I hoped it would play out. The big ex-Legion Dragon shifter would make me feel a whole lot better about our chances.
Matt’s eyes were flaring green. “You’re not taking her.” He sounded incredulous.
“She be right about the twins. I can distract the Dragons while she sneaks in to get to them.” He peeled his lips back from his teeth. “It be far from ideal. I’m low on choices.”
“Then take me instead,” Matt insisted.
“Your life essence has been weak over the last two days.” His gaze slid to me. “Which we will discuss when this be over.” I couldn’t even look at him as he continued. “Anna can’t carry Aaron back to the gate to fetch help. This be the only way.” He handed the Dire his horn. “Think you can avoid stabbing yourself?”
Matt’s eyes flared. “Yeah.” When the Bellati tweaked a brow, he straightened. “Yes, sir.”
“Then get going. If there be help waiting for us at the academy, we sorely need it.”
Matt gave me a look that had desperation written all over it. He shoved the horn inside the rolled map, tucked them under his arm, and grabbed me. Yanked me into him. And lowered his lips to my own.
No.Terror for him suffused me, and the moment our lips touched, the thing inside me pushed for more. But his lips were soft and warm—I melted against him, our tongues tangling.
Matt broke away with a gasp, resting his forehead against mine. “Be safe, Angel. Don’t do anything dumb.”
I trailed shaking fingers along his jaw.
“Dumb seems to be a Dire specialty.” Sebastian’s voice, unusually hoarse, broke our rapport. “But your infatuation does explain a few things.”
My face flushed red, but Matt didn’t seem to care that our lips had partied in front of our instructor. I turned to see Sebastian’s body writhing its way to beast.
To Matt, he said, “Go.”
This time, Matt went. He grabbed a couple of discarded boots—the laces had burst from the Dires shifting while in them, but they were wearable. Pulled them on before he hefted Aaron over a shoulder, shot me one last look, and carried the prone body out of the alley.
Meanwhile, the Bellati became the Unicorn. His cloak lay folded on the ground, and I bent to pick it up, rolling it tight. He would need it when we reached Eras.
I found myself staring up at a back taller than I was. With my memories gone, I had no idea if I could ride a horse.
Only this wasn’t exactly a horse.
“We shall be moving quickly,” the Unicorn cautioned. “I’ll wrap my mane around you, but you may have trouble breathing. If so, form a pocket with your arms, and breathe from that.”
He dropped to one knee, taking care to tilt his horn away from me.
I swallowed, shoved the rolled cloak up beneath my own, and grabbed hold of his thick mane. Or rather, it grabbed hold of me, almost hauling me onto his broad back, and then wrapping around me.
The second I was seated, he was off.
And three seconds in, I decided this was what it was like to ride the wind.
6
Matt
As I moved along the street, I banged Aaron’s head into a wall. Several times.
Every step I took was torturous. Anna and Sebastian were likely already miles away. I had no idea how fast a Unicorn could run, but I’d heard rumors.
Much, much faster than a Dire.
But he couldn’t fly, and I was terrified for Anna. Leaving her was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. I’d been so tortured by the prospect that I’d had to kiss her. To taste her before she was gone.
Gone. With him.
