It's not safe out here with Felix still on the loose."
Leon pulled away from me with a growl that was all Lion, grabbing my hand in his and half dragging me up the drive towards Dante's house in the distance, like the idea of something happening to me next was suddenly the most pressing concern in his mind.
A low howl sounded somewhere in the trees behind us and we stilled, looking around with fearful expressions as Dante muttered something in his language. We passed within the first protection spell and Dante tugged his shirt off, quickly followed by the rest of his clothes which he tossed my way.
"Climb on, I'll fly us back to the house and we can talk alone, figure out what to do about this mess." He shifted without waiting for us to reply and the three of us clambered up onto his back, Leon still carrying the heavy bag of treasure he'd stolen from the Acrux Manor on his back.
Rosalie's tears fell silent as we swept over the vineyards and tore towards the huge, white house which stood at the top of the hill, the crescent moon hanging low beyond it in a dark sky full of stars. It was like they were all taking the time to watch this moment, like it mattered to them even though they'd done nothing to help us when it counted.
The freezing wind pulled tears from my eyes as my fear for Roary rose up in my chest like this all consuming beast, desperate to destroy every hope I tried to cling on to.
Dante landed on the roof of his family home beside his secret garden and we clambered off of his back, dropping down to the tiles before he shifted back into his Fae form again. He put his pants back on and crossed the roof, pulling open a door which led to the little garden where the hot tub stood.
The tingle of magic shivered over my skin as the detection and defensive spells tested the taste of my power to make sure I was allowed to be here before letting me pass. I had no doubt they would have killed me if I wasn’t.
Leon caught my hand and tugged me through the gate, pressing me down onto one of the wrought iron chairs there before falling to his knees before me.
"Are you alright?" he asked in a rough voice, reaching up to push my hair back behind my ears as his gaze shifted back and forth between my silver rimmed eyes like he just had to see for himself that I was.
"I'm fine, Leo," I breathed, I hadn’t even been involved in any of the dangerous parts of the job tonight, but I guessed after losing his brother he was feeling pretty shaken. "I'm more worried about you. Tell me what we can do to help Roary now?"
He shook his head hopelessly before dropping forward to rest his forehead against my knees as he released a long breath.
My heart broke for him as he gripped my thighs tight enough to bruise, like he was worried I might get ripped away from him at any moment too. I pushed my fingers into his long hair, massaging his scalp in an effort to soothe him, the golden strands slipping between my trembling fingers as I kept up the motion. I pressed healing magic from my fingertips to heal the cuts and wounds he’d received during his escape too, but he just remained silent while I worked.
Dante and Rosalie were talking in fast Faetalian that I couldn't catch, her face painted with tears and a ferocious expression that looked all too like self loathing.
"He went back for you because that's what family does, Rosa, no man left behind. It wasn't your fault. You can't seriously blame yourself. A morte e ritorno,” Dante snapped.
"I don't want to stand here listening to you making excuses for me, Dante," Rosa spat, reaching for a knife which was laying on the table beside me. She turned to look up at the moon, her beautiful, young face streaked with tears but a savage determination shining in her gaze all the same. "I swear on the power of the moon and the Wolf that lives inside my limbs that I'll set Roary Night free," she snarled, lifting the knife and scoring a deep slash down the centre of her palm.
"Rosa," Dante hissed in shock, but she ignored him, her gaze fixed on the silver crescent hanging low