My fingers closed around the door handle when an errant thought popped into my head.

This was all too amazing to be true. The gorgeous bathroom. The wine, the food, the fluffy towels, and the butler/intern.

The bored goddesses.

Ares was right. That Ambrosia was dangerous stuff.

I scowled, head still swimming from Ambrosia, and looked around. Was there a video camera in here? I didn’t spot one, and couldn’t imagine that the Vampire Realm could accommodate that level of technology, but maybe goddesses wouldn’t need video cameras to spy.

Either way, I wouldn’t put it past them.

So I turned away from the door. Away from Ares. “Are you trying to make your own dirty movie, Laima? Because I’m not falling for it!”

There was no response, but I flicked her the bird anyway for good measure. Maybe they didn’t see it, but it made me feel better. And I wasn’t going to worry about them when I had this amazing shower to enjoy. Just because I wouldn’t be sharing it with Ares didn’t mean it wasn’t awesome to shower inside a pearl-encrusted wonderland.

I scrubbed my hair and sobered up a bit before I turned off the water and wrapped a towel around me. I peeked out of the shower stall to see if the coast was clear. It was, so I stepped out.

“Don’t come out yet!” I called, carefully averting my eyes from the glass door enclosing Ares’s shower. It was frosted, so I couldn’t see much, but I didn’t need any more temptation than the goddesses had already provided.

Quickly, I conjured some fresh clothes. This time, I went for a Keyboard Cat T-shirt. For good measure, I conjured Ares an identical set of clothes to the ones that he’d soaked. Hopefully I got the sizing correct.

“All clear!” I called to Ares before going into the bedroom. I ignored the fabulous bed in favor of the large window. It overlooked the courtyard below, where the Pūķi still lounged, eating from golden plates that Clarence was currently refilling with sliced fruit.

“I wonder if he’s really getting college credit for this,” I muttered.

An orchid on the windowsill leaned toward me. I petted the stalk, feeling the magic inside the plant. My new powers were crazy. No question, I definitely needed to find time to practice.

Ares joined me a moment later, wearing the clothes I’d conjured for him and scrubbing a towel over his hair. “Ready to find the goddesses?”

“Yep.” I turned to him. “This place is pretty but it’s dangerous.”

“Keep that in mind. I like Laima, Karta, and Dekla, but they’re powerful, bored, and entitled. It’s a dangerous combo for mere mortals such as ourselves.”

“An understatement.” I followed him out of the room, descending the stairs to the main foyer. I was just about to call out for Clarence when he appeared, a friendly smile on his face.

“I shall take you to their Fabulousnesses.” He gestured toward a hallway.

I grinned. “That’s a mouthful.”

“It is how they prefer to be addressed today.”

“Today?” Ares asked.

“Glory as great as theirs cannot be described with only one title.”

“These ladies are nuts,” I whispered to Ares.

“That they are.”

“I like them anyway.”

We followed Clarence down the wide hall toward a door at the end. He let us into a luxurious movie theater. Three huge chairs sat in front of the screen, each housing a goddess. Laima wore slinky ivory pajama bottoms and a top, both of which shimmered like diamonds. Dekla was dressed in torn jeans and a golden bustier that made her dark skin glow. Karta lounged with her legs thrown over the side of her chair. Her bodysuit glittered like silver lightning, and her dark hair fell like water over her shoulder.

I looked toward the movie screen. Instead of Ares and me on the screen, it was Bree and Ana, the badass girls from Death Valley. They were driving their buggy across the valley once more, fighting off a huge monster made of black smoke.

“Why are you watching them?” I asked.

Laima turned, eyes sparkling with interest. “They’re fascinating! Do you see how they attack that beast? They’re untrained, but the sheer ferocity!”

Ana was driving straight for him, and Bree was on the roof of the vehicle, her arms outstretched to shoot her magic toward the monster. “They’re impressive. But should you be spying? And how are you doing it?”

“It’s our one great luxury.” Laima waved a hand, and the image disappeared. “We’re not going to quit now.”

I laughed. “Given the bathroom that we just showered in, that can’t be true.”

“Just gems and gold. Nothing very interesting. Not like them.”

My dragon soul disagreed. “We were hoping you could help us with some questions.”

Laima leaned back in her chair, gaze thoughtful. “I thought you might be returning.”

“For help with your great task,” Dekla said.

“We were actually waiting,” Karta said. “Took you long enough.”

“You were waiting for me?”

The three nodded, then spoke in unison. “We had a vision.”

“You did? What was it?”

“In good time.” Laima waved a hand, and two chairs appeared in front of theirs.

They were big and comfy, and I was relieved to see that Laima wasn’t playing some stupid power trick by giving us tiny kiddo chairs. She’d never struck me as the type, anyway.

“Tell us what has happened since you were here last,” Laima said. “I’d like to know where you stand before we discuss what we three have seen.”

Ares and I sat. The words poured out of me. I told them all about the magical enchantment surrounding my village and Drakon.

The three goddesses leaned back, their expressions thoughtful. Karta even tapped her chin and pursed her lips.

“So you believe this Drakon is responsible?” Dekla asked.

“Yes. Though I don’t know why.”

“Hmmm.” Laima leaned toward Karta and Dekla. All of the goddesses looked worried, their brows creased.

“This may be the great Dragon Killer,” Laima murmured.

Ah, crap. Did she think I couldn’t hear her? Because I could, and her words scared the hell out of me. I didn’t know what the Dragon Killer was, but it definitely sounded bad.

“Do you really think so?” Karta asked.

“I do.” Laima kept her voice low. “Given what we saw in our vision, it is obvious.”

“I can hear you, you know,” I said.

Laima startled, then looked at me. She sighed. “Of course. It’s just that this is a dark vision, one that we foresaw but… Frankly, it scares the crap out of us.”

“Drakon is the Dragon Killer,” I said.

“It sounds like he is, yes,” Laima said. “I had this vision many centuries ago. It’s been so long that I hoped it would never come to pass. He is the greatest threat the world has ever known. But the vision came again three nights ago.”

That was when I’d killed Drakon’s human form and released the shadow dragon. No coincidence there.

I leaned forward. “Up until now, we assumed Drakon wanted to hurt the dragons because his magic felt so evil. But you’re confirming that he wants to kill them.”

“Yes,” Laima said.

“Then they can’t be dead as most people thought,” Ares said. “They’re hiding.”

Excitement shivered across my skin. This whole thing was terrifying—but the idea that dragons might not be dead?

Awesome.

“Do you know why he wants to kill them?” I asked.

“No,” Laima said.

Karta and Dekla also shook their heads.

“We have to save them,” I said. Which meant finding them. But they were so well hidden that my dragon sense couldn’t find them. “But we don’t have much to go on. And whatever we have, Drakon already knows.”

“What do you know?” Laima asked.

“There’s a prophecy. I learned it a few days ago, after he did. ‘Deep in the place where the earth meets the sun and the mist meets the magma, the Phoenix will give rise to the dragon’s return, or the Triumvirate will engender their fall.’”

Laima stood and began to pace. “I haven’t heard that whole thing before, but I have heard the first part somewhere.”

“It’s part of an ancient Norse myth,” Karta said. “Long ago, my mother told it to us. You may wish to focus your search there.”

My heart leapt. A location. True, it was a whole country. Several countries, actually, considering that the Norse had spread their influence and religion across the north Atlantic. But at present, the whole world was our searching grounds. This narrowed it down tremendously. “Thank you.”

“It is not a problem.” Karta shook her head, eyes faraway. “If this Drakon is the Dragon Killer, we need to help you.”

“She is fated for great things,” Laima said. “You know I’ve seen this.”

“I just wish you could see if I would succeed,” I said.

“That, I cannot do.” She frowned. “But I do have something for you.” She went to a table at the back of the room, picking up a short sword and returning to me. She held it out. “This is for you.”

“Me?” I took the short blade, which was encased in a scabbard connected to a leather strap. I drew the blade out of the scabbard. It was only about two feet long, but it was perfectly weighted in my hand. The blade was shining steel and the hilt wrapped in leather. “Why?”

“Part of my vision said that you must have this. The Blade of the Fates will cut through anything. Anything.”

“Wow.”

“You will need this in your coming task. I don’t know for what, but it is important that you keep it with you at all times. Use it only when you are certain it is necessary.”

“Of course.” I slipped the blade back into the scabbard and slung the strap over my chest. The blade sat at my back, as comfortable as if it’d been made for me. The short size made it a convenient way to carry the weapon.

“Good.” Laima smiled. “That is all we have for you. Should you need our help again, just ask.”

“Can you help us return to the main part of the Vampire Realm without going back the hard way?” I really didn’t have the energy to go back through the lightning fields.

Laima nodded. “We can. Let us walk you out.”

Karta and Dekla rose from their plush, La-Z-Boy thrones and the three goddesses escorted us down the hall. Karta and Dekla immediately surrounded Ares, showering him with compliments. Karta squeezed Ares’s bicep, and I almost growled.

“Down girl,” Laima said to me.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I kept my tone haughty.

“Mmmm-hmmm. Sure.” She winked at me. “But there’s something there between you two. I’ve never seen him like this before. He’s a changed man. No longer cold and aloof, but riveted by you.”

“Yeah. There’s something between us, but I don’t know what yet.”

“How can you not know? Seems pretty obvious to me.”

I frowned. “I had his blood. A lot of it. It’s created some kind of connection between us, and I’m afraid that it’s the reason we’ve grown close, not our true feelings.” Actually, I was pretty darned sure my feelings were accurate. It was Ares I was concerned with. He was so powerful and handsome and good. And if he liked me as much as Laima said? Wow.

Laima gave me a quizzical look. “Really? The blood connection has made you able to sense his emotions? And he can find you in return?”

“Yes. But it didn’t happen to my deirfiúr when he gave her his blood to heal her several days ago.”

“That’s the normal course.” Laima smiled. “But you and Ares are fated. That’s why you have the connection through his blood.”

“What do you mean fated?”

“In vampire lore, this type of connection comes around once in a millennium. The fated ones, a couple destined to be together. They’d fight time and the stars to align their fates with one another.”

“That’s us?” I shivered, both delighted and horrified. That was huge. “What about a few great dates and eventually a lifetime of happiness? Isn’t it kind of insane for fate to get involved?”

“It doesn’t mean you can’t have those things, too. Or that you shouldn’t. You still need to fall in love. But I’m telling you that if your symptoms are accurate, then fate certainly wants you to be together.”

“Wow.” I stared at Ares’s broad back. Him and me…forever?

* * *

The goddesses were able to make us a portal to anywhere in the Vampire Realm, so we chose to return to Ares’s house. They escorted us down to the courtyard where we’d left the motorcycle and the Pūķi.

Ares and I stopped in front of the bike, and the Pūķi came up to join us. Laima stopped a few meters away, holding her hands out to create the portal. Golden light shined from her palms as she drew a large circle in the air. The space glowed bright and beckoning.

Ares and I were about to climb onto his bike when I asked, “Can I drive?”

“Sure.” Ares grinned. “Ever driven through a portal before?”

“No, but I can figure it out.”

“All you, then.”

I looked at Laima, Karta, and Dekla. “Thank you for the help. And the sword.”

It still felt natural on my back, as if it’d always been there.

“Anytime.” Laima waved.

We climbed on the bike, and I cranked the engine. It roared to life, and the Pūķi made excited trilling noises. I gunned the engine and drove toward portal, the three Pūķi zipping alongside us.

As soon as we entered, the ether sucked us in, and my head swam. When it spat us out in Ares’s driveway, it took all I had to keep the motorcycle upright and drive it toward the driveway. I parked and cut the engine.

“Whew!” I climbed off. “That was short but sweet.”

The Pūķi plowed out of the portal behind us, their bright red forms illuminating the darkened driveway.

Ares led us toward the front door of his house. A fluttering sounded from behind me. I turned. My newest dragon friend had appeared out of the air. He was now even bigger—roughly the size of a sheepdog. He fluttered up to the three Pūķi, his red wings glinting in the moonlight. Though his body was shaped like theirs, he looked very different. They were made of flame, but he had scales like a regular dragon.

The Pūķi sniffed him, and he sniffed them back. A loud purr rumbled from his chest.

“Hey, pal.” I approached. “You like your new friends?”

He turned to look at me, his black eyes calm and happy. Thank fates. I didn’t know how to break up a dragon fight if things didn’t go well with this group. The Pūķi watched as my dragon approached me, his gaze held fast to mine.

“Be careful,” Ares murmured.

“I will.”

He was right to be cautious. The dragon was an unknown species of mysterious origin. But he was mine. I could feel it.

I held out a hand, and he snuffled it, his breath warm on my palm. “Do you breathe fire?”

He turned his head and expelled a little trill of flame. I laughed. Cool!

“Are you hungry?” I conjured an apple—the Pūķi’s favorite food—and held it out to him. He ignored it, but the Pūķi voiced their interest.

Voracious beasts.

I conjured two more apples, then tossed one to each of the three Pūķi.

“Well, it seems you don’t eat, fella.”

He purred.

“And you understand me?”

He purred again, then flew so close that I could reach out and touch him. I did, petting his head. Warmth and magic flowed up my arm.

“Whoa.” I pulled my hand back and looked at Ares. “I think he gave me strength.”

The dragon purred.

“Do you know anything about this kind of creature?” Ares asked.

“Nothing. Just that he appeared earlier today.”

“Del and Cass don’t have them?”

I glanced at him. “No, why?”

He lifted a shoulder. “They’re FireSouls, too, so I thought they might.”

I grew still. Not scared, but alert. “How did you know that? I’ve never told you that.”

“No, but I’m observant.”

“Yeah.”

He reached for my hand, squeezing. “Their secret is safe with me.”

I nodded. “I know. It’s just…I’m always going to worry about them, you know?”

“Yes. More than yourself. That’s how family works.” He gestured to my dragon. “And now you have new family.”

I grinned. “I do.”

I didn’t know much about the care and feeding of dragons, but since he didn’t eat and he kept disappearing, I figured he could take pretty good care of himself. And the idea that he might be giving me more strength or magic or whatever? Crazy.

I reached out to pet him again, but one of the Pūķi made a high-pitched trilling noise. My dragon whirled around to face him, body positively vibrating. With excitement?

The Pūķi shot into the air, doing flips and loop-de-loops. My dragon darted after him, joining in.

“Looks like I’ve been deemed boring,” I said.

“They do like to play.”

All three Pūķi and my own special dragon darted around the trees in a game of chase that I didn’t understand. But they seemed to be having a good time, and exhaustion pulled at me, so I turned to Ares. “How about we get some sleep? It’s pretty late.”

“Good idea.” He led the way in through the beautifully carved wooden door and flipped on a light.

The golden glow spread over the open space, revealing a welcoming living room with a fabulous view over the town. “You’re partial to city views, I see.”

“Coincidence.” Ares headed toward the left corner of the house. “This was my parents home. I didn’t choose it, but I do like it.”

“Me too.” I followed him into a beautiful old kitchen. The cabinets were carved with glorious tree designs. “Those are incredible.”

“My father made them. He was a woodworker.”

“Wow.” I inspected the artwork as Ares dug into the fridge. He pulled out a bottle of wine and some blocks of cheese, quickly creating a tray that made my mouth water. “How did you know I could go for some of that right now?”

“Call it instinct.” He ginned and handed me a glass of red wine. “Sorry, I have no bourbon.”

“That’s okay. This is more date-like.”

“Is this a date?” Pleasure suffused his voice.

“Um, it could be.” I raised my glass. “Wine and cheese paint a pretty clear picture as far as the movies are concerned.”

He clinked his glass with mine. “A date it is.”

I followed him out into the living room. He set the plate on a table in front of the couch, then took a seat. The couch faced the windows instead of a TV, providing a fabulous view over the valley beyond. Spotlights illuminated incredible metal sculptures. They were modern, yet relatable. Though it was hard to say what they all were, they each gave off a different emotion—joy, sorrow, humor, pain.

I walked toward the window. “Those are incredible.”

“Thank you.”

I turned back in time to see Ares’s cheeks darken so slightly I wouldn’t have noticed if I weren’t attuned to him like he was the weather channel during a hurricane. His face was still sharp and dangerous, but that was definitely a blush. And it was sexy as hell.

“Hang on, did you make them?”

He cleared his throat. “I may have.”

“So your father was a woodworker, and you are a metalsmith?”

“Something like that. And my mother built small boats. We are good with our hands, I suppose.”

I grinned, and just barely resisted making a terrible joke. I joined him on the sofa, snagging the biggest slice of cheese from the plate and popping it in my mouth. I chewed and swallowed. “How do you find time for a hobby?”

“Not easily. I fit it in during late nights, usually. Otherwise, my work with the council keeps me busy.”

“I can see how that would be.”

“You must have something besides working in your shop and saving the world to keep you busy?”

“Well, there’s not as much working in the shop as I’d like these days.” Ancient Magic had been closed for over a week now, ever since we’d deemed Drakon Threat Number One.

“You’ll get back to it.”

“I do have a hobby, though. Gardening.”

“Given your most recent magic, that fits you well.”

“Thanks. It’s a pretty impressive place, my….garden.” I’d almost said trove, but stopped myself. He probably knew I had one, but I wasn’t yet ready to share it with him. Almost. But not quite.

“I’d love to see your garden one day.”

My jaw dropped as the worst sexy pun ever flashed in my mind. Ares raised a hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. I laughed. I didn’t even need to see his face to know that he, too, got the unspoken joke.

Laughter bubbled out of me, so I tried quieting it with a bite of cheese. It worked pretty well, as it usually did.

“I like you, Nix.”

I smiled at him. “I know.”

“Don’t get sappy on me now.”

“I like you, too.” I set down my wine glass. “I’ve been worried that I like you because of the blood bond we share.”

“That’s never happened with anyone else.”

“I know. And I asked Laima about it. She said that we’re fated.” Just the idea made me short of breath. I did like him—so much. I just didn’t want fate getting its sticky hands into my life. It’d done that enough already.

Ares laid a gentle hand on my arm. “Hey, are you all right?”

“Yeah. Totally.” I tried to still my racing heart.

“Well, you look a bit stressed.”

“Ha, you read me well.” I drew in a shuddery breath. “I guess I am. Fate—while I believe in it—has also decreed that I must fight a monster of incredible strength and power. The greatest threat the world has ever known, according to Laima. I don’t exactly want fate getting involved in my romantic life, too.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way. Fate has indicated a preference, but we can still do what we want.”

“We can.” Shakily, I pushed an errant lock of hair away from my face. What I wanted to do was kiss him.

As if he could read my mind, Ares’s gaze riveted to my lips. My breath caught at the heat in his gaze. He leaned in, giving me enough time to shift back or say no.

Of course I didn’t. I’m not an idiot, after all.

He pressed his lips to mine, warm and firm. I moaned, reaching out to wrap my arms around his neck. He gripped my waist, pulling me toward him as I devoured his kiss.

The heat of his muscles seared me, making my head spin. I wanted more. So I took it one step farther, climbing onto his lap and pressing myself full against him. Pleasure shot through me and I gasped.

He groaned, a desperate sound that made heat spike in my blood. His strong arms wrapped around my waist, crushing me to him as his lips trailed skillfully from my mouth to neck. He shuddered and passed over the sensitive place, no doubt because he didn’t want to be too tempted.

Bite, I wanted to command. But it was crazy. What little sense I had left told me that.

So I pressed my lips to his neck instead, tracing my tongue over the smooth, hot skin. A moan escaped him, driving me crazy.

Tapping sounded at the window. I jumped, pulling my lips away. Ares stiffened, suddenly alert. His gaze darted to the windows at my back. I turned.

Three Pūķi and my dragon all sat at the window. My little beast had tapped the glass with his claw.

“Holy crap, the kids caught us,” I said.

Ares laughed.

I was about to lean back into his kiss when my dragon tapped again, this time more frantically. Worried, and also a little bit annoyed, I climbed off of Ares and went to the window.

Concern glinted in the dragon’s dark eyes. At least, that’s what I guessed it was.

“I’m okay, buddy.”

He shook his head, dark eyes still dismayed. I almost felt like saying “What is it, boy?” the way that kid would say to Lassie when she came to the farm with a warning about a boy who’d fallen down a well.

“Something is wrong,” Ares said.

“Yeah.” The Pūķi looked pretty clueless, bless their hearts. But my dragon was definitely trying to tell us something. “As exhausted as I am, I think we need to head back to Magic’s Bend.”

My comms charm didn’t work here, so there was no way to call home. That left the old-fashioned way—inter-realm space travel.