“Well, there is that of course. But your lady friend seems to be doing a fantastic job of entertaining the demons.”
Talon thought he meant Val before realizing Nergal watched the winged woman with appreciation.
“That looks like a fun fight.”
“Ah, I must engage as well.” Nergal rubbed his hands together in glee.
Talon didn’t feel bad for distracting him. He had to somehow rescue Val from Khent, which didn’t seem right. If Khent had truly mated her, he would kill himself before harming her. Talon knew that much about vampires.
“Help me,” Val cried again, her voice slightly off.
He hurried up the steps and caught the staff she threw to him, realizing too late this had to be the Staff of Blight.
Val’s voice deepened. “And so it begins.”
Talon refused to let it go, though it ate away at his body.
“No.No,” Val screamed, and it was her this time, because he knew the sound of her anguish.
Khent roared and whipped his tail at Talon, knocking the staff from his hands.
“Enough, Ilu. I’m here to talk.” Hearing Khent’s voice from a massive black dragon was surreal.
Talon drew closer while trying not to die. That poison spread. Fast. And he had to save his friend. More important than seeing Ava again, than getting revenge, was being there when Val needed him. As Val had always been there to save Talon.
Through the years, holding him when he cried, making him laugh to remind him that joy existed in the world even if Ava didn’t. Encouraging him to own his pain and his happiness in equal measure, because feelings made life worth living. She’d forced him to be a better man, to create a pack of misfits who’d needed him.
Like she now needed him.
“Talk, Imy-Mut,” the fake Val said to Khent. “Yes, I know who you are. You have been around for a very long time. And I am…happy…to see you still exist.”
“You have my mate. She has my heart, thus you have my heart as well. But I fear you don’t understand that you don’t really have Valentine.”
“I do.”
“Then search and see how much is missing.”
Talon didn’t understand, but the fake Val frowned.
“What…? Where is all our power?”
“I will see that it’s returned. And I will let you keep that part of me she holds close.”
“No one lets me do anything, young one.”
“Ilu, this is not your world or your time. You don’t belong here.”
Fake Val—Ilu—frowned, and Talon thought she looked more than confused. She looked sad.
He understood. He felt the same all the damn time.
“But I am here, Imy-Mut. And I have your mate.”
“No. You just have her body. I have her soul.”
“My love,” the real Val managed before Ilu tamped her down again.
The dragon’s eyes lit up in what Talon swore was a smile. “As she has mine. I could never kill my meryt.”
