Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

Keegan knocked on Altair's office door, Jaron close behind him.

"Come in," Altair's voice called out.

Pushing the door open, Keegan stepped in. Altair sat behind his desk, a crow perched on his shoulder while Altair looked at something on his computer screen.

"Found something?" Keegan asked.

Altair nodded, a small, satisfied smile tugging at his lips. "I did. An amulet, specifically designed to counteract mind-control spells."

He swiveled the monitor around to give them a clear view. On the screen was an image of an antique amulet, made of a dark metal that caught the eye.

"Looks… impressive," Jaron remarked, leaning in to get a better look. "Where can we get it?"

"From a supplier I've dealt with before." Altair leaned back, folding his knuckles lightly under his chin. "Normally, Mordyn would close the deal, but considering the circumstances…"

"He's still out there looking for Apollo," Keegan finished, sensing an unspoken concern from his boss.

"Exactly. So, I'll go myself once the sun sets."

It was unusual for Altair to go himself, but it made sense. With his ability to read minds, he could make sure the article he was being sold wasn't fake.

"You got the money?" he asked, turning his attention to Jaron.

Jaron stepped forward and handed him a credit card. "That should cover the asking price, whatever it is."

Altair turned the credit card over in his hands, then pocketed it. "All right. I'll return this to you once the transaction is complete."

Jaron nodded. "Is there anything else I can do?" His tail flicked restlessly, but he seemed unaware of this.

Altair shook his head and an air of kindness softened his voice when he spoke again. "Get some sleep. It's still a few hours before it gets dark enough for us to really do anything."

Keegan exchanged a glance with Jaron, sure that neither of them truly felt like resting. He wasn't going to talk back to Altair over this, though. "Let us know when you've got the amulet," he said instead.

"Of course," Altair said by way of dismissing them.

Keegan and Jaron left Altair's office and made their way back to Keegan's room. Inside, Keegan fell back onto the bed. Jaron lounged beside him, propped on one elbow.

"So, what now?" Jaron asked. "Nap time?"

"Do you really want to nap?"

"No," Jaron admitted. Idly, he looked around the room. "Tell me something, Kee. What do you like to do when you're not charting the future? What kind of life would you live if you didn't have your powers?"

The question surprised Keegan. No one had ever asked him such a thing.

"I don't really know," he confessed. "My powers are as much a part of me as my need for blood."

"Sure," Jaron said, nodding thoughtfully, "but imagine if they weren't. What would you do? Who would you be?"

Keegan closed his eyes, allowing himself, for the first time, to truly entertain the thought. "Maybe I'd travel. I don't know. Just… live."

"That sounds nice," Jaron remarked softly, a smile audible in his voice. "Where would we travel?"

Keegan opened his eyes to look at Jaron. "Where would you want to go?" he turned the question around.

Jaron took a moment to think about it. "I've always kind of wanted to see the Fringes."

His response surprised Keegan. The Fringes weren't exactly a popular tourist destination. "Isn't that where Apollo is from?" he wondered out loud. "I've heard it's a lawless place."

"That is what makes it so appealing," Jaron said. "There aren't any dragons there who lord over everyone else. No one there would care about the way I dress."

Or about your lack of magical prowess? Keegan wanted to ask but didn't, knowing that the question would have hurt Jaron.

He put it a different way. "Do you think your life would be very different if you had more power?"

"Yes," Jaron said without hesitation. After a few seconds, he added, "But I don't know if it would be better."

Keegan sat up, considering Jaron thoughtfully. "How so?"

Jaron's gaze drifted as he pondered the question. "I've always had to live with the knowledge that I was disappointing my family. That I wasn't living up to their expectations or the potential they saw in me."

He paused, his expression shifting to something more resolute. "But in the end, it freed me from the expectations that my younger siblings now have to carry. The pressure to be perfect, to always put the family name first."

Jaron met Keegan's eyes. "I wouldn't be the person I am now if I'd had powers. I would have been molded into someone else entirely."

Keegan reached out, his fingers brushing Jaron's cheek. "That would be a shame," he said, "because I like the person you are now."

Jaron leaned into Keegan's touch. "You do?" he asked, not in that confident, challenging tone of voice he used when he was playing with Keegan. It was a genuine question this time, and there was genuine hope in it, as if even their mating hadn't fully convinced him that he was good enough.

Keegan's heart melted for his dragon. "Of course I do. You're brave and kind. You stand up for what you believe in, even when it's not easy. That's a rare thing."

A smile lit up Jaron's face. He turned his head, pressing a kiss to Keegan's palm. "You're not just saying that because of my lack of clothes?"

Keegan laughed, giving Jaron's shoulder a playful shove. "You're incorrigible."

"But you love me for it," Jaron teased back with just a hint of insecurity.

Keegan didn't miss a beat. "I do," he said, the words coming easier than he'd expected. "I really do."

Jaron's expression softened, the playfulness giving way to something more tender. Keegan leaned in, capturing Jaron's lips in a gentle kiss. Jaron responded immediately, his hand sliding to the back of Keegan's neck, pulling him closer.

When they parted, Jaron's eyes were half-lidded, his breathing slightly uneven. "Bite me," he whispered, tilting his head to expose his neck. "Please."

Keegan's gaze was drawn to the pulse point on Jaron's neck, the steady throb of his heartbeat visible beneath the skin. The scent of Jaron's blood, rich and enticing, filled his nostrils.

This time, Keegan didn't resist. He didn't want to. He wanted to taste Jaron again, to feel that connection, to reaffirm their bond.

Slowly, almost reverently, Keegan lowered his head. His lips brushed against Jaron's neck, feeling the dragon shiver beneath his touch. Then, with a gentleness that belied his vampire nature, he sank his fangs into Jaron's flesh.

Jaron gasped, his body arching into Keegan's. His fingers tangled in Keegan's hair, holding him close as Keegan drank.

The taste of Jaron's blood was just as Keegan remembered—rich, powerful, and addictive. It flowed over his tongue and down his throat, warming him from the inside out.

But more than that, it was the connection that Keegan craved. As he drank, he could feel Jaron's emotions, his love, his trust, his joy at their connection. It was a heady mix, one that left Keegan wanting more, always.

As Keegan drank from Jaron, the visions came again, but this time, he didn't fight them. With Jaron's presence anchoring him, his powers felt like a gentle stream enveloping him. He allowed his mind to drift, content to let the visions show him what they wanted.

At first, Keegan half-expected to see his future with Jaron again, but instead, he found himself transported to the scene of his own death once more. This time, however, everything was clearer, with more detail than he had ever seen before.

In the vision, Jaron was bending over him, the amulet they had been seeking hanging around his neck. Had that been there before? Keegan tried to think, but it was difficult to focus on anything other than the scene unfolding before him.

Jaron's voice broke through the haze, and for the first time, Keegan could make out the words. "I don't want to do this," Jaron said, his voice thick with emotion.

Keegan heard himself respond, his own voice sounding distant and resigned. "Do it."

The vision ended abruptly, leaving Keegan reeling. He pulled back from Jaron's neck, his breathing heavy as he tried to process what he had just seen. The amulet, Jaron's presence, his own apparent acceptance of his fate—it was all too much to take in at once.

Jaron, sensing Keegan's distress, pulled him close. "What is it?" he asked, his voice soft with concern. "What did you see?"

Keegan didn't want to tell Jaron because it was all too horrible, but he had to, didn't he?

They were supposed to be in this together.

"Kee," Jaron prompted as if he wanted to remind him of this also.

"I saw… my death again," Keegan managed. "But it was different this time. You were there, with the amulet. And I… I told you to do it."

Jaron's brow furrowed in confusion. "Do what?"

"Kill me." Keegan was quite sure of that. In his vision, he'd wanted Jaron to kill him.

But why?

"That can't be right," Jaron insisted. "You're misinterpreting what you saw. Why would you ask me to do that to you? How could you expect me to do that?"

"I don't know." Keegan couldn't explain anything to Jaron since he didn't understand himself.

"The amulet didn't help?"

"I don't think you were being controlled that time, so maybe it does." It just wasn't going to change the outcome of that fateful event, only the path they took there.

"Take another look," Jaron said. "We gotta know more. There's got to be something that will make this make sense."

Keegan rubbed his temples, trying to clear his mind. The vision still clung to him, vivid and unyielding and Keegan didn't want to look at it again. Jaron's insistence gnawed at him.

"I don't see how it will help," Keegan muttered, getting up to pace the room.

"You won't know unless you try," Jaron insisted, stepping into Keegan's path. "What if we're missing something important?"

Keegan stopped, staring into Jaron's eyes, so bright, so determined. In his vision, they'd been filled with tears.

He swallowed.

He really didn't want to see that again.

But Jaron was right. This wasn't the time to shy away from the truth.

"Fine," he relented, sitting back down on the bed. "I'll try again."

Jaron sat beside him as Keegan closed his eyes and reached for the vision once more. The familiar scene unfolded: his own death, Jaron with the amulet, his own resigned acceptance. But there was nothing new here, no hidden details revealing themselves.

Keegan broke free from the vision, shaking his head in frustration. "It's the same," he said. "Nothing's different."

"Try again," Jaron urged. "But this time, focus on the surroundings. Maybe that'll give you a clue as to when and where this is happening."

That actually wasn't a bad idea.

So far, Keegan had always been completely focused on himself and the dragon who killed him.

Taking a deep breath, Keegan closed his eyes once more and let the vision wash over him. This time, he forced himself to look beyond himself and Jaron. The edges of the vision sharpened as he paid attention to their environment.

They were in a large room filled with unfamiliar scientific equipment—metal tables covered in strange devices and blinking lights. It looked like a lab of some sort, but nothing he recognized.

His gaze shifted to one corner of the room where Apollo and several other victims were bound and unconscious. A chill ran down Keegan's spine as he noticed something else as well.

The shadowy figure from before lurked nearby, still hiding from his sight but unmistakably there.

Keegan's heart pounded as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Why would they be in a lab? What kind of experiments were being conducted here?

Breaking free from the vision once more, Keegan opened his eyes and looked at Jaron. "The kidnapper is involved," he said breathlessly. "They're in a lab with scientific equipment… Apollo and others are there too…"

Jaron's expression turned pensive. "Maybe we shouldn't be there," he said eventually.

Keegan shot him a questioning look.

"What if we ran away?" Jaron suggested. "You said you wanted to travel. We don't have to stick around here for the kidnapper to drag us into their evil machinations. It seems like they need us for some reason, like maybe they need the power of our fate bond, so we should make sure they can't get us."

Keegan hesitated. The idea of running—of abandoning everything and everyone he knew—felt alien. Running from their fate, from the inevitability of what he had seen, seemed impossible. Their future wasn't something they could simply escape from by taking a different path. The vision was carved into his mind like stone, unchangeable.

"I don't think we can just…run away. This isn't something we can evade by skipping town."

But Jaron was insistent. "We have to try," he pleaded. "I can't sit around waiting to become your killer."

The raw intensity in Jaron's voice struck Keegan hard. Jaron didn't want to hurt Keegan, and Keegan didn't want that for him either.

They had to find a way out of this.

Didn't Keegan owe it to Jaron to try everything?

"What if this is one of those self-fulfilling prophecies you mentioned before?" Jaron pressed. "If you'd never seen this future coming, you wouldn't be so paralyzed by it. We wouldn't stick around here. We'd go traveling, living our best lives."

Keegan couldn't deny that Jaron's words had a certain logic to them. His powers had always been a burden as much as a gift, shaping his life in ways he couldn't always control. If he didn't have them, would he be free to live the life he wanted? To be with Jaron without the shadow of a dark future hanging over them?

But even as he entertained the thought, another question nagged at him. He looked at Jaron, searching his eyes. "Are you really capable of running away while our friends are hurting?"

Keegan's visions hadn't brought the kidnappings about.

Jaron winced, but he didn't change his opinion. "We wouldn't be running away," he argued. "Think about it. The kidnapper clearly needs us to complete their plan. If we remove ourselves from the equation, we're not abandoning our friends. We're helping them the best way we can." Jaron paused. "I don't want us to end before we can really start."

Keegan wanted to reach out to him, but instead, his fingers absently traced the scarf around his neck—the one Jaron had given him. He remembered their first meeting vividly: Jaron's brash confidence, his playful teasing, and how quickly everything had escalated between them.

Through their bond, he felt as if Jaron was part of him; as if he'd known him forever.

In reality, though, they'd only been together for a short time.

Keegan couldn't blame his dragon for wanting more than that. The difference between them was that Keegan had always known that Jaron would be his end.

He just hadn't known how much Jaron would mean to him.

Enough to leave his friends and run away with him for a few stolen days spent together before fate could catch up with them and ruin them forever.

Was that too much to ask?

"Where would you go?" Keegan asked softly.

A tentative smile brightened Jaron's face at Keegan's question. "Anywhere you want," he replied. "I've still got my dad's credit card to buy tickets."

"Won't your parents chase you down when they see the records of purchase?"

"No. They'll be glad I left the country, 'laying low' like I promised them I would do. They won't come after me."

Keegan nodded and closed his eyes for a moment, imagining the two of them in a far-off place, away from all the chaos and danger that surrounded them now. It was tempting—so very tempting—to lose themselves in each other, if only for a little while.

He opened his eyes and met Jaron's gaze. "Let's go then," he said. "As soon as we can."

"Yes!" Jaron pulled Keegan into an embrace, holding him tightly as if afraid he'd disappear. "We'll be okay," he said as if he truly believed this.

Keegan did not, but he didn't mention this. Old instincts urged him to look into their future to choose the perfect travel destination, but Jaron stopped him as if he could tell exactly what Keegan was about to do.

"Don't look ahead," Jaron said. "Just live in the moment with me for this vacation." He smiled at Keegan, but there was a hint of worry in his gaze as if he too knew that this thing they were planning wasn't a solution, but he wanted to hold on to the illusion for as long as he could.

Keegan was reminded of the conversation they'd had when Keegan had first revealed to him that their story wasn't going to have a happy ending. Jaron's reaction had been to enjoy the time they were given before the ending for all it was worth.

Was that what he was doing now?

Did he have the same idea as Keegan?

The thought made Keegan's chest constrict. Somehow, Jaron giving up was so much sadder than Keegan giving up.

Except that Jaron hadn't given up. A fire still burned in his eyes. "We'll go somewhere no one can touch us," he said.

"Yes," Keegan agreed. "You choose the place."