Racing through the castle, I didn't stop to look at the gaudy decor. The gold and silver would draw the pirates' eyes but I was after more precious treasure.

The chaos of the attack wouldn't last, and before the defenders found their feet I had to have what I was after. Guards leapt into my path only for me to cut them down as fast as they appeared. Behind me I heard the pirates following, engaging the Perhar forces and looting what they could as they went. My own guards fell behind, keeping the Perhar off my back. I refused to get bogged down in the fighting, pushing through and past and leaving them to guard the way out.

This was the part of the plan I liked least. Gemma could be anywhere in the castle and I didn't have time for a thorough search. All I could do was trust my gut and the sense I had of my mate's presence. She was here, I knew it, and I would find her no matter how hard the enemy made it.

Explosions rocked the walls of the castle as the pirate crew used their serpent-killing spears to disable the fortress's cannons. The Halloran would be safe, now, and could move in to harass the port. That would keep the forces there from returning to the castle too quickly, buying my own raid time to succeed — if only I could find my beloved.

But the place was big, confusing, and full of shouts and screams. Servants ran from me as I approached. I didn't blame them; they were safe from me, but they couldn't know that. Smoke wafted through the castle as something caught fire. Gemma was somewhere in this confusion but I had no idea where.

"Corvax!"

The voice was unmistakably hers, and my heart leaped. She was close! And, from the sound of her cry, afraid. I found fresh strength, rushing to the sound of her, my sword gripped tight in my hand as I ached to save her from whatever menaced her.

Bursting through a doorway I saw her, pinned to the wall by Ashir's hand. Her beautiful face darkened as he choked the life out of her, and my rage almost overwhelmed me. I stepped forward, and Ashir must have heard me. He turned swiftly, pulling Gemma in front of him like a shield and bringing his sword up, the blade pressed against her throat. Gemma grabbed at his wrist, but she didn't have the strength to pull the blade away.

He'll die for this. My rage was cold, focused, and undeniable. I would take his life for threatening my mate.

"Put her down and let us settle this honorably," I said, wondering if he remembered the meaning of the word.

"Drop your sword or I will open her throat," he replied calmly. That answers that.

"If you harm her, your death will be the stuff of legend," I told him, lowering my bloody blade but keeping hold of it.

Ashir nodded, eyes calculating as they darted around the room. None of his guards were here, and the sound of fighting was getting closer. There was no telling whose reinforcements would arrive first.

"She's what you've come for, isn't she? If you don't do as I say, you lose, no matter what you do to me afterward," he said, his blade digging into Gemma's bruised neck. I saw the frustrated anger in her eyes, her defiance. She was ready to give her life in a bid for freedom.

But I wasn't willing to lose her. I let go and my sword clattered to the floor.

"Now release her," I told him. He just laughed, as I'd known he would.

Somewhere another explosion sounded, and the cries of battle rose. Whoever was winning would be too late to change things here. This would be settled by the three of us.

"Move away from the sword, Corvax," Ashir ordered in a calm tone, as though he was telling a servant to bring him soup. I cursed under my breath and obeyed, stepping sideways and forward, closing the distance between us slightly. Gemma watched with horror as I left my weapon behind.

"You think your honor is so powerful," Ashir continued as we circled. "But now you see the weakness of it. I win because I'm willing to do what's needed to win. You lose because you care."

The way he spat the word made it sound like he was swearing. This was someone who thought that love and honor were just weaknesses. That he could win because he had neither.

I knew better. Meeting Gemma's eyes, I willed her to understand. She looked terrified but determined, and that would have to do.

"Let her go," I repeated as I took a step towards Ashir. I knew him well enough to be sure he wouldn't. He was the kind of coward who would never surrender an advantage, no matter how dishonorable that was. Laughing, he shook his head.

"Get back," he told me. He was taking no chances. This will just have to be close enough.

"You can kill her," I said conversationally, extending my claws. "I couldn't reach you in time to stop you."

Ashir nodded, frowning.

"But if you do, I'll be on you before you can do anything else. I'll be inside your reach and I'll have nothing to live for. Do you think you can survive that fight?"

He snarled. "I have a sword and you don't. I would kill you."

"I don't care," I said, honestly. "Kill Gemma, and you'll be dead before she hits the ground. You might kill me too. Probably you will, but you won't save yourself."

Gemma shook her head, frightened by my words and trying to warn me off. I watched the calculation in Ashir's eyes, the dawning realization that I was right. If I was willing to die, there was no way he could both defend himself and kill Gemma at the same time. And he was a coward — if he had to choose, I knew with absolute certainty which he would go for.

So I pounced.

As soon as I leaped forward Ashir swung his sword towards me, cutting away from Gemma. The killing edge gleamed, and I could see the arc it followed. It was going to find my neck and that would be the end of me.

Except that Ashir hadn't counted on Gemma. Her hands were on his wrist and as he struck she threw her weight against him hard. The cut wavered and lost strength, glancing off my blocking arm rather than cleaving into my neck.

Then my claws raked across his face, driving him back in a spray of blood. Ashir yelled in surprise and pain, pulling his arm free of Gemma's grip as he staggered away. A slice from his sword opened another cut on my arm, but I didn't care. This would end here and now.

I didn't give him time to get clear, slamming punches into him and slashing with my claws. Ashir struggled to recover his poise, to get the space he needed to use his sword. He had skill, but he wasn't used to pain and that made all the difference in a fight to the death. Still, he had a desperate determination to live, and that gave him strength.

And he still had that sword, making him a deadly danger if he regained control. As long as I could stay close enough, he couldn't get the blade between us. If he managed to force me back, then I wouldn't stand a chance. I pressed in close, grabbing his sword arm and hanging on as we struggled. We tumbled to the floor, rolling over and over as we each tried to get control of the weapon.

Ashir's bloody face looked down at me as he ended up on top, and I could see his mix of rage and fear inches from me. Baring my teeth in a snarl, I snapped my head forward into his nose as hard as I could. Ashir's howl was deafening and he reared up, his grip loose for a crucial second.

That's all I needed to tear his sword out of his hand and stab. The blade sank into his chest, driving him back and off me, and the light went out in his eyes.

The corpse fell away and I let go of the sword, letting it fall with him. Turning to face Gemma, I saw her standing with my own sword in her hands, arms shaking from the effort of lifting the heavy weapon. She'd been on the verge of charging to my rescue, and it lifted my heart to see her bravery.

"You idiot," she said, her voice raw, tears on her cheeks. "You could have died."

"Have faith in me, my love," I told her, taking my sword from her. "Ashir was a coward, not a warrior. He didn't stand a chance. Not when I was fighting for your life."

Gemma tried to say something but no more words came out. Instead she flung herself at me, her arms circling me and hugging me tight. My wounds stung and muscles ached, but I didn't care.

Lifting her, I kissed her hard on the lips, and felt her relax into my embrace. We were together again and I swore I'd never let us be parted by anyone.

"We've still got to get out of here," I said as I put her down. The kiss had left us both feeling a little dizzy and it was hard to focus on practical questions like how to escape with our lives. Nothing seemed nearly as important as Gemma's lips.

She nodded a little reluctantly, and I knew she was just as distracted by our reunion. But that would have to wait. The sounds of fighting were almost on top of us, and I would not risk Gemma's life just for a longer kiss. Taking her hand, I led her swiftly back the way I'd come.

"There you are," a booming voice greeted me as we reached the stairwell. Captain Orshak stood above us, his spear bloody and eyes gleaming, and unless I missed my guess, the pack on his back was full of loot. Gemma grinned at the sight of him.

"So that's how you got here so quickly," she said, then turned to look up at the pirate. "Thank you."

His booming laugh filled the stairwell. "Thank your mate, little human. I do! This is the richest raid I've been on in a long time, and it's all down to him."

"You'll like it better if you live to spend the loot," I said. "Time for us to get out of here."

"Indeed." Orshak laughed and bellowed a call to his men. "Let's go."

I nodded, hitting the recall button on my communicator and setting out up the stairs. By the time we made it to the castle walls, the rest of our warriors were gathering. The Perhar forces weren't keen to follow. Ashir wasn't the kind of Protector to inspire much loyalty, and none of his men were keen to give up their lives in defense of his wealth.

The pirates were already loading themselves down with loot, enough that their wings would barely carry them. It wasn't far to the Halloran, and I expected they knew how much they could carry. This was their job, after all.

Gemma looked at the bustle of activity and gulped nervously. "There's no flier."

"No," I agreed. "We'd never have been able to get one up here unseen, and stealth was the most important part of the plan."

"So how am I going to get down?" she asked, wide eyed, as I pulled my own wing pack back on and fastened the buckles. I chuckled fondly, embracing her.

"You just have to hold on tight," I said, powering the wings up. Her beautiful face paled.

"Now wait a moment," she said, and then shrieked as I leaped from the battlements. Her arms gripped me tight as the wings caught the air and pulled us into a shallow glide towards the burning port and the relative safety of the pirates' ship.