Page 35 of Fallen for the Two-Headed Dragon

“I fell.”

“What?”

“I literally tumbled into his cave. Literally. My ex pushed me off a cliff. I should have died! Apparently, Rathym had just rearranged that mountain the night before. If not for some of his excavating, I would’ve died for sure.”

Ana’s shock gave way to a boisterous laugh. “That’s the power of fated mates for you.”

Dana laughed harder, although she still didn’t fully understand the mate bond. Once their laughter died down, an ephemeral sound floated through the air. Ana sped up, pulling Dana along.

“That’s them! Do you hear that violin? Let’s get closer.”

The näcken was strewn over an intricate fountain statue, their finned legs and feet engulfed by water. The violin emitted a sorrowful sound, the song mournful and beautiful at the same time. Their entire existence emanated a deep love and deep grief that immediately brought tears to Dana’s eyes. All she could think was that this woeful sound must have been how it felt inside Rathym’s hearts for centuries.

“So incredibly talented,” she murmured as she wiped her eye.

“They really are. Okay, let’s go grab Ryuu and Rathym and convince them to buy us food somewhere!”

That evening, after they returned to the house and said good night to Ana and Ryuu, Rathym pulled her close and nuzzled her hair. Dana’s eyes fluttered closed, glad to finally be back in his arms with some privacy.

Too quickly, he withdrew. She pouted and started to turn, but the pad of his claws held her shoulders.

“Patience, treasure. I have a gift for you.”

A game. Ever since the day he’d flown her home after Jackson’s botched hearing, they’d made a game of trading gifts. Sometimes those gifts were tangible items. Sometimes they were their bodies, splayed out in provocative ways, ready for the giving—and taking. Dana wet her lips, her smile giddy and heart-thrumming. Rathym was very good at this game.

“It is a two-part gift. For part one, open your hand.”

She obeyed, holding her palm up in front of her, eyes closed. The first gift was something made of hefty metal that felt warm against her fingers.

“Open your eyes.”

Before looking down, she glanced at Rathym and was surprised to see a twinge of raw vulnerability. When she looked down, it became clear.

“A key.”

She turned the key in her hands. It was ornamental in its craftsmanship. The head was welded to look like the flame of a candle. Along the blade were intricate notches nothing like the plain door keys she’d ever seen. It was a work of art. But what did it go to? Her heart flipped.

“Are you sure?” she asked. “We can wait—”

“Ah, ah. There is another part to the gift.”

She followed him out the door and down the street. Orbs of magical fire lit their path. They passed a few other couples taking a stroll in the pleasant night air. Even though the temperatures were beginning to slope downward, it was always warm in the kingdom, with floating fire orbs or campfire-style mounds of enchanted flames.

“Where are we going?”

“Not much farther now.”

A few moments later, Rathym tugged on her hand and turned her to face him.

“My dear treasure, my hearts belong to you. Not so long ago, I thought I had a claim on you because you fell into my lair. How very wrong I was.” Little licks of fire sparked inside his double irises. A puff of smoke escaped his nostrils. “My cave is no place for a treasure as important as you. But this might be.”

He gently nudged her shoulder and allowed her to turn. Tears were already threatening to fall from his words, but when she saw the beautiful home, they rushed from her eyes. Just like the other houses in the kingdom, it was built with brick and concrete with a door carved out of stone.

They’d spoken about leaving the cave, but Dana hadn’t wanted to push him. She understood that the cave represented something deeper for him, that it had been his means of safety and survival through the all-consuming grief he’d spent centuries living with.

“I cannot take credit for everything. I must admit Ryuu helped with the finer details. If you wish for somewhere else, there was another house closer to the market—”

Dana interrupted him with a deep, passionate kiss. She swallowed up his insecurities, his fears, and took them into her body just as she would devour any piece of him.

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