The next night, after a long day spent repairing some of the damage caused by the curse, we gathered at Whisky and Warlock to celebrate our victory. The place was full of Protectorate members, but our group had snagged the coveted corner table in our usual room. Sophie was keeping us plied with drinks, and some kind of Celtic rock played on the radio.

It was a good night. A great night.

After all the danger we’d faced, it was the best night.

“To Bree!” Caro raised a glass full of golden liquid and grinned.

“Who saved our arses!” Ali added.

I clinked my Cosmo with theirs, then tapped mine against Haris’s and Ana’s.

“Good, right?” Caro asked.

“Yeah. Fruity.”

“That’s the taste of victory,” Ali said.

“Fruity?” I laughed.

“Victory tastes like security, in this case,” Haris said.

“Which isn’t a taste.” Ali pointed at him, brows raised.

“She gets what I mean.” Haris nodded at me. “Bree saved our arses. That curse could have taken out the Protectorate. But it didn’t—because Bree stopped it.”

My cheeks heated, so I sipped to hide them. “I had a lot of help.”

“Maybe,” Caro said. “But you led the charge. I really do think you will have your pick of departments when your training is through.”

“Pick the PITs!” Ali said. “We really are the best department. The Demon Trackers Unit does have some fun, but the PITs always get the best mysteries.”

“And the prestige.” Haris brushed some imaginary dust off his shoulder and put on a fancy accent. “Everyone is very impressed by us.”

Caro laughed and punched him in the shoulder. “You know that’s not true.” She turned to look at me. “But I do hope you’ll join us. You can do some real good with the investigative unit. You proved that with the dark curse.”

“Thanks.” I smiled, my chest warming with the knowledge that I had such good friends. “But it’ll be a while before I cross that bridge.”

I had to get my powers under control first, and figure out what it truly meant to be a DragonGod. I had to make my powers rest easy inside me so that they didn’t devour each other….or my soul.

And we weren’t done hunting the Rebel Gods woman. Worse, she wasn’t done hunting us.

Ana caught my eye and smiled. But the same heavy knowledge darkened her eyes. The woman had proven she was powerful enough—and smart enough—to get to us. Just because we’d stopped her this time it didn’t mean she wouldn’t find another way.

We had to bring the fight to her. Somehow.

Ana squeezed my hand. “We’ve got this.”

I nodded. There was a lot of this. But she was right. Together, we’d manage.

But tonight, we’d celebrate.

The drinks and conversation flowed, along with a rousing game of darts and the pub cat sticking its head into my chocolate martini to steal a sip.

Life was good.

Tonight was great.

But I couldn’t help but occasionally peek around the pub for a sight of Cade. From what I could tell, he hadn’t shown up, even though the whole Protectorate had come out. The pub was made of multiple rooms and corridors, some big, some small. All built at different times over the years. He might be in one of the other rooms—though this one was our usual preferred hangout.

If he were looking for me, he’d certainly come here.

I shook away the thought. As much as he’d driven me to distraction, he was right. It wasn’t professional to be lusting after a colleague.

I played another round of darts, finally scraping a victory by a few points.

“Good job!” Ana high-fived me.

“I’ll get you next time,” Haris said.

“Yeah, you probably will.” I grinned. “I’ll be right back.”

I turned and headed for the ladies’ room. It was located in the far back corner of the pub, past the front door and through other small rooms. The place was like a maze.

Fortunately, there was no line for the toilet, as the hour was getting late. The other rooms of the pub weren’t as full, either. When I passed by the entrance on my return to my friends, the door swung open.

Cade stepped inside, and I bumped into him. His strong hands came up, gently gripping my arms to steady me.

My heart leapt, my breath coming short.

Sparks jumped between us.

“Hey.” I looked up, taking in his windswept hair and handsome face. He wore a long, dark coat that looked finely cut and somehow managed to make him look dangerous. Like he could take out a demon without breaking a sweat.

“Hi.” A strange expression crossed his face, something I couldn’t quite process. “Can I speak to you?”

I nodded, still surprised to see him. I’d given up on him showing.

He pulled me into a little snug room on the emptier side of the pub. A wide, wooden bench and table were crammed inside, but we found a nook in the corner that was hidden from the eyes of the other patrons.

I ended up with my back against the wall and Cade looming in front of me. His gaze was bright, his face torn. Tension thrummed between us, a desire so strong that it filled the air.

How the hell were we supposed to fake being normal?

“I tried to stay away, but I couldn’t.” Cade’s voice was rough. “I don’t want to pretend any longer.”

Joy and confusion flashed through me. “What do you mean?”

“I like you, Bree. I thought I could ignore it. I can’t. ”

My heart raced. His gaze was riveted to my lips. Every inch of my body tingled. His storm-at-sea scent wrapped around me, clouding my mind.

“I can’t, either,” I whispered.

Kiss me. I begged with my eyes.

His big hands gripped my waist and pulled me toward him. My front pressed against his hard chest and I gasped, right before his mouth slanted against mine.

His lips were warm and skilled. I parted mine eagerly, plunging my hands into his hair and holding him tight to me. He kissed like a man possessed…like he couldn’t get enough of me. As if he were going to die tomorrow and this was his last chance.

I was no better, my restraint stolen by desire. Heat blazed through me as his hands ran up my back, strong and broad. They felt like they covered every inch of me, making me imagine what else he could do with those hands.

I gasped and pulled back, startled by my own desire. My own greed for him.

He lifted his head, his breath coming short. His expression was pained, as if he couldn’t bear to let me go. “You’re right. Not here.”

I nodded my head. “Right. Right.” I swallowed hard. “I like to take it slow anyway.”

“Normally, so do I.”

I pressed a hand to his chest, trying to catch my breath. “Well, hold your horses, because I might want to jump your bones, but I’m not going to. Not yet. Not until I’m ready.”

“Aye.” He smiled, looking perfectly content with that. Though still a bit tortured.

“You’re right, though. We can’t pretend anymore. I’m ridiculously distracted by you. It’s embarrassing.”

“Likewise.”

“What about the Protectorate?”

“It’s not technically against the rules. It’s more my own rule. It’s dangerous to be distracted by the one you’re working with. But I realized I’m going to be distracted by you no matter what.”

“More so,” I said. “Because we don’t know what we’re missing. All I do is wonder what kissing you would be like.”

“Exactly. Even after I kiss you once, I want to know what the next time will be like.”

“So, we’ll just get it out of our system,” I said. “Just like you said back in the stairway to the armorer’s.”

“That didn’t work.”

“Eventually, it will. We’ll just let this run its course, and in a few weeks, we’ll be back to normal. Colleagues.”

Somehow, I doubted it. But it was the only thing I could think to say. I did want more with Cade—whatever that would turn out to be. But I wasn’t willing to say, “Hey, let’s be in a relationship.”

We weren’t even close to that point yet.

But some kissing and not pretending to ignore each other?

That would be great.

And if I could figure out what the Rebels Gods were, and how to get my power under control, I might live long enough to enjoy it.