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“And I’m sure there’s an explanation for why you agreed to forge a magical pact with him.”
Pearl gave Sapphire a warning look, but Ruby nudged Pearl and the two guys to continue walking the magical path. Sapphire and Emerald followed at a distance, where the latter remained silent for a while.
“You already know why,” Emerald finally answered. “Silver.”
The mention of their eldest brother had Sapphire’s heart leaping, first with pain, then with peace. It had been years since Silver Sutton had been accused of a crime he didn’t commit and hurled into Hellhole, where the evil creatures were punished. It had taken even more to prove his innocence and get him out of Hellhole, and the last few months had been a rough journey of searching for the man they loved with all their hearts. When they had found Silver on a shifter island mated with the clan leader, Rosa, they also found another problem: Rosa being forced into an arranged marriage with someone else due to her father’s debt—and that someone else coming to collect and wreak havoc before Emerald put a stop to it.
It galled that Sapphire hadn’t thought of making the pact first. It frustrated her that she had failed to protect her sister despite being the eldest—and the household head in Silver’s absence—when that was her most important role.
It’s not too late.
“He’s a dragon shifter, Em. Dangerous.”
“Hence the magical pact,” Emerald replied promptly, ready for the warning. “He can’t harm Silver and his new mate. He can’t harm their people. He can’t harm us as long as I abide by it.”
“While being his bride and slave?”
“Not slave, Saph. Ally. He needs a witch by his side and I’m providing him that.”
“If Silver knows you made this deal, he would riot.”
“Yes, he would,” Emerald agreed. “Rosa would too. They would break the pact and many clans would be massacred. So, he doesn’t need to know. He’s happy where he is, and he deserves that after years of agony.”
Sapphire swallowed as every word hit her hard and made her accept that her sister was right about Silver. She bit back a sigh when Emerald walked ahead, ending their conversation before she even had a chance to reason out further. Left straggling behind, she reluctantly quickened her pace and continued disintegrating the path behind her until Ruby’s magic tapped and took over. Sapphire surged forward to lead the team, seamlessly switching with Ruby and walking ahead of Pearl. Her hand went to her pocket, where several potions clinked against each other, infusing more magic into the path until it was moving them forward.
“You worry too much,” Pearl whispered.
Sapphire glanced behind her and raised a brow. “Don’t you?”
“I do. But Em’s a big girl and she’s right. The pact protects her.”
“Not good enough.”
“It protects Silver too.”
Pearl didn’t state the obvious: that Silver and his mate, Rosa, would be dead if it hadn’t been for their interference. But even that hadn’t been enough as they couldn’t keep the dragon locked in forever—and Emerald had to step in with her negotiations.
Sapphire sighed. “I just don’t get it.”
“Neither do I, if we’re being honest,” Pearl admitted. “You know Em’s our most standoffish, uptight sister—and I say that with love.”
“Pearl…”
“But she’s also logical and very calm and I don’t think she would have made that deal out of panic.” Pearl mulled over it. “I’m guessing logic brought her to the conclusion that he might be a good ally. Or…”
“Or?”
Pearl smirked. “Who knows? Maybe our morally upright sister just wants to get laid—”
“Pearl,” Sapphire growled.
“All right, all right. I was kidding. I mean, I would. He’s not bad looking. Speaking of…”
A gust of wind swept over their heads, forceful enough that Sapphire knew it wasn’t just a shift in weather. Her back turned rigid as she spotted the figure flying above, hidden by clouds first before it broke through and glissaded closer.
“That’s him?” Moon asked, the only one in the party who hadn’t met him.
“Yes,” three voices said at once.
