Page 130 of My Summer Girl

“Cin,” I acknowledge, not having any real connection to the brother of my oldest friend.

“Vex,” he acknowledges, his voice as inhuman as to be expected considering his glowing green eyes. I’ve heard of Draegyns falling into a rage like this. Usually it’s a result of their possessions being taken too many times.

“You’re here. Care to elaborate as to why?”

“Raevar owes me something.”

“What may that something be?” I nearly growl, feeling an intense wave of protectiveness cocoon me like a caterpillar waiting to bloom. Feeling Raev tugging at our bond, I shut it down.

Him, Dulce, and Vera can’t be privy to my exploits, especially since they’ll turn out magnificently as long as everything goes to plan.

Seeing how hostile Cin is, the odds aren’t in my favor.

“What are you, his keeper all of a sudden?” His eyes glow brighter and they seem ash, almost like they’re so heated that they’re leaking smoke.

“I am, and you’ll tell me what you want or I’ll force you out.” My words are calm because no matter how angry he gets, he will never be able to kill me.

There aren’t many things that can, but he couldn’t do it even if he got every one of his siblings involved.

He stands, his feet hitting the flooring with a loud stomp. Draegyns aren’t hostile. I’ve known Pyro for so long that I’ve forgotten what this looks like—the unrepentant rage, the possession sickness that is rarer than Draegyns themselves.

“He. Owes. Me.”

“What does he owe you? I won’t let you near him in this state,” I stand firm, my hands still gripping the port-path Vera gave me. I’ll get back to my mates no matter what, and I’ll protect them with the same promise.

“She’s gone and he promised to help me get her back.”

My eyes blink several times as I wonder what my mate has gotten himself into. “I’ll relay the message, Cin. However, he’s unavailable at the moment. I have no doubt he plans on fulfilling whatever you’ve agreed upon.”

“We took Bound n’ Dry,” he rasps out, his voice less and less like his own. A binding agreement like that beverage tethers their lifelines. Cin has the ability to take him from me. If Raev doesn’t fulfill whatever they agreed upon, he dies.

It’s how fate intended deals to be, protected by magical laws and unforgiving.

“I’ll make sure he follows through,” I say through my teeth, my jaw clamped super tight. “No matter the cost.”

“Just a port.” He attempts to sound calm all while his eyes blaze. “To Obscura.”

A cramp begins beneath my ribcage, knowing exactly where Cin plans to go. There’s no way in Hades that Pyro is aware of this. He’d never let his kid brother go to the realm for the dead.

“I have a port-path to there,” I admit, needing Raev to not be indebted to anyone. I’m not lying, almost every realm in creation that is still habitable, I have a port-path to. Obscura might not be livable to creatures with a heartbeat, doesn’t make it less of a bargaining chip.

His eyes flicker with humanity—or as close as Draegyns can get to it being as they’re monsters. “H-how?”

I raise an eyebrow and he nods. “Fucking old man.”

“If you do a blood rite with me right now, swearing you won’t seek out my mate for this same port-path, no matter what risks you face going to this place, I’ll give it to you and you can be on your merry way.”

His eyes narrow as he sneers at me. “You better not be lying.”

I stalk over to him gripping his throat and slamming him against the nearest wall. “Have you forgotten who the fuck I am, Cinder? You don’t talk to me with that tone, boy,” I emphasize, gripping the pulse points on both sides of his throat. “You will take what I give and leave my mate out of any future endeavors.”

He scoffs, so I slam his head backwards in chastisement. Nothing to overly damage him, just to scare him a little.

“I have no doubt you played my mate, made him believe that he needed your help for something, and I’m guessing that something is my other mate, Dulce. You remember her, no? Your sister-in-law?” His jaw tenses as he grimaces. “Yeah, I’m sure your brothers wouldn’t be too keen on their pompous arse of a brother using their mates’ sister for any plots.

“Fine,” he hisses, trying to shake my grip off. “I’ll do the blood rite. Happy?”

“Happy would be not coming home to you showing your arse for self-interest purposes.”

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