Thirty-Two

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The first car flew above them in a wide arch, its blood red tint the only reason why it caught Fiona's attention as she was about to close her eyes in anticipation of Peregrine's kiss, which, she suddenly realised, she had craved from the first moment she had seen him.

He wrapped his arms tighter around her and drew her closer yet as if he wanted to make her disappear within his body, his wide brimmed hat and the long flowy cloak invisible to any Londoner but her concealing them in shadows.

People's screams echoed off the glass walls of the supermarket and the brick houses surrounding the parking lot as they ran for cover in wild confusion even as another car flew in Fiona and Peregrine's direction, green one this time, then landed on top of other cars, squashed like a can of Coke, its windows exploding into shrapnels dangerously close to them.

"I need you to listen to me now, Bella," Peregrine spoke, addressing her by the name he apparently decided to use for her. "He's a Highlander, and he's here to duel me."

He turned his head away, his breath leaving her curls into which he had spoken before to look over his shoulder. 

Feeling perfectly unafraid of anything in his presence, she lifted her face from where it had been hidden in his chest, immediately missing the sound of his heartbeat, his scent, his warmth. She stood on her tiptoes and tried to look over his shoulder without success as she was too short, then, not giving up, she peeked around his arm. A tall man clad head to toe in dark blue stood at the other end of the parking lot, staring challengingly at Peregrine. 

The dragon shifter looked back at her, cupped her face in his large hands to make her meet his eyes, the loud, frightened commotion reigning around them disappearing in an instant when she did, at least for her. She didn't hear anything else but his voice when he spoke to her, his mesmerising silvery orbs pouring into her soul.

"You don't have to be afraid, I've got this. Everything will be fine." At least he thought so. "But I'll have to fight him." Kill him. Otherwise, the other dragon would go after her once he finished with him. He couldn't lose this fight, dying today wasn't an option. "I want you to run, go home and wait for me there," he instructed, his voice becoming more insistent, the words coming faster with another flying car.

He was afraid for her, she could feel it, but so she was for him. She wasn't going to leave him here alone.

"No way," she said, raising her voice so he could hear her clearly through the noise. The... Highlander was approaching. Botheration, this wasn't the best moment to be getting flashbacks from an old movie... "I'm not leaving without you."

Peregrine sighed in exasperation, but the corners of his lips tugged up into a suggestion of a smile. She just said what had been on his mind ever since he had laid his eyes on her. I'm not leaving without you...

He bestowed a quick kiss on her forehead before he pointed to the large tree growing behind the bench. "Then hide, please, stay here no matter what happens until I come for you. And don't look!" She would be safe there as long she didn't get in the way; the Highlander was here for him, not her.

She nodded, allowing him to escort her to the wide tree, which would have to provide her with enough protection while he would deal with his opponent. Of course she would look, he mused as he kissed her again, on her cheek this time, then wrapped her in a bone shattering embrace before leaving her there, alone. She would look and see him kill the other dragon shifter, and he couldn't predict how that would change her opinion about him, her feelings...

But the die was cast. He couldn't change his destiny. He couldn't think about this now, he needed to focus on fighting. Or it would be him who would perish today.

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