Chapter Three

The Fae was still asleepwhen I woke. Radnor was nowhere to be found, and I was famished, so I ate a meager repast of stale bread that I'd found at the bottom of my bag. Demon had already eaten half the loaf, which meant my appetite was barely sated by the time I wiped the remaining crumbs on my dress, but it would hold me. I grew more flowers and grass for Demon, who, thankfully, was no longer enamored with my leg. I left enough dew on the grass to quench his thirst, and then I drank most of the water in my flask, saving a few mouthfuls for the Fae. Not that he deserved it. I would need to replenish my food and water soon, though I doubted either of my new companions cared.

I closed the lid on my flask as Helian stirred. Fool that I was, I ran my fingers over my messy braid and pinched my lips and cheeks to add some color to my pale complexion. Not that it would make much of a difference. He'd already said I was a seven at best. Determined to put his insult from my mind, I knelt beside him as his eyes slowly opened.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

He sat up, those muscles on his torso rippling with the movement as he rubbed the back of his head. "My head's a little sore."

I winced at that, then straightened. He deserved it. "Good."

He blinked up at me, features hardening. "We need to leave."

"Fine," I answered tersely. "I need to relieve myself." I capped my flask, deciding he didn't need the last of my water. After scooping Demon into my bag, I went to the edge of the clearing, finding a private spot to relieve myself, though not daring to venture too far, lest some other hag find me, or worse, the rider and his dragon left me behind.

I had just finished adjusting my skirts and walked back into the clearing when Radnor landed with a thud in front of me.

Ignoring me, he turned to Helian first, laying down on his paws and purring like a cat, rattling the ground beneath my feet. When Helian lunged for the dragon, hugging his big snout, I felt compelled to turn away at their display of affection. After a bunch of sniffling and rumbling, Helian finally cleared his throat. I turned back around in time to see the Fae wiping moisture from his eyes as he pulled away from his dragon. Radnor had this doe-eyed look as he smiled at his rider.

Well, maybe those two did have hearts, though it was clear they only beat for one another, and obviously for themselves as well.

"Where's my shield?" Helian spun a slow circle, looking over his shoulder as if a shield would magically appear.

Radnor let out a deep rumble. It was lost in the attack.

"Damn." Helian kicked at the dirt beneath his boot. "We'll need to get me another."

The dragon shook his head, frowning. I managed to salvage the rest of the supplies. I'll do a better job protecting you next time.

Helian angled his head toward me. "You did an excellent job of protecting me this time." He had the nerve to wink at me. "You found me a green witch, after all."

Radnor craned his long neck to look down at me, turning up his snout like I was no more significant than the stag carcass he'd crushed beneath his paws. Hurry up, witch. Caldaria awaits.

I gave Helian a look, seeing if he'd honor his word to take me someplace safer.

Cursing, he turned his gaze to the sky. "Change of plans."

Radnor's eyes narrowed, smoke streams pouring from his snout as he turned back toward his rider, his neck twisting like a serpent slithering sideways through sand. What do you mean?

Helian cut Radnor a dark look. "We go to Thesan."

Thesan? I'd heard of the island that was far enough from the continent to require a boat, but close enough for their strange emissaries to travel to the coast every spring for trade. Thorin had told me that foreigners weren't allowed at Thesan, and even if they tried, their ships would get lost in the mist and end up in watery graves while trying to navigate the treacherous rocks surrounding the island. It was a foreign land with sprites as small as fingers, gnomes who robbed people while they slept, and sirens who swam up rivers and feasted on those foolish enough to wander too close to the waters. That's where he was taking me?

Radnor arched back as if he'd been slapped. It will take a fortnight by air.

"I know." Helian gave me a grim look as he crossed over to me. No way was I letting him go back on his word, even if Thesan was considered the wilds of the magical realm. At least they didn't have any berchtas. Not that I was aware of, anyway.

Radnor let out a growl so deep, hell's fires reflecting in his eyes, I fought the urge to crawl beneath my skin and hide. Gone was the affectionate, loyal drake. In his place was a leviathan with a grudge as big as his balls. Are you telling me I'm to carry that miserable witch and her rodent on my back all the way to Thesan?

I grumbled at that, sick and tired of my familiar being referred to as a rodent. Demon thumped in my bag as if to emphasize his displeasure.

"That's what I'm telling you, unless you'd rather dump her in the Caldarian countryside and have Malvolia's spies get their hands on her."

Malvolia had spies in Caldaria? I thought all of Caldaria was ruled by the cruel Fae, King Fachnan.

Radnor ruffled his wings. What do I care?

Jutting hands on my hips, I turned my glare from the drake to Helian. "You both speak of me as if I'm not standing right here."

"You will care when Malvolia unlocks the full might of her magic. I was on the brink of death." Helian stepped up to his dragon, wagging a finger in his face. "How many green witches do you know with that kind of healing skill? Don't tell me you don't sense her powers."

I waved my hands in their faces. "Hello!" I wanted to slap him silly and tell him Malvolia would have no use for a second-rate witch, despite the foreboding feeling that threatened to crush my chest.

Why not bring her to your father?

He hopped onto the dragon's back with the ease of a knight swinging onto a horse. "My father will use her worse than Malvolia."

The look of pity Helian gave me as he settled between the crook of Radnor's wings made me grind my teeth in anger. I felt like a voyeur staring out of someone else's eyes as I gaped up at him. Who was his father and what would his father and some ancient witch need from me? And how would his father use me?

And you'll be back in his good graces.

Helian snorted. "What care I for his good graces?"

A warm bed, a full belly, all the wine and whores you could ask for.

I wasn't sure why, but a blade of jealousy twisted in my heart. I silently berated myself. Let the whores have him. I had no use for such a vain brute.

"Enough." Helian waved his dragon away while adjusting the straps on a charred leather saddle that was attached between two thick scales. My gut churned at the realization that he had only one saddle. Was I supposed to share that small seat with him? Yes, my bones were small, but the dragon rider with his thick, muscular thighs—not that I'd been looking—would need every inch of that saddle.

And a warm nest for me, or do you not care for my comfort?

I rolled my eyes at the dragon.

Helian threw up his hands, cursing. "Radnor, you're being unfair."

And you're being unreasonable. He craned his neck to look at the rider on his back. Arabella isn't so bad.

"Then you marry her!" Helian looked down at me with a scowl. "Get on."

I blinked at him for several heartbeats. Arabella? When his scowl deepened, my spine stiffened. "Don't boss me around."

"Fine." He turned up his chin. "We'll leave you in this forest."

I knew he wouldn't, yet fear propelled my feet forward. I stood at Radnor's side, ignoring the monster's growls while craning my neck to glare at the rider. "Do you expect me to just fly up there?"

His mouth hitched up in a cocky smirk. "You are a witch, aren't you?"

When he held a hand down to me, I refused to take it. I flashed a cocky grin of my own while waving a hand toward the ground, drops of magic falling from my fingertips like rain dripping from a thatched roof's eaves. A root sprung up beneath me, the vines growing thicker while pushing me up, up, until my feet were level with the dragon's back. I grabbed a few leaves off the plant and stuffed them into my bag so Demon would have a fresh meal.

Trying not to notice his widened eyes, I faced forward in front of Helian, wishing I could ignore the press of his firm thighs against my buttocks. "You're ruder than Radnor."

He wrapped his arms around me, whispering in my ear. "I've been called worse."

I repressed a shiver as his breath skittered across my skin, causing my gooseflesh to rise. "And you're certainly no ten," I lied.

His low, deep chuckle did something to my insides, and an unsettling warmth curled in my belly. "And I was being generous when I called you a seven."

Bastard. I would've given him a spell of flatulence if we hadn't been sitting in such close proximity. Burning magic tickled my palms. Maybe a spell of hairy warts.

"Don't do it, witch," he rumbled, his breath hotter and heavier, and yet a chill snaked down my spine and raised my flesh. "We can't afford any more delays." He pulled my backside flush against his hard chest.

"Brute." Seething, I spoke from between clenched teeth. "What are you doing?" I fought the urge to elbow him in the ribs.

"Making sure you don't fall off," he hissed in return.

And before I could answer with a sarcastic retort, Radnor leapt into the air without warning. My heart fell to my stomach, and then the contents of my stomach lurched into my chest. I was too terrified to scream, much less speak, as the world stretched far beneath me, and we ascended right into the clouds. I held tightly to my sack with one hand, and I grabbed Helian's hands on the saddle horn with the other, digging my nails into his wrist.

"Easy," he chuckled against my neck, the heat from his breath warming my skin. "I won't let him drop you."

But then we broke from the clouds, the dragon's mighty flapping wings blowing my hair in a tangle behind me. I caught glimpses of thick vegetation beneath us and cragged peaks in the distance, and I couldn't help but gape in awe at the wide world before me. If I hadn't been so terrified, I would've howled with joy. I was finally free of the man who'd been pretending to be my father after escaping the invisible chains binding me to a mundane life. And now I had a wide world to explore, if it didn't kill me first.

* * *

BY THE TIME WE LANDED, it was nearly sunset, and the muscles in my thighs were practically screaming from hugging the saddle for so many hours. I'd no idea how Radnor had been able to fly so far for so long, but Helian had wanted to get as far away from the crash site as possible, lest the fire mage decide to come back, not that I suspected he would. How could the attacker have known that Helian would be lucky enough to have landed in the proximity of a green witch? Not that I was a particularly good one, but Helian was no longer barbeque, so I guess my skills were better than nothing.

Radnor had landed in a mountain crater high up in the clouds alongside a pebbled beach. No sooner had we landed than the fog cleared, revealing a deep blue lake with a surface as smooth as glass. It was so stunningly beautiful and quiet that I heard not the tweet of a bird or the chirp of a cricket. The air was thinner here, each breath like inhaling pure ice. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself. Though it was cold, the fresh air was so delicious, I didn't mind.

Demon poked his head above the top of my bag, his ears laid flat while he scanned our surroundings. Helian jumped from Radnor's back and took the bag from me, gently setting it on the ground as if he was carrying an unhatched egg. Well, at least he wasn't a brute when it came to animals, just with witches who saved him from an agonizing death.

"Where are we?" I asked after reluctantly letting Helian help me out of the saddle. I walked like an old crone, my thighs and back still aching.

"About a day south of Caldaria in the Periculian Mountains," he said while leading me toward the water.

I'd heard about the Periculian Mountains from enough tradesmen. The monoliths were what divided the magical and the human worlds and impossible to pass during winter. Even during the warmer months, the journey was treacherous through troll territory. The peaks were unreachable except by winged beast, which explained the peacefulness of the place. I supposed it also gave us advantage should a certain fire mage try to ambush us.

I brought you to a lake, witch,Radnor grumbled behind me, so you could fish for your own dinner.

"Thanks," I said breathlessly, ignoring his tone as I stared across the pristine lake, hardly believing fish dwelled beneath.

I gave Helian a questioning look when he draped a heavy fur across my back.

He gave me an apologetic grin. "It's cold here."

I tucked the cape around my arms while resisting the urge to thank him. It was the least he could do considering I'd saved his life.

I felt the beating of Radnor's wings behind my back as he lifted off and took to the sky. Where he was going, I had no idea and didn't care, so long as he came back in the morning to fly us out of here. I set my bag on the pebbled beach, the water gently lapping at black sand. I dared to lean over and scoop up a handful of water. It chilled my hand but was so crisp and delicious that I had to take several more drinks. Helian filled up a few flasks and put water in a shallow bowl, setting it on the beach beside me.

"In case your rodent is thirsty," he said with a shrug.

Ignoring the insult, I held my hands over the earth, letting magic spill through my fingers. I ignored Helian's whistle when a soft bed of grass sprung up along the shore. No doubt he was poking fun of my measly garden, but it was enough for Demon, which was all that mattered. Demon poked his head out of my bag, scanning for threats before hopping out and munching on grass, the skin on his back twitching with happiness when I added a few yellow flowers.

Then I took a thread of magic and tossed it toward the lake, smiling as a vine grew out of my fingertip and stretched, thorns sprouting as it twisted and turned toward the water, disappearing beneath the ripple it had made with a plunk.

As soon as I felt the tug, I squeezed the vine shut, and it retracted back toward me, dragging with it a strange green fish with a large mouth and long, fleshy whiskers. It flopped on the shore, its maw opening and closing as its chest heaved. I then threw out the vine and caught another fish, not that I cared to feed Helian, but I didn't feel like fighting with him over my only fish.

"How did you do that?"

I looked over my shoulder at Helian. "I'm a green witch, or have you forgotten?"

He shook his head. "No witch can make vines like that." He motioned toward the vine growing from my finger. "It takes days for most green witches to grow a few blades of grass."

"Nonsense." I laughed. "My skills are rudimentary at best."

"Who told you that?"

I turned to fully face him, slightly alarmed by the steel in his eyes. "My father."

He arched a brow. "You mean the mind spinner who faked your death and took you from your family?"

I swallowed, resenting him for reminding me my ‘father' was an impostor. "Yes. His name was Thorin."

He folded muscular arms across a broad chest, looking down at me as if he was lecturing a child. "Thorin was lying to you, Anya. Most green witches can only heal the common cold in the time it took you to heal me. It takes them days to mend broken bones."

A vision flashed before my eyes, a young woman with gray eyes and pale skin like mine, lying in the throes of death, the smell of sickness permeating the air. She was calling my name, and I was trying to reach her, to heal her, but strong hands pulled me away. I blinked, and the vision was gone.

"How old are you?"

I gaped at him for a moment, remembering where I was, still reeling from that vision. "Thorin said I was twenty-three."

"You don't look older than eighteen."

I shrugged, averting my gaze. "Does it matter?"

"I guess not." He turned his back on me, gathering large stones and making a rudimentary fire pit. Where he would get the wood, I had no idea, unless Radnor had gone off to snatch a tree limb.

I helped him collect stones while keeping one eye on Demon who'd stopped to drink from the water bowl. "And how old are you?" I asked the Fae, not that I cared to know his age. Details about his life were irrelevant to me, since I had no interest in a male like him, even if he was handsome.

"Twenty-seven."

I jerked up at that, holding a retort on my tongue. He certainly didn't act twenty-seven. He was as immature as many of the human village boys I'd encountered on my travels. Then again, Fae were known to live for hundreds of years. Twenty-seven was probably just a child in Fae years. No wonder he was such a twat.

Without asking if I intended on sharing, he began fileting my fish on a stone slab. He nodded toward a leather pack that had black burn marks on one side, much like the pack that had held his clothes. "There's a pan and oil in there."

I took that as my cue to fetch the cooking supplies. The items inside the pack had survived the fire, though they smelled a bit like burned leather. I grabbed a tin bottle I assumed was the oil and a deep cast iron pan, lugging it toward him with a grunt. "Will Radnor be making us a fire?"

He nodded, then cast a glance at Demon who was back to happily munching. "So I suppose no hunting for hare while you're with us."

I frowned up at the sky when a massive winged shadow blotted out the light from the waning sun. "I'd rather you didn't."

Demon hopped back into my bag, making an angry thump just before Radnor landed with a much more impressive thud.

She doesn't eat any meat except fish, the dragon said after he deposited a large tree limb on top of the makeshift fire pit.

Helian gave me an amused look. "Why is that?"

I stiffened at his smug tone. "I'd rather not say."

He shared a knowing look with his dragon before bridging the distance between us. "Well, now I insist."

I backed away when he invaded my personal space, hovering over me like a hawk cornering a mouse. "You'll tease me."

"I won't." He crossed his heart, then held up his hand like he was a knight swearing fealty to a lord. "I swear."

I snorted at that. "As if I'd trust your word." Thorin had told me the Fae were all deceptive and cunning. Then again, Thorin had been deceptive and cunning, too.

He splayed a hand across his chest, a wounded look in his eyes, though there was still a tug of a smile on those full lips. "I might be a prince without a kingdom, but I'm a Fae of my word."

I swear the world had dropped away from around us, leaving just Helian and me, standing on the edge of the universe and staring at each other. "You're a prince?" I'd never met royalty before, much less brought one back from the dead. No wonder he was an ungrateful, rude, and stubborn dragon's ass. He was probably used to others catering to his every whim, probably used to insulting women he deemed to be less than perfect tens. Stepping back from him, I rubbed the chill that skittered along my arms.

He stepped closer. "No changing the subject."

I angled my head, eyeing him, this Fae prince who would've been dust hadn't it been for me, a lowly human witch. "A truth for a truth then?" For I refused to bow down to him like another one of his servants. If he wanted any favors from me, he'd have to work for them.

His smile was bright and wicked and full of promises that prompted parents to lock away their daughters. "Alright."

I swallowed back a lump of apprehension because there was no one to protect me from him except me. Then again, that flatulence curse I held in reserve would work well enough to bring the strongest, handsomest Fae prince to his knees. Turning up my chin, I steeled my resolve to not let him intimidate me. "I can see their spirits when they die."

His eyes widened. "Whose spirits? The animals?"

"Yes."

I swear the color drained from Radnor's scales as he crept behind Helian, blinking at me from behind the top of his head. You saw that stag I killed?

I nodded. Maybe the vain drake had a conscience after all.

He visibly swallowed, the column of his throat fading from angry crimson to a dull gray. What was he doing?

"Standing in the forest, looking depressed and angry." I still remember the stag's eyes piercing mine, as if I had somehow been responsible for his death. It's not like I could've stopped a voracious meat eater from hunting.

Remind me never to hunt around you again, witch.The dragon gave a huff, then took off into the air, disappearing behind fluffy clouds painted orange and pink by the waning sun.

"And you don't see fish spirits?" Helian asked.

"No."

He scratched the back of his head, that smug smirk spreading across his face like a raging virus. "Why is that?"

"How should I know?" I threw up my hands. "Maybe they swim to the bottom of the lake. I've told you my truth." I kept my voice firm, refusing to let this Fae intimidate me, royal blood or not. "Now tell me yours."

"Not much to tell." He turned from me and began hacking at Radnor's tree limb with his sword. "My father is a prick," he said too casually in between breaks, "so I decided to renounce him and abandon my claim to the throne."

Abandon his claim? Either Helian had lost his mind, or his father truly was a prick. My veins iced over, for a certain bastard king came to mind. "Who is your father?" I asked at his back.

He stiffened, clutching that sword like he could break the hilt. "I've already given you one truth."

"Half a truth," I chided.

He turned back to me, his cheeks either red from the exertion or something else. I had a feeling cutting a few sticks was hardly an exertion for someone like Helian. "Tell me more about, Thorin."

I looked down at my bag. It twitched and moved as if possessed. Kneeling, I slipped a handful of grass inside, rewarded with a soft nose bop against my hand. "What do you want to know?"

"Do you know why he took you?"

I petted Demon's soft ears. "No."

Demon poked his head out, scanning the skies for the dragon, then hopped back onto the grass and began grazing.

"Do you have any memories of your past?"

"No." I looked up at him, an uncomfortable, yet familiar sensation coming over me, like I didn't belong in my own skin. "Who is your father?" I asked again, needing to shift the topic. I wasn't ready to face the demons of my past—not yet.

A twitch worked in his jaw. "Fachnan."

I jerked to my feet as if I'd been bitten by a snake. I'd suspected, but hearing him voice it was like a punch to the gut. "The cruel Fae king?"

He arched a brow. "So you've heard of him."

It was a rhetorical question. Unless you were a troll living at the bottom of an abandoned mine shaft, of course you've heard of Fachnan. "Thorin said he butchered an entire town, and he's as evil as Malvolia." I stood opposite him, absently breaking small branches and throwing them in the pit.

His laughter sounded forced as he dragged a hand through his hair. "Well, at least he didn't lie to you about that."

"And who is Arabella?" I berated myself for the venom that slipped into my voice. I didn't give a crow's caw who Arabella was, or any of Helian's love interests for that matter.

"You remembered her name."

I wanted to slap that smug smile from his face.

"I have a good memory." An obvious lie that I regretted as soon as it slipped off my tongue. If I had a good memory, why didn't I know who I was? "Who is she?"

He circled around to the other side of the pit, facing me while breaking apart the rest of the branches. "Lady Arabella, Duke Viggo's niece."

I gasped, then silently berated myself for showing any emotion.

"You've heard of him, too?" he asked.

"His army is almost as big as your father's." I swallowed back my unease, though I wasn't sure why I cared who this smug Fae married. "If your countries were to form an alliance, you could defeat Malvolia."

"We could." He had a wisp of a grin and his eyes shone with memories.

Bastard.

"Which must be why your father wants you to marry her."

His bitter laughter had the chill of a brisk winter morning and the bite of a venomous serpent. "And here I thought all witches were stupid."

"Why don't you want to marry her?" I pressed.

"Because, although unlike you she is definitely a ten and probably the most beautiful woman I've ever known, her heart is a one." He tossed his sword from hand to hand before sliding it into the scabbard strapped across his back. "If she has a heart at all."

"Hmm." Refusing to show offense at his insult, I tapped my chin. "Interesting."

He crossed his arms, scowling down at me. "What's so interesting?"

"Interesting that you wouldn't wish to marry her," I answered in a sing-song voice, "since it seems you're so evenly matched."

Shadows darkened his eyes. "We're not."

"You're right." I smiled sweetly while imagining my tongue a sharp blade. "While your heart may be a one, your face is an eight, nine at best."

A tic worked in his jaw while he eyed me coolly. "You're a mouthy witch."

"Perhaps we should stop playing truths. It appears I've injured that shriveled up heart of yours."

His laughter was his only retort as I scooped my rabbit into my arms and brushed past him. I was determined to find a place to relieve my bladder and maybe forget the wistfulness in Helian's eyes at the mention of Lady Arabella. Even if he thought her heartless, he obviously had feelings for her. And there was no way I wanted to ponder how I felt about that.

* * *

HELIAN AND RADNOR MOSTLYmade conversation with each other, leaving me out of their inside jokes while we sat by the fire. I pretended not to care. They obviously had a close bond. Besides, I had Demon, who'd finally decided it was safe to come out with Radnor nearby, giving me a chance to dump the multitude of rabbit poops out of my bag. I used it as fertilizer to grow more grass and leafy plants. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Helian watching me with keen interest while translucent, green magic dripped from my fingers. He acted as if he'd never seen a green witch before. Then again, he obviously had never met a good one. I wasn't buying his dragonshit story about how I was more powerful than other green witches and suspected he was only trying to flatter me, so I'd crawl beneath the furs with him tonight. Not that I would. Hugging my borrowed cape tightly, I scooted closer to the waning fire, trying to clench my chattering teeth as my gaze drifted to that lone fur he'd spread beneath him. The brute hadn't offered me a seat. No matter. I'd rather freeze on the hard ground than share a fur with him. Even though it was exceptionally cold now that the sun had fully set, the stars obscured by the thick clouds overhead, which had fallen so low that I could almost reach up and touch them. I briefly wondered if he was always so ill-mannered, or if it had something to do with that small silver flask he'd slipped from his vest. Whatever was in that flask was strong, for the smell drifted across the campfire, hitting me like a brick to the head. Good thing he didn't offer me any of his drink, either, for I knew my head would be swimming when I woke up. A few sips would've been nice though, just enough to warm my chilled bones.

After he and his dragon shared crude jokes and another bout of laughter, he slowly stood, stretching toward the heavens, his shirt rising enough to expose that hint of dark hair peeking from behind his trousers and a beautifully sculpted stomach with abs that I knew were as hard as iron, for I'd ran my hands across every inch of his glorious body while healing him.

"Time for bed, witch," he said through a yawn. "We have another long day of flying tomorrow."

I sat up, rubbing my sore back. If only my healing powers worked on me. "Have you any extra furs?"

He gave me a curt nod. "Just the one you're wearing."

"Oh." That wouldn't do. The fur I wore wasn't thick enough for bedding.

Waggling his brows, he patted the fur beneath him. "We can share until we get more supplies."

All moisture evaporated from my mouth. "You want me to sleep with you?"

"I don't want you to freeze." His face could've been sculpted in iron, but mischief still shone in his eyes.

I looked to Radnor, who was curled up on the ground behind Helian like a cat, his tail wrapped around his paws.

The drake lifted his long neck, scowling. Don't look at me to keep you warm. I'm already carrying you and your rodent on my back. A dragon can only suffer so much indignation. He huffed out a plume of smoke and laid back down.

"I won't molest you, if that's what you're worried about," Helian said with a wink, twin flames shining in his eyes. "Not unless you drug me with love potion again."

Heat spread so fast through my chest and face, I feared I'd combust. "You know that was an accident."

"Come on. If you have no care for your own comfort, then think of your rodent." He flashed a smug grin when Demon hopped into my lap, his little body trembling while he pressed against me for warmth.

I rubbed my familiar's silky ears. "Demon isn't a rodent."

He arched a brow. "Then what is he?"

"My familiar." I grew a few yellow flowers when Demon nosed my palm, handing them to him one by one while he happily munched.

"Your familiar would be a lot warmer under the furs." He lifted his thick fur, revealing another one beneath that I hadn't noticed before. Bastard. He had two furs, and he hadn't let me use one.

When he crooked his finger and waggled his brows, my rabbit jumped from my lap, hopping over to him and slipping beneath the fur he held open. Traitor.

"See?" His wicked smile turned my spine to jelly and weakened my resolve. "He'll protect you from me."

Reluctantly, I got up and stretched my sore muscles before cautiously approaching him.

He held the fur open wider, and I felt like a fly being sucked into an insect-eating plant as I knelt beside him. I gave the Fae a warning glare before lying down on my side. Demon hopped over my waist and snuggled against my chest, and then, goddess help me, Helian laid down beside me, the heat from his big body wrapping around my senses like a shroud. Despite the heat from his body, a shiver coursed through me.

"We'd be warmer if we slept skin-to-skin," he whispered hot and heavy in my ear while squeezing my shoulder.

"Try it, and I'll curse your member until it shrivels up like a wilting flower," I whispered back.

Radnor's chuckle shook the ground beneath me.

Helian cursed at his dragon before cursing at me, but at least he let me go and scooted back.

Heaving a contented sigh, I snuggled with Demon beneath the furs, my eyelids falling heavy as clouds continued to swirl above us. What a magical place, despite the cranky dragon and wicked Fae, I thought to myself before finally drifting off to sleep.