Page 28 of Flirting with Death

"This is probably a good thing. If you know what a demon wants, you have control and the upper hand," I said, swirling the amber liquid in my glass before looking back up at five pairs of eyes. I downed the rest of the burning fire before I added, "The mage needs something he can't get without our dragon's help. That sounds like a problem for him."

"But that also means he will do things that could be worse than what he's done already," Lex said. He ran his fingers over Sam's shoulder as if he couldn't stop touching her. I was envious of that closeness. I craved it with both of them, yet I was over here on my own. My own worst enemy.

"Again, we can be prepared for that, and if he thinks the dragon is doing what he wants, it gives us more time," I replied. This was probably the best turn of events we could have. No guessing what the demon wanted. "We can make it look like he is following through. If the mage is anything like the demons I know in my father's army, then he has spies watching and reporting back."

CHAPTER 17

Raiden

This was torture. I should have told Sam as soon as it was obvious she was going to give me a second chance. Yet, fear had held my tongue, forcing my silence. Until it burst free. She would have been in danger going into that warehouse. I knew personally that the Leyak had wards that could hold you prisoner if tampered with.

"Tik-tok, dragon, your agreement or your death. Simple really. If you die, who will protect the hunter from us?" the mage asked, his voice dripping with menace. He had me where he wanted me, and he knew it.

I drew in a harsh breath as another tick of his fucking watch sounded in my ears. My heightened senses were useless in this room that I couldn't shift in. A puff of smoke filtered from my nose, and he chuckled.

"I am already dead, if you kill me, I'll only re-form. Magic, such a funny thing, it grabs onto you and sinks its dark claws into your flesh so far in it gives you a new life. Sure, I wouldn't have chosen to be a demon in the afterlife, but alas, it is what it is. And I do have the power I craved in life." He sighed in disappointment, snapping his timepiece shut with a deafening click. "I didn't want it to end like this—"

"Wait, I'll do it, I'll get the jewel. But you have to leave Samantha out of this, you can't touch her." My heart thumped hard beneath my ribcage, threatening to break free of its confines. My ears rang loudly as the seconds passed, waiting for him to accept.

"Very well, so long as the hunter stays out of my way, she is safe. You have three weeks to get the jewel. On the next full moon, the deal expires. She is at the God's penthouse, under a different name. She hasn't left since the Prince closed the portal." His words were clipped like he knew this was the outcome he would get. When he looked into the corner, it was the first time I realized we were being observed by a camera with a blinking red light. He inclined his head slightly, and the door popped open. I hesitated for a second before I backed out of the room and sprinted for the door.

Samantha focused on Bellamy, his words still hanging in the air. "What if it is a trap? What if the muse has told him how to get to me?"

I worked my jaw over my teeth, debating on if I should add my suspicions to the mix.

"You have something to add, dragon?" Bellamy asked. He lifted a single eyebrow as he relaxed back into the chair he had sunk into. At that moment, he looked like a Prince. He knew what he was talking about. His finger ran along the rim of his empty glass as he held my gaze.

"I don't think the mage is pulling all the strings. He is the figurehead of the operation," I said. I pushed off of the wall next to the fireplace and paced in front of them. "He had cameras that were controlling the door, he got what he wanted before he gave a signal to release me."

"Or he had a safeguard in place," Bellamy replied with a shrug. "It is what I'd do."

"It is what any ruler from the Underworld would do," Alastor added, and Bellamy narrowed his eyes on him. There was some animosity between those two, and Alastor backing him up like he had in the last half hour was pissing the demon the fuck off.

"But you'll never know that for sure, will you, Alastor?" Bellamy asked.

"Can we focus on the task at hand? We need to work with each other or we will fail. That fate would make my sisters thrilled, and I'd like to not please them." Lex leaned forward, his attention flicking between them.

"All I did was agree." Alastor crossed his arms, sulking. We were such a mismatched group. I never thought I would work with a demon, God, and demi-god, but here I was.

"Lex is right. Bellamy has a good point. We know what the demons want now. And Alastor was only agreeing," Sam said before taking a deep breath. She climbed to her feet and crossed the space between us. "Rai, I know you wouldn't have made a deal you didn't think you had to make. I wish you would have told me earlier. But no crying over spilt milk, right?" The corner of her lip quirked up in the promise of a smile, and I nodded, reminded of the phrase her mom always used. "So, what do we do with this information?"

"I think we are having a field trip to Tartus. I've always wanted to see that place," Brook replied. Everyone turned to stare at her, and she shrugged. "Obsessed with mythology, and lucky for me, it turns out it is all fact, so yeah, bucket list."

"I think your guys will kill me if I take the Queen of Fae to Hell," Sam said.

"If you think for one second, you can get rid of me now, after all you did for me, you have lost your mind. Do I need to swear again?" She watched her from her curled up position on the sofa. "Besides, have you seen my powers?"

Sam rolled her eyes as a smile spread over her face. "Your ego has really grown, I see."

"Lumi rubbed off on me." Brook laughed.

"So how do we get there?" Samantha asked. Her arms loosely crossed, not defensively, it just looked like she was in planning mode.

"I can get us to the palace," Bellamy said.

A swallow worked my throat. I had been running from this moment for my entire life. I wasn't sure I could go back. How could I? The other dragon-kin thought I was responsible for the deaths of my family, at least according to Alastor. How a six-year-old could do something like that made little sense, but would they think logically like that when I just showed up after all this time?

"Maybe I should go alone?" I said.

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