Page 64 of Magic Forsaken

At least the driver was still alive, though he might not be for long. Even if he made it out, it took a lot to stop one of these custom armored cars, so whoever attacked us probably wasn’t that concerned about loss of life.

Possibly a fire and an earth elemental working together?

I jabbed at the button to release my seatbelt just as dark smoke covered the windows, obscuring my view. We had no way of knowing what was happening outside, only that it was getting hotter by the second, and if we stayed inside the car, our attackers could basically use it like a giant air fryer.

Panic sent me scrabbling for the door handle, but it refused to budge, and I was about to start kicking at the window when something grabbed me around the waist and pulled me to the floor.

I picked up my head and risked a glance, and found a furious dragon shifter looking back at me. The rage in his eyes matchedthe fire crackling around us as he knelt beside me and glared at the doors.

“Electric security locks,” he said grimly. “They engage when the vehicle stops, and now they aren’t getting power from the battery.”

I glanced at the rear of the car, and he shook his head quickly. “There’s an armored bulkhead behind the seats. Lock can only be disengaged by the driver.”

Who, by this point, had either escaped or was dead.

“Windows?” I choked out.

“Only the front windows are operational.”

All that security, and now it was little more than a death trap.

Smoke had begun to filter in from the outside as the heat grew more intense. The fumes penetrated my lungs, bringing on a fit of painful coughing as involuntary tears rolled down my cheeks.

“Raine!” Callum swore, stripped off his jacket, and pressed it into my hands. “Breathe through this. And stay down!” His face had gone nearly feral with rage and frustration, and something shifted even as he crouched there with his eyes on mine.

I could only stare back, snared by the realization that even though I was looking into the eyes of the man, it was the dragon looking back at me—a possessive creature of fire and fury who would never consent to being caged.

“Iwon’tlet us die here,” he promised.

Smoke clogged my lungs, but I managed to nod. “I know,” I rasped hoarsely, and then watched as he rose into a crouch and threw himself against the locked door.

The interior molding shattered under the power of his assault, but the door itself did not budge, and Callum let out a snarl of fury as he pulled back to hit it again. Each time, the actual frame of the vehicle groaned, but still the door held firm. It had been built to withstand rollovers, bullets, collisions,and possibly anti-tank missiles, so even Callum’s rage could not break through. Not in his human form.

But he refused to admit defeat. His shirt was ruined and his skin torn, but he gathered himself once more, muscles bunching and then uncoiling explosively as he launched himself forward… just as the door was forcibly ripped off the vehicle and thrown to the side.

Callum flew out, hit the concrete and skidded at least ten feet with the force of his charge. But he didn’t run. He rolled to his feet, darted back, and grabbed my arm. Strangely, the flames had all but died, but I still flinched as he pulled me out, dragging me away from the car and all but carrying me out of the street and onto the curb. The moment my feet hit the sidewalk, he pinned me against the side of the building and leaned in. Caged me with his arms and his height, placing his entire bulk between me and the smoking SUV.

My chest was still heaving, drawing in deep, rasping breaths of smoke-tainted air that felt like heaven after the hell we’d just escaped. It seemed safe enough, so I let the jacket fall from my face and leaned my head back against the wall of the building behind me.

Callum, too, was breathing hard, but his face was an iron mask, showing no emotion despite what had to be intense pain from his shoulder. His black shirt was visibly wet with blood, and I winced as I contemplated the extent of the injuries it must be hiding.

If I hadn’t been so utterly shell-shocked, I probably never would have found the courage or audacity to touch him, but I didn’t stop to think. Just reached out, touched his arm, and peeled back the edge of the torn fabric to reveal shredded skin, rapidly swelling bruises, and bleeding wounds…

A sound of horror escaped my throat.

“Raine, no.” Callum’s voice was rough, pained. “It’ll be fine. I heal quickly.”

I risked looking up, not even knowing what I hoped to see. But once I met those intense amber eyes, I couldn’t look away.

Theyburned.Not with fire, not with fury or frustration, but with relief. The dragon wasrelieved.

“We’re okay,” he said, in a tone that was gentle and yet utterly unyielding. “We survived.”

I wasn’t sure whether he was trying to reassure me or himself. Did dragons need reassuring? Would they admit it if they did? And exactly how much smoke had I inhaled?

The screech of brakes and the blaring of horns began to intrude on my awareness, even over the roaring in my own ears. I pushed against Callum’s chest, and after a moment of hesitation, he dropped his arms, allowing me to step out from behind him to see who had saved us from almost certain death…

My jaw dropped.

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