical explosion burst from the study. A cold fire rushes over everything as the defense spells ignite, useless against the onslaught of that much power.
I offer one last trickle of blood into the ground, asking the oubliette to swallow the rogue magic in my house one more time, hoping I’m not too far away to be effective.
Long seconds passed until finally, the plumes of shadowy smoke dissipate and the ground beneath us stops shaking.
The last thing I see is my mother, silhouetted against the flames engulfing my house. It should be impossible, but I see every detail of her face. Every flicker of emotion. Her mouth forms the words,Run, before darkness overwhelms my vision.
Our hollow remains safe.I’m grateful for small favors. I can’t seem to stop shaking.
“Hurry, please. Our ‘Nyx cannot stop trembling.”
I want to refute his claim, but it’s taking all my concentration to keep my teeth from clacking together. Though I’m burning up,I can’t stop trembling.
“Sleep now, love. It’s over. It’s time you rest.”
I don’t know which of them said it, but I gladly obey.
I wake to the smell of breakfast foods and coffee.
This must be heaven.
A fuzzy muzzle sniffs at my neck. “Not quite heaven, Nyx, but damn close.” Logan snuggles my back.
I turn in his arms. “How long have I been asleep?”
He smooths my hair from my brow. “A full day. You needed the rest.”
“Damn, I didn’t even get to celebrate my birthday.”
“About that…we thought it would be fun to celebrate you whenever you wake up. So, whenever you’re ready, we will pick where we left off.”
“I’m assuming you mean finishing our binding ceremony, and not nearly being dragged into an all-consuming fire creature’s gullet?”
Logan boops me on the nose. “Binding ceremony, please. Nearly losing you is one scare I never want to repeat.”
I melt against him, letting him roll me over so that he pressed against my body. He nips at my neck, licking my earlobe before sucking it into his mouth. I squirm against him, enjoying the friction between my skin and his fur. He nuzzles between my breasts, taking care to lick the line on my sternum. “Does this hurt at all?”
“No. Just a tingle, nothing more.”
He nods. “Good. Mordred used a salve on it so it would heal with minimal scarring. Thorn wanted to use his venom on it, but we thought it would be best to wait until you approved on that option.”
“Viper venom wouldn’t be a bad option, to be honest,” I say, mulling it over. “We’ll discuss more later.”
“Why?” Logan asks playfully. “What are you hoping to do now that you have to wait to talk about it later?”
“Hoping to ride your tongue until I scream.”
“Well, imagine that. I was hoping for the same thing.” Logan grins up at me as he makes his way down my body. He presses a trail of kisses down my stomach, leaving goosebumps in his wake. The fire inside me ignites, consuming me bit by quivering bit.
