No words could express the unfettered rage burning inside Adrien the moment he saw his mate being threatened by Mercury.

“What on earth are you doing here?” Sever interrupted Adrien’s thoughts.

Mercury glanced at the tallest of the three of them, then poised his gaze back at Adrien, grinning disgustingly as Adrien counted the ways he would kill the bastard for showing his face here.

“Revenge, obviously. After that idiotic iron dragon bested me, I just had to wait for the right time, which happens to be now.”

“I’m tired of hearing his voice. Let’s end this,” Adrien said, cracking his knuckles as he advanced on the gray-haired maniac.

But before he could even raise his fist, Mercury cleared the distance around the desk and crashed into him from the side, punching him with his fist. Adrien felt the impact of the hit before he could even register what was happening and was thrown off the ground by the sheer force of it.

A split second later, he heard wood and plaster shattering as he was sent exploding through what had once been the wall of the office and into the main club room of Date-A-Dragon, where he hit the marble floor and rolled a few times before stopping.

Dammit. That hurt.

What I wouldn’t give for my dragon powers right now.

But dragon powers or not, Adrien had to fight to make sure nothing happened to Kelsey.

There was shouting from inside the office, then a loud, “Oof,” that sounded like Sever being tossed into a row of chairs. Then a moment later, Mercury emerged from the quickly clearing dust, striding toward Adrien with dreadful purpose.

“The metal dragons were fools to go looking for human mates. But you and the other noble dragons? Completely moronic, allowing your powers to be sealed away by some silly oracle you don’t even know. For what? In hopes of finding a weak mortal to share your power with?”

Adrien pushed himself off the ground, but he felt Mercury’s fist slam into his jaw, sending him reeling.

Mercury leaned over him, using his foot to push him into the ground.

“Dragon power isn’t meant to be shared. It’s meant to be taken, one conquest at a time,” he said.

Adrien was just planning his next move when he glanced upward and saw a couch, plush silver velvet with gold accents, raised high behind Mercury’s head.

Sever roared as he brought the sofa crashing down in a barrage of wood and cloth, knocking Mercury completely off. Adrien seized the opportunity to roll to the side, jumping to his feet as Mercury turned and hissed in rage.

“You all right, brother?” Sever said, grinning. Even with their powers sealed, it seemed Sever had a good deal of his impressive strength.

“I’m fine. We need to keep Kelsey safe and call in reinforcements,” Adrien said, moving between Mercury and the office where Kelsey was.

“Agreed,” Sever muttered as he squared off with their unwelcome intruder from the other side.

“You know you can’t possibly beat my power, unrestrained as it is,” Mercury said, grinning.

It wasn’t until Adrien heard footsteps from behind him at the exit of the hall that led into the office that he realized Kelsey wasn’t safe anywhere near this fight.

“Kelsey, get out of here. Call Citrine!” Adrien called over his shoulder. Anywhere but here was safer right now.

For a moment, Kelsey looked unsure, but then she nodded and turned to make for the exit.

“Sorry, but I can’t let you do that,” Mercury said, whirling on Kelsey, who was thankfully still on the other side of the fairly spacious room.

He waved his hand, and from nowhere, huge gnarled metallic spikes erupted from the ground, knocking Kelsey’s phone out of her hand and trapping her where she stood.

Adrien turned and ran for her as Sever attacked Mercury from behind, grappling with him. It only took a second to reach her, and he started to pull at the large, dark-silver barbs, hoping to free his mate.

“Are you okay?” Kelsey said, shaken. “That guy said you’re a dragon. Is it true?”

Adrien pulled, but the clearly magical cage wasn’t going to budge.

“Yes. It’s true,” he said, still focused on his task. “I didn’t know how to bring it up. You mean so much to me. I didn’t want to ruin it by sounding like a crazy person when you have already had so much to go through.”

Panic was racing through Adrien now as he tried to find some way to get Kelsey out, when he felt her hand reaching through the bars, touching his.

“I believe you,” she said, green eyes bright and accepting. “Don’t ask me how. I just do.”

Adrien’s heart practically melted right there. Then he felt a different hand on the back of his neck, gripping with claw-like nails, ripping him from Kelsey’s touch and throwing him backward.

This time, Adrien braced for the impact of the floor, catching himself and standing quickly. Mercury was now between him and the woman that was his mate, and if Adrien had his powers, that would be a very bad place for Mercury to be.

But he didn’t have his powers, and he needed them if he was going to win this fight. Citrine could be anywhere right now, and they couldn’t just sit around praying he showed up.

Adrien whipped out his phone, finding his contacts list and dialing the oracle’s number.

But by the first ring, Mercury had already shot forward, knocking the phone out of his hand, sending it skittering over the marble toward Sever, who was standing by Kelsey.

Adrien ducked, his fists raised to protect his sides and head as Mercury continued to rain down blows mercilessly.

Thankfully, Mercury seemed to be enjoying himself as Adrien ducked, dodged, and tried to retaliate against his unhindered enemy. And even though his power was still mostly sealed, Adrien partially retained his quick healing ability. So even though Mercury’s hits felt like cinderblocks in his sides, his face, Adrien kept fighting, even with the odds solidly stacked against him.

The phone was still ringing, buzzing against the marble unattended, until with horror, Adrien heard a beep and the oracle’s voice speaking, requesting he leave a message.

Dammit.

“You’re trying to call the oracle?” Sever called to him as he left Kelsey’s side to run and grab the phone off the ground.

“Yes. I need this damn ring off,” Adrien cursed. He grabbed an iron poker from the huge fireplace in the hall and tried to swing at Mercury.

Mercury just laughed and knocked the thing away like a pencil.

“I got it,” Sever said, raising the phone. “I’ll try something else.

“I don’t think so,” Mercury said, turning his focus to Sever, ramming into him and knocking the phone completely out of his hands.

With a slight stroke of luck, the phone skittered toward Kelsey, and she reached down to pick it up just as Adrien could hear a grumpy voice respond on the other end.

“Who the hell is this?” Aegis’s voice came through the speakerphone.

“Uh… this is Kelsey.”

“Who’s that?”

“Tell him to take off my ring!” Adrien shouted, just barely ducking under a powerful swing from Mercury’s left fist.

“Um, Adrien’s in trouble. I’m here at the club, and there’s this guy…”

“What else is new? Adrien’s always in trouble,” Aegis grumbled exasperatedly through the line.

“It’s Mercury, dickhead! He’s here,” Adrien yelled, hoping the stupid green dragon would be able to hear him even amidst the fighting.

“Is that you, Adrien?” Emerald said more loudly.

But right then, Mercury had his hand around Adrien’s neck, and Adrien struggled against his steely grip, punching his elbow.

Thankfully, he could see Sever behind them, running for the phone in Kelsey’s hand.

“Just tell us how to get the ring off, Aegis. Please,” Sever demanded, the gravity of the situation clear in his voice.

There was a slight pause, and then he heard Aegis speak again.

“Fine. Your mate can take it off for you, Silver. Just stop bothering me, assholes. I have a pregnant wife trying to sleep right now,” Aegis grumbled, not sounding any more urgent or caring now than he had at the start of the call. Then there was a click and silence.

Well, that seemed simple enough.

So long as Mercury didn’t kill them all first.

There was a loud battle cry that came from Sever’s direction, and Adrien looked past Mercury just in time to see the humongous, long-haired Viking charging in their direction.

Mercury looked over his shoulder just as Sever rammed into him, throwing him to the ground and freeing Adrien from his viselike grip.

“Go to your mate,” Sever grunted as he wrestled with Mercury.

Adrien sucked in air, then rushed toward Kelsey, confusion and shock still in her eyes as she watched.

“What’s a mate?” Kelsey asked as Adrien considered his answer, knowing Sever wouldn’t be able to hold Mercury back for long.

“For dragons like me, it means forever, with one person. I guess you could call it destiny. It would mean I’d be forever yours, Kelsey,” he said rapidly, reaching his hand up, showing her the thick silver band

It was the only thing standing between him and Kelsey being mated and between Adrien kicking Mercury’s ass into the next century.

“It’s what you were talking about the other night—”

“Yes. It’s just our way of sealing the deal, so to speak. Dammit, I can’t explain everything right now—”

“Then I agree,” she said, nodding and looking in Sever’s direction with concern. Her cheeks were marred by specks of concrete dust, and he wanted to brush it away when he had time.

“Ha-ha-ha. How horribly sappy, Silver,” Mercury mocked from behind them. But just as Kelsey was about to reach for the ring, Adrien’s hand was yanked away.

Adrien turned around just as Mercury’s fist pummeled him into the metallic cage behind him, knocking the wind out of him.

“Can’t have you doing that, now can I?” Mercury said, grinning as he tossed Adrien aside.

To his left, Adrien saw Sever trying to stand, his face bruised and bleeding from one eye.

But true to his namesake, the platinum dragon was indomitable, with or without his full strength.

Sever gave a quick nod, his dark-grey eyes somber, and Adrien nodded back. There was only one way out of this fight. And Kelsey was the key to it.

Adrien picked himself up, summoning his last bits of strength, as Sever slowly circled Mercury.

“It’s been enjoyable beating the two of you to a pulp, but at some point, it’s just pathetic. You’re useless without your powers,” Mercury chided. “So when I kill you and take your fragile human mate with me, just remember you brought this on yourselves.”

But neither Silver nor Platinum were listening to his threats. Instead, Adrien saw Sever move behind the gigantic oak table that lay at the edge of the room, picking it up even though Adrien knew it would probably take eight normal humans to accomplish the task and charging at Mercury one more time.

At the same time, Adrien rushed for Kelsey as he could only make out shapes moving and wooden pieces flying in the edges of his periphery.

Adrien reached the cage and outstretched his hand toward Kelsey. She responded immediately, pulling on the ring as he heard yelling and fighting behind him.

Instantly, as the ring came off, Adrien felt strength flood into him, heard his dragon roar from the far reaches of his mind where the power of the ring had kept it sequestered. But no sooner had his strength returned to him than he saw Kelsey’s eyes widen as her attention shifted behind them.

“Sever!” Kelsey screamed in horror.

Adrien spun to see Mercury standing a few meters away, shattered table littered all around him, with a long, jagged blade in his hands that glittered dark and chrome, as if made of liquid.

It was impaled in Sever’s chest, the tip of it showing through his back.

“Stupid fool didn’t know when to quit,” Mercury said darkly, withdrawing his sword and kicking Sever onto the ground.

“No!” Adrien yelled, and the air shook with energy around him, the fury within him matched tenfold by the strength of his dragon.

Faster than the blink of an eye, Adrien appeared in front of Mercury, throwing his fist into Mercury so hard the marble beneath his feet cracked as he flew straight into the nearby fireplace. With a deafening, crumbling sound, the bricks and stone tumbled down, casting brown dust and black soot into the air.

Then, just as quickly as he could think it, Adrien was at Sever’s side examining the wound as the dragon who was like his brother bled on the floor in terrible pain.

But the wound alone wasn’t lethal. It was the poison from Mercury’s blade as well, poison that was quickly spreading through Sever’s system as the veins in his neck and arms darkened to purple, then gray.

Now fully one with his dragon, Adrien summoned clear, silvery liquid at his fingertips and drew it over the large gash in Sever’s chest, making sure it went all the way through.

As the silver dragon, he had many of the natural properties of the metal itself. One of which was the ability to purify other metals and nullify poisons as well as aid in healing.

“Would you look at that? Haven’t seen you do that in a long time,” Sever said weakly.

“Yeah, well, we haven’t been in a scrape like this in a long time. Or ever,” Adrien replied, making sure all the poison was inert before cauterizing the wound with his dragon fire. “Just leave the rest to me. No more heroics, all right?”

“No complaints here,” Sever said, coughing.

Then, with a thought, he was able to instantly transport himself inside the metal cage with Kelsey. She almost leapt in surprise as he picked her up off the ground, safe in his arms.

“Wow. I guess you really are a dragon,” Kelsey said in amazement as he held her, instantly transporting them to the corner of the room, safely away from the wretched prison but still close enough he could keep an eye on her.

Adrien wouldn’t have any trouble protecting his mate now anyway.

In a flash, he was with Sever. In another flash, Sever was in the corner, resting safely against the wall next to Kelsey.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of bricks moving and rolling down the giant heap where the fireplace had once been.

“Teleportation. An interesting power. I didn’t know any dragons could do that,” Mercury said, emerging from the pile, his tunic covered in dust and rubble.

“Well, now you know,” Adrien retorted.

“No matter. I’ll still crush you like the worm you are,” Mercury threatened.

But there was nothing stopping Adrien now. And as wings, long and metallic and silvery, emerged from his back, he kicked off the ground and into the air of the spacious ballroom, hovering above Mercury. He saw Mercury’s wings appear as well, but before he could even take off, Adrien teleported right in front of him, throwing his fist into Mercury’s chest.

But where Mercury’s chest had been, there was a hole just big enough for his fist to go through, as if Mercury had been able to shift his own body like liquid to dodge the attack.

“You’re not the only one with tricks,” Mercury said, grinning.

But Adrien hardly heard the snide words as he instantly appeared by Mercury, this time elbowing him in the back of the head, so fast it almost defied time.

Mercury growled in pain as he whirled around, swinging at air as Adrien reappeared a few feet away from Mercury’s wildly thrown punch.

Adrien attacked again, throwing a kick into Mercury’s side, then following up with a knee into his chest. Mercury was able to shift on the second strike, and Adrien felt his knee connect with nothing as Mercury’s body melted back to dodge and then reappear where it had once been a second ago.

Mercury glanced upward, then beat his wings as he took to the air, heading for the windows that looked out onto the city, probably trying to make an escape.

Nice try.

Adrien teleported in front of the swiftly flying Mercury and slammed his fist into the unsuspecting dragon, sending him plummeting back to the ground and further tearing up the already destroyed marble floor.

Mercury didn’t move for a moment. Then, eventually, he slowly stood up, gazing up at Adrien angrily.

“Enough!” Mercury shouted, infuriated as his sword flashed before Adrien, jagged and horrible, a reflection of the creature who wielded it.

In response, Adrien’s sword appeared in his own hand, huge and magnificent and silver, and he raised it above his head.

With his sword out, he wouldn’t be able to teleport, but he needed it to finish off Mercury.

Adrien dove toward Mercury, and Mercury waved his arm as huge metallic spikes emerged from the ground. Adrien dodged back and forth, the feel of flying as natural as walking.

Drawing his sword, Mercury swung his heavy blade down at Adrien, who caught it with his own, deflecting it to the side with a sharp clang.

Then, using his forward momentum, Adrien drove his sword deep into Mercury’s shoulder. He shouted out in anger and pain and tried to swing his blade directly at Adrien’s face.

But Mercury was all but defeated now, and Adrien snapped his hand into Mercury’s, knocking the blade out of his hand. It clattered to the side, then dissipated into a gray smoke, the magic that summoned it fading.

“What’s… happening?” Mercury grimaced, his face contorting with rage as he struggled against the blade.

“Surprise, surprise. Having a hard time escaping, are we?” Adrien asked, a slight grin on his lips now.

Just as the power of his silver could nullify poisons, the silver of his sword could nullify specific dragon powers. Especially ones as vile as Mercury’s.

Mercury lashed out at Adrien, but he pushed him backward, driving the sword into the wall. Mercury howled, and Adrien answered with one final punch to the face, knocking him out completely.

Adrien’s sword kept him propped up like a mannequin as Mercury’s still face listed to the side.

When Citrine got back, they could figure out what to do with him. Right now, Kelsey was the only thing on his mind.

“Wow, pretty ghastly.” He heard Kelsey’s voice right behind him, and Adrien flinched in surprise as he turned around.

“Amazing,” Sever muttered, a little paler than usual but patching up quickly.

“He’ll be fine. Or at least not dead. Yet,” Adrien replied.

“Nice wings,” Kelsey said in awe as she reached up and ran her hand along the edge of Adrien’s wing. The touch sent warmth flooding through him.

Then to everyone’s surprise, the main doors to the room crashed open with a bang, and they all turned in the direction of the sound.