Vanish

in my throat.

And then I see him.

I stop, panting hard, my gaze devouring him. He looks back at me, and there’s the barest surprise there — in his face.

He didn’t think I would come, and now here I stand with a bulging backpack, all humming eagerness, my face and eyes telling him all he needs to know.

It’s unclear who moves first. We’re in each other’s arms, lips locked, melded, hotly fused. Our hands drag over each other, reacquainting, remembering, almost as if we’re both verifying the other one is real flesh and blood. His fingers catch in the snarls of my hair and I kiss him harder, catch my teeth on his lip.

He makes a small sound into my mouth and it ripples through me, undoing me. Making me forget everything but this. His lips on mine.

Tamra clears her throat. Will jumps from me and yanks me behind him. I smile, my heart lightening at the protective gesture, even if it’s unnecessary.

I wrap my fingers around his arm. “It’s all right. Tamra’s coming with us.”

“Tamra?”

I nod. “Yeah. I’ll explain it all later. We better go. Before they notice we’ve left.”

Nodding, Will slips his hand around mine and starts toward the Land Rover.

“Don’t tell me this is your human. The same one Nidia shaded?”

I stop cold at the voice.

Turning slowly, I drop Will’s hand and brace myself.

Fire erupts inside me as Corbin steps from the trees. There’s no smile on his face, but satisfaction gleams in his eyes.

“I knew you’d slip up. And I’d be there when it happened.” His gaze flicks to Will. “So this is why you won’t give any of us poor draki guys the time of day.”

Tamra says my name hesitantly, her eyes confused. “Jacinda?”

I wave her to silence, my gaze fixed on Corbin, swallowing in a bitter wash what his being here means. What I’ll have to do to ensure our escape. My hands flex at my sides. “You shouldn’t have followed us.”

“Oh, clearly I should have. My uncle will reward me well for stopping the pride’s fire-breather and shader from escaping.” His nostrils flare deeply and his purply black gaze scours me. “Even Cassian can’t save you now. You’re not his anymore. You’re mine — just like I said you would be.”

Will’s voice cracks over the air then, and there is nothing hesitant about it. “Touch her and I’ll kill you.” The words thrum on the air, menacing and dark as the predator I first met months ago, in these very woods.

It seems ridiculous, on principle, that one human could defeat a strong onyx like Corbin. But then I remember. Will’s not an average human. He’s something more… something not to be underestimated.

Corbin’s eyes snap to Will, his face vicious and hateful as he gazes at his centuries-old enemy. His human flesh blurs, fades out in a flash. His hands grasp his shirt and he tears it from his body in a violent rip, revealing his charcoal-dark flesh. Sinew ripples as he springs into the air.

Will squares off, ready for the hit, but I dive before him and unleash the heat simmering inside me. Not yet manifested, only a blast of steam escapes me, not actual fire. And even that’s wasted. Corbin dodges the steam. He flies behind me before I can turn on him. I cry out as he kicks me hard in the back.

I hit the ground. The impact is brutal, jarring me to the teeth. My chin scrapes earth. Coughing, I spit up dirt and blood. Tamra drops, crouches near me to help me back up.

A roar fills the air, wrenches at something deep inside me.

I watch as Will launches himself high enough in the air to grab on to Corbin’s legs and drag him down to the ground.

Corbin curses, smacking his wings as he tries to lift back up, but Will is tenacious, pulling him to earth with all his strength. They crash down in a tangle of limbs and slapping wings.

Once on the ground, Will straddles Corbin and starts pummeling him, swinging punch after punch. The crunch of bone on bone fills the air, a sickening sound. I watch, forgetting the pain in my chin, feeling only the cruel twist of my heart. Heat builds inside my chest and rises up into my mouth.

Corbin writhes, and soon they’re rolling, a speeding blur, until they look like one wild shape.

Corbin finally breaks free, sweeping up into the air. Blood runs from his ridged nose, and his eyes glitter with furious malice. He circles above Will like a hawk, ready to pick apart his prey.

Will crouches, braces himself. Even now his expression is beautiful in its intensity and my heart aches.

Corbin holds up his taloned fingers like claws ready to strike. The nails glint like razors. It’s a kill pose.

“Will!” I call out in warning.

Corbin swoops, a streak of black. He jabs and makes contact.

Will cries outs, clutches a hand to his arm. From where Tamra and I huddle, I see several deep gashes, his telltale blood… the glisten of purple welling between his fingers.

Corbin sees it, too, snarls in our tongue, “How many draki have you killed, hunter, so that our blood can flow in your veins?”

“Corbin, no!” I shout.

“Shut up, Jacinda. Watch while I drain every drop of draki blood from him!”

My throat tightens, thickens with fire. My skin snaps and I let go. Feel myself give over to my draki.

I surge from Tamra’s side, burst from the confines of my blouse. My wings unfurl as I dive for Corbin, stretch myself to reach him as he lunges for Will, his clawed hands angled for his throat. And I know with a sick twist of my heart — I’m not going to make it.

A scream swells up in my throat, mingling with the fire and smoke. My talonlike fingers extend, reach, grasp only air.

Just as Corbin is about to make contact, Will’s hand goes up and a howling wall of dirt surges up between them.

The great wave of dark earth, twigs and shredded grass — nearly as tall as the trees surrounding us — propels Corbin back, flings him several yards through the air and slams him to the ground with crushing force.

I gasp, dropping to the ground and covering my head with my hands to ward off the raining earth. Tamra does the same not far from me. We’re not in its direct path, but we still get hit with some of the debris.

Squinting against the clearing cloud of dirt, I find Will, meet his gaze, see the astonishment there that mirrors my own thoughts.

“Look out!” Tamra screams.

Corbin is back up. Blood dribbles from a gash in his head. He touches it lightly and examines his fingers. His expression turns brutal at the evidence of his injury. With a shout, he surges back into the air.

Before Will has a chance to do… whatever it is he did again, a second streak of black crosses my vision. It’s so fast that at first I think it’s more debris that Will sent soaring on the wind.

I follow the object, look around wildly, locate it. Him. Cassian.

He crashes into Corbin and pins him to the ground.

They strain against each other, ancient creatures, beautiful and wild in their draki forms, all black with quivering leathery wings.

Corbin claws with his hands, grunting. Spittle flies from his lips as he tries to bring his talons across his cousin’s throat. I cease to breathe, can only watch.

It all happens so quickly. A mere second… but I can’t move.

Cassian fumbles one hand on the ground and grabs a large rock. I gasp as he brings it down — clubbing Corbin in the head with a savage blow.

Corbin stills, his head lolling to the side.

I take a hesitant step forward. “Is he… did you…”

Panting, the ridges of his nose vibrating, Cassian casts his eyes over his shoulder at me. “No. He’ll come to soon.”

With a heavy breath, he rises in a single fluid motion, his wings great sails behind him, and I realize he’s more natural this way, more comfortable as a draki than human. For a time, I felt the same way. Now I don’t know what I prefer. What I am more — draki or human.

“Jacinda,” Will says my name, coming up beside me. I reach out and slip my arm around him. Lifting my gaze