“Pretty sure hell lives in my blood,” I purred, thrusting deep. “Does that make me the devil?”

Another knock.

Whisper muttered something in panther speak and leapt to the floor. Prowling across the room, he took up guard position just in case Uncle Wen was stupid enough to break in.

He knocked again. Loudly.

Whisper growled.

I rocked into Rook, slow and silent, just daring her to stop me.

She shivered as her eyes fluttered to half-mast, surrendering to me completely.

“Luxin...I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t urgent.”

“Fuck, he’s not going to go away is he?” I fought my body’s urge to keep going. Raising my voice so he could hear me, I asked, “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Someone is here to see you.”

I froze.

The air temperature shot up twenty degrees.

“What do you mean someone is here to see me?”

Was it Marcus?

Would he dare come to Ashfall Cliff so soon? It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out where I’d fled to and...why the hell wouldn’t he come? In his mind, I was on death’s door and the sooner he recaptured me, the sooner I could be put back in chains.

Planting my hands against the mattress, I went to push off Rook—

“Actually, I misspoke,” Uncle Wen shouted quickly as if he wanted to get it over with. “He’s not here to see you but to see Miss Rook.”

“What?!”

Rook gasped as I withdrew—making both of us wince.

He?

Who the fuck was he?

“Oh no...” Rook gasped. “He wouldn’t...would he?”

“Who wouldn’t?” Ugly jealousy tore through me. If there were bonsai in here, they would be ashes.

“He’s waiting in the Dragon Courtyard,” Uncle Wen said. “He refused to leave, even though it’s almost one in the morning. Mei wanted to throw him off the cliff but...he kept saying he’d shoot anyone who tried to send him away. I’m afraid he does mean business, Master Luxin.”

Without a word, Rook slid off the bed. Darkness wrapped around her bare skin as she headed toward the wardrobe where Auntie Mei had ensured my mother’s old dresses hung next to my father’s old things—giving us both something to wear.

Whisper grumbled as I stalked after Rook. “You know who it is. Don’t you.” It wasn’t a question.

She shot me a wary look before snatching the closest dress off a hanger—a pretty pink thing with stitched peonies. “I do. And I’ve got to go.”

Gritting my teeth, so I didn’t take my rage out on her, I yanked on a pair of black trousers and a shirt, then marched to the door. Wrenching it open, Uncle Wen staggered back a little as Whisper welcomed him with a flash of fangs.

“Tell him to leave. She’s not going.”

“I’m going.” Rook tried to push past me, already dressed in the traditional gown with its sweeping sleeves and embroidered hem. “He won’t stop if he knows I’m here.”

My entire body ached with fire.

I’d lived my entire life having no one and now that I had her?

I wouldn’t share.

With anyone.

The old man flinched before glancing at Rook. “He’s very adamant about seeing you, Miss Rook. If you follow me, I’ll—”

“I said, she’s not going.” I planted my hand across the doorway, blocking her. Whisper stepped in front of her too—just as jealous as I was at the thought of another male going anywhere near her.

She was ours.

Pure inhuman fury roared out of me.

Smoke escaped, fire surged, and—

A cooling hand landed on my shoulder as Rook shook her head, snuffed out my fire, and kept me calm enough not to set poor Uncle Wen alight.

“Lucien...listen to me. I told you. He’s like a brother to me. He won’t—”

“What’s his name?” I asked Uncle Wen, needing to know exactly who was after her before I lost complete control.

Uncle Wen side-eyed me as if afraid I’d fly into a jealous fit of rage. “Eh...he said his name is Dillon. Dillon Brooks.”

Uncle Wen was right to be worried.

Turned out, I would fly into a jealous fit of rage.

Because hearing another man’s name associated in any capacity with my Rook?

He’s a dead man.

Chapter Fifty-Two

LUCIEN SHOVED PAST UNCLE WEN AND BROKE into a run.

Leaping down the two steps, he bolted around the central tree, flew over the lip of the circular exit, and vanished in the time it took me to suck in a breath.

Oh shit.

Dillon.

Dillon was here.

In Lucien’s domain.

Not good.

Not good at all.

“Lucien!” I flew after him, wincing as the pavers bruised me. I was barefoot but at least I was dressed. However, each breezy stride kindly reminded me I wasn’t wearing underwear. “Lucien! Get back here!”

I ran as fast as I could, following his scent of burning cedar and smouldering amber. The tether around my heart tugged, leading me through the labyrinth of corridors.

I glanced at Whisper who appeared beside me, keeping pace with a lazy lope. “You’re as much of a nightmare as he is.”

He just rolled his eyes as if I should’ve known better.

I mean...I knew introducing Lucien and Dillon wouldn’t come without its risks but...how had Dillon found me so fast? My phone was still dead because I’d left my rucksack behind and I didn’t have my charger—

A loud shout tore through the estate.

“LUCIEN!” I ran harder. “Don’t hurt him!”

Whisper shot forward, leaping through another round gateway leading toward the main courtyard. Memories of the staff all bowing to Lucien as the returning prince hovered like ghosts in my periphery.

Charging after the giant cat, I skidded to a stop and almost had a heart attack. Standing in the middle of the courtyard with its curved roofs, carved pillars, and glowing lanterns, the two most important men in my life prepared to go to war.

“Rook!” Dillon broke toward me the moment our eyes met. “You’re actually alive!”

All those wild goose chases I’d put him through. All the weeks where he’d catch me at some resort, only to lose me the moment his back was turned. It wasn’t that I went out of my way to make his life hell...just that whenever I was around him, I couldn’t stop suffering the guilt and sorrow of running away from everything.

“Did I say you could look at her?” Lucien grabbed Dillon by the front of his black jacket, hauling him off his feet.

Oh shit.

Smoke appeared from his shoulder blades, preparing to flare into those incredible fire-etched wings that appeared whenever we slept together. My heart squeezed in panic as I glanced around the empty courtyard.

If the staff saw.

If Lucien lost his temper—

“Put me down, you lunatic!” Dillon hooked his foot around Lucien’s knee and twisted in a karate-type move that sent Lucien buckling.

With a snarl, Lucien let him go, tripping backward and finding his balance.

It gave Dillon just enough time to dart away and curl his fists, ready for a fight.

The two men squared off against each other.

More smoke pulsed from Lucien’s back—not enough to be completely clear it was from him but enough that I rushed closer. “Okay, okay, how about everyone just calms down?”

Locking eyes with me, Lucien hissed, “Why does he think he has the right to take you away from me?”

“Because you’ve been keeping her hostage!” Dillon snapped.

“Leave,” Lucien spat, heat dancing around his body. “Before I make you.”

“You’re going to be sorry you threatened me, asshole.” Dillon smiled tightly then flicked his hand in a come-hither motion. “Go on then. Make me. I’d love to see you try.”

“Lucien, don’t. Dillon...” I shot him a scowl. “Also don’t.”

“He started it.” Dillon pointed at Lucien.

Lucien bared his teeth and Whisper joined in the fight with a pillar-rattling roar.