Page 95 of The Heart of the Dragon

"Good thing we're only skirting the property then," she said not smiling back at me. "Are you sure we can trust the witch we are going to see?"

"As much as we can trust anyone, I guess. The king has informants and allies everywhere. But he also has enemies, and last I checked this was one of them."

Just as she was about to say something else, the castle came into view from between the trees. "Holy shit!" She stumbled a few steps and then froze as she stared straight ahead.

I followed her gaze, not feeling as phased by the sight of the only home I'd known growing up as much as her. For as long as I could remember there was nothing happy or good about it. Only bad memories and bad decisions. Every mistake I'd made happened there and every punishment for it as well.

As if on cue, my scars burned under the pull of my frown. Ironically, it was only when I smiled that I forgot they were there and until I'd met Rose, those occasions had been far and few between. I hadn't even thought about them much since she'd taken me from that church.

I reached up and touched them. Not to reassure they still existed, but to remind myself that I was still that man. If she were not here, I would have donned my mask by now. Before her, I went nowhere without it.

It was rather unsettling how quickly my perception about who I was and where I belonged was changing since meeting her…

"C'mon. We need to keep moving. The longer we are out here the more exposed we are. And I don't think for a second that the King isn't using magic to protect himself. There are probably all kinds of nasty spells guarding this place."

"I'd ask for more details, but I don't think I want to know. This is scary enough thinking someone could find us at any moment without worrying about magic."

"Agreed. You don't want to know."

"And speaking of magic. I thought I was going to be different here somehow."

"You mean besides the ears and the wings?"

"While that is magical in a sense I guess, but I did not get the impression that's what Kitra meant. Based on the way she and Isaac were acting, I was half expecting an explosion or fireworks or something when that binding spell broke. If I have no magic to wield, then why would anyone care about hiding me in a different realm? What's the point?"

"We may have to face that it has more to do with your omega status than anything magical. The dark fae were a warrior race. They may have?—"

Before I could finish my thought, a wave of magic ensnared us, rendering us immobile.

"Magnus. What's going on?"

"Fuck!" I yelled, trying to move closer to Rose and making no progress. "That bitch spelled us. We can't move, and your glamour is failing."

"What?" Rose panicked, her hands going to hide her ears. "What does that mean and what is she going to do to us?"

"Try to stay calm. Fighting it will only make it stronger." Not that I could imagine it getting stronger. I couldn't lift a finger, let alone take a step, and my dragon scales were showing through my skin.

"What do I do?"

It killed me to see her so frightened. Would it be worth her wrath later if I pointed out this wouldn't have happened if she'd stayed behind?

"You do nothing. We are going to have to wait her out and see what she has planned. With any luck, she'll at least hear us out before she kills us."

"Kills us!? You have got to be joking."

I kind of was, but now I could see that had been a poor choice. "She's not going to kill us," I said.

"She might." An old and familiar voice came from somewhere in the dense cover of trees.

"Corvina," I greeted, tempering my anger as much as I could under the circumstances. "Is this really necessary?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But I do hate glamour. You know this."

"The glamour isn't for you. We're hiding from my uncle." I had no choice but to be honest with her. She probably had a truth spell working out here too.

"At least you're honest—today."

Rose looked like she was about to say something, and I shook my head to keep her quiet. "We've come here for your help."

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