Nix snapped hisjaw shut.
Kat regardedSelene, her dragon vision seeing her clearly. She might be an evilsorceress, but beneath it all was an embittered woman who’d fallenin love with someone who had never loved her in return. Selene hadbeen a good friend to her even though her motives were twisted atthe start, and if anything, Kat felt sorry for her.
She spoke toNix. “Don’t you see? The curse is broken. We found each otheragainst all odds. Selene has no power over us.”
“What are wesupposed to do, just let her go?”
“Yes. She wasmy friend once; I can’t forget that. She can’t hurt us anymore. Oursuffering has ended, but unless we give her the chance to move on,hers never will.”
“I am here, youknow,” Selene commented.
“Can you moveon, Selene?” Kat asked her. “Is there even the tiniest part of youthat sees what Nix and I have? Our love stood the test of time, andit was powerful enough to break your curse. Surely you can see thateven your dark magic can’t keep us apart?” She fixed her with anintense dragon glare. “You can rise above this, Selene; make a newlife for yourself. I know there’s a good person in there. You willfind happiness again. You just have to open your heart.”
Selene lookedat Nix. Tears trickled down her cheeks, but she held her head high.“So this is what you want, Phoenix? A life with her?”
“Katarina is mylife. I’m nothing without her. For what it’s worth, Selene, I’msorry it had to end like this.”
“I don’t expectyou to forgive me for what I’ve done, but I’m sorry too.”
With a flick ofher wrist, Selene disappeared amid a plume of greenish-blacksmoke.
“I forgive you,Selene,” Kat whispered into the smoke.
Phoenix facedher. “It’s over. It’s finally over.”
“Are you okay?”She glanced at the wound in his side.
He nodded hismagnificent horned head. “I heal fast. Are you?”
“I will be. Isit too early for a drink?”
He laughed.“Never.”
“Do you thinkSelene will be okay?”
“I don’t know.”He paused. “I never thought I’d say this, but I hope so.”
Toby came outfrom his hiding place.
Nix rolled hisgiant shoulder and flipped his wing near her. “Come on, I betyou’re itching to use those wings of yours.”
How did heguess? “Absolutely! I might be a bit rusty, though. I haven’t usedthem for centuries.”
“Only one wayto find out.” Nix flapped his wings and flew up to the roof,bashing through another part of the corrugated iron as if it wasmade of paper.
“Hey, wait forme.”
Nix hoveredabove.
Kat spoke toToby. “Come on, boy, on you hop.” She lowered her wing for him toclimb on board.
Poor Tobylooked a little dubious.
“It’s okay,Toby, it’s me.”
He tilted hishead to one side and whimpered.
“I’ll buy yourfavourite doggy treat,” she coaxed.
It worked. Tobyscampered up, and she tucked him securely under her foreleg.
She extendedher iridescent wings, and after a clumsy takeoff, she joined Nixabove the warehouse.
“Need somehelp?” he jibed.
“Not from you,handsome.” She flapped her wings and soared into the sky, the powerof flight coming back to her with surprising ease.
Higher andhigher she flew, leaving Nix below, relishing the wind buffingagainst her scales. “I’ve got you, Toby, don’t worry.”
Her dog yapped,not in the least bit frightened.
Phoenix joinedher, flying so close their wingtips touched.
She bankedleft, chuckling as she caused a disruption in his airflow.
He laughed andswooped right, then circled her. He flew above, blocking thesunlight.
Kat dipped lowand slowed her speed before soaring above him. She remembered thetaste of the sweeter air even higher but, mindful of Toby under herforeleg, she kept low, heading into the clouds for cover from thetown below.
“What are youdoing?”
“We can’t riskbeing seen.”
“No, it’s fine.The magic veil keeps us cloaked from view in our true form.”
She’d never hadto rely on the magic veil before. The last time she’d morphed intoher dragon, there had been no need for such things; their dragonsowned the skies. A lot of things had changed since then, includingher, but with Phoenix by her side, everything would be fine.
Kat held on toToby and did a loop-the-loop, roaring with delight.
“Show off,”said Nix, doing a double loop.
They flew sideby side, over the town and towards the woods where she’d first seenPhoenix.
She flapped heraching wings. “I’m going to have to land, Nix. My wings are gettingheavy.” She swooped downwards, avoiding the treetops and landing onthe forest floor, her talons digging into the soft earth. Glancingaround, she chuckled to herself. She recognised this place and theblackberry bush to her left, the same bush Nix hid behind the dayToby got lost.
“Toby, off youget,” she instructed. “Quick, before Phoenix lands.”
Her dog jumpeddown. Kat folded her wings into her back and shifted to her humanform. She dived behind the bush, butt naked, as Nix landed.
“What are youdoing behind there?”
She giggled,the cool wind giving her goosebumps. “Preserving my modesty.”
He emitted adragon laugh. “When have you ever been shy about showing off thatincredible body of yours? And those long legs…”
She grinned andoutstretched her leg from behind the bush, burlesque style.
Nix raised hisscaly eyebrow. “Is that all I get? You can do better than that,beautiful.”
Teasingly, Katslipped out from behind the bush, giving him an eyeful of hernakedness.
His dragon eyesappraised her, glinting with mischief. “I’ve missed this. I’vemissed you, Katarina.”
“So, what areyou waiting for?” She bit her lip seductively. “Your turn.”
In less thanthree seconds, he morphed into his human form and stood in all hisnaked glory before her, all bronzed, rippling muscles and hers forthe taking. Was it only last night he’d taken her back to hiscottage—their cottage? It seemed a lifetime ago.
She wouldn’t berunning away from him this time. “We never did have that drink lastnight, did we? You promised me the good stuff, remember?”
“Yeah, Iremember, but we got kind of sidetracked if I recallcorrectly.”
Yes, sheremembered how he’d dragged her upstairs, how she’d bumped her headon the way up and lost her shoe, too. Her belly tingled. Shelowered her voice to a sexy rasp. “Take me home, Nix.” Her dogbarked. “And Toby, too.”
He gave her awicked grin. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Naked, they ranhand in hand through the bluebells, their laughter echoing abovethe treetops.
PUBLISHER’SNOTE
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