“Drop the crossbow.”
She saw the strain on his face, but he was helpless. She was injecting every bit of power that she had into her voice. Every single bit and for once, she wasn’t afraid of her magic. She gloried in it.
This man had hurt Luke. He’d hurt her. He’d hurt countless others. But he wouldn’t do it any longer. He’d stop.
She’d stop him.
He dropped the cross bow, but then he laughed. “You think I’m the only one? There are others out there, others who are helping me. You might stop me, but they’ll keep going. We have dozens of paranormals imprisoned right now. Shifters, muses, witches…we will use them all. It’s bigger than me now. Bigger than anything. It won’t be stopped. I won’t be stopped.”
“Yes, you will.” Mina eased out a slow breath. “Jump into the water.” She pointed to her side. “Come here and jump in.”
He walked toward her. She saw the sweat on his brow. He was right at her side, almost at the edge of the boat, when he yanked a knife from the holster at his hip. He swiped it right over her throat. Her eyes widened in shock because—no, she hadn’t seen that coming.
She’d never expected…
Blood flew and Mina’s hands shot up, trying to cover the terrible wound.
“I’m not Garrick,” the man snapped. “I’m not obsessed with you. And I’m not that dumb ass over there…” He jerked his thumb toward Luke. “I don’t love you. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a waste of space.”
Her gaze flew to Luke. She needed to see him, just one more time. Her Luke. Her—
He was changing. Shifting right before her eyes. The boat rocked and swayed beneath his weight because the dragon was immense. He opened his mouth—
“Hell is hot, Michael.” The dragon spoke with Luke’s deep, dark voice. “Ready to feel the flames?”
And he let his fire loose, sending it right over Michael. The human screamed and Mina closed her eyes, not able to bear that terrible sight as he burned.
Her throat hurt. Her body shook, and Mina knew her end was coming, too. Strange, but she wasn’t afraid.
She was sad, though.
There were so many things that she wished she could have done. A whole life that she wished she’d been able to lead.
She heard a terrible crack. The boat shuddered beneath her. She tried to open her eyes, to glance around her. She saw that fire was everywhere and the vessel seemed to literally be breaking apart beneath the weight of her massive dragon.
Boats weren’t made for beasts that size.
Her lips curled. He’d be her last sight, right before death. Because she was drowning right then, no, choking on her own blood.
“Get her!” Leo bellowed. “I’ll get the others! Hurry!”
Why hurry? There was no time left. Mina knew that.
But the dragon lunged toward her. Its talons reached out for her, but it was Luke’s hand that touched her. “You will not die.”
There were some things that even the Lord of the Dark could not control.
“You will not, Mina.” He scooped her into his arms and then they were flying, going high above the sea. She looked back and saw the boat sink beneath the churning waves. Smoke drifted up in the air.
The monsters were gone.
And she was dead.
***
“Heal her!” Luke roared.
Mina was in his bed, her beautiful throat sliced open and her blood soaking his sheets. His useless dumb ass of a brother just stood beside him, a lost expression on his face.
“Don’t just stand there!” Luke snarled at him. “Heal her! She can’t hold on forever!” It was a miracle that he’d gotten home with her.
But then…Mina was a miracle. His miracle. His life. His everything.
And she won’t die. I won’t watch her die.
“I tried to heal her.” Leo put his hands on Mina’s throat. “I’m trying again now, but it’s not working. Something has changed. I can’t fix her.”
“She’s a mermaid! That makes her one of yours—you have to be able to heal her!” Shit, shit, shit! She was too pale. She was ice cold to the touch. And in moments, she’d be gone.
Leo pulled back his blood-stained hand. “There is nothing I can do.”
No, that wasn’t true. “You hold dominion over all the creatures of the light.”
Leo’s mouth thinned. “Perhaps she isn’t light, not any longer.”
“What?”
Leo pointed to Mina’s slender hand. “I thought you were the only one who could wield the Eye.”
He…was. But the Eye was on Mina’s delicate ring finger. When had she gotten it? He struggled to remember. He’d been putting her back into the sea. She’d grabbed his hand. Tricky Mina, did you finally steal my Eye?
“You used the Eye on her?” Leo asked, shaking his head. “If you did, you know that changes things. It will change her.”
He hadn’t used it on her. But…
Luke shoved Leo out of his way. Luke put his hand to Mina’s throat and he poured every single bit of his power into that touch. “You will heal.”