In her nightmares, she saw the world under Alden’s rule. Humans lived as slaves in chains, suffering. Any supernatural who rebelled was killed unless Alden managed to take control of their mind. With the whole world to worship him, he had grown so powerful that he couldn’t be stopped, not anymore.

“You will be one of mine, Sera,” he told her, turning his dark eyes on her.

Sera awakened, the sight of those eyes burned across her vision. Her pulse was racing. She felt like Alden was still watching her, that he could see her here. She knew it wasn’t so, that the magic bounced off everything, even his power. But she couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom.

Kai looked down on her, his hand stroking her shoulder. He was sitting up in their bed, talking on the phone in German. His hand moved to her face, stroking it gently, smiling at her as he spoke. That smile warmed the frosty chill the dream had left on her. She smiled back at him, so glad he was here this time, that she didn’t have to wake up from that horrible dream alone.

After he hung up, she asked, “Was that your family?”

“Yes. My mother.”

“Is that who you were talking to back at the Magic Games?”

“Yes.”

“You are different when you talk to her,” she commented.

Kai laughed. She gave him a curious look.

“My mother says I am different when I talk about you.”

“You talked to your mother about me?”

“Oh, yes.”

“I guess it was inevitable since the whole world thinks I’ve bewitched you. It must have reached her ears.”

“I told her about you long before that, Sera.”

“And what did you tell her?”

“All the good stuff. How you attack things with your sword.” His hand brushed softly down her leg. “How you are often covered in monster guts. How you can’t keep your mouth shut to save your life.”

Sera hit him with a pillow. “Thanks for ruining my chance at a good first impression.”

He grinned. “Just kidding. I told her that you always have my back, and that when I’m with you, I feel like there’s someone in the world who truly gets me.”

She squeezed his hand. “That is beautiful.”

“Every word is true.”

“I feel the same about you.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. She lay back, resting her head on his chest as his arm curled around her.

“At least we’re facing the end of the world together,” she said.

“The world is not ending. I haven’t given it permission to end.”

She laughed, pushing her hand against the mattress. She looked down on him, a smile tickling her lips. “Kai Drachenburg, you are the most arrogant person in the world.”

He shot her smug look. “Of course I am,” he said, squeezing her against his chest. “But I’d prefer to think of myself as self-confident.”

She kissed him once lightly on his lips. “So, my self-confident dragon, how’s the alliance going?”

“My parents are handling the company right now, so it doesn’t go to shit while we’re busy saving the world. Most of my cousins are helping from out there.” He waved at the walls, indicating the outside world. “They’re calling in family favors. So far, we’ve got the Knights of the Occult and a few friends on our side.”

“Any other dynasties?” she asked. “What about Margery Kensington?”

“The Kensingtons abandoned us at Witching Point.”

That hadn’t surprised Sera—not really. The old magic dynasties, those with a seat on the Magic Council, lived by the rules. And those rules very clearly stated that Sera was the enemy.

He shook his head. “Prejudices run deep in our world.”

“I shouldn’t be here. I’m the reason the other magic dynasties are not allying with you against Alden.”

“No.” He caught her hand as she tried to pull away. “You absolutely should be here. If you leave, Alden will find you. And if that happens, I won’t be thinking straight, Sera. I’ll go after him with everything I’ve got.”

“What you have is not enough. Not yet.”

“That won’t matter. Not if he has you. I told you I wouldn’t be thinking straight.”

“So I have bewitched you?”

“Yes, you really have.” His mouth dipped to her neck, kissing her. “I’m going to keep you close.” His lips caressed her ear. “Always.”

She shivered. “Well, you got what you wanted. I’m working for you,” she teased him.

Sera didn’t have a job anymore on account of being a hunted woman, hunted by both Alden and the whole supernatural world. And she’d been worrying that working for Kai would mean she’d lose her old life. She’d been so stupid.

“Not like this, sweetheart,” he said, touching her face softly. “I didn’t want it like this.”

“I was going accept your offer anyway. Before…”

His eyes lit up in surprise. So the commandos hadn’t told him. Nice to know she could trust them to keep a secret.

“Though this wasn’t what I’d expected for an office,” she said. “Or for us living together.”

She indicated the small bedroom they shared. To call it sparse would have been a major exaggeration. It was a tiny rocky cubbyhole hardly larger than the bed inside of it.