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I fall to my hands and knees. Still fighting the enchantment, I crawl down the length of the temple to where Rook stands.
“Aellurium?” he asks.
“Yes.” Gritting my teeth, I flatten my hands against the marble floor. “Enchanted.”
“What enchantment?” He doesn’t touch me, possibly afraid of a curse.
“Obedience.” I choke out the word and shove myself from the marble. Kneeling, I stare at him through my veil. “Rook. Free me.”
He tears the veil from my face. With his claws, he pierces the silk at my neck. He drags his fingers down between my breasts, down to my navel. He shreds my wedding dress. It falls away from me like the petals of a ruined flower. My spine arches, my head tilted skyward, and my long hair whispers over the curve of my naked back.
I shudder as the magic breaks.
Rook holds out his hand. When I take it, he tugs me to my feet.
“Thank you,” I gasp.
He dips his head in silent acknowledgement.
Scaldric prowls through the temple, clenching his jaw so hard that a tendon jumps in his cheek. He challenges Rook with his stare.
“Step away from my mate,” Scaldric demands.
“Yourmate?” Rook curls his lip with equal parts disgust and disdain. “She doesn’t belong to you. I won’t let you hurt her again.”
“She surrendered to me. She will never be yours.”
“Scaldric?” I wait for him to look at me. “Shut the fuck up.”
Golden scales pattern his skin before sharpening into reality. “You never should have angered me, sweet Pyrah.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR
When Scaldric doubles over, beginning to shift into a dragon, I grab Rook’s hand.
“Run,” I say.
“I’ve fought dragons before.” Rook has an infuriating, yet impressive, bravado.
“This temple isn’t big enough to hold a dragon for long. Do you want to be crushed to death under rubble?”
“Fair point.”
We run.
The golden dragon roars loud enough to snuff candles and deafen me for a moment.
Ears ringing, I sprint alongside Rook, who shoulders open the doors. We burst from the temple and stumble into the street. Morning sunlight slices through Netherhaven and dazzles me. I shield my eyes with my hand.
City dwellers gasp and point at us: a naked woman and a demon in armor. I’m not sure which of us is more shocking. Behind us, the temple shudders with a boom. Dust sifts from the masonry. It can’t cage the dragon forever.
“We have to defeat Scaldric,” I say, “or he won’t stop hunting me.”
“Unfortunately, you may be right.”
“Let me shift into a dragon.”
His fingers tighten around my hand. “Pyrah, it’s too dangerous.”
