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Nikkos Inferni
Ever watchful for threats, I flew after my brothers’ scent, soaring through the darkness like the bow of a ship cutting through inky waters. Moonlight reflected off the tops of the massive pines below, setting their limbs aglow, and reminding me just how insignificant and small I was in proportion to this side of the Periculian mountain range. Everything was bigger in the land of the giant trolls, from the trees with pine needles as thick as blades to the animals that were easily four times the size of their northern cousins. Even the air itself felt bigger, each breath filling my lungs with a heaviness that weighed me down. I gave a start when a squirrel the size of a large dog jumped below me from one thick tree limb to another, making an aggravated grunt when I flew by. Only in the heart of the Periculian Mountains would I be frightened of a squirrel.
I landed on another ledge far above the cavern, worrying that we’d wandered too far from Shirina and the girls. Though I knew my brothers had already checked for threats, I also scanned the area, scenting the air for the smell of troll dung. Luckily, I smelled nothing but the strong scents of pine and earth. The occasional bird chirped and more squirrels rustled in the trees. The animals usually went silent when trolls were nearby. They didn’t seem alarmed that my brothers were already engaged in a heated discussion.
Blaze paced the ledge, his wings arched back, his feathers standing on end. “What in flame is the matter with you, Drae?”
Drae threw up his hands, sparks flying from his fingers. “We had them in our sights, and she wouldn’t let us kill them.”
“They’re her parents!”
“What aboutourparents?” Drae smacked his chest, the anguish in his voice a palpable thing. “Where’stheirjustice?”
I almost felt sorry for our brother. Almost. I didn’t remember our parents. Drae did. He’d been just seven years old when he’d been forced to fill our father’s role and help raise his two younger brothers. For that, I’d always be grateful, but that didn’t excuse the way he was treating our mate now.
Our mate.
I could hardly believe it.
I’d been so focused on training in Malvolia’s army, I hadn’t given the opposite sex much thought, other than the occasional visits to Delfi’s most illustrious brothel—and even then, I’d been focused on my needs, not theirs.
But now all that changed, because the elements had somehow deemed me worthy of a mate, a beautiful, powerful witch, and I wasn’t about to let our big brother blow it.
I cleared my throat, summoning the nerve to challenge my brother. Not that I was afraid of Drae. I could hold my own against any of my brothers. But Drae had been the closest thing to a father I’d ever had. Even though he was clearly in the wrong, I couldn’t shake the stab of guilt for going against him. “They said they didn’t kill our parents, that Malvolia killed them.”
Drae’s gaze snapped to mine, and there was no hiding the censure in his eyes. “And you believe them, that our queen is capable of such cruelty?”
“Shirina does.” I shrugged. “She believes people can’t lie when she uses her siren voice.”
Drae shook his head, his sneer deepening. “Then she’s a fool.”
Before I could react, Blaze jutted a foot forward, raising his fists. “Mind how you talk about our mate.”
I flanked Blaze, glaring at our oldest brother. “And how you talktoour mate.”
Drae crossed his arms, his pose too casual. I didn’t trust his smirk, knowing a sleeping dragon lie beneath that façade. “Or what?”
Smoke curled from Blaze’s fingers. “Or I’ll beat that smirk off your face.”
Drae threw back his head with a laugh. “I’d like to see you try.”
One moment, the fire flashed in Blaze’s eyes, and the next Drae’s head flew back, blood spraying from his nose after Blaze punched him. Drae knew better than to challenge Blaze. No Ravini was as fast as our brother. His speed was supernatural, a gift from the elements.
Drae’s wings flapped erratically, and he almost landed on his ass. His bloody nose was already swelling as he charged Blaze with a roar. “You flaming prick!”
“Enough!” I jumped between them, slapping their chests with my wings. “We need to be on our guard out here. Don’t forget we’re in troll territory.”
“Is that how you want to start out our relationship with our mate?” Blaze hollered as I pushed him back. “By killing her parents?”
Drae cradled his nose, his eyes flashing with despair. “I never asked for a mate.”
“Too bad!” Blaze snarled, baring his sharp incisors. “The elements blessed us with one anyway.”
Drae shook his head, his wings drooping. “You mean cursed us?”
Blaze looked at my brother as if he’d grown a second head. “You haven’t even given her a chance.”
Drae walked to the ledge, staring down into the dark forest below. “And I’m not going to.”
