Page 33 of Magic Forsaken

Callum went silent for a moment. His amber eyes focused on me to the exclusion of everything else in the room, and for an instant, that focus was terrifying. As if he could see straight through me.

“I don’t know how much you know about dragons,” he said finally. “Your upbringing was clearly more human than not, so it’s understandable if you don’t know much. But I’m a black dragon.”

Kira had mentioned that before. As if it meant something important.

“Nope, no idea why that’s significant.”

“Each color of dragon has a particular gift or inclination. Gold dragons are charismatic leaders, like my mother. Silver are often empaths or seers. My brother is silver, and he’s highly sensitive to others’ emotions. Red dragons are warriors, and black dragons… we’re protectors. Not because we’re trained to be, but because it is at the heart of our very nature.”

He let out a sigh that sounded utterly weary and a bit exasperated. “We often come across as controlling and paranoid, and sometimes, it’s no more than the truth. We have a bone-deep compulsion to protect those under our care, and that compulsion drives a great deal of our personality and career choices.”

Part of me believed him. And a tiny piece of me… actually sympathized.

“I’m sure that makes you a charming big brother,” I murmured, and was rewarded by a grimace. “But what does this have to do with my question?”

“You’re just like me,” he said quietly.

I stared at him, arms folded across my chest, trying desperately to hide all of the things my face might be saying in reaction to that observation.

“What do you mean?” My lips barely managed to mumble the words.

“I know about the kids,” he said. “I know that they’re the real reason you begged Faris for a job.”

“That’s not enough,” I argued fiercely, not even sure why I was arguing. “So I have a couple of kids I’m trying to provide for. How does that make me trustworthy? If anything, it should make me more suspicious, because as you said in the beginning, I’m easier to blackmail.”

The dragon raised an eyebrow and began to look almost amused.

“Are you trying to convince me to suspect you of something?”

I gave a growl of frustration and sat back in my seat, just as something wickedly sharp dug into my bare ankle.

I yelped, jumped to my feet, and looked down to find myself bleeding from a set of four parallel furrows in my skin.

“What in the…”

A tiny orange paw darted out from beneath the couch, claws extended, and took another swipe at my foot.

I froze.

“That’show I know,” Callum said calmly. “First of all, someone who’s being blackmailed by threats against the people she loves doesn’t bring them within a stone’s throw of her mark. Too much danger if she’s discovered. Nor does she toss everything aside just to save a helpless kitten. As far as you knew, no one was watching, and no one was coming to save you.You just threw yourself in there without thinking, because you couldn’t stand seeing those kids inflicting pain. It was an idiotic thing to do, but I respect it. Enough that I know you’re someone I want on my team.”

For a moment, I had trouble forming words.

Could this possibly be for real? I had so many reasons not to trust him. So many reasons to walk away. I was just struggling to remember them as I sat here in this comfortable apartment, drinking tea with a gorgeous dragon who rescued kittens and actually seemed to want to help me.

“Okay,” I said, and if my voice was a bit hoarse, can you blame me? “Can I have a little time to think about it?”

He rose to his feet. “That’s fine. Come back here tomorrow and…”

His chin jerked up and turned towards the door. Those amber eyes went hot and molten just before a blast of sound hit me like a physical blow. The floor shook beneath me, and the windows shattered, showering the room with glass.

Callum let out a fierce, feral sound of rage, right before his full weight crashed into me and tackled me to the floor.

For the nextten seconds or so, I couldn’t breathe.

Part of me was convinced the entire building was about to collapse and bury us in tons of rubble.

Another part of me was trying to recover from being flattened by well over two hundred pounds of furious dragon shifter.

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