Page 63 of So I Dared a Dragon

“I hate to think you missed the moment when you were covered in orange flames.”

Her lips parted. “That was real?”

“So real. And so beautiful.” I kissed her again. “Will you try, for me? You can’t get this wrong.”

She took a deep, shaky breath. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Call your fire,” I repeated. “I know, it’s frustrating. But if I tell you what to do, you won’t discover your magic for yourself.”

Lifting her hand, she stared at it. Her fingers shook slightly, but she steeled herself, and that power rose from a place deep inside her. One by one, her fingertips ignited.

“Whoa.” Her eyes were wide, and the flames disappeared. “What else can I do?”

“I can’t wait to find out.” I took her in my arms and spun her around the loft. “Come with me.”

Still holding Calista’s hand, I headed down the stairs, but stopped when she didn’t follow.

“Where are we going?”

“Outside.”

“Aarix, I’m naked,” she said. A very different flush blossomed over her cheeks and chest.

I shrugged. “I don’t see the problem, sunshine.”

“Of course you don’t.” She laughed. “What if Marissa and Bjorn see us?”

Still didn’t see the problem. “They’ll know that this beautiful body belongs to my mate.”

She closed her eyes and sighed. “Now that’s power. I hope I got some of that.”

“There’s only one way to find out.” I hated to see her afraid of something I considered so inconsequential. But times had changed, and I would help her come into her power when she was ready. “You could see what Bibi packed for you.”

“Oh, good idea.” She turned and went over to the bag that had been brought for her. Moments later, she let out a whoop as she pulled out a long, emerald-green satin robe with feather trim and wrapped it around her. “Now I’m ready.”

The air was cold and crisp, which was absolutely perfect.

“I feel like I can touch the stars.” Calista reached up.

“Soon, you’ll be able to.” I didn’t want to make any promises I couldn’t keep. Calista’s confidence was fragile. To bring her into her full power, we’d have to strengthen it. “Want to write in the sky?”

I held up my hand and let flames spill from my fingertips. I still wore the silver talon cones, and they divided the fire, givingit a unique signature. Concentrating on the flame, I channeled it into my pointer finger. One long, tall, strong flame.

“Whoa,” Calista said as I raised my hand over my head, and offered the flame to the sky.

This elevation was the perfect place to teach her to do this. The flame crystalized, becoming solid, as I moved my hand.

“I’m giving the sky an offering,” I explained. I wrote whatever felt right. “These aren’t letters that you would recognize from your alphabet. Instead I’m using runes, calling the ancients, letting them know you arrived.”

“You say that like they’ve been waiting for me.”

Our gazes locked. “They have.”

She stepped closer and tipped her head up to the sky. The flaming runes floated above us.

“Do we wait for them to answer?”

I shook my head. “They respect power and confidence. Trust your instincts. They don’t want you to be like anyone else. They’ve been waiting for your power.”

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