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“Dammit.” Abandoning the fastenings, he yanks me into his embrace and buries his face against my neck. “Never scare me like that again.”
His heart hammers hard enough to echo in my chest, and tears soak into my hair. I hold him tight, murmuring reassurances into his ear.
“You scared me,” he whispers into my skin. “I felt your soul fading, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.”
“I’m sorry.” My eyes sting as I realize how close I came to leaving him forever.
I wish I could promise it won’t happen again, that the danger is over, but unless a miracle happened while I was out of commission, the apocalypse is still a threat.
Anny yips and rubs against my bare legs, her fur soft and warm.
I drop a hand to the top of her head, rubbing her ears in comfort.
Sniffing, Flint releases me and turns away to wipe his eyes before his gaze rakes over Darius. “Alright, enough showing off. Time to put your human form back on.”
Darius rolls his head and shrugs. Slowly, he shrinks as his black skin brightens to bronze, the flames of his hair settling onto his shoulders in burgundy waves.
“Much better.” Flint pulls him into an embrace. “Thank you for bringing her back.”
Darius’s fiery eyes widen in shock, and then he pats Flint’s back.
“I’ll get you a robe to wear.” Reese hurries down the hall.
Flint releases Darius and steps back to smack him on the shoulder, his expression growing more serious. “Don’t risk yourself like that again, alright? You almost completely depleted your fire. We need you strong and healthy, too.”
I catch Darius’s eyes and nod in agreement.
As grateful as I am for his intervention, the thought of losing him—of losing any of them—sends a shiver of fear down my spine. We’ve faced so much together, and the last thing I want is to survive at the cost of one of them.
Flint clears his throat and turns in the direction where Reese disappeared. “We should head to the Harbor. The others will meet us back there.”
I tug the jacket closer, the hem brushing my skin at mid-thigh as we walk toward the entrance. “What happened after the black dog attacked me?”
“It came after me and Sharpe, but I banished it with this.” Xander reaches into his pocket and pulls out a handful of white granules mixed with metal shavings. “It’s iron and salt. Two things myth said will hold off the fae.”
“No longer a myth, at least as far as this monster is concerned.” Flint grips his shoulder. “Your gamble paid off, and now we have a weapon to fight the black dog.”
A memory rises of blue and red lights painting the night sky. “What happened with the cops?”
“Sharpe distracted the security guards who came to investigate while Reese created a portal.” Xander slips his mixture back into his pocket. “He convinced them to go back to the street.”
“Where Bailey tried to frame him and the others with the newest murder.” Flint’s jaw clenches with anger.
My stomach tightens. “Are they in jail? Has our lawyer been called?”
Before they can answer, Reese races out of a cross hall that leads to the dorms and thrusts a robe at Darius. “Here we go. It should cover all the necessary bits.”
“My appreciation.” Darius slips it on, and it falls to his knees while straining at the shoulders.
“Are our people in jail?” I ask again, my body stiff with agitation.
“Fortunately, no.” Flint runs a hand through his black hair. “While Bailey was strutting around the crime scene, the black dog returned and went after him. Sharpe and the others took it out using pieces of the wrought iron gate and fire.”
“The wrought iron wasn’t as effective as iron,” Reese adds. “It makes contact, but doesn’t banish the black dog.”
I nod, feeling a mixture of relief and disappointment.
Part of me wishes they hadn’t saved Bailey, even if it meant taking one step closer to the apocalypse.
