Keira glanced to the ground and winced. What was she thinking? A sea dragon trying to fly was insane. She’d plummet to her death with a spectacular splat.

The problem was, if she was going to sneak out of the castle, she needed to go by way of window, or Angus would catch wind of her escape and stop her. There was no way he would understand her need to confront Cyril, and certainly, not alone.

No one considered that Keira spent months with Cyril and never once was harmed by him. She didn’t believe he would hurt her. There was no denying that Cyril cared about her, but it wasn’t love, as he claimed. It was possessive and controlling. Angus had shown her true love with his patience and understanding.

Guilt hit her when she thought about Angus’s devotion, and what she was about to do. She didn’t want to deceive him, but she was determined to meet Cyril. Her dragon clawed at her insides, demanding she act, hence her perching on the windowsill.

The hard ground was a thousand feet below. The purple moon turned the castle’s gray stone a lilac color. The brightness in the sky illuminated her surroundings. It was a little too bright, she thought, as she glanced at the full moon. Where were a few clouds when a girl needed to sneak away? A shadow passed, and she quickly ducked back inside her room, her heart pounding a million beats per second.

She needed to get a grip if her escape was to be successful. Taking several deep breaths, she repeated the pep talk to boost her courage.

Keira had to trust in her wings. They were made for swimming, not flying, but Angus was teaching her how to maneuver differently to take flight. In return, she was showing him how to swim better. Unfortunately, he was progressing much faster than she was.

Another deep breath then she stripped her clothes and placed them in a small satchel. In a flash of light, Keira shifted into her sea dragon. It was awkward with her long, slender body and short legs to crawl through the window’s opening. Half her body hung out the window while her other half rested on the floor of her room. She giggled, thinking how ridiculous she must look. It was now or never, she thought, and shoved her fear aside.

She craned her neck out the window and took stock. The coast was clear, so she heaved her body out of the window. She hurtled through the air, and fear rushed back with a vengeance. She was going to die if she didn’t get her wings moving. She thought about Angus’s instruction and focused on his faith in her ability. Within moments, her wings were beating a furious rhythm.

Keira wasn’t graceful like Angus and the Cuelebre. Their grace came from their massive wingspan, and the fact that they were born to fly. Her technique was more like a newborn foal, unable to find its legs. She continued her downward spiral, cursing her ludicrous idea. At this rapid speed, she was going to end up sprawled on the ground in seconds.

She was about to scream for help when an air current caught her wings and lifted her upward. Relieved her blood wasn’t going to paint the ground red, she flopped and flailed like a fish-out-of-water, trying to gain upward mobility. Ironically, that’s exactly what she was.

It took several minutes, but she got the hang of the movement, and slowly ascended towards the sky. She took a few deep breaths and relaxed enough to look around. Flying was incredible and she understood better why Angus loved to soar. The smells in the air, the wind at her face, the clouds and objects below. It was freeing. The same way she felt when she raced through the ocean.

As she neared her destination, she panicked. She was going to have to land soon, and shift back to her human form. How was she going to do this?

Clearly, she didn’t think this through. She struggled to recall what Angus said about landing. As soon as she pictured him in her mind, a calm settled over her frenzied nerves. He was the anchor to her ship when she needed it. It was such a subtle, natural grounding that she didn’t know when it happened.

If memory served Keira right, Angus’s instructions were to keep her wings still, and glide, while angling her body toward the ground. As the earth rapidly approached, Keira tucked her wings, which was a mistake. She soared faster, hitting the ground. Hard. She tumbled end over end, kicking up dirt and weeds, and a few small trees, until she plowed into a larger tree, and stopped.

Panting, she lifted her sore head and surveyed the giant gorge she left behind. That wouldn’t go unnoticed, she thought, as she quickly shifted, and slipped her dress over her head.

Scanning the area, she realized she missed her target and wasn’t at the sandy shore, but in the forest on the outskirts of Duamutef. Surrounded by trees, the moon barely reached her. Darkness made the night forbidding and frightful. A noise to her left had her heart racing and sweat breaking out along her back.

What had she been thinking? There were nasty creatures roaming the night waiting to claim her. Visions of Redcaps with their bloody bonnets, and the Buggane with their enormous tusks made her hurry to the shore. She would feel protected once she reached the water. Then, her safety was a scant dive away.

She rehearsed what she wanted to say to Cyril as she quickly made her way to the beach. She recalled the feel of his control and put barriers in place to keep him out. No one would ever control her again.

She saw Cyril standing at the water’s edge as soon as she broke through the trees. He was tall, muscular, and handsome, wearing dark slacks and a light-blue button-up. His blond hair blew in the wind, and his black eyes tracked her every move. She’d often thought his eyes were like a shark, and it was so true. He was a predator, through and through.

The sight had her rage rushing to the surface. “Why? Why did you do this to me?” she blurted, and forgot the speech and demands she’d painstakingly thought out.

He cocked his head to the side, but there was no other change to tell her what he was thinking. “I’ve explained before. You’re mine,” he declared.

“I’m not yours. I’m so sick and tired of males saying I belong to them. I decide to whom I do, or don’t, belong. Now, I want to know why you kidnapped me and put me under a spell. And, most importantly, I want my memories back.”

That ruffled his feathers. He shifted his stance then narrowed his eyes. “I did what I needed to protect you. Angus threatened to steal you from me, and I couldn’t have that. You may not want to hear the truth, but you are mine, and I won’t tolerate that beast claiming you.”

Keira took a couple of steps, placing her feet in the water. The power of the sea gave her more strength and confidence, which was what she needed. That familiar tug to Cyril was pressing on her mind, and she needed to block it.

“My father and brother told me the truth. I was in love with Angus, not you,” she practically snarled. “There has never been an us. I want you to give me my memory back, and leave me alone.”

He threw his head back and laughed caustically. The sound sent dread coursing through her veins. It grated like fingernails on a chalkboard. She’d never completely trusted Cyril, and now she was beginning to see why. He managed to mask his true nature, but he could never eradicate the evil within.

“Your past doesn’t matter. I’m your future, Keira, and you’re coming with me,” Cyril demanded as he took several steps toward her.

She backed up more and felt the ocean swirl around her ankles. Her flesh absorbed the salty water, and her sea dragon luxuriated in its energy. A low vibration rushed through her system, and the tug towards Cyril diminished. If she stayed in the water, she could resist him.

“No. I’m not going anywhere with you. I came to reason with you, in hopes you’d give back my memory,” she explained while at the same time she reached for her power.

“I told you. You’re mine, and you can’t escape me. We’re going to my home realm, where no one from Khoth can venture. I’d hoped you would see we belong together and come on free will, but it’s time, Keira,” Cyril said with a crooked smile.

“Time for what?” she asked. The gleam in his eyes had a lump forming in the pit of her stomach.

“Time to plant my seed. Your body is fertile. I can smell it. I’ve been waiting for this day, Keira. Our offspring will rule this realm, and, any others, I choose,” Cyril pledged, and she felt another blast of his Dark power.

“I would never bring more creatures to this world with you. Leave, and take your vile Redcaps and Buggane with you,” Keira demanded as she clenched her fists and focused on fighting Cyril’s coercion.

“My children were made to dominate, and Khoth was my gift to them,” Cyril explained.

“Why did you create them to be destructive?” Keira didn’t understand how someone could destroy an entire species without a second thought.

“Why create sea dragons to eat fellow fish? Or Angus, to eat the animals he purports to love? My children are doing what they need to survive. How is that wrong when you do the same?”

There was nothing honorable about the male before her. Cyril would destroy a planet, and not lose one minute of sleep over it. It dawned on her that coming to see him was a major mistake. She couldn’t reason with an intransigent male.

“Dragons take only what they need to survive, and nothing more. We protect Gaia, and all of her bounty,” Keira asserted.

“We are one in the same, my love. You are the perfect host for my seed. Accept your fate, and come with me,” Cyril urged, and stepped towards her.

“You are insane. I will find a way to get my memories back, and I will help Angus rid this realm of every last one of your children,” Keira vowed with a glare as she stepped back each time he moved forward.

Cyril lowered his head, pinning her in place with his gaze. “I cannot allow that to happen. The truth is, I am part of you. You will never get rid of me,” he replied and then lunged.

His brawny frame soared through the air and tackled her. They landed with a splash in the water, and Keira tried to shift, but her power was blocked. Cyril was blocking it. She reached to her center to call out to her brother, but Cyril snatched her by the hair and hauled her out of the water. He dragged her across the sand, while she screamed and kicked, trying to get free.

Invisible chains wrapped around her wrists, and her screams vanished, despite her efforts. She was under a spell and couldn’t move. The next thing she knew, Cyril’s heavy body was atop hers, his muscular thighs spreading her wide. Bile rose, and her heart threatened to explode from her chest. The pounding echoed in her ears as she struggled to break loose.

She was going to pay dearly for her mistake. She never should’ve come to see him, and certainly not alone. She couldn’t blame ignorance, only stupidity. Angus called her stubborn, and he was right. She was stubborn to a fault, and now Cyril had his hands on her.

Refusing to go down without a fight, Keira reached for every ounce of power she could and thrust it at Cyril. He felt the impact because his hold loosened, and the bindings disappeared. She rolled over and scrambled to the water.

As soon as her fingers dipped into the sea, Cyril was on top of her again. She sent a blast of freezing water through his skin, and into his veins. He roared then head-butted her, and her vision blurred. She became dizzy and nauseous at the same time.

Yanking her out of the water, he slung her onto the sandy beach. He pinned her with his weight, holding her arms above her head with one hand. He was ravenous, and she felt another rough hand shove her dress up to her waist.

“You think you can keep what’s mine from me? Never going to happen. I take what I want,” he growled, and his hand went to the waistband of his pants.

Keira screamed as loud as she could. When Cyril released her hands, and covered her mouth with his large palm, she bit his fingers with all her force. Cyril shouted out in pain then backhanded her hard enough that dots exploded in her vision, and pain shot through her cheek.

Suddenly, a loud roar rent the air, and a huge figure obscured the moon. In the next blink, Cyril was jerked from her body and went whirling through the air. He slammed into a nearby tree, breaking it in half. The sound was deafening.

Keira looked up, and relief flooded her exhausted body. Angus prowled beside her, protecting her from Cyril. She’d never seen him so furious.

“She’s mine!” Cyril shouted and charged towards them. Dark power left his palm, sending black smoke in Angus’s direction. Without thinking, Keira jumped in its path and took the brunt of the spell. The dark cloud surrounded her and became a cage.

She squirmed and kicked, desperate to break through the black cocoon. She screamed and yelled as Angus attacked Cyril. Sparks flew, and trees were incinerated, but she couldn’t see who was doing what.

Suddenly Lorne was at her side. “Dammit, Keira! What the fuck were you thinking? You need a checkup from the neck up. Fuck, do you want my head hanging in the throne room?” he exclaimed frantically as he bashed on the hard shell.

“I have no idea what I was thinking, but don’t worry about me right now. Help Angus,” she countered as she tried to decipher what was going on between Angus and Cyril.

“Legette and Blaine will be here soon. There is so much magic flying between the two of them that it’s too dangerous to land. Oh, snap, that douche-dick just lost an arm…I think,” Lorne howled with laughter.

“Who? Who lost an arm?” she shouted, unable to see who was hurt.

“Cyril. Wow, Angus’s dragon fire has never been hotter. I guess what they say about fighting for your mate is true,” Lorne replied.

“Can everyone stop with that nonsense? I’m nobody’s mate!” Keira snapped, and the black cocoon holding her captive shattered. She had no idea why, other than the terror from the night’s events, combined with her frustration and anger.

“Noooo!” Cyril shouted. “How…” The Unseelie King was frantic, his cold eyes wild and crazed. He wasn’t so handsome now, with a charred stump hanging at his side and singed blond hair. One side of his face was blistered and bleeding.

“I told you. No one controls me. Not anymore,” she declared.

“Yeah, thanks, by the way. Could’ve warned me first,” Lorne remarked as he picked black glass out of his flesh.

“Stop being a baby,” Keira said with a smile. “Angus!” she called out as the dragon stood between her and Cyril, smoke curling from his nostrils as fire played in the back of his throat. “If you kill him, will my memories return?”

“You’ll never have your memories,” Cyril promised. “And, you will regret betraying me, Keira. Now, your people will pay, right alongside Angus’s.”

Angus’s enormous snout opened, and fire blazed in a torrent, hitting Cyril right as he disappeared. His shout of pain lingered long after he vanished into thin air. The heat from Angus’s fire caused Keira and Lorne to hit the sand.

As soon as the flames died, Keira rushed to Angus’s side. Her hand burned, and her flesh sizzled as she touched his scales. They glowed white hot and cooled under her ministrations. She needed to see him. Before the request left her mouth, Angus shifted, and she was enveloped by a naked king.

A sigh left her lips, and she melted into his arms. “Thank you for rescuing me. But, how did you find me?”

“I followed you. I knew you were up to something, and I feared you were leaving to return home. I was going to let you go, regardless of the pain I felt. I couldn’t stand to keep you against your will any longer,” Angus admitted.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, and she felt his body stirring against her. “I’m sorry I didn’t reach you sooner. I was giving you space, but wanted to make sure you were safe, just in case Cyril showed up…again,” he said with a stern expression.

He knew about Cyril’s visit. Lorne must’ve told him. “I’m sorry for keeping anything from you. It will never happen again, I swear it,” she pledged and crossed her heart.

“Och, if you pull this kind of stunt again, you’ll wish you had left me. I’ll lock you in my bedroom for a month straight, tormenting you as I see fit,” Angus husked, pulling her into his arms. Heat exploded between their bodies, and need slammed home.

“I wasn’t leaving you. I may not be able to give you my heart, but I am coming to like you…a lot. As for tormenting me, guilty as charged,” she teased, and her hands roamed his backside.

“You’re playing with fire, Turquoise.”

“I know. I’m trying to distract you from my careless ways. I can’t believe I was so rash,” Keira lamented.

He cupped her face and stared deep into her eyes. “No, love. Fed up, and that is something I completely understand. I will never give up the search for the talisman. I promise you that, Keira. You will have your memories back and be whole again.”

“I know you will. And, I promise to use my head next time. Please tell me you didn’t see me try to fly.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Is that what you call it? I’d say you need a few more lessons. At least you landed gracefully,” Angus teased.

“Ha,” Legette snorted. “I could steer a ship through the mote you left in the woods.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t die,” she laughed.

“You will find that you’re hard to kill. Next time, come and talk to me, please?” Angus pleaded.

“I will never approach Cyril, or any of his so-called children, without you, I promise.”

“I can’t believe that bastard calls those smelly bastards his children. What a fucking wanker,” Lorne added.

“We need to be prepared. Cyril is furious. Once he regenerates his arm, you can bet he will retaliate,” Angus warned.

“Then we will be ready,” Keira vowed as she grabbed his hand and twined their fingers. She had plans to ensure all Khoth’s citizens were battle ready. But first, she had a dragon to appease.