“Sorry,” Magnus said. “Citrine, his assistant.”
“I can blind you,” Citrine said pleasantly. “Permanently.”
“Citrine, the most wonderful host and a terrific dragon,” Magnus added nervously.
“Nice to meet you,” Lindy said, stepping forward to shake everyone’s hands. She’d liked Citrine the minute she’d met him and liked him even more after seeing him spar with Magnus.
Her eyes went to Liam and Titus, and she wondered what they were thinking if they’d watched the fight. If they’d seen how Mercury manipulated Magnus.
“We never felt the way he said,” Liam said, focusing on Magnus.
“Yeah,” Titus said. “I’m glad you had your mate to snap you out of it, because that was bogus.”
“He’s been watching a lot of eighties movies,” Aegis clarified.
“Either way,” Liam said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Magnus’s shoulder as Lindy stepped back so they could have a moment alone. “We never held it against you. We’re a crew. We all know we would die for each other. We never blamed the storm or sinking on you. And if we had known you were suffering over it, we would have told you sooner.”
“It was blessedly fast and instantly dark,” Titus said. “At least for me. And what was the point in laying blame anywhere?”
“Mercury sabotaged the ship,” Magnus said. “Though you may have heard that part.”
“Yes,” Liam said. “We heard. Apparently, he’s had it in for us for a long time. Do you think he targeted this shop because he scented you on your mate and knew you’d be meeting up with her again?”
“I have no idea,” Magnus said.
“Another thought is that he is just trying to find a way to control humans and is working to invade any business that has mob dealings.”
Magnus shrugged. “I’d love to stay here and go over theories, but right now I’d just like to be home with my mate. I did sort of just beat up a dragon and save the day, super heroically.”
Lindy laughed at that, and the other dragons all looked over at her. “Sorry,” she said. “It was funny.”
“I’m glad someone gets Magnus,” Citrine said.
“We get him,” Liam said, and Titus nodded in agreement.
“You two are coming to the castle, right?” Aegis asked. “Until we figure this out, we can’t let you live at home.”
All eyes turned to Lindy. She knew this was her chance to make up for everything she’d done so far, clinging to her life, afraid to move on, when all she really feared now was giving up a chance to truly live again.
“Of course we’ll come,” she said, seeing Magnus’s eyes light up in her peripheral vision.
“Good,” Aegis said, looking like he was trying to hide how pleased he was. “Then you two can get out of here, and we’ll take care of the rest.” He walked over to the dumpster and lifted the lid. “Wait. Where’d he go?”
Liam walked over and looked inside. “There’s a hole. He slithered out I guess, since he can be liquid.”
“What do you know about a mercury dragon?” Aegis asked.
“Just legends, I guess,” Liam said. “When we get back to the castle, I’ll try to remember.”
“He’s out there,” Lindy said nervously, looking up at Magnus.
“Yeah, with his tail between his legs,” Magnus said. “Because I beat him. He won’t be coming back for some time. Not until he regroups and figures out a new plan. We have time to go to your place one more night.” He glared at the others. “Get some time alone while we still can.”
“There’s plenty of room at the castle for alone time,” Aegis said. “But point taken. Now get out of here, you two crazy kids.”
Lindy didn’t have to be told twice. She squeezed Magnus’s arm, getting his attention. “Love? Let’s go home.”
13
As they walked into Lindy’s small apartment, greeted by an overly excited Perky, Magnus realized he was really going to miss this place.
It was small and nowhere near as elegant as the castle, but to him, it was home.
Because he’d been with his mate there.
“Do you think Perky will be safe in the castle?” Lindy asked, picking up the hyper dog and letting it lick her face.
Magnus reached out to give Perky a pet. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, then let out a little yip and struggled to get down. “I think she’ll run the place,” he said.
“Hey, Perky, can you give us a minute? We’re gonna need some privacy.”
The little Pekinese cocked her head, and then, almost as if she understood him, trotted over to her little bed and curled up, tucking her head over her paws, a tiny ball of fluff with a scrunched face.
“I’m guessing you want to make this mate thing official,” she said. “Which I’m assuming includes mating?”
He shook his head, then nodded. When she laughed, he clarified. “I mean, yes, I want to make love to you. But that’s not what mating is.” He reached for the chain around his neck and removed an iron ring she’d never seen that was hanging on it.
He took her hand and slid it on her finger. It morphed slightly until it was a perfect fit.
It was ornate-looking and old, with dark engraving, and when Magnus reached over and twisted it, it opened to reveal a row of sparkling diamonds running down the center.
“I’ve always wanted to show that to the person who was my mate,” he said, smiling. Then he twisted it and locked it back up, showing her how. “Something for your eyes only.”
She stared down at it and felt tears well in her eyes.
Magnus looked stricken.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, panicking.
“No, no,” she said, waving a hand. “It’s just that I’m happy, and it’s been a long time since I was happy, and it hurt somehow. Like a muscle I’m not used to using.”
“So I just have to keep making you happy until you’re used to it, then,” he said.
She nodded, blinking away tears. “Something like that. You already make me so happy I don’t know what to do with it.”
“Then why did you run?” he asked, gathering her against him. “I mean, you told me somewhat when you were up in the crane, but I didn’t understand all of it.”
“When you lose someone, you lose a part of you. Depending on how much you love them. I didn’t want to love you because I knew I would lose too big a part. When you told me how you felt about your ship sinking, I was devastated for you. Your pain was my pain, and I realized I loved you and it scared me more than anything.”
“Oh,” he said, as if he’d never thought of that. “I thought you were angry with me. Or disgusted.”