I watched in amazement as Caia twisted her hand around, key firmly between her fingers, until she found the keyhole and we heard that first, liberating click. With one hand free, the other cuff didn’t stand a chance.

Two seconds later, we were both free, standing in front of Rewa’s charred remains and completely weirded out by the fact that she’d yet to fall apart. Caia narrowed her eyes at what had once been Rewa’s face, pursing her lips.

“You brought this on yourself,” she muttered, then exhaled.

That brief blow of air was enough to finally do the deed, and Rewa disintegrated into a pile of charcoal on the floor, prompting Caia to yelp and take a couple of steps back. We instinctively froze, listening to what was going on outside. We breathed a sigh of relief when nothing concerning came through. The chances of someone walking in at this point were slim.

“We need to move fast,” Caia muttered, frowning as she looked around. “Gah, where’s a broom and a dust pan when you need one?”

I stifled a smirk, then went over to one of the wooden cabinets on the other side of the room. A brief search through the cupboards and drawers answered our prayers—sort of. Armed with a handful of cloths and a porcelain bowl, we proceeded to transfer Rewa’s ashes into the china container.

It took us about two minutes to get most of them. I stashed it into the cupboard, while Caia blew over the floor, scattering the rest away. It was literally the best we could do with what we had.

“Now what?” I asked, resting my hands on my hips.

She sighed, then pointed at the cuffs. “We’ll have to go back there and pretend nothing happened,” she said.

I rolled my eyes, then walked over and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a deep and feverish kiss. There was something about Caia that constantly kept me on my toes, equally nervous and exhilarated. Being around her made my heart beat faster, even when we were chained to the wall. She’d been so resilient, so patient and self-contained, until we got rid of Rewa. I was genuinely in awe of her.

She moaned gently against my lips, then put her arms around my neck and held me tight. The move set my soul on fire, and, for a split second, I completely forgot where we were.

It took all the energy I could muster to pull my head back and give her a weak smile.

“Sorry, I just had to,” I whispered.

“No, no, it’s okay. You kind of read my mind,” she replied, giggling.

We went back to the wall and loosened the chains on our cuffs, enough for us to reach our hands and each other if needed, then locked ourselves back under the swamp witch charms. Caia held on to the key, slipping it into one of the back pockets on her leather combat suit.

“Okay, so, what if they come looking for Rewa?” I asked.

Caia shrugged. “We pretend we’re two mumbling, drooling messes. We don’t know where she went after she came by just now. She just taunted us and left. They have no reason to distrust us. After all, we’re mind-bent,” she replied, her lips stretching into a smirk.

I wanted to kiss her again, but, at the same time, the weight of what I’d just done finally kicked in, the adrenaline wearing off.

“I don’t like what I just did,” I muttered.

“I know. Me neither. But, Blaze, she would’ve tortured and killed as many innocent creatures as she could get her claws on,” she replied softly. In my heart, I knew she was right.

“Yeah. The weird thing is I feel bad, but I also feel… relieved.”

“Because you did the right thing, even though it was, in a word, awful. It just proves you have a conscience, and it’s one of the things I love most about you,” Caia said, giving me a warm smile.

A minute passed as we gazed at each other. I wondered what I had done to deserve such a wonderful creature’s undivided attention. Caia was like the sun, and I was desperate to get closer to her, even if I got myself burned. It was a price I was willing to pay.

She made me feel something so ardent, so intense that it made it difficult for me to breathe if she wasn’t around. The world was a better place with her in it. My world, in particular, was infinitely better since she’d stumbled into it. No matter what came next, I was determined to make sure we both walked out of it alive. I had plans for this fae, and they involved breaking that celibacy oath over and over again.

“Would you mind taking my cuffs off for a second?” I asked.

She frowned, somewhat confused. “Why?”

“Because I really need to hold you and kiss you until I run out of air.”

Caia burst into laughter, then quickly silenced herself, pressing her lips into a thin line. She didn’t want anyone hearing us, and for good reason. We were still neck-deep in enemy territory, after all.

“It’s best not to risk it, even though every fiber in my body is screaming, ‘Yes!’,” she replied.

I let out a heavy sigh, resting my head against the wall. “Have you ever been to New Zealand?” She shook her head, prompting me to smile. I instantly made plans in my head. “Once we get out of here, I’ll take you there. There’s a volcanic lake area called Rotorua. It’s absolutely stunning,” I said. “You’ll love it.”

“First date?” she replied, smiling.

“I was thinking more like first elopement,” I muttered.

“That sounds… appealing,” she said. “I’ll hold you to it.”

I chuckled. “Already looking forward to it.”

There wasn’t much else we could do, given our position. We were in for the long run, playing the waiting game as we mentally prepared for the final gag. Having something enticing to come back to was just extra motivation, an additional incitement to make sure we won this fight.

I knew one bungalow in Rotorua that offered a superb couples’ suite, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a plethora of flowers framing the terrace, which provided direct access to a thermal spring. I could already see myself and Caia there, with no clothes present between us and nothing but love for each other. I could already feel her heartbeat echoing in my ribcage as she opened her eyes in the morning. I could already see the look of pure happiness on her face as I showed her the lake in its multitude of colors.

That alone made me want to fight harder than ever. The chance of living a life with Caia was something worth burning a thousand Rewas over. I didn’t voice that thought. I kept it to myself because my conscience made sure to send a dagger through my stomach just for thinking it. But I secretly accepted the concept as a part of who I was becoming—a dragon willing to endure and do anything to defend freedom and peace.

After all, circumstances didn’t always allow one to spare one’s enemy. Sometimes, death was the only option.