Chapter 12
Titus POV
We hadn’t found Miles by the time the sun began to set, but it wasn’t him I was worried about.
Bianca had moved through the forest with a practiced ease that both comforted and alarmed me.
She instinctively stepped over roots without looking, chose the driest paths through the undergrowth, and kept her footfalls nearly silent.
While it was true we inherited certain aspects of our past lives, her mannerisms indicated that she had experience surviving in the wild.
And not in any past life either.
Plus, there was no way that Abigail and Jonathon had taken her camping—they’d given up that lifestyle when Abigail was forced to retire.
Even though the darkness grew stronger, I was tempted to press on. The humming under my skin had intensified, indicating we were close to a witch. If we didn’t find him tonight, we definitely would tomorrow.
Bianca had been pretty annoyed about the mushrooms. It might be funny to see what happened if she caught him doing it red-handed.
I generally wouldn’t upset her, but this was well-deserved on Miles’s part. We’d been dragged out here because of him. Watching Bianca yell at him would be poetic justice. Knowing him, he probably had no idea he’d even done anything wrong.
Moron.
“We’ll stay here for the night,” I said, choosing a clearing suitable for camp. I watched Bianca, who’d stayed close to me all day. Despite her surprising endurance, exhaustion lined her features. “There’s a hot spring nearby if you want to relax.”
Her eyes lit up, the green flecks catching the fading light. “Really? How do you know?”
I tapped my nose in response. Damen stomped past, his jealousy rolling off him in waves. He always got like this when she showed interest in anyone else, though I’d noticed how he perked whenever she challenged his authority. For all his posturing, he enjoyed it when she defied him.
“Is it safe?” she asked. Her hair had fallen over her face, breaking free of the thick braid that fell over her shoulders, and the most distracting smudge of dirt was spread over her cheek.
How had that even happened? I’d been making sure to keep anything remotely threatening away from her.
“Yes,” I answered, wrapping the edge of her braid around my wrist. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
Did she think I’d send her somewhere she’d get hurt?
“But…” She bit her lip, glancing in the direction I’d indicated earlier.
“But what?” I asked, tugging lightly on her braid. Damen and Julian had also stopped unpacking, their full attention on her. But neither would interrupt. Right now, Bianca was mine.
“What about the cottonmouths?” she asked, biting the tip of her nail. “Don’t they hide near water?”
“Cottonmouths?” I dropped her braid, studying her as another puzzle piece fell into place. “The snake?”
“Yeah…” She didn’t notice the slight shift in the air, the way all three of us waited. “Aren’t they venomous?”
There had been no record of where she lived before Eric Richards, and prior questioning yielded no results. In every instance, she’d clam up. But maybe nobody had asked the right questions.
“Bianca.” I grasped her slender hands. “There are no cottonmouth snakes around here.”
“What?” she asked, blinking as her expression shifted from trepidation to confusion. “But Kieran said…”
The name hit like a physical blow. My hands tightened on hers before I forced myself to relax. This was the first time she’d mentioned him directly to us. The fact that she’d let it slip so casually while discussing something as mundane as snakes…
“We’re too far north,” I answered, keeping my voice steady despite the dragon’s growing agitation beneath my skin. “Have you ever seen one?”
“Yes.” She cocked her head at me, forehead wrinkling. “I thought they were everywhere.”
My skin burned as the beast’s urgency prickled against my nerves, and the ever-growing need to do anything was becoming too much.
I would need to shift soon, even if only to shed this pressure.
“Did you live near water when you saw them, baby girl?” Damen’s voice was gentle, almost casual, as he moved closer.
Her shoulders tensed as she looked between us, and her pupils dilated slightly.
“It—it doesn’t matter,” she whispered, her gaze dropping to her feet. Her fingers twisted in her shirt hem, and it was clear that pressing further would only make her retreat deeper into herself.
Damen caught my eye over her head, his expression carefully neutral even as frustration simmered beneath. Another lead, another dead end. But at least we knew to look south for further clues of Bianca’s life before Eric Richards.
“It’s okay,” Damen answered, pulling her from me. “Why don’t you go take that bath?”
“I’ll keep watch,” Julian said, claiming Bianca’s attention. “Titus and Damen need to talk.”
“Ah,” she said, not raising her eyes. “O-okay.”
Damen closed his hand over my forearm as Julian led Bianca away, and my dragon screamed in protest as my skin roared with the need to shift.
Why was she embarrassed? Why was she so afraid?
And why did it seem like there was nothing I could do to make it better?
It wasn’t until Bianca disappeared with Julian that Damen eased off.
He stepped back, throwing me a shaky smile, as he touched the chain around his neck.
“Sorry,” he said. “But you looked like you were about to jump out of your skin. Literally.”
“I was fine.” I wasn’t.
“I know you’re excited,” Damen continued, ignoring my statement. “But we are far from narrowing down where she lived before Richards.”
“Or learning how he got her,” I growled. That was the most important thing—and something she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, tell us. But if we could figure out where she’d met him and how it’d happened, it might give us a clue on how to track him now.
As it were, the man had vanished without a trace.
I’d promised her I’d find him, but it was looking less likely by the day—even with the help of our outside sources.
Not even visiting the abandoned, burned remains of the wood-gray two-story house where Eric Richards had kept her prisoner had provided any clues.
The place reeked of filth, squalor, and the faint, decade-old scent of corruption.
Time had weakened the evidence, so picking one scent out from the rest was nearly impossible. I thought I’d found hers, maybe even her room, but…
I’d really rather not have it be true.
“We’ll find him.” Damen remained eternally optimistic as he touched my shoulder. This time, there was no display of power to restrain me, only the comforting presence of a long-held friend.
What I wouldn’t give to have his faith.
“How can you be so sure?” My gaze moved to the place where Julian and Bianca had disappeared. The soft sounds of splashing water reached my ears.
“Because we don’t have any other choice,” Damen responded, his tone pulling me from my thoughts. His tone had suddenly shifted, and his fingers burned through my shirt. His bearing changed as he allowed, for the first time in lifetimes, the fire and darkness to rise within him.
I held my breath, my internal conflict settling in the awakening of the Demon King.
“You…” I began, but I was speechless.
Since when? He didn’t even have a Soul Bond with her, and having a second shikigami should have weakened him. But, instead, he was closer to the surface than ever before.
Did Julian know?
Probably not. Julian wouldn’t resist any opportunity to use his abilities on the onmyoji. But at least this explained Damen’s recent mood swings.
For a second, I was concerned, but then, as I realized the implications of his words, my trepidation was replaced with relief.
We would undoubtedly find Eric Richards. Damen, in this form, could do anything .
“Good,” I replied, moving past my fear. If this is what it took, then so be it.
Despite Julian’s reassurances that nothing had happened, Bianca was still anxious after she returned. I wanted to make her comfortable, but she rejected everything, even beef jerky.
She stood up abruptly before I could suggest brewing coffee. Her fists were tight, and her face was tense as she looked around the fire. “I’m going to look for Miles.”
Julian sighed and tugged her hand. “It’s in the middle of the night, darling. He’ll be fine.”
“But I think he’s close by,” she said, her face flushing. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I do.”
She wasn’t wrong . But I was surprised she could feel it, especially since she was new to this part of the Quintet Bond.
“Wait.” I stood. She was dressed warmly enough in her fleece pants, a lined jacket, and Uggs. We should be okay for a short walk. “I’ll go with you.”
“Are you sure?” She blinked at me.
“Yeah.” I unzipped my jacket—if we were going out, I might as well take the opportunity to shift. This was the easiest way to keep away from other predators.
She tilted her head in question.
Damen had stretched his legs and was leaning back against a fallen log. “Titus needs to stretch his legs,” he explained. “Do you need to shift?” he added, glancing toward me.
Yes .
But then I caught Bianca’s expression and a scent I couldn’t quite place. It was a bit unnerving, to be honest.
Was she scared?
“Do you want me to shift?” I asked Bianca instead, ignoring Damen.
She was quiet for a moment, lips pursed in thought, and a million unasked questions passed over her face before she settled on, “Does it hurt?”
“No,” I lied, dropping my coat to the ground before I loosened my hair and pushed it back from my face. My bones were already stretching, waiting for the second I gave in and allowed my second form to take over.
It would hurt, but only for a second, but the aftermath more than made up for it.
“The hyenas didn’t seem to enjoy it very much.” She frowned as she wrung her hands in front of her. “Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Hyenas are weak.” I pulled off my shirt without unbuttoning it and folded it before placing it on my jacket. “Don’t pay any attention to them.”
“What do you mean?” The scent of her anxiety was growing stronger, and her eyes were fixated on my every movement. It was a strange sensation, but also somewhat addicting, to have her full attention.
I wasn’t an idiot—I knew she was checking me out.
“Titus…” Julian sounded weary.
It wasn’t like I was making her watch me. Besides, modesty had never been high on my list of priorities.
And with that thought, I took off my pants.
She squeaked, blushing crimson as she slammed her hands over her eyes.
“Was that necessary?” Damen drawled.
“Of course.” I glanced at my small bag. “I didn’t bring that many clothes.”
What did they expect me to do, shift in them? They’d be ripped to shreds. Besides, Bianca really seemed to enjoy my plaid shirts.
Damen sighed, about to respond, but I didn’t give him the chance.
It only took my dragon a few seconds to take control. The shift was as natural as breathing—a feeling much like coming home. Awareness merged into a single point—a brief instant when the world was dark, and it was only us… that moment where all restrictions were lifted, and we were truly free.
But this time, I saw green.
She was watching me, her presence a beacon through the darkness where, in the past, my dragon and I had always been alone.
Something had changed, but at least it hadn’t completely blindsided me.
“That fast?” she asked, peering at me between the gaps of her fingers. Through my newly enhanced senses, I could easily count her eyelashes and her floral scent was almost overwhelming.
But entirely welcome.
I wasn’t even aware I’d moved, but an instant later, I’d passed the others, barely even giving them my attention, and pressed my face into her neck. My racing heart calmed as her presence blanketed me. All thoughts of righteous vengeance faded.
She ran her fingers over the scales near my neck, her touch smooth as silk. And a prickling began at the base of my skull, causing my snout to twist.
‘ How are we supposed to communicate ?’
“Can we talk?” she asked, lightly running her finger over my nose.
I… had not thought of that. I looked to Damen, expecting a little help, and he sighed, rolling his eyes. “You should have thought about that before you just up and changed.”
‘ What does that mean ?’
Her mouth hadn’t moved this time, but she was prone to muttering sarcastic comments under her breath. It was something that could be easily missed.
Damen waved his hand in the air dismissively. “He’s not entirely a beast,”—my ire rose at that—“he can understand you. You just won’t be able to hear him until the mate bond is complete.”
Bianca’s movements slowed, and she glanced at Damen in alarm. “What?”
“The bond has to be finalized first,” Julian explained. “But different species also come with different gifts. Since Titus hasn’t had a mate before, we don’t know what else you two might be able to do. I would assume some form of telepathy, at the very least. Most mated pairs share that trait.”
Her expression changed then, and a now-familiar sadness crept over her features at the mention of our connection. A coldness seeped through my scales as she moved back and cradled her hand against her chest.
My heart lurched almost painfully, and it was everything to keep from following her.
She hadn’t rejected me, but she hadn’t accepted it either.
‘ …not mate material. ’
The hell?
“What else is there?” she asked instead, touching her fingers to her mouth.
“We’ll have to wait and see.” Damen stepped between us, lightly pushing Bianca in my direction. “Even if you don’t find Miles, you should still take Titus for a walk. He needs some exercise.”
‘ Is he a puppy?’ Her voice rang through my head, but she only nodded.
My thoughts swirled in a haze. We hadn’t completed the mating bond. This shouldn’t be happening yet.
“Okay,” Bianca continued, brushing her fingers along my face before stepping ahead of me into the woods.
Damen cleared his throat, looking pointedly after her. He had no idea, of course, of my inner turmoil, and it wasn’t like I could let her run off on her own or chase after her naked.
I had more class than that.
Growling under my breath, I stalked off after her, barely noticing Damen and Julian jumping back in surprise.
“What in the world is his problem?” Julian asked Damen, but the onmyoji’s response was lost in the wind.