Page 153 of Gift from the Stone

“What do you want to do with the rest of the day, little wanderer?” I ask as we get back to the house from Rebel Castle.

After Corentin and Caspian left to go to the palace, I held Willow in my lap for as long as I could until Tillman demanded I get up and come help. So I was forced to move and burn dead bodies, while my little wanderer spent some time with her girlfriends.

Needless to say, I was jealous, and my dragon was on edge. The fearful scream she let out during her vision has had him on high alert ever since and he didn’t want to leave her.

The remaining shifters that need to be interrogated are the pups on the bottom of the totem pole and they bear no marks so fortunately for them, they didn’t die today. It won’t take much to get answers out of them. Not that I really think it would’ve mattered to start with. They’ve been blubbering messes since they got there.

“Got any cool tricks you want to show me with your fire element?” she asks with a cheeky little grin on her face.

“You two burning down the house is not on the agenda today,” Tillman picks.

“No one’s burning the house down, but we can definitely find some shit to set on fire.” I smile.

They look at me with very differing expressions. My kitten is intrigued, while Tillman seems a little worried and I can’t help but laugh at him.

Transporting up to his room before he has a chance to read my thoughts, I rummage through his closet, hunting for an E.F. uniform. I know his ass has one here. He’s always prepared for shit to pop off.

And I was fucking right. He’s got ten.

Racing back to the lawn where I left them, I growl low when I find Willow wrapped around Tillman, their lips locked together. Sweet little sounds come out of her as he holds her up by her ass with one hand, his other tangling in her hair. She can’t help but rock that curvy little body against him.

Lucky bastard.

“Should we move this upstairs instead?” I tease. Not really, we can definitely go upstairs.

Willow breaks the kiss with a breathy little giggle and slides down his body slowly, turning to me with red swollen lips and a flushed face.

Fuck me.

“Whatcha got there?” she asks.

They had me so distracted, I forget what I was even planning for a second.

“Let’s see if your fire can burn through an E.F. uniform, kitten,” I say, slipping the vest over my head.

“I’m not going to try to burn through that with you wearing it,” she screeches, looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.

“It’ll be fine,” I reassure her.

“Absolutely not. Put it on the ground or get a manikin or something. Plus, I doubt my element will even attempt it with you wearing it,” she argues.

Huh, she’s probably right. Didn’t think about that.

“Here,” Tillman orders, holding his hand out for it.

Passing it to him, he moves his hands around, shaping out a damn six-foot-four manikin. By the time he’s done, the creepy-ass thing is the exact same shape as me.

“All right, little wanderer, so when I use only my element, it won’t burn the uniform.” I show her, holding my finger up to the vest like a match. The red flame fizzes out, leaving no damage behind, not even a sear. “But when I call forth my dragon—”

Blue fire shoots from my fingertip and a big-ass hole burns its way straight through the uniform and into the manikin. Far faster and far hotter than I thought it’d be. The sizzle of material melting away fills the space, and I quickly call it back before the whole thing catches fire and Tillman has to make a new one.

My dragon’s fire used to be red like my element, but since we bonded, it’s stayed cobalt blue just like my eyes. And apparently, it’s got a fuck ton of kick to it.

“Damn, Draken, it burned through way faster than it used to,” Tillman says, walking over and examining the uniform.

“Yeah, I didn’t expect that. I was a little distracted in Terravile when I used it, so I guess I didn’t notice. I haven’t had to use it other than then.”

“What do you mean? It didn’t always burn like that?” Willow asks, coming to look at the ruined uniform with Tillman.

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