"Fine, I'll bite you. Happy now?" Emma leaned over and bit the other side of his jaw, leaving another deep set of teeth marks. Lucien looked at her, completely satisfied. "So, can you go hunt beasts now?" Emma asked with a laugh. "I'll go right now." He picked her up. With a boom, his fiery gold wings unfurled behind him. As they spread, Emma noticed there was no black left—just that fire-gold color. Ever since the Pyreborn, his wings had changed. Every feather burned with a golden flame, shining bright and fierce, as if they could burn away everything unclean in the world. In the blink of an eye, the scenery around Emma changed. She didn't even catch what happened before she found herself deep in a forest. She glanced at the time on Lucien's lightcore. Lucien had brought her from the cabin to the forest in just a second.He must have teleported. Emma was stunned by his speed, but before she could recover, a foul, violent stench rushed toward them. A deafening roar exploded nearby, shaking the ground. A level 8 beast charged at them, its saliva and venom dripping and burning holes in the earth. Even facing such a monster, Lucien didn't bat an eye. He held Emma close. She didn't even see him move. … A second later, the beast was dead on the ground. A green level 8 beast core floated in front of Emma. "Emma, take it. Let's go find the next one." As soon as Lucien finished speaking and Emma took the core, the scenery blurred again. Lucien's voice sounded. "All done." Another level 8 beast core appeared before her.He was doing this faster than lightning. As the scenery kept shifting, Emma realized they weren't in the Empire anymore—they were on a wild planet beyond the domain. There was no sign of therian life—and Lucien's lightcore had no signal. ... Back in the castle, Calum and Marcus returned empty-handed, their faces grim. Edric asked right away, "You didn't bring Emma back?" Marcus gritted his teeth. "After the Pyreborn, Lucien awakened some new ability. He's way too fast. Calum and I couldn't even get close." Calum looked at Corvin, whom Silas had called back. "Corvin, did you find Lucien's location?" "No," Corvin said, discouraged. "I scanned everywhere. Nothing. I think he took her somewhere beyond the domain." Upon hearing that Lucien might have taken Emma away, Edric's heart twisted. "Emma's never been outside the Empire. There's nothing out there. She won't be able to handle it. What is Lucien thinking?" ... On that wild planet, Emma looked at the new storage band Lucien had given her, already almost full of beast cores. She yawned, exhausted. "Lucien, I'm tired. Let's go rest." "Okay." Lucien nodded and instantly carried her to a nearby planet, picking the best hotel he could find. "Emma, you go take a shower. I'll make dinner for you." The room had a kitchen, and Lucien had already prepped everything Emma liked. Yet, Emma wasn't interested in food. She glanced at the chain on her wrist. "Are you really not planning to take this off?" Lucien's dark eyes were deep and steady. "Not yet, but it won't be for long. Emma, just give it a little more time." He couldn't change back to his old self. He could feel his illness coming on, and he knew he would have another attack soon. He just wanted to spend a little more time alone with her before it happened, but he would make sure to send her home and disappear before he lost control, so he wouldn't scare her. Back in the castle, the moment Lucien brought Emma back into the domain, Corvin caught his lightcore signal. "Found them," Corvin announced to the room. "Lucien's lightcore is now on Z1689, the closest star to the border. I just sent you the coordinates." Calum and Marcus sprang to their feet when they saw the location. "Let's head out now." ... Meanwhile, after Emma finished her shower, Lucien had already made dinner. Emma sat at the table, glanced at the food, then at Lucien. He'd fought so many beasts today and spent a lot of energy.