Arms, hard and rigid, grabbed her from behind, pulling her up. She struggled, her feet kicking uselessly against the ground.

“Stop…” Kai grunted. “…fighting me.”

She clamped her hands down on his arms, shooting lightning through him. The bastard snarled but didn’t budge an inch.

“What’s the matter with you?” he growled.

“You’re not real,” she coughed, her tears burning her cheeks. She’d hit him with everything she had, but the illusion hadn’t shattered. Her barrier, on the other hand, was on its last legs.

Kai shifted his grip so that he was only holding her with one arm. Magic had failed her, so she tried brute force. She pushed against his hold, but he had her arms pinned to her sides. She threw a wistful look at her dying barrier. As it whispered its final breath, a new barrier blazed up in its place, breathing fire at the mages. Sera looked down at her hands, then up at Kai. Her mind was trying to tell her something, but she couldn’t make it work long enough to do that.

“You…” She coughed, blood splattering his cheek.

“It’s ok. You’re safe now.”

She slumped against him, not even caring anymore that it wasn’t real. His lips brushed against her forehead, his breath warm against her icy skin. She shivered. When had it gotten so cold?

“Let’s get you out of here,” he said. His arms wrapped around her back, hugging her to him.

She nodded and nestled up to his chest, a stupid smile on her lips. She inhaled deeply, drinking in his thick, masculine scent. As far as illusions went, this one was pure rapture. A blanket of wind enveloped them, carrying them upward. They slid through the shaft and landed softly in what appeared to be an old abandoned subway station. The commandos were there, dressed in black and steel. Someone else was there too, standing back a ways and cloaked in shadow. She hoped it wasn’t Alden.

“How many?” Tony asked.

Kai shook his head. “Too many…have to get her out of here.”

The words echoed dully, as though spoken underwater. Sera’s head spun, and her feet collapsed out from under her.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in Kai’s arms, and he was carrying her toward the light.

“Just rest now,” he said softly against her cheek.

Warmth embraced her, and she surrendered to the darkness.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Knight of the Occult

SWEET AND BLISSFUL dreams cushioned Sera’s sleep like a bed of frothy clouds. She dreamed that she and Kai soared the skies on dragon wings. They dropped down to a field of giant yellow daisies, dragon scales fading to human flesh as they landed. Kai’s eyes blazed with blue fire as they slid over her. Magic crackled on his skin. And when he touched her, it crawled up her arm and jumpstarted her heart.

Torn from sleep, Sera jumped up—and immediately tripped over something twisted around her ankles. A blanket? Heaving in labored breaths, she pushed herself off the floor. She was on a plane. Kai’s plane. She looked around, finding him sitting on the sofa she’d just so gracefully fallen off of. His eyes were quiet, his magic withdrawn.

“Where the hell are we?” she croaked out. Her voice was dry and her throat raw.

“Somewhere over Wyoming.”

He reached over to the side table and handed her a glass of water. She chugged it down and asked for more. Then she hightailed to the bathroom. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d answered nature’s call, but it had been a while. It was a miracle that she hadn’t peed her pants during the whole Alden ordeal.

And now she was safe? A vague jumble of mismatched images—her running, fighting Alden’s mages, her barrier falling, Kai sweeping her up—flashed through her mind. It had been real? This was all real? Her mind felt clear now. It didn’t feel like she was trapped in an illusion. She splashed her face with water just to be sure.

Someone had cleaned and healed her wounds and dressed her in a snuggly sweatsuit. Cold. She’d been cold. And her dragon…

Are you there?

Yes, a voice said in her head, and Sera’s heart leapt with joy. She didn’t know when she’d become so attached to the snarky dragon, but she was glad her other half was all right.

Snarky, Miss-Pot-Calling-the-Kettle-Black? Indeed! Her dragon snorted. Then, her tone softening, she added, I’ve become rather attached to you too, mage.

Sera leaned her hands against the sink counter, slouching in relief. We made it.

Yes. Thanks to me. And maybe a little help from Sexy Shifter.

Are you going to stick with that name?

Her dragon smirked into her mind. If you call him that, I bet he’ll do that thing with his tongue you like so much…

Sera jumped, her head smacking against the low ceiling. Damn airplanes. Her cheeks flushed, she hurried out of the bathroom, her dragon’s snickers trailing her all the way back to the sofa. She plopped down and hastily threw her blanket over herself. She wasn’t cold—not anymore—but she had the sudden and irresistible urge to hide under something. Unfortunately, she couldn’t hide from herself, but after their delightful conversation in the bathroom, her dragon had gone silent again. She was probably still tired from their battle against Alden’s people. Sera sure wished she could doze back off into oblivion. But first things first. She had to figure out everything that had happened.

“Kai.” She turned toward him, trying not to blush at the magic lighting up his eyes. “I was a little out of it when you found me. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”