He lifted me, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, tangling my hands in his hair. I nudged his head back and trailed kisses over his chin and along his neck.
Cody knelt, lying me on the ground. He hovered over me, and I pulled him down, sliding my hands under his shirt, running them over his ribs and up his back. He kissed along my jawline to my ear.
“I love you,” he breathed. His teeth grazed my neck.
My eyes shot open, and my heart raced. I half-expected to find Mavros kissing my neck. When I saw it was still Cody, I said, “I love you, too.”
Somebody cleared their throat. Cody rolled to the side. I clutched his hand and looked up at the blonde Nephilim.
“And, I love that you’re finally alone.” She knelt down, not close enough to touch me, but closer than I’d like. Looking at Cody, she added, “Well, not alone, but no dragons.”
I sat up, never losing contact with Cody. If I needed to, I wanted to be able to teleport us away. “What do you want?”
She cocked her head, pursing her lips. “The dragons haven’t told you?”
“No.” I heard the frustration in my voice. “The elders won’t allow them to.”
“Interesting.” She sat back, wrapping her arms around her legs.
I felt like the move was deliberate, intended to show me she meant no harm, but I didn’t trust her.
“What?” Cody asked.
While she focused on him, I tried to read her aura. A blinding light filled my vision, and my power was repelled.
She narrowed her eyes at me. “That won’t work.”
“It helps me tell if people are good or evil.” I shrugged.
“You’ll have to let my actions determine that.” She smiled at me, and if I hadn’t met Mavros, I might have believed the sincerity in her expression. “The prophecy says: The chosen will emerge with powers unrivaled in this world. To fight a demon from the Abyss is the savior’s onus.”
She paused, and I said, “Been there. Done that.” I held up two fingers. “Twice.”
She nodded slowly. “Fail and the world will perish. Succeed and 999 years before the cycle begins anew.”
“Right.” Cody scooted closer to me, draping his arm over my shoulder. “We know that.”
“Patience is a virtue.” She picked up a rock, studying it, even though it was too dark for a normal person to make out any details.
I rested one hand on Cody’s knee and shoved the other into my hoodie’s pouch. “We’re both running low on patience lately. Demons, Nephilim, dragons. They’ll do that to a person.”
“One champion reigns amassing powers unparalleled.” Tossing the rock over her shoulder, she pointed at me. “That’s you, by the way. Evil endeavors to corrupt the savior’s soul.”
I shivered. Was that why Draconian and Mavros had entered my life so soon after I defeated Nefarious? Draconian hadn’t wanted to kill me. He’d wanted me to be his protégée. Mavros had wanted me by his side, not dead.
“Victorious, the powers of light”—she pointed at herself—“fade to shadow. Darkness reigns over the Earth.”
I leaned against Cody. “Great.”
“We are not here to hurt you.” Her voice was soft and understanding. “We have several sanctuaries where you would be safe. You could live your life without these trials.”
Cody rubbed my arm. “Don’t wanna hurt her, just imprison her.”
“Her safety is our priority.”
To not have to fight monsters would be a dream come true, but one thing I’d learned since starting college was not to trust everyone who offered their help. “At what cost?” A cloud blew in front of the moon. “And what is your name anyway?”
She smiled. “Diana.”
“Cost?” Cody’s voice was lower than normal. He obviously wasn’t buying what she was selling.
“A cost I’d think you’d both like to pay.” She picked up another rock. “Safety. Peace. No more fear.”
I snorted. “Death offered me the same. I turned him down, too.”
Her mouth went slack, and her eyes widened. “You’d rather have your freedom than save the world.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I prefer both.” I tightened my grip on Cody’s leg and teleported us back to my room.
Chapter 4
Aurelia’s Wrath
Cody and I landed on the floor with a thump. I blinked back the bright fluorescent lights and climbed to my feet, brushing off my jeans, then held my hand down to Cody and helped him up.
A low growl rumbled through the room, alerting us to Aurelia’s and Malcolm’s sudden but not unexpected appearance in my room. They stood between us and the door. Even though he dwarfed her, she seemed to take up more space. Her pupils were slits. Gold scales peppered her arms and cheeks. “Where have you been?” Her voice sounded more like her dragon’s than her human’s.
“Falcon Lake.” Cody’s eyebrows lifted.
I sat on the couch, not wanting to have this conversation but knowing it couldn’t be avoided. “Talking to Diana.”
Malcolm chuckled. “So … you know the prophecy?”
“Yep.” The p popped out of my mouth.
“Good.” He nodded and pointed at Big Bird.
I waved my hand at the chair. “Sure.”
He sat down and pulled the sleeves of his tan sweater up to his elbows. Then folded his hands together, steepling them against his chin.
Aurelia paced from the door to the window and back again. Her scales slowly diminished.
I leaned my head against the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling. “When Mavros was here, Cody and I made a pact that we would get some time to ourselves no matter what creatures were tormenting me.” I let out a huff of air. “I figure I can keep myself and somebody else safe most of the time.”
“Maybe.” Aurelia’s voice was closer to normal. “What if your dreams come to fruition? How will you protect
