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“You are pretty convinced my skin was the weapon, especially considering you weren’t even there.”
“I have eyes everywhere, my dear.”
I can’t help glancing at the guards stationed around the room. Oh yes, they are definitely watching, which means they know about the dangerous stranger. “And what did those eyes tell you?”
“They said you touched her. They said that was all it took.”
Uziah produces a vial and sets it on the table before me. The liquid is murky, and I wrinkle my nose at the bitter scent my senses pick up on even through the corked lid.
“The antidote,” he says simply.
A reassurance in case he’s wrong.
And an encouragement to do a very stupid thing.
I meet his eyes. “Who was the male who touched me?” I ask, needing him to give me something more first.
“They call him the death dragon.”
My limbs go limp as the blood drains from my cheeks. “The General of Caius’ army? That was him?”
Uziah nods. “He is a shadow dragon capable of destruction beyond this realm’s comprehension. And he is more than powerful enough to curse you.”
As his words sink in with a cold, brutal awareness, I stare at the drink, trying to talk myself out of such a terrible idea. But I have to know. Not just because of the Crimson Roses. Even if I survive them, what kind of life can I have if I can’t touch another creature without killing them instantly?
I need answers. And that starts with understanding what I am now—and what I’m truly capable of. Before I can talk myself out of it, I grab the glass and drain the contents.
Chapter 4
Legion
I’m woken by a small but insistent voice that grows steadily louder at my ear—and a headache that crescendos right along with it. My metabolism might be immune to alcohol and its after-effects, but the magic infusion still lingers in my bloodstream just enough to leave me with a miserable hangover.
“Wake up.” Chaya’s voice is soft at first. Then, with more force behind it, “Legion!”
I sit up quickly in the darkness, instantly alert at the sight of the fourteen-year-old girl standing in my bedchambers, wearing only her robe.
“What’s wrong?” I demand quickly, already straining to hear whatever danger has brought her in here.
Chaya never comes into my bedroom. Hell, it took earning her trust for two years before she’d eat a meal with me, thanks to the horrible life she’d endured before coming to live at Kolgrave Keep. For a creature powerful enough to command the heavens, she’s still awfully softspoken.
“Nothing’s wrong here,” she says quickly, understanding my concern for her and the house. “But Klyn?—”
I sit up straighter at the mention of my second-in-command. “What about him?”
“He’s at the front gates. He said to get you immediately. I think it’s something at the castle.”
“Tell him I’m coming.” I toss back the covers as Chaya nods and hurries out again. Her small frame makes for nearly silent footsteps as she slips out.
I frown, wondering if she’s not yet eating enough. Then I shake away the worry. Chaya was frail and sick when she arrived, but in the two years since, her color and courage have both returned. The fact that she braved waking me just now is proof of that.
Instead, my thoughts drift to Klyn and whatever’s brought him to my doorstep before dawn on my day off. Head still thudding with a hangover headache, I hurry to get dressed and curse myself for drowning my sorrows so deeply with Styx last night. A quick glance at my knuckles shows scrapes and bruises from the fight, but any other damage has thankfully healed. Something tells me I’m going to need my strength for whatever’s waiting out there.
Klyn’s pacing in the entryway when I join him downstairs. When he sees me, his expression only darkens, his bearded face and dark eyes making him look wild and untamed—which isn’t wholly inaccurate.
When I get close, he sniffs, and his gaze narrows. Fuck, having a lupin for a friend makes it hard to get away with shit. Before he can ask about the alcoholic magic still clinging to me, I cut to the point of his presence here.
“What happened?” I ask in a low voice.
