Who is the well-behaved pet now?
She hoped he heard that thought. It was loud in her own mind; perhaps it spanned the space between them and filtered into his.
A flash of black feathers as Graves stepped forward. "She comes first."
Vale blew out a harsh breath, smoke clouding before her and mingling with the rain.
"We’re wasting time!" Azgorath spat. "You want to die here? Fine. But not her. I’ll take her myself. Lu, come on." The demon thundered forward, and Luella all but melted into his arms as he held her—she was surrounded by them and the rain.
A loud crack echoed, and this time, she flinched, cowering in their holds as if they were a match against this fortress.
"You can’t stop it, Luella?" Vale beseeched, voice distressed as he grabbed her hand, fingers lacing with hers as he forced her to stop, pulling her back into his orbit. She jerked her gaze down to his hand on hers, but he did not relent. "Tell me—truly."
She didn’t feel the Binding mark. Her words were all her own:
"Truly, Vale, I can’t. But I don’t want anyone to hurt—not the i-innocents," she sobbed. "Not the ones who did not want to hurt me." It spilled out of her like rain. She felt as though she hadlost her balance, and only at that moment, had she reclaimed it, stumbling and teetering, but it was a start.
Was it just her, or had the rain let up?
But it was too late. The cracks had been formed.
"I will shift and take her to my—my den." Resignation flashed over Vale’s face.
Graves nodded, just once. "Don’t let it become too much."
"I won’t," Vale replied. Cryptic. "Prima, get your wards to safety. I will return for you once she’s safe." His hands tightened on her.
"Wait," Luella whimpered. "You’re not coming? What if you?—"
Die.
She couldn’t say it.
Because of me.
She didn’t want to say it.
This was all her fault.
Az grabbed her with ferocity, and amid the storm and the thundering cracks of the castle walls, he leaned down far to breach the height separating them and pressed his lips to hers. A moment of aching tenderness and devotion. She sighed into his mouth—but he pulled away too soon.
"Go with him. He will protect you—his dragon demands it. I’m right behind you, my angel." Az’s voice cracked.
And he let her go.
"Come get me," she whispered. "Don’t be a hero for someone else… because then you won’t be mine anymore."
Selfish. But the truth was often bitter and greedy.
Her demon’s amber eyes searched hers. "Always."
Luella looked to the others. Graves, Bastian, and Tharen. Forced to stay so she could go.
Bastian palmed her nape and pulled her closer, sharp and disjointed as he raggedly inhaled. He groaned, fangs digging intohis lower lip. "Get out of here." Then he pressed his lips to her crown and whispered just for the two of them, "Iamyour pet, and I will do whatever you wish."
Bastian pulled away before she could say a word, leaving her to face the others.
Graves stared and stared at the white, rain-soaked feathers on her back. "Fly away." He reached behind him and tugged his hood back up, shutting her out.
