RUIN

As we move further into the fortress, I consider the magic before me. I wasn't detecting it before, but as we get closer to wherever Magnum is taking us, it becomes as obvious to me as a young flower in the snow. It stands out and wraps around me and feels so familiar that I'm puzzled. It isn't warlock magic. It can't be. Demons produce something dark and intangible when they cast, but this, this is… pure power and unmitigated grace.

Just like Sparks.

Wait… just like Sparks.

I stop abruptly and Yaris is jolted. He's been holding my hand this whole time and yanks back, looking at me in concern and confusion, his pink eyes an ocean of affection.

"What is wrong?" He asks quietly and I shake my head mutely.

"Ruin?" Magnum has turned around and is facing me with a frown. "What is it?"

Shatterjaw is at the back and she watches me too, brow furrowed.

I'm about to sound either very clever or very stupid depending on what Magnum's response is.

"We're going to see dragons, aren't we?" I ask quietly as Yaris pales and Shatterjaw gapes. Their eyes snap to Magnum and he sighs, rubbing the back of his head.

"Leave it to the dragon rider to figure it out," he says finally, and Yaris whitens even more.

"What?" He looks positively ill and suddenly, I steady him, even though I'm shorter and smaller .

Magnum smiles sheepishly.

"They wanted to surprise you," he explains. "Come on. Let's get—"

Yaris starts shaking his head avidly.

"No. No. They will not—no." He backs away, as if getting ready to run. "No. They will kill me."

Magnum sighs again.

"Do you really think I'd bring you to them just so they could kill you? After making sure you were healed and feed and well?"

Yaris laughs bitterly.

"I have had more subtle assassination attempts, yes, but I do not know if you are any different. They would have every reason to set me on fire and not a single person in the world could object."

"Hey," I glare at him. "I'd object. And Sparks likes you. It'll be fine. I just… had to know."

Yaris swallows and looks around, aghast and pained. Magnum watches him steadily but doesn't offer any comfort. I'm seeing him in a new light now—has he really been this close to dragons for however long he's been here? Has this been his motive the whole time?

I shake off these thoughts and turn to Yaris.

"Trust me," I murmur, gripping his arm. "Trust me, Yaris. They won't hurt you."

He looks down at me, his face unreadable, but color returning. After a very pregnant pause, he nods.

"Alright, dragon rider. My life is in your hands."

I want to tell him he's being dramatic and that these dragons will like him, but I don't. I simply nod and smile.

"You're safe with me," I assure him. "You are."

"Oh, thank fuck," Shatterjaw exchanges, uncrossing her arms. "I thought I'd have to drag Yaris there."

Yaris huffs, almost a chuckle, and shakes his head.

"I'd like to see you try, human," he says without bite and Shatterjaw looks him over and shrugs .

"My ancestors kept your father at bay for years. I could take you, Yaris Sunbeam, and don't you forget it."

Yaris quirks a smile.

"I surely will not," he says with a nod and Magnum seems to relax a little.

"Ready?" He asks.

"Yes," I tell him, holding onto Yaris. "But where are we going?"

Magnum has the ghost of a smile on his beautiful lips.

"Down," he says, as if that makes any sense at all.

Once we get going again, Shatterjaw comes closer to me to speak in low tones.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" She asks softly. "Yaris may be right. They may just be angry."

I huff. I'm the expert on dragon behavior around here and everyone seems to think that they're these unassailable, majestic beasts and I just don't agree.

"It'll be fine, Shatterjaw," I assure her. "I promise."

Perhaps I'm more relaxed about this because I've heard Sparks almost my whole life and he's been ridiculous on more than one occasion.

It's just hard to be intimidated by a dragon after you've heard one of them breezily comment on what you're wearing—"is that really that fashionable? Try the green"—or how lame you look casting your magic. I believe the term he used was "constipated donkey."

Never forgetting that one.

Shatterjaw sighs and nods.

"Very well. I'll defer to you, dragon rider."

She backs off again and I feel a little warmer every time someone calls me "dragon rider." It somehow feels like home.

Magnum takes down us into a spacious basement and then over to some cellar doors. He opens them and descends a moment later. It smells like damp and dirt, and I'm confused for a moment until I see him open a hatch. It's shrouded by shadow and deep, devastatingly powerful magic, and I appreciate the crimson-black tendrils of energy that pulse out from him as he pushes against the barriers. He summons a bright orb as he descends and disappears, the light radiating like a beacon. I stay back nervously, unable to voice my worry, embarrassed.

"Ruin?"

Damn Yaris for being so perceptive.

"Yeah?" I swallow dryly, past all the anxiety.

"What troubles you?" Yaris asks quietly, his pink eyes as piercing as the North Star.

I huff.

"I don't… I can't…" I worry my lip.

"It's the height," Shatterjaw offers from behind me. "How deep does it go?"

"Oh," Yaris looks surprised for a moment and then looks over the edge. "Magnum? How high is this?"

Magnum shouts something back that I can't hear which doesn't bode well for me and my phobia.

"It is… not too bad," Yaris offers weakly after a moment. "I will go before you and catch you if you fall, Ruin. I promise it."

He looks at me with such earnestness that I want to laugh. Probably they are laughing at me anyway. Imagine a dragon rider who's scared of heights. But one would be after a particularly bad fall I had many years ago.

I do not recommend blindly diving off a cliff to get away from bandits.

I shake myself and nod.

"Alright," I say quietly. "I trust you."

Yaris still hasn't bothered with his glamor and his silver-black horns disappear as he descends. I hesitate and Shatterjaw clears her throat.

"He'll catch you," she says quietly. "Just be careful."

The descent is a nightmare. The ladder goes so deep into gray-dark caverns that I can't see the end and I try very hard not to think about it. I shake and try masking it, but Yaris very obviously can tell it's happening because his hand is suddenly on my ass, steadying me. I choke back a laugh of tight amusement.

"That's why you wanted to go first!" I gasp in fake shock. "You just wanted to grope me!"

Yaris laughs at that, his chuckle going straight to my heart in such a profound way that I have to pause and breathe deeply for a moment.

"You have found me out," he offers dryly. "Now move. The faster you move, the faster you get to the ground."

Shatterjaw enters and closes the trapdoor above us. For a moment, I'm panicked at being sealed in, but then I feel Yaris' hand on my ass and it… grounds me, which is weird, and I huff in amusement.

"Ruin? How are you?" Yaris' voice drifts up to me and I grip the ladder.

"I'm okay," I say. "Just keep groping me. It makes this whole thing sexy."

"Ew," Shatterjaw offers with a snort and that makes us all laugh.

The ground meets my legs both sooner and longer than I thought. My guess is that the ladder has made us descend at least five hundred feet and once I'm standing, I double over, hands on my knees, and pant heavily. Yaris rubs my back as Shatterjaw joins us a moment later. The cavern is impossibly large with many shadowed corners partially illuminated by Magnum's magic white orb. The stalagmites are a shining gray, much like the walls, and the ground is also gray. I can hear a river somewhere nearby and glowing green, blue, and purple plants dot the walls and various crevices. It smells like dirt and… oddly floral. Something feels very familiar, and it grounds me as I straighten up. Dark lavender and shimmering gold magic lights up the air and I reach out to touch it. I know just touching magic can be bad, but, honestly, there's something so very… homey about it that I'm barely bothered .

"Ruin?" Yaris' voice sounds tight, and I look at him, baffled. "What are you… swiping at?"

He looks very concerned, and I look at my other companions, confused.

"Don't you see it?" I ask. The magic is so prevalent that it's heavy enough to run my finger through it.

"See… what?" Magnum asks carefully and I cock my head.

"The magic. It's thick enough to be fog."

They all exchange looks and then Shatterjaw nods slowly.

"That's probably because you're a dragon rider, Your Grace," she offers confidently, and I shrug.

"Yeah. That makes sense. The rest of you are just blind as bats," I say with a smirk and Magnum rolls his eyes as Yaris snorts.

"Whatever you say, Your Silliness," Magnum says dryly and winks.

"This way," I say, taking Yaris' hand in my own as we walk into the tunnel on the left. Shatterjaw and Magnum fall in step behind us and Magnum is somehow silent as he moves, despite his size. It still unnerves me.

"Magnum, you're a lust demon, right?" Shatterjaw asks, her voice bouncing off the cave walls musically.

"Yeah. We've been over this," he says, sounding amused.

"Is that why you went first?" She counters and he frowns.

"What?"

"You went first on the ladder—was it so you could ogle our asses?"

Magnum stifles back a laugh.

"I resent that implication. You're just a bigot."

"No, we just don't know jackshit about demons," Shatterjaw teases and I find myself smiling. I know she's doing it to lighten the tension, and the effort is appreciated.

"That's not my problem, but, if you were to press me, I'd say Ruin has the best ass out of all of you," Magnum says serenely and now I'm choking back a laugh.

"Excuse me?" I gasp, shaking with amusement.

"You heard me," he says, utterly unabashed. "It's a good ass. Very twink. Very poundable. I'd hit it."

I've never come across such blatant flirting in my life. It's somehow… refreshing.

"Whatever," I say, cheeks flaming. Yaris kisses my cheek.

"I happen to agree, Ruin. Your ass is very poundable," he purrs and Shatterjaw gasps.

"Ew. No, no. Keep that to yourself. It's bad enough that I've heard you fucking. I don't need this too."

I whip around to stare.

" What? I'm not that loud!"

She raises an eyebrow.

"Amusing that you think so. Yaris tends to draw screams out of you, not that it's my business."

Yaris laughs and pulls me forward.

"Focus, Ruin. We are all adults here. Noises of fucking are normal among companions."

I gape at him in horror.

"Yaris…just what are Fae like that you think that's normal?"

Yaris shrugs.

"I do not know. I have heard my siblings fuck before and—"

"No, no, that's quite enough," Magnum cuts him off. "I don't need to hear that trauma."

"It was not traumatic," Yaris insists. "Fae are just…passionate when in the throes of sex."

I shake my head.

"I agree with Magnum."

Yaris laughs at that, a deep, hardy sound that gives me butterflies.

Fuck, I've got it bad .

"You are all quite prudish," Yaris says thoughtfully, as if considering it for the first time.

"No," Shatterjaw shakes her head. "Not at all. You're the weird one in this scenario."

Yaris snorts.

"Whatever you say," he says breezily, and I move us forward into a roaring cavern with a wide, rushing river. The plants are more plentiful here but I'm having a hard time seeing them and stop to blink rapidly. The magic is the thickest magic I've ever seen and it's hard to look at anything because it's all behind a wall. My grip tightens on Yaris' hand, and he stops.

"Ruin, sweetheart? What is wrong?"

I swallow.

"The magic… it's so thick that… it's hard to see," I admit begrudgingly, and I can almost hear his frown. "It's… strong."

The strength of it is weighing down my limbs and I'm not sure I can continue. I need to, I must, but I'm drowning, choking, gasping as the magic shivers and presses against me, feeling me out.

"Ruin?" Yaris sounds a bit panicked as I ease onto my knees, panting.

"Hey," Magnum's suddenly kneeling beside me, rubbing my back. "Is the magic too much?"

I nod.

"It's so fucking strong."

He hums and I think he nods, but I can't make out movement well.

"Yeah. Dragons are like that. Especially the first time," he squeezes my back. "Do you trust me?"

I laugh pathetically.

"Now you ask?"

He snorts.

"Good point. Yaris, step back. I'm going to help."

Yaris' grip on me tightens.

"I will not— "

I huff, displeased.

"Yaris, I'm not a damsel in distress. Let Magnum work," the tone is sharper than I mean it to be, but he steps back quietly, obviously displeased.

Magnum's magic is a black-crimson as he works it, the center a devastating obsidian and the edges a bright blood red. I'm not sure what he does, but my vision clears quickly, and I have a mild headache, and suddenly the weight of the dragons is not pressing on me anymore. I can see and move without it causing issues.

"Good?" Magnum asks with a smile, and I nod in awe.

"That was…" I can't describe it properly and just smile back. "...thank you."

Magnum stands and Yaris watches him warily.

"You have void magic?" He asks, sounding cautious. I don't know much about void magic, but I think it cancels other magic and is unique only to very rare demons. He's probably very dangerous to a Fae, regardless of their ability.

Magnum nods.

"Among other things."

Yaris watches him and I wonder for a moment if he's going to either attack or back away from the demon. I stand and touch his arm.

"I'm okay, Yaris. It's fine."

He huffs, not looking at me and I'm not sure what has upset him. Me? Magnum? The combination?

"Right," he says after a pregnant pause and pulls away. Warning bells are going off in my head, but this isn't the time to address any issues between Yaris and I. Maybe he's just anxious about the dragons. I don't know.

"Yaris…" I reach for him and take his hand. "It's going to be okay."

He stiffens but doesn't let go so I count that as a win.

Magnum takes us to a pale white rowboat that looks like it would seat eight people. We climb in cautiously and I cuddle up to Yaris, my hand on his thigh. Magnum's orb hovers as he rows us downstream. My anxiety's mounting because Yaris is becoming more and more withdrawn. After a few minutes of silence from him, I speak to him in low tones so hopefully the others don't hear. They seem caught up in some conversation about demon magic that I would usually find interesting, but, as it stands, I'm more worried about my Fae prince.

"What bug crawled up your ass?" I ask Yaris with my supreme diplomatic skills.

"What?" He looks startled.

"You're stiff as a board and I think you're really annoyed with me," I say, losing some confidence as he goes a bit blank, but I plow ahead anyway. "I just want to know what's going on with you."

Yaris worries his lips and sighs softly.

"Ruin… my father banished the dragons. Or so we all thought. He has laid waste to everything they hold sacred, and he is… my father. I do not think this ends well for me."

My brow furrows.

"Wait… you think they'd kill you?"

Yaris gives a current nod and I try not to laugh.

"Yaris… I've known a dragon nearly my whole life." Magnum and Shatterjaw are now quiet, obviously listening as I speak. "And the thing I believe most about them is that they're self-important, temperamental toddlers."

Yaris stares at me in horror and Shatterjaw gapes like I've just killed a baby. But Magnum… Magnum is shaking. Is he angry?

No. Wait. He's laughing and trying to hide it.

At least someone agrees with me.

"That's so… irreverent," Shatterjaw murmurs in horror and I roll my eyes.

"Trust me, it's true," I say dryly. "I've had Sparks in my head for most of my life and he's a dick like everyone else."

Magnum can't help it—he bursts into merry laughter that seems to be out of place in this somber cave, but it warms something in me. His ease over the past few days has been a boon. Nothing seems to phase him—he's like a cool mountain lake on a hot day and I smile at his laughter, pleased I made him do that.

Ugh. I need to focus.

Shatterjaw shakes her head adamantly.

"Your Grace," I wish she'd stop calling me that. "He may be a dick, but he's done nothing but help you. Surely…"

"You can be a dick and still help someone," I say dryly. "Look at Yaris."

Shatterjaw is laughing now as well and Yaris is trying to hide it, but his low chuckle warms me.

"It'll be okay," I assure him, stroking his face. "I promise."

Yaris shudders and kisses my palm, his pink eyes regarding me with a soft love that disarms me immediately.

"Ruin, there is so much I have not told you and I—"

"Later," I assure him. "You can tell me later."

He sighs softly and swallows. His tawny skin is pale and I wish it wasn't. Really, dragons aren't all that scary. But… he is Fae so perhaps he has a different perspective. I try another technique as Magnum eases up to the shore and steps out to literally drag the boat ashore, his muscles hardly straining at all. Normally, I'd ogle, but Yaris has gone very still and he's barely breathing. It smells like flowers and distant fire and my Fae prince's eyes are huge.

"Yaris?" I grab his hand and squeeze it. He's not looking at me. "Yaris? I won't let anything happen to you. I swear. I won't."

He closes his eyes and sighs softly before gracefully getting out of the boat and standing firmly on the shore. His back is straight as an arrow and he puts distance between us again. I wish desperately that he would let me comfort him, let me hold him, let me do anything other than be a useless twit. As it stands, he moves forward, past Magnum and Shatterjaw who are watching us carefully, and goes deeper into the caves. The trail is illuminated by countless luminescent plants and looks like we aren't the first guests. I hurry to catch up with him and while I don't see the magic anymore, I can feel it. It's more oppressive and unimaginable than the black shadows in the corners against the contrasting bright pink and blue flowers. I try to grab his hand, but, piercingly, he's completely withdrawn now and evades me. Hurt ruminates in my chest, but my concern is sharper as I watch his breathing speed up.

Magnum suddenly overtakes everyone and is the first to step into the massive cavern at the end of the trail. It smells of damp and fire and flowers and power and fear. Magnum doesn't seem bothered at all as he looks around. There's a lake in the middle of the cavern and an offshoot of caves to the right. It's dark, but parts of the wall are darker, and I realize after a moment that the wall has been scorched countless times, likely with dragon fire. The ash and flame marks reach to the impossibly high ceiling and suddenly, I am afraid. It's one thing to speak to a dragon when we're apart and he can't actually barbecue me with a thought. It's another to meet unknown dragons who obviously… have a temper of some sort.

Maybe Yaris is right to be trembling.

Magnum's orb bursts and settles in torches on the wall, lighting up the entire cavern as brightly as daylight.

"Forbearance? Virtue?" He calls. "I've brought them."

He's obviously very casual with these dragons and doesn't even flinch when there's a rumble from the caves and I see my very first dragon.

They're a shimmering emerald green with underlying purple tones that complement the scales and their dark purple eyes wonderfully. Their scales themselves aren't as shining as I'd thought they would be, but this is the first creature I've seen that's the size of a barn, so I'm not sure what I had expected at all. As they move, they're all grace and power, a true predator with intense intelligence in their eyes. Their wings are tucked close to their body as they lumber over and watch us carefully. First, they look at Shatterjaw, who's kneeling, then Magnum, who stands there without a care in the world, then me and Yaris, each of us carefully close to one another without touching. Something sparks in their eyes, and they stop by the lake, gazing warily.

A white dragon about half their size comes out next, looking calm and serene. Their scales are white with tones of gold and their eyes are such a pale gold that I'm reminded of the most delicate of jewelry, a soft gold metal forged in fire.

This dragon stops next to the other one and I feel like they're cats and I'm a mouse.

"This is Virtue," Magnum says pleasantly and gestures at the white dragon. "She's a delight. And the big oaf is Forbearance. He's just as cranky as his name."

No one laughs.

"Tough crowd," Magnum says with a frown. "They're—"

"—Yaris Lavender Sunbeam," Forbearance rumbles, a deep growl reverberating from his throat, a very clear threat. "Step forward, Fae, if you dare."

A hot coal of dread burns in my gut and I feel so incredibly stupid for not being terrified like Yaris, or reverent like Shatterjaw. But Yaris… Yaris just takes a deep breath, looks perfectly composed, and steps away from me.

"Yaris," I say tightly. "You don't have to."

He looks at me, his pink eyes full of such grief that I forget to breathe for a moment.

"Ruin, I—I am sorry," he says and then turns away, dismissing me. I step forward to follow, to do anything to fight this stifling dread, but Shatterjaw is suddenly there and holding me back.

"Wait," she cautions as Yaris strides towards Forbearance and Virtue and they look like they're going to eat him. He doesn't falter, his Fae grace and courtly manners having taken over everything else.

He stops before them and bows deeply. I watch, trembling, as Forbearance looks down at him and then—

—then I scream as my love, my heart, my darling is bathed in fire.