Ariel awakened with a start. She felt extremely groggy. At first she thought she was in her room at the Blue Hurricane camp, but if that was the case, what was with the hard, bumpy surface underneath her. Had she rolled onto the floor? Yet since when was her cabin floor covered with roof tiles?

“Ariel, wake up,” Jett said quietly. He was shaking her.

Blinking away the sleep, she finally remembered where she was.

Midnight. The estate next to Gwendoline’s.

“I’m awake,” Ariel said, matching his soft tone.

The cavern around her was just as dark as before. She couldn’t have slept long.

“How long was I out?” she asked.

“Only an hour,” Jett said.

“What’s going on?” she squinted, staring toward Gwendoline’s estate. There was movement at the gate. Men carrying flashlights. No, not flashlights: those were lights affixed to rifle rails. She also spotted the glint of swords in the dark.

“We have to move,” Jett said.

“Don’t you want to watch what they do?” Ariel asked.

“No,” Jett said. He nodded toward the north. “Look.”

She followed his gaze and realized similar rifle-toting men were at the gate to the Rivenstorm Dragon estate as well.

Jett scooped Ariel into his arms and leaped off the roof. The free fall caused her heart rate to momentarily skyrocket. She didn’t have anything to fear of course: he landed gracefully and she barely swayed where she was cradled her in his strong arms.

Jett lowered her and she stood on wobbly feet.

“You all right?” Jett asked.

“Still at bit groggy,” Ariel said. Ephephany did say they would need to sleep longer than usual to recover from the Weaves she had placed on them. An hour was hardly enough.

Titan similarly set down Mathis beside her. The witch looked to be in just as bad shape as she was.

Mamba, Viper and Poison awaited nearby.

“Head to the western portion of the wall,” Jett said. “We’ll cross the neighboring estate, cut north, and double back toward the Hooded Dale. Stick to the shadows and avoid the security cameras. Mamba, you’re on point. Poison, take drag.”

“Understood.” Mamba sped ahead.

Ariel and Jett followed close behind, hand in hand. They fled through the orange trees, and the outbuildings. To her right, from the direction of the estate’s gate, she spotted the beams of the flashlights or weapon lights or whatever they were.

Jett pulled her behind a small shed until the beams passed. Mathis and the others crouched beside them.

She heard barking, then.

“What is that?” Ariel asked.

“Werewolves,” Jett said. “The dragons have some as slaves, left over from the war. The wolves’ sense of smell is on par with you lions. We have to move!”

Jett peered past the edge of the shed. Mamba was stationed behind another outbuilding across from him, and he waved Jett on.

Jett seemed satisfied that the coast was clear, because he pulled at Ariel’s hand and led her out from behind the building.

“I thought shifters couldn’t transform here?” Ariel asked on the way.

“They can’t,” Jett said. “These werewolves were bound with special collars by the vampires in the last war. The collars lock them into wolf form permanently. It’s the only way around our anti-shifting magic, and it allowed the vampires to attack our city with them. It’s not an option most shifters would choose, because if the collars are ever removed, the werewolves die.”

“So we know how to kill them easily, then…” Ariel said.

“Easy is a relative term,” Jett said. “Let’s just say, you try to take off one of those collars, the wolves will fight for their lives.”

She and Jett joined Mamba and waited until the others arrived, and then they continued through the estate until reaching the bounding wall. The barking seemed to remain at roughly the same volume behind them the whole time.

The wall was made entirely out of emeralds. But Ariel had no time to ogle it, as Jett was already boosting her over. She crouched on the flat top and confirmed that it was safe in the adjacent estate before lowering herself.

In moments the rest of the party was over.

Mamba led the way, heading toward the far side, and the others followed. This particular area of the new estate was covered with thickly trunked trees. Ariel could smell the cattle stench directed her way from a nearby pen by a series of fans.

“That should mask our scent if the werewolves decide to follow us here,” Ariel said.

“Yes,” Jett said. “We’re lucky it’s so close to the wall.”

Jett continued to hold her hand tight. Behind them, the barking faded.

“I should’ve ordered us to stand watch from an estate farther away,” Jett said as he ran. “I made a mistake keeping us so close to Gwendoline’s lands.”

“You couldn’t have known that they’d search the neighboring estates as well,” Ariel said.

“But I should have guessed,” Jett said. “My brother thinks the same way I do. Of course he would cast a wide net to search for us.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it,” Ariel said. “You can second-guess yourself until you’re blue in the face, it won’t help. We have to deal with the hands we’ve been dealt.”

“How did your brother know we were there in the first place?” Mathis said.

“They’ve obviously questioned Gwendoline and the White Swords,” Jett said quietly.

“Gwendoline would never reveal us!” Mathis said.

“Are you sure?” Jett said. He squeezed Ariel’s hand tight suddenly. She understood he was probably imagining the things they must have done to make his sister talk. That pissed off Ariel as well, but she realized that wasn’t the only way their enemy might have found them.

“Maybe they spotted us on the cameras,” Ariel said. “We couldn’t have avoided every one of them.”

Jett didn’t answer, but his grip loosened slightly: she’d gotten through to him.

They reached the far wall. This one was encrusted with red rubies.

Jett checked his phone, shielding the light with his body. He must have been looking at a map of the city, because he said: “The street is just beyond. Viper?”

Viper climbed up and peered past. The vampire surveyed the immediate area and surrounding estates for a moment, then gave Jett the all-clear sign.

“Over,” Jett said.

He boosted Ariel to the top.

When everyone was over, the party made its way westward away from Gwendoline’s lands. They kept to the shadows, hugging the walls of the estates that bordered the street.

“I sense Strength traps in the street,” Jett said. “It’s like a minefield out here. They must have a vampire witch with them. Stay close to the walls and be ready to move away at my command.”

“What if the witch with them is Ephephany?” Ariel said quietly.

“I refuse to believe it’s her,” Jett said.

“Tell me again why the Wayfarers only assigned Midnight a single witch to protect the city?” Mathis asked.

“We have you,” Jett said.

“Yeah,” Mathis said. “But I wasn’t assigned. Too bad I can’t drink your blood, though. I could use the boost.”

“Oh you can drink it,” Jett said. “It just won’t help you very much.”

“It’s times like these where I wish I was a vampire,” Mathis quipped.

Barking came from behind. A moment later the thin rays of those weapon lights shone their way. Right in the middle of the street.

“They’ve found us!” Jett said. “Pick up the pace!”

Jett dragged Ariel forward by the hand as he and the others switched to an all out sprint. Jett kept Ariel positioned against the walls bordering the road, so that she was protected on one side by the gem-encrusted surfaces and on the other by Jett himself.

“Trap!” Jett said.

Ariel sensed it, too, but it was too late. Jett jerked her to the right, attempting to weave her around the invisible trap, but her body froze in mid-stride and Jett’s hand slipped from her grasp. He tumbled forward, landing on his knees on the bare stone of the street.

Ariel couldn’t move. She was able to blink and breathe and that was about it. Her body had otherwise gone completely stiff. It was a little odd as well, considering that she had one foot planted on the ground and the other extended in the air in front of her—an off-balance posture that should have seen her falling over, but the Weaves of the trap held her firmly in place.

Her lioness growled inside, clawing frantically at her skin, wanting to get out. She hated being caged. Hated.

Jett scrambled upright and grabbed her hand once more. He tried to wrench her from the invisible vise that clamped her whole body but could not.

“Mathis, dispel the trap!” Jett ordered.

Mathis waved his hands. His brow furrowed as if he was locked in intense concentration. “The way this one was done up, it’s like a puzzle knot. Threads wrapped around threads wrapped around threads. I have to feel my way in the dark, searching for the different ties, and open each one. It’s going to take me some time.”

“Well hurry!” Jett said.

Ariel tried reaching through the dragon bone bracelets she wore, hoping to help Mathis, but the trap seemed to suppress her ability entirely, and she was unable to even touch the Strength.

She could hear the barking growing in volume. Though she couldn’t turn her head to see how close they were, she saw the incoming beams of light bouncing from the street beside her. It wouldn’t be long now...

“Sire, we have to go,” Viper said.

“Mathis, how long?” Jett asked.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Mathis shake his head sadly.

“Damn it!” Jett said.

Viper drew his pistols and turned toward the incoming men. Titan, Mamba, and Poison did the same.

“Sire...” Viper said.

“We can’t help her,” Mathis said. “They have a vampire witch. Obviously dragon blood flows through her veins. If we stay and fight, we’ll lose.”

“You go,” Jett said. “I’ll stay. I’m not leaving her.”

“You’re no use to her if you let them capture you,” Mathis said. “At least if you come with us, there’s a chance you can break her free another time.”

“They won’t capture me,” Jett said. “I’ll use compulsion on them.”

“It won’t work,” Mathis said. “They’re minds will be too old. Our enemy wouldn’t send men affected by compulsion and you know it.”

Still Jett didn’t move.

“Jett,” Mathis pleaded. “My Alpha. If you don’t come now, you’ll become a prisoner. We all will.”

Ariel strained against the binds that held her, and realized they were weaker around her lips. She could speak, if she put all of her lion strength into the effort.

“He’s... right,” Ariel managed. “You have to go... my dragon.”

Jett seemed about ready to crumple before her. His eyes welled with tears.

“I’ll come back for you, Lioness,” Jett said. “I swear it. If I have to journey to the gates of hell itself, I’ll come for you.”

“Go,” Ariel begged.

Without warning Jett flung his head into the Strength trap. She could feel the Weaves trying to ensnare him as well, could feel him fighting it with all his dragon strength.

Jett kissed her, his lips moving savagely, desperate for her.

Ariel was touched by his tender act, and yet terrified. All she could think was no! She didn’t want her dragon to be trapped, too.

But she kissed him back, fighting the invisible binds that held her. If he was going to trap himself with her, she didn’t want to deny him this final comfort.

But then Jett ended the kiss. He struggled to yank his head away. Ariel could see sparks of blue electricity manifesting in the air around him as he fought the pull of the trap, and his strength began to flag so that for a moment she thought Jett was definitely going to be ensnared with her as well.

But then Titan grabbed him from behind and managed to wrench him free.

Ariel would have slumped in relief if she could have.

Better me than my dragon.

“I’ll come back for you, I swear it,” Jett told her.

“I know,” Ariel said.

She was filled with love. Her sweet dragon had risked himself to kiss her one last time.

The barking filled the night air and the beams of light focused upon Jett, along with the dots of red laser sights. Ariel knew that no mere bullets could ever harm Jett or the dragon members of his White Swords, but Mathis on the other hand was extremely vulnerable at the moment.

“Halt!” a voice said.

Jett scooped up Mathis in his arms, shielding the witch with his body, and raced away with the White Swords.

A part of Ariel wanted Jett to run as far away from this tainted den as possible. Another part prayed he would find a way to rescue her.

“We got one!” someone said.

Evil looking dragons and vampires surrounded her and stripped her of her bone accessories. Then the trap released and she dropped to the ground. She raised her eyes to see a black clad female vampire leering at her. A witch, judging from the bone bracelets that ran up and down her arms from wrists to shoulders. She had a large red angioma in the center of her forehead. Ariel had never seen her before.

Her captors promptly threw her into a cage and locked the door.

“My my, what big eyes you have,” the vampire witch said.

Ariel’s inner lioness growled savagely. Only one other person had ever said that to her. The man who had turned her into a lion. He spoke those words moments before he inflicted the life-changing bite.

That man was dead now. Ariel had torn open his throat when he lay stunned on the grass after Jett’s attack on the undead camp four months ago.

She promised herself in that moment that if the chance arose, this witch would suffer a similar fate.

* * *

Jett felt the bullets deflecting from his back as he raced away from Ariel.

Ariel.

His lioness.

It tore at his heart that he had to abandon her like this.

He almost dropped Mathis and turned back.

Almost.

But he knew Mathis was right. He would be useless to Ariel if he allowed himself to be captured.

Still, Jett didn’t know how he was going to save her. The situation seemed hopeless. Even when the pride arrived, what hope did any of them have against an entire city of dragons?

Jett would find a way. He swore he would. No matter what happened, he’d save her.

He’d throw away everything to do so. His life. The lives of all the occupants of Midnight, if it came to it.

Because nothing else mattered in the world but her.